Yaesu FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

HF/50 MH

FT-450

O

PERATION

Z

T

RANSCEIVER

M

ANUAL

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

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL FEATURE ...........................................1

FRONT PANEL SWITCHES AND KNOBS ..........2

DISPLAY INDICATIONS....................................... 6

REAR PANEL JACKS .......................................... 8

SUPPLIED MH-67A8J MICROPHONE .................9

ACCESSORIES & OPTIONS .............................10

INSTALLATION .................................................. 11

CONNESTION OF ANTENNA AND POWER SUPPLY .. 11

ABOUT COAXIAL CABLE ............................................... 11

GROUNDING ................................................................... 12

VL-1000 LINEAR AMPLIFIER INTERCONNECTIONS .. 13

INTERFACING TO OTHER LINEAR AMPLIFIER ........... 13

EASY OPERATION ............................................ 14

HOW TO USE THE [DSP/SEL] KNOB ............................ 15

MENU OPERATION......................................................... 15

HOW TO USE THE [VOICE/C.S] SWITCH .................... 16

KEY DURATION SETTING .............................................. 17

RESETTING THE MICROPROCESSOR ........................ 18

RECEIVING ........................................................ 19

TUNING STEPS ............................................................... 19

CHANGE THE TUNING STEP

OF THE [MAIN DIAL] KNOB ..................... 19

CHANGE THE TUNING STEP

OF THE [DSP/SEL] KNOB ........................ 19

ABOUT THE [UP]/[DWN] BUTTONS

OF THE OPTIONAL MH-31A8J AND MD-100A8X ..... 20

CLARIFIER ....................................................................... 20

DIGITAL VOICE ANNOUNCEMENT ............................... 21

DIAL LOCK ....................................................................... 21

MY BANDS OPERATION ................................................ 22

MY MODES OPERATION ............................................... 23

DIGITAL VOICE RECORDER ......................................... 24

CONVENIENCE FEATURES ............................. 25

RECEIVER OPERATION

(FRONT END BLOCK DIAGRAM

ATT/IPO

(ADJUST THE RECEIVING SENSITIVITY)

NOISE BLANKER

(INTERFERENCE REJECTION “SIGNALS WITHIN 3 kHz”)

AGC

(TOOL FOR COMFORTABLE AND EFFECTIVE RECEPTION) .........

CONTOUR

(INTERFERENCE REJECTION “SIGNALS WITHIN 3 kHz”)

SHIFT

(INTERFERENCE REJECTION “SIGNALS WITHIN 3 kHz”)

WIDTH

(INTERFERENCE REJECTION “SIGNALS WITHIN 3 kHz”)

NOTCH

(INTERFERENCE REJECTION “SIGNALS WITHIN 3 kHz”)

DNR

(INTERFERENCE REJECTION “SIGNALS WITHIN 3 kHz”)

RF GAIN ........................................................................... 33

) ......................................... 25

..................................

26

........... 26

27

........... 28

........... 29

........... 30

........... 31

........... 32

SSB/AM MODE TRANSMISSION ..................... 34

TX METER SELECTION ................................................. 35

TX POWER ADJUSTMENT ............................................ 35

TRANSMITTER TIME-OUT TIMER (TOT) ...................... 36

MICROPHONE GAIN LEVEL ADJUSTMENT ................ 37

DSP MICROPHONE EQUALIZER .................................. 38

AUTOMATIC TX/RX SWITCHING

USING VOICE CONTROL (VOX) ........................... 39

MONITOR ........................................................................ 40

SPLIT-FREQUENCY OPERATION ................................. 41

QUICK SPLIT OPERATION ............................................ 41

VOICE MEMORY (SSB/AM/FM MODES) ...................... 42

CW MODE OPERATION .................................... 44

SETUP FOR STRAIGHT KEY

(AND STRAIGHT KEY EMULATION) OPERATION ..... 44

USING THE BUILT-IN ELECTRONIC KEYER ................ 45

CW SPOTTING (ZERO-BEATING) ................................. 47

USING CW REVERSE .................................................... 47

CW DELAY TIME SETTING ............................................ 48

CW SIDETONE VOLUME LEVEL SETTING .................. 48

CW PITCH ADJUSTMENT .............................................. 49

CW TRAINING FEATURE ............................................... 49

BEACON FEATURE ........................................................ 50

FM MODE OPERATION ..................................... 52

BASIC OPERATION ........................................................ 52

REPEATER OPERATION ................................................ 53

TONE SQUELCH/DCS OPERATION .............................. 54

TONE SEARCH SCANNING ........................................... 55

MEMORY OPERATION ...................................... 54

CONVENIENT MEMORY FUNCTIONS .......................... 56

MEMORY GROUPS......................................................... 57

REGULAR MEMORY OPERATION ................................ 58

MEMORY STORAGE ................................................ 58

MEMORY CHANNEL RECALL ................................. 58

ERASING MEMORY CHANNEL DATA ..................... 59

MEMORY TUNE OPERATION.................................. 59

LABELING MEMORIES ............................................ 60

HOME CHANNEL MEMORIES ....................................... 62

HOME CHANNEL RECALL ....................................... 62

HOME CHANNEL FREQUENCY CHANGE ............. 62

QMB (QUICK MEMORY BANK) ...................................... 63

STORAGE ................................................................. 63

RECALL ..................................................................... 63

SCANNING OPERATION ................................... 64

VFO AND MEMORY SCANNING .................................... 64

PREPARATION ......................................................... 64

VFO/MEMORY SCAN ............................................... 65

PROGRAMMABLE MEMORY SCANNING

(PMS) ........ 66

OPERATION ON ALASKA

EMERGENCY FREQUENCY: 5167.5 kHz

(U.S. VERSION ONLY) ....... 67

MISCELLANEOUS SETTINGS .......................... 68

DISPLAY SETTING .......................................................... 68

BEEPER SETTING .......................................................... 69

BEEP VOLUME ......................................................... 69

BEEP TONE .............................................................. 70

AUTOMATIC POWER-OFF (APO) .................................. 71

TABLE OF CONTENTS

RTTY (RADIO TELETYPE) OPERATION .......... 72

SETTING UP FOR RTTY OPERATION .......................... 72

BASIC SETUP ................................................................. 72

PACKET OPERATION ....................................... 73

PACKET SETUP

(INCLUDING SUBCARRIER FREQUENCY) ........... 73

BASIC SETUP ................................................................. 73

MISCELLANEOUS AFSK-BASED

DATA MODES ................. 74

MENU MODE ..................................................... 76

USING THE MENU .......................................................... 76

MENU MODE RESET ...................................................... 76

INSTALLATION OF

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES .................... 87

AUTOMATIC ANTENNA TUNER

ATU-450 OPERATION ............................... 87

AUTOMATIC ANTENNA TUNER

FC-30 OPERATION .................................. 90

AUTOMATIC-MATCHING 200-MEMORY

ANTENNA TUNER FC-40 OPERATION....................... 92

ACTIVE-TUNING ANTENNA SYSTEM

(ATAS-100/-120/120A) OPERATION .................... 94

CARRYING HANDLE MHG-1 INSTALLATION ............... 96

MOUNTING BRACKET

MMB-90 INSTALLATION ............................ 97

SPECIFICATIONS ..............................................98

CLONING ........................................................... 86

Congratulations on the purchase of your Yaesu amateur transceiver! Whether this is
your first rig, or if Yaesu equipment is already the backbone of your station, rest assured
that your transceiver will provide many hours of operating pleasure for years to come.

GENERAL FEATURE

Super Compact HF Transceiver with IF-DSP
ATU (automatic antenna tuner) can be installed in the radio (optional)
A perfect performance on HF radio with easy operation is realized only by the FT-450, very small HF
transceiver.

 HF + 50 MHz with 100 Watts output all mode operation
 Small, compact and light-weight HF radio, 9 (W) x 3.3 (H) x 8.5 (D) in, 7.9 lb
 9-segment LCD frequency display with large characters provides more natural indication
 Black-Nega type LCD
 Built-in IF DSP unit which realize the following functions

 Modulation and Demodulation

 CONTOUR

 MANUAL NOTCH

 DNR

 WIDTH (CW narrow 500 Hz operation available without any optional filters)

 Microphone equalizer built in

 Speech Processor

 DSP VOX operation

 Two Voice memory channels included

 Frequency read out function

 TCXO built-in
 500 memory channels
 IF SHIFT
 IPO
 20 dB ATT built-in
 Clarifier
 Electronic keyer built-in
 Microphone and phone jacks on the front panel
 FSK-RTTY TX operation
 Long wire antenna can be used by the optional FC-40

Page 1FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

MIC

ON/OFF

-SHIFT+

DSP ATT/IPO NB AGC BAND

DSP/SEL

FAST

A=B

MODE

MODE

CLARKEYER

PHONES

KEY

F

RONT

P

ANEL

S

WITCHES AND

K

NOBS

ATT/IPO Switch

This button selects the ATT or IPO feature. Available se­lections are:
ATT:OFF/IPO:OFF  ATT:ON/IPO:OFF
 ATT:OFF/IPO:ON  ATT:ON/IPO:ON
 ATT:OFF/IPO:OFF

ATT: OFF, IPO: OFF

Attenuator is OFF, and the RF preamplifier amplifies
the incoming signal.

ATT: ON, IPO: OFF

The received signal is reduced by 20 dB, and the RF
preamplifier amplifies the incoming signal.

ATT: OFF, IPO: ON

Attenuator is OFF, and the received signal bypasses
the RF preamplifier, yielding a direct feed to the first
mixer.

ATT: ON, IPO: ON

The received signal is reduced by 20 dB, and the in­coming signal bypasses the RF preamplifier, yielding a
direct feed to the first mixer.
The selection will be indicated in the Block Diagram on
the display.

DSP Switch

This button selects the DSP functions.
Available selections are CONTOUR,
NOTCH, DNR, and WIDTH.

AGC Switch

This button selects the AGC characteristics for the receiver.
Press and hold in this button for one second to disable the
AGC (for testing or weak-signal reception).

NB Switch

This button turns the IF Noise Blanker
on and off. Press this button to re­duce short-duration pulse noise.

ON/OFF Switch

Press and hold in this switch for one second
to turn the transceiver on or off.

PHONE Jack

A 1/4-inch, 3-contact jack accepts ei­ther monaural or stereo headphones
with 2 or 3-contact plugs. When a plug
is inserted, the loudspeaker is dis­abled.

N

OTE:

When wearing headphones, we rec­ommend that you turn the AF GAIN
levels down to their lowest settings
before turning power on, to minimize
the impact on your hearing caused by
audio “pops” during switch-on.

KEY Jack

This 1/4-inch, 3-contact
jack accepts a CW key or
keyer paddles (for the
built-in electronic keyer),
or output from an external
electronic keyer. Pinout is
shown below. Key up is 5
volts, and key down cur­rent is 0.5 mA.

Page 2 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

AGC BAN D BAND TUNE F

SQL/ RF GAIN AF GAIN

A/B

LOC KFAST

A=B

SPLIT

STEP

SCAN

PMS

RCL

STO

VOX

C.S

V/M

F

RONT

P

ANEL

S

WITCHES AND

K

NOBS

VOICE/C.S Switch

Press this button to activate one of the 52 functions, which
can be assigned via Menu Item “PNL-C.S.”
Press the [F] button followed by this button to announce the
current operating frequency (with resolution to the displayed
100 Hz digit) and operating mode.

HOME/RCL Switch

Press this button to recall the Quick Memory Bank
memory for operation. Press this button again to
return to the VFO or Memory mode.
Press the [F] button followed by this button to recall
the “Home” (favorite frequency) channel. The home
channel default settings are 29.30000 MHz for the
HF Band and 51.00000 MHz for the 6 m band.

STEP/SPLIT Switch

Press this button to activate split fre­quency operation between VFO-A,
used for reception and VFO-B, used
for transmission (or vice versa).
Press the [F] button followed by this
button to enable setting of the fre­quency step with the [DSP/SEL] knob.
When the selection is complete, press
this key again.

MW/V/M Switch

This button toggles frequency control between the
VFO and the memory system.
Press the [F] button followed by this button to copy
the current operating data from the VFO into the cur­rently selected memory channel.

VOX/STO Switch

Press this button to copy the operating in­formation (frequency, mode, bandwidth,
and also repeater direction/shift frequency
and CTCSS functions on the FM mode) into
the Quick Memory Bank.
Press the [F] button followed by this button
to activate the VOX (voice-actuated trans­mitter switching) feature in the SSB, AM,
and FM modes.

PMS/SCAN Switch

Press this button to initiate the
upward scanning of VFO fre­quencies or memory chan­nels.
Press the [F] button followed
by this button to engage the
Programmable Memory Scan,
(PMS) which limits scanning
within a particular frequency
range.

ODE

LAR

TUNE Switch

Press this button momentarily to
toggle the ATU-450 Internal Automatic
Antenna Tuner on/off.
Press and hold in this button to begin
the automatic Tuning.

METER/DIM Switch

Press this button to change the meter
function in the transmit mode as fol­lows.
PO  ALC  SWR  PO
PO: Indicates the average power

output level.

ALC: Indicates the relative ALC volt-

age.

SWR: Indicates the Standing Wave

Ratio (Forward/Reflected).
Press the [F] button followed by this
button to enable adjustment of the
display dimmer level by the [DSP/

SEL] knob. When the adjustment is

complete, press this key again.

F Switch

Press this button to activate the alternate key
functions of the six command buttons located
on the upper right corner of the front panel.
Press and hold this button for one second to
engage the “Menu” mode.

Page 3FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

MIC

ON/OFF

-SHIFT+

DSP ATT/IPO NB AGC BAND

DSP/SEL

FAST

A=B

MODE

MODE

CLARKEYER

PHONES

KEY

F

RONT

MIC Jack

This 8-pin jack accepts input from
a supplied MH-67A8J Hand Micro­phone.

(viewed from front panel)

P

ANEL

S

WITCHES AND

K

NOBS

SHIFT Knob

This knob shifts the IF DSP passband
to reduce an interfering signal which
is inside the IF passband.

DSP/SEL Knob

This knob is used to select functions
depending on the situation.

G Frequency Tuning
G Memory Channel Selection
G DSP Setting
G Menu Mode Selection

MODE/MODE Switch

These buttons select the operating
mode.

KEYER Switch

This button toggles the in­ternal CW keyer on and off.

CLAR Switch

Pressing this button activates the Clarifier,
to allow temporarily offsetting the receive
frequency. When the Clarifier is active, you
may offset the receive frequency by adjust­ing the [MAIN DIAL] knob.

Page 4 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

AGC BAN D BAND TUNE F

SQL/ RF GAIN AF GAIN

A/B

LOC KFAST

A=B

ODE

SPLIT

STEP

SCAN

PMS

RCL

STO

VOX

C.S

V/M

LAR

F

RONT

P

ANEL

BAND/BAND Switch

These buttons select the operating band.

S

WITCHES AND

K

NOBS

AF GAIN

This knob sets the receiver’s audio
volume level. Typically, you will op­erate with this control set between
the 9 o’clock and 10 o’clock posi­tions.

A/B Switch

This button toggles the frequency
control between VFO-A and VFO-B.

LOCK Switch

This button toggles the locking of the [MAIN DIAL] knob and some
switches, to prevent accidental frequency changes.
Advice: You may select the locking schemes via the Menu Mode.
Term Explanation: The Menu Mode permits you to make small changes
in the parameters of many of the functions of the FT-450. You can cus­tomize the operations to your personal preferences.

MAIN DIAL Knob

This knob adjusts the operating frequency in the SSB/CW/DATA modes.
You may change the knobs function to also adjust frequency in AM/FM
mode via the Menu Mode.
When the Clarifier is activated, this knob adjusts the receiver offset
frequency.

SQL/RF GAIN Knob

In the factory default, this knob ad­justs the gain of the receiver’s RF
and IF stages. Using Menu Item
“SQL/RFG”, this knob may be
changed to function as a squelch
control, which may be used to si­lence background noise when no sig­nal is present.

FAST Switch

Pressing this button will increase or decrease the tuning rate of
the [MAIN DIAL] knob by a factor of ten and also increase or
decrease the tuning rate of the [DSP/SEL] knob by a factor of
two.

A=B Switch

Press this button momentarily to transfer data from VFO-A fre­quency (or a recalled memory channel) to VFO-B, overwriting
the previous contents in VFO-B. Use this key to set both VFO-A
and VFO-B to the same frequency and mode.

Page 5FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

MIC

ON/OFF

-SHIFT+

DSP ATT/IPO NB AGC BAND BAND TUNE F

DSP/SEL SQL/RF GAIN AF GAIN

A/B

LOCKFAST

A=B

MODE

MODE

CLARKEYER

SPLIT

STEP

SCAN

PMS

RCL

STO

VOX

C.S

V/M

PHONES

KEY

D

ISPLAY INDICATIONS

Display

Meter

While receiving, the received signal strength is displayed.
While transmitting, the meter displays PO, ALC, or SWR (determined by the [METER/DIM] button).

DSP Graphic Display

: The peak position of the CONTOUR Filter is depicted graphically here when the CONTOUR

Filter is activated.

: The null position of the IF Notch Filter is depicted graphically here when the IF Notch Filter

is activated.
: Indicates the Noise Reduction level of the Digital Noise Reducer.
: Indicates the bandwidth of the DSP IF filter.

: Indicates the peak position of the DSP IF filter.

Page 6 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

D

ISPLAY INDICATIONS

Block Diagram Display

: Indicates the antenna status. When the antenna system became abnormality, this indicator will blink.

: Indicates the RF attenuator status (“ON” or “OFF”) selected for operation by the [ATT/IPO] button.
: Indicates that the front-end RF pre-amplifier is removed from the receiver circuit. The incoming signal

is fed direct to the first mixer.
: Indicates the 10 kHz Roofing Filter status. This is always turned on.
: Indicates the Noise Blanker status (“ON” or “OFF”).

: Indicates the AGC decay time.

Frequency Display

The operating frequency is displayed.

: This indicator appears during transmission.

: This indicator appears whenever the receiver squelch is open.

: This indicator appears when the optional ATU-450 Internal Automatic Antenna Tuner is

activated.

/ / / / / : Displays the currently selected operating mode.

/ : Displays the current CTCSS operation while in FM mode.

/ : Displays the Repeater Shift Direction while in FM mode.

: This indicator appears whenever the VOX (automatic voice-actuated transmitter switching)

circuit is activated.

: This indicator appears while the voice recorder is recording the receiver audio. This indicator

blinks while the voice recorder is playing back the recorded audio.

: This indicator appears whenever the internal CW keyer is activated.

: This indicator appears whenever the CW break-in operation is activated.

: This indicator appears when the [MAIN DIAL] knob’s tuning rate is set to fast.

: This indicator appears when the [MAIN DIAL] knob is locked.

: This indicator appears whenever the Menu Mode is engaged.

: This indicator appears whenever the Clarifier function is activated.

: This indicator appears whenever Split-frequency operation is activated.

: This indicator appears when the alternate key functions of the six command buttons located on

the upper right corner of the front panel is activated.

Page 7FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

R

INPUT
DC 13.8V
22 A

ANT

GND

EXT
SPKR

CATLINEARTUNERDATA

EAR

P

ANEL

J

ACKS

DC IN Jack

This is the DC power supply
connection for the transceiver.
Use the supplied DC cable to
connect directly to the car bat­tery or to a DC power supply,
which must be capable of sup­plying at least 22 A @13.8
VDC.

-

(viewed from rear panel)

+

ANT Jack

Connect your antenna here, using a type-M (PL-259) co­axial connector and 50 Ohm coaxial feedline.
Warning!: High Power RF voltage is present at the TX RF
section of the transceiver while transmitting. Absolutely!
Do not touch the TX RF section while transmitting.

COOLING FAN

Turns at low speed in receive mode.
Turns at high speed when the temperature begins to
rise or in transmit mode.

GND Terminal

For safety and optimum performance, use this termi­nal to connect the transceiver to a good earth ground.
Use a large diameter, short braided cable for making
ground connections. Refer to page 12 for other notes
about proper grounding.

EXT SPKR Jack

This 3.5-mm, 2-pin jack provides variable audio output for an external
speaker. The audio output impedance at this jack is 4 - 16 Ohms and
the level varies according to the setting of the front panel’s [AF GAIN
knob. Inserting a plug into this jack disables the internal loudspeaker.

CAT Jack

This 9-pin serial DB-9 jack allows ex­ternal computer control of the FT-

450. Connect a (straight) serial cable
here and to the RS-232C COM port
on your personal computer (no ex­ternal interface is required).

LINEAR Jack

This 10-pin output jack pro­vides band selection data,
which may be used for control
of the optional VL-1000 Solid­State Linear Amplifier.

BAND DATA-A (LSB)

TUNER Jack

This 8-pin jack is used for Connection to
the FC-30 or FC-40 External Automatic
Antenna Tuner.

 TUNER SENSE

DATA Jack

This 6-pin input/output jack provides receiver audio and squelch sig­nals, and accepts transmit (AFSK) audio and PTT control, from an
external packet TNC.

N/A

GND

 Connect to 

(viewed from rear panel)

+13.8V OUT

TX INH IN

BAND DATA-B

EXT ALC IN

 GND

 RESET OUT

 DATA PTT

DATA OUT

CTS RTS



SERIAL IN

TX GND OUT

BAND DATA-C

 TX GND OUT +13.8V OUT

 RXD

 TXD

 TX INH IN

(viewed from rear panel)

 Connect to 

Connect to 

SERIAL OUT

GND

BAND DATA-D (MSB)
TXREG IN

(viewed from rear panel)

(viewed from rear panel)

 GND DATA IN

 FSK IN

SQL OUT

]





Page 8 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

S

UPPLIED

PTT Switch

Press this switch to transmit,
and release it to receive after
your transmission is com­pleted.

MH-67A8J M

MIC

The microphone is located
here. Speak into the micro­phone in a normal voice level.
The microphone should be po­sitioned within 2 inches (5 cm)
from the mouth for optimum
performance.

ICROPHONE

Page 9FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

A

CCESSORIES

& O

PTIONS

SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES

Hand Microphone (MH-67A8J) 1 pc P/N: M3090122A
DC Power Cord with Fuse 1 pc P/N: T9023725
Fuse 1 pc P/N: Q0000074
Operation Manual 1 pc
Warranty Card 1 pc

AVAILABLE OPTIONS

Internal Automatic Antenna Tuner ATU-450
External Automatic Antenna Tuner FC-30
External Automatic Antenna Tuner (for Wire Antenna) FC-40
Active-Tuning Antenna System ATAS-25
Active-Tuning Antenna System ATAS-120A
Solid-State Linear Amplifier/AC Power Supply VL-1000 / VP-1000
Band Data Cable (for VL-1000) CT-118
Desktop Microphone MD-100
DTMF Hand Microphone MH-36E8J
Hand Microphone MH-31A8J
Lightweight Stereo Headphone YH-77STA
Mobile Mounting Bracket MMB-90
Carrying Handle MHG-1

Page 10 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

I

1/16''

3/4''

1 1/ 8 ''

3/4''

Adapter

1/8''

5/8''3/8''

INPUT
DC 13.8V
22A

ANT

GND

EXT
SPKR

CATLINEARTUNERDATA

ANTENNA

A

0 5 20 30 40

POWER

ON

OFF

RED BLACK

FUSE: 25A

V

0 5 10 15 20

NSTALLATION

CONNECTION OF ANTENNA AND POWER SUPPLY

The FT-450 is designed for use with any antenna system providing a 50 Ohm resistive impedance at the desired
operating frequency. Every effort should be made to ensure the impedance of the antenna system is as close as
possible to the specified 50-Ohm value. Note that the “G5RV” type antenna does not provide 50-Ohm imped­ance on all HF Amateur bands, and an external wide-range antenna coupler must be used with this antenna
type.
Any antenna to be used with the FT-450 must, ultimately, be fed with 50 Ohm coaxial cable. Therefore, when
using a “balanced” antenna such as a dipole, remember that a balun or other matching/balancing device must
be used to ensure proper antenna performance.

Permanent damage can result if improper supply

CAUTION

voltage, or reverse-polarity voltage, is applied to
the FT-450. The Limited Warranty on this trans­ceiver does not cover damage caused by applica­tion of AC voltage, reversed polarity DC, or DC volt­age outside the specified range of 13.8V ±10%.
When replacing fuses, be certain to use a fuse of
the proper rating. The FT-450 requires a 25A fast­blow fuse.

AC Power Supply

FT-450

Use high-quality 50-Ohm coaxial cable for the lead-in to your FT-450 transceiver. All efforts at providing an
efficient antenna system will be wasted if poor quality, lossy coaxial cable is used. This transceiver utilizes
standard “M” (“PL-259”) type connector.

ABOUT COAXIAL CABLE

TYPICAL PL-259 INSTALLATION

Page 11FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

I

Linear

Amplifi er

TNC

Trans ceiver

Linear

Amplifi er

TNC

Trans ceiver

"Daisy Chain"

NSTALLATION

GROUNDING

The FT-450 transceiver, like any other HF communications apparatus, requires an effective ground system for
maximum electrical safety and best communications effectiveness. A good ground system can contribute to
station efficiency in a number of ways:

 It can minimize the possibility of electrical shock to the operator.
 It can minimize RF currents flowing on the shield of the coaxial cable and the chassis of the transceiver.

Such currents may lead to radiation, which can cause interference to home entertainment devices or
laboratory test equipment.

 It can minimize the possibility of erratic transceiver/accessory operation caused by RF feedback and/or

improper current flow through logic devices.

An effective earth ground system may take several forms. For a more complete discussion, see an appropriate
RF engineering text. The information below is intended only as a guideline.

Typically, the ground connection consists of one or more copper-clad steel rods, driven into the ground. If
multiple ground rods are used, they should be positioned in a “V” configuration, and bonded together at the apex
of the “V” which is nearest the station location. Use a heavy, braided cable (such as the discarded shield from
type RG-213 coaxial cable) and strong cable clamps to secure the braided cable(s) to the ground rods. Be sure
to weatherproof the connections to ensure many years of reliable service. Use the same type of heavy, braided
cable for the connections to the station ground bus (described below).

Inside of the station, a common ground bus consisting of a copper pipe of at least 25 mm (1”) diameter should
be used. An alternative station ground bus may consist of a wide copper plate (single-sided circuit board material
is ideal) secured to the bottom of the operating desk. Grounding connections from individual devices such as
transceivers, power supplies, and data communications devices (TNCs, etc.) should be made directly to the
ground bus using a heavy, braided cable.

Do not make ground connections from one electrical device to another, and thence to the ground bus. This so­called “Daisy-Chain” grounding technique may nullify any attempt at effective radio frequency grounding. See
the drawing below for examples of proper grounding techniques.

Inspect the ground system - inside the station as well as outside - on a regular basis so as to ensure maximum
performance and safety.

Besides following the above guidelines carefully, note that household or industrial gas lines must never be used
in an attempt to establish an electrical ground. Cold water pipes may, in some instances, help in the grounding
effort, but gas lines represent a significant explosion hazard, and must never be used.

PROPER GROUND CONNECTION

Page 12 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

IMPROPER GROUND CONNECTION

I

INPUT
DC 13.8V
22A

ANT

GND

EXT
SPKR

CATLINEARTUNERDATA

ANT 1

ANT 2

ANT 3

ANT 4

REMOTE

ON

OFF

BAND DATA 1

BAND DATA 2

GND

ALC 2

ALC 1

PTT 2

PTT 1

INPUT 1

INPUT 2

CONTROL

DC48V IN

A

NTI

NPUTD

C 13.

8 VAN

T

1

HF

V

ertical A

n

tenna

HF

D

i

p

o

le

Ant

e

nna

HF

Bea

m Anten

naA

N

T

2AN

T

3

I

NPUT 1LINE

A

R

BAN

D

-DA

T

A 2GNDG

NDD

C

4

8

V

I

NCO

NTROL

A

LC

2

CT-118 CONNECTION CABLE

(Option)

ANTENNA CABLE (Not Supplied)

V

P

-

1

000V

P

-

1

000



EERYALC

ACFUSEGND

RF INRF OUT

A

N

T

1

A

N

T

1

I

N

P

U

T

G

N

D

G

N

D

INPUT
DC 13.8V
22A

ANT

GND

EXT
SPKR

CATLINEARTUNERDATA

I

N

EXT ALC IN

GND

TX GND OUT

NSTALLATION

VL-1000 LINEAR AMPLIFIER INTERCONNECTION

Be sure that both the FT-450 and VL-1000 are turned off, then follow the installation recommendations con­tained in the illustration.

Note:

Ì Please refer to the VL-1000 Operating Manual for details regarding amplifier operation.
Ì Please do not attempt to connect or disconnect coaxial cables when your hands are wet.

To link the FT-450 and VL-
1000 Power switches, set

the VL-1000 REMOTE
switch to the “ON” position.

INTERFACING TO OTHER LINEAR AMPLIFIER

The T/R control line is a transistor “open collector” circuit, capable of handling positive amplifier relay coil volt­ages of up to +50V DC and current of up to 400 mA. If you plan on using multiple linear amplifiers for different
bands, you must provide external band-switching of the “Lin Tx” relay control line from the “TX GND OUT” line
at the LINEAR jack.

a
n
n
e

Important Note!

Do not exceed the maximum volt-

age or current ratings for the “TX

GND OUT” line at the LINEAR jack.

This line is not compatible with

V
8

.
3
1

C
D

T
U
P

negative DC voltages, nor AC volt-

ages of any magnitude.

Most amplifier control relay systems

require only low DC voltage/current

switching capability (typically, +12V

DC at 25 ~ 75 mA), and the switch-

ing transistor in the FT-450 will eas-

ily accommodate such amplifiers.

t
n
A

F
H

1

Page 13FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

EASY OPERATION

MIC

ON/OFF

-SHIFT+

DSP ATT/IPO NB AGC BAND BAND TUN E F

DSP/SEL SQL/RF GAIN AF GAIN

A/B

LOCKFAST

A=B

MODE

MODE

CLARKEYER

SPLIT

STEP

SCAN

PMS

RCL

STO

VOX

C.S

V/M

PHONES

KEY

[

POWER(ON/OFF)] switch

[

MODE]/[MODE] button

RECEIVING

1. Connect your antenna to the ANT jack on the rear
panel.

2. Connect the after-market DC power supply (or car
battery) using the supplied DC power cable, and set
the POWER switch of the DC power supply to on.

3. Press and hold in the [POWER(ON/OFF)] switch
for one second to turn the transceiver on.

4. Rotate the [SQL/RF GAIN] knob to the fully clock­wise position.

5. Rotate the [AF GAIN] knob to set a comfortable
audio level on incoming signals or noise. Clock­wise rotation of the [AF GAIN] knob increases
the volume level.

6. Press the [BAND]/[BAND] button to select the
amateur band which you wish to begin operating.

7. Press the [MODE]/[MODE] button to select
the desired operating mode.

8. Rotate the [MAIN DIAL] knob to set the desired
frequency.

[

BAND]/[BAND] button

[

MAIN DIAL] knob

[

SQL/RF GAIN] knob

[

AF GAIN] knob

TRANSMIT

1. Connect the supplied MH-67A8J to the MIC jack
on the front panel.

2. To transmit, press the microphone’s PTT (Push
To Talk) switch, speak into the microphone in a
normal voice level.

3. Release the PTT switch to return to the receive
mode.

NOTICE

Regarding of the [DSP/SEL] knob

The [DSP/SEL] knob is used for operating
various functions depending on the situation.

If you can not change the frequency/memory
channel by tuning the [DSP/SEL] knob, the

[

DSP/SEL] knob is selected to operate of one

of the DSP functions.

In this case, press the [DSP] button several
times until the “>” icon disappears from the
DSP Graphic Display.

Page 14 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

HOW TO USE THE [DSP/SEL] KNOB

When a DSP function is not selected and no “>” icon
is shown in the LCD Graphic Display, then turning
the [DSP/SEL] knob controls the frequency in VFO
mode, or selects the memory channel in memory
mode, or selects the menu item in memory mode. In
the VFO Mode, briefly depressing the [DSP/SEL
knob will permit frequency adjustment in 100 kHz
steps (Default setting). (The 100 kHz operation may
be changed with the“SELDIAL” menu function.)

When a DSP function is selected, the “>” icon will
appear next to the function in the LCD Graphic Dis­play. Then pressing the [DSP/SEL] knob will switch
the DSP function on or off. When the DSP function is
on, turning the [DSP/SEL] knob will change the func­tion parameters.

ADVICE:

You may change the function of the [DSP/SEL] knob
via menu item “SELDIAL”.

EASY OPERATION

]

[

DSP/SEL] knob

MENU OPERATION

The Menu System allows you to customize a wide variety of transceiver performance aspects and operating
characteristics. After you have initially customized the various Menu procedures, you will find that you will not
have to resort to them frequently during everyday operation.

1. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to
enter the Menu Mode. The “ ” icon will ap­pear on the display.

2. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select the Menu
Item to be adjusted.

3. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to enable adjustment of
the selected Menu Item. The “ ” icon will blink.

4. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to adjust or select
the parameter to be changed.

5. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to save the selection.
The icon appears continuously.

6. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to
return to normal operation.

[

DSP/SEL] knob

Menu Item or Menu Setting

[F]

button

Page 15FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

EASY OPERATION

HOW TO USE THE [VOICE/C.S] SWITCH

You may set the [VOICE/C.S] button function to one of 52 functions via Menu Item “PNL-C.S”.

[

To assign a function to the [VOICE/C.S] button:

1. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to enter the
Menu Mode. The “ ” icon will appear on the display.

2. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select Menu Item “PNL-C.S”.

3. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to enable adjustment of
this Menu Item. The “ ” icon will be blinking.

4. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select the desired function.

5. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob. The “ ” icon returns
to appear continuously.

6. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to return

[

DSP/SEL] knob

to normal operation.

Item Function

MONI Activates the Monitor function.
N/A No Function.
P/B Activates the Digital Voice Recorder.
PLAY1 Send the CW message, which is memorized in BEACON TEXT 1.
PLAY2 Send the CW message, which is memorized in BEACON TEXT 2.
PLAY3 Send the CW message, which is memorized in BEACON TEXT 3.
QSPL Activates Quick Split Operation
SPOT Generates a CW Spot Tone while pressing the [VOICE/C.S] button when using CW mode.
SQLOFF Opens the noise squelch while pressing the [VOICE/C.S] button.
SWR Transmits a 10 watts carrier (CW mode) to measure the SWR ratio while pressing the [VOICE/C.S] button.
TXW Monitor the transmit frequency while pressing the [VOICE/C.S] button when Split Frequency operation is engaged.
VCC Display the DC supply voltage while pressing the [VOICE/C.S] button.
VOICE2 Announces the current S-meter reading, operating frequency (with resolution to the displayed 100 Hz digit), and

VM1MONI Play back the voice message, which is memorized in Voice Memory 1.
VM1REC Store the voice message into Voice Memory 1.
VM1TX Send the voice message, which is memorized in Voice Memory 1.
VM2MONI Play back the voice message, which is memorized in Voice Memory 2.
VM2REC Store the voice message into Voice Memory 2.
VM2TX Send the voice message, which is memorized in Voice Memory 2.
DOWN Decreases the VFO frequency by one step or moves the memory channel to the next-lowest channel while pressing

FAST Set to the same function as the front panel’s [FAST] button.
UP Increases the VFO frequency by one step or moves the memory channel to the next-highest channel while pressing

DSP Set to the same function as the front panel’s [DSP] button.
ATT/IPO Set to the same function as the front panel’s [ATT/IPO] button.
NB Set to the same function as the front panel’s [NB] button.
AGC Set to the same function as the front panel’s [AGC] button.
MODEDN Set to the same function as the front panel’s [MODE] button.
MODEUP Set to the same function as the front panel’s [MODE] button.
DSP/SEL Set to the same function as the front panel’s [DSP/SEL] button.
KEYER Set to the same function as the front panel’s [KEYER] button.
CLAR Set to the same function as the front panel’s [CLAR] button.
BANDDN Set to the same function as the front panel’s [BAND] button.
BANDUP Set to the same function as the front panel’s [BAND] button.
A=B Set to the same function as the front panel’s [A=B] button.
A/B Set to the same function as the front panel’s [A/B] button.
LOCK Set to the same function as the front panel’s [LOCK] button.
TUNE Set to the same function as the front panel’s [TUNE] button.
VOICE Announce the current operating frequency (with resolution to the displayed 100 Hz digit) and operating mode.
MW Copies the current operating data from the VFO into the currently selected memory channel.
V/M Toggles frequency control between VFO and memory system.
HOME Recall the “Home” (favorite frequency) channel.
RCL Recall the QMB (Quick Memory Bank) memory.
VOX Activate the VOX (automatic voice-actuated transmitter switching) feature.
STO Copies operating data into QMB (Quick Memory Bank) Memory.
STEP Enables the setting of the frequency step of the [DSP/SEL] knob by the [DSP/SEL] knob.
SPLIT Activates split frequency operation between VFO-A and VFO-B.
PMS Engages Programmable Memory Scan (PMS).
SCAN Initiates the upward scanning of VFO frequencies or memory channels).
MENU Engage the “Menu” mode.
DIMMER Enables adjustment of the display dimmer level by the [DSP/SEL] knob.
MTR Change the meter function in the transmit mode.
USER This parameter is for future expansion of the transceiver’s capabilities. Do not select this parameter.

operating mode.

the [VOICE/C.S] button.

the [VOICE/C.S] button

VOICE/C.S] button

[F]

button

Page 16 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

EASY OPERATION

KEY DURATION SETTING

The duration that buttons are held determines the function they activate. Factory default is one second. Pressing
a button for less than one second activates one function. Pressing and holding the button in for longer than one
second activates another function.

The default one second release time can be changed to a shorter or longer duration, if desired.

To do this:

[

1. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to
enter the Menu Mode. The “ ” icon will ap­pear on the display.

2. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select the Menu
Item “EXT MNU”.

3. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to enable adjustment of
this menu item. The “ ” icon will be blinking.

4. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select “ON” to ex­pand the menu item.

5. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob. The “ ” icon re­turns to appear continuously.

6. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to save
the new setting and return to normal operation.

7. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to
enter the Menu mode again. The “ ” icon
will appear on the display.

8. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select menu item
“KEYHOLD”.

9. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to enable adjustment of
this menu item. The “ ” icon will be blinking.

10. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to set the desired du­ration time. Available selections are 0.5/1.0/1.5/

2.0 sec. (default value: 1.0 sec).
You may Press the [HOME/RCL] button to reset
the duration time to the factory default.

11. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob. The “ ” icon re­turns to appear continuously.

12. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to save
the new setting and return to normal operation.

[

DSP/SEL] knob

HOME/RCL] button

[F]

button

Page 17FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

EASY OPERATION

RESETTING THE MICROPROCESSOR

The FT-450 has three reset methods.

VFO/MEMORY RESET

Use this procedure to reset (clear out) the Memory
channels (Except the QMB channel) previously stored
and VFO data, without affecting any configuration
changes you may have made to the Menu settings.

1. Press and hold in the [POWER(ON/OFF)] switch
for one second to turn the transceiver off.

2. Press and hold the [MW/(V/M)] button. While
holding it in, press and hold in the [POWER(ON/

OFF)] switch for one second to turn the trans-

ceiver on. Once the transceiver comes on, you
may release the [MW/(V/M)] button.

MENU MODE RESET

Use this procedure to restore the Menu settings to
their factory defaults, without affecting the memories
you have programmed.

[

ON/OFF] switch

[

MW/(V/M)] button

1. Press and hold in the [POWER(ON/OFF)] switch
for one second to turn the transceiver off.

2. Press and hold the [F] button. While holding it in,
press and hold in the [POWER(ON/OFF)] switch
for one second to turn the transceiver on. Once
the transceiver comes on, you may release the

[F]

button.

FULL RESET

Use this procedure to restore all Menu and Memory
settings to their original factory defaults. All Memo­ries will be cleared by this procedure.

1. Press and hold in the [POWER(ON/OFF)] switch
for one second to turn the transceiver off.

2. Press and hold the [HOME/RCL] button. While
holding it in, press and hold in the [POWER(ON/

OFF)] switch for one second to turn the trans-

ceiver on. Once the transceiver comes on, you
may release the [HOME/RCL] button.

[

ON/OFF] switch

[

ON/OFF] switch

[F]

button

[

HOME\RCL] button

Page 18 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

TUNING STEPS

RECEIVING

The tuning step of the [MAIN DIAL] knob and the
[

DSP/SEL] knob is different depending on the oper-

ating mode.

O

PERATING

M

LSB/USB
CW
AM
FM
DATA

1: When you press the [DSP/SEL] knob, the tuning step of the

[

2: In the factory default, the [MAIN DIAL] knob does not tune

the AM and FM modes. However, you may activate the [MAIN

DIAL] knob on the AM and FM mode via Menu Item

“A&FDIAL”.

[

ODE

DSP/SEL] knob changes to 100 kHz in all modes.

MAIN DIAL

1/10/20 Hz
1/10/20 Hz

100/200 Hz
100/200 Hz
10/20 Hz

]

2

2

K

NOB

[

1.0/2.5/5.0 kHz

1.0/2.5/5.0 kHz

2.5/5.0/9.0/10/12.5/25 kHz

5.0/6.25/10/12.5/15/20/25/50 kHz

1.0/2.5/5.0 kHz

DSP/SEL

1

]

 Pressing the [FAST] button will increase or de-

crease the tuning rate of the [MAIN DIAL] knob
by a factor of ten and also increase or decrease
the tuning rate of the [DSP/SEL] knob by a factor
of two.

[

FAST] button

[

DSP/SEL] knob[MAIN DIAL] knob

NOTICE

Regarding of the [DSP/SEL] knob

The [DSP/SEL] knob is used for operating
various functions depending on the situation.

If you can not change the frequency/memory
channel by tuning the [DSP/SEL] knob, the

[

DSP/SEL] knob is selected to operate of one

of the DSP functions.

In this case, press the [DSP] button several
times until the “>” icon disappears from the
DSP Graphic Display.

CHANGE THE TUNING STEP OF THE [MAIN DIAL] KNOB

1. Set the operating mode by pressing the
[

MODE]/[MODE] button.

2. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to
enter the Menu mode. The “ ” icon will ap­pear on the display.

3. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select the menu
item “DIALSTP”.

4. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to enable adjustment
of this menu item. The “ ” icon will be blink­ing.

5. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select the desired
tuning step described above.
(You may Press the [HOME/RCL] button to reset
the tuning step to the factory default.)

6. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob. The “ ” icon is
displayed continuously.

7. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to save
the new setting and return to normal operation.

CHANGE THE TUNING STEP OF THE [DSP/SEL] KNOB

1. Set the operating mode by pressing the
[

MODE]/[MODE] button.

2. Press the [F] button momentarily.

3. Press the [STEP/SPLIT] button.

4. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select the desired
tuning step described above.

5. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to save the new set­ting and return to normal operation.

[

DSP/SEL] button

[

MODE]/[MODE] button

[

DSP/SEL] knob

[

HOME/RCL] button

[F]

button

[

STEP/SPLIT] button

[

MODE]/[MODE] button

[F]

button

Page 19FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

RECEIVING

DYNAMIC MICROPHONE

MH-31

DWN FS T UP

A

BOUT THE

[UP]/[DWN]

BUTTONS OF THE OPTIONAL

MH-31

A8J AND

MD-100

A8X

 The microphone’s [UP]/[DWN] buttons utilize the

tuning steps of the [MAIN DIAL] knob on the SSB/
CW/DATA mode, and utilize the tuning steps of
the [DSP/SEL] knob on the AM/FM mode.

 In the factory default, the microphone’s [FST] but-

ton does not activate. However, you may activate
the microphone’s [FST] button via the Menu Item
“P M-FST”.

NOTE:

 The microphone holder is affixed to the place

where is contacted to the ground (for example,
the chassis of your car), and the microphone is
hooked on the microphone holder, the [FST] func­tion becomes “ON”.

 We recommend that not to contact the micro-

phone holder to the ground, nor set menu item
“P M-FST” to “N/A”.

[

DWN] Button

[

FST] Button

[UP]

Button

CLARIFIER

You may change the receiving frequency only without changing the transmit frequency.

1. Press the [CLAR] button to activate the clarifier.
The “ ” icon will appear on the display.

2. Rotate the [MAIN DIAL] knob to tune the desired
receive frequency. (Offset of up to ±9.99 kHz may
be set using the clarifier.)
The offset frequency will appear
at the bottom right corner of the
display.

3. Press the [CLAR] button again to disable the clari­fier. The “ ” icon will disappear from the dis­play.

NOTE:

 Even when the clarifier is disabled, the variance

of the clarifier remains (both TX and RX frequen­cies).

 Press and hold in the [CLAR] button for one sec-

ond to clear the clarifier offset, meaning the re­ceiving frequency is equal to the transmit fre­quency.

 When the [MAIN DIAL] knob is rotated to change

the frequency after disabling the clarifier, the clari­fier offset becomes “zero”, meaning the receiv­ing frequency is equal to the transmit frequency.

 When the receiving frequency is

higher than transmit frequency,
“+” will be appended to the off­set frequency.
When the receiving frequency is
lower than transmit frequency, “–”
will be appended to the offset fre­quency.

 You may assign the CLAR function to the [DSP/

SEL] knob via the Menu Item “CLAR”.

[

MAIN DIAL] knob

[

CLAR] button

Clarifier Offset

Page 20 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

DIGITAL VOICE ANNOUNCEMENT

RECEIVING

Press the [F] button followed by the [VOICE/C.S] but­ton to announce the current operating frequency (with
resolution to the displayed 100 Hz digit) and operat­ing mode.

ADVICE:

If you assign the “VOICE2” function to the [VOICE/

C.S] button via the menu item “PNL-C.S”, you may

confirm the current operating frequency (with resolu­tion to the displayed 100 Hz digit), operating mode,
and S-meter reading through the voice message
announcement system by pressing the [VOICE/C.S
button. See page 16 for details of the [VOICE/C.S
button assignment.

[

VOICE/C.S] button

[F]

button

]
]

DIAL LOCK

Pressing the [LOCK] button toggles the locking of
the [MAIN DIAL] knob and some switches, to pre­vent accidental frequency changes.

ADVICE:

You may select the locking schemes via the menu
item “LOCKMOD”. See page 81 for details.

[

LOCK] button

Page 21FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

RECEIVING

1.8MHz

3.5

7

10

14

18

21

24

28

50

MHz

MHz

MHz

MHz

MHz

MHz

MHz

MHz

MHz

GEN

3.5

7

14

21

28

MHz

MHz

MHz

MHz

MHz

GEN

«

BAND BAND

3.5MHz

7MHz 14MHz

28MHz

21MHz GEN

MY BANDS OPERATION

The “My Bands” feature allows you to select several Amateur bands, and make only those bands available for
selection via the [BAND]/[BAND] buttons.

This feature can be very useful in a contest, where the 10/18/24 MHz band are not used, or if you do not have
antennas for some bands.

MY BANDS SETUP

1. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to
enter the Menu mode. The “ ” icon will ap­pear on the display.

2. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select the menu
item “EXT MNU”.

3. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to enable adjustment of
this menu item. The “ ” icon will be blinking.

4. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select “ON” to ex­pand the menu items.

5. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to save the new set­ting. The “ ” icon returns to appear con­tinuously.

6. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to
return to normal operation.

7. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to
enter the Menu mode again. The “ ” icon
will appear on the display.

8. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select the menu
item “MY BAND”.

9. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to enable adjustment of
this menu item. The “ ” icon will be blinking.

10. Press the [BAND]/[BAND] buttons to choose
a band you wish to skip (omit) from the band se­lection loop.

11. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select “OFF”, and
then press the [DSP/SEL] knob.

NOTE

The “OFF” selection sets the selected band to be
skipped, while the “ON” selection sets the selected
band to be included in the band-selection list.

12. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob. The “ ” icon re­turns to appear continuously.

13. Repeat steps 10 through 12 to select/deselect
as many bands as you like.

NOTE

The GEN (General Band) and the current band
cannot be skipped.

14. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to save
the new setting and return to normal operation.

[

DSP/SEL] knob

[

BAND]/[BAND] button

[F]

button

MY BANDS OPERATION

[

Press the [BAND]/[BAND] buttons to choose the
Amateur band on which you wish to operate. Only
those Amateur bands that have not been skipped will
appear as you scroll through the bands.

Page 22 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

BAND]/[BAND] button

RECEIVING

LSB

USB

CW

AM

FM

DATA

LSB

USB

FM

«

LSB USB FM

MODEMODE

CLARKEYER

MY MODES OPERATION

The “My Modes” feature allows you to select the operating modes you wish to have available for selection via the
[

MODE]/[MODE] buttons. Only the desired modes will be displayed in the loop.

This feature can be very useful in an HF operation, where the AM/FM/DATA modes are not used.

MY MODES SETUP

1. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to
enter the Menu mode. The “ ” icon will ap­pear on the display.

2. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select the menu
item “EXT MNU”.

3. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to enable adjustment of
this menu item. The “ ” icon will be blinking.

4. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select “ON” to ex­pand the menu items.

5. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob. The “ ” icon re­turns to appear continuously.

6. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to save
the new setting and return to normal operation.

7. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to
enter the Menu mode again. The “ ” icon
will appear on the display.

8. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select the menu
item “MY MODE”.

9. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to enable adjustment of
this menu item. The “ ” icon will be blinking.

10. Press the [MODE]/[MODE] buttons to choose
a mode you wish to skip (omit) from the mode
selection loop.

11. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select “OFF”, and
then press the [DSP/SEL] knob.

NOTE

The “OFF” selection sets the selected mode to be
skipped, while the “ON” selection sets the selected
mode to be included in the mode-selection list.

12. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob. The “ ” icon
returns to appear continuously.

13. Repeat steps 10 through 12 to select/deselect
as many modes as you like.

NOTE

The mode currently in use cannot be turned off.

14. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to save
the new setting and return to normal operation.

[

MODE]/[MODE] button

[

DSP/SEL] knob

[F]

button

MY MODES OPERATION

Press the [MODE]/[MODE] buttons to choose the
operating mode on which you wish to operate. Only
those operating modes that have not been skipped
will appear as you scroll through the modes.

[

MODE]/[MODE] button

Page 23FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

RECEIVING

DIGITAL VOICE RECORDER

PREPARATIONS

1. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to
enter the Menu mode. The “ ” icon will ap­pear on the display.

2. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select the menu
item “PNL-C.S”.

3. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to enable adjustment of
this menu item. The “ ” icon will be blinking.

4. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to select “P/B” to as­sign the Play Back feature to the [VOICE/C.S
button.

5. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob. The “ ” icon re­turns to appear continuously.

6. Press and hold the [F] button for one second to save
the new setting and return to normal operation.

RECORDING

1. Press and hold in the [VOICE/C.S] button for one
second to initiate recording. The “ ” icon will
appear in the display to confirm that recording is
in progress. The recorder will store up to 20 sec­onds of the received audio and then halt the re­cording. The “ ” icon will go out.

2. You may halt the recording in progress, by press­ing and holding the [VOICE/C.S] button for one
second.

[

]

DSP/SEL] knob

[

VOICE/C.S] button

[F]

button

PLAYBACK

Press the [VOICE/C.S] button momentarily to begin
playback of the recorded audio. The “ ” icon will
blink in the display to confirm that playback is in
progress.

ADVICE:

You may adjust the playback level of the recording
with the [AF GAIN] knob

[

VOICE/C.S] button

[

AF GAIN] knob

Page 24 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

CONVENIENCE FEATURES

RECEIVER OPERATION (FRONT END BLOCK DIAGRAM

)

The FT-450 includes a wide range of special features to suppress the many types of interference that may be

encountered on the HF bands. However, real world interference conditions are constantly changing, so optimum
setting of the controls is somewhat of an art, requiring familiarity with the types of interference and the subtle
effects of some of the controls. Therefore, the following information is provided as a general guideline for typical
situations, and a starting point for your own experimentation.

The FT-450’s interference-fighting circuitry begins in its “RF” stages, and continues throughout the entire re­ceiver section. FT-450 allows configuration of the features described below.

R. FLT

(

IF Roofing Filters

The Roofing filter, with a bandwidth of 10 kHz is pro­vided in the 68 MHz First IF, right after the first mixer.
This filter provides narrow-band selectivity to protect
the following IF and DSP stages, for special operat­ing circumstances.

)

IF NOTCH

(

SEE PAGE 31

)

The IF Notch filter is a high-Q notch filter that can
significantly reduce, if not eliminate, an interfering
carrier.

DNR

(

IGITAL NOISE REDUCTION

D

) (

EE PAGE 32

S

)

The DSP’s Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) feature uti-

CONTOUR Filter

(

SEE PAGE 28

The DSP Contour filter provides a unique capability
on the receiver, providing either nulling or peaking of
tunable segments of the receiver passband, so as to
suppress interference or excessive frequency com-

)

lizes eleven different mathematical algorithms to ana­lyze and suppress different noise profiles encountered
on the HF/50 MHz bands. Choose the selection that
provides the best noise suppression, which concur­rently will allow the signal to rise up out of the noise.

ponents on an incoming signal, or to peak those tun­able frequency segments. The amount of nulling/
peaking, and the bandwidth over which it is applied,
are adjustable via the Menu.

IF SHIFT

(

EE PAGE 29

S

)

AGC

(

SEE PAGE 27

The AGC system is highly adaptable to changing sig­nal and fading characteristics, making reception pos­sible under the most difficult conditions.

)

The passband center frequency response of the IF
DSP filtering may be adjusted using this control.

IF WIDTH

(

SEE PAGE 30

)

The width of the IF DSP filtering may be adjusted
using this control.

Page 25FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

CONVENIENCE FEATURES

ATT/IPO (ADJUST THE RECEIVING SENSITIVITY

You may reduce the receiving signal strength to 20 dB when extremely strong local signals or high noise de­grade reception. You may optimize the characteristics of the receiver front-end, for best reception, depending on
the noise levels and the signal strengths.

Press the [ATT/IPO] button several times to set the
desired selection, per the chart below.

ATT : OFF, IPO: OFF Attenuator is OFF, and the incoming

signal is amplified by the RF preampli­fier.

ATT: ON, IPO: OFF Attenuator is ON, (the incoming signal

ATT: OFF, IPO: ON Attenuator is OFF, and the incoming

ATT: ON, IPO: ON Attenuator is ON, (the incoming signal

The selection will be indicated in the Block Diagram
on the display.

is reduced by 20 dB) and the incom­ing signal is amplified by the RF pream­plifier.

signal bypasses the RF preamplifier,
yielding direct feed to the first mixer.

power is reduced by 20 dB) and the
incoming signal bypasses the RF
preamplifier, yielding direct feed to the
first mixer.

[

ATT/IPO] button

An attenuator is always “ON” between 30kHz
and 1.7MHz.

)

Block Diagram

NOTE

NOISE BLANKER (INTERFERENCE REJECTION “SIGNALS WITHIN 3 KHZ”

The FT-450 includes an effective Noise Blanker, which can significantly reduce noise caused by automotive
ignition systems.

1. Press the [NB] button to activate the Noise
Blanker.

2. Press the [NB] button again to disable the Noise
Blanker.

The selection will be indicated in the Block Diagram
on the display.

[NB]

button

Block Diagram

)

Page 26 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

CONVENIENCE FEATURES

AGC (TOOL FOR COMFORTABLE AND EFFECTIVE RECEPTION

)

The AGC system is designed to help compensate for fading and other propagation effects, with characteristics
that can be of particular value on each operating mode. The basic objective of AGC is to maintain a constant
audio output level once a certain minimum threshold of signal strength is achieved.

Press the [AGC] button repeatedly to select the de­sired receiver-recovery time constant. The AGC sta­tus is indicated in the Block Diagram displayed on
the display. For most operations, we recommend the
“AUTO” mode. You may disable the AGC by press­ing and holding in the [AGC] button for one second.

AUTO Sets the receiver-recovery time automatically

FAST Sets the receiver-recovery time to fast.

SLOW Sets the receiver-recovery time to slow.

depending on the operating mode.

This mode is suitable for CW/DATA recep­tion.

This mode is suitable for SSB/AM reception.

[NB]

button

Block Diagram

NOTE:

Normally, the “AUTO” selection is satisfactory for most
situations, but in the event of operation on a crowded
band where you wish to receive a weak signal, you
may wish to change the setting (to FAST, for ex­ample). The “AUTO” mode selections are:

OPERATING MODE

LSB

USB

CW

AM
FM

DATA

AUTO AGC SELECTION

SLOW
SLOW

FAST

SLOW

FAST (Fixed)

FAST

ADVICE:

If the AGC receiver-recovery time is set to “Off”
by pressing and holding in the [AGC] button,
the S-meter will no longer deflect. Additionally, you
will likely encounter distortion on stronger signals, as
the IF amplifiers and the following stages are prob­ably being overloaded.

Page 27FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL

CONVENIENCE FEATURES

DSP/SEL DSP/SEL DSP/SEL

IF

BANDWIDTH

IF

BANDWIDTH

IF

BANDWIDTH

CONTOUR (INTERFERENCE REJECTION “SIGNALS WITHIN 3 KHZ”

)

The Contour filtering system provides a gentle perturbation of the IF filter pass band. so as to suppress or
enhance particular frequency components in five steps, thus improving the sound and/or readability of a re­ceived signal.

1. Press the [DSP] button several times to set the

“CONTOUR” Indicator

“>” icon to the “CONTOUR” indicator of the DSP
Graphic Display on the display.

2. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob to engage the con­tour filter.

3. Press and hold the [DSP/SEL] knob for one sec­ond to toggle the contour filter’s level between
“null” and “peak”.

4. Rotate the [DSP/SEL] knob to achieve the most
natural-sounding audio reproduction on the in-

[

DSP/SEL] knob

[

DSP] button

coming signal.
The peak position of the contour filter is graphi­cally-depicted in the “CONTOUR” indicator of the
DSP Graphic Display on the LCD.

5. Press the [DSP/SEL] knob again to increase the
contour filter’s level (“null” or “peak”).

6. To disable the contour filter, press the [DSP/SEL
button again. The graphic disappears from the
“CONTOUR” indicator of the LCD Display, confirm-
ing that the contour filter is no longer operating.

]

Refer to Figure “B”, this shows a “indenta­tion” of the contour filter is center of a pass­band. Counter-clockwise rotation (to the left)
of the [DSP/SEL] knob causes the indenta­tion to move toward a lower frequency within
the passband, while clockwise rotation (to the
right) causes the indentation to move toward
a higher frequency within the passband. By
removing interference or unwanted frequency

ONTOUR “NULL”

C

C

ONTOUR “PEAK”

components on the incoming signal, it is pos­sible to make the desired signal rise out of
the background noise/interference, enhanc-

CONTOUR “OFF”

C

ONTOUR “NULL”

CONTOUR GAIN “LOW”

ing intelligibility.

A B C

CONTOUR “PEAK”

C

ONTOUR “OFF”

CONTOUR GAIN “HIGH”

QUICK POINT:

The steep slopes of the DSP filtering can, when adjusted aggressively, impart an unnatural sound to an incom­ing signal. Often, a narrow bandwidth is not the key to improving copy. The incoming signal itself may have
undesirable or excessive frequency components. By judicious use of the Contour filter, the “shoulder” of the
passband response may be altered, or components removed from within the passband, allowing the desired
signal to rise above the background noise and interference in a manner not obtainable with other filtering sys­tems.

Page 28 FT-450 OPERATION MANUAL