ad: portazero-1

New Yaesu FT5DR announced!

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by KK6USY, Aug 17, 2021.

ad: L-HROutlet
ad: l-rl
ad: Radclub22-2
ad: L-MFJ
ad: Left-2
ad: Left-3
ad: abrind-2
  1. KX3DX

    KX3DX Ham Member QRZ Page

    Oh boy! An HT thread. My FT3DR works pretty good. I'll buy a FT5DR when the price comes down.

    Fixing the FT3DR speaker audio is simple (cut and paste from one of my original post somewhere else):
    ******************
    No doubt the radio has thin speaker audio. Somewhere on the internet I read removing the rubber side cover for the power and mic jacks makes an improvement in speaker audio. This does work and if you are not too worried about losing a little water resistance, it's a good start. Then, with the side cover removed, cut a small piece (0.75" by 1.10") of vinyl electrical tape (Scotch 700 is my favorite) and place it centered over the speaker opening on the front of the radio. Don't push the tape down into the horizontal depressions - leave those "ports" open to the left and right of the tape. You will be amazed at the improvement. The width of the tape can be tailored to your preference - making the tape wider reduces the high frequency content but don't completely close off the "ports". Experiment with different tape types and sizes. The tape I'm using is same color of the radio case and is hardly noticeable.
    *******************
    APRS works well if you turn down the battery save ratio and don't cut-off the beginning of received packets. Also, on the B receiver, adjust the squelch for just one yellow bar.

    Pops and clicks go away when scanning with the A receiver if you adjust the squelch for almost all the yellow bars - one or two short of full yellow bars. The squelch still opens nicely, even on weak signals.

    Want a good DMR HT? GD-77 with the openGD77 firmware. The firmware is written by hams and the HT functions pretty close to normal big 3 HT and not like a commercial locked-down DMR HT. For under $100, the HT is amazing. Way, way better than my old Anytone.

    And how about some love for the old Kenwood TH-F6? Triband, HF/SSB receive...etc. 20 years old - just got a new shell for it - the parts are still available! The old shell got roughed up pretty bad when it fell off my dirt bike and got run over. With new shell, it looks like new.

    Final thought - the FT-817 is the most amazing radio ever produced. Certainly not the best, but just plain old amazing. So often my KX2 sits at home while my '817 is out with me for the ride! My FT-817 is heavily modded with the AGC, audio and distortion mods first proposed by a Canadian ham who's call escapes me. Transformed the receiver from just OK to quite good.

    73 Dave kx3dx
     
    W3KW and UT7UX like this.
  2. KX3DX

    KX3DX Ham Member QRZ Page

    Buy a GD-77, burn the openGD77 firmware and use the openGD77 CPS. A DMR HT with the user interface written by hams for hams. Less than $100. Watch all your other DMR (and other type) HT's gather dust...

    73 Dave
     
    UT7UX likes this.
  3. UT7UX

    UT7UX Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Best HT I ever owned/borrowed/occasionally tasted. In IARU region 1 it was known as TH-F7E (absolutely the same with slightly different band plan and 220MHz TX blocked). I bought mine right after sales start and happily owned some fifteen years but finally sold due almost no use last years.

    No, thanks. I already have two MD-380 (VHF and UHF; both with alternative firmware) and they both already gather dust. :)
     
  4. KX3DX

    KX3DX Ham Member QRZ Page

    Misery loves company...
     
  5. N6TTO

    N6TTO Ham Member QRZ Page

    Just an odd comment, but a lot of Japanese companies do not use models with a 4 in it. I kind of remember it being linked to death. This is like skipping Floor 13 in the USA.
     
    N6VL likes this.
  6. NK8I

    NK8I Ham Member QRZ Page

    Anytone 878 mark II is the best HT right now if you need BT/ GPS/ APRS..and $200 less

    Comes with a battery that lasts in terms of days, not hours at a 1/4 of the price of the Yaesu's. And the rapid charger is included.

    Having DMR makes more sense here as well, as there are 3 locally, only one D-Star, no Fusion (that are linked to the internet)
     
  7. WD9EWK

    WD9EWK Ham Member QRZ Page

    When you transmit from one band/VFO, the other band/VFO is muted until you unkey. Just tried this out at the Phoenix HRO store this afternoon. So no full-duplex operation for FM satellites with an FT5DR, just like the FT3DR and other Yaesu HTs since the FT-470, FT-51, and FT-530 from the 1990s.

    73.
     
    W3KW likes this.
  8. K8XG

    K8XG XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Disappointing, but thanks for the test.
     
  9. KF0BMD

    KF0BMD Ham Member QRZ Page


    Yep, thats what Im doing, upgrade time. Bluetooth upgrade, waterproof, Its not for everybody. But the features are great! Yes it does require you to learn the programming features. ASRP is very programmable and the built in GPS works great!
    And yes the touch screen sucks (grin) . Still I can program the doppler offsets in a dual band memory and Icom and Kenwood can not which works great on ISS VHV/UHF cross band CB mode where everybody talks at once during a pass (Smirk) I usually use my Yaesu 400 so I can up the power for that. But its a great HT. Check on Ebay, mine will be for sale soon so I can upgrade to the 5. My D74 flirts with it in there charging stands ;)
    If your interested in my Yaesu 3dr let me know. www.cmoslabs.com or cmoslabs@gmail.com

    73's
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Sep 23, 2021
  10. K8XG

    K8XG XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    FEE BAY? Really? for their fees, plus charges, plus the extra charges; you should get a QRZ subscription and sell it here for no cut of the profits. Believe me, Fee bay is sucking now and you now actually have to give them direct access to your bank account as they no longer will deposit to your paypal account. Many are thru with them and I expect alternate places to gain sales.

    I have sold on Ebay and using paypal when they started. I will no longer sell on Ebay and I have a Business account with them that sold huge amounts over the decades and they keep begging me to give them access to my Business bank account so I can sell again. Not going to happen....
     

Share This Page

ad: elecraft