Having used the FTA-550L for a couple of weeks now, I must say that I am very pleased with it - decent (rechargable) battery life and very usable. However, I have come across one 'gotcha' in the design in that the battery pack has to be installed in the radio in order to make use of the drop-in charger.
Unlike pretty much every handheld radio I have ever come across, the Yaesu pack cannot be charged on a 'stand-alone' basis, so you can't leave one pack to cook whilst using another.
Fri Oct 16, 2015 11:56 pm
#1411889
Sat Oct 17, 2015 4:01 pm
#1411958
Depends!
For the relatively low cost, it's a reassurance that if the main COM radio or electrics die in IMC for whatever reason, I can still tell ATC what's up.
I've not used mine much, but I've been very glad I've had it.
Use the ILS in it - no way!
For the relatively low cost, it's a reassurance that if the main COM radio or electrics die in IMC for whatever reason, I can still tell ATC what's up.
I've not used mine much, but I've been very glad I've had it.
Use the ILS in it - no way!
Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:13 pm
#1411972
Just been out playing with my new 750. It's an excellent bit of kit; great fun. It gaves me a second VOR which was handy today, and I had it plugged into the intercom to use the receiver for weather reports. And the ils did actually work - not to IR limits, but for a cloud break down to a circle-to-land minima it would have been ok. Yeah - of course I wouldn't *plan* to rely on it, but it did make life just a little easier.
Sat Oct 17, 2015 7:16 pm
#1411992
Am I missing something here ?
Yaesu FTA-750L Sprit supplied by ML&S £259.95 incl Vat
http://www.hamradio.co.uk/avionics-avio ... d-5548.php
Yaesu FTA-750L Sprit supplied by Transair £339.00 incl Vat
http://www.transair.co.uk/sp+Yaesu-Tran ... eiver+1525
The only difference I see is ML&S do not mention 8.33
Yaesu FTA-750L Sprit supplied by ML&S £259.95 incl Vat
http://www.hamradio.co.uk/avionics-avio ... d-5548.php
Yaesu FTA-750L Sprit supplied by Transair £339.00 incl Vat
http://www.transair.co.uk/sp+Yaesu-Tran ... eiver+1525
The only difference I see is ML&S do not mention 8.33
Levis Sed Non Parvus
Sat Oct 17, 2015 7:28 pm
#1411993
Yeah - don't buy from Transair.
My ML&S one does 8.33. If you turn it on. And don't mind the display showng not quite the frequency you typed in.
My ML&S one does 8.33. If you turn it on. And don't mind the display showng not quite the frequency you typed in.
FLYER Club Member
Sat Oct 17, 2015 9:37 pm
#1412018
SteveX wrote:Laughable that anyone would waste money on a handheld unless in a microlight or something! 27 years flying and never needed to waste my money.
You obviously have a good aeroplane with a good radio and a good electrical system then.
I've made quite good use of my handheld over the years!
Lockhaven wrote:Am I missing something here ?
Don't think so. There was a great thread on here some years back. Transair decided to go into the boat market and started a company called Transmarine. Downstairs was Transmarine, upstairs was Transair. They had the same life jacket on sale in both, with Transair charging about 50% more than Transmarine. And that was the same company in the same building! *Shrug*
Lockhaven wrote:Can everything be programmed via the handheld screen, because just reading the manual it seems to use Windows applications to program and mentions nothing about Apple products.
With Windows computers being so cheap, I think everyone who has Apple products should also keep a Windows laptop, just for when, y'know, they want to do stuff in the real world...
Sat Oct 17, 2015 11:05 pm
#1412046
SteveX wrote:Laughable that anyone would waste money on a handheld unless in a microlight or something! 27 years flying and never needed to waste my money.
of the four aircraft at our strip, 3 use handhelds as their only comms. My FTA550 will replace the earlier non 8.33 Yaesu hand when I get around to swapping it.
We don't all fly spamcans with comms racks in them!
The quickest way to fall out with people is, discuss politics.
Sat Oct 17, 2015 11:10 pm
#1412049
Lockhaven wrote:Am I missing something here ?
Yaesu FTA-750L Sprit supplied by ML&S £259.95 incl Vat
http://www.hamradio.co.uk/avionics-avio ... d-5548.php
Yaesu FTA-750L Sprit supplied by Transair £339.00 incl Vat
http://www.transair.co.uk/sp+Yaesu-Tran ... eiver+1525
The only difference I see is ML&S do not mention 8.33
my post from a while back...
Sooty25 wrote:Sooty25 wrote:I know I offered to do the forumites a deal if anyone wanted one, it is offered in the same way I would offer it to the other chaps at our strip, people I know (sort of)! I'm not looking to be the next transair!
Just to follow up on what I said the other day, I've had a couple of PM's regarding a deal on this range of radio's. Having checked the trade price list and compared the pricing to http://www.hamradio.co.uk also mentioned in this thread. Hamradio have a profit margin of £4 on each of the 550 series radios and about £10 on the 750L. And probably making a couple of quid on their shipping charges. But that is all before credit card charges are taken out!
I had heard that Martin Lynch & Sons (hamradio.co.uk owners), sold main products at cost relying on the bigger profit margins available in accessories. I think this confirms it.
I'm sure you chaps realise that there isn't any point in me trying to do a better deal than that!
The quickest way to fall out with people is, discuss politics.
Sat Oct 17, 2015 11:44 pm
#1412059
Sooty said
When i used to fly with a friend in a Chief, we had mags that were the only electrics!
Handhald Icom and later a small Gel battery and an intercom....all worked OK. (ok, we did have access to a 152 and a 172 with loads of boxes and twiddly knobs and stuff...but the KISS approach was more fun!
We don't all fly spamcans with comms racks in them! +1
When i used to fly with a friend in a Chief, we had mags that were the only electrics!
Handhald Icom and later a small Gel battery and an intercom....all worked OK. (ok, we did have access to a 152 and a 172 with loads of boxes and twiddly knobs and stuff...but the KISS approach was more fun!
Sun Oct 18, 2015 7:37 am
#1412072
SteveX wrote:Laughable that anyone would waste money on a handheld
Anyway blokes aren't allowed to laugh at other blokes buying gadgets. It's in the code.
Sun Oct 18, 2015 9:42 am
#1412090
SteveX wrote:Laughable that anyone would waste money on a handheld unless in a microlight or something! 27 years flying and never needed to waste my money.
ils on a hand held, do me a favour.
Oh dear someone has had a sense of humour failure.
Levis Sed Non Parvus
Sun Oct 18, 2015 10:20 pm
#1412207
Lockhaven wrote:Can everything be programmed via the handheld screen, because just reading the manual it seems to use Windows applications to program and mentions nothing about Apple products.
Hi, I have been using the FTA-750L for 2 weeks, I started to enter the memory channels using the keypad and the volume/channel switches, it can be done but very fiddly and time consuming, The Yaesu website only shows windows software. I still prefer my 'vintage' 1992 ICOM it only has 20 memory channels and separate Volume and Squelch controls, the 750L requires you to press a button on the left side to enter squelch mode, not much of a problem, but its just below PTT button, and if you want to stop the Scan function, you have to press the PTT button, and the manual also says not to use NM-iH/NiCad's in the battery case, been using them in my ICOM for 15years. But apart from that , at £270inc not bad, I paid £395 for the ICOM in 1992.
If any tech guys out there can convert the ICOM to 8.33, please let me know!
CTTS