Yaesu FTM-350AR

[KJ4VOV]

Sweet ! Just curious why do you want to hook up another item to the rig ? Is this so you can track them "live" ?

When I operate as net control for public service events, such as runs, bike races, etc., we usually have one runner in the pack with an APRS HT, and a tail vehicle behind the last contestant, also with an APRS beacon. If I'm operating with someone else they usually handle the APRS tracking on a laptop using an HT, but if I'm operating solo my laptop won't work with the software (64 bit laptops are a PITA - working on getting an older Toughbook from the county) so this will give me a low cost visual capability until either the county issues/gives me a Toughbook, or until I buy one myself and get it setup. Plus, visual indication of APRS beacons while driving on a separate GPS means I don't have to try and look through menus and screens on the FTM-350. The 350 is a nice rig, but I wish it didn't revert back to the main screen every time you transmit. With this, that won't be a problem.

 

[Se7en]

When I operate as net control for public service events, such as runs, bike races, etc., we usually have one runner in the pack with an APRS HT, and a tail vehicle behind the last contestant, also with an APRS beacon. If I'm operating with someone else they usually handle the APRS tracking on a laptop using an HT, but if I'm operating solo my laptop won't work with the software (64 bit laptops are a PITA - working on getting an older Toughbook from the county) so this will give me a low cost visual capability until either the county issues/gives me a Toughbook, or until I buy one myself and get it setup. Plus, visual indication of APRS beacons while driving on a separate GPS means I don't have to try and look through menus and screens on the FTM-350. The 350 is a nice rig, but I wish it didn't revert back to the main screen every time you transmit. With this, that won't be a problem.

Oh ok that makes sense! Yea iv noticed once I hit the ptt it goes back and that is a pita. ok well please keep us or me posted on the hookup of the garmin and ftm350.

73

 

[KJ4VOV]

Oh ok that makes sense! Yea iv noticed once I hit the ptt it goes back and that is a pita. ok well please keep us or me posted on the hookup of the garmin and ftm350.

73

It's going to take a little time. I hadn't realized the cable was $48 + s&h. That's more than twice what the GPS cost me!

I'll have to try and sneak that into our budget this month.

 

[KJ4VOV]

Got my cable interface in the mail yesterday.

Sent using secret methods known only to squirrels.

And selected hamsters.

 

[K4WHE]

Nice, let us know how it turns out. Mine works great, though one thing to remember that unless you filter the beacons your Garmin's "favorite" locations will fill up (think it's around 200 or something). From time to time make sure you delete a bunch of the favorites you don't need.

One thing I use is the Garmin POI loader. It allows me to keep the waypoints I want to save on the SD card and delete all of the favorites at one time. Once you do that it will reload your waypoints on the map. If you don't do it that way you will have to manually delete all the APRS callsigns which takes FOREVER!

 

[KJ4VOV]

Nice, let us know how it turns out. Mine works great, though one thing to remember that unless you filter the beacons your Garmin's "favorite" locations will fill up (think it's around 200 or something). From time to time make sure you delete a bunch of the favorites you don't need.

One thing I use is the Garmin POI loader. It allows me to keep the waypoints I want to save on the SD card and delete all of the favorites at one time. Once you do that it will reload your waypoints on the map. If you don't do it that way you will have to manually delete all the APRS callsigns which takes FOREVER!

I don't normally filter beacons on the rig, so this may turn into a problem. What happens when the favorites fills up? It was my understanding that this was going to be a pretty simple process but now it's starting to sound like it's going to require constant attention and maintenance. If that's the case I may have to reconsider this.

 

[K4WHE]

I don't normally filter beacons on the rig, so this may turn into a problem. What happens when the favorites fills up? It was my understanding that this was going to be a pretty simple process but now it's starting to sound like it's going to require constant attention and maintenance. If that's the case I may have to reconsider this.

No it's not really all that bad. Just depends on how much you travel. I typically filter the IGates, Digipeater, stuff like that. Also I have the filter set to something like 100 miles. I pick up all the mobile stations and messages and bulletins. For the Nuvi 350 it will auto update the last position on stations so you won't get duplicates clogging up the favorites.

I think I've only seem the favorites full a couple times in the last 2-3 years I've had it, and all it does it display "favorites full" and beep on the map. A little annoying, but it takes 30 secs every few months to clean em out with the POI loader.

What else you want to know? I think the system works great, though I've been a little gun shy about doing the updates to the firmware on the Nuvi for fear of Garmin cleaning up our favorable glitch. Maybe the fear is unwarranted, but I don't know for sure.

 

[KJ4VOV]

No it's not really all that bad. Just depends on how much you travel. I typically filter the IGates, Digipeater, stuff like that. Also I have the filter set to something like 100 miles. I pick up all the mobile stations and messages and bulletins. For the Nuvi 350 it will auto update the last position on stations so you won't get duplicates clogging up the favorites.

I think I've only seem the favorites full a couple times in the last 2-3 years I've had it, and all it does it display "favorites full" and beep on the map. A little annoying, but it takes 30 secs every few months to clean em out with the POI loader.

What else you want to know? I think the system works great, though I've been a little gun shy about doing the updates to the firmware on the Nuvi for fear of Garmin cleaning up our favorable glitch. Maybe the fear is unwarranted, but I don't know for sure.

I'll let you know about the firmware. The first thing I did with this one when I got it was update the maps and the firmware on it. If it still works then yours should be safe to update as well.

One thing you could confirm for me though... I already have the GPS in the FTM-350, so my plan is to simply use the Garmin for the output, and not use it as the GPS input for the rig. I'm assuming that so long as the Comms input is kept set to off it should be fine. Can you confirm that?

 

[KJ4VOV]

Okay, I can confirm that a firmware and map update on the Nuvi 350 does not interfere with it's use with the FTM-350. I just hooked up mine and was able to display beacons just fine.

 

[K4WHE]

I'll let you know about the firmware. The first thing I did with this one when I got it was update the maps and the firmware on it. If it still works then yours should be safe to update as well.

One thing you could confirm for me though... I already have the GPS in the FTM-350, so my plan is to simply use the Garmin for the output, and not use it as the GPS input for the rig. I'm assuming that so long as the Comms input is kept set to off it should be fine. Can you confirm that?

I never got the GPS unit for the 350R, just the Nuvi, all you should have to do is make the setting reflect the outboard GPS unit and it should be ok.

 

[KJ4VOV]

It worked just as I expected it to. I left the input of the radio set to "off" and the output set to "packet". That provided the data to the Nuvi but kept the radio on its internal GPS instead of the Nuvi.