Yaesu: FT-2DR - This Is YUGE

[CQ]

You can now use the Yaesu FT-2DR HT as a WiRES-X node and in HRI mode with new firmware.

WiRES-X Software & FT-2DR Firmware Announcement

All for under 3 bills until the end of the month.
YAESU FT-2DR Transceivers HT Dual Band 2m-70cm, FT2DR

 

[wrath]

You can now use the Yaesu FT-2DR HT as a WiRES-X node and in HRI mode with new firmware.

WiRES-X Software & FT-2DR Firmware Announcement

All for under 3 bills until the end of the month.
YAESU FT-2DR Transceivers HT Dual Band 2m-70cm, FT2DR

This also means if Yaesu is following the traditional upgrade cycle means a new flagship radio is waiting in the wings,slightly devalue the current stuff to look generous & charge maximum prices when you debut the new gear (Icom is really good at devaluing older versions of dstar to the point you lose money trading in a rig ,once they add a new feature,what you own becomes "junk",if Yaesu joins this party it will be a sad state of affairs) ,with more newer features! Both the FT2 and the FTM400 are due for replacements!

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[CQ]

There are a couple new products coming soon, but hope they're not the low end stuff they've been releasing to compete with CCRs. I want flagship type radios...dual digital VFOs to start with.

What's wrong with with adding the PDN feature? The FTM-100/400 are next for that capability. It's their last hurrah.

The 400 has been around for at least 5 years and the 2 about 4 years. It's time for progress to continue and there's nothing wrong wit that. Companies are out to make money. The three models aren't going to be junk anytime soon and are still quite capable unless they come out with C4FM v2 and no backwards compatibility.

 

[wrath]

I have nothing against adding features as a matter of fact this feature addition will add both a 400 and FT 2 to my collection ,prevously i considered a 400 and HRI but it had not enough return on the investment ( i live in a digital dessert , 90 minutes in any direction has digital but not in the middle ) and there was no benefit to our ad hoq hotspot network , the lowered prices, additional features now make becoming active as mode/ node worth while and a new adventurous rabbit hole to check out , i do know of a few places who bought in heavy to fusion and wires and are having a ball with it , however I was all to aware of the going nowhere original wires launch over 30 years ago and the version 1 repeater YSM debacle( i had friends who both owned and tried to service the repeaters to make the investment worth while ) it never did we have a YSM version 1 machine locally that is functioning and locked into analog mode only because of the huge problems and inability of it as digital.

So like I say this addition will give it a home in my collection ,i have like four radios in every room of my house and all the boxes and manuals I have bought since I sat for my ticket in 1990 .

I am hoping this will be the catalyst to get this mode burning again ,strongly this time ,because it now has something unique, in the digital landscape sure you can do lots of stuff on dstar as long as you have two radios to devote to it ,neither of my dstar have the hotspot ability (1 is the IC 92A that was a mega bucks radio that other than a few interchangeable pieces as the IC 91 was a horrible investment that sits in its box with all of its accessories unused,2 is my Kenwood 74 A I was a beta tester on that beast ,it and my FT 1 go everywhere with me with me ,soon it will become the FT 2) my go everywhere mobile is the 710 that i will swap out to a 400 nicely , i havent had a yaesu mobile daily driver since my 8900 its still a great rig but has no digital features at all ,beconing APRS was an upgrade !

And I am perfectly on track with you ,there is a whole segment of hams like me who don't go for low end radios (dual band mono banders is a sin in my book) I buy radios with features and abilities I have no plan on using so if i get bored I don't have to buy a new radio to get something new to do ,i can mess with what I have , that's how I got into APRS, and my first 710 became an Igate back up echolink node ,so here's to a nice new flagship coming out and not another low end rig.

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[ko6jw_2]

I downloaded the firmware updates, but so far I can't find the required cable. HRO has it in their catalog. None of their locations have it in stock yet. Anyone found one?

As for a new C4FM version, I doubt that Yaesu would obsolete their installed base. I think their price cuts are an attempt to get more market share. My repeater group has bought two Fusion repeaters. DR1 traded back to Yaesu for DR2. At $500 they are definitely a bargain. Yaesu is not likely to make its world wide base of repeaters redundant. The installed base in the US is growing and the base in Japan is unbelievable.

 

[prcguy]

I've even got a Fusion repeater humming away in a garden shed in my yard. If the they could update C4FM Fusion with dual slots like DMR it would take over the world. Until then, not so much.

I downloaded the firmware updates, but so far I can't find the required cable. HRO has it in their catalog. None of their locations have it in stock yet. Anyone found one?

As for a new C4FM version, I doubt that Yaesu would obsolete their installed base. I think their price cuts are an attempt to get more market share. My repeater group has bought two Fusion repeaters. DR1 traded back to Yaesu for DR2. At $500 they are definitely a bargain. Yaesu is not likely to make its world wide base of repeaters redundant. The installed base in the US is growing and the base in Japan is unbelievable.

 

[TailGator911]

I swear by my FT2DR kinda like my AMEX card, I never leave home without it. I don't know much about this new mode/upgrade (WIRES-X) but I will definitely read up on it. That's what makes this hobby so fascinating and enjoyable, all the new modes that come out. I am still learning about DMR and now I have something else to jump to as soon as I learn that! I do consider myself old school, but more and more new school everyday

JD
kf4anc

 

[CQ]

Skip DMR and enjoy Fusion. A lot easier to implement and better fidelity of the amateur digital modes.

Wires-X is the updated version of their VoIP solution. WIRES-X

I got my SCU-19 from Universal Radio for $60 before the SCU-39 released. They actually have the SCU-39 kit (includes SCU-19, CT-44 and audio cables) for $50! I would call them in the morning to verify availability though.
Yaesu FT2D, Yaesu FT2DR, Yaesu FT-2DR Amateur HT

HRO has the SCU-39 for $60 w/no stock shown and SCU-19 for $80 with limited availability in OR.
YAESU SCU-39 Cables Other, SCU39
YAESU SCU-19 Cables Programming, SCU19

 

[K5MPH]

This is a great addition to this radio ......

 

[vagrant]

1. The Yaesu UK rep mentioned this update/feature last year early summer. I have been waiting and glad it arrived. It works quite well. I monitor the USA room mostly during the work week or connect into a friends room on the east coast. I switch over to the ALLJA room about now as it is 6 AM Saturday in Japan.

2. Universal Radio is waiting for their stock of the SCU-39 kit to arrive like others. Yes, at $50 it is wise to purchase that kit versus the SCU-19 cable alone. (I already have an SCU-39 from a FT1XDR, but ordered a kit as well.)

3. The U.S. sales rep did a live webinar a week or so ago and mentioned that the FTM-100 and 400 would also get the update so that the HRI-200 would not be needed, as long as one does not want to host their own room.

4. The Yaesu fusion repeaters have worked well for me. Being dual band makes them easy to swap with a spare if something needs repair. The built-in controller is nice and I have made them work with external controllers too. (Allstar via Raspberry Pi and URIx between)

5. I quite like the audio quality when on VM (wide) basically using up the bandwidth. Still, the lower rate is not so bad either. Yaesu's header version of C4FM seems the better choice to me than splitting it up.

PRCGUY, I feel you are correct about the dual slots. It would be result in a big shift.

 

[ko6jw_2]

The DR1 repeater was converted to DMR by some users and a local club has theirs set up as DMR / Fusion multimode. I believe that the DR2's cannot be converted to DMR as Yaesu was less than thrilled by the conversions. This voided the warranties and these modified radios could not be traded in for upgrades to DR2's.

I don't have any value judgement about DMR vs C4FM except to say that C4FM is easier to use since it doesn't need code plugs. That said I have 8 DMR HT's licensed as itinerant and I like the performance. The nice thing about DMR for itinerant use is that you don't hear other FM transmissions and they only hear noise from you. However, these radios were set up from the dealer and there was no need to figure out code plugs.

The new Yaesu firmware should allow the FT2's to operate as a stand alone node and not require a second radio. This is major. Right now I have a FTM-400 as my node radio and then an FTM-3200 to use for transmissions. Plus, of course, the HRI-200 for the computer interface. And, the computer running Wires-X.

Now when the cable becomes available I can slim down to just the FT2 and the computer. This will be great for traveling. I'm hoping the cable becomes available for a planned trip to Alaska in late February. As it is now, I use a hotspot, but this is not a perfect solution.

I should mention, as pointed out above that my present set up will not change as I do host a room. K6SYV-ROOM. Drop in sometime. We are in the Santa Ynez Valley north of Santa Barbara on Figueroa Mountain.

 

[ko6jw_2]

I just placed an order with HRO for the SCU-39 kit. The order was accepted and my card was charged. Received an email acknowledgment. Not a guarantee that it is available, but they are not supposed to run charges through on backordered merchandise. We'll see.

 

[wrath]

I thought the openspot 2 on I phone was pretty slick , this will take slick to a new level.despite what many have said about all the digital modes being the same ,i don't agree, I like the audio on YSF, although I don't do much in DMR land ,those CCRs that are DMR/analog sound like garbage on analog ,YSF radios can play in any of those courts and still sound great, maybe I am biased because i am older and there wasn't a CCR To be found when I got my ticket , i am happy the cost of admission has come down and brought new blood in ,but i sure hope there taste in radios matures with them.

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[vagrant]

I just placed an order with HRO for the SCU-39 kit. The order was accepted and my card was charged. Received an email acknowledgment. Not a guarantee that it is available, but they are not supposed to run charges through on backordered merchandise. We'll see.

That is interesting as the HRO website notes that none of their locations have it in stock.

There is a mom & pop shop in Japan I checked that is also waiting on the stock, as well as Rakuten. Neither of them had an estimate on availability.

I did some testing using the SCU-19 cable and I found that if I put the FT2D into HRI mode (X & Back while powering on) and make sure the asterisk appears (v/m button) I able to connect to analog/fusion rooms. (In PDN mode, it only allows connection to digital only rooms.)

What was interesting is that I hear C4FM conversations on the radio directly; analog conversations played over my computer speakers. This was done only using the SCU-19 cable. I was at work so I did not have time to test my outgoing audio. My guess is it would not work for those listening on the analog side unless their radios were set to auto decode. I guess I should test this weekend.


Here's the kit once it shows up. I am waiting as well.

 

[vagrant]

I was looking through the mom & pop shop website in Japan and noticed that the SCU-19 is around $25 US, versus the much higher prices around $80 sold on other sites. Looks like Amazon Japan is showing the same low price as well.

I'm glad one was provided with the FT1XDR.

 

[vagrant]

Just an update regarding the Yaesu SCU-19 cable that is out of stock. The RTSystems $30 cable (USB-68) allows you to connect the FT2DR to Wires-X, using a PC and the Wires-X program of course.

Basically, you can spend $80 for the Yaesu SCU-19 cable which is out of stock, or contact RTSystems and spend $30. I confirmed it works tonight. USB-68 Programming Cable

 

[wrath]

Just an update regarding the Yaesu SCU-19 cable that is out of stock. The RTSystems $30 cable (USB-68) allows you to connect the FT2DR to Wires-X, using a PC and the Wires-X program of course.

Basically, you can spend $80 for the Yaesu SCU-19 cable which is out of stock, or contact RTSystems and spend $30. I confirmed it works tonight. USB-68 Programming Cable

Or you have an FT 1XDR in your collection and there for have cables out the ying yang just a ready to go!

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