Yaesu: FTM-400XD / Need help transmitting

[SoCalSearch]

I took my tech, general and extra last week and passed. I have a Yaesu FT3DR handheld and it works great. I purchase a Yaesu FTM-400XD as a gift to myself for passing the exams, but I am having a heck of a time transmitting. I was up on Fusion earlier and I was talking to people, but on my repeaters that I hit with my handheld, I am unable to transmit. I have troubleshooted extensively and I cannot get it to work.

I am testing a local repeater in Los Angeles. It's 446.575 with an tone of 127.3

It works perfectly on my handheld, but I cannot get it to work on the new FTM-400XD which is practically stock settings.

Here are a couple of screenshots. Does anyone have any idea what is going on here?



french car manufacturers

 

[prcguy]

The red bar above FM means you are in a mixed analog/digital mode. Scroll through your modes until it reads just FM like the 2m freq below it. Then instead of seeing your Fusion digital ID stuff at the top it should display your tone of 127.3. Make sure when you transmit it shows a 441.575MHz transmit freq showing you have the right offset.

That's a very unusual frequency for So Cal, what system is it? I can't key anything up in So Cal on that freq.

 

[SoCalSearch]

The red bar above FM means you are in a mixed analog/digital mode. Scroll through your modes until it reads just FM like the 2m freq below it. Then instead of seeing your Fusion digital ID stuff at the top it should display your tone of 127.3. Make sure when you transmit it shows a 441.575MHz transmit freq showing you have the right offset.

That's a very unusual frequency for So Cal, what system is it? I can't key anything up in So Cal on that freq.

How about 446.460 with a tone of 100.0

I can transmit just fine on my handheld. I just switched to FM on the FTM-400, and I still cant transmit.

 

[prcguy]

When you transmit does it show 441.460? That repeater is on Mt Disappointment and has good coverage, although its the Winsystem and run by a bunch of "holes". What part of So Cal are you in? And did you just get a radio check on that repeater?

How about 446.460 with a tone of 100.0

I can transmit just fine on my handheld. I just switched to FM on the FTM-400, and I still cant transmit.

 

[SoCalSearch]

When you transmit does it show 441.460? That repeater is on Mt Disappointment and has good coverage, although its the Winsystem and run by a bunch of "holes". What part of So Cal are you in?

Yes, it does show 441.460. I am in the San Fernando Valley and I can speak to people on my handheld, but not on my FTM-400XD. I have no idea whats going wrong here.

 

[prcguy]

Program your handheld to receive on 441.640 then transmit on the FTM-400XD and see if it comes through on the handheld on the repeater input freq. Is the FTM showing FM mode and the 100.0 tone on the display? Do you have the radio in "tone encode" mode?

Yes, it does show 441.460. I am in the San Fernando Valley and I can speak to people on my handheld, but not on my FTM-400XD. I have no idea whats going wrong here.

 

[SoCalSearch]

I changed my handheld to 441.460 and I can hear the transmit from the FTM-400XD

 

[prcguy]

I suspect you don't have the radio in tone encode mode. You can select the tone frequency but if you don't tell the radio to encode it wont send the tone out and open the repeater. My FTM is not near me at the moment but there is a menu item for squelch type I think and you want to select tone encode. Does the display show something like "TN 100.0" anywhere? If not you are probably not transmitting the 100.0 Hz tone.

I changed my handheld to 441.460 and I can hear the transmit from the FTM-400XD

 

[SoCalSearch]

I dont see TN 100.0 anywhere on the display.

 

[SoCalSearch]

I suspect you don't have the radio in tone encode mode. You can select the tone frequency but if you don't tell the radio to encode it wont send the tone out and open the repeater. My FTM is not near me at the moment but there is a menu item for squelch type I think and you want to select tone encode. Does the display show something like "TN 100.0" anywhere? If not you are probably not transmitting the 100.0 Hz tone.

You are the MAN!! That did it... I went into my SQL setting and changed it to T-TX and its working now. There is a T-TX on the display now as well.

Thank you very much!!!

 

[prcguy]

I just got back from firing up my truck and playing with the FTM-400 but it sounds like you got it and you press FUNC then scroll until you see the squelch box, then press that until the squelch mode shows tone encode.

You are the MAN!! That did it... I went into my SQL setting and changed it to T-TX and its working now. There is a T-TX on the display now as well.

Thank you very much!!!

 

[SoCalSearch]

I just got back from firing up my truck and playing with the FTM-400 but it sounds like you got it and you press FUNC then scroll until you see the squelch box, then press that until the squelch mode shows tone encode.

I really appreciate the help. I spent hours trying to figure it out before coming here. Have a great 4th!!

 

[mrweather]

Yep, it needs to have "T-TX" on the display for tone encode to be on.

 

[wcsd45]

Well done, prcguy and mrweather got it right; I was stuck on that too, initially. Personally I find the FTM-400 programming uneasy, particularly if you don't do it much.

That said you may want to try the RTSystems programming software for FTM-400. The files you create to program rig to have all these attributes set by memory channel. Worthy of the price, cost and aggravation speaking. -Make backups to the micro SD card.- First time you program radio I found it necessary to read from radio first, then write to radio. In my case, write to radio trial (without read from first) spawned software to rig communications error; read from first fixed error, FWIW. YMMV.

I've no affiliation with RTSystems. I just like and use their products on multiple rigs.

Congrats on all the licenses and privileges!

73, Chuck KC9QBY

 

[robertmac]

I find the 400 extremely easy to program. But I have had Yaesu radios for years. I always sit down with a new radio and follow TFM while programming and getting use to all the features of new radios. One thing I always look at in TRM is the diagram and what are the symbols displayed on the face plate. They I look at how to get them to be displayed. I always learn how to program new radios in the field then will switch to RT to program more. When working public service events we are always told to make sure you have TFM incase one has to change a feature. And on the 400 it is extremely easy to change or add tone and their codes to a memory.

 

[chief21]

The FTM-400 series are great radios, but I don't understand why Yaesu insists on putting related tone settings in totally different places.

 

[prcguy]

I've had my FTM-400 for about a year and have maybe thee frequencies programmed. I don't use the radio very much and never had the time to put in all the stuff around here. I'll mark that down as a project for next week.

Well done, prcguy and mrweather got it right; I was stuck on that too, initially. Personally I find the FTM-400 programming uneasy, particularly if you don't do it much.

That said you may want to try the RTSystems programming software for FTM-400. The files you create to program rig to have all these attributes set by memory channel. Worthy of the price, cost and aggravation speaking. -Make backups to the micro SD card.- First time you program radio I found it necessary to read from radio first, then write to radio. In my case, write to radio trial (without read from first) spawned software to rig communications error; read from first fixed error, FWIW. YMMV.

I've no affiliation with RTSystems. I just like and use their products on multiple rigs.

Congrats on all the licenses and privileges!

73, Chuck KC9QBY

 

[N8FNR]

There is a very active FTM-400 Facebook group that you may want to join; https://www.facebook.com/groups/ftm400dr/

 

[SoCalSearch]

Thank you