Yaesu: Yaesu FTM-500D Announced

[pcunite]

The Yaesu FTM-500D, looks like a nice upgrade to the FTM-300. Coming March 2023.

• APRS
• 6w speaker
• PMG function
• Dual receive
• Wide receive, airband, etc. (108MHz to 999.995MHz)
• 16 character channel names
• Bluetooth
• MicroSD slot
• 50W (FTM-500DS is 20w)

Overall, a nice radio.

 

[jeepsandradios]

Wish the display was larger. That was the selling point on the 400.

 

[MTS2000des]

Dig the looks of the control head. Yaesu is really a cut above in their amateur equipment designs. I own an FTM-300 and this looks like a nice upgrade with bigger display. 16 character names! Bout time!

 

[ems55]

Dig the looks of the control head. Yaesu is really a cut above in their amateur equipment designs. I own an FTM-300 and this looks like a nice upgrade with bigger display. 16 character names! Bout time!

Can you imagine something like the FTM-500 including HF !?!?!? Now that would be awesome !!!!

 

[GlobalNorth]

I am not impressed.

 

[kv5e]

Like /\/\ you do not get a discount as beta F/W participant

 

[N4DJC]

$700 give or take. One version does have an additional speaker in the head unit. And looks like the head unit has a mic connector.

 

[kg4icg]

I have the 400XDR, I'm ok for now

 

[k6cpo]

I'll believe it when I see them on the shelf at HRO.

 

[N4DJC]

Announcement by John Kruck

 

[kb2idx]

I just found this!!

 

[AK9R]

Overall, a nice radio.

Since even Yaesu USA's national sales manager says full details are not available, I think calling it a "nice radio" is a little premature.

I'll believe it when I see them on the shelf at HRO.

Oh, it's real. Yaesu has announced the radio, but has not released full details and specs. But, all indications are that it's real.

I just found this!!

Yeah, someone found that ad in the electronic version of the March QST.

What I find humorous about this is the dozens of ham YouTubers who fell all over themselves yesterday trying to get videos posted about this radio. All of them basically said the same thing: "Yaesu has a new radio, we have a picture of it, we don't have much details about it, but we are going to speculate about the feature set based on what little we do know."

And, then, Yaesu's representative puts out a YouTube video where he literally says "Don't listen to all these other people. There's people out there already speculating on YouTube and stuff like that what this radio's about. And, guess what, we have not officially released any specifications yet. Everything on there is conjecture...There's been no official thing coming from Yaesu yet."

Sheesh. Take a breath, people.

 

[R8000]

What I find humorous about this is the dozens of ham YouTubers who fell all over themselves yesterday trying to get videos posted about this radio. All of them basically said the same thing

YouTube monetized ham channels. Most of them are nauseating only a few are actually intended to be good for the hobby.
Seems to me if a ham truly wanted to to help the hobby, the channel wouldn't be monetized, need intros with themes songs and have an annoying thumbnail with their face magnified. Yuck.

It was funny to see them all report on the breaking news and get moist just thinking about the likes and subscribes.

The FTM-500 looks to be a cool rig. Just like every other new design, there will be bugs. Most forget the FTM-400 to FTM-400XDR version change. Something...something...finals blowing..something. So, I will wait until version 2 comes out.
I am not picking on Yaesu, every manufacture has issues with a new release of a product.

I have to echo the comments about Yaesu being the innovator during the chip shortages and shipping issues times we live in. They seem to be adapting with Icom just behind them. If parts just aren't there, then design a new radio! Maybe Kenwood's ham group will get the hint. A replacement for the D710 is years overdue.

 

[MTS2000des]

What he said. The fact that Yaesu is innovating and investing in new models is a positive thing. Nothing will be perfect out of the gate. They are also the only amateur manufacturer with a 3 year parts/labor warranty on new gear. It's nice to know when you spend $500 plus bucks there is an actual stateside support you can call upon to get service/support. Good luck getting this from Baoturd or any of the other junk radio suppliers on Chinazon. I've got an FTM-300, FT-5DR, FTM-7250DR and FT-991A. All of them are superb radios that get a daily workout on YSF and do what they do well. I am glad to see something NEW from Yaesu.

 

[WB4UR_Sean]

Dig the looks of the control head. Yaesu is really a cut above in their amateur equipment designs. I own an FTM-300 and this looks like a nice upgrade with bigger display. 16 character names! Bout time!

Saw this on Ham Radio 2.0, yesterday evening. I still have my FTM400XDR. Just haven't installed it into my 2021 CR-V. I do check for updates on the RT Systems Radio Software and run the updates when they show up. I like the 16 characters. That's more like it.

 

[prcguy]

So Yaesu retires the FTM400XDR and comes out with some new models. But what about the Yaesu DR-2X Fusion repeater which has two modified FTM400XDR radios inside it? What is the future for Yaesu Fusion repeaters? Without repeaters the Fusion system can't grow.

 

[n9upc]

Dig the looks of the control head. Yaesu is really a cut above in their amateur equipment designs. I own an FTM-300 and this looks like a nice upgrade with bigger display. 16 character names! Bout time!

I am going to have to send you a mug!

 

[n9upc]

So Yaesu retires the FTM400XDR and comes out with some new models. But what about the Yaesu DR-2X Fusion repeater which has two modified FTM400XDR radios inside it? What is the future for Yaesu Fusion repeaters? Without repeaters the Fusion system can't grow.

It is chassis only and not actual 400 radios. The 400 series was ended because of the availability of certain components. The program is still going on till March 31st, 2023. Trust me I know a guy 😉

 

[n9upc]

Announcement by John Kruck

K R U K

 

[prcguy]

I have a DR-2X which BTW needs some internal reworking like replace all the internal RG-58 coax with double shield and install some ferrite beads here and there. Mine had a tiny bit of desense operating into a load with no duplexer and if you try and run them on the lowest power setting the transmitter spews out tons of garbage and further desenses the receiver. I also know people at Yaesu in Cerritos, CA, just haven't talked to them about the future of this repeater.

Here is the inside of my DR-2X with replacement double shield RG-142 coax, low PIM connectors and ferrites on some cables between radios and Corcom AC line filter. Even with upgrades these repeaters rely completely on the duplexer and external band pass filtering to survive on a busy mountain top. Many people have swapped out older repeaters that worked fine and the Yaesu's would get their receivers trashed and needed lots of extra front end filtering. This is why my DR-2X sits in the garage and a Quantar is on the mountain.

I wonder if the FTM500D chassis is a compatible size to the FTM400XDR and if the control head communications are compatible? That might allow the FTM500D to replace a radio in the DR-2X repeaters. If so I hope the 500s receiver is a little better.

It is chassis only and not actual 400 radios. The 400 series was ended because of the availability of certain components. The program is still going on till March 31st, 2023. Trust me I know a guy 😉