[ILHam] VX-170 Questions

[Dan Hensley]

Hey everyone!

I downloaded the VX-170 manual at the Yaesu site so I would know ahead of time how to get things set on the HT. 

I have some questions I was hoping I could ask. 

1. The radio has an automatic function for the repeater offsets, and I was wondering if it's better to stay with the automatic offset fuunction or to just do the manual offset tuning.

2. The manual mentions that the charger is a ten houur charger, and that it isn't designed to plug in and use with power straight from the wall for TX or RX. Is there an adaptor that can do that for the VX-170?

3. The manuual states that the radio can be usued for ISS or other orbiting stations for space contacts, but since it's just a little five watts, i'm assuming one would have to have the external antennae...at least a mobile antennae, or am I wrong? 

4. It comes Wires II compatible as are most Yaesu rigs, so I am assuming it can also be used for echolink. How best to attach the radio to a node until the external antennae and other accessories are here? 

Battery saver question: Battery saver can be used for monitoring, but can it also be used in transmit? 

Any other things I should know about things mentioned in the manual? (Beyond not transmitting without the antennae attached...duh!). 

Thanks everyone!