Purpose of Attenuator Function - ICOM VHF Radios

[ilenart]

Hi everyone,

I have an ICOM IC-M502 VHF radio and one of the buttons Toggles the attenuator function ON and OFF when pushed momentarily.

Elsewhere in the manual it describes the functions as:

Push [LO/DX] to turn the receive attenuator ON or OFF if necessary. •“LOCAL” appears when the receive attenuator is in use.

Unfortunately the manual does not describe what this function does and when to use. Any ideas?

I’m assuming this function lowers the power of signals received so that local signals can be heard more clearly when operating in a conjested area with lots of transmissions. Hence “LOCAL” being indicated when in use. Sound correct?

Any comments appreciated.

Ilenart

[Dockhead]

Well, it does what it says. It attenuates RX so that weaker signals are excluded. You will like this if you're trying to work a strong or nearby station, and don't want to hear all the static, or the faint chatter of weaker stations.