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Reviews For: Yaesu FTM-100D

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Base/Mobile (non hand-held)

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FTM-100D
Reviews: 60MSRP: 480.00
Description:
The FTM-100DR VHF/UHF Dual Band Transceiver, an exciting new
way to enter into Yaesu's revolutionary world of System
Fusion C4FM Digital Communications. The FTM-100DR's single
receiver design provides 50 solid Watts of RF power on both
the 144 and 430 MHz amateur radio bands, while still being
host to a feature packed suite of both C4FM Digital and FM
Analog communications capabilities that fit every amateur
radio operators needs.

Designed with simplicity and convenience in mind, the FTM-
100DR's highly visible and compact 160 x 40 pixel graphical
dot-matrix display can be detached from the body of the
radio and remotely mounted providing even more installation
options. This vibrant white LED backlit display provides a
clear and crisp view of the radios current operating status,
not limited to GPS Information, SD Card status, and
Operating band name/memory channel tags (Alphanumeric).

The FTM-100DR operates in three (3) Digital modes and an (1)
Analog mode to suit your needs. This feature packed radio is
our first Digital Mobile equipped with our new Automatic
Mode Select (AMS) function that instantly detects the
received signal mode. The AMS function enables stress-free
operation and eliminates the need to manually switch between
communication modes.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=106&encProdID=3F8B6B6AF1EC22B82F01E68C1E0F0BA6&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00603.6
K9AOG Rating: 2019-08-01
Wine, red or white… Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought this unit to replace my FTM-400DR that I loss in a collision. Totaled the van but walked away. Didn’t need all the features of that radio. Nice unit but my insurance values these not to kindly. Changed insurance company after that one.

Got the FTM-100DR for my new 4X4. Great radio. I do have an external speaker for off road and because the unit is mounted in the back with detached headset on dash. And yes, extension cord works just fine. Installed in my 4x4 late July 2015 and it is still going strong on and off-road. Solid performance for many rugged years and over 80k miles.

Nice bright display and easily viewed even in strong sunlight, even with my sunglasses. If your polarized glasses make it hard to see your rig then it’s your choice of sunglasses. Talk to a pilot, There are quality polarized sunglasses and then everything else no matter how much you paid for them.

RTFM on the FTM… Most works intuitively once you get the simple menu under your belt. I do run the RT Systems programming software to standardize my two units. Yes, one in the home too.

Solid performer in the desert at Death Valley or Anza Borrego as well in the snow up in Mammoth or Big Bear. No issues or complaints and very happy with the unit.
N2CYY Rating: 2019-06-20
Great Performer & Fun to Use Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have one in the house and one in the car. I universally get great audio reports when in the analog FM mode. C4FM digital mode is awesome! Screen is bright and sharp, no problem seeing it day or night. I am very pleased with these radios.
While I have been a ham since the early 70's I get a kick speaking with hams around the country & the world, while riding in my car.
K2LAX Rating: 2019-06-18
Premature Failure @ 3wks Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
ONLY HAD RADIO 3WKS Operating on UHF as local ARES net controller at base station. During long transmission radio turns itself off, reboots, then no UHF TX output. Smell something got hot. RCV and VHF Ok. Tried reinstall firmware and factory reset. NG. VSWR < 1.5 Emailed Yaesu for return authorization, hooking up another radio. Bummed... I really like operating this radio. Even after fix... not sure I can depend on it for emergency radio use. I have heard of 2 other similar failures. Will update after radio back in service.
WW8X Rating: 2019-04-17
Very pleased with this guy! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It's a great dual band rig for mobile or in the shack. It features a great display and a fairly intuitive programming user interface. It will scan both analog an digital modes and automatically change modes to the received input signal. I've connected to Yaesu Systems Fusion repeaters and WIRES-X and always get great audio reports. There's lots of bang for the dollar with this radio and I'm impressed with Yaesu's overall build-quality and abundance of advanced technical features.
N2HAM Rating: 2019-04-01
Awesome Radio Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Awesome radio! Love all the features! Easy to see the display in the car even in bright sunlight. Super easy to program and I love the large numeric and letter display easy to read in the car. Great receive and plenty of power. Love the wide receive also. The remote head is easy to mount many places even on the air vents using a cell phone magnet mount! Not complicated at all. I have the FTM-400 also and its even more awesome!
KB9FMV Rating: 2019-02-02
BEST WIRES RADIO AROUND Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Had this radio for 6 months now GREAT rig ! THIS RADIO WAS DESIGNED FOR FUSION / WIRES !Its not really a radio for dual band use but for a rig to be used on WIRES X ! Now with that said let me tell you no matter what frequency you have it for on WIRES X WOW WHAT A GREAT PERFORMER! HOW CAN YOU COMPARE IT TO A YAESU FT 1000 HF RIG IS BEYOND ME! I guess if your old school and expect it to work like a YAESU FT 1000 maybe you shouldn't be a ham or learn the difference between the hf vhf and uhf let alone WIRES X AND FUSION! Oh please don't let me confuse any OF THIS with you with APRS AND GPS! LOL Well anyway this is one of the best little rigs for WIRES X as well as APRS AND GPS for $300 bucks ! Tough to beat ! It was like I said designed for FUSION AND WIRES! If you haven't tried WIRES X you have no clue what you missing! I am a big HF guy and still am ! But if you have no band conditions this is the ticket to talk to your buddies in different states with no band conditions! I have tried Dstar and DMR didn't like either for a numbers of reasons ! This is so easy to use you cant beat it! Plus if you don't own a repeater who cares! Don't want to belong to a repeater club you don't need to !! SET UP YOUR ON NODE AND ROOM AND WALLAH YOU ARE NOW IN COMMAND OF YOUR OWN MINI REPEATER ! So more to learn more to come this is the way to go with WIRES X ! TRY IT GUYS ITS REALLY SUPER FUN AND GREAT COMMUNICATION! THE RADIO DOES IT WORKS AS DESIGNED SO ENJOY!
KA9MOT Rating: 2018-12-19
Wonderful Rig Time Owned: more than 12 months.
These bad reviews crack me up!
Great little rig. For $300 bones you get a dualband C4FM rig and if you want it to it will do APRS too! If you use it as an APRS rig it only works on APRS, but you can use the GPS without APRS and it is fun and you'll always know where you are, which direction you're going and what you speed is. It is flexible!

I don't use mine for APRS.

Great display!

I like mine. Not as well as I like my FTM-400XDR, but that radio cost me almost $200 more. These are the times we live in.
K8DXX Rating: 2018-05-03
Displeased After 2 Trips Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought this radio for trips to and from Florida. As a simple analog (non-dual receive) radio it's OK. I programmed roughly 250 repeaters into the rig using RT Systems and Repeater Book, many were listed as Wires-X machines. Took it on the road using a Hustler MX 270 5/8 mag mount (stacked 5/8ths on 440). Running 50 watts, I found I had to be almost on top of a repeater to connect using Wires-X. If this is all this mode will do, I might as well use the $85 Chinese 25 watt analog radio I used on the trip last year.
N4RP Rating: 2018-05-02
Worthless in a vehicle Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This might be a fine base dual-band rig, but it's useless in a vehicle. First, if you wear polarized sunglasses while driving, the display goes completely black, you can't even tell the radio is on. And yes, I tried all the possible combinations of contrast/brightness. I've had several rigs in vehicles over the last few years, including multiple Yaesu units, and not had this problem with any other radio. Second, the radio can't do anything else while using APRS, and it's several button clicks to turn the modem on/off when you want to switch between APRS & voice modes.

Not recommended unless you want C4FM in the shack.
K8HU Rating: 2018-02-26
Never Again ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had an FT-1000 for over 23 years and it has (and still) works wonderfully. Thought I might go the Fusion route and bought an FTM-100D. What an error that turned out to be! Terrible to program manually and forget using the Yaesu programming software available on their site. Using the Yaesu programming adaptor, the software would not "see" the radio even with the required SD card, properly formatted in the radio. Configuring the memories and actually using them are akin to solving a Boorlean Algebra equation; the GUI is simply horrible and I understand from my dealer that the failure rate is something akin to 10%. I wish Kenwood radios were compatiable with Fusion as my TM-D700 just keeps chugging along. Yaesu selling Fusion repeaters for $600 was a marketing stroke of genious. Too bad their mobile transceivers are an exercise in futility to put to use.