home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
-
- FT470.9
-
- I've learned that one of the ways to get some of the other, new
- Yaesu handhelds to go out-of-band, involves dumping data out of
- the clone port, editing the data, and then dumping it back in.
- I called Yeasu and asked if the FT-470 could be cloned. They
- said no, so I ignored them. I haven't figured out how to get
- it to dump data, but I believe it will accept data. The clone
- mode is entered by powering up the unit with the F key held
- down. (It's also a neat way to see all of the indicators on
- the LCD!) The data must be presented in the ring ("right
- channel") of a stereo 2.5 millimeter plug which is placed
- into the mic jack. This is cryptically marked on the schematic,
- anyway. However, I have no idea what the format for the data
- should be. If you come across this, I'd love to know. This
- may be the trap door to getting the rig to receive and transmit
- in more interesting places.
-
- Have fun with your FT-470!
-
- Yours Truly,
- Ed Boakes
-
- CAll: WB3FLD
- =======================================================--
-
- Several interesting things that I have learned since I received this
- letter... According to the guys at Yaesu, the engineers in Japan
- appearantly wrote the full UHF rx/tx out of the ROM on purpose.
-
- The unit does a very good job as a cross-band repeater.
-
- To enable this, turn off the radio, hold the RPT key and turn on the
- radio. Now, anything heard on EITHER band will be re-transmitted on the
- other band. There are, however, a few problems.
-
- First, there is no real internal path for the audio to get from the receiver
- to the transmitter, so you either have to modify the radio, to provide a
- path, or do what I did which is build a short loop back cable connecting the
- tip of the earphone jack to the tip of the microphone jack like this:
-
- <=====----/\/\/\/\/\/\/=====---->
- 100K
-
- This is the way I did it, others I have talked to have used either just a
- resistor like me or a small capacitor, or a combination. On my radio, this
- value of resistor gave me a good range of transmitted audio levels by
- adjusting the volume control.
-
- The other small problem is that the radio automatically selects low power on
- transmit in this mode. This is probably because of the lack of a real
- duplexer.
-
- After looking through the service manual, it became apparent that the small
- mystery hole on the side of the radio with the rubber plug was originally
- intended for an external power jack. I have not yet asked Yaesu if they will
- sell the jack for that spot. I also have no idea why they omitted it.
-
- All in all, I still love my FT-470. Its a great little radio.