Yaesu: Ft60r as a scanner

[KMG54]

I found a Yaesu FT60 in this house when I bought it. Played with it a little just listening to hams. No license here so the PTT key is off limits. Anyway pulled it out this weekend and played with analog public safety here, witch we still have a lot of. I was amazed at how sensitive it was and how clear the audio is. So I ordered a cable from amazon Saturday, got it today, used Chirp to program public safety. This beats the hell out of my whistlers on analog. With only a couple dozen channels scan speed is fine. I have me a new analog scanner! Superior sensitivity and loud clear speaker. Getting ready to hook it to my Larsen tribander with a ground plane mount and see how it does.

 

[KE5BCP]

I found a Yaesu FT60 in this house when I bought it. Played with it a little just listening to hams. No license here so the PTT key is off limits. Anyway pulled it out this weekend and played with analog public safety here, witch we still have a lot of. I was amazed at how sensitive it was and how clear the audio is. So I ordered a cable from amazon Saturday, got it today, used Chirp to program public safety. This beats the hell out of my whistlers on analog. With only a couple dozen channels scan speed is fine. I have me a new analog scanner! Superior sensitivity and loud clear speaker. Getting ready to hook it to my Larsen tribander with a ground plane mount and see how it does.

It's a great radio!

Get a cable off of eBay, and grab the free software: FT-60 Commander

 

[KMG54]

Already got the cable from Amazon and used chirp. Going to try FT-60 commander also.

 

[Fast1eddie]

Using RT Systems software and associated cabling, I quickly threw some local stuff in, works very well. Outstanding audio. I am a old cop; the FT 60 is essentially a copy of the public safety/biz band models.....Or the other way around???? Love the very rugged belt clip, shame the other manufacturers fall short there. Personally I refuse to carry mine on a belt, too many cop enemies out there and I will not be a statistic. Do not want the attention and gawking. Joe and Jane Public can be morons.

 

[bill4long]

I found a Yaesu FT60 in this house when I bought it. Played with it a little just listening to hams. No license here so the PTT key is off limits. Anyway pulled it out this weekend and played with analog public safety here, witch we still have a lot of. I was amazed at how sensitive it was and how clear the audio is. So I ordered a cable from amazon Saturday, got it today, used Chirp to program public safety. This beats the hell out of my whistlers on analog. With only a couple dozen channels scan speed is fine. I have me a new analog scanner! Superior sensitivity and loud clear speaker. Getting ready to hook it to my Larsen tribander with a ground plane mount and see how it does.

I have one. (Among many HTs.) Good radio and easy to program manually. You can enhance the TX audio by opening up and getting rid of the cloth "blockage."

RT Systems software excellent. I have it for many radios.

Get a Tech ham license. (Easy.) Then you can talk.

 

[KMG54]

Is the RT systems that much better than ft commander or chirp? Reason I ask is it states it only works with their cable and I just bought a 30 dollar cable from Amazon that does work with Chirp.

 

[jaspence]

One of the best price vs value ever offered. Some complain about the lack of a lithium battery, but a couple of the AA cell cases and some good rechargeable NiMH and your in business.

 

[KMG54]

I know chirp will import from RR, will any of the other software's do the same? Sorry for all the qustions, but this is new to me with the Yaesu.

 

[TailGator911]

What are the odds that a scanner enthusiast moves into a new home and happens to find a Yaesu FT-60? Amazing.

If I were you, I'd be buying some Mega Millions lottery tickets.

 

[KMG54]

With a alkaline battery case and a standup charging base. No belt clip though!

 

[bill4long]

What are the odds that a scanner enthusiast moves into a new home and happens to find a Yaesu FT-60? Amazing.

If I were you, I'd be buying some Mega Millions lottery tickets.

Naaaa. That irrational view assumes that "luck" runs in "streaks." It doesn't.

 

[kayn1n32008]

Is the RT systems that much better than ft commander or chirp? Reason I ask is it states it only works with their cable and I just bought a 30 dollar cable from Amazon that does work with Chirp.

RT Systems is excellent software. I buy it for my ham gear.

Yes you need to buy their cable. It’s worth the money though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[EMTJD]

I use my FT60 primarily as an additional scanner. “Ham” receivers are generally superior to “scanner” receivers and the audio quality is excellent.

My only gripe about the FT60 is that, when being used as a “scanner”, it’s scan speed is really, REALLY slow in comparison to the speed of a real scanner. But I can live with that.

 

[TedNoiz]

How do you scan with it? Where to find public safety channels?

 

[EMTJD]

Easy. You find public safety frequencies from Radioreference.com.

To scan, just hold down the “up” or “down” arrow buttons until you hear a “beep” and then let go. To stop scanning, press any button or the PTT.

 

[TedNoiz]

Easy. You find public safety frequencies from Radioreference.com.

To scan, just hold down the “up” or “down” arrow buttons until you hear a “beep” and then let go. To stop scanning, press any button or the PTT.

Thanks for your reply.

I try that all the time, up and down. I never hear anything come over the channels, save once in a great while, but it's usually just noise and squelch.

I keep it on the local Brookings, SD repeater @ 146.940 for the most part. Every hour or so someone breaks in and does some Morse Code (I can read only a few letters) and a voice will tell the time. That's about all I ever hear. Pretty quiet around here.

I will look for the public safety frequencies. Thanks!

 

[EMTJD]

I keep it on the local Brookings, SD repeater @ 146.940 for the most part. Every hour or so someone breaks in and does some Morse Code (I can read only a few letters) and a voice will tell the time. That's about all I ever hear. Pretty quiet around here.

Not unusual for repeaters these days to be quiet. More cell phones and texting. I’m in Los Angeles and it’s normal, here, to go through all of the repeaters I have in my radio and not heard anyone on them.

The Morse code you’re hearing is just the repeater’s automatic IDer. Once every hour.

 

[TedNoiz]

I have a list of all the repeaters around here, too. Very quiet. Surprisingly, CB around here is dead. When I lived out West, in Las Vegas, CB was nonstop chatter. Here, there's nothing. My town is only approx. 22,000 people.

I am learning the Morse Code again. Was getting good at it years ago, then moved out of the country and stopped using it. Starting over again.