With the new narrow band mandate, can the ft-60r be adjusted for that?

[KC9RCG]

I know that doesn't affect ham. However, I am more interested in listening to police and fire traffic. I got the idea that the ft-60r does not do that.

confirmation?

[K6LCS]

All CFR 47 Part 90 business, educational, industrial, public safety, and state and local government VHF (150-174 MHz) and UHF (421-512 MHz) Private Land Mobile Radio (PLMR) licensees operating legacy wideband (25 kHz bandwidth) voice or data/SCADA systems are to migrate to narrowband (12.5 kHz bandwidth or equivalent) systems by January 1, 2013.

The FT-60R's synthesizer provides for channel steps of 5, 10, 12.5, 15, 20, 25, 50, and 100 kHz per step.

I *think* receiving will be OK ...

Clint Bradford K6LCS

[KB1LKR]

Should be fine I'd think. Turn up the volume a little to adjust for the lower (2.5 kHz) deviation?
Does the Wide/Narrow (5.0/2.5 kHz) menu setting have any RX impact or only changes the 2m & 70 cm Tx deviation?
Or are you worried about 6.25 kHz channel spacings vs. 5/10/12.5?

[KC9RCG]

My understanding is that I would lose around 50% volume. The ft-60r is not the best volume under normal circumstances.

[K6LCS]

>> ... The ft-60r is not the best volume under normal circumstances ...

I sold hundreds of these radios while working for the largest ham dealer in the US, and I own several of them. NEVER have I heard a complaint of "poor receive volume" - unless someone went in and messed with deviation or something. What seems to be the problem with yours?

I mean, if the receive volume of a FT-60R is too weak for your environment, then you need to consider an audio accessory (speaker-mic, earpiece). Because the FT-60R is as loud - or louder - as many commercial rigs costing a heck of a lot more.

Clint Bradford K6LCS
909-241-7666

[K9KJM]

>> ... The ft-60r is not the best volume under normal circumstances ...

I sold hundreds of these radios while working for the largest ham dealer in the US, and I own several of them. NEVER have I heard a complaint of "poor receive volume" - unless someone went in and messed with deviation or something. What seems to be the problem with yours?

I mean, if the receive volume of a FT-60R is too weak for your environment, then you need to consider an audio accessory (speaker-mic, earpiece). Because the FT-60R is as loud - or louder - as many commercial rigs costing a heck of a lot more.

Clint Bradford K6LCS




I agree.     The FT60 does have lots of audio.   And as already pointed out, The commercial narrowbanding will simply have the effect of reducing deviation, So your audio level will be less.
909-241-7666

[KM3F]

I agree, volume is directly tied to deviation.
You can't do anything about it but raise the audio output using some means.
It's just the same as having wide deviation but speaking softly. The volume will be low despite the wide deviation capability if there is not enough audio amplitude to drive the transmitter into a wider deviation.
The opposite of this is narrow deviation being driven by loud audio.
What happens is there is a clipper circuit plus a deviation limiter in the receiver and transmitters to keep this under control.
Otherwise you would hear a lot of distortion "on FM" no less, during voice loudness peaks.
So standards are set to adjust equipment to.
One direction keeps distortion under control, the other way the audio goes lower.
Which way would you rather have it?
Good luck.

[AA4PB]

There is one other issue. With narrow banding, a station occupying the adjacent channel be closer to your selected channel and may interfere because your receiver IF filters are wide enough to receive both channels.

Narrow banding includes lowering the deviation on the transmitters and reducing the IF bandwidth of the receivers.

[KM3F]

Receiver IF band width is a very good point.
Our radios don't narrow the bandwidth that I know of but  the new commerical radio designs surely must have narrower IF performance or seems it would defeat half the reason for going NBFM.

[2E0JTP]

I know that doesn't affect ham. However, I am more interested in listening to police and fire traffic. I got the idea that the ft-60r does not do that.

confirmation?

Page 57 of the FT-60R instruction manual explains how to change the channel step size (5/10/12.5/15/20/25/50/100 kHz). Page 62 of the FT-60R instruction manual explains how to change between wide (5kHz) FM deviation, and narrow (2.5kHz) FM deviation.