Yaesu: Yaesu FTM-400 cooling problems?

[Stretchman]

The issue I have heard about the FTM400 is that the radio itself requires a good source of cooling. They actually sell a unit that the radio body sits in to keep it cool, but the main gripe is that it requires a different power source than the radio itself. I haven't actually seen the unit, but I imagine that adding proper cooling to the main body of the radio will allow it to operate as it should. I am really surprised they haven't considered liquid cooling for these units yet.

 

[Otto]

I think the cooling fan option is for if you’re using the radio as part of a node set up, and the radio is doing slot of transmitting. In that case, the stock fan probably can’t keep the thing cool enough.
I own and use a 100 version as just a radio, not a node set up, and I haven’t had any heat issues in the few years I have used it.

 

[vagrant]

Perhaps if I was talking on the FTM-400 for hours; using 50 watts...yeah it probably would get hot. I would wager that anyone forced to listen to me for hours would get hot too.

I have talked over an hour with it set at 5W and it was barely warm to the touch. I rarely use 50W unless I'm in my vehicle for a simplex conversation. Most of the time I'm using 5W and a repeater, or now I can use the 400 as a node directly, but again at just 5W.

I guess I could always slap on a large heatsink and a 12v cooling fan for relatively low cost, which definitely takes the same power as the radio. For about $20, I might as well do that for the one in my vehicle and never worry about it. Still, if I need to use 50W, something may be wrong with my antenna setup.