Best way to tune FT-950

[KJ6TSX]

I bought a new radio Yaesu FT-950 Saturday, looks to be a fine radio but is a little more complicated than my TS 520. My question is what is the best way to tune in a station?? I have been trying to decide do i surf the frequencies with all the filters and a narrow band width or do I run it without filtering and a wide band then dial it in??? I read the manual and it say what each item does but doesn't give you the "How To"
Having Fun
George

[K2OWK]

I have a FT-450AT. I tune the bands wide open and when I find a station I am interested in I use my filters for best reception and clarity. If the filters are engaged before tuning you could miss some stations. The only filter I might use use while tuning is the noise blanker, if the band has a constant noise heard throughout its tuning range.

Hope this helps.

73s

K2OWK

[KE3WD]

Try it both ways a few times and I'm almost certain that you would prefer to surf with the filters OFF, where you can hear more, but when settling on something interesting to listen to you might try kicking in Filters, etc. to see if you can turn that signal into "armchair copy" -- with as little interference from adjacent transmissions as possible. 

TIP:  The RF Gain Control is by far one of the better controls to learn how to use properly. 

Far too many hams don't seem to know how to use the RF Gain Control to best advantage.

Surf the bands with the RF Gain Control set "on the pin" -- or the side where you can hear the most noise and signal, so that you can catch the weak stations as well as the strong. 

But once you have stopped turning the Big Knob and settled on a particular signal to copy, you can turn the RF Gain DOWN to the point where noise and adjacent channel interference is reduced.  Smetimes necessary to then turn the AF Gain Control (Volume Control) UP a bit to compensate for the difference in apparent signal level at the speaker. 

Many times, you can make a SSB vox signal sound more like it is a full quieting FM transmission from the local repeater by using that RF Gain Control. 

The Filters, on the other hand, as well as any provided Passband Shift Controls can come in handy when there is heavy adjacent frequency interference from a nearby transmission. 

Yes, the RF Gain Control will stop that S meter from bouncing, but that's a small price to pay for getting that "Armchair Copy". 


73

[N4NYY]

I bought a new radio Yaesu FT-950 Saturday, looks to be a fine radio but is a little more complicated than my TS 520. My question is what is the best way to tune in a station?? I have been trying to decide do i surf the frequencies with all the filters and a narrow band width or do I run it without filtering and a wide band then dial it in??? I read the manual and it say what each item does but doesn't give you the "How To"
Having Fun
George

George, I have the same radio.

I do have all the filter in wide, unless I need them. Usually in DX, I keep them wide and adjust the width for adjacent QRM. During contests, I keep them in narrow mode, as narrow as possible.

If you ragchew on a busy band, I would just adjust for what you need, and no more.

90% of the time, my filtering is not used.