‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2014 QST  PAGE 52‰
SPEAKER, I FOUND THAT THE TOP FIRING INTERNAL ONE HANDLED PLENTY OF AUDIO
WITHOUT DIFFICULTY AND PROVIDED GOOD QUALITY COMMUNICATIONS RECEPTION IN
ALL MODES.  CW OPERATION THE FTDX1200 IS A PLEASURE TO USE ON CW.  THE
INTERNAL KEYER WORKS WELL, IN IAMBIC MODES A OR B.  A SIMULATED BUG MODE IS
SUPPORTED, AS IS AN AUTOMATIC CHARACTER SPACE ACS MODE IF USING ONE OF THE
IAMBIC MODES.  THERE ARE SEPARATELY SETTABLE FRONT AND REAR KEY JACKS, SO
ONE JACK CAN BE USED WITH KEYER PADDLES 

USEFUL IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, SUCH AS MONITORING A BAND FOR OPENINGS.  THE
BANDWIDTH OF THE DISPLAY IS INDEPENDENTLY SET FOR EACH BAND BY A MENU
ENTRY.  A SECOND PUSH OF THE SCOPE BUTTON GIVES IT THE WHOLE LCD SCREEN
FIGURE 2.  IF YOU HAVE THE OPTIONAL FFT BOARD, THE SPECTRUM SCOPE CAN ALSO
FUNCTION AS AN OSCILLOSCOPE TO CAREFULLY OBSERVE EITHER THE RECEIVED SIGNAL
OR YOUR TRANSMIT SIGNAL IN THE TIME OR FREQUENCY WATERFALL DOMAIN.
INSTALLING THE FFT BOARD LOWER LEFT IN FIGURE 4 GAVE ME A GLIMPSE OF THE
INSIDE OF THE 1200 AND I WAS QUITE IMPRESSED BY THE QUALITY OF THE
CONSTRUCTION PARTICULARLY THE SHIELDED COMPARTMENTS PROVIDED BY THE CAST
ALLOY CHASSIS NICE JOB.  THE BACK PANEL THE REAR PANEL FIGURE 3 PROVIDES SO
239 SOCKETS FOR TWO ANTENNAS AND A POWER CABLE SOCKET ALONG THE TOP.  THE
BUSIER BOTTOM ROW INCLUDES THREE CONNECTORS FOR THE OPTIONAL U TUNE
PRESELECTOR, A SOCKET FOR ROTATOR CONTROL FROM THE RADIO IF YOU HAVE A
RECENT YAESU ROTATOR, SPECIAL MINI DIN SOCKETS FOR LINEAR AMPLIFIER
CONTROL, AN EXTERNAL ANTENNA TUNER AND A RTTY/DATA SOCKET.  CONTINUING
ALONG THE BOTTOM ARE PUSH TO TALK PTT SOCKETS HANDY FOR A FOOT OR KNEE

APPLIES TO CW OPERATION, SO YOU STILL HAVE TO HUNT A BIT.  FORTUNATELY, THE
MENU FUNCTIONS ARE LISTED IN PLAIN TEXT ON THE LCD SCREEN AS YOU SCROLL
THROUGH THEM.  MENUS CAN BE USED FOR FUNCTIONS SUCH AS SETTING THE AGC
DELAY AND SLOPE, CHANGING THE COLORS OR POSITION OF ELEMENTS OF THE LCD, OR
SELECTING S METER TYPE.  THERE ARE SEPARATE AUDIO FILTER HIGH AND LOW
CUTOFF AND SLOPE SETTINGS FOR EACH OPERATING MODE AM, CW, DATA, FM, RTTY,
AND SSB.  ALL OF THOSE MODES ALSO HAVE THEIR OWN TUNING STEP SIZE SELECTION
AS SEPARATE MENU ITEMS.  THERE ARE A BUNCH OF SETTINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
SPECTRUM SCOPE FUNCTION, INCLUDING THE DISPLAY WIDTH WITH A SEPARATE
SETTING FOR EACH BAND.  BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOURE UP TO MENU ITEM 197.
SPECTRUM SCOPE THE FTDX1200 OFFERS A SPECTRUM SCOPE THAT OPERATES IN AN
INTERMITTENT MODE.  THAT IS, IT AUTOMATICALLY AND BRIEFLY STEALS THE
RECEIVER AND MAKE A SWEEP, THEN RETURNS THE RECEIVER TO AUDIO USE.  IN
BETWEEN SCANS, IT SHOWS THE LAST SNAPSHOT TAKEN.  THE SCOPE CAN BE SET UP
SO THAT THE DISPLAY IS CENTERED ON THE OPERATING FREQUENCY TO SHOW WHATS
HAPPENING AROUND YOU, OR IT CAN BE SET UP TO ALWAYS SHOW THE SAME PORTION
OF THE BAND.  THE SCOPE CAN REFRESH AUTOMATICALLY, WHICH IS HANDY IF YOURE
NOT IN ACTUAL OPERATION, OR MANUALLY BY A PUSH OF THE SELECT BUTTON.  I
FOUND THE AUTO MODE SOMEWHAT DISTRACTING WHILE OPERATING, BUT IT COULD BE
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ