New APRS Mobile FTM200 or 300

[jeepsandradios]

So I really need a new APRS mobile for my vehicle. I had wanted a FTM400 but I am not spending $650 for a rig in a vehicle I drive once a month if that. I run the 400 in my other Jeep and love it but I failed to grab it before prices went crazy. So being its a small choice for APRS rigs anymore I am between the FTM200 and FTM300. The only thing this rig gets used for is APRS and normally sits on 520 or a local ham repeater but rarely use it to TX. All my ham stuff is in my Motorola LMR unit. I had originally thought the FTM200 would be ideal but somewhere I read some reviews from folks who said the receiver is not good for APRS and voice traffic. For folks with the 200 or 300 which do you prefer or regret ? Both will suck for APRS Display but I guess I have no choice on that. Remote head is a must as its in a jeep with no top. I have the Kenwood mounted in a small enclosure on top of windshield and plan to do same for FTM.

 

[SA4MDN]

If you dont mind used maybe a kenwood tm-d710ge, i had mine in my Wrangler and it worked pretty good, sold it when i parked the jeep up for a few years,

 

[jeepsandradios]

I have a Kenwood TMD700 now. All the used 710 I see are more than the FTM. I've been looking for some time. I don't have issues paying for a good radio but $600 for a APRS rig is nuts for my use case. The 700 works, but its old and abused so figured it was time to upgrade. I'll keep my eyes out for the 710 too.

 

[tweiss3]

In your scenario, I would go with the less expensive of the two. It appears they both have the same screen (or nearly the same), so I would go for the 200, which is $110 cheaper than the 300 at DX Engineering right now.

 

[AK9R]

If you can accommodate another antenna on your vehicle, go with something like a Mobilinkd wired to an inexpensive 2m mobile radio. You can use your smartphone or a tablet to interface with the Mobilinkd and see APRS position reports/beacons/weather etc.

After owning several Kenwood TM-D700/TM-D710/TM-D710G/Yaesu FTM-400 radios, that's the way I'm headed. With any dual-band APRS mobile radio, one band will have to be dedicated full-time to APRS. In other words, half of your radio will be tied up monitoring APRS and occasionally sending a position report.

As near as I can tell, the Yaesu FTM-200D is not a "true dual-band radio". I don't believe that it can receive two frequencies simultaneously. The manual talks about "the operation band and the sub band are checked alternately at high speed" and "if there is a signal in either band, it will stop instantly and continue receiving." That may be why some folks say the radio isn't good for APRS and voice traffic. If the radio doesn't switch to the "band" that you have set for APRS until it hears a signal, by the time the radio switches and the TNC starts decoding, it will have missed the first few bytes of the APRS packet thus rendering the packet indecipherable.

The Kenwood APRS radios and the Yaesu FTM-400D and FTM-300D are "true dual-band radios" and can receive two frequencies simultaneously. With those radios, you park one "side" of the radio on APRS and can then use the other "side" for voice traffic.

 

[jeepsandradios]

I came from the days of a dedicated APRS rig. In the Jeep antenna placement is already rough and adding a APRS only antenna just doesn't work. I still have my GM300 with TT in the garage on bench. While I use the APRS mostly I want the option to use the radio if needed. Once in a great while I'll want to jump on a repeater while my APX is on public safety. Its rare. Last year on one of the Jeep events a couple of the group used 2m simplex to chat besides the GMRS trail channel. It was nice to dial it in and listen.

The more I read about the 200 I agree with your statement. For my use that may be fine but not sure. I've looked at both at HRO and just have not bit the bullet. Even my 400 only has a handful of presets. Guess in the end if I grab the 200 and don't like it I could upgrade to the 300 down the road. Either will be better than my 700. Goal is to bring the 700 back in the shack for a general dual band radio. The 200 is on sale for $50 off right now with HRO which makes it more tempting. I'm sure the day after I get the 200 the 300 will go on sale

 

[bill4long]

So I really need a new APRS mobile for my vehicle. I had wanted a FTM400 but I am not spending $650 for a rig in a vehicle I drive once a month if that. I run the 400 in my other Jeep and love it but I failed to grab it before prices went crazy. So being its a small choice for APRS rigs anymore I am between the FTM200 and FTM300. The only thing this rig gets used for is APRS and normally sits on 520 or a local ham repeater but rarely use it to TX. All my ham stuff is in my Motorola LMR unit. I had originally thought the FTM200 would be ideal but somewhere I read some reviews from folks who said the receiver is not good for APRS and voice traffic. For folks with the 200 or 300 which do you prefer or regret ? Both will suck for APRS Display but I guess I have no choice on that. Remote head is a must as its in a jeep with no top. I have the Kenwood mounted in a small enclosure on top of windshield and plan to do same for FTM.

If you're just wanting to report your GPS position to the APRS network, you don't need a radio at all. You can get the APRS cell phone app and report your GPS position to the APRS server using that, assuming your cell phone has GPS in it. (Most do these days.)

APRS on Android and iOS

Below is a guide describing how to install and use APRS on your Android or iOS smartphone. Android APRSDroid is a great app which is available for a free download from APRSDroid.org website. Downlo…

w8rp.org

 

[jeepsandradios]

75% of the area I am in when using that Jeep has no cell. I run APRS Droid in my work truck but use APRS for more than tracking. When I leave home I loose wifi and am out of cell....

 

[k6cpo]

If you can accommodate another antenna on your vehicle, go with something like a Mobilinkd wired to an inexpensive 2m mobile radio. You can use your smartphone or a tablet to interface with the Mobilinkd and see APRS position reports/beacons/weather etc.

After owning several Kenwood TM-D700/TM-D710/TM-D710G/Yaesu FTM-400 radios, that's the way I'm headed. With any dual-band APRS mobile radio, one band will have to be dedicated full-time to APRS. In other words, half of your radio will be tied up monitoring APRS and occasionally sending a position report.

As near as I can tell, the Yaesu FTM-200D is not a "true dual-band radio". I don't believe that it can receive two frequencies simultaneously. The manual talks about "the operation band and the sub band are checked alternately at high speed" and "if there is a signal in either band, it will stop instantly and continue receiving." That may be why some folks say the radio isn't good for APRS and voice traffic. If the radio doesn't switch to the "band" that you have set for APRS until it hears a signal, by the time the radio switches and the TNC starts decoding, it will have missed the first few bytes of the APRS packet thus rendering the packet indecipherable.

The Kenwood APRS radios and the Yaesu FTM-400D and FTM-300D are "true dual-band radios" and can receive two frequencies simultaneously. With those radios, you park one "side" of the radio on APRS and can then use the other "side" for voice traffic.

I think the FTM-200 is very much like the FTM-100. One VFO and unable to beacon APRS and talk on another frequency at the same time. This is the precise reason I pulled the 100 out of my vehicle and replaced it with an FTM-400.

 

[bill4long]

75% of the area I am in when using that Jeep has no cell. I run APRS Droid in my work truck but use APRS for more than tracking. When I leave home I loose wifi and am out of cell....

You travel in areas that have APRS nodes but no cell coverage these days? Fascinating. Viva la ham radio!

 

[jeepsandradios]

Alot. As said my house has no cell. I have a digi in the barn. A lot of the mountain area I am in with the jeeps are the same. Little to no cell but digi's normally work. When we were in WV last fall we had no cell all day, then again we had no dig either there. People are baffled there are still areas in the US without cell coverage. I seem to enjoy areas like that

 

[jeepsandradios]

And to follow up on this our SAR team helps with a trail run every year (50 miles on trails). Our command post has no cellular or any other data. We have Sierra Wireless Modems for MDT data as well as mapping. None get any signal. 1/2 of our check points have no cell data either. We have a digi we setup every year with our Public Safety Repeater and cover the race course ok. With other digis in the area we can normally track our division leaders on the majority of the course back to command. 30 minutes north of command cell signal is fine but not in the national park.

 

[tweiss3]

I must have missed that the 200 isn't a true dual watch. If that is the case, I would grab the 300 instead.

 

[jeepsandradios]

That's the way I'm leaning but the price point is just a bit more than I had budgeted for the moment. Best price I have found is from HRO for the 300 so far. What frustrates the heck out of me is I bought my FTM400 for $499 on sale. The FTM300 is only $30 cheaper now. Still kicking myself for not grabbing 2 when I had the chance.