Subject: Notes on the VX-5
From Jose R. Camara...

 ALIGNMENT MODE

        Enter by holding band+txpo+0 while powering up. Va must have valid
ham frequency.
        First, make a note of the settings for your radio. Here are mine:

NAME        HF  VHF  UHF  can be set manually

HIS SQL      0    0    0     YES
THLD SQL    78   82   82      NO
TIGH SQL    34   36   38      NO
S1 LEVELN  100   90   82      NO
S9 LEVELN  202  192  184      NO
S1 LEVELW   36   44   32      NO
S9 LEVELW  158  170  164      NO
HI POWER   151  163  171     YES
L3 POWER    97  107  117     YES
L2 POWER    55   60   68     YES
L1 POWER    25   28   31     YES

        Pressing band changes among bands without need to reenter aligment
mode (VX-5
        MR toggles set/display mode, dial changes settings on modes marked
YES above. Others will measure
incoming signal and set to that value. No way to directly enter (or
restore) values, as the adjustments have to be different for each
radio, to compensate differences in components, antenna, etc. If you
accidentally enter one of these modes, don't panic, just make sure you
do not exit the alignment mode with the HM/RV key. Again, DO NOT exit
with HM/RV. No, better yet, just turn the radio off before your panic
fools you into remembering that you must press the HM/RV key to
escape. (My grandfather once was parked at the edge of a road and
though 'I cannot go forward - I cannot go forward - I cannot go
forward' before putting it on first gear and falling off. Minor
scratches on the arm, major damage to his reputation, fewer requests
for rides. And genetics forced me into a similar situation a few
moments ago. I tried to find a key to press that would exit the set
mode of TIGH SQL without turning the radio off, and voila' what did I
press in the sequence? HM/RV! (good news is that there are ways to
restore it without an rf generator, keep reading).

        Exiting by power off cancel changes
        Exiting by HM/RV saves changes and exits alignment mode

        To adjust the power levels, enter set mode (MR in vx-5) and use the
dial to set a value. Better yet, if you have a power meter (remember,
that cheap one that says '2m power meter' might fry your radio at
440MHz), press PTT and set the dial while transmitting, very
convenient. 

        To set the S1 level, tune into a weak frequency that you would like
to see as S1, then enter and exit the set mode (MR to enter, MR to
exit, HM to save).

        To set the S9 level, tune into a strong signal that you would like to
see as S9, then enter and exit the set mode (MR to enter, MR to exit,
HM to save).

        These 'auto' modes are nice, as they double as an uncalibrated, tuned
field strenght meter. You can numerically compare the signal of two
different radios (or antennas) by observing the readings for each one.
Just remember to exit by powering off, never that other key... In the
vx-5 the readings seem to go from 14 to 100, lower for stronger
signals. In the ft-50, from 0 (actually 40 or so without an antenna,
noise...) to 255.
        
        To restore or change the auto settings, connect it to an HP RF
generator, attenuator... What? WOuld you rather get a new car?  OK,
use your local repeater during ragchews as a signal source, proceed
just as setting s-levels, above.

        Another way, more controllable is to use one YAESU in the power set
mode (=continuously adjustable power output=power rf generator mode)
and place it at a reasonable distance so you can force exactly the
reading you want in the radio being set.

        Last tip: I like to set L1power to 0, and assign that power level to
some memory channels to absolutely prevent inadvertent transmission on
them.

        Last comment: CLONE data does NOT include these settings
(reasonably). I don't know, yet, if they can be uploaded to the radio.
It might be possible, but most likely not.