=  NOW 40 WPM  =
TOP END OF 15 METERS BUT WANT TO SWITCH TO CW AND OPERATE AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE BAND INSTEAD.  GIVE THE MPVD A FEW TWISTS, AND YOULL
FIND YOURSELF MANY KILOHERTZ LOWER THAN WHERE YOU STARTED.  NOW
PUNCH THE MODE BUTTON, AND WHEN THE MODE MENU APPEARS, TWIST THE
RING AGAIN TO SELECT CW.  ITS THAT EASY.  I TESTED THIS ON 10
METERS, USING THE MPVD TO JUMP FROM OPERATING AM AT 29R200 MHZ TO
RUNNING RTTY AT 28R090 MHZ.  IT TOOK 15 SECONDS TO SLIDE MORE THAN A
MEGAHERTZ AND SWITCH MODES I AS I NOTED EARLIER, THE OTHER TWO USB
JACKS ON THE REAR OF THE FTDX10 SUPPORT A KEYBOARD AND MOUSE.
BECAUSE THE TRANSCEIVER PROVIDES THE ABILITY TO ENCODE AND DECODE
RTTY AND PSK31 SIGNALS, I THOUGHT ID BE ABLE TO USE THESE PORTS AND
DISPENSE WITH AN EXTERNAL COMPUTER ENTIRELY.  ALAS, I DISCOVERED
THAT THE KEYBOARD IS ONLY USED FOR ENTERING CHARACTERS WHEN NEEDED,
SUCH AS CREATING CANNED RTTY AND PSK31 MESSAGES.  YOU CANT USE THE
KEYBOARD TO ENGAGE IN FREEFORM CHATS.  THE MOUSE IS STILL HANDY FOR
MENU ACCESS IF YOUD RATHER NOT POKE AT THE TOUCHSCREEN, OR IF YOU
DECIDE TO DISPLAY THE SCREEN ON A SEPARATE MONITOR.  HAVING SAID ALL
THIS, IF YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN CAT CONTROL OR DIGITAL OPERATING,
THESE POINTS ARE MOOT.  IF THAT IS THE CASE, JUST CONNECT THE
COAXIAL CABLE FEED LINE, THE DC POWER SUPPLY, A MICROPHONE, AND, IF
YOU USE ONE, A KEY.  ON THE AIR BEFORE TAKING THE FTDX10 FOR ANOTHER
QUICK SPIN AROUND THE BLOCK, I THOUGHT IT BEST TO SPEND MORE TIME
WITH THE MANUAL.  IM GLAD I DID.  THE FTDX10 OFFERS A VAST
ASSORTMENT OF FEATURES, MANY OF WHICH HAVE OPTIONS WITHIN THEIR
FUNCTIONS.  OPERATING THE RADIO ISNT A MATTER OF SIMPLY TOGGLING
FUNCTIONS ON OR OFF.  YOU ARE OFTEN FACED WITH CHOICES ABOUT HOW A
GIVEN FUNCTION SHOULD BE CONFIGURED.  IF YOU LAUNCH INTO A FLURRY OF
TWEAKING AND BUTTON PUSHING WITHOUT FIRST UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU ARE
DOING, YOU RUN THE RISK OF FINDING YOURSELF THOROUGHLY CONFUSED AND
WITH THE RADIO LABORING UNDER SOME ODD SETTINGS.  SHOULD THAT HAPPEN
TO YOU, THE MANUAL HELPFULLY DESCRIBES THE STEPS NECESSARY TO RESET
THE RADIO TO FACTORY DEFAULTS.  SATISFIED WITH MY DEEPER DIVE INTO
THE MANUAL, IT WAS TIME AGAIN TO APPLY POWER.  THE FTDX10S RELAYS
SPRING TO LIFE AND THE TFT DISPLAY IS ALWAYS A MARVEL TO BEHOLD.
SELECTING THE 3DSS DISPLAY MODE, IM TREATED TO A MESMERIZING THREE
DIMENSIONAL FIELD OF SIGNAL SPIKES SEE FIGURE 3.  YOU CAN SELECT A
MORE TRADITIONAL WATERFALL DISPLAY, IF YOU PREFER, AND EVEN BRING UP
INSET DISPLAYS FOR AUDIO AND MORE.  PICKING AT ONE MINOR NIT, SOME
POPUP SCREENS, SUCH AS BAND SELECTION, DISAPPEAR IF YOU DONT MAKE A
CHOICE WITHIN COUPLE OF SECONDS.  THE RADIO SOON TRAINED ME TO THINK
FAST AND NOT CONTEMPLATE MY OPTIONS, BUT THIS WAS STILL AN ANNOYING
BEHAVIOR.  IT WOULD BE NICE IF ALL SCREENS REMAINED VISIBLE UNTIL
YOU MADE YOUR CHOICE, HOWEVER LONG THAT MIGHT TAKE.  A SMOOTH SPIN
OF THE LARGE VFO KNOB SENT THE CURSOR RACING THOUGH THE DISPLAY.  AS
I LISTENED TO SSB SIGNALS ON 40 METERS, THE FTDX10S PERFORMANCE WAS
STRIKING.  THE BAND WAS CROWDED, WHICH WAS JUST
=  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  =  QST DE W1AW  <