Mountaineer304
Member
Gonna be mainly programming my Yaesu FTM-500D via ad card, my Ft710 and some baofengs and maybe an anytone... Is there any advantage to RT systems vs chirp or factory software??
RT systems is it worth it?
- Thread starter Mountaineer304
- Start date
rf_patriot200
Active Member
YES. RT Systems software is Far better than chirp. Almost everything I have is programmed using RT.
Mountaineer304
Member
What about the yaesu factory software? Also benefits of et systems?
rf_patriot200
Active Member
ADMS is Yaesu's proprietary software is ok, but Can be buggy, depending on the radio and what you're trying to do. None of that happens with RT Systems . No issues with drivers, or port problems. it just Works.
RT Systems is the competent software for programming.
Pro: Easy to understand, easy to correct errors, a short learning curve, not buggy, best on the market.
Con: You have to pay [some hams have a burning issue with this], expect to have to use RTS cabling, it will spoil you towards other software.
Honestly, I like Yaesu gear, but their software is nearly unusable. Their excuse is 'We're a radio company, not a software company'.
Pro: Easy to understand, easy to correct errors, a short learning curve, not buggy, best on the market.
Con: You have to pay [some hams have a burning issue with this], expect to have to use RTS cabling, it will spoil you towards other software.
Honestly, I like Yaesu gear, but their software is nearly unusable. Their excuse is 'We're a radio company, not a software company'.
KB2GOM
Active Member
I have bought three RT programming systems and had very good experience with all of them. The first one I had a question on a Saturday, sent an email, and got an answer within a couple of hours.
Highly recommended.
Positive, their stuff works.. If not, they'll help fix it. The support is top notch as others have said.
Negatives.. Proprietary cables... Their software doesn't like OEM or aftermarket cables except theirs, at least in my experience
The positives outweigh the negatives.. I've never had an issue with their software or cables.. The software is easy to use, and the cables are overbuilt.. Think I could tow a small car with my Icom or Yeasu cables from them.
Negatives.. Proprietary cables... Their software doesn't like OEM or aftermarket cables except theirs, at least in my experience
The positives outweigh the negatives.. I've never had an issue with their software or cables.. The software is easy to use, and the cables are overbuilt.. Think I could tow a small car with my Icom or Yeasu cables from them.
Mountaineer304
Member
Mainly need it for my FTM-500 which I’ll use SD card with and my ft710 if I even program it..
rf_patriot200
Active Member
I think you'll like it. Makes programming anything much easier and enjoyable. Good luck with your 500 & 710 !
I use RT Systems for my Yaesu FT-60R handheld and am very happy with the software.
Their customer service is excellent. I contacted them with a question or two and they got right back to me. Very professional and courteous.
I do use Chirp for my Baofeng and am happy with that software as well. Easy enough to use for the price-point of the radio.
Their customer service is excellent. I contacted them with a question or two and they got right back to me. Very professional and courteous.
I do use Chirp for my Baofeng and am happy with that software as well. Easy enough to use for the price-point of the radio.
Last edited:
kayn1n32008
ØÆSØ Say it, say 'ENCRYPTION'
Had an issue with the V71A cable, they replaced no questions asked and shipped on their dime.
Great software. You can drag and drop between different models of radios. Built my TM-V71A file off my FT8800 file with little issue.
It just works. It works well. For hammy radios, there isn't better software out there.
Downside is the proprietary cables, but it is a small price to pay. If you're spending $400-800 for a ham rig, spend the extra money for RT software and cables. Don't cheap out with CHiRP.
Great software. You can drag and drop between different models of radios. Built my TM-V71A file off my FT8800 file with little issue.
It just works. It works well. For hammy radios, there isn't better software out there.
Downside is the proprietary cables, but it is a small price to pay. If you're spending $400-800 for a ham rig, spend the extra money for RT software and cables. Don't cheap out with CHiRP.
Which is clearly a disingenuous statement because their radios, like most radios these days, all use software in the form of programming instructions coded into their radios. That's been true as long as radios have included microprocessors. It would be more believable if Yaesu would say that they don't spend as much development effort on their radio programming software as they do on their radios.
For the OP, I have one beef with RT Systems. Kenwood used to sell both the TM-V71 and the TM-D710. Both radios used the same RF deck. The difference was in the control heads and the fact that the D710 had packet and APRS capabilities. Kenwood made available free radio programming software for these radios and the same software package could be used to program either the TM-V71 or the TM-D710. Kenwood's software developers provided the program with a way to switch between radios which turned on/off programming tools to match the different feature sets. This was handy if you were like me and owned one of each radio model. One software package for both radios.
But, not with RT Systems. They produced separate software packages for the TM-V71 and the TM-D710. If you owned both radios, you had to buy two software packages from RT Systems. I pointed this out to RT Systems and the response was along the lines of "they are different radios, so different softwares". I have two theories for this: Either RT Systems' programmers were not as smart as Kenwood's programmers and couldn't figure out how to program two different radios with the same program. Or, RT Systems wanted to get paid for developing two different softwares.
Nonetheless, I own RT Systems software packages for some of my radios. Their stuff works and works well. Based on negative reports and my own questionable experience, I would not use Chirp unless it was the only option.
RT software is well worth the money. It's intuitive and easy to use. It has lots of little things that add up, i.e., it already know the offsets for each band but still allows you to change it when necessary. It won't let you program out of band frequencies. I've used it on Motorola, Kenwood and Yaesu radios. Customer service is great but, in reality, I've rarely had to use it.
I have spent hundreds on the RTSystems software and cables. Fantastic customer service. Easy to use software and my favorite part is the easy copy and paste of frequencies between different radios, even if one is a transceiver and the other is a receive only radio…and even when the frequency coverage differs. When radios began using the MicroSD cards the cables were no longer necessary for programming.
I use Chirp with cheap Chinese radios. With Chirp you get what you paid for. With Chirp you may also get what you do not want, like it or not.
I use Chirp with cheap Chinese radios. With Chirp you get what you paid for. With Chirp you may also get what you do not want, like it or not.
k6cpo
Member
As others have already said, RT is the best going. (I have the RT packages for 13 different Yaesu radios in my computer.) The factory software can be prolebmatic at times and it doesn't have all the features the RT product. Under no circumstances should you ever program a Yaesu radio with Chirp, especially the digital Yaesus. Chirp can brick the radio and Yaesu has stated on numerous occasions they won't repair radios damaged by using Chirp.
You'll have to buy separate software packages from RT for each radio. There is a caution on the RT website about the firmware version on the FT-710.
I think you're absolutely right about that. Why put more effort into something you're giving away for free?
KB2GOM
Active Member
I was put off by the Chirp dislaimer when you launch the software that says, in essence: "You may brick your radio."
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
RT Systems is top notch. One caveat, is like other software products, you can only install it "X" number of times, regardless of the fact you paid for it- there is an undocumented "limit" you will reach. Doesn't matter if you reimage/reformat your PC, swap hard drives, you know, things people do in the normal course of computers. It will no longer activate and you'll either be forced to buy a new serial key again or do without.
Just beware of this, I am sure that arbitrary number is buried in their EULA but I've yet to find it. Otherwise, it is good software and their support is very responsive.
Just beware of this, I am sure that arbitrary number is buried in their EULA but I've yet to find it. Otherwise, it is good software and their support is very responsive.
KD7RJC
Member
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2023
- Messages
- 103
For another perspective, so far I'm just using the Yaesu software for my two FTM-500DRs, my FT-2DR, and my FT-5DR. I am starting with those because I figure that until I run out of capability I don't need to buy something.
The only real headache was the export on ADMS-16 to take the memory slot config for the FTM-500DR and export it for use on ADMS-8 for the FT-2DR made some errors that I didn't originally catch. There's a bunch more columns on the table used for the FT-2DR, and the export process put unusable values into the columns for S-meter squelch. It took me longer than it should have to realize that the reason the FT-2DR wouldn't open up RX in memory mode was because each memory S-meter squelch was set to 15, which would ever open up.
Knowing that there are quirks like this I've made a point of saving base radio CONFIG.DAT files for each model to use for reference along with CSV files associated for each model, so I can use a CSV editor (specifically something that doesn't perform calculations as compared to spreadsheets) to build out files for the memory slots on each model, leaving alone the columns that don't need to be messed with, and then importing those into their respective ADMS versions depending on which radio I'm working with.
If the radios still required directly connecting with RS-232 or another cable then perhaps I'd be faster to buy RT Systems software, but for now I haven't run out of capability when taking the SD card over to the PC to make changes and then sticking it back into the radio to import them again.
If there was software that could do good CAT control of the FTM-500DR when it's paired with an SDR and on-TX cutout switch with PC connection then perhaps I would be more inclined to whip out the credit card, but for now that seems to be largely limited to the FT-991A and other radios more oriented toward base station use.
The only real headache was the export on ADMS-16 to take the memory slot config for the FTM-500DR and export it for use on ADMS-8 for the FT-2DR made some errors that I didn't originally catch. There's a bunch more columns on the table used for the FT-2DR, and the export process put unusable values into the columns for S-meter squelch. It took me longer than it should have to realize that the reason the FT-2DR wouldn't open up RX in memory mode was because each memory S-meter squelch was set to 15, which would ever open up.
Knowing that there are quirks like this I've made a point of saving base radio CONFIG.DAT files for each model to use for reference along with CSV files associated for each model, so I can use a CSV editor (specifically something that doesn't perform calculations as compared to spreadsheets) to build out files for the memory slots on each model, leaving alone the columns that don't need to be messed with, and then importing those into their respective ADMS versions depending on which radio I'm working with.
If the radios still required directly connecting with RS-232 or another cable then perhaps I'd be faster to buy RT Systems software, but for now I haven't run out of capability when taking the SD card over to the PC to make changes and then sticking it back into the radio to import them again.
If there was software that could do good CAT control of the FTM-500DR when it's paired with an SDR and on-TX cutout switch with PC connection then perhaps I would be more inclined to whip out the credit card, but for now that seems to be largely limited to the FT-991A and other radios more oriented toward base station use.
N6JPA
A Ham Radio Operator With too much frequency.
The USB Cable provided by RT systems is far superior then any other third party programming cable. I have used the RT Systems cable with CHIRP, but found RT's software far superior then CHIRP. IMHO.
Similar threads
- Locked
