National Radio Appreciation Day ! Febuary 13th. 2025

[Jaay]

Amatuer Radio Newsline wants to remind Everyone that 2/13/2025 is Love your Radio Day !!

[Davichko5650]

14 hours ago, Jaay said:

Amatuer Radio Newsline wants to remind Everyone that 2/13/2025 is Love your Radio Day !!

More geared towards Broadcast Radio, but we'll take what we can get and be on the air when we can!

 

13 February is a date proclaimed by UNESCO to celebrate radio broadcast, improve international cooperation among radio broadcasters and encourage decision-makers to create and provide access to information through radio, including community radios.

[Socalgmrs]

Great time to buy that special some one a radio for Valentine’s Day 

[Davichko5650]

12 minutes ago, Socalgmrs said:

Great time to buy that special some one a radio for Valentine’s Day 

Got the FT-710 a week ago Saturday...

[WSEZ864]

3 hours ago, Davichko5650 said:

Got the FT-710 a week ago Saturday...

How do you like it? I'm shopping for a new HF and it's on my 'short list' (with the IC-7300 and Yaesu FTDX10D).

[Davichko5650]

19 hours ago, WSEZ864 said:

How do you like it? I'm shopping for a new HF and it's on my 'short list' (with the IC-7300 and Yaesu FTDX10D).

Very much liking it.  Took a bit of tweaking to get the Mic audio sounding good, but was fun doing it. Easy set up for CAT control for digital modes with the built in soundcard.  Have mouse and DVI monitor coming to hook up next. Not going to get rid of the FT-450 it replaces, that'll be a backup and one I can take out in the field for portable ops.  But can't go wrong with any of the others there.  Have used the 7300. "The People's Radio" and was very impressed with it.  Haven't tried a Ftdx10, but it's Yaesu, so gots to be good!

[SteveShannon]

I have the ftdx10 and really like it. 
The complaints I’ve heard about it consist of three things:

1. Buttons are too close together and too close to the tuning knob. 
2. Buttons are not backlit. 
3. Too many things require using the menu. 
 

I acknowledge the veracity of all three of those, but none of them bother me anymore. 

[WRYZ926]

I will give one word of caution about the Yaesu FTDX10 and FT710. NEVER plug in or unplug the USB cable while the radio and computer are both on. You take a big risk of blowing the USB port by plugging the USB in or unplugging it with everything powered on. And Yaesu will only fix it once under warranty and only for the original purchaser. Otherwise it is a $900 repair since they have to replace the entire main board.

Several of us have had the USB ports go out on the FTDX10 and FTDX101. And the Yaesu tech said they will only repair the rail once under warranty for the original purchaser. If the USB pops a second time and/or you are not the original purchaser then the repair will cost you $900. The tech even suggested using an external sound card. SO Yaesu knows about the issue but won't fix it.

The USB port is out on my FTDX10 so I ended up getting the Yaesu SCU-17 external sound card for digital modes. I have since gotten myself an Icom IC-7300 which is much easier to use and the controls are more ergonomic.

9 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

I have the ftdx10 and really like it. 
The complaints I’ve heard about it consist of three things:

1. Buttons are too close together and too close to the tuning knob. 
2. Buttons are not backlit. 
3. Too many things require using the menu. 
 

I acknowledge the veracity of all three of those, but none of them bother me anymore. 

That is a common complaint about quite a few of the different Yaesu radios. This is especially true about the menu system on pretty much all of them.

[SteveShannon]

3 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

I will give one word of caution about the Yaesu FTDX10 and FT710. NEVER plug in or unplug the USB cable while the radio and computer are both on. You take a big risk of blowing the USB port by plugging the USB in or unplugging it with everything powered on. And Yaesu will only fix it once under warranty and only for the original purchaser. Otherwise it is a $900 repair since they have to replace the entire main board.

Several of us have had the USB ports go out on the FTDX10 and FTDX101. And the Yaesu tech said they will only repair the rail once under warranty for the original purchaser. If the USB pops a second time and/or you are not the original purchaser then the repair will cost you $900. The tech even suggested using an external sound card. SO Yaesu knows about the issue but won't fix it.

The USB port is out on my FTDX10 so I ended up getting the Yaesu SCU-17 external sound card for digital modes. I have since gotten myself an Icom IC-7300 which is much easier to use and the controls are more ergonomic.

That is a common complaint about quite a few of the different Yaesu radios. This is especially true about the menu system on pretty much all of them.

Here’s an semi-interesting video about the problem with the cp2105 USB chip on the ftdx10:

The chip itself is less than $7 at Digikey:

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/silicon-labs/CP2105-F01-GMR/4069046

[WRYZ926]

I have watched that video too. But most people are not going to even attempt that repair themselves. And Yaesu is ripping people off by charging $900 to swap the entire board out on the FTDX10 and FTDX101D. Again they know there is an issue but won't fix it.

The main thing to keep from blowing the USB port on Yaesu radios is to make sure the radio and computer are both turned off before messing with the USB cable.

[Jaay]

The IPC-610 course and a SMD soldering station makes this child's play. The cost is the IC and the amount of time your hot air station is up.

[Davichko5650]

17 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

I have the ftdx10 and really like it. 
The complaints I’ve heard about it consist of three things:

1. Buttons are too close together and too close to the tuning knob. 
2. Buttons are not backlit. 
3. Too many things require using the menu. 
 

I acknowledge the veracity of all three of those, but none of them bother me anymore. 

I have seen the number 1 issue vetched about, hey, get those fingers on a diet, LOL.  I experience issue 2 on the 710 as well, but not a big problem. Once I have most things set up, number 3 also hasn't been much of an issue on the 710.  Adding the mouse and the DVI monitor will help on those.

[Davichko5650]

On 2/11/2025 at 5:51 PM, Socalgmrs said:

Great time to buy that special some one a radio for Valentine’s Day 

Spouse opted for Lobster & King Crab instead - boooooo.  Well, since I picked up the FT-710, I figured I'd get her what she wanted!

[WRPQ991]

B tech GMRS 50V  run as a base with Nagoya NMO200C & ground plane kit.. gets out pretty well I can hit 3 local repeaters on low power. Central Texas   Got a couple HH that I use when mobile  Love my radios!

[SteveShannon]

On 2/11/2025 at 5:03 PM, Davichko5650 said:

Got the FT-710 a week ago Saturday...

How do you like it so far?

[Davichko5650]

57 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

How do you like it so far?

Liking it very much!  Took a bit of playing with the Mic settings to dial in the transmit audio on Phone, but getting good reports on that now. Very easy to configure for the digital modes I use (PSK, VarAC, JS8, etc. etc.). Like the waterfall, 3DSS display and the Oscilloscope display.  Using the touch screen took a little learning curve for this knobs n dials kinda guy, but that was a fun one, and still working on that a bit.  On the SW Bands, really has great RX audio, that also took some adjusting to dial in to my liking. AESS is a bit of a gimmick, but the SP40 speaker does sound better than the one on the rig, and really shines when listening to AM broadcast and SW bands.

Only dislike is trying to use 60m band on digital, as there's a bit of changing settings on the programs to get it to work. My FT-450D is MARS modded from the dealer, so 60m is wide open to use there.

So far, so good!

[Davichko5650]

21 hours ago, Davichko5650 said:

 

So far, so good!

mouse and dvi monitor added, here's the current shack set up - 

[SteveShannon]

11 minutes ago, Davichko5650 said:

mouse and dvi monitor added, here's the current shack set up - 

Doing a little ft8 I see!  I enjoy it also.

[Davichko5650]

1 minute ago, SteveShannon said:

Doing a little ft8 I see!  I enjoy it also.

Relaxing way to send some RF out.  I use two-way radio all day at work so I tend to favor digital modes when at home during the week.  FT8/4 for just seeing who is out there, rare DX or DXpeditons, and good propagation indicator, for rag chews I tend to run VarAC, PSK31 or JS8.  RTTY has always been a favorite mode, but not much of it out there other than for contests...

[tweiss3]

I need to get hands on with the new IC-7760 and a TS-890. I'm not sure I'd ever pull the trigger on either unless I'm convinced I like them and they would be significant improvements over my 7300. I won't say I would never spend that much money on a radio because I have, but those two interest me. I'd like to see the 890 and 990 refreshed though.

[Davichko5650]

2 minutes ago, tweiss3 said:

I need to get hands on with the new IC-7760

DXE has it $300 off right now, only $5,999.95!!!

[tweiss3]

1 minute ago, Davichko5650 said:

DXE has it $300 off right now, only $5,999.95!!!

I know, and they have 10 in stock in Talmadge. I need to make the 20 minute trip to DX and see if it's in the show room.

[Davichko5650]

On 2/14/2025 at 11:05 AM, tweiss3 said:

I know, and they have 10 in stock in Talmadge. I need to make the 20 minute trip to DX and see if it's in the show room.

I can see it now, it'd be the equivalent of the old "Are you gonna buy that magazine sir, or just stand here in the store and read it?"

[SteveShannon]

4 minutes ago, Davichko5650 said:

I can see it now, it'd be the equivalent of the old "Are you gonna buy that magazine sir, or just stand here in the store and read it?"

HRO has radios set up for hams to try also.

[WSEZ864]

4 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

HRO has radios set up for hams to try also.

Yup. I used the HRO in Woodbridge, VA to make the decision on my first HF and they were super helpful. I had plans to ride out to the New Castle, DE store today, but cancelled because they are sold out of both radios I was considering (TS-590SG vs FTDX 10D (distant second choice)).

Ended up ordering the TS-590SG from DXE this morning to replace my 11 year old TS-590S, mainly due to updated noise reduction and the ability to use with an SDR.

@tweiss3 - I think I've seen you someplace before, LOL!