Is it not 4? There’s also the FTM-500 which has C4FM, WIRES-X etc. But I concur, the other three look rather pointless.
I’m quite happy with my FTM-100 despite its flaws. The FTM-500 would be an improvement but not one that’s worth the extra £££s.
The FT1X looks highly desirable - but maybe not so desirable after the price has been announced and the initial independent reviews published. So will sit tight for a while I think!
The Digital Voice thing is a lovely concept, but I just don’t think the UK has a consistent enough repeater network to fully enjoy it - for operating mobile.
Is that the one that has Wires-X and (I think) a data port? I had my eye on that recently but didn’t know Yaesu discontinued it. One look at the used market prices for one and yeah, they can jog on. Crazy money.
I think the FTM-6000 has a data port on it but then for the money, spend a couple of quid more and get an FTM-300 or something? Dunno if that has the data port though. Of course if you don’t need that port then it doesn’t matter, but it’s funny how the 6000 and 100 were both feature packed and these new radios - FTM-500 aside, which is lovely, but the only people that can afford to buy it are Anne Widdecombe and people that wear crowns - are just utterly turgid by comparison.
It’s the radio equivalent of being in traction for six weeks, the telly on the wheelie trolley at the foot of your bed is stuck on BBC Parliament and nobody on the ward can find the remote control.
Someone must be buying these types of radio and they must be expecting to sell a few, or they wouldn’t spend the money on the R&D and design to bring out a new product.
I bought one of those a few months ago, intending to use it for QO-100 uplink with SGLabs transverter, to save tying up my ft817.
(OK, the real reason, it looked cool and was cheap)
I’ve had a few of those Andy (inc. the TR-9000, FT-290, FT-690 and an FDK Multi-2700 - remember that??).
In fact when I was first licenced back in the mid-90s, I had an FT-690 which I used to speak to people all over Europe using the stock extendable whip and 2.5w. I was hooked on 6m SSB and still am, albeit FT8 has certainly impacted the SSB side of things now.
I also had a FT-780 and FT-480, but I recently picked a couple of these up and found they weren’t as good as I remembered them, so I sold them on.
I am looking forward to seeing what the FTF-1X will be like, but I fear it’ll be so expensive it’ll not be worth buying (as other options will make more sense). If they could make a V/UHF version only, that was cheaper than the full HF/V/UHF version, that could be more tempting…
and was cheap)
