Watch before buying the Yaesu FTM-500!

Today’s video I’m going to quickly go into an issue with these higher end Yaesu radios and their TNCs. With the release of the new FTM-500 likely coming out within days now, I wanted to go over this issue and potentially avoid a headache for some of y’all.

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[bruehlt]

Dang that is disappointing! I didn't know that the TNC's were locked down on the Yaesu's. Thanks for the great video!

[VEPS]

Excellent video. I have written to Yaesu in the recent past emphasizing the need to make the TNC available via Bluetooth so I can use iOS apps for digital coms. It is good to see others share same opinion. I have found another option whereby the gent is using a BT to Serial dongle. I’ll try and find the link.

[KAX]

I still can't believe a $650 dollar vhf/UHF rig doesn't have programmable memory banks.

[pmr]

I do wish it would contain a waterfall scope. We see the vast majority of HF radio sets including a high resolution waterfall. I wish we will see the same trend on VHF/UHF sets.

[hensley]

Exactly what I've been saying for a long time about Yaesu radios with a tnc. Painful to message. You pretty much have to get a Mobilinkd tnc4 with one to have any kind of aprs functionality with messaging.

[adubs.]

Thanks for the information on this. The FTM500 is currently on sale for $430 but lacks the basic functionality I would expect given it has bluetooth and native APRS support. I'm newly licensed so theres a lot I still dont understand about the current offerings.

I'm trying to find something intended primarily for mobile use... It will live in my car most of the time, but I would also potentially want to use it for manpack style use. I wish icom made a 705 mobile version with 50-100w. What, in your opinion, would be a good option for running APRSdroid with a mobile rig? Budget is less of a concern for me.

[KLWC]

Great video talking about this shortcoming. Yaesu, as much as they'll claim they're 'so open', are not. External access to the TNC is such a great feature. It's one of the things I love about my Kenwood D710G. This radio is just not worth the money they're asking currently.

[SteveH-TN]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights about this topic in this video,
De AA4SH Steve

[gaborm]

Why can't they make a radio that out-of-the-box supports 1200 and 9600 baud packet modes at least at the level of a KISS TNC? They've been trying to sell the same lousy radios for 20 years in newer and newer boxes, but the inside is the same.

[jimbabcock]

Thanks for making this video. I have an ftm-100dr and an ftm300dr. Both radios have the same data ports on the back panel. This port seems to be on all recent yaesu radios. I use a Signalink box to provide a digital interface for my computer. What you are using in the video is the APRS function. I agree that it's pretty clunky. Do you have a computer app that can use a TNC data connection?

[Joshua_Eron_Miller]

So.. After you hit reply.. There's a button that shows up that says "CLR ALL". (@ 1:53).. does that button not clear all the text out of the reply?

[jneale]

I am a Fusion guy but seeing all the videos and pictures of the 500 I am disappointed with the whole radio. Not going to get one

[tglenn]

I have the FTM-300, and I'm trying to figure out what, if any advantage the 500 has that the 300 doesn't have. For $200 more, I'm not sure there's enough in the 500 to make it worth the added price.

[JosephSchneider]

Any issues with your 400 and overheating in your mobile application?

[Simon-qnwm]

Strange how they discontinued the FTM-400 citing component availability issues yet no such problems with the FTM-500.

[GaryStango]

Is the TNC available via their data port?

[crzychrist]

is Kenwood not making radios anymore I looked at the hro catalog and there's like hardly anything in there?