Of all of the lessons I have learned from amateur radio is to always read the manual. From a 2-meter mobile radio to police scanners and to my shortwave radio, I have found that there is no such thing a simply turning it on.
I learned my lesson this week when I was listening to the FM side of the radio and thought that I would save some stations to the memory. I had to pull out the manual and find out how to perform a seemingly simple task. Amateur radios and similar types of technology are inherently complicated. Most of them operate on several bands and different frequencies and require a little programing to get those radios up and running. Even if you have been around radio for years and years, the best bet is always to read the manual.
This lesson has crossed over to many other facets of life. Radios are not the only piece of electronics that come with a manual. I have found it necessary to refer to the manual with camera, kitchen appliances, treadmills, and other tools that we have around the house. It may seem trite to talk about it, but I find that the tendency is to go straight to the object without looking at the manual. Some companies have opted to place the manuals online because the manuals were so neglected that they became a waste of money.
The moral of the story is to use your manuals, and keep your manuals. They always offer a little tip that will make your enjoyment so much greater than if you had never opened the manual.