Does your VX-8R "pop"?

[ke7vvt]

Greetings programs!

I recently got into ham radio and just purchased a VX-8R for my first radio!

So I have a few n00b questions that I was unable to find other places.

When I turn the volume to zero on both channels, and click the buttons, there is a repeatable "pop" sound that comes after the click of the button, sometimes. Can someone else try to replicate this on their radio? I am wondering if it is because the volume is turned off (no beep and no RX) or if my radio is defective.

I am leaning towards the defective side because the battery doesn't last for very long. I have been intermittnly programming it (leaving the RX on a repeater with no traffic) and doing a few TX and the batt quikcly drops bars and then shuts off the radio.. : ( sad... i hear its a pain to get them repaired by YAESU.

So, would someone please try to replicate the "pop" sound coming from the radio with the volume turned to zero.

thanks

vvt

 

[KE5MC]

I can't say that this is what you are hearing, but find the Receive Save mode. If it ON more of the radio is put to sleep and i think the audio out stage is one. When it wakes up it pops.

If the TNC modem is ON and you are not using APRS turn it off, that will help some. Turn of the screen backlight too. The battery indicator is not well calibrated, but how many hours do you get from fresh off the charger to it dies? 7-8 hours (max) for the stock battery after it has been thru several cycles would be about the normal.

Mike

 

[ke7vvt]

thanks vyu,

I plugged the radio into the wall charger and turned it off, and see that the battery is nearly dead. So yes, the battery indicator is not well calibrated. I am doing a test right now, going to see if the radio will charge while it is turned on. It bothers me that when the radio is "off" and plugged in to the charger it says 'now charging' like it wasn't charging before when it is on and plugged in to the charger...

Radio still 'pops'... I played with the rx save and nothing changed.

Edit:

Actually. That is it. I tried it again and it does stop the "pop"

1. Find a clear no static freq (if it isn't clear the Battery Receiver feature will be off, or on?)
2. push the menu button a bunch, you hear a "pop" about every 3-5 click while it cycles through
3. If you turn off menu item # 79 and try again, no "pop"s

So turn #79 off until your done playing with settings and programming in your memory. Then turn it back on.

Page 125 in the manual has more about the Battery Save feature.

 

[SR385]

Just get in the habit of plugging it in at night for an overnight charge. You want to be sure it gets a nice full charge cycle.

I get a full day (8-10hrs or so) of monitoring/scanning out of my VX7R, but if I get talking on it, it will die pretty fast on full power...which is normal. Ham HT's just don't hold up long on full power TX, particulary the compact variety like yours and mine.

If you are a heavy handheld user, a commercial land mobile HT is the way to go.

 

[AB7SC]

Mine definitely POPS every time I turn it on (and LOUDLY). I returned my first VX-8R because it popped loudly every 5-6 button pushes and it was really annoying. With the new one it only pops on power on.

There is definitely a design flaw that would allow an audible pop. Its almost like a charge is building up in the audio circuit. Unfortunately I am sure this would require a hardware redesign (minor) to fix this issue.

Fortunately the radio is so darn nice otherwise, I am keeping this one and dealing with the pop. In your case (as with my first radio) I would return it and get another. Make sure the dealer knows why it is being returned and hopefully Yaesu will get the word.