Yaesu FT-65r incoming tomorrow.

[WSAA635]

Kept watching for the Wouxun KG-905g to ship(today is Friday and it's suppose to be delivered tomorrow)and the gift card funds were still "pending" and it hadn't shipped so I canceled the order(I'm still getting the 805g on Monday)and ordered the FT-65r which will be here tomorrow. Should be easy to MARS/CAP Mod and since it's also VHF I can add MURS frequencies and it has NOAA and FM Radio too. It's also CHIRP compatible so that's a big plus. I'm going to try and do a ''First Look" mini-review on it and the 805g on my YouTubes channel when I get them and use them for a bit to see how they work. 

[BoxCar]

You'll need the Yaesu programming cable for the FT-65 as it doesn't use a standard K plug cable. The programming cable goes in the lower socket. 

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, BoxCar said:

You'll need the Yaesu programming cable for the FT-65 as it doesn't use a standard K plug cable. The programming cable goes in the lower socket. 

If you want to save money, get the Yaesu cable and use the Yaesu free software (or even Chirp next). That’s what I do, but I find myself switching over to RT Systems software (and cables if needed) for my favorite radios because of the ability to download repeaters from numerous sources and simply a better interface. 
I have given up on Chirp next following very dire warnings from Norton 360. The warnings no longer are implicit. They have changed to “you’re trying to access a site that has definitely been identified as unsafe” or similar words. 

[WSAA635]

Thanks for the heads up on the programming cable. I ordered this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07TKMKDZ6?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image

It's FDTI chipped so I won't have to worry about drivers and it'll be a "one and done" that'll work with all the radios I have and any I get in the future. 

I don't worry too much about CHIRP since I'm running it under WINE on my Linux Box.

[73blazer]

I have this radio. It's the one I carry when I'm by myself hiking or kayaking in areas with no cell coverage and I've programmed in all the HAM repeaters I can hit in the areas I go in case I get into some trouble. Mine is unlocked and works on GMRS although when in an area with GMRS repeaters I don't use this radio. My biggest complaint with it is the transmit audio quality, how you sound to others, is not so great. Low audio and even if your ontop of a repeater or close simplex, audio carries some background hiss.

[WSAA635]

The only thing I have an issue with is not being able to lock out channels I don't want to transmit on. Every other radio I have can do this but not the FT-65r.  

[WRUU653]

1 hour ago, WSAA635 said:

The only thing I have an issue with is not being able to lock out channels I don't want to transmit on. Every other radio I have can do this but not the FT-65r.  

You can do some math and set TX offset to a frequency that you have a license for. Not exactly great but at least if you accidentally key up you won’t be causing interference on something you have no business being on. Or don’t put things in that you’re not licensed for and remove the risk. Dare I say this won’t be an issue with a type accepted GMRS radio. 

[WSAA635]

45 minutes ago, WRUU653 said:

You can do some math and set TX offset to a frequency that you have a license for. Not exactly great but at least if you accidentally key up you won’t be causing interference on something you have no business being on. Or don’t put things in that you’re not licensed for and remove the risk. Dare I say this won’t be an issue with a type accepted GMRS radio. 

There's no provision to have a different TX freq. vs a RX freq. Also, it's NOT an Issue with my other unlocked HAM radios, the UV-5r, UV-82 and A36 Plus(I got the HAM version and unlocked it vs the GMRS version) all let me set the Duplex to "off" to stop transmitting.  GMRS vs HAM makes no difference, it's all in how the radio handles frequencies and what options you're given.

In the mean time I just removed the DPS channels so I'll not use the FT-65r as a scanner. I can use one of my other 3 radios I have set up for DPS scanning if I want to listen to all the stuff going on locally.

[WRUU653]

24 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

There's no provision to have a different TX freq. vs a RX freq. Also, it's NOT an Issue with my other unlocked HAM radios, the UV-5r, UV-82 and A36 Plus(I got the HAM version and unlocked it vs the GMRS version) all let me set the Duplex to "off" to stop transmitting.  GMRS vs HAM makes no difference, it's all in how the radio handles frequencies and what options you're given.

In the mean time I just removed the DPS channels so I'll not use the FT-65r as a scanner. I can use one of my other 3 radios I have set up for DPS scanning if I want to listen to all the stuff going on locally.

I’m aware of how the duplex off works but like you said not every radio does this so… If you can program repeaters then there is such a provision. It’s done with the offset. You can change the Tx in programming software. You can do it in chirp. Repeaters use different frequencies for TX from RX, it’s the same thing. You just have to figure out what the offset needs to be. Thus math, for each one you want to change.

 

edit - of course my thought is if you have a ham radio why not get a ham license so you can use it as intended. 

Edited March 21 by WRUU653

[SteveShannon]

23 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

my other unlocked HAM radios, the UV-5r, UV-82 and A36 Plus(I got the HAM version and unlocked it vs the GMRS version) all let me set the Duplex to "off" to stop transmitting.

There is no field called "Duplex"  in the FT-65R.  "Duplex" is simply the field name built into Chirp map which is mapped to the fourth field in the channel table.  Yaesu calls that field "Offset Direction" and the three choices for it are (Plus, Minus, and Simplex).  If its function is confusing to you, it's because a poorly matched Chirp field name was used instead of using the Yaesu field name.

[WSAA635]

I'm honestly struggling with why I should keep this radio when it doesn't do anything that my $20 UV-82 won't do. Yes, it seems to be a nice radio but is it $150 nice? I could almost pick up 2 805g radios for what I have into this one radio. 

I don't know, I'll probably end up keeping it just to have a Yaesu radio in my collection but truthfully I'll probably use my UV-82 or 805g more.

[WRQC527]

15 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

I'm honestly struggling with why I should keep this radio when it doesn't do anything that my $20 UV-82 won't do. Yes, it seems to be a nice radio but is it $150 nice? I could almost pick up 2 805g radios for what I have into this one radio. 

I don't know, I'll probably end up keeping it just to have a Yaesu radio in my collection but truthfully I'll probably use my UV-82 or 805g more.

My UV-82s frustrated me. The dual-PTT is nothing but a gimmick, there are no decent dual-PTT speaker microphones, and the jack cover sticks out too far and eventually breaks off. They don't have the sensitivity of my Yaesus. They also don't receive air band, which isn't a deal breaker. They're really nothing but UV-5Rs with a dual PTT, so they have all the same quirks. On the plus side, the battery life is better than any of my Yaesus, and they're cheap. Amazon isn't always the cheapest place to buy radios. As of today, the FT-65 is around $100 some places. For that $100, you get a durable radio with a clean signal, more features available from the keypad, better all-around performance, and thesimple MARS/CAP capability if you need it. I wouldn't say it's a five-times better radio than the UV-82 as the price would lead one to believe, but it is better in a lot of ways.

[WSAA635]

I have the TDR turned off on my 82's and they've tested at over 6 watts output(on medium, high gives lower output)and they work well with the $8 Wouxun dual band antennas I have on them. 

For Air Band I have an A36 Plus that works well. Sometimes FM Broadcast radio is spotty as to whether it comes on but most times I can get it to work. 

For my hunting radio I'll probably use my UV-5r with a stubby antenna on MURS 5(aka Green Dot) set on high power so I'll get a little better range. We never get more than a few hundred yards apart when dove hunting.  Further than I'd want to yell but too close to make a cell phone call, especially if we don't hsve cell service.