User's Manual

23
SET-UP AND OPERATION
Battery Operation
The Suretrack receiver will operate continuously for about 9 hours on a fully charged "Sub C"
battery pack and up to 12 hours with the display backlight turned off. When the batteries need
recharging the shift key ^ character is replaced by a
symbol. A fully discharged pack takes
about 12 to 14 hours to recharge. NiCad batteries will lose their charge over time even if they are
not used. If you are going to store the receiver for extended periods (e.g., over winter) it is a good
idea to charge the batteries at least once a month to conserve memory backup power (see below).
The Suretrack can also operate from an external 12-18 VDC power source. Note however that a
source supplying less than 14 volts DC will not charge the internal batteries.
Antenna
The only connection necessary to prepare the Suretrack for use in the field is the antenna. The
Suretrack will work well with any 50 Ω antenna connected with 50 Ω coaxial cable and a BNC
connector. Antennas come in many shapes and sizes. Typically, three element hand-held yagis
are used in the field since they are light and reasonably small, therefore, easy to carry. In a fixed
station, the Suretrack could be hooked up to a 9 element beam or an omnidirectional antenna on
a tower. Corner reflectors are also periodically used to null out interference from behind the
antenna. Please consult us about the application you have in mind and we will recommend or
even engineer the most suitable antenna system for you.
Start-up and the Command Environment
The Suretrack receiver is shipped with the batteries charged and time and date set to Eastern
Time. To operate the receiver, attach the antenna to the front panel RF jack and turn the OFF/VOL
switch on (clockwise). The receiver will display the software version information, followed by
the date and time, followed by the current frequency and gain. The receiver is now ready to
accept commands.
From the main command environment (display shows frequency on the left and gain on the
right) all key functions are accessible and the receiver is in its manual mode. By judicious use of
gain and audio volume controls, signal bearings may be obtained using a directional antenna
and isolating headphones. Some keypad commands return you to this environment after
adjusting some receiver parameter (frequency, gain, scan time, etc.). Others transfer control to a
new environment (e.g., frequency scan or signal measurement) in which keys may be reassigned
and functions redefined. Navigation is guided by interactive menus and the
ESCape key.