Yaesu FT-411 MKII Operating Manual - Ft-411
FT-411
MKII
O
PERATING
M
ANUAL
26
Getting the Most from Your Batteries
How long the batteries last between charges or replacement depends largely on your oper-
ating habits, and how you care for the batteries (if using a rechargeable Ni-Cd pack). The
FT-411
MK
Ⅱ
offers a variety of ways to conserve battery consumption, and thus to extend
the charge life of the batteries. Knowing how to use these features properly can be critical
in emergencies. Here is a summary of the features to consider if battery life is a concern:
l Make sure that the set is off when not in use. This can also prevent premature battery
pack failure from over-discharge.
l Unless monitoring for calls, activate the APO feature so that power drain is minimized
if you doze or are called away. Set the APO time for a 10 minute shutoff, increasing
this time only if necessary.
l Always use the power saver feature to monitor for calls (except packet). If you can
ensure your callers will make calls at least ½-second long, you can make maximum
use of this feature by setting the save time to 500 ms (there is little benefit in setting it
any longer).
l Choose a quiet frequency and close the squelch on background noise when monitoring
for a call. The FTS-17A Tone Squelch option is useful for creating your own quiet
channel if the entire band is crowded.
l Use the lowest possible volume setting when listening to signals. In noisy environ-
ments, use an earphone or the YH-2 headset so you can keep the volume low.
l Using the LOW power setting requires about 60% less current when transmitting, so it
is a good idea to develop the habit of always using this setting, switching to high power
only if low power fails to get through. If you live in a location where high power is
almost always needed, consider replacing the antenna with a higher gain type instead
of opting for high power (the result on transmit is the same, with the added benefit of
better reception). Make sure that any external antenna is designed for 50-ohms imped-
ance on the operating frequency.
As the battery discharges, the voltage drop when transmitting will increase. When the
voltage becomes critical, a tiny battery icon appears at the lower right corner of the display,
indicating that the batteries should be replaced or recharged as soon as possible.
If using rechargeable batteries, do not keep operating once the battery icon has come on, as
this could cause over-discharge of the cells and destroy the pack. However, recharging Ni-
Cd batteries often, with little use in between charges, can also shorten the useful charge life
of the cells. Therefore the best way to get the most out of your Ni-Cds is to use the battery
pack just until the battery icon comes on, and then immediately give the pack a full re-
charge. Unfortunately this is not always convenient, since it can be hard to tell exactly
when the charge will run out. One solution to this problem is to carry an extra, fully charged
pack with you if you do not wish to have operation interrupted.