Yaesu FT-60R HT

[Kesephist]

I got gifted a brand new one by an old friend whom I thought was long gone.

I'm still wading through the manuals and such... Any recommendations, hints, tips?

Kesephist

de KI7CIL

[ElevenBravo]

Buy a new manufacture's battery, if it has much age it probably wont hold a charge very well, has been my experience.

Download CHIRP, its free... and get a cable to program it with... doing it from the keyboard can be painful.


https://www.google.com/search?q=FT-60R&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=FT-60R+chirp

Its a good radio.

HTH,
EB

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.valley-ent.com/store/index.php?route=product/search&search=ft-60r

http://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Download

[bacpacker]

Nice get there Keep. I've had one for years and had zero issues with it. Liked it so well, I bought a used one for a back up. I agree with EB, get you a couple of manufactures batteries, just for back ups if nothing else. Also, I would locate a good higher gain antenna. The one that comes with it is not much more than a dummy load.

[Kesephist]

Works for me, gents. HRO got my order for the mic/earphone interface and for a Diamond RH-77CA antenna. Battery's fine as frog fur, as the guy gimme a NEW setup. But I do like the idea of a backup, true nuff. Programming cable and a copy of CHIRP are indeed next on the hit parade. I am, however, considering putting a amp in there, 'cause 5 watts in Vegas is not hitting anything.

Somewhere I'd heard of some odd soul taking his HT apart and spreading it on a breadboard...way beyond me.

[ElevenBravo]

MFJ has 2m amps, not a bad idea!

500w should walk the dog! haha

[bacpacker]

You can find small amps as well. I have a couple of 5 in 50 out amps. Run off a cig lighter socket. Or wire them up with power poles for a real nice hook up.

[Fidel MD]

Works for me, gents. HRO got my order for the mic/earphone interface and for a Diamond RH-77CA antenna. Battery's fine as frog fur, as the guy gimme a NEW setup. But I do like the idea of a backup, true nuff. Programming cable and a copy of CHIRP are indeed next on the hit parade. I am, however, considering putting a amp in there, 'cause 5 watts in Vegas is not hitting anything.

Somewhere I'd heard of some odd soul taking his HT apart and spreading it on a breadboard...way beyond me.

If you can't hit a repeater in Vegas (Potosi or Red Mountain) with 5 watts, there is something wrong with the radio or how you have it programmed...

And breadboarding your HT is the functional equivalent of digesting a meal - what you end up with is crap.

[Kesephist]

Bacpacker, if ya could send me the specs on those amps would be highly obliged.

Fidel, as for the programming side of the street... that is why I've turned the manual into my latest all night read. I go back to AES either tomorrow or the next day to take the guy up on his offer to program all the Vegas stuff in.

Even one as untechy as I can tell that I'm not getting anywhere. in the midst of an apt. complex, with this two steps up from a dummy load/one step up from a coathanger of an antenna, five watts or no. Hence the Diamond antenna.


Deus volent, I will be doing a mini-field run next week over to Red Rock and put this little guy and my RS HTX-10 rig thru their paces. Got a nice piece of dipole for the -10, thinking about a good portable mast to perch it on.

Four 5 ft sections of Sch 40 2" PVC with couplers, 4 x of guy lines, 30', 26' 23,' and 21' ... Wish I had my late dad's idea of a field expedient anvil, 1' sections of railroad rail, for the foot of the mast. Meh. Will figure something.


Kesephist

de KI7CIL

[ElevenBravo]

4 sections of 5 foot pipe make 20 feet, Im guessing that is the radiator. Might want to look at your math, 1/4 wave for 20m is only 16.5 feet- 10m should be about half that.

Not sure what you are wanting to do but we can help if you have questions.

EB

[Kesephist]

This is PVC plastic pipe for a mast... parking the dipole on the top... beginning effort. And the HTX-10 is a 10M rig. Simply put, just trying to get the thing off the deck. 4X5 is what I can manpack.. well, COULD, back in the day.

Said 10M dipole is allegedly already balanced, and is two 8'4" lengths with the balun in the center. In theory I could just invert V the thing and use a single 10' length of PVC, and be satisfied with a 4x of 15' guy lines up to the top.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Here is a site that should keep you busy, it has all the repeaters for the counties LEO, EMS, Fire, etc. (already linked your area) The other has all the ham repeaters. This should help you in your endeavors. Have fun! By the way I have both the FT-60 and the Diamond antenna they both have performed well for me. With the list of repeaters in LV that I see you should be picking something up even on that rubber duck. I know I did years back up in Reno. (same unit)

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=1745

http://www.artscipub.com/repeaters/search/index.asp?state=Nevada