Yaesu vs. CHIRP

[AK9R]

This is a direct quote from the developer on the CHIRP mailing list yesterday:
It's also worth pointing out that chirp does not upload or modify firmware in *any* radio and thus can't "mess up" the firmware. It's possible for chirp to upload some *memory data* that the firmware running in the radio can't understand, and some low-quality radios are not very robust about error checking or handling unexpected data if that were to happen, but that can usually (read: almost always) be corrected.

Wow! Talk about shots fired.

Yaesu representatives routinely say "don't use CHIRP to program one of our radios because there's a chance it'll brick the radio". And now, the CHIRP developers are saying "some low-quality radios are not very robust about error checking or handling unexpected data". That sounds like a direct shot at Yaesu.

Interesting.

 

[mmckenna]

If only Yaesu produced their own programming software that wouldn't brick the radio. That would be so cool…..

 

[ko6jw_2]

Yaesu does have programming software for the FT-5 and the FT-70 which can be downloaded from their company site. They also have software referred to as "memory programer" for some other radios. I don't have those radios so I don't know what the software does. There is software for the VX-6R called VX-6 Commander. Free and works well. RT Systems works well but is not free.

No radios bricked to date.

 

[jaspence]

Years ago in the day of the FT-51R, Yaesu had decent software. As the radios improved, the software didn't see to be much different but worked. The best free in my opinion was FT-60R Commander by KC8UNJ. By the time I worked up to a FT-991A, RT Systems, although not cheap, had features that give it an edge when you have multiple radios and consistency in procedures.

 

[mmckenna]

Yaesu does have programming software for the FT-5 and the FT-70 which can be downloaded from their company site. They also have software referred to as "memory programer" for some other radios. I don't have those radios so I don't know what the software does. There is software for the VX-6R called VX-6 Commander. Free and works well. RT Systems works well but is not free.

No radios bricked to date.

Yeah, I used to run an VX-170 as well as a 7800 mobile. Never had any problems with the Yaesu software.
I get it, some are concerned about the price. But there's certain things I refuse to mess with, and that's bricking a radio because I cheap out on the software.

Amateur radio is an expensive hobby. Free software is awesome, but bricking a radio sucks.

 

[sallen07]

Amateur radio is an expensive hobby. Free software is awesome, but bricking a radio sucks.

That gets my vote for quote of the week, for sure!

 

[k6cpo]

If only Yaesu produced their own programming software that wouldn't brick the radio. That would be so cool…..

Some of the first "free" Yaesu software to be released was for the first round of Fusion radios. I tried Yaesu's software for my FT1D when i first got it. I did a test upload of one channel just to see how it worked. It loaded into the radio just fine so I followed with a full load of repeaters and simplex frequencies. At that point the software decided it wasn't going to work again. I tried several times before I gave up. I then spent $15 for some software put together by a ham in the UK. It didn't work any better than the Yaesu software. At that point I decided to discard that software too. I purchased the RT Systems software and never looked back. Now, if RT doesn't have software for a radio I learn to hand program instead.

 

[pcunite]

Yaesu would do well to engage the community and not put up arbitrary walls. The Chirp software is simply better to use. Free has nothing to do with it. Both are free anyway. Work with Chirp, don't fight it. Make radios and publish the programming API. The benefit to the Yaesu brand is huge with this. Short sighted to resist.