Yaesu FT70

[WRVZ612]

Anyone out here using a Yaesu FT70 HH that has the Mars mod done for GMRS? Opinions?

[WRQC527]

8 minutes ago, WRVZ612 said:

Anyone out here using a Yaesu FT70 HH that has the Mars mod done for GMRS? Opinions?

I don't want to incriminate myself, but I will anyway. The MARS/CAP mod on my FT70 resulted in successfully being able to transmit in the GMRS portion of the spectrum, but at reduced power. Like by almost half. The stock antenna doesn't support the higher frequencies, but a Signal Stick does. Also, the automatic repeater shift doesn't work out of the amateur bands, so you need to manually set it up. In an emergency situation, (where we can leeeeeeeagally use our beloved UV5Rs on GMRS), I prefer my UV5R because the power doesn't seem to fold back. 

[wrci350]

25 minutes ago, WRQC527 said:

(where we can leeeeeeeagally use our beloved UV5Rs on GMRS)

Hahahahahahahahaha.

Yeah, no.

[WRVZ612]

I use the Diamond SRH77DA on it for an antenna. I hook it to a mobile antenna in the car and to my base antenna at home. It is far better on any band Ham, or GMRS than the stock antenna. I use the RT Systems software to program it. That solves the issues of repeater offsets. To me, it works as well as my KG935 and has a faster better scan that the KG935.

[WRQC527]

17 minutes ago, WRVZ612 said:

I use the Diamond SRH77DA on it for an antenna. I hook it to a mobile antenna in the car and to my base antenna at home. It is far better on any band Ham, or GMRS than the stock antenna. I use the RT Systems software to program it. That solves the issues of repeater offsets. To me, it works as well as my KG935 and has a faster better scan that the KG935.

Yep, the only real complaint I have is the reduction of power on GMRS even into a good mobile GMRS antenna.

[wrci350]

2 hours ago, WRQC527 said:

Yep, the only real complaint I have is the reduction of power on GMRS even into a good mobile GMRS antenna.

You're transmitting out of the designed frequency range yet you are complaining because it doesn't work as well?

[WRQC527]

19 minutes ago, wrci350 said:

You're transmitting out of the designed frequency range yet you are complaining because it doesn't work as well?

Yes. Any more questions?

[WRVZ612]

Reduced power would make sense. It's tuned for 440 to 450 in the UHF band. 462 to 467 is somewhat higher and out of band for it's designed specs. I have used it on GMRS along with a buddy that has the same thing and neither one of us noticed any difference in real time performance from our KG-935's. I will do some power testing to see justy how much of a difference there is. Note, the receive would be affected as well, but that might be harder to test. I'll post results when I do.

[WRWH978]

I have an FT70 as my EDC radio and other than battery life, love it.

Anyone know more about the GM feature? I can't find that much info on the net about it- how would it be useful in a certain situation?

[SteveShannon]

On 6/20/2023 at 2:10 PM, WRWH978 said:

I have an FT70 as my EDC radio and other than battery life, love it.

Anyone know more about the GM feature? I can't find that much info on the net about it- how would it be useful in a certain situation?

Group Monitor:

See these videos:

 

[WRWH978]

So based on the videos, I can have a GM conversation on either simplex or a YSF repeater between two yaesu GM capable radios privately? (i.e. you won't tie up the repeater with the conversation as long as you have the same DG-ID and GM enabled)

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, WRWH978 said:

So based on the videos, I can have a GM conversation on either simplex or a YSF repeater between two yaesu GM capable radios privately? (i.e. you won't tie up the repeater with the conversation as long as you have the same DG-ID and GM enabled)

If a nearby C4FM radio also has Group Monitor turned on with the same group ID, it’s possible to have a simplex conversation directly between the two radios.  If you connect through a repeater you do tie up repeater resources.