1╛ л Г─ Л╝╝╝╝╝ ╜
YAESU FT-50R Expanded Transmit 140-174, 420-470 MHz MARS & CAP MODIFICATION
The use of this information is for individuals who are members of the US
Military Affiliate Radio System, Civil Air Patrol, or other government
services specifically permitted, by the FCC, to use non-Type-Accepted
equipment such as that utilized in the Amateur Radio Service.
1. Remove battery
2. Remove the Ni-Cd sticker
3. Slowly lift off the keypad and carefully locate the jumper pads
4. Locate and unsolder jumper number 1 (see picture below)
5. Reinstall the keypad with the two screws
6. Turn radio off
7. Press down and hold the tuning knob and lamp button while turning on the
radio.
VIEW: looking down with keypad removed
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The (In)Complete Guide to the Yaesu FT-50 Version 1.1
Disclaimer & Other Nonsense
The information in this document is a guide to the FT-50 ONLY.
Having had more than a few radios in my amateur experience, I
understand how most hams wish to learn as much about their rigs as
possible. I have compiled this guide to allow other people to
learn more about the radio without having to search all over for
information. I do not guarantee the validity of this information,
as Yaesu may change programming or hardware so that some of the
techniques in this document may cease to function. I am not
responsible if these instructions damage your rig in some way. All
I can say is that I have performed the following procedures to my
unit, and I am quite pleased with the results. Your mileage may
vary, etc.
History
Version 1.0
1st introduced.
Version 1.1
Added: Game mode, Changed High Power Mod to "Internal System
Alignment". In this section I also detail the squelch and S-meter
adjustments. Also added info to the bug on the FTT-12 Keypad.
Introduction
The Yaesu FT-50 is perhaps the most unique VHF/UHF Handheld
manufactured today. It's made to MIL-SPEC 810, for dust,
splashproofness, and vibration. Out of the box, it has not only
dual band 2m/440 capability, but wide FM receive and AM receive as
well. In addition, it receives 76-200 MHz, 380-500 MHz, and
700-900 MHz (Cellular Blocked). It has one of the fastest scan
speeds for an amateur HT. It also has the unique ability (w/
ADMS-1C software) to interface with an IBM PC running Windows and
have memories and settings uploaded/downloaded. In addition, it
has DCS (digital coded squelch), ARTS (auto-ranging transpond
system), and Yaesu's excellent transmit and receive battery saver
features. It also uses Yaesu's extremely efficent FET power module
that allows for 5W+ of output power with a 9.6V battery pack. With
the optional FTT-12 keypad, the unit also performs CTCSS decode,
DTMF paging, and also incorporates a Digital Voice Recorder! All
of this functionality in such a small package makes it my rig of
choice.
Problems (Bugs)
Unfortunately, the FT-50 is plagued by a few bugs. None of them
are very serious or life-threatening, just a bit annoying. First
among them is its Wide-FM receive. Apparently Yaesu engineers
didn't put a wide enough filter in the unit, and some of the
bandwidth of broadcast FM signals gets "chopped off". This means
that the rig is near useless for listening to music on the
broadcast FM band. It works marginally with voice only on the same
band. My opinion on this problem: If you want to listen to music,
bring a small Walkman or other transistor radio with you. The '50
does an adequate job of bringing voice signals in on broadcast FM,
so it's good for listening to emergency broadcasts.
The second "bug" lies in the optional FTT-12 keypad. The manual
for the radio states that you can set up a "voice mail" type of
functionality that lets your radio operate unattended and record
calls for you. This mode doesn't work correctly, although the
built-in voice recorder works great. It seems that the unit will
playback the wrong voice partition. The problem appears to be in
the DTMF page-answer-back area. If you're buying the '50 and
FTT-12 solely for this purpose, DON'T! It doesn't work and there's
no current workaround.
The third bug has been complained about a bit. It seems that some
`50s suffer from a low Tx audio problem. This is due to a factory
adjustment that is set a bit on the low side. It is easily fixed.
(See Factory Adjustments below).
The fourth "bug" is synergistic with the ADMS-1C software. If
there is some kind of problem in downloading a file to the radio,
the software aborts with an error, and the rig is left with it's
memories cleared in a "limbo" state. This state is actually the
European band plan, and if done properly, the rig can be modified
to receive even more frequencies... which will be described later.
(See modification section) However, if you want to return the rig
to its natural state, simply download a blank frequency file
(NONAME.RDF) to the unit. All should be well.
Factory adjustments
If your rig suffers from the low Tx audio problem, here's how to
fix it.
1. Remove the battery and antenna.
2. Remove the "NiCd" sticker on the heat sink. If you remove it
very carefully, it's possible to re-install it later with the same
stickum that's on it.
3. Look in the cavity where you removed the sticker. Proceeding
from left to right, here's what you'll see...
Phillips head Screw (Holds the keypad in)
Small Silver Potentiometer (VR1001--VHF Deviation
Adjustment)
Small Silver Potentiometer (VR1002--UHF Deviation
Adjustment)
Small White Potentiometer (TC1001--DONT TOUCH! CTCSS Tone
Adjustment!!!)
Phillips head Screw (Holds the keypad in)
4. Take a small Phillips head Screwdriver and turn both VR1001 and
VR1002 about 1/8 turn clockwise. This will increase the VHF and
UHF deviation and fix the low Tx audio problem. If it's not enough
Tx audio, simply turn both pots another 1/8 turn. Make sure to
turn both pots the same amount!
5. Replace the NiCd sticker, battery, and antenna.
6. You're Done!
Internal System Alignment (May not work on some radios)
NOTE: This setting appears to work on radios that have NO MEMORIES
programmed. You might want to try STEP 3 before clearing your
memories. If step 3 doesn't work, you probably need to clear your
memories. BE CAREFUL with these settings... it's possible to really
mess the rig up by setting some funky squelch or something... you
might want to write the default settings for your rig down.
1. Select 2m VFO frequency.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Push LAMP, PTT, Knob, and PWR at the same time. The rig will
turn on with the squelch open, so turn the volume down!
4. The '50 will display "BAND xxxxxx" where xxxx may differ
depending on your radio and whatever mods you may have performed.
5. Turn the top knob. There are a variety of settings available.
Here is a listing of them:
· HSSQ: Squelch Hysteresis Adjustment, adjusted by the dial.
· THSQ: Squelch Preset Threshold
· TISQ: Squelch Preset Tight
· S1LV: Low-Scale S-1 Adjustment.
· S9LV: S-Meter Full Scale Adjustment.
· HIPO: Hi Transmit Power Adjustment: Should be calibrated for 5W
(Can be pushed higher with a 13.8V Supply)
· L3PO: Level 3 Power Adjustment: Should be adjusted for 2.8W.
· L2PO: Level 2 Power Adjustment: Should be adjusted for 1W.
· L1PO: Level 1 Power Adjustment: Should be adjusted for .1W.
6. Select the adjustment you wish.
7. Push in the Top knob. There will be a "s" that appears next to
the displayed number.
8. Rotate the knob to change the setting.
9. Change other settings, if desired.
10. Push the knob for more than 1 sec to save the profile.
11. Select 440 VFO frequency.
12. Repeat Steps 3-10 to adjust the UHF Settings. UHF Settings will
have a "U" in front of them.
Modifications
The FT-50 is extremely easy to modify. The first modification is
performed for you at the factory... but for those of you who
accidently disabled it, or changed it... here it is.
Extended U.S. Receive Mod (Expands receive from 144-148 & 430-450
to 76-200, 380-500, 800-999 `cell blocked') NOTE: All
memories will be erased.
1. Turn the transceiver off.
2. Hold down the Knob and Lamp keys while powering the unit on.
3. The unit now has U.S. Extended Receive.
MARS/CAP mod (Extended Transmit Mod: app. 144-159, 420-470) NOTE:
All memories will be erased.
Don't transmit on bands that you're not licensed for!! Besides
being illegal, it creates problems for people using those
frequencies.
1. Remove battery & antenna
2. Remove NiCd Sticker on Rear Heat Sink
3. Loosen (Don't Remove) Philips head screws on rear that hold
keypad in.
4. Use screws as thumb holds to press keypad out.
5. Remove screws.
6. Remove Keypad.
7. Under Keypad on Left Side there is a series of Solder Jumpers.
They are labeled in white from 1-3. Only #1 will have solder
jumpering it. Remove the solder, being careful not to damage or
touch any other components. WARNING: If you're not good at
desoldering, or have shaky hands, you might want to have someone
else do this for you. It's REAL easy to damage the rig.
8. Reinstall Keypad. Be careful of the O-ring around the keypad.
Make sure it's not twisted or damaged, as the waterproofness of the
unit could be compromised.
9. Install sticker, battery and antenna.
10. Hold down Knob and Lamp keys while powering the unit on.
(Extended Receive Mod as above.)
11. Completed!
Super-Hyper Awesome Mod... The mother of all Mods!!! (Requires
ADMS-1C software and MARS/CAP mod to be performed)
Receive: 76-999 Mhz (No displayable holes!!!)
Transmit: 120-221 Mhz, 320-499 Mhz (AGAIN, Don't transmit on
frequencies where you're not licensed)
NOTE: This mod will disable ARS (automatic repeater shift) and will
set 2m and 440 repeater offset to
weird numbers. Make sure you enter repeater offset and +-
shift manually. Repeater offset needs
be set once for the rig, then it should be able to be
forgotten about. It will also clear memories.
Remember above where I mentioned the ADMS-1C software having a bug?
Here's where the enterprising and curious ham can take advantage
of that. This mod will install the European band plan in your
radio...so without the MARS/CAP mod you will lose the top portion of
your 2m band.
1. Are there frequencies in your radio? Don't want to lose them?
Simply get the data from your radio as it sits... you can "merge" the
frequencies later. Save the file.
2. Perform the MARS/CAP mod as outlined above. Get the data from
the mod and name it USA.RDF.
3. Attempt to send the same data to the radio. In the middle of
the transfer (around 50%), pull the adapter cable to the PC out of
the radio.
4. Thanks to the bug, your radio is now in European mode! Perform
the Extended Receive Mod by holding the Knob and Lamp keys down
while turning the unit on.
5. Now, the Automatic Repeater offset doesn't work. There's no
workaround. Note that the 2m offset has been changed to 0.00. Go
to the menu by holding down the knob. Go to SHFT, Option 7. Press
the knob. Turn the knob so that it reads 0.60. Press PTT.
6. Now, turn off the radio. Put it back into clone mode. Read the
data back from the radio to the PC and save the file as EURO.RDF.
7. If you want to enter frequencies manually or using ADMS as
normal, go ahead. Everything should work. If you saved
frequencies as above, open EURO.RDF and "merge" the frequencies
from your USA.RDF file into it, and save it as another name. Then
send the modified EURO.RDF (your filename) file back to the radio
using the "template" file EURO.RDF. You're done!
8. To return the radio back to the U.S. band plan, send the USA.RDF
file back to it.
Note that I have no way of measuring the sensitivity of the
frequencies or the output power of the rig outside of the ham
bands. The 220 coverage seems to be very poor, however, the radio
does display 220 frequencies. It won't transmit on our 220 bands,
though. 800 Mhz receive is vastly improved.
Game Mode
The FT-50R includes an interesting "game" that's programmed into
it. Here's how it works:
1. Power up the radio while holding down the MR key. (PWR + MR).
2. The display will show GAME on the left side, and Spd 1 on the
right. You're in game mode!
3. By rotating the knob, you can change the speed of the game.
Higher numbers are faster.
4. Press PTT to start the game.
5. Numbers will start to scroll across the screen from
left-to-right. As they come, you are supposed to push the number
on the keypad that makes a sum of ten, followed by F. Example: 6
appears, press 4, F. If 0 appears, enter 10 followed by F.
6. The game is over when the screen fills up with numbers.
7. To exit the game, simply cycle the power.
==========
Subject: Re: YAESU FT-50R PTT Button came off
The same thing happenned to my FT-51 after about 4 months of abuse. Don't
risk losing it! Put it back in place and cover with black electrical tape.
Mine still works fine 8 months later.
dklaver@usa.net (Denny Klaver) writes:
: Has anyone had a problem with the Push to Talk button on their FT-50R?
: I looked down at my handheld this evening while scanning and noticed the
: rubber PTT button was just dangling there. I have no idea how it
: happened. I would expect the button to be tougher than this. I've
: handled it with care the very few days I've had it. I'd sure be
: interested to hear if anyone else has had this happen.
:
: Thanks, Denny WB0PYJ Tulsa
======================
;Have you tried to use the pl decoder in your ft-50r ? I have noticed that
;the decoder falses quite regularly even if no pl is present. Here are the
;two conditions that make it false and how to duplicate it.......
;
;1. during simplex operation when the other radio(s) first key up or as the
;carrier drops. (even if other radio is not using pl)
;
;2. during repeater operation (even when no one is using pl) when any of
;the following items occur
;
; A. repeater first transmits.
; B. repeater drops.
; C. person on repeater:
; I. during first transmit.
; II. carrier drops.
; III. is noisy into the system.
; D. In our case when there is is a link crash on the system.
;
;I have tried a wide range of pl's from low to high and they all do it.
;
;How to duplicate or test for condition:
;press (t.s.) twice to put radio in [T SQ]
;press (F) ; (t.s.) and select a tone that will not be in use.
;select menu item [BELL -18-] and turn on (mine is set to rPT).
;---- then key another radio up and down or listen to an active channel.
;
;Let me know, I have tried to contact Yaesu and have gotten no response !!
;
Subject: Yaesu's Position on FT-50 Problems
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 01:15:30 GMT
I spoke to Yaesu today regarding the following problems with the FT-50R.
1. Wide FM receive does not work.
2. Voice message paging system with FTT-12 does not work.
3. Paging answer-back does not work IF the merson paging talks for more
than about 2 seconds.
Note that all of these features are described in their manual and their
sales literature. Also, Yaesu tech. support has verified each problem and
agrees they exist.
Now the bad part: Yaesu in Japan has said they do not intend to fix ANY of
these problems. In fact, they say, these are not defects in the radio, but
in the manual and the sales literature. (I never really expected them to fix
the wide FM thing, but I did expect a corrected FTT-12). I asked customer
service if they would be refunding the money, and the response was
" not us, call your dealer". This will be tough for those who bought the
radio a few months ago in anticipation of the FTT-12 being available.
Future Yaesu buyers, beware. Once a reputation is lost, what is left?
========
Subject: FT-50 Noisy TX
I had a problem with my FT-50R with a crackling noise during tx. I took the
radio apart (pretty easy) and found two possible culprits.
One, the screws holding the two PC boards together were loose, possibly
causing a poor connection between the boards.
Second, and probably the real problem. They use a spring loaded pin on the
center of the chassis mounted SMA connector that contacts a metal tab
sticking out of the RF board. The SMA connector is does not flex as it does
on the FT-40. I soldered the pin to the tab. The radio now works without the
noise on Tx.
--
========
Subject: FT-50R software?
;I made the basic MARS/CAP mod as detailed by Bill Childers but lost
;the capability to download from the ADMS-1C software Ver 1.04 is
;this a bug in my radio or in the software? Also has anyone heard of
;a way to enable transmission/reception on the 222-225 Amateur band.
;I have heard that the reason this capability is not here is because
;of Public Safety frequencies in Japan are in this range.
I don't have the 50r but have the 51r and had to start out by uploading from
the radio into the computer to tell the program the equipment in the radio.
If you bade any changes in the radio this will have to be reuploaded to the
computer. Ken
========
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a copy of the explanation from my dealer,
Hi Alan,
After further discussions with Yaesu it seems that the FT50 should not
receive signals between 200-300 MHz although the display will show these
frequencies. Generally the IF goes out of lock above 200 MHz.
At the end of the day Yaesu say that they do not claim that this is within
the scope of the receiver, so cannot offer any further advice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anybody know anything different i wonder?. Anybody know of any 'hidden key'
functions?. Are there any Mod's yet?.
Regard's Alan G6LTN Alan Wanford
========
Subject: Yaesu FT-50R and ADMS-1c Software Down Loading To Radio
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON USING ADMS-1C SOFTWARE (NOT DOCUMENTED)
When using software to send information to your radio pay close attention
to the following:
I will try to keep it as simple as possible.
A. When the program makes a template of your radio keep basic at first.
Name it noname.rdf to start. You can change it later.
B. After you have made your freq. and etc. enteries in the program and are
ready to transfer them to the radio follow my instructions and I hope you
will not have the trouble I ran into.
1. First click on memory.
2. Click on merge from.
3. Radio file for merge select noname.rdf.
4. Click on Radio.
5. Click on Send Data To.
6. Follow instructions on starting FT-50R. Make sure the following steps
take place:
i. Template File_Box Does not have a X in it.
ii. You are using noname.rdf template.
iii. You must understand that while the word WAIT is on your radios
display you can not remove the link cable. If something goes wrong retry
until you see CERR then turn the radio off. You can then safely remove
the link cable and try again.
7. Now click on OK. Lots of luck I hope you have a successful transfer.
But remember not to remove the link cable while the radio is on.
73 John Stinson VE6BOS
============
Another thing I have noticed about the FT50 that doesn't work is the DTMF
decoder memory 9, which reads/stores DTMF codes off air. The manual says
that holding the knob in for 1/2 a second clears memory 9- well it don't on
mine.
========
Regarding the bug with the FTT-12 keypad and clearing the memory in
autodialer 9.
I discovered that it's a bug in the MANUAL, not the radio. To clear the
memory, simply turn on Function (ie: tap F once), and then hold the top
button in for .5 second. It works fine.
I discovered this by accident, as I too was frustrated with the inability to
clear the DTMF memory.
Kirk J. Smith, KD6RCT, EMT-P | Biological Sciences Dept, Microbiology
kjsmith@oboe.aix.calpoly.edu | California Polytechnic State University
http://www.calpoly.edu/~kjsmith | San Luis Obispo, California, USA
=========
Subject: FT-50r ADMS Cables
Does anyone know if the ADMS 1-b cable (for FT-10/40) is the same cable used
for the FT-50 as the 1C cable? a guy at the ham store told me they are
different electrically??????????
IT would be nice if they are the same and I would only have to try and find
someone to get a copy of the 1C software.
duane park wa6eik
========
Subject: FT50 huge birdy and more
Netlanders,
Last week I asked if anyone else was having trouble scanning between 590 and
650 MHz. Two of four responses were positive.
Since then I have discovered that the problem is actually larger. I am
unable to scan any frequency within the Wide FM arena.
Further, reception of signals in the 590-650+ region is nil. My Icom 2SRA
receives signals full scale while the ft50 receives nothing.
AM and NFM scanning appear to be OK.
I'm pretty sure that I've found birdies in the 155MHz region also.
Yaesu did not know of any problems in the 590 region, but did admit there
was a repair of a known birdy @ 146MHz.
they also state that there is an error in the manual regarding the FTT12
DVR. New manuals are being printed.
There is currently no word from Japan on a fix for the known to narrow WFM
problem.
I'd like to hear from anyone else with regards to how their unit works.
Thanks....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Troy T. Pummill, N6XMV | trop@fore.com |
| Fore QA Department | LAN Switching Division |
| (408) 467-4684 | 2115 O'Nel Drive, Silicon Gulch |
| San Jose, CA 95131 | Fax: (408) 441-0272 |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
========
Subject: FT-50R MOD differances
I have tried some of the mods for the FT-50R that I have seen posted on this
newsgroups and I'm seeing differant results than those listed.
First of all the "Internal Systems Alignment" MOD:
After pushing LAMP, PTT, KnoB, and PWR at the same time I do not
get the "BAND xxxxxx" display. I get "ALRST Pr 5", if I turn the
Knob the radio goes back to the VFO that I turned it off on. I'm
going to assume that the Pr 5 is telling me that the max watts are
5. Also, if you push the Knob with the ALRST displayed it goes
back to the VFO.
Second, the "Extended U.S. Receive" MOD:
If I do as instructed and hold down the Knob and LAMP while
turning on the radio, I get the same thing as above "ALRST
Pr 5 F".
Now my serial number begins 6F04...., did they make some unknown
modifications to later models?
Ted KC8ENM
========
Subject: FT50 ADMS bug
There must be a bug in the ADMS-1C software.
If You chose Wide FM or AM for receive mode in memory programming will it be changed to
Narrow FM when You click OK. So fare I can see is there no way to program a memory
position to anything else than Narrow FM using the ADMS-1C ver 1.01 or is there ?
My way is to program all memory frec offsets etc from the softw and after sending it to
the FT50 manually select recv mode for each memory positon and resave each position that
needs anything else than Narrow FM.
If You then reload the memory from FT50 to the PC will the new receive mode be there BUT
!!!!!
Dont click OK after viewing the memory. Then will it be back to Narrow FM !!!!
Is RT system Inc and/or Yaesu aware of this bug?
73 de SM7LOQ
Joakim Gustafsson
Sweden
========
Subject: Yaesu FT-50R and ADMS Software
Can anyone tell me about the format or the layout of the debug table that comes up after executing
WFT50.exe /DEBUG. The additional commands are located under the FILE pull down. I called RT Systems but
they either couldn't or wouldn't tell me anything about the layout. I suspect that it is the band plan and
that modification can alter the characteristics of the radio. Perhaps even make it a tri or quad bander.
I will continue hacking away at this and if anyone else has any success please let me know.
Bill Anderson KE4VOP
============================
========
Subject: FT50 peformance measurement
Having put my Yaesu FT-50R through some transmit and receive measurements,
I thought I'd post the results here. I only did power and sensitivity
measurements, no selectivity tests. If I get a chance to do those, I'll
post an update. I did all of the rx measurements in the NFM mode as the
wide filter isn't wide enough for U.S. broadcast stations anyway, as
previously posted by others. John, N2BFJ
Yaesu FT50R Measured Performance Specs
Notes:
1. If your newsreader uses a font other than Courier, the charts below
may appear out of alignment. Save this article as a text file and view
with a text reader or editor.
2. No mods or adjustments were made to the test radio.
3. All measurements were performed using an IFR FM/AM-1600S service monitor
4. All transmit power measurements are in watts, except L1, which is in
milliwatts.
5. All receive sensitivity measurements were done in the narrow band fm mode
and are in microvolts for 12db SINAD.
Transmit Power Output - FNB-41 battery
Freq Hi L1 L2 L3
144 5.7 103 1.13 3.35
146 5.7 109 1.13 3.32
148 5.6 107 1.11 3.29
430 4.9 78 .97 2.71
440 4.9 81 .93 2.68
450 4.9 85 .95 2.64
Transmit Power Output - FNB-40 battery
Freq Hi L1 L2 L3
144 3.52 86 1.05 3.11
146 3.53 92 1.06 3.08
148 3.49 92 1.05 3.06
430 2.21 57 .90 2.10
440 2.56 63 .90 2.23
450 2.84 71 .90 2.36
Receiver Sensitivity
VHF UHF 800
Freq Sens Freq Sens Freq Sens
140 .14 400 .22 800 .43
145 .14 410 .21 820 .37
150 .14 420 .18 850 .27
155 .14 430 .14 860 .27
160 .14 440 .12 868 .31
165 .15 450 .13 895 .32
170 .15 460 .15 900 .35
175 .15 470 .16 920 .35
180 .18 480 .18 940 .37
185 .20 490 .21 960 .59
190 .42 500 .25 980 .75
195 1.2 999 1.2
200 1.3
========
Got some info for ya....
Yaesu has the new commercial versions of the ft-10 and 40. they are the vx
series... for all intents and purposes they are all basically the same radio.
People have complained about the antenna size of the 50 10 and 40 well the
commercial antenna the vhf and uhf are MUCH shorter and have the 'hood' that
completely covers the connector. They will be available in august for
distribution. Also they clip that comes with the radio sucks, the commercial
clip is MUCH heavier and is spring loaded almost like a pager clip but real
nice. Kinda like the clip on the HT1000. I got this clip and it fits on the
amateur packs. Yaesu didn't know this....I filled em in !! And they call
themselves the parts dept (g).
Also supposedly....the new vx series can do 8 alpha characters as opposed to
the 50's 4. Well they might upgrade the 50 display to 8. 73 nick
==========
Subject: Re: FT-50r, Know how to play game?
>Has anyone else found the game function of the FT-50r? I can't figure out
>how to play, keep getting a zero score...
>I wonder what else is hidden in the innards (small as they are) of this
>thing?!?!
Whenever you see a digit come across the display press the digit for which
when summed together to two equal ten. If you see a "3" coming across press
the "7" key and so forth. You'll see your score add up.
Hey, I didn't come up with this game...
cheers! jim martin, wk1v/lowell, mass
=========
Subject: FT-50r Antenna Upgrade?
Does anyone have an experience using the FT-50 with an SMA ducky other than
the stock Yaesu? I saw a post a few weeks back about an ICOM that was "half
the size" that was somehow "better" but there was no explanation given as to
why it would be any more effective...
So, can anyone tell me if any other SMA ducky can add to the performance of
the rig? HRO suggested the new Comet SMA-3 ($40!!) at 10 inches. Then they
added the disclaimer that it might not be any better than the stock antenna!?
Cheers! Rob
==========
Subject: FT-50R Serial Numbers?
I just exchanged a Yaesu FT-50R that I bought last week, for another one.
The problem was the light switch button, was like a belly button, sunk in,
and not working. The new unit works fine!
This is my question...the serial number on the first one was:
6F****** (newer?)
The serial number on the replacement unit is: 6E****** (older?)
When programming the channels with the software kit, the "F" series started
with: CH-00, while the "E" series starts with: CH-01
Anyone know why the difference? Are there other differences?
Thanks, Bill Crocker
========
To fix the rig:
You must upload the USA file while having the template box checked.
Specify the European Template in the browse template window. This tells
the software that you are uploading a file to the European version radio.
This should fix it.
Bill Childers
KE6VVW
In article <4s4h9u$g1h@frazier.uoknor.edu>,
jed@tiber.uoknor.edu (James Deaton) wrote:
>Uh...my radio is also in Euro mode and I have the original US rdf but it
>can not be uploaded to the radio. I can download and upload a Euro file
>with no difficulty, however, the US file simply errors out. I've tried an
>empty one and two different saved files with no success. Any suggestions
>to get it back to ordinary operation?
>
>Thanks... James KC5PRQ
========
Subject: Yaesu FT-50R MAHA Battery and FNB-41 versus FNB-40
I discovered that MAHA, Inc. has a Nickel Metal Hydride NiMH replacement
battery for the Yaesu FT-50R dual band handheld. Does anyone have experience
with MAHA? The batteries are supposed to work with the Yaesu drop in
charger or the trickle charger. I'm interested in the NiMH battery due to
its "no memory" characteristics. I am told the NiMH battery is all around
better than a NiCad. I'd appreciate any feedback-especially regarding MAHA.
Denny Klaver WB0PYJ Tulsa, OK
========
Doing a fair comparison (being a Motorola Visar to an FT50), the FT50 is
not quite as loud (maybe down 6db), distorts a little more at high levels,
and has equivalent (pretty decent) frequency response.
For the most part, it is about as good as a Motorola Visar for audio.
Howard
Paul Moller wrote:
>What is the conclusion regarding the RX audio in the FT50? Is it really good and loud? How does it compare to a "real" radio, say a Motorola Saber?
>Paul_Moller@csg.mot.com
>Sean Nixon wrote:
>>
>> I agree with your post Don,
>> FT50 is the best radio I have had so far.
==============
I ordered a FA-S270 Antenna from Icom approx. $18.00, it's about half the length of the stock ant. I've noticed a slight decrease in sensativity, and less intermod problems, it doesn't have the "hood" on the bottom, but with the RH-1 rubber boot, you really can't see the sma chassis connector. I've noticed the same CTCSS falsing problem in the decode, but haven't tried Bill Childers squelch weak yet.
73, duane wa6eik
========
>Can one transmit on 70cm and rcv on 2m (and vice versa) on the 50R?
>And can you lock the offset (for working sats)?
>Phil ki0dm
You can set the duplex function "VDUP" to transmit on any arbitrary frequency and receive on another (both freqs in VFOs), but you cannot do crossband repeat or receive while you are transmitting.
Don (KE4KYO)
========
Subject: Re: FT-50R Fragile Display Window
>Oops! I bumped the display window of the FT-50R on the door. Scratched the
>window. Now what....Would a soft case help prevent this?
>Well, when I scratch the wrist watch crystal I use a silk tie to hone out
>the scratch. Tried it. It worked! Firm circular motion using fine silk
>tie (silk is very abrasive, but very fine).
Sounds like a good solve, to a problem that happens to anything with a
plastic window.
Also, try Bills idea with placing a clear tape over the lens. I've done
this and it works great!
Ted
=====================
Subject: Re: FT-50R Solder Pads?
Well, I went through all eight permutations while I had it open.
Jumpers (from left to right)
C=open (soldered)
O=open (no solder)
C O O this is the way mine was shipped -- extended receive
O O O extended transmit (mars modification)
O C O looks like the European mode RX 140 - 174 no extended transmit
Also, no 800 MHZ or 76 Mhz RX
O C C same as O O O
O O C RX 108 MHz - 174 MHz and 400 MHz - 470 MHZ no extended transmit
C O C same as O O C
C C C 144 MHz - 148 MHz and 430 MHZ - 450 MHz no extended
C C O some kind of limited mode again (I didn't detail my notes)
Basically, O O O is what you want. All other combinations appeared to be
something less than full featured. This is as far as I could tell with
MY FT-50R anyway. Please let me know if anybody finds any important
mistakes here. Thanks Bob KI7IQ
=====================
hi,I sent some mail to you yesterday about not being able to program my
FT-50 via the ADMS software.I am happy to report that I solved the problem:
I found one of the three wires of the interface cable was not connected to
the signal level shifter PCB inside the D9 connector. My ADMS-1C ver 1.04
works just fine now!! In talking with the tech at RT Systems, he gave me a
couple of pointers that might be useful to others: he said to put the radio
into clone mode BEFORE pulling down the Get Data/Upload Data commands.
Although this does not seem to cause any differences when I tried it. He
also said that if you make a template of the radio when you first get it
and later modify it for wide TX then you will need to make another template.
Mods: Receive audio improvement by way of changing capacitors C2028 and C2030
from .01uf to .02 uf.These caps are located on the Control board, just below
IC Q2018. Their purpose is to set the cut off freq of the high pass filter
that Q2018-1 functions as. Increasing them to .02uf lowers the pass band of
the receive audio. Although some CTCSS tones, particualrly those above 180 Hz
may be more noticable, the overall receive audio for voice, sounds much more
fuller and less tinny and a bit louder to boot. To do this mod simple add
another .01uf cap in parallel by setting a new one on top of the original.
Use 0805 size surface mount size. Some additional improvement can further be
seen in repalcing C2027 origianlly a .047 down to a .03 (x3 .01 stacked).
Mod 2: has anyone noticed that the stock duck antenna for the FT-50 just
plain sucks. It's OK within the 2 M band, but if you go up around 160 MHz
forget it. If you check the operating sensitivity of the radio you will find
that it's fine up into the 170 Mhz range, it's just that the antenna is too
narrow banded. Solution, get an EXY-450 dualband duck from Centurion
International. This is the same ant used on Yaesu's Commercial dual band
portable. I have been using one on various radios since it came out over
five years ago. It has GREAT wideband characteristics. Unfortuately this
ant is only available with a BNC or TNC connector. When I talked to Centurion
they were not too intrested in doing up a version of the EXY-450 with an SMA
base, but I think they will come around, look at all the other radios that
have SMA now. Let's bug the heck out of them...In the mean time you can get
an adaptor to convert to SMA. There are some real nice ones out there that
go from TNC to SMA that were meant for use on portable Cell phones. But an
even better way to do this is this: Take an EXY-450 and skin it. Then
desolder the lower end of the spring from the BNC and reattach it to an SMA
base, intended for a Cell phone ant. Then apply a new skin with a piece of
shrink tubing. Additioanl details to follow.
Yet another SMA base duck that works great is the SMA-3 from Commet.
Speaking of Cell phones. Inorder to receive the missing 869 - 894 Mhz span
on the FT-50 try this: Plug in the radios's image frequencies for this range:
(45.1 x2 =) 959.24 - 984.17 MHz. Be sure and use 10 KHz tuning steps. Works
great.
Ques: has anyone figured out how to do direct programming of the 870 MHz
band OR how to enable TX above 470 Mhz....
------------------
Hi, we performed the FT50 template change via firmware, and it works great.
I did run into a problem,but I managed to work around it and believe it was
self induced; After I saved out my origianl memory into a file and uploaded
the blank euro.rdf file. This went fine, but I forgot to re download it as
a working template so in order to be saved. Not realising that the radio as
still in clone mode, I turned the radio OFF, thinking that I needed to reset
it in order to begin the clone cycle again. But then... I tried to download
the radio's template file the software would not take it. At first I thought
I might have fried something in the serial port of the radio or corrupted
something else in the internal firmware(ugh).I also tried a general CPU
reset without any luck either. Apparently the software was looking for a
USA config template(?)
The Solution: Is a varient on the original operation.I set the program to
Get Info from radio and set the radio into clone mode, but, without the data
cable attached. I then pressed the PTT button and waited a couple of
seconds before I inserted the transfer cable connector into the radio. This
resulted in an errored downlaod which the software rejected. But when I tried
it again, this time with the data cable attached at the start, as usual, the
download of the euro.rdf template file went just fine...I then merged my old
data file onto this and ALSO saved this new file as a third data file, so as
to keep my euro.rdf file as a blank default template.
A friend told me that a hardware version of the same euro.rdf mod is
available. Anyone seen this???
He also mentioned that doing the firmware mod was quite risky as it could
mess up the radio's internal serial number or something. But maybe this
technique I described will provide an easy escape route for this kind of
situation.
Anyone seen any info on how to get the radio to TX on 900 MHz or activate
30 KH tuning steps on 800 MHz??
email: sdonnell@nh.ultranet.com FAX: 603-659-7125
====================
Subject: Re: FT50R Help?
Date: Fri, 2 Aug 1996 12:00:53 GMT
With the keypad off and the battery, knobs and antenna off, push lightly on
the circuit board under the 'keypad' (where the keypad was). What you are
going to do is push the entire radio out the back of the black plastic case.
There is a red rubber gasket that seals the radio and the black case. After
removing the keypad, knobs and antenna, all that is holding the radio in, is
the red rubber gasket. The radio should come out bottom first, and then
the 'stuff' on top. Hope this makes sense. It's actually pretty easy to
take apart, it's just a slight departure from 'norm' in the way that the
radio is assembled. Lemme know (and the newsgroup what you think of the
innards of the 50) I think it's neat.
One thing that you may think about checking or actually doing since you have
the radio apart is to put a dab of heatsink compound under each of the power
amp bricks. My '50 didn't have any. (I wonder if that is why the UHF brick
is bad????) Anyway, rather than wait for the new brick and have a
disassembled radio, I dabbed the VHF brick and put the radio back together
so I could operate the radio (cuz it's neat, ya know!)
The PTT, Moni, Lamp buttons should be all one piece, installed together.
When putting the radio back in the case, pull out the MIC/Ear phone
connector cover. Also the BUSY/TX LED thingey can be slid up in the case
and after the radio is in, it can be slid back down to position.
73 fer now de kb8bnk
========
Subject: FT-50R/40R/10R info. Encryption keypad seen!!
Hi all.
I found something that I think will interest all you FT-50R/40R/10R
owners out there. Yaesu's land mobile division, Vertex, has come out
with an HT identical to the 10R/40R/50R's. Same case, same features,
same charger. Except.
The Vertex VX-10 has a 102 channel keypad that includes voice encryption!!
Factory list is $70 for the pad. Also the antenna seems, from the ad's I
saw, to be more rugged looking than the ham version. Now if they could
just make a simple drop in rapid charger.
Vertex (310) 404-2700 Dealer: Henry Radio. I forget the URL for Henry's.
Try Yahoo/Henry/Radio.
Matt D.
========
Subject: RE: ADMS 1C Software
I am guessing that the ADMS software is covered by copyright, and that
posting and using it like that would be illegal...
Be that as it may, the cable you need to hook the serial port to the ear
jack is not a trivial affair. There are a lot of surface mount xistors,
resistors and diodes in the 9-pin cover. You will need it too..
Dave Covert KB5GOG
========
Subject: Re: Arrgh! FT50 in Euro mode, NO USA TEMPLATE!
I have been able to go back and forth whenever. To make a US template just
save a noname.rdf to usa.rdf. Don't forget to save a empty euro.rdf to make
it easy to go back and forth.
73's from KF4KJF
Ben Blavat, bblavat@mailhost.net
========
Subject: Re: Arrgh! FT50 in Euro mode, NO USA TEMPLATE!
> > (It probably doesn't matter when using a template to reset to USA mode,
> but my FT50 does *NOT* have >the MARS/CAP mod.)
>
> I think I beat you to it. At this point, you have three choices. One,
> reset the CPU to "U.S." mode. You will be able to use the ham freqs and
> little else (rx or tx). Two, stay in European mode and not be able to tx
> above 146mhz in 2 meter (we never looked at 70cm). There is no way for
> the end user to get the FT-50 back to the state in which it came out of
> the box. This was confirmed Yaesu USA tech support. Frequency selection is
> hosed. ARS is hosed. Etc. is hosed. Three, send radio, receipt, AND
> software back to Yaesu USA. They will restore it to original state under
> warranty. Of course, you can do the MARS/CAP mod (don't transmit on
> frequencies you are not authorized for) and get MOST of the original
> functionality restored; all the original receive capabilities (and then
> some) plus the extended tx. ARS, alas, is no longer an option.
I've gotten mail from two individuals who describe the "recovery" procedure
you commonly hear about. Unfortunately that procedure always fails for me (using
Windows NT). Has anyone had any luck recovering an UNMODIFIED FT50
back to its out-of-box state?
Thanks,
--
Eric F. Richards
efricha@colorado.edu
"The weird part is that I can feel productive even when I know I'm doomed."
- Dilbert
========
Subject: Re: FT-50 connector
>
>-Anyone found a source for the goofy 4-conductor speaker/mic/clone plug on
>-the FT-10/40/50? I know Yaesu sells something called a microphone adapter
>-which converts to the standard speaker/mic jack. I am looking for the
>-connector itself. -Rob WB8WQA
>
>Ham Radio Outlet carries them. It's a mini-plug, with the standard
>dual-plug output. It clips to the antenna, and can't be used if you have
>the rubber gasket around the outer edge of the radio.
>
>--Andy Brandt, KE6SKH
>
I was at Michigan Radio (1-800-TRU-HAMM, 810-771-4711) yesterday and they
said they normally carry them but were out.
I am continueing to check with some electronics suppliers I have used. I'll
post in rec.radio.amateur.equipment if I find another source.
Roger
========
Here's an easy way to get rid of a channel. You can mask a channel, and keep it out of
sight until you copy a VFO over it. To mask a channel: select it (tap MR then dial
around to the channel), press and hold FW for a half-second, then tap MR. The memory is
now out of the channel list when spinning through the dial. (further on this is on page
31 of the FT-50R user's guide)
In Richard Parker's reply he suggests the ARMS software. I highly recomend it as an
easy to use and understand interface to the radio.
PDNAUMANN wrote:
>
> Fine people - Does anyone know how to completely clear out a single memory
> channel in the FT-50. I can't seem to find any mention of it in the
> manual. I have programmed some channels that I want to eliminate on an
> individual basis. Please let me know at PDNAUMANN@aol.com
========
Date: Sun, 25 Aug 1996 23:34:44 -0400
From: Steve Donnell I'm looking for alternative suggestions to the stock rubber duck that
>comes with the FT50. I would like to find something a little smaller.
>Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Diamond SRH805 144/430/1200 4.5cm SMA Yen 2800
From Japan CQ Ham Radio mag.
I am not sure if it has the long rubber skirt like the stock one to
cover the bottom. Comet also has one but I don't have info on hand.
----
========
Subject: Re: FT-50R antenna alternatives
:
: >I'm looking for alternative suggestions to the stock rubber duck that
: >comes with the FT50. I would like to find something a little smaller.
: >Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks to all who responded...The best alternative that has been suggested
so far (IMHO) would be the soon to be released Comet SMA501. I close
relative to the Comet "Miracle Baby," but with an SMA adapter. It is
apparently going to be available very shortly from what I have been told
and will range in price from $27-30. Anybody with more information on
this antenna, please let me know.
Subject: TRY THIS ANTENNA!
I have done more experimenting, and found
that by leaving the original sma connector intact, and buying
the antenna for the Standard C508 mini ht, the radio/antenna
combination not only works excellent, but looks great on the FT50R.
By adding a small O-Ring betwen the antenna and the case, it
blends in nicely. Performance of this antenna outperforms not
only the original, but also the Centurion dual band antenna.
This antenna was designed by Standard to work not only the Ham
bands, but the commercial bands as well. Plus the size of this
antenna, (3 3/4") makes it very pleasing to look at! The antenna
will take the high power mod of the FT50R also, without burning up!
Thanks es 73, -=MIKE=- KA8WPC
uro template transfer method.
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