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While the scanner market seems to be constantly overflowing with an
abundance of models to choose from, there are always those who live outside
the mainstream, and want something a little bit different.
There are also individuals who not only enjoy radio monitoring, they also take part in amateur radio with their FCC licenses (yours truly included). When you combine these interests, and the desires that go with them, it doesn't take too long before attention is focused and scrutiny brought to bear on the radios carried by the amateur radio manufacturers like Alinco, iCOM, Kenwood, Standard and Yaesu. Such radios usually offer a wide range of features which aren't normally found on the typical scanner. Build quality is usually quite robust as is audio power and fidelity. But how good do these radios really function as a scanner substitute? Well, it seems I am getting asked that question more and more. With my own personal interest piqued, along with the generosity of a well-known radio dealer, I am embarking on new frontiers in a quest to help answer these questions I get! What follows are my personal impressions regarding the features and performance of various amateur HTs. This, in no way, should be viewed as an endorsement to purchase any radio nor is it intended to discourage anyone from buying one. I have no personal or business relations with any of the manufacturers of the radios represented herein. These are simply thoughts offered to my fellow hobbyists who may be interested in purchasing a particular radio or simply want to know more about them. A lot of hard work and effort has gone into the testing and writing of this review. I would appreciate it if every effort is made to keep this document whole with me as the original author. Of course, it doesn't hurt that this document is copyrighted and therefore protected by US law and international treaties governing intellectual property. Except for personal use, and for the sake of brief passages quoted in reviews and given appropriate credit, no part of this work may be reproduced in any forms or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the author. And if you want to share your thoughts about this review with me or have further questions, feel free to send e-mail. Thank you and enjoy!
Rich Wells |
These are amateur radio transceivers. They are developed primarily to meet the needs of ham radio operators who are looking to keep in touch via local repeaters in a nice, handheld package while on the go.
They typically have no more than 50 to 100 memory channels which are not organized into nice banks. They tend to scan and search at slow rates.
On the plus side, most of them have great interference rejection (especially when you consider that 99% of them ever made have only been double conversion) and superb audio in both power and fidelity.
In the past few years, in an effort to one-up each other, manufacturers have been widening the receive range and including more receive modes. The first big thing was to tune the aircraft band with AM receive. These days, some have started to put in wide FM and coverage of the FM broadcast band and some of the VHF/UHF TV broadcast band as well.
Due to the increased importance of software and the reliance on high-powered microprocessors, the set of features offered on the typical HT is simply amazing and allows a level of customization that was unheard of not too long ago. Along with all of this comes the ability of computer control, memory data upload/download and radio-to-radio cloning.
The purpose of this review is to see which models can serve as worthy scanner-substitutes and introduce to you a level of functionality and features that are not found on a normal scanner.
Also, keep in mind that should you buy such an amateur HT, you're paying for things you'll probably never use. On the other hand, it might just serve as an impetus for you to get your amateur radio license. Doing so would help you to gain more radio knowledge and allow you to put your HT through all of its paces.
| Channels | 101 | |
|---|---|---|
| Banks | 1 | |
| Coverage | 76-200 300-540 590-999 MHz | |
| Scan | 15 chan/sec | |
| Search | 15 chan/sec | |
| Steps | 5/10/12.5/15/20/25/50 kHz | |
| Modes | AM, FM & WFM | |
| Sensitivity | As listed in the manual : | |
| Selectivity | 65 dB (adjacent channel) | |
| Conversion | Double | |
| IFs | 1=45.1 MHz 2=455 kHz | |
| Priority | 1 channel | |
| Search limits | 5 | |
| Search skip | 0 | |
| Auto-store | No | |
| S-meter | Yes | |
| Delay | Global | |
| Lockout | Yes | |
| Attenuator | No | |
| Lock | Yes | |
| Tone codes | CTCSS (with FTT-12) & DCS | |
| Computer intf | Yes | |
| Rotary control | Yes | |
| Channel count | No | |
| Data skip | No | |
| Clock | No | |
| Timers | APO | |
| Weather | No | |
| Weather Alert | No | |
| Light | Display | |
| Power | 4 - 16V DC | |
| Audio | 500mW at 10% THD | |
| Size | 2.2"(W) x 3.5"(H) x 1.2"(D) | |
| Weight | 13oz/355g | |
| Memory | non-volatile |
The specifications page is a fairly complete listing current consumption as well as receiver data such as sensitivity, IFs, selectivity, intermod rejection figures and audio output.
While the radio is manufactured to military specifications and is water resistant, the manual is quick to point out that "this product is not designed nor intended to survive exposure to pressurized streams of water...nor immersion in water."
Sections follow for how to operate the basics including using the SET menu, tuning with the VFO and basic transmitting options.
The next section covers memory options which is quite extensive. It also covers the basics of scanning (which includes what most scanner documentation refers to as limit searching).
Advanced operations are next which cover dual watch (priority), lesser used memory options, tone squelch & search, a wide range of transmitter options (for CTCSS, DTMF, ARTS, VMPS, paging, etc.), and recording and playback using the FT-50RD's FTT-12 keypad digital recorder.
The next section is the Addendum which covers various battery power saving options and caring for the rechargeable NiCd pack. An interesting note is that the section on turning off the transmit/receive LED will save 15 milliamps of current drain.
The next two sections detail using the FT-50 for packet operation and cloning radio data to another FT-50.
The last section is the Appendix which is a handy reference for the SET menu as well as the key combination sequences for accessing the major radio functions.
Construction and Physical
This radio really can't be appreciated until you've held it in your own hand.
Its weight is surprising and the feeling of solidity is unsurpassed. This is
definitely a radio made to higher standards and one which, at this time, only
an amateur radio manufacturer could produce.
Out of the box, the radio came in two pieces. One piece was the front half of the radio which is the electronics, keypad, display and controls. On the back side of this piece is the FCC id sticker which is also where you'll find the serial number. There's also an FCC id sticker on the bottom panel.
The other piece was the rechargeable NiCd battery pack (FNB-41) which snaps onto the back of the front half. The good size plastic belt clip was already attached to the NiCd pack.
These two pieces are simply pressed together with the NiCd positioned slightly lower and then slid up into place which is accompanied by a nice, solid 'click' which confirms a good mating. To disconnect, a small button in the upper left hand corner of the NiCd pack is pressed allowing the NiCd to slide down and off.
The entire radio is clad in black plastic. All controls, rubber caps, keys (except for two orange and two gray), antenna, belt clip and rubber caps are all black as well.
The front panel consists of the display on top with a large speaker grill underneath, followed by the keypad. The LCD is a decent size for a radio this small. The speaker grill is composed of four horizontal slats behind which can be seen a mesh material which I imagine is used to keep out contaminants. The larger, egg-shaped power key is orange and resides in the bottom left corner of the speaker area.
Below this is the keypad which consists of four rows of four keys each. All are black except for the digital recorder keys which are gray and the function key which is orange.
The unit supplied for testing was an FT-50RD which comes with the FTT-12 keypad. The original FT-50R came with the FTT-11 keypad, leaving the FTT-12 as an upgrade option. The FTT-12 is a DTMF keypad with digital recording, CTCSS decode, and DTMF paging/squelch. Its easy to spot the FTT-12 keypad as it has the two gray keys mentioned above which are labeled with semi-circle icons containing the letters 'R' and 'P' for the record and playback options of the digital recorder.
The top panel houses the rotary control which sits atop the large diameter volume ring. Unfortunately, the volume ring has no stripe on it which would aid in faster setting recognition. Instead, there's a bump on the ring which is easier felt than seen. Both controls have a very sold and smooth feeling.
Just to the right of these is the transmit/receive LED. It's designed to light green during receive and red during transmit. It points forward for visibility but is restricted to the side due to the volume/rotary and antenna flanking it on either side. There is no rear viewing since this is obscured by the plastic case mounting.
On the right hand side of the top panel is the small SMA connector. Around this is a deep well into which a nearly half inch length of rubber sheathing from the antenna descends to make a "waterproof" seal.
On the left hand side we see a rubber cap for the DC power connector. A thoughtful depression on its side allows it to be easily lifted and swung out of the way allowing access to the jack. On the right hand side is a similar but much larger rubber cap for the multi-purpose earphone, microphone, data interface jack.
Looking at the side of the NiCd pack half of the radio, its easy to see two vertical slots which are intended to guide the radio into a charging stand. A glimpse of the bottom reveals five holes, of which two are punched out and lead to the battery metal charging contacts.
Antenna
The FT-50 comes with the YHA-58 rubber helical, 50-ohm, SMA antenna. This
antenna is 7" in length and designed for the 2 meter and 440 amateur radio
bands. It's 1/2" at the base and mid-way up it narrows rapidly to its final
3/16" diameter. The lower portion is inflexible while the thinner, upper end is
much more "bendable".
This antenna, which is a number of years old, bears a striking resemblance to the units being supplied with the modern day iCOM IC-Q7 amateur transceiver and its IC-R2 receiver counterpart. In fact, I compared both antennas on the FT-50 for roughly 30 frequencies spread across HF, VHF and UHF and could find almost no difference between them.
With that being the case, I can offer up my R2 antenna results as an indication of the performance that can be expected from the YHA-58. Comparing the R2 to an average performing stock ducky showed that it too was just average. It was a bit inferior on 800 MHz though. I'm sure similar results will be seen with the YHA-58.
In other words, you can do much better so if good reception is desired outside of the ham bands, look into acquiring a superior performing model.
My FT-50 was shipped with an 'Important Notice' addendum which warns against using other after-market SMA antennas which may have incompatible connectors. According to this notice, the SMA connector on the FT-50 "includes a white inner insulator which is recessed from the position of the center pin. If you attempt to install an antenna in which the connector's insulator is flush with the position of the center pin, it will cause damage to the SMA-type connector on the transceiver body." Such damage is not covered by the Limited Warranty!
Features
The LCD itself a decent size and can display a wide array of information. Not considering the S-meter or frequency display, there are a total of 24 individual indicators. The S-meter consists of 10 right-facing chevrons which I find to be not as useful as typical numerically rendered versions.
It's okay for quick referencing but when comparing signal strengths for radio or antenna testing, it is a pain to try and quickly count the number of chevrons to get an accurate reading. Yaesu did put a larger spacing between the 3rd and 4th, and the 6th and 7th chevrons to help with this.
When transmitting, the S-meter is programmed to output one of four readings based on the current power setting and battery being used.
The main frequency readout is used to display the memory or VFO frequency as well as any alpha-tag programmed into a memory channel. The characters used are quite large and easily readable. These digits only read to the second decimal place. If using 12.5 kHz steps, the display used pre-programmed 25/50/75 indicators for denoting the third and fourth decimal place values.
There is a secondary readout to the right of the main. This is used to watch an alternate frequency, or display the memory channel number, battery voltage, CTCSS/DCS tone codes, or SET menu numbers and settings.
The LCD has good contrast when viewed head on and from above. Readability from below is not so good, but possible. Viewing from the side is also a chore, mainly due to the thickness of the LCD faceplate.
There is an LCD backlight which provides a fairly uniform, orange illumination, even if it is a little on the weak side. That's probably due to the single LCD located along the right hand side of the display. By default, a press of the side panel light key will illuminate it for 5 seconds. Using the SET menu, this action can be changed so that the light comes on for 5 seconds whenever any key is pressed or the rotary is turned. Another option is to put it in toggle mode so that presses of the light key toggle it on and off.
There is another SET menu option which allows the backlight to be turned on when a scanning operation stops to receive a signal! Quite a handy function to have for night time monitoring, but not too power conscious. It is nice to have the choice and it's something I would like to see on regular scanners.
On the top panel is located a large, forward facing LED. When receiving a signal, it lights green and when transmitting it turns red. If you are in a battery conservation mode, it can be disabled via a SET menu option since the manual states that this LED draws 15 milliamps when lit.
While we're up on the top panel, I'll talk about the rotary control. It does have a good feel and clicks nicely. There are series of vertical ridges which help to maintain positive control over it. Unfortunately, my usage has revealed that it too often misses clicks and many times goes in the opposite direction! Very frustrating and surprising given the top quality of such encoders generally available on today's radio gear.
The secondary function of the rotary control is twofold. It is primarily used to gain access to the SET menu by pressing and holding it down. While using the VFO, quick presses are used to jump between the four major frequency bands the FT-50 covers. The FT-50 comes with VFOs A & B but since the rotary toggles between these four bands and they each hold their own frequency, it's almost like having 8 VFOs!
Turning to the keypad, we have...well...a keypad. It's a simple matrix layout of four by four keys. And I don't particularly care for it. They are a good size given this radio's stature and well spaced, but I dislike their feedback. A bit too mushy with little 'snap'. In a noisier environment with the volume down a bit low where you can't really hear the associated beep that comes with each press, if you don't hear the beep, it's hard to tell when you have a good press.
The key beep volume does vary with the setting of the volume control and it can be disabled altogether with a handy SET menu option. The keypad has a locking facility which also incorporates the push-to-talk switch (PTT) and rotary control. Using the SET menu, a press of the LOCK key can be programmed to lock keypad, PTT, rotary, keypad & PTT, keypad & rotary, PTT and rotary or all three. When locking, useful indicators are displayed to indicate exactly which of the three have just been locked!
Like most ham radio gear, there is an abundance of audio power and fidelity is quite nice. The manual rates it at 500 milliwatts. Unfortunately, it can only be cranked up to about 60 - 70 % of full volume before buzzing distortions turn annoying.
FM tones have a natural quality that should appeal to most; very pleasing. Even AM signals are rendered quite nicely. As for wide FM, well, you probably know about this Achilles' heel of the FT-50. In this mode, the radio is basically useless and nullifies any wide FM coverage it contains. It's just barely usable on FM radio when just speaking occurs, but for music and TV broadcast signals, forget it. It is truly sad that Yaesu could allow this sort of calamity to befall such a great radio. It's also one of the primary reasons why yours truly won't be keeping this radio in his arsenal. Better luck next time.
Squelch tails are minimum to negligible which is quite nice.
I was quite surprised to see that the FT-50 didn't come with an auto squelch setting. Instead, it has 16 settings. The 0 setting is used to keep the squelch locked on; similar to holding in the side panel monitor switch. The other 15 are used for normal operation. Usually, setting it to 1 does the job although heavy RF operation areas may dictate setting it slightly higher. I did see some variability in the upper UHF areas where I had to set it higher for some odd reason to keep the squelch closed when receiving no signal.
Be default, there is a separate squelch control for wide FM (like you'll need it since you'll probably rarely use this mode). It comes from the factory set to 0. In other words, tune a wide FM band and the squelch pops open and stays that way. Should you desire, the SET menu can be used to set this squelch between 1 and 15 as well. When the receive mode is wide FM, only the wide FM squelch can be adjusted; the normal squelch can not.
As mentioned earlier, the FT-50 comes with the FNB-41 NiCd battery pack. It delivers 9.6 volts and is rated at 600 milliamp hours. It weighs a bit more than the radio itself if that tells you anything! The manual states that its charging time from a depleted state is 15 hours.
Also available is the FNB-42 which is rated at 1100 mAh. For slimmer and lighter profiles, there are two 6 volt packs available as well. Should you consider NiCds an unnecessary evil, there's the FBA-15 4 AA cell holder!
To help conserve the power resources of your chosen battery cells, the manual offers a number of tips for using radio features to reduce drain to a minimum. The most often used functionality will be the receive battery saver. Using the SET menu, this can be set to five values between 200 milliseconds and 2 seconds. When enabled, the SAVER indicator appears on the LCD. When it engages, after no reception in for 2 seconds, it begins to flash.
The manual also suggests turning off the key beep as well as the receive LED since each draws several milliamps. There's also an automatic power off (APO) features which is common to most ham radio gear. Using the SET menu, this feature can be enabled to turn the radio off after a specified period of user inactivity. Available times are 30 minutes and 1, 3, 5 or 8 hours.
One minute before the radio automatically powers itself off, it plays a series of notes to alert you. Just be advised that this function does not activate if you leave the radio in scanning or dual watch (priority) modes!
Looking at the last page of the manual, there is a table for functions which are only accessible while powering on the radio. Two of them aren't even discussed in the manual. One is for testing all segments and indicators of the LCD while the other performs a CPU reset which wipes clean all memory and VFO options as well as setting all parameters to their factory defaults.
Set Menu
The Set menu is how you get to most of the adjustable parameters such as step
size, receive mode, power saver, etc. You get into the menu by pressing down on
the rotary control until the last accessed setting appears. Once there, you use
rotary control to cycle through the settings. When the desired setting is
located, the rotary control is pressed down briefly which allows the rotary
control to be turned, thus selecting from the possible choices. The selection
is completed by simply pressing the PTT.
Each setting is represented by a number between 1 and 32 as well as an abbreviated title. Here's a table which lists the available settings as they appear on the LCD:
| No. | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SQL | Receiver squelch threshold |
| 2 | TXPO | TX power level |
| 3 | NAME | Alpha-numeric memory name |
| 4 | SUB | Sub display option |
| 5 | ARS | Auto Repeater Shift |
| 6 | RPTR | Simplex or duplex operation |
| 7 | SHFT | TX shift |
| 8 | WDUP | Duplex VFO operation |
| 9 | RPTL | Repeater input tracking |
| 10 | STEP | Tuning step size |
| 11 | RESM | Scan resume mode |
| 12 | SCNL | Scan lamp on/off |
| 13 | BEEP | Keypad beeper on/off |
| 14 | RSAV | RX battery saver |
| 15 | TSAV | TX power saver |
| 16 | APO | Auto Power Off |
| 17 | LOCK | Keypad/Dial/PTT lock |
| 18 | BELL | Ringer |
| 19 | LGT | Busy/TX LED disable |
| 20 | LAMP | LCD illumination mode |
| 21 | KEY | MON switch/key assignment |
| 22 | TOT | TX Time-Out Timer |
| 23 | BCLO | Busy Channel Lock-out |
| 24 | SFT | CPU clock shift |
| 25 | ARTS | Auto Range Transpond System |
| 26 | CWID | CW identification |
| 27 | PAGE | Pager settings |
| 28 | RTIM | Digital record time |
| 29 | RPRT | Record protect |
| 20 | WSQL | Wide-FM squelch threshold |
| 31 | AMOD | Auto RX mode select |
| 32 | RMOD | RX mode override |
VFO Mode
One nice thing about ham radio gear is their similarity to good communications
receivers when it comes to tuning. The FT-50 is no exception since it comes
with two VFOs for helping you tune around the spectrum. There is VFO A and B
with the currently active VFO indicated by the A or B indicator at the top of
the LCD.
As mentioned earlier, the rotary control can be pressed quickly to jump between the four coverage bands. Since each of these bands holds a unique frequency, it's almost like having 8 VFOs!
To tune any frequency with the FT-50's receive range, it is simply keyed in using the numeric keys. But a word of caution is needed for those of us who are familiar with normal scanners...the FT-50 has no decimal key! It is entered automatically by the radio after you key in the third numeral. For frequencies less than 100 MHz, however, you'll need to push the 0 key first which can prove frustrating until you get use to it.
To change the frequency by the current tuning step, the rotary control is turned accordingly. I was unhappy to find that there was no accelerated slewing capability where quick turns of the control would result in non-linear changes. If you have to go any distance, you'll find it's easier to simply key in the new frequency than wear out the rotary control trying to get there quickly.
One handy tuning feature which is found on most gear is that pressing the FUNCTION key before using the rotary control allows subsequent steps to be taken in 1 MHz sizes.
Now, when any frequency is keyed in, the radio is designed to automatically select a receive mode and step size based on its preprogrammed bandplan. For US users, the only problem I saw with this bandplan was the use of FM on the 335 - 400 MHz range. It also has the uncanny knack of using 25 kHz on UHF. Luckily, each VFO has its own step size so you can go into the SET mode or use the keypad shortcut (FUNC + STEP) and override it once. Similarly, the receive mode can be overridden or turned off altogether using the SET menu.
A popular feature of the FT-50 is its ability to decode CTCSS (with the FTT-12 keypad - 39 tones) and DCS (104 tones) tone codes. Not only can these be used to control the squelch, a search function allows the radio to determine the tone being used on an active signal! While the search is being conducted, no audio can be heard. If a tone is detected, the radio beeps twice, the squelch is opened and the tone value flashes for the duration of the current transmission.
A feature popular with ham radio operators is the ability to have the radio sound a paging beep if a monitored frequency is detected active with the specified tone code in use. This might have its applications for the typical scanner user as well. A similar function is provided using a series of DTMF digits but this will be used exclusively by amateur radio transmissions.
On US versions of the FT-50, the side panel MONITOR key is used to break the squelch and comes in quite handy when performing weak signal testing. For European models, this switch is used to send a 1750 Hz tone for gaining access to amateur radio repeaters. Using a special keypress, this functionality can be swapped for hams who visit both sides of the Atlantic.
Using the SET menu 'SUB' selection, it is possible to have the radio display the current battery voltage in the secondary frequency readout area. This is a very useful function that I hope will find its way into more radios; both amateur and scanning. Unfortunately, with the battery voltage here, it prevents other features from being displayed in this location, like the current memory channel when in memory mode, etc.
The last item to cover in this mode will be the digital voice recorder. This is a function of the FTT-12 keypad that comes standard on the FT-50RD. And it is quite the flexible feature as well.
It comes with a 20 second record buffer. It can be used in this fashion or can be partitioned into two smaller sections. When recording, you can choose to record using the front panel microphone or a signal being received. Although the manual mentions, being able to automatically record signals, only the manual method of recording is described in the manual.
When playing back a recording, it can be replayed through the speaker and it can also be transmitted over the air. I guess the lazy ham radio operator could use this to record his name and callsign while at home and then play it back upon demand to more easily meet FCC identification rules.
Once a recording has been made, there is a function which allows the recorder to be disabled thereby protecting the recording from being overwritten.
Programming & Memory
Once signals are tuned in VFO mode, it's easy enough to write them to memory
for permanent storage. The FT-50 comes with 100 memories and each can store a
frequency, receive mode, step size, tone codes and alpha-tag, along with the
usual transmitter characteristics (TX/RX offsets, etc.). There is also a
special HOME memory which can be programmed and instantly recalled by a
pressing FUNC + HM.
Once a signal is tuned, the orange FUNCTION key is pressed and held which activates the write operation. The display shows the last accessed memory channel and a special notation tells whether that memory channel has already been programmed or not. The rotary control can be used to select any memory channel and then the FUNCTION key is pressed to complete the write.
With the memory channel stored, the MR button can be pressed to go into memory mode and view the contents of the programmed channels using the rotary control. Empty channels are automatically passed over and you can go directly to any programmed memory channel by keying in its number and pressing MR.
The SET menu is used to give any channel its own unique four character label. Once programmed, this label will be seen at all times in place of its frequency. The available alphanumeric set consists of 48 characters which includes a space and 11 symbols.
Any memory channel can be hidden which means it still exists in memory but will not be seen in memory mode nor will it be scanned. This is the only way to remove or delete a memory channel, although it really is still there.
There's also the typical function which copies a memory channel and its settings into the last accessed VFO. After executing this function, the radio is put into VFO mode so the frequency can be received and/or tuned as desired.
Another common ham radio feature is the memory tuning option. While in memory mode, pressing the MR key again puts the radio into memory tuning mode which is indicated by the MT indicator on the display. The frequency can be tuned at will and its associated settings changed as well. Should the desire strike, this newly changed data can be written back to memory using the normal memory write procedure.
The last feature to discuss here is the 'memory-only' mode. Once invoked, the radio VFOs cease to exist and the radio is locked into memory mode. The current memory channel number is displayed but the associated frequency is not. If an alpha-tag has been programmed it is displayed, otherwise a '-' is shown. Most SET options are disabled as well to keep anyone from messing with any channel receive or transmit settings.
Scanning
Scanning capabilities of the FT-50 are rather limited. It only has one bank of
100 channels. By default, all programmed memory channels are scanned. To lock
out any of these, you must go into memory mode, locate the channel and turn on
its SKIP setting which then appears in the display.
During scanning, if the radio stops on an active signal, the radio beeps twice and the SCAN indicator changes to STOP. If the SET menu has been used to activate the SCNL option, the backlight will also turn on for five seconds.
The SET menu is also used to determine how to proceed once a signal is stopped on. By default, the radio will resume scanning if the transmissions lasts more than five seconds. This can be changed to wait for the signal to end before scanning resumes.
During scanning, the rotary control can be used to change the direction of the scanning sequence through memory.
My empirical measurements put the scan speed at roughly 15 channels/second.
Searching
The FT-50 comes with two forms of search operation; VFO and limit. From the
VFO, a search can be started from the current frequency using the current
tuning step size. Keep in mind that this is really a scanning action so the
SCNL and resume options mentioned in scanning section can also be put to work
here. The biggest limitation of this operation is that the search is limited
to the edges of the four frequency ranges. Once you reach an upper or lower
edge, the radio beeps twice and resumes the search at the opposite end of the
defined band.
What is nice is that the FT-50 comes with five search limits! These are really a simple ten channel extension of the base memory. Grouped in pairs, the lower and upper frequency limits for each range can be programmed just like a normal memory channel.
The biggest limitation in this mode is that the search will only start on a frequency having an integral 100 kHz resolution. For example, I stored some limits of 128.825 and 132.000 (for the ARINC aero band). When I started the search, it started at 128.800 since 0.825 is not an integral of 100 kHz. This is an interesting limitation and something to keep in mind.
My empirical measurements put the search speed at roughly 15 steps/second.
Priority
On this FT-50, this is called Dual Watch. It allows activity to be monitored
on one channel while checking periodically for activity on another. For this
radio, it allows a VFO or memory channel to be monitored in the foreground
while either a VFO or memory channel is checked in the background.
The manual states that the VFO/VFO case samples the secondary VFO frequency the quickest; every 200 milliseconds. For the other cases, which have to monitor a memory frequency, the sampling occurs every 5 seconds.
Once Dual Watch is engaged, the DW indicator appears on the display. If activity is detected on the secondary channel, the radio will beep twice, the secondary channel will be monitored and the DW indicator will flash. How long the transmission will be sampled depends on the scan resume condition set up in the SET menu (5 seconds max or until the signal ends).
VHF/UHF Performance
Except for a string of birdie frequencies for wide FM on VHF and UHF, the
number of internally generated frequencies was very minimal! Two were detected
on the civil aero band and three on the military aero band.
A quick drive around town while scanning every programmed memory channel showed few problems attesting to the fine design of this double conversion receiver! Frequencies were tested from 119 to 861 MHz which covered the typical public safety and aircraft frequencies I like to monitor. I didn't even have to use the tone codes for good reception! The only problems were slight and they occurred in the 800 MHz band due to cellular intermod. Quite nice!
While at home, I put the FT-50 up against the new iCOM IC-R2. With both using their stock antennas, I compared them on a number of frequencies spanning the entire receive range of the FT-50. After the dust had settled, the only place where the R2 really excelled was on wide FM sensitivity. The R2 did have a slight edge on 800 & 900 MHz but everywhere else, the FT-50 was just a hair away from performing equally. In many cases, it did just that.
Great audio power and fidelity are in abundance too! Add in a lot of configurable options, unsurpassed construction, CTCSS/DCS squelch/search, S-meter, battery indicator, alpha-tags, high tech digital recorder, and you've got one power-packed monitoring platform!
Unfortunately, a lot of its frequency coverage is nullified by the lack of a useable wide FM filter. 100 channels are useful but scanning options are rather weak.
Overall, it is easy to see why this radio is so popular, especially among the amateur radio crowd that nearly manages to get a full-fledged dual bander with a communications receiver all in one.
Recommendations
As a scanner substitute, the FT-50 both passes and fails. It is a great
receiver and offers a lot of features I'd personally like to see on some of the
main stream models. Sensitivity and filtering are top notch.
Audio power and quality surpass most of today's offering. The use of an S-meter along with CTCSS & DCS functionality is nearly unheard of. Throw in a battery voltage display, top-notch construction, 2 VFOs and alpha-tags, and you've got a pretty special little radio. There are even computer interface options to consider as well.
But the single bank of memory channels can't be overlooked. Nor can the simple scanning options. It does excel when it comes to the 5 search limits but there's no auto-store capability nor search lockout. And let's not forget the wide FM which might as well have been left out.
For me, the weight, inoperable wide FM and lack of VHF-lo coverage are what kills it. I appreciate lighter weight and am always listening to TV audio when I prefer not to be parked in front of the TV. One of my favorite monitoring targets is the highway patrol which is primarily on 42 MHz frequencies; something the FT-50 won't let me have.
You'll have to decide for yourself if the unique features of this radio are enough to overlook its scanning inflexibilities and what would be considered inadequate coverage in a typical scanner.
Here's hoping the new VX-5R offers a blend of both the VX-1R and FT-50R while managing to strike out for new ground that remedies current shortcomings!
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If you are interested in purchasing one of these radios or simply want more information, please stop by the Lentini web site to find out how to contact Alex, Chris or any of the gang up in Connecticut. Buying from them will help support the people who made this review possible. And don't be shy about telling where you read about them!
| Copyright © 2010 by Richard J. Wells |
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