Here is the latest entry into the digital radio field. It looks like an interesting radio, but it looks like another problem with interoperability. I hope maybe some smart Hams will figure out a way to make all the different modes work together. It would be nice if we could have a upgradeable mode that we could build upon and have available for all brands of radio. I am glad another manufacture is moving forward with new radios for Amateur Radio, this does help the hobby. I still would like to see something from the open source community. On a side note the camera microphone could have some use with HSMM.
Check it out here:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0111.html
Features
- 5 watts on Both 2m/440
- Image Transmit (QVGA 320 × 240)
- Integrated GPS
- CTCSS/DCS Encode & Decode
- Weather Receiving with Weather Alert
- Analog and Digital
- Wide-band Receive
- Optional Camera Microphone
Absolute waste of space. Could've worked on all our existing P25 repeaters. I guess they expect us to plunk down $600+ just to talk digital simplex (like I've been able to do for 13 years already....) I predict a slow, quiet death. BAAD business decision, Yaesu....
ReplyDeleteC4FM is bad business? Change has a price tag, pay it or get out of the way so some one else can.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been able to find anything to confirm that this does APRS. The copy on the brochure sounds like it has a mode that's like APRS, but it doesn't specifically say APRS anywhere. I would also note that the image transmit requires the optional camera mic to work and there's no way to actually preview or view pictures on the HT itself. Requiring you to plug it into a PC for that function.
ReplyDeleteI could only hope that Yaesu is smart enough to make the CPU/DSP user programmable in this radio in order to allow people to upgrade the radio with new modes later on. Once Codec2 gets a fixed-point port things are going to get really interesting. If the radio is reprogrammable it will also greatly increase the radio's lifetime and reassure many potential buyers that it's not going to become a worthless brick one day from being unpopular. (no one to talk to)
Probably too much to hope for, but it could happen. Then again, one of the stated functions for the USB port on the side is firmware upgrades so maybe someone smart enough could reverse engineer how it works and make open-source firmware upgrades. See TI graphing calculators and Linksys and other wifi routers.
In really looking at the brochure, I don't see anything either about APRS. From what I can gather from online sources, it appears to be a new C4FM format that is not compatable with anything out there currently. I am guessing that the GPS data is sent on the same data stream as the voice. Think of a standard TRBO system using one slot as the voice and the other slot for the GPS data from the unit - combine the two and that is what you get. Sort of a hybrid APRS system and voice system all in one.
ReplyDeleteI can see one positive about this (if my assumptions are correct) as it does fix some issues with using TBRO on the ham bands - there is (to my knowledge) no "CSQ" in TRBO - you have to have the time slot and color code set identically between radios to communicate or even monitor. And there is no defacto standard that I know of for TRBO. I would bet that the Yaesu format doesn't have that issue.
I am anxiously awaiting the ability to read the manual about the FT-1D and what functions are available in the C4FM mode. And I am curious about what the price will be. Being that it isn't a current standard mode, if they try and go high-dollar, it will be a flop. If they can bring it in for about $100 over a standard analog HT, then they may have something - but again, I gotta know more about what functions they have in their C4FM mode.
Dennis - WB0WAO
I may have jumped the gun or maybe wishful thinking about the APRS. But it does look interesting and I am looking forward to the Codec2.
ReplyDelete73
Jim
KC4BQK