Note: Before starting, ensure that the Quick Split parameter in the OTHERS menu is "On" (User Manual, p. 101).
Let's say you're tuning 20m and Good Grief Reef comes on the air. You find the freq the DX station is transmitting on (you tuned itwith the MAIN VFO). You hear the station say "...listening up 5".
Press and hold the SPLIT button to enter Quick Split. The MAIN and SUB VFO's will now be,equalized/synchronized and the f-INP annunciator will beilluminated near the upper right corner of the display. Push the "5" button on the number pad, then press SPLIT once again. Now you willdiscover that two additional things have happened simultaneously.
The SUB VFO will now be offset +5 kHz from the MAIN VFO.
The SUB VFO will be highlighted (i.e., when you turn the tuningknob, you will be tuning the SUB VFO; the MAIN VFO has effectively been locked in place.)
Now press DUAL WATCH. You will constantly hear the DX station on the MAIN VFO,andyou will hear the station(s) calling him on their transmit frequency(i.e., the DX station's listening frequency, which you have now tuned on the SUB VFO.)
Now, when you rotate the main tuning knob (thanks to the MAIN/SUB function), there will be no danger of accidentally moving the DX station's frequency.
If listening to both sides of the pileup gets confusing (hopefully the DX station is on one side all by himself!), you can turn off the DUAL WATCH and use the Spectrum Scope to identify where the packseems to be calling.
Note: To tune the MAIN VFO to a different frequency, press the MAIN/SUB button first. This will highlight the MAIN display,
Without MAIN/SUB and DUALWATCH, you need moderate dexterity to keephitting the CHANGE button and tuning the SUB VFO when trying toidentify where the DX station is currently listening. I would betthat 75% of the time (maybe more?) when you hear someonetransmitting right on top of the DX, it's because they pressed CHANGE(or its equivalent on their radio) and forgot to go back to the other VFO. The Quick Split function leaves you consistently on the SUB VFO, but you can return to the MAIN VFO at any time by pressing MAIN/SUB.
Note: On the Pro3 only, pressing and holding the Main/Sub key activates the Mini-Scope feature. (User Manual, pages 8 and 56.)
This procedure is very easy to perform. It is described in the user manual (p. 71), but is apparentlyoften overlooked.
Art, N4PJ
Copyright © 2006 A. Burke N4PJ. All rights reserved. Last updated: 25/09/2019.
Original text edited and page created on Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2007 by A. Farson VA7OJ/AB4OJ.