From: acm139@ccs.northeastern.edu (Scott Ehrlich)
Subject: Corrections to previous ft530 posting
Organization: College of CS, Northeastern U
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 21:53:34 GMT

My first impressions of the Yaesu FT530 handheld are that it is a very nice
radio in a small package.

* The backlighting is excellent!  It is edgelit on both sides of the
display, and the keypad is also nicely lit.  It offers delayed
lighting for longer viewing.  Pressing the function key then the
backlight keeps the light on until you turn it off.

* The radio's power button is on the side - nice if you want to keep
the volume controls where they are, but I'd prefer the power button to
part of the main volume control.

* The dual-inband receive is nice, though I would like to clarify one point 
  (whether it pertains to just my unit or is universal) -

  The 70cm transmit side is HEAVILY susseptable (sp?) to intermod.
This is the right side of the display.  It can also act as receive for
2m, which is also susseptable to the intermod.  It is not safe to say
70cm alone is the problem, but rather 70cm transmit/2m receive (the
VFO on the right side of the display) is not tight enough for intermod.
2m transmit (the left VFO) is just fine.

* The supplied manual is nice, but I didn't find it covered everything well
enough.

* A very nice feature of the radio is the ability to have both a 24
hour clock and battery voltage display.

* I feel the supplied belt-clip is sturdy, though I have yet to really
field test it.

* The indicators for BUSY/TX for both left and right VFOs are too close 
together

* CORRECTION: WHEN SIMULTANEOUSLY MONITORING TWO 2M FREQUENCIES, WHEN
TRANSMITTING ON ONE OF THOSE 2M FREQUENCIES, THE 2M RECEIVE FREQUENCY
IN THE OTHER VFO IS DISABLED.  THE SAME IS TRUE FOR 70CM.

* It also has an AM detector which can be manually turned on or off.

* Too bad stereo headphones don't separate the left and right VFOs.

* ADDITION: THE DISPLAY IS DIFFICULT TO SEE WHEN VIEWING WITH THE
ANTENNA POINTED AWAY FROM YOU.  IT BECOMES MUCH CLEARER WHEN THE HT IS
ANGLED STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN OR WHEN THE ANTENNA IS AIMED CLOSER TO
YOU.

* MINE DID NOT COME WITH ANY TYPE OF CARRYING CASE.  DID ANYONE ELSE WHO
PURCHASED THE HT GET A CARRYING CASE?

Overall, I really like the radio.  The Multi-Function LCD speaker-mic is
on backorder.

Besides the nasty intermod problem in the right VFO (each band has two
VFOs), the radio is great! (Redundant, I know).


The radio also comes standard with 2m receive from 130-174 Mhz and
transmit from 140-150 Mhz.

It also receives and transmits on 70cm from 430-450 Mhz.


I have yet to find software (keypad) mods for it.  Holding down the up/down
arrow keys then turning on the radio doesn't seem to do anything, at least
that I could see.

I am NOT opening the radio until it is out of warranty, if even then.

Hope this was helpful to anyone interested.

  
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| Scott Ehrlich 	       Internet: wy1z@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu   |
| Amateur Radio: wy1z          Packet Radio: wy1z@k1ugm.ma.usa.na	      |
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Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc