Yaesu FT-65r channel question?

[WSAA635]

Got the Yaesu FT-65r in this evening and also a cable I can use to program it with. I unlocked it with the "special code number" and programed it with my GMRS/MURS/DPS channels BUT at the bottom of the channel memory list there were some channels in Red that could not be deleted. I added in channels in there place that I might actually use like GMRS 1 and 7 for the UHF channels, MURS Blue Dot and Green Dot for the VHF channels and my local radio station(100.7 FM) for the FM channels. After that the Red went away but I still can't delete them. So, why are they there and why can't I delete them?  I also noticed that I can program special channels into the "P" buttons so that if I press one it'll go directly to that channel but I still need to read up on the other functions I can use the "P" buttons for. There were quite a few of them and there were "sub" functions as well. Here's a pic of what the channels looked like before I added my own to replace them. Seems like a quality built radio, I think it's going to be a decent addition to my small collection.

P.S.

I also found the second pic in the manual which might explain things a bit but it's still not 100% clear.

[WSAA635]

Ok, so here's how I set up those channels at the bottom of the channel list. Also, I have the DPS channels set to "off" in Duplex but for some reason I can still transmit on them. I don't want to transmit on those channels at all so for the mean time I have them set to "low" power but I'd really like to stop transmission totally, any ideas?

Another thing, I did install the Yaesu software under WINE but it gives an error and forces shutdown of the program so it's not stable for me at all. CHIRP Next, on the other hand IS stable but I don't think it has as many things as the Yaesu software.  Still waiting for some answers here.

[Sshannon]

Off in the duplex column simply means that it doesn’t apply an offset between receive and transmit, which is required for duplex. 
Those channels in red might (I’m guessing) be the priority channels for scanning. 
You might want to download and study the advanced manual for the ft-65 before you brick it, given your track record.

[WSAA635]

LOL, I only Brick radios when I try to do a Firmware update.  It's odd because in my Baofeng radios if you set the Duplex to "off" it'll not transmit at all on those channels. I gues Yaesu is set up differently.  At least I have the Red channels set with frequencies I want and that made the Red disappear. I did notice if I hit the *V/M key to put it into VFO mode then used the #Band key I could scroll through the 3 channels that I set(I guess in the "Home" section) but have no clue how to get to the other channels that were set.  I guess there's a bit of a learning curve with this radio. I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually. Thanks so much for the reply.

[Sshannon]

17 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

LOL, I only Brick radios when I try to do a Firmware update.  It's odd because in my Baofeng radios if you set the Duplex to "off" it'll not transmit at all on those channels. I gues Yaesu is set up differently.  At least I have the Red channels set with frequencies I want and that made the Red disappear. I did notice if I hit the *V/M key to put it into VFO mode then used the #Band key I could scroll through the 3 channels that I set(I guess in the "Home" section) but have no clue how to get to the other channels that were set.  I guess there's a bit of a learning curve with this radio. I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually. Thanks so much for the reply.

In the Yaesu software, that column is named "Offset Direction" and has three selections: Plus, Minus, and Simplex.

 

[Sshannon]

In the Yaesu programming software (YPS for my convenience), those channels shown in red on the Chirp Next screen are on different memory tabs. At the bottom of the screen in the YPS you see six tabs:

YPS refers to the content of VFO-A and VFO-B as "the default frequencies" for those VFOs.  Note that only VFO-B contains an FM radio default.

The channels listed in PMS are the upper and lower limits for each band on the radio.  A band edge alert can be programmed for when you cross either edge.

The P tab shows the four frequencies that are programmed to the four P buttons (P1 - P4)

I'll upload the manual for the YPS.  It was in the zip file that you downloaded from Yaesu.

 

FT-65R_E FT-25R_E Memory_Programmer_IM_ENG_1711-A.pdf

[Sshannon]

Also, here's a link to the Advanced Manual:

https://www.yaesu.com/downloadFile.cfm?FileID=13235&FileCatID=151&FileName=FT-65R_E_Advance_Manual_ENG_1710-C.pdf&FileContentType=application%2Fpdf

 

[WSAA635]

So there's no way to stop transmitting with this radio like there is with my Baofeng radios. I wonder why they didn't include this feature?  I was able to get channels to "skip" so that when I scan only my DPS channel scan. 

All in all this feels like a fairly well built radio. I'm sure it'll really grow on me once I get more familiar with it.

[WSAA635]

4 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

In the Yaesu programming software (YPS for my convenience), those channels shown in red on the Chirp Next screen are on different memory tabs. At the bottom of the screen in the YPS you see six tabs:

YPS refers to the content of VFO-A and VFO-B as "the default frequencies" for those VFOs.  Note that only VFO-B contains an FM radio default.

The channels listed in PMS are the upper and lower limits for each band on the radio.  A band edge alert can be programmed for when you cross either edge.

The P tab shows the four frequencies that are programmed to the four P buttons (P1 - P4)

I'll upload the manual for the YPS.  It was in the zip file that you downloaded from Yaesu.

 

FT-65R_E FT-25R_E Memory_Programmer_IM_ENG_1711-A.pdf 7.13 MB · 0 downloads

I saw that in the Yaesu factory program software. Unfortunately I couldn't get it to work very well in WINE and it kept crashing so I just used CHIRP.

[Sshannon]

2 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

I saw that in the Yaesu factory program software. Unfortunately I couldn't get it to work very well in WINE and it kept crashing so I just used CHIRP.

I wonder if that's because you used a cable based on the FTDI chipset instead of the Silicon chipset that the YPS was written to use. 

In any case, the explanations in the manual for the YPS might help you to understand what you're seeing in Chirp.

8 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

So there's no way to stop transmitting with this radio like there is with my Baofeng radios. I wonder why they didn't include this feature?  I was able to get channels to "skip" so that when I scan only my DPS channel scan. 

All in all this feels like a fairly well built radio. I'm sure it'll really grow on me once I get more familiar with it.

If there's a way to inhibit transmission on specific channels after you deliberately open up the frequencies, I don't know what it is.  I haven't looked for it either.  Presumably some of the bands are receive only. 

 

[wrci350]

1 hour ago, WSAA635 said:

I wonder why they didn't include this feature?  I was able to get channels to "skip" so that when I scan only my DPS channel scan. 

Maybe because it's a ham radio, designed to be used by licensed amateurs on amateur frequencies?

Out of the box, that radio will only transmit on 2m and 70cm frequencies.  You put in the magic code to "unlock" it, and that's exactly what happened.

Here's a suggestion:  Keep your finger away from the PTT while you're scanning those Arizona Highway Patrol frequencies.  

[WSAA635]

My Baofeng UV-5R and UV-82 are both "HAM" radios and I can easily lock out transmit in CHIRP. 

 I noticed there were two "off" selections in the dropdown menu, I wonder if the 2nd one would work to lock out transmit?

[wrci350]

Yes but Baofeng's are ... special.

They all used to ship "unlocked" with a bunch of random test frequencies programmed at the factory, many of which were in US public safety bands.

After the FCC finally woke up and complained, they started shipping locked to amateur frequencies, but of course everyone who buys them unlocks them.

But here's another suggestion.  Buy a $150 Windows laptop and then you can run the Yaesu software, or the RT Systems software.

I have nothing against Chirp specifically, and I am a long-term supporter of "free" software, but Chirp is not the be-all and end-all that many think it is.  I cringe every time someone buys a "good" radio and wants to program it with Chirp.

[WRXP381]

Zero wrong with chirp.  The software has nothing to do with anything really.  The saved channels work just the same no matter how you got them into your radio.     Any radio that does what YOU the owner needs it to do and does it within YOUR price range is a good radio.   Any radio that gets you comms to your family and friends or repeaters or saves your life in an emergency is a good radio.   Price or what you program it with have very little to do with anything.    I personally know of many lives saved in the back country, hiking, mountaineering, on horse back or 4x4ing, buy $20 uv5s.  Find what radio works for YOU and learn to use it and take care of it.   

[WSAA635]

1 hour ago, wrci350 said:

Maybe because it's a ham radio, designed to be used by licensed amateurs on amateur frequencies?

Out of the box, that radio will only transmit on 2m and 70cm frequencies.  You put in the magic code to "unlock" it, and that's exactly what happened.

Here's a suggestion:  Keep your finger away from the PTT while you're scanning those Arizona Highway Patrol frequencies.  

So what IF I had a HAM license and wanted to "listen" to GMRS frequencies on the FT-65r? With no Transmit Lock Out couldn't I accidentally transmit "out of band" on a frequency I wasn't licensed for, or is that different somehow?  

In the Factory Wouxun software you enter 2 frequencies, a transmit and a receive.  If you don't want to transmit on a certain frequency you simply don't enter a transmit frequency and it'll be receive only, easy peasy lemon squeezie. Too bad all radio programing software wasn't like that.

[AdmiralCochrane]

This is why there are Part 95 certified radios. 

[WSAA635]

45 minutes ago, AdmiralCochrane said:

This is why there are Part 95 certified radios. 

This is also why we have MARS/CAP Mods. 

[Sshannon]

14 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

This is also why we have MARS/CAP Mods. 

Well, technically those are limited to people who participate in MARS or members of the Civil Air Patrol, not so we can use an uncertified ham radio on GMRS , which requires 95E certified radios. 

[WRQC527]

12 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

This is also why we have MARS/CAP Mods. 

Strictly speaking, the MARS/CAP modification for amateur radios is supposed to be for the use of the Military Auxiliary Radio System or Civil Air Patrol frequencies specifically by those authorized to use those specific frequencies, not for every outlaw like me and half the other people with unlocked Baofengs to transmit all over the RF spectrum. 

[WSAA635]

1 minute ago, Sshannon said:

Well, technically those are limited to people who participate in MARS or members of the Civil Air Patrol, not so we can use an uncertified ham radio on GMRS , which requires 95E certified radios. 

For some reason I feel like this always seems to only go in one direction.  It's always it's always those of us using Unlocked HAM radios on GMRS that get a scolding.  What about HAMs that use Unlocked GMRS radios to talk on HAM frequencies. They're just as guilty of breaking the "Rules" but I never hear anyone say anything to those guys. Seems like a huge double standard.

[Sshannon]

36 minutes ago, WSAA635 said:

For some reason I feel like this always seems to only go in one direction.  It's always it's always those of us using Unlocked HAM radios on GMRS that get a scolding.  What about HAMs that use Unlocked GMRS radios to talk on HAM frequencies. They're just as guilty of breaking the "Rules" but I never hear anyone say anything to those guys. Seems like a huge double standard.

It is asymmetric.  Read the regulations. Although the regulations prohibit certifying a radio for GMRS that can be easily converted to a ham radio, they do not prohibit a ham from building or converting an existing radio to be used for amateur radio activities 

They do however explicitly prohibit using non-certified radios for 95E. 

Many ham radios are not certified and certainly not for 95e. 

There is an argument to make for using part 90 certified radios for GMRS. 

TL; DR: You can use a certified radio on a service that doesn’t require type certification, but the rules prohibit using a non-certified radio on a service which requires type certification. 

[AdmiralCochrane]

You can explain it to him, but you can't understand it for him. 

[wayoverthere]

On 3/17/2024 at 1:55 PM, WSAA635 said:

So there's no way to stop transmitting with this radio like there is with my Baofeng radios. I wonder why they didn't include this feature?  I was able to get channels to "skip" so that when I scan only my DPS channel scan. 

All in all this feels like a fairly well built radio. I'm sure it'll really grow on me once I get more familiar with it.

If it works like my FT4X, one option would be to change the "lock" settings to only disable PTT, so you can still change channes at will. then just unlock when you want to switch to a channel you can transmit on. this is the route i go with the FT4X since i don't have any public safety channels programmed, but dial one up on the VFO occasionally when there might be something going on.

alternately, what i did with the baofengs and the LMR stuff is set them for duplex, with the intended listen only (public safety/commercial/etc) frequency as the receive frequency, and either GMRS CH 1 (462.5625) or MURS 1 (i forget the frequency offhand) as the transmit frequency.  Neither is strictly kosher, but GMRS1 is often a mess of kerchunks and call button tones from the kids with bubble packs (at least here), and I've never heard a peep on MURS.

CHIRP is pretty good about letting you just type in the transmit frequency directly, and calculating the offset, but if you're using Yaesu's you may need to calculate it yourself.