Yaesu FTM-350r

[MikeMercury]

I got mine today; from the NH location of HRO.

I haven't powered it up yet; but the feel of the chassis is very pleasing. Seems well built.
I'll take it into work tomorrow and check it out on the HP service monitor.

 

[MikeMercury]

I was able to run some quick tests using my HP8920a.

The TX power is at spec and is extremely clean when viewed on a spectrum analyzer. Receive sensitivity on 140/440 was in the .2uv range area. Didn't have time to get exact readings.

But, the microphone has EXTREMELY HIGH GAIN !!! You certainly don't need to shout - or even talk heavy into the microphone.

The control heads built-in mircophone has even higher gain! This was using the default settings; I haven't gotten into the SET menu to see if there's some sort of control over this.

The modulation limiter works fine, the radio does not over-modulate, but the sensitivity of the mics is high. No doubt when using the control-heads built-in mic element... it will pickup everything making a sound in the vehicle.

BTW, I purchased & installed the FGPS-1 module (this is the one that mounts on the back of the control head). It took about 10 minutes for it to "find itself"; but after this first time it would snyc up within a minute of being powered-on. With the control head sitting on my workbench... and with a large window close by... it was picking up 3-4 satellites. When I carried the control head to the window, it then found 6-7 satellites. It appears the internally installed GPS unit has good receive sensitivity.

 

[darg]

Sounds promissing. PLan on buying it either this weekend or next. Are you planning on test the GPS function? There were some issues that it would work properly.

 

[MikeMercury]

OK, there was a mic-sensitivity-adjustment in the SET menu; I reduced it one notch... and it made a noticeable improvement.

As far as GPS, it's going to be awhile before my FTM-350R gets installed in a vehicle. My bench test looked great; but I wasn't transmitting any APRS data, nor setting any way points or destinations.

One thing for certain, I will buy the PC programming package once available. There's toooooo many tasks - involving the knobs & buttions on the control head - just to get a repeater w/CTCSS (and with it's alpha tag) into a memory location. I wouldn't say it's more difficult than any Kenwood or Icom in the same class though.
Maybe part of my rant is due to being in commercial 2-way for 20 years; with radios that ONLY took PC programing. It's so easy to type in what you want, hitting the tab key betweeen fields, mousing over to a typo and correcting it.

 

[darg]

Do you know anything about the voice guidde unit? What is that doing?
Why are so many shops selling the exact DTMF microphone which is coming with the unit? Can you connect two (would not make sense...)

 

[MikeMercury]

Do you know anything about the voice guide unit?

Not with this model; but I had one on my last Kenwood mobile. It was cool for about ... well.....

5 minutes :lol:

 

[darg]

So, got also mine FTM-305R from HRO last week in combination with the internal GPS. Mounted the main unit in the back of my JK and used a longer CAT5 cable to connect the control unit, which means, yes it is a normal 1 to 1 cable and it works great. Did not gmade a sound check or contact since I was in the mountains and no-one was close get a contact via a repaeter from where I was. Will do that in the next days.
So far a nice built unit, compact, rugged and APRS and Navi is workin. Just need some time to get used to the menu and program repeater. I hope there will be a software out for programming repeater along a travel route like Kenwood has

 

[JStemann]

no banks?

I just read this on another forum and couldn't find it in the manual. No banks or similar feature to allow narrowing down the scanned freqs? Why would they do this? I was getting real close to ordering the 350 a month or so ago, then the firmware problem, I'm happy I waited. I would have been very disappointed had I bought the radio and then found this out afterward.

I don't scan all the time, I just usually stay on one of the local repeaters. I do like to scan while traveling, I just don't want to scan 400 or so channels all the time.

Jeff.

 

[MikeMercury]

I just read this on another forum and couldn't find it in the manual. No banks or similar feature to allow narrowing down the scanned freqs? Why would they do this?

I've read that too, but haven't gone that far in programing the radio yet. For me; that's a moot point... I only scan about 5-6 channels max anyways. You can Add/Delete from the scan list though.

There may be "banks" available once the program software becomes available.

 

[robertpowellj]

question, is the software out yet to program the 350? if so where would i get it from?
i just got my ticket punched the other day, and order the 350r and gps.

 

[MikeMercury]

I contacted RT Systems:
RT Systems Radio Programming Software

asking on the progress - and offering to be a beta-tester. They did respond with "we'll keep you in mind"... but that was it. On their web site, they are not showing the 350R yet. Though they are mentioning a software release date of April 23. Here is a link to the programs help file:
http://www.rtsystemsinc.com/Download/HelpFiles/Version4/FTM350.pdf

I have partially installed the 350R in my 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche (same interior as the SIlverado). No antenna yet; but the GPS option is working fine. I get 5-6 sats at any one time. Have already stored my home as a SetPoint. And it does indeed give directional indicators and a miles coountdown as I am heading home.

If I can - I'll upload pics of where I have the control head mounted. One thing for certain.... there's no straining to read anything on the display. Even some of the busy screens that have smaller text - no problems reading them; and this with my aged eyes

 

[darg]

Do I see this right that I would have to buy the software for each of my radios? There is not one version out which supports all Yaesu?

 

[AK9R]

Do I see this right that I would have to buy the software for each of my radios? There is not one version out which supports all Yaesu?

That is my understanding. Not only does Yaesu release radios to the market without programming software available, but they also depend on a third party company to develop the software. Sorry if it sounds like I'm bashing Yaesu, but they definitely lag behind Icom and Kenwood on this point.

 

[MikeMercury]

I've worked in the commercial 2-way radio field for 20 years; and that's mostly the norm ... each radio series gets it's own specific program (and usually a different cable too !). I've seen mid-series production enhancements - that required a newer version of the program software.

It's crazy; and Motorola & Yaesu (Vertex) are the worst.

 

[MikeMercury]

I just got off the phone with RT Systems; you can pre-order the software and cable now. But you'd need to telephone in the order - as it does not appear on their web page yet. They are expecting to ship early next week.

800-921-4834

 

[MikeMercury]

External Speaker hookup findings:

the external speaker jack is a stereo jack; and the radio has two seperate audio amplifiers. If you use the included "Y" adapter... you will only get one band out of each mono connector (white & red). If you only want to connect a single external to the FTM-350R - and get both sides of the radios audio out of that lone speaker - connect it via this method:
Mike Mercury Ham Radio Page - FTM-350R

I can only surmise that Yaesu expected the user to run two external speakers (one for each band). If you look at the way the optional Yaesu single external speaker is wired (MLS-200-M10_... it is setup the same way - using the "tip" and "ring" connections only.

 

[deadringer]

External Speaker hookup findings:

the external speaker jack is a stereo jack; and the radio has two seperate audio amplifiers. If you use the included "Y" adapter... you will only get one band out of each mono connector (white & red). If you only want to connect a single external to the FTM-350R - and get both sides of the radios audio out of that lone speaker - connect it via this method:
Mike Mercury Ham Radio Page - FTM-350R

I can only surmise that Yaesu expected the user to run two external speakers (one for each band). If you look at the way the optional Yaesu single external speaker is wired (MLS-200-M10_... it is setup the same way - using the "tip" and "ring" connections only.

Why go through all that trouble when you can just go into the audio settings menu and change the audio output setting to Mono?

 

[MikeMercury]

Why go through all that trouble when you can just go into the audio settings menu and change the audio output setting to Mono?

so, do you think that this "setting" will sum the left/right two-way banks audio together at the external spkr jack???

I can tell you it does not.

 

[deadringer]

so, do you think that this "setting" will sum the left/right two-way banks audio together???

When I was messing with mine today, it seemed to... does yours not work that way?

 

[MikeMercury]

if you read the manual; the "Stereo-Mono"selection is mainly for the FM Commercial broadcast section of the radio... and effects the control head speakers only (which has it's own audio amps BTW) It has no effect on the external speaker jack function.

You can always try this yourself - using the supplied "Y" harness plugged into the external spkr jack. If you read my post completely - the very ext. speaker Yaesu lists as an option - is wired the exact same way... I'm no great discoverer here. I simply copied their method to get both bands audio into one non-Yaesu external speaker.

Since I initially read reports of the unit overheating when connected to a non-Yaesu lone external speaker; I decided to find out why before i made the same mistake. Just passing the info on for others like me that have a perfectly good non-Yaesu external speaker to use. The only "all that trouble" one will experience is if they insert a mono plug into that stereo ext/ spkr jack.