Yaesu FT1DR

Has anyone used the new FT1DR in place of the VX8-GR? I'm in the unfortunate situation of needing to replace my 8GR and wondered if anyone has used both and can comment how usable the FT1DR is compared to the 8GR? It looks like I can get an 8GR on eBay if I need to, but if I don't need to re-learn all the menus on the FT1DR, I'll just go with that.

My use is mostly Beeline GPS tracking and the occasional use as a voice radio (and the very occasional repeater use)

Thanks,
-Andrew

Looking at the specs, I see no reason to believe it wouldn't work just fine.

-Kevin

I have received confirmation from a customer that the FT1DR is capable of decoding APRS packets from the BigRedBee GPS/APRS transmitters.

Greg

xenon said:

Has anyone used the new FT1DR in place of the VX8-GR?

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I went out and bought one of these a couple of days ago at HRO. I compared it with the venerable Kenwood TH D72A that they also had and ended up picking the Yaesu, both because it was significantly smaller *and* because it has a UI similar enough to the VX 7R that I figured out how to enable APRS without the manual (the APRS manual is not included in the base manual, and only available as an on-line download (!)).

In any case, I was testing with my TeleMega board and it received the APRS from that just fine, which means it should work with the BRB GPS great. Yeah, it's got some funky new Yaesu-specific digital radio modes, but as far as I can tell, you can simply ignore those and just use it as a regular HT with APRS. I tested both traditional APRS and the compressed position formats, both work as expected.

If Greg wants to try it with the BRB GPS, he's welcome to come visit me here at home and we can give it a shot.

keithp said:

I went out and bought one of these a couple of days ago at HRO. I compared it with the venerable Kenwood TH D72A that they also had and ended up picking the Yaesu, both because it was significantly smaller *and* because it has a UI similar enough to the VX 7R that I figured out how to enable APRS without the manual (the APRS manual is not included in the base manual, and only available as an on-line download (!)).

In any case, I was testing with my TeleMega board and it received the APRS from that just fine, which means it should work with the BRB GPS great. Yeah, it's got some funky new Yaesu-specific digital radio modes, but as far as I can tell, you can simply ignore those and just use it as a regular HT with APRS. I tested both traditional APRS and the compressed position formats, both work as expected.

If Greg wants to try it with the BRB GPS, he's welcome to come visit me here at home and we can give it a shot.

Click to expand...

I picked one up from HRO last week but haven't had a chance to do anything other than open the box. I'm hoping to test it out tracking some BPS's in a ground application next weekend, assuming I can figure out how to plot points on a map on a computer via audio card by then

xenon said:

I can figure out how to plot points on a map on a computer via audio card by then

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You won't need an audio card for this -- the FT1DR will send 'waypoint' information out the serial port for all received APRS information, so you get the benefit of the built-in APRS decoder (which seems to work far better than the only software version I have, APRSdroid).

I'm thinking about picking one these up used. It appears to be all I need to do tracking with the AltusMetrum or BRB products as attested to by the makers themselves. I'm planning to use this for rocketry, and possibly a high alt balloon project (hence the desire for APRS capability). I definitely want everything in one package, i.e. No add on bits to decode the GPS packets, or add on GPS antenna so the radio knows where it is, etc.

So, does anyone have any direct experience with this specific radio they can share before I drop down the cash for one?

Cl(VII) said:

Does anyone have any direct experience with this specific radio they can share before I drop down the cash for one?

Click to expand...

Yup, use mine extensively with AltusMetrum products (oddly), and have also tried it with BRB trackers. For AltusMetrum stuff, make sure you enable APRS and then select 'compressed' format packets and the FT1D will show you altitude.

The FT1DR doesn't have the direct capability to send the position packets to a mapping GPS or laptop tracking program. That is an inherent problem with Yaesu
devices. Yeah, if one just wants to manually input the lat/long into another device, fine. Doesn't matter. But, you make a mistake with units and you're off on a wild goose chase. I've witnessed that.
One can take a VX8-GR. plug in a serial cable that is the same one used for a Kenwood D7A or D72A and send the positions to a round port accessible Garmin mapping GPS: https://www.gilsson.com/garmin_gps/cables/rk.htm. Or use another cable to send it to a laptop. The 60Cs and CsX are available used and one can download a free open source mapset that is pretty darned good. The POI's are not so hot in the OSM source but the maps are darned good.
A laptop is a PITA to use pedestrian portable. It's ok if wanting to record a flight with an APRS tracking program from a stationary position until LOS (Loss Of Signal). Holding a radio in one hand with a mapping GPS in the other is pretty darned easy. Can tell the Garmin to "navigate to" the incoming rocket waypoint while it's on the pad and it will continue to compute a navigation solution automatically while the rocket is in flight as long as packets are received. Doesn't get any easier than that!
If the rocket lands out of range, you can proceed to the last known position and a little trick I do is open the squelch on my D72A as I get closer. If the tracker is intact, you can start to hear faint packets coming in that are too faint to be decoded. You're now assured you're on the right track and will be receiving an updated packet shortly. Pick up the rocket and you don't have to screw around looking for it. Go fly the next one.
Don't be tempted to buy a used D7A or D7A(g). They are very old and I have two of them where the oscillators have gone out of spec and the receiving range is garbage. One block for a Beeline GPS range. No easy way to test without a range test and too pricey to get repaired. The rigs are too old to consider to buy used for tracking. The 70cm side goes out before the 2meter side. Kurt