DSolomon@systems.TEXTRON.COM writes,
>
> Any comments on this new toy, looks interesting.
> 73, Dick, W1KSZ
Dick, there has been some chatter on rec.radio.amateur.equipment about the
HT, and I bought one when they first came out.
Here's the bad news:
1. The memory firmware is REALLY bad... you have to choose an operating
band (vhf, uhf, etc.) and once on that band, you have no real access to
the other band(s) - this limits scanning, transceive to the current band,
etc. This is a SERIOUS problem and Yaesu really blew it, to put it mildly.
Evidently there are already several versions of the firmware out there, and
it is clear that whoever architected the radio from a software perspective
had no clue as to how someone might actually use the radio. Absolutely no
excuse!
2. You can't delete/clear a memory, and there seem to be minor bugs in the
code (I have three memories on UHF right now all called channel "H" and
I can't get rid of them.)
3. You can only charge the battery while it's inside the radio, and to
charge the battery the radio must be off. (disclosed only in the errata)
4. Although it receives TV audio, channels 2, 3 and 4 cannot be reached
due to frequency limitation. (76 MHz minimum)
... and some good news:
5. The receive audio is suprisingly good from the internal speaker.
6. The menu/control scheme is adequate.
7. The stock "duck" antenna is selective enough to avoid intermod on 2
meter band (at the expense you can't hear 162.5 MHz weather radio channels
without a different antenna).
8. Even though there is no DTMF keyboard, you can send DTMF tones using
various manipulation of the existing controls.
9. It does a good job receiving the 222-225 MHz ham band (just change the
rx mode to FM narrow and you're listening). It also can receive the 902-928
MHz band but we have no activity on that band here (Colorado). European
users might be frustrated by no RX in their 4 meter (72 MHz?) band.
If you are a heavy user of both 2 and 440, you'll probably be frustrated by
the firmware blunders. If (as in my case) 440 is occasional, it's a pretty
good product.
73 Dave WB0GAZ dgf@netcom.com
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