Vertex Standard VX-920 Series, VX-970 Series Operating Manual

VX-920/-970

S

ERIES

OPERATING MANUAL

VERTEX STANDARD CO., LTD.

4-8-8 Nakameguro, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo 153-8644, Japan

VERTEX STANDARD

US Headquarters

10900 Walker Street, Cypress, CA 90630, U.S.A.

YAESU EUROPE B.V.

P.O. Box 75525, 1118 ZN Schiphol, The Netherlands

YAESU UK LTD.

Unit 12, Sun Valley Business Park, Winnall Close
Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 0LB, U.K.

VERTEX STANDARD HK LTD.

Unit 5, 20/F., Seaview Centre, 139-141 Hoi Bun Road,
Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

VERTEX STANDARD (AUSTRALIA) PTY., LTD.

Normanby Business Park, Unit 14/45 Normanby Road
Notting Hill 3168, Victoria, Australia

16 Key Version 4 Key Version Non-LCD Version

CONTENTS

Note ................................................................................. 1

Warning! FCC RF Exposure Requirements ............... 2

Controls & Connectors (16-Key Version) ................... 4

Controls & Connectors (4-Key Version) ..................... 5

Controls & Connectors (Non-LCD Version) ............... 6

LCD Icons & Indicators (16-Key & 4-Key Versions) 7

Before You Begin ........................................................... 8

Battery Pack Installation and Removal ...................... 8

Low Battery Indication .............................................. 8

Battery Charging ........................................................ 9

Congratulations!

You now have at your fingertips a valuable communications tool-a VERTEX STANDARD two-way radio! Rugged,
reliable and easy to use, your VERTEX STANDARD radio will keep you in constant touch with your colleagues for
years to come, with negligible maintenance down-time.

Please take a few minutes to read this manual carefully. The information presented here will allow you to derive
maximum performance from your radio, in case questions arise later on.

We're glad you joined the VERTEX STANDARD team. Call on us anytime, because communications is our business.
Let us help you get your message across.

Notice!: There are no owner-serviceable parts inside the radio. All service jobs must be referred to an
authorized VERTEX STANDARD Service Representative. Consult your Authorized VERTEX STANDARD
Dealer for installation of optional accessories.

Operation ..................................................................... 10

Preliminary Steps ..................................................... 10

Operation Quick Start .............................................. 10

Advanced Operation ................................................... 13

Programmable Key and Toggle Switch Functions .. 13

Descriptipon of Operating Functions ...................... 16

LOCK ........................................................................... 25

ARTS (Auto Range Transpond System) ................... 25

DTMF Paging System ................................................. 25

User Set Mode (16-Key & 4-Key Versions) ............... 26

Optional Accessories .................................................... 27

NOTE

 In order to maintain the specified water integrity performance, periodic maintenance is recommended.
 Should the radio sustain a severe shock (e.g. if it is dropped), the water integrity may be compromised,

requiring service. Should this occur, contact your Authorized Vertex Dealer or Vertex Standard USA, Inc.

Intrinsic Safety (IS) Information

IS version of the VX-920/-970, equipped with any of the following optional units, meets the requirements of
ANSI/UL 913 6th Edition for Class I, Division 1, Groups A-D; Class II, Groups E-G; and Class III for
hazardous locations.

Battery Packs: FNB-V92LIIS
Speaker Microphone: MH-50
Headset/Earoice Microphone: VH-111, VH-121, VH-131
Encryption Unit: FVP-35, FVP-36
ANI Unit: VME-100, VMDE-200
Voice Storage Unit: DVS-5
Multi Band Receiver Unit: SRX-3, SRX-4

 Substitution of components may impair intrinsic safety. Installation of FNB-V92LIIS does NOT convert

normal radio into IS version.

Important Notice for North American Users Regarding 406 MHz Guard Band

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration have requested the
cooperation of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission in preserving the integrity of the protected
frequency range 406.0 to 406.1 MHz, which is reserved for use by distress beacons. Do not attempt to
program this apparatus, under any circumstances, for operation in the frequency range 406.0 - 406.1 MHz if
the apparatus is to be used in or near North America.

Warning - Frequency band 406 - 406.1 MHz is reserved for use ONLY as a distress beacon by the US
Coast Guard and NOAA. Under no circumstance should this frequency band be part of the
preprogrammed operating frequencies of this radio.

D7A, MH-66A7A, MH-66B7A

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

1

WARNING! FCC RF EXPOSURE REQUIREMENTS

This Radio has been tested and complies with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) RF exposure
limits for Occupational Use/Controlled exposure environment. In addition, it complies with the following Stan­dards and Guidelines:

FCC 96-326, Guidelines for Evaluating the Environmental Effects of Radio-Frequency Radiation.



FCC OET Bulletin 65 Edition 97-01 (1997) Supplement C, Evaluating Compliance with FCC Guidelines for



Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields.
ANSI/IEEE C95.1-1992, IEEE Standard for Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Radio



Frequency Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz.
ANSI/IEEE C95.3-1992, IEEE Recommended Practice for the Measurement of Potentially Hazardous Elec-



tromagnetic Fields - RF and Microwave.

WARNING:

This radio generates RF electromagnetic energy during transmit mode. This radio is designed for and
classified as Occupational Use Only, meaning it must be used only during the course of employment by
individuals aware of the hazards, and the ways to minimize such hazards. This radio is not intended for use
by the General Population in an uncontrolled environment.

CAUTION:

To ensure that your expose to RF electromagnetic energy is within the FCC allowable limits for occupa­tional use, always adhere to the following guidelines:

This radio is NOT approved for use by the general population in an uncontrolled exposure envi-



ronment. This radio is restricted to occupational use, work related operations only where the
radio operator must have the knowledge to control his or her RF exposure conditions.
When transmitting, hold the radio in a vertical position with its microphone 2 inches (5 cm) away



from your mouth and keep the antenna at least 2 inches (5 cm) away from your head and body.

2

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

WARNING! FCC RF EXPOSURE REQUIREMENTS

The radio must be used with a maximum operating duty cycle not exceeding 50%, in typical



Push-to-Talk configurations.
DO NOT transmit for more than 50% of total radio use time (50% duty cycle). Transmitting
more than 50% of the time can cause FCC RF exposure compliance requirements to be ex­ceeded.
The radio is transmitting when the red LED on the top of the radio is illuminated. You can cause
the radio to transmit by pressing the P-T-T button.
SAR compliance for body-worn use was only demonstrated for the specific belt-clip Part Number



(CLIP-920). Other body-worn accessories or configurations may NOT comply with the FCC RF
exposure requirements and should be avoided.
DO NOT transmit when the radio is used in Body Worn configuration with the following acces-



sory: belt-clip.
It must be used ONLY for (1) there is 4 cm distance from the body during transmitting, (2)
monitoring purposes, using the speaker only and (3) for carrying purposes.
Always use Vertex Standard authorized accessories.



The information listed above provides the user with the information needed to make him or her



aware of RF exposure, and what to do to assure that this radio operates with the FCC RF expo­sure limits of this radio.
Electromagnetic Interference/Compatibility



During transmissions, this radio generates RF energy that can possibly cause interference with
other devices or systems. To avoid such interference, turn off the radio in areas where signs are
posted to do so.
Do not operate the transmitter in areas that are sensitive to electromagnetic radiation such as
hospitals, health care facilities, aircraft, and blasting sites.

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

3

SIDE SEL Key

CONTROLS & CONNECTORS

VOL/PWR Knob

CH (Channel) Selector

Antenna Jack

TOP SEL Key

TOGGLE Switch

SpeakerMain Microphone

(

16-KEY VERSION

LED Indicator

Steady Red:

Steady Green:

Blinking Green:

Dealer Programmed Color

)

Transmitting in progress

Tone Squelch in defeated condition

Busy Channel

Emergency, 5-Tone Decoded, or
2-Tone Decoded

: one of “Flashing in white,”

Ú

“Continuation changes in
sequential colors,” or “tog­gling the two colors.”

Ú

:

PTT Switch

MONITOR Button

LAMP Key

4

MIC/SP Jack
(

External MIC/SP

Sub Microphone

(

Noise Canceling MIC

)

Battery Pack LatchLCD (Liquid Crystal Display

16-Button DTMF Keypad

)

)

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

SIDE SEL Key

CONTROLS & CONNECTORS

VOL/PWR Knob

CH (Channel) Selector

Antenna Jack

TOP SEL Key

TOGGLE Switch

(

4-KEY VERSION

LED Indicator

SpeakerMain Microphone

)

Steady Red:

Transmitting in progress

Steady Green:

Tone Squelch in defeated condition

Blinking Green:

Busy Channel

Dealer Programmed Color

Emergency, 5-Tone Decoded, or
2-Tone Decoded

: one of “Flashing in white,”

Ú

“Continuation changes in
sequential colors,” or “tog­gling the two colors.”

Ú

:

PTT Switch

MONITOR Button

LAMP Key

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

MIC/SP Jack
(

External MIC/SP

Sub Microphone

(

Noise Canceling MIC

)

Battery Pack LatchLCD (Liquid Crystal Display

4-Button Programmable Key

)

)

5

SIDE SEL Key

CONTROLS & CONNECTORS

VOL/PWR Knob

CH (Channel) Selector

Antenna Jack

TOP SEL Key

TOGGLE Switch

SpeakerMain Microphone

(

NON-LCD VERSION

LED Indicator

Steady Red:

Transmitting in progress

Steady Green:

Tone Squelch in defeated condition

Blinking Green:

Busy Channel

Dealer Programmed Color

Emergency, 5-Tone Decoded, or
2-Tone Decoded

)

Ú

:

: one of “Flashing in white,”

Ú

“Continuation changes in
sequential colors,” or “tog­gling the two colors.”

PTT Switch

MONITOR Button

6

LAMP Key

Battery Pack Latch

MIC/SP Jack
(

External MIC/SP

Sub Microphone

(

Noise Canceling

)

MIC

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

)

LCD ICONS & INDICATORS

This channel is on “SCAN” List

Priority Scan is activated

“DUAL WATCH” is activated

Low Transmit Power Mode On

Option SW (Key Function)

is activated

RSSI Indicator (four steps)

Encryption is activated

(

16-KEY & 4-KEY VERSIONS

“CALL” Indicator Receiver Monitor

“Talk-Around” is enabled

“Voice Message” is received

12 Character Alpha-numeric Display

BATTERY TERMINALS

Maximum Input Voltage: 8.4 V DC 8.4 V DC
Maximum Input Current: 2.5 A 2.5 A
Maximum Input Power: 21 W 21 W
Maximum Internal Capacitance: 51.31 μF 51.28 μF
Maximum Internal Inductance: 5.50 μH 5.48 μH

)

Battery Indicator

SUB-LCD

888: Channel Group Number

-P-: Priority Channel

-H-: Home Channel
In: ARTS “In Range”
Out: ARTS “Out of Range”

“Group Scan” is enabled

VHF Model UHF Model

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

7

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Battery Pack Installation and Removal

 To install the battery, hold the transceiver with your

left hand, so your palm is over the speaker and
your thumb is on the top of the belt clip. Carefully
mate the battery’s four insertion slots with their
corresponding alignment tabs on the transceiver
case, while tilting the Belt Clip outward. Proper
alignment occurs with the battery pack offset about
1/2 inch from the top edge of the battery com­partment.

 Guide the pack on to the tabs with a slight inward

pressure, then slide the battery pack upward, un­til it locks in place with a “Click.”

Tilt the Belt Clip

Insert the Battery Pack

 To remove the battery, turn the radio off and re-

move any protective cases. Slide the Battery Pack
Latch on the bottom of the radio toward the front
panel while sliding the battery down about 1/2 inch.
Then lift the battery out from the radio while un­folding the Belt Clip.

Do not attempt to open any of the re­chargeable Lithium-Ion packs, as they

could explode if accidentally short-circuited.

Low Battery Indication

As the battery discharges during use, the voltage
gradually becomes lower. When the battery voltage
becomes to low, substitute a freshly charged battery
and recharge the depleted pack. The LED indicator
on the top of the radio will blink red when the battery
voltage is low.

Caution

Danger of explosion if battery is replaced with
an incorrect battery. Replace only with the same
or equivalent type.

8

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Battery Charging

 Insert the DC plug from the PA-42 AC Adapter

into the DC jack on the bottom side of the VAC-
920 Desktop Rapid Charger, then plug the PA-42
AC Adapter into the AC line outlet.

 Insert the battery pack into the VAC-920 Desk-

top Rapid Charger while aligning the slots of the
battery pack with the guides in the nest of the
VAC-920; refer to the illustration at the right for
details on proper positioning of the pack. If charg­ing with the transceiver attached, turn the trans­ceiver off, and the antenna jack should be at the
left side when viewing the charger from the front.

 If the battery pack is inserted correctly, the LED

indicator will glow red. A fully-discharged pack
will be charged completely in approximately 1.5
hours (FNB-V86LI, 2.5 hours: FNB-V87LI/
FNB-V92LIIS).

 The LED indicator will blink red/green alternately

when charging is nearing completion.

 When charging is completed, the LED indicator

will change to green. Even if the charging is com­pleted, the LED indicator will sometimes change
to red for trickle charging.

 Disconnect the pack from the VAC-920 Desktop

Rapid Charger, and unplug the PA-42 AC Adapter
from the AC line outlet.

Align the slots of the battery pack
with the guides in the nest of the

VAC-920 Desktop Rapid Charger.

WARNING

 The FBA-34 was designed as a backup bat-

tery pack, and it can be used to power the
transceiver if you are in an area that does not
require the use of an intrinsically safe radio.

 The VX-920/-970 is only intrinsically safe with

the use of the FNB-V92LIIS battery pack.

 Do not reverse-connect the battery terminals.
 Do not parallel-connect the battery terminals.
 Do not change batteries in hazardous loca-

tions.

 To reduce the risk of explosion, recharge the

batteries outside of hazardous locations.

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

9

Preliminary Steps

 Install a charged battery pack

onto the transceiver, as de­scribed previously.

 Screw the supplied antenna

onto the Antenna jack. Never
attempt to operate this trans­ceiver without an antenna con­nected.

 If you have a Speaker/Micro-

phone, we recommend that it not be connected
until you are familiar with the basic operation of
the VX-920/-970.

10

OPERATION

Operation Quick Start

 Turn the top panel’s

VOL/PWR knob clock­wise to turn the radio on.

ÆÆ

Æ

 Turn the top panel’s CH

selector knob to choose
the desired operating
channel. On the 16-key
and 4-key versions, a
channel name will appear
on the LCD.

 If you want to select the operating channel from

a different Memory Channel Group, press the Pro­grammable key (assigned to the Memory Group
Up or Down function) to select the Memory Chan­nel Group you want before selecting the operat­ing channel. A Group name will appear on the LCD
whenever the Programmable key is pressed.
Note: Some models are programmed so that the
operating channels are selected by the Program­mable key and the memory channel group is se­lected by the CH selector knob. For further de­tails, contact your VERTEX STANDARD dealer.

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

 Rotate the VOL/PWR

knob to set the volume
level. If no signal is
present, press and hold in
the MONITOR button
(under the PTT switch)
more than 2 seconds;
background noise will
now be heard, and you
may use this to set the
VOL/PWR knob for the
desired audio level. Press
and hold the MONITOR button more than 2 sec­onds (or press the MONITOR button twice) to
quiet the noise and resume normal (quiet) moni­toring.

 To transmit, monitor the

channel and make sure it
is clear.
Press and hold the PTT
switch. Speak into the mi­crophone area of the front
panel grille (above the upper left edge of the LCD)
in a normal voice level. To return to the Receive
mode, release the PTT switch.

OPERATION

 Press the (Orange) TOP

 Switch the top panel’s

SEL key or SIDE SEL
key (above the PTT
switch) to activate one of
the preprogrammed func­tions which may have
been enabled at the time
of programming by the
dealer. See the next sec­tion for details regarding
the available features.

TOGGLE switch to the
[A], [B]

position to activate one of
the pre-programmed
functions which may
have been enabled at the time of programming by
the dealer. When this switch is in the [A(left)],
[B(
grammed (by your dealer) to that switch position
will be activated. See the next section for details
regarding the available features.

, or [Center

right)], or [Center] position, the feature pro-

]

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

11

OPERATION

 If a Speaker/Microphone is available, remove the

plastic cap and its two mounting screws from the
right side of the transceiver, then align the con­nector of the Speaker/Microphone on the trans­ceiver body; secure the connector pin using the
screws supplied with the
Speaker/Microphone. Hold the
speaker grille up next to your
ear while receiving. To trans­mit, press the PTT switch on
the Speaker/Microphone, just
as you would on the main
transceiver’s body, and speak
into the microphone on a nor­mal voice level.

Note 1): Save the original plastic cap and its
mounting screws. They should be reinstalled
when not using the Speaker/Microphone.

2) When you press the PTT switch on the
Speaker/Microphone, it disables the internal
microphone, and vice versa.

Do not remove/install the Speaker/Micro­phone in a hazardous location.

 If the Busy Channel Lockout feature has been pro-

grammed on a channel, the radio will not transmit
when a carrier is present. Instead, the radio will
generate short beep three times and indicate

CH Busy CH Busy

“

CH Busy

CH Busy CH Busy

*

key versions). Release the PTT switch and wait
for the channel to be clear of activity.

 If CTCSS or Digital Coded Squelch (DCS) Lock-

out has been programmed on a channel, the radio
can transmit only when there is no carrier being
received or when the carrier being received in­cludes the correct CTCSS tone or DCS code.

” on the display (16-key and 4-

*

Automatic Time-Out Timer

If the selected channel has been programmed for au­tomatic time-out, you must limit the length of each
transmission. While transmitting, a beep will sound
10 seconds before time-out. Another beep will sound
just before the deadline; the “TX” indicator will dis­appear and transmission will cease soon thereafter.
To resume transmitting, you must release the PTT
switch and wait for the “penalty timer” to expire.

12

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

ADVANCED OPERATION

Programmable Key and Toggle Switch Functions

All versions of the VX-920/-970 include the TOP
SEL, SIDE SEL, MONITOR, and LAMP keys, and

the TOGGLE switch. The
sions include the [A], [B], [C]

Furthermore, the
[#]

function keys. The Programmable key and

16-key version includes the [

16-key and 4-key ver-

, and [D] function keys.

]

½

and

TOGGLE switch functions can be customized, via
programming by your VERTEX STANDARD dealer,
to meet your communications/network requirements.
Some features may require the purchase and instal­lation of optional internal accessories. The possible
Programmable key and TOGGLE switch program­ming features are illustrated at the right, and their
functions are explained on page 15. For further de­tails, contact your VERTEX STANDARD dealer.

For future reference, check the box next to each func­tion that has been assigned to the Programmable key
and TOGGLE switch on your particular radio, and
keep it handy.

None
Scan
Dual Watch
Low Power
Talk Around
TX Save Disable
Encryption
Follow-Me Scan
Lock
Audio PC (PIC)
Clear Voice
Group Recall Shortcut

Ú1: Requires FVP-36 Encryption Unit
Ú2: This function can not be selected on the Non-LCD Version
Ú3: This function is only selected on the 16-key Version
Ú4: Requires DVS-5 Voice Storage Unit

FUNCTION

Ú1

TOGGLE SWITCH (POSITION

A

 Group 1
 Group 2
 Group 3

Center B

 Group 1
 Group 2
 Group 3

)

 Group 1
 Group 2
 Group 3

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

13

FUNCTION

None
Monitor

Ú2

Lamp
Scan
Dual Watch
Low Power
Talk Around
TX Save Disable
Encryption
Follow-Me Scan
Lock
Audio PC (PIC)
Follow-Me Dual Watch
Group Up
Group Down
Channel Up
Channel Down
Set
Call/Reset
Call 1
Call 2
Call 3
Call 4
Call 5
Code Up
Code Down
Code Set
Speed Dial
Option SW 1
Option SW 2
Emergency
Home
Selectable Tone

Ú1

Ú2

Ú2

Ú2

Ú2

Ú2

Ú2

Ú2

Ú2

Ú3

Ú2

Ú2

TOP SEL

ADVANCED OPERATION

SIDE SEL MONITOR LAMP

PROGRAMMABLE KEY

16-KEY & 4-KEY VERSIONS 16-KEY VERSION

[A] [B] [C] [D]

[

] [#]

½½

½

½½

14

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

ADVANCED OPERATION

FUNCTION

Direct Channel #1
Direct Channel #2
Direct Channel #3
Direct Channel #4
REC/PLAY

Ú4

REC

Ú4

PLAY

Ú2

SQL
AF Min Volume
Status Set
Status Up
Status Down
Status Check
Lone Worker
DTMF Code Set
TA Scan
Priority Disable
Beep On/Off
Whisper
Duty

Ú1: Requires FVP-36 Encryption Unit
Ú2: This function can not be selected on the Non-LCD Version
Ú3: This function is only selected on the 16-key Version
Ú4: Requires DVS-5 Voice Storage Unit

Ú2
Ú2
Ú2
Ú2

Ú4

Ú2

Ú2

Ú2

Ú2

Ú3

TOP SEL SIDE SEL MONITOR LAMP

PROGRAMMABLE KEY

16-KEY & 4-KEY VERSIONS 16-KEY VERSION

[A] [B] [C] [D]

[

] [#]

½½

½

½½

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

15

ADVANCED OPERATION

Description of Operating Functions

ONITOR

M

Press the assigned programmable key to cancel
CTCSS- and DCS-controlled squelch; the BUSY/
TX indicator will glow green. Press and hold this but­ton for 1.5 seconds to hear background noise (unmute
the audio); the BUSY/TX indicator will blink green.

LAMP

Press the assigned programmable key to illuminate
the LCD for five seconds.

SCAN

The Scanning feature is used to monitor multiple sig­nals programmed into the transceiver. While scan­ning, the transceiver will check each channel for the
presence of a signal, and will stop on a channel if a
signal is present.

To activate scanning:

 Press the assigned programmable key, or set the

toggle switch to the assigned position to activate
scanning.

 The scanner will search the channels of each chan-

nel, looking for active ones; it will pause each time
it finds a channel on which someone is speaking.

 Press the assigned programmable key again, or

set the toggle switch to a different position to dis­able scanning. Operation will revert to the pro­grammed revert channel.

Note: Your dealer may have programmed your radio
to stay on one of the following channels if you press
the PTT switch during scanning pause:

 Current channel (“Talk Back”)
 “Last Busy” channel
 “Priority” channel
 “Home” channel
 “Scan Start” channel

16

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

ADVANCED OPERATION

DUAL WATCH

The Dual Watch feature is similar to the SCAN fea­ture, except that only two channels are monitored:

 The current operating channel; and
 The Priority channel.

To activate Dual Watch:

 Press the assigned programmable key, or set the

toggle switch to the assigned position.

 The scanner will search the two channels; it will

pause each time it finds a channel on which some­one is speaking.

To stop Dual Watch:

 Press the assigned programmable key, or set the

toggle switch to a different position.

 Operation will revert to the “Dual Watch Start”

channel.

LOW POWER

Press the assigned programmable key, or set the
toggle switch to the assigned position to set the
radio’s transmitter to the “Low Power” mode, thus
extending battery life. Press the key again, or set the
toggle switch to a different position to return to “Nor­mal” transmit power when in difficult terrain.

In the 16-key and 4-key versions, the “
be indicated on the display when the radio’s transmit­ter is set to the “Low Power” mode.

TALK AROUND (TA

Press the assigned programmable key, or set the toggle
switch to the assigned position to activate the Talk
Around feature when you are operating on duplex
channel systems (separate receive and transmit fre­quencies, utilizing a “repeater” station). The Talk
Around feature allows you to bypass the repeater sta­tion and talk directly to a station that is nearby. This
feature has no effect when you are operating on “sim­plex” channels, where the receive and transmit fre­quencies are already the same.

In the 16-Key and 4-Key versions, the “
be indicated on the display when the “TA” function
is activated.

Note that your dealer may have mode provision for
“Talk Around” channels by programming “repeater”
and “Talk Around” frequencies on two adjacent chan­nels. If so, the key may be used for one of the other
Pre-Programmed Functions.

)

” icon will

” icon will

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

17

ADVANCED OPERATION

TX SAVE DISABLE

Press the assigned programmable key, or set the toggle
switch to the assigned position to disable the Trans­mit Battery Saver, if you are operating in a location
where high power is almost always needed.

The Transmit Battery Saver helps extend battery life
by reducing transmit power when a very strong sig­nal from an apparently nearby station is being re­ceived. Under some circumstances, though, your
hand-held radio may not be heard well at the other
end of the communication path, and high power may
be necessary at all times.

ENCRYPTION (OPTION

When the Voice Scrambler feature is enabled, press
the assigned programmable key to toggle the voice
encryption on and off.

)

LOCK

Press the assigned programmable key, or set the toggle
switch to the assigned position to lock the VX-920/-
970’s knob, programmable keys, and PTT switch.
The precise lockout configulation is programmed by
your Dealer.

AUDIO PC (PIC

Press the assigned programmable key, or set the
toggle switch to activates the Audio Pitch Control­ler. The Audio Pitch Controller allow you to the most
comfortable and/or effective reception in noisy en­vironments.

Press the key again, or set the toggle switch to a dif­ferent position to disable the Audio Pitch Controller.

)

CLEAR VOICE

Set the toggle switch to the assigned position to acti­vates the Clear Voice feature. When you are operaiton
in a noisy environment, activates the Clear Voice fea­ture. Set the toggle switch to a different position to
disable the Clear Voice feature.

18

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

ADVANCED OPERATION

FOLLOW-ME SCAN

The “Follow-Me” Scan feature checks a User-assigned
Priority Channel regularly as you scan other chan­nels. Thus, if only Channels 1, 3, and 5 (of the 8
available channels) are designated for “Scanning,”
the user may nonetheless assign Channel 2 as the
“User-assigned” Priority Channel via the “Follow­Me” feature.

To activate “Follow-Me” scanning, first select the
channel you want to designate as the “User-Assigned
Priority Channel” and press the assigned program­mable key, or set the toggle switch to the assigned
position. Then rotate the CH Selector knob to recall
to the “Scanning Start” channel which has been pro­grammed by your dealer to activate the scanner.
When the scanner stops on an “Active” channel, the
User-assigned Priority Channel will automatically be
checked every few seconds; if activity is found on
the User-assigned Priority Channel, the radio will
switch between it and the Dealer-Assigned Priority
Channel, if any.

FOLLOW-ME DUAL WATCH

To set up a “Dual Watch” frequency pair using the
“Follow-Me” feature, select a channel using the CH
Selector knob. Now press the assigned programmable
key; pressing the assigned programmable key locks
the current channel as the User-assigned Priority
Channel. Now rotate the CH Selector knob to select
another channel (not the “Scanning Start” channel).
Your radio will now switch back-and-forth between
the currently-selected channel and the User-assigned
Priority Channel.

During “Follow-Me” scanning (after you have pressed
the key), you can set up the “Dual Watch” feature
by rotating the CH Selector knob to another channel.
The radio will then scan back and forth between the
original User-assigned Priority Channel and the
newly-selected channel.

The Priority Channel you have assigned (before press­ing the key) will be retained in memory until you
change it.

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

19

ADVANCED OPERATION

GROUP UP/DOWN

Press the assigned programmable key to select a dif­ferent group of channels. Once the desired Group is
reached, rotate the CH Selector knob to select the
desired channel within the selected Group.

You may wish to have the Scanner pass through more
than one Group during the scanning process (nor­mally, scanning is performed within the current group
only). To include the current Group in the scanning
loop, press and hold in the assigned programmable
key for one second. To remove a Group from Group
Scan, press and hold in the assigned programmable
key again for one second.

Multi-Group Scanning is only possible if you are us­ing the “User Scan” list. To edit the User Scan list,
press and hold the assigned programmable key for one
second to delete the current Memory Group from the
Scanning. Alternatively, press and hold the assigned
programmable key for one second to delete the Cur­rent Memory channel from the Scanning. When you

--

-

--

delete a Group or channel, “
pear on the LCD for one second after pressing the
assigned programmable key. To restore a particular
channel to your scanning list, press and hold in the
assigned programmable key again for one second;

SCAN SkipSCAN Skip

SCAN Skip

SCAN SkipSCAN Skip

20

--

-

--

” will ap-

--

-

--

SCAN StopSCAN Stop

“

SCAN Stop

SCAN StopSCAN Stop

ond after pressing the assigned programmable key.

--

-

--

” will appear on the LCD for one sec-

CHANNEL UP/DOWN

Press the assigned programmable key to select a dif­ferent channel within the current group.

SET

Press the assigned programmable key to activate the
“User Set” (Menu) Mode. See page 23 for details

CALL/RESET

While the DTMF Paging System

This feature, if enabled, allows the user to change
the 3-digit Page Call code, used to call other simi­larly-equipped stations. Press the assigned program­mable key, followed by the three digits representing
the Page Call code of the station you wish to call.
Three tones will be heard after the last key is pressed
(the new code will now be transmitted).

The receiver squelch of the other station will be
opened, and you can begin communication.

While the 2-Tone/5-Tone Paging System

This feature, if enabled, press the assigned program­mable key to send a 2-tone/5-tone sequential tone.

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

ADVANCED OPERATION

CALL 1 TO CALL 5

Press the assigned programmable key to send a 2­tone/5-tone sequential tone group which is pre-de­fined.

CODE UP/DOWN

Press the assigned programmable key to select a 2­tone/5-tone encode code from the pre-defined en­code list.

CODE SET

Press the assigned programmable key to change the
encode digits for 5-tone operation. To change a spe­cific digit, select the desired digit using the [A] key,
then change the number using the [B]/[C] keys, and
store the number using the [D] key.

SPEED DIAL

Your Dealer may have pre-programmed Auto-Dial
telephone number memories into your radio.

To dial a number, press the assigned programmable
key, then press the front panel’s numeric key corre­sponding to the Auto-Dial memory number list pro­vided by your Dealer or Network Administrator. The
DTMF tones sent during the dialing sequence will
be heard in the speaker.

(

16-KEY VERSION ONLY

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

)

OPTION SW1

Press the assigned programmable key to toggle the
optional accessory “1” “On” and “Off.”

OPTION SW2

Press the assigned programmable key to toggle the
optional accessory “2” “On” and “Off.”

EMERGENCY

The VX-920/-970 series include an “Emergency”
feature which may be useful for alerting another party
monitoring on the same frequency as your
transceiver’s channel.

Press the assigned programmable key to initiate an
emergency call. For further details contact your
Dealer.

HOME CHANNEL

Press the assigned programmable key to recall the
pre-defined Home group/channel. When you recall
the Home group/channel, the “
pear on the LCD.

HH

H

” notation will ap-

HH

21

ADVANCED OPERATION

SELECTABLE TONE

Press the assigned programmable key to select a sub­audible tone (CTCSS/DCS) from the pre-defined tone
table. You can operate using the indicated sub-au­dible tone in the Selectable Tone mode.

DIRECT CH#1 TO #4

Press the assigned programmable key to recall the
Dealer pre-programmed channel directly.

REC/PLAY (VOICE STORAGE: OPTION

This function allows your radio to record a received
voice message, and to play back the recorded audio.
It requires installation of the optional Voice Record­ing Unit.

Recording;

Press the assigned programmable key for 1.5 sec­onds to enable the Voice Recording Mode. When an
incoming signal is received (the squelch opens and
audio passes), the incoming audio will be recorded.
In the 16-key and 4-key versions, the “
flash during audio recording, and the “
remain on once recording is complete.

)

” icon will

” icon will

Playback;

Press the assigned programmable key momentarily to
play back the last message.
To stop the play-back, press the TOP SEL key.
While playback is proceeding, you may press the [A

[

key (4-key version) or
jump to the previous message, or press the [B] key
(4-key version) or [#] key (16-key version) to jump
to the next message. Furthermore, press the [D] key
to clear the all messages and stop the play-back.

]

½

key (16-key version) to

SQL

You can manually adjust the squelch level using this
function:
 Press the assigned programmable key. A tone will

sound, and the current squelch level will appear
on the display.

 Press the MONITOR/LAMP button to select the

desired squelch level.

 Two seconds after releasing the MONITOR/

LAMP button, the display will revert to the normal

channel indication.

]

22

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

ADVANCED OPERATION

AF MIN VR

Press the assigned programmable key to reduce the
audio output to the (lower) level programmed by your
Dealer.

Press the key again to return to the normal audio
output level.

STATUS SET

Press the assigned programmable key to change the
5-Tone status code. To change the status code, se­lect the desired digit by [A] key, then change the num­ber by [B]/[C] key, and store the number by [D
key.

STATUS UP/DOWN

Press the assigned programmable key to select a 5­Tone status code from the pre-defined status list.

STATUS CHECK

Press the assigned programmable key to check the
5-Tone receive status code. When you press this key,
the LCD display will indicate the “Message” corre­sponding to the receive status condition per the pre­defined status list.

LONE WORKER

Press the assigned programmable key to toggle the
Lone Worker feature “On” and “Off.”

The Lone Worker feature is designed to emit an alarm
for 30 seconds when the Lone Worker Timer (pro­grammed by your Dealer) has expired. If the user
does not reset the timer by pressing the PTT switch,
the radio switches to the Emergency mode.

To revive the radio from the Emergency mode, just
press the programmable key which is assigned the

]

Emergency feature or turn off the radio.

DTMF CODE SET

You may send the desired telephone number manually.

To dial a number manually, press the assigned pro­grammable key, then press the desired numbers on the
front panel’s numeric key. Now, press the PTT switch
to send the telephone number. The DTMF tones sent
during the dialing sequence will be heard in the speaker.

(

16-KEY VERSION ONLY

)

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

23

ADVANCED OPERATION

TA SCAN

Press the assigned programmable key to toggle the
TA (Talk Around) scan feature “On” and “Off.”

While TA scan is proceeding, the VX-920/-970 will
search both the transmit and receive frequencies (the
“

” icon will blink on the 16-key and 4-key versions).

When a signal is encountered on the receive frequency,
the VX-920/-970 will pause until the signal disap­pears (“
signal is encountered on the transmit frequency, the
VX-920/-970 will check for activity on the receive
frequency every few seconds (interval programmed
by your Dealer).

PRIORITY DISABLE

Press the assigned Programmable key to disable the
Priority feature temporarily. Again press the assigned
Programmable key to resume the Priority feature.

BEEP ON/OFF

Press the assigned Programmable key to disable the
radio beeps temporarily. Again press the assigned Pro­grammable key to enable the radio beeps.

” icon will appear but not blink). When a

WHISPER

Press the assigned Programmable key to increase the
microphone gain; thus you can speak in a low voice
(whisper) temporarily. Again press the assigned Pro­grammable key to resume normal microphone gain.

DUTY

Press the assigned programmable key to toggle the
Duty function of the 2-tone/5-tone decoder “On” and
“Off.”

When the Duty function is set to“On,” the user will
always hear (depending on the sub-audio signalling)
all traffic on the paging channel. The radio will sound
the paging alert when it receives the programmed 2­tone/5-tone code.

When the Duty function is set to“Off,” the user will
NOT hear normal radio traffic on the paging channel.
The radio will sound the paging alert and unmute only
when it receives the programmed 2-tone/5-tone code.

24

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

LOCK

ARTS

(

AUTO RANGE TRANSPOND SYSTEM

)

In order to prevent accidental channel change or in­advertent transmission, various aspects of the
transceiver’s knob, programmable keys, and PTT
switch may be locked. The precise lockout configu­ration is programmed by your Dealer.

To locked out the key locking, turn the radio off.
Now, press and hold the PTT and SIDE SEL key
while turning the radio on again.

To cancel locking, repeat this process.

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

This system is designed to inform you when you and
another ARTS-equipped station are within communi­cation range.

During ARTS operation, when the radio receives the
correct ARTS signal, a short beep will sound and the
“In” (meaning “In Service”) notation will be displayed
on the sub-LCD
than two minutes, your radio senses that no signal
has been received; three short beeps will sound, and
“Out” (“Out of Service”) will be displayed on the
sub-LCD
as soon as the other station transmits, a short beep
will sound and “In” will be displayed again on the
sub-LCD

Ú

. If you move out of range for more

Ú

. If you subsequently move back into range,

Ú

.

: Except on Non-LCD version.

Ú

DTMF PAGING SYSTEM

This system allows paging and selective calling, using
DTMF tone sequences.

When your radio is paged by a station bearing a tone
sequence which matches yours, your radio’s squelch
will open and the alert will sound.

In the 16-key and 4-key versions, the three-digit code
of the station which paged you will appear on your
radio’s LCD.

25

USER SET MODE

The VX-920/-970 Series includes a “User Set
(Menu)” Mode which allows the user to define or
configure various settings, such as Beep On/Off,
Squelch, LCD contrast, etc. To activate the “User
Set (Menu)” Mode:

 Press the assigned programmable key for the

“SET” function to enter the “User Set Mode.”

 Select the User Set Mode Item you want change

using the CH selector knob.

 Press the MONITOR/LAMP buttons to select

the status of the selected item.

 Rotate the CH selector knob one click to save

the new setting.

 Press PTT switch to exit to normal operation.

26

(

16-KEY & 4-KEY VERSIONS

)

DISPLAY DESCRIPTION

1

SQL

2

SCN List

3

BEEP

4

BELL

5

Lighting

6

Lock

7

Group

8

SCAN

9

DW

10

TA

11

AF MinVR

12

Beep VR

13

Contrast

14

Pitch

15

REC Mode

16

Play Mode

Note: The menu “15: REC Mode” and “16: Play Mode” will appear

only when the Voice Recording Unit is installed.

Select the Squelch Threshold Level
Select the Scan List “User” or “Dealer”
Set the Beep On/Off
Set the Bell On/Off
(Bell engaged by sub-audible CTCSS/DCS)
Set the BUSY/TX LED On/Off
Set the Lock function to be Locked
(Key/PTT/Key+PTT)
Set the Operation Group
Set the Scan status
(same function as Scan key)
Set the Dual Watch status
(same function as DW key)
Set the Talk Around status
(same function as TA key)
Set the Minimum Volume level
Set the Beep volume level
Set the LCD contrast
Select the Special Receive Audio Response
ONE: Enables recording one message (max.

120 seconds), and playback from the
beginning of the message.

ROL: Enables recording whenever squelch

opens, and playback of the last 120

seconds.
Set the priority audio on playback mode.
PLY: Playback audio is higher priority than re-

ceived signal
SIG: Received signal is higher priority than

playback audio

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

IS APPROVES ACCESSORIES

FNB-V92LIIS 7.4V, 3000 mAh Li-Ion Battery Pack (IS version)
FVP-35 Rolling Code Encryption Unit
FVP-36 Inversion Encryption Unit
DVS-5 Digital Voice Storage Unit
VME-100 MDC1200
VMDE-200 MDC1200
SRX-3D Multi Band Receiver Unit (450-512 MHz)
SRX-3H Multi Band Receiver Unit (380-450 MHz)
SRX-4 Multi Band Receiver Unit (134-174 MHz)
MH-50

D7A Speaker/Microphone (Noise Canceling)

MH-66

A7A Submersible External Speaker/Microphone

MH-66

B7A Submersible External Speaker/Microphone

VH-111 Over the Head, Heavy Duty Headset
VH-121 3-Wire Earpice, Mic, Palm PTT Switch
VH-131 2-Wire Earpice, Palm Mic/PTT Combo
ATW-1A 2-Band Antenna (134-151 MHz/450-520 MHz)
ATW-1B 2-Band Antenna (150-163 MHz/450-520 MHz)
ATW-1C 2-Band Antenna (161-174 MHz/450-520 MHz)
ATW-2A 2-Band Antenna (134-151 MHz/380-450 MHz)
ATW-2B 2-Band Antenna (150-163 MHz/380-450 MHz)
ATW-2C 2-Band Antenna (161-174 MHz/380-450 MHz)
ATV-8A VHF Antenna (134-151 MHz)
ATV-8B VHF Antenna (150-163 MHz)
ATV-8C VHF Antenna (161-174 MHz)
ATU-6A1 UHF Antenna (400-430 MHz)
ATU-6D UHF Antenna (450-490 MHz)
ATU-6F UHF Antenna (490-512 MHz)
LCC-920 Leather Case

®

/GE-STAR® ANI Encoder Unit

®

/GE-STAR® ANI Enc/Dec Unit

IS EXEMPT ACCESSORIES

FNB-V86LI 7.4V, 1150 mAh Li-Ion Battery Pack
FNB-V87LI 7.4V, 2000 mAh Li-Ion Battery Pack
FNB-V92LI 7.4V, 3000 mAh Li-Ion Battery Pack
FBA-34 Alkaline Battery Case (6 x AA)
VAC-920 Desktop Rapid Charger
VAC-6920 6-Unit Multi Charger
DCM-1 Desktop Charger Mounting Adapter
VCM-2 Vehicular Charger Mounting Adapter
CLIP-17A Swivel Belt Clip
CE59 Programming Software
FIF-10A USB Programming Interface
CT-29 RS-232C Programming Interface Cable
CT-108 PC Programming Cable (for FIF-10A)
CT-115 PC Programming Cable (for CT-29)
CT-116 Radio to Radio Cloning Cable

Availability of accessories may vary; some accessories are
supplied standard per local requirements, others may be un­available in some regions. Check with your VERTEX STAN­DARD Dealer for changes to this list.

Importante Note!

If any of the IS Exempt Accessory is used with the VX­920/-970 series, the radio is no longer intrinsically safe,

and must not be used in hazardous locations.

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

27

NOTE

28

VX-920/-970 SERIES OPERATING MANUAL

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules.
Operation is subject to the condition that this de­vice does not cause harmful interference.

Copyright 2007
VERTEX STANDARD CO., LTD.
All rights reserved.

No portion of this manual
may be reproduced
without the permission of
VERTEX STANDARD CO., LTD.

Printed in Japan

0712F-FE

EC033N216