Yaesu: FT-2D modification

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Golay

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So I'm asking the same question about my FT-2D, that I asked years ago about my VX-5R.
If I do the mod, can I listen to 900 machines?
Just like the VX-5R (which I was told here still won't hear 900 after mod), no use doing the mod if it don't change 900 rx.

Thanks
 

N8IAA

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So I'm asking the same question about my FT-2D, that I asked years ago about my VX-5R.
If I do the mod, can I listen to 900 machines?
Just like the VX-5R (which I was told here still won't hear 900 after mod), no use doing the mod if it don't change 900 rx.

Thanks

Have you checked your manual as to the specifications of your radio? The answer as to what you can and can not receive is listed there. Maybe no mods are needed??
Just wondering,
Larry
 

ko6jw_2

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One other caveat. The extended receive range of the FT-2DR works only on the "A" receiver. If you try to listen on the "B" side you will hear nothing. I discovered this when I was trying to listen to the CHP on 42MHz on the "B" receiver. It appeared to be scanning, but there was no reception. I changed to "A" and it worked fine.

Go into VFO A and press "Band" until you are in the desired frequency range. Then touch the frequency and a numeric keyboard will appear. Enter the desired frequency and press "ENT" Of course, using programming software is easier if you have a number of frequencies to enter.

The sensitivity for out of band frequencies is lower and the radio won't monitor trunked or digital systems other than C4FM Fusion.

These are very good radios. I don't see any attempt to modify one as leading anywhere good.
 

Golay

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I may be doing something wrong then.

Go into VFO A and press "Band" until you are in the desired frequency range. Then touch the frequency and a numeric keyboard will appear. Enter the desired frequency and press "ENT" Of course, using programming software is easier if you have a number of frequencies to enter.

So I did what you said. I'm in VFO on the A band. Toggled Band until I got 860.000. If I was to toggle Band one more time, it would go to 540 KHz.
I'm wanting to put in 927.125. I can enter up to 927.1. When I enter the 2, it chirps, and the display goes to 860.000. If I just enter 927, and hit enter, it also chirps, and goes back to 860.000.

So I started a VFO scan at 860.000. The scan gets to 914.9875, and then jumps to 944.0.

So, is your radio modified? The "Mars" mod I'm looking at is the SM resistor removal.
Thanks. Like I said, I only am interested in getting the radio to RX on 900. If the mod won't allow that, I'm not going to mod it.

Thanks.
 
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ko6jw_2

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The radios are blocked in 915-944 MHz range. Yaesu does not seem to offer much help. Since this range includes the 902-928 amateur radio band it is even more inexplicable. I have a friend who is a consultant to Yaesu and I will email him with this question.
 

ko6jw_2

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The answer from Yaesu is not helpful. They say that due to design parameters in the receiver that those frequencies are blocked. That's it.

I don't really care because I have scanners that will cover that range and the sensitivity of the radio is not that great in that range. It is primarily a 144/440 radio not a scanner.

I don't think the MARS/CAP mod will fix this because it is part of the receiver design. By the way, CAP is using P25 which this radio can't receive anyway. Not that the primary reason for these mods is to work with the CAP anyway. If you want to transmit out of band get a Baofeng like everybody else (me included).
 

Golay

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Thanks

The radios are blocked in 915-944 MHz range. Yaesu does not seem to offer much help. Since this range includes the 902-928 amateur radio band it is even more inexplicable. I have a friend who is a consultant to Yaesu and I will email him with this question.

Thanks for the help.
 

N4KVE

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The radios are blocked in 915-944 MHz range. Yaesu does not seem to offer much help. Since this range includes the 902-928 amateur radio band it is even more inexplicable. I have a friend who is a consultant to Yaesu and I will email him with this question.
The reason is from the old days. Ham radios can not monitor cell phone frequencies. When they first started blocking 870-894, people would listen in the birdie freq range. Just add the cell phone freq to the IF freq of the radio, & that would work. The gov't figured this out, & made the mfr's block that too. That's why the gap in 900. It's a stupid rule, with cell being all digital now, but that's the reason. Different radios, with different IF freq's put the 'birdie gap" in different places.
 

ko6jw_2

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The 1st IF on the A Band of an FT-2 is 47.25MHz. There is no image frequency that is within the receive range of the radio (+94.5MHz). The gap has to do with Yaesu's design parameters not any attempt to block cell frequencies. Your explanation makes sense with older radios that used 10.7MHz or 10.4MHz first IF's. I used to monitor the 406-420MHz band on an old Bearcat 250 by tuning in the 430MHz range. Not very sensitive, but it worked. My VX-6R is also blocked in the same range. Yet, my Uniden scanners receive it very well. Alinco used to make an HT the covered the 902-928MHz band (transmit and receive). I think it is discontinued.
 
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