I am holding the Yaesu VX-7R in my left hand, my thumb on the split rubber on the left side of the unit as the unit is facing me. The top and biggest part of the rubber is the push to talk switch. The lower and smaller part of the rubber is a switch that opens the squelch circuit to hear, or check for, a very week signal. Moving to the top of the unit on the very left is the antenna. Just to the right of that is the jack for the external microphone. Moving to the right again is the dual purpose knob. the top and inner knob is for volume. The outer ring and lower part of the know is the dial. Just past the knob and down the right side is the binding post for the wrist strap connects if it is wanted on he unit. Moving down past the wrist strap post is the DC in put jack. Still holding the unit in the left hand there is a bump in the upper part of the back of the unit and that is where the belt clip goes. If it is attached it will be about the size of a dime in diameter and stick out from the back about a quarter of an inch or so. In what is about the palm of the hand is the battery and right in the middle of the back edge of the battery is the clip that holds it in place. OK! so much for the three sides and the back of the VX-7R. Now for the very front Still holding it in your left hand take your right hand and feel for a larger rectangle on the upper front of the unit. That is the menu screen. Just below that is the speaker sitting behind the 4 slots you feel. Near the left top of the speaker and just below the menu screen on the left is the power on/off key switch. Just below the power key switch is a key switch called "MAIN." Just below the key Switch called "MAIN" is another key Switch called "SUB" and is also marked with the letter "A." Almost directly across the speaker and to the right of the SUB or A key switch is the multi color LED which indicates different things depending on what you have the unit doing at the time. Now if you feel again with the right hand just below the LED and SUB or A key switches there is an indentation and a ridge. Just below the ridge are three rows of five key switches. Most of these key switches can do 2 or 3 different functions depending on what you want the radio to do so for that reason they have more than one designation. The top  row moving form left to right consists of: MON/F or B key switch . next is # 1 or Scan . Next # 2 or DW. next is # 3 or WX. next is Band or BND DN or Star. so much for that row. The second or middle row of switches consists of: the first key switch is HM/RV or C or EMG. the second is 4 or ARTS. the next is # 5 or S.SCH. the next is # 6 or SP-ANA. the next is 0 or SET and so much for the second or middle row. Now the last and bottom most row.  The first is TX PO or D or LK. The next is # 7 or CH CNT. The next is # 8 or TONE. The next is # 9 or SPCL. The next and very last key switch is V/M or write or pound key.  At this point we may need to know that the # 2 key is also the letters ABC. The # 3 key is the letters DEF. The  # 4 key is the letters GHI. The # 5 key is the letters JKL. The # 6 key is the letters MNO. The # 7 key is the letters PQRS. The # 8 key is the letters TUV. The # 9 key is the letters WXYZ.  Now that is what controls and works the VX-7R Yaesu.