Today, Yaesu announced the FT-70DR, a 5W Dual-Band C4FM Handheld. The FT-70DR is a compact System Fusion transceiver providing both conventional analog FM operation and the advanced C4FM Digital mode. Other standard features and functions of the FT-70DR include IP54 Rating (Dust/ Water Protection) construction Wide band receive coverage of 108 – 579.995MHz Versatile Scanning Capabilities such as Programmable VFO Scan Memory Scan Priority Channel Scan External DC Jack for DC Supply Operation and to Charge the Battery Mini USB port for convenient programming and software updates CTCSS/ DCS Operation Automatic Power Off (AFO) feature RF Squelch Transmitter Time Out Timer (TOT) Busy Channel Lock-Out (BCLO) Full specifications and features can be found by clicking HERE
Liked the form factor of the other new Yaesu handhelds. This one looks....fugly. Anyways, will probably be a nice and cheaper system fusion addition to the lineup.
Another single mode HT? Until somebody has one with all digital modes so you only have to carry one to keep in touch I'm not interested. The Kenwood NX-5200/5300 is as close as it gets with two digital modes (plus FM) but it's only one band.
C4FM really cool to make it affordable. Love system fusion! Yaesu is imho the best digital company currently.
I'm confused why this is priced at 200 bucks, when a full power mobile with C4FM is available for 150???
That HT is an dual band, when a FT-3200DR is just 2 meters. And also it probably costs more money to put system fusion in to a HT. Well, thats my best guess anyways . 73' Luke KM6DJS
When compared to the cheap Chinese radios, it is expensive, but the Chinese radios are really throw-aways. $199 (I'm sure the price will go down over time) for a quality dual band digital and FM handheld is a very affordable price.
Hmm... not seeing a WiRES-X button and haven't been able to find any mention of WiRES-X control support. I'm thinking (and hope that I am wrong) that this is another release by Yaesu stripping out WiRES-X controls. That is unfortunate, because it rules out an affordable radio as being one that I would recommend to other hams in my area. Can anyone confirm or debunk that this radio is not capable of controlling a digital WiRES-X node?
That's a very fair statement. If one is wanting a cheaper digital dual band HT, from a reputable company, this seems like a good one to go with.
He's likely referring to the FTM-3200DR 2-meter rig that's been selling like hotcakes since December of last year. It's a fun little radio, but I think this HT could be just as fun. Yaesu has done a stellar job cutting corners to bring the costs down while still preserving a reliable and quality radio. I paid $160 for my FTM-3200DR. For $40 more, I could have less power, but with C4FM UHF capability... in my pocket. Sold.
Yaesu needs to fix the desense problem in the FTM-400DR/XDR before I'll entertain the notion of buying any more of their products.