| K9TWO |
Rating:      |
2009-11-17 | |
| Great....Love mine |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Don't use a keyboard with mine, don't want one either. Used the owners manual very little, just played with the features and learned it in just a few hours. This thing was great in getting my Hustler vertical tuned on 80 meters. That SWR feature is super. The scope feature is great in using your manual notch on your rig. The resolution is good enough to read cw dots and dashes on the water fall. It's not hi def but I knew that before buying it. It's not a computer that needs a mouse. Don't need another mouse either.
Don't much like the logging program, but don't like any of them for that matter. Go the QRZ and type my call K9TWO and you can see a pix of mine in use.
Come on guys, if an old goat who's been a ham for 50 years can learn this thing without a manual so can you. Sure it's not a necessary item, but what is. Sure the manual sucks but I worked for a Japanese company for 10 years and have learned they do their best. Anyway, I love my DMU-2000 and plan to keep it. It's cool.
73 K9TWO |
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| K0CWO |
Rating:      |
2009-11-11 | |
| Putting the DMU-2000 in perspective. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I ended up with the DMU-2000 because I acquired an FT-950 to use at my secondary QTH. I like the FT-950 but I missed the band scope of my 756ProII at my primary QTH. Since I don’t have a lot of room at the second QTH, my 756ProII ended up there and I now use the FT-950/DMU-2000 at my primary QTH.
What you get with the DMU-2000 is a world map with grey line, a band scope with center and fixed modes, an audio frequency scope/oscilloscope, a logbook, an SWR plotting page, an antenna rotor page, a memory channel page, and a menu mode page.
The band scope does everything the scope in the 756ProII does. What I like about the DMU is that by buying whatever size monitor you prefer, it is much larger than the scope in the 756 series radio and any of the higher priced Icom radios. I use a 15.6 inch widescreen monitor. The resolution is as good as the resolution of the 756 ProII display. It would be nice if Yaesu would have designed the DMU so that the entire space on the monitor is used. There is a one and a half inch blank strip along the bottom of the screen.
All DMU screen pages have a standard heading that shows VFO A&B frequencies, operating mode, IF shift, filter, bandwidth, dual time and other handy operating indications. The world map with grey line is OK but not too exciting. The band scope is nice. Maybe not as fast as the Icom scope but definitely as useful with a few more available tricks. I like the band scope on the DMU better than the Icom scope. The audio frequency scope/oscilloscope is handy when adjusting notch, shift, width, and contour of an incoming signal and it is also useful to adjust your outgoing signal. I have not used the logbook function and probably won’t since I use my computer for the little logging I do. The SWR plotting page is fun to play with, and it gives you a “visual” of where you can go without having to retune. The volt, temp, and swr meter on this page are a nice touch. The rotor page looks cool; it has some nice features, but I don’t use a rotor so I cannot comment any further. The memory channel page looks like it would be a definite plus for those who like to use memory channels. The menu mode page is excellent. It takes all the guess work and button punching out of the somewhat cumbersome menu system of the FT-950. The fact that you can save all radio settings to the memory of the DMU is great since those settings are erased from the radio during software updates. I plan on controlling the FT-950 using Yaesu’s PCC-950 computer control program in the near future. If you are not familiar with the PCC-950 software, take a look at it, it think along with the DMU-2000, PCC-950 computer control would make a nice station setup.
The DMU-2000 is not a Ham Radio Deluxe type accessory. The DMU is nothing more than a device that will give you a visualization of the radio’s capabilities on a screen. Unless you want to change some of the default initial setup items or use the DMU logbook, a keyboard is not necessary. In fact, I did not and don’t use a keyboard at all.
I think Yaesu is behind the times with an outdated compact flash card instead of a USB flash drive as well as a parallel interface and other proprietary interface cables when using peripheral accessories in the entire Yaesu product catalog.
Final opinion. Is the DMU-2000 worth it? I think it is. The FT-950, DMU-2000, monitor and keyboard can be had for about $2300, more or less. My 756ProII cost as much six years ago. The IC-7600 costs $4000 and replaces the newer 756ProIII no longer available. I have only had the FT-950/DMU-2000 combo for a short period, but so far I like it as much as my 756ProII at comparable cost.
I hope this review puts this accessory in its proper place. 73, k0cwo
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| NK7J |
Rating:    |
2009-11-11 | |
| Big Swing.... and a miss |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
To be upfront, I have not owned the DMU-2000 for more than a few days.
To me this is a way overpriced accessory. I was so use to the bandscope on the Icom PRO radios I decided to add the DMU-2000 to the FT-950 to have it again. I thought it would also be nice to have the extra features the DMU claims to add.
Well...... If all you want is the bandscope, or the audio scope, or the world clock, then this is OK... Very expensive OK! I have no idea what yaesu was thinking when they did not make the plug in keyboard more usable? You would think they would make the keyboard have some actually functionality to it! Getting access to all the different screens through the band buttons on the FT-950 is just ridiculous when you have this nice keyboard plugged into it!?
This product has the capability of really making a SUPER addition to the station but yaesu missed the ball completely with its current revision. I mean how great would it be to be able to access the voice storage (with the DVS-6) or the memory keyer through they keyboard??!! Stupid me I thought the keyboard would actually serve some function...
Does it do what it they say it will do? yes.... Is it easy to use? No. If you stick to one screen then your ok... For me I wanted a bandscope and I got that but wow did I pay for it.
Maybe in the future yaesu will come out with an update and make this a great product.. Hello anyone at yaesu listening? |
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| N0AZZ |
Rating:     |
2009-10-15 | |
| Very useful tool |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I have had mine going on 3 years and find it very useful. I use the band scope most of all and you must know how to set everything up for it to work correctly. I had a Pro3 for 9 mo and found the band scope to be to small and did like the radio because you could not customize it to fit my needs like the FT-2000D. |
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| KA2DDX |
Rating:     |
2009-10-01 | |
| Upgrade |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I wish to upgrade my rating from a couple days ago to a 4. In the future, I'll try to be a little more considered in my evaluations. The biggest problem with this product is the steep learning curve and the inability to manipulate this from a keyboard (or mouse). You can input data with a keyboard but the use of the dmu is from the front keypad of my FT-950. I strongly believe that the manipulation of the dmu should be from the dmu itself and / or the keyboard. The system bios of the dmu does have an option for a mouse and it is disabled. Yaesu support tells me that is because there are no mouse drivers in the OS. I really don't care if Yaesu uses a mouse or keyboard, but they should not be using any key on the front of the radio. Even the greatest of products are limited in usefulness if they are cumbersome, and the dmu is cumbersome; big learning curve.
Your mileage may vary......Regards, |
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| W6AAJ |
Rating:   |
2009-09-18 | |
| I hope there are software updates coming |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
The rating of 2 corresponds to the words "Needs Help". After months of using the DMU-2000 I have to say that's exactly how I feel. The world map screen is OK but it is really low res compared to the resolution of PC's even PC's from 10 years ago. The graphs are fine and are what I use the most. The menu setting screens are also helpful. The log book feels like a program from the early DOS days (I'd rate the logbook a negative zero - sorry guys). The DMU accepts a keyboard but it not used by most programs. Likewise, there's no mouse. This makes the software feel like and operate like it's 15 or 20 years old. I have no experience with the rotator control program.
My wish list includes dealing with these issues and adding programs for the digital modes.
I have faith that Yaesu will continue to upgrade the DMU as they have done with the FT-2000 (which is simply excellent). |
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| K2ID |
Rating:      |
2009-05-01 | |
| Find it usefull |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
I don't want another keyboard and mouse on my already cramped desk so I like the controls the way they are. After a few weeks it is instinctive for me to get where I want to go.
The screen is large enough and I don't need it to fill in the blank bottom. Mine is not close to me and I can see everything just fine, even with my poor eyesight. Nature abhors a vacuum and apparently so do hams. :)
I am not looking at this as a computer so I really do not care about its processor or OS. What I care about is what it can do for me. It allows me to find DX stations before they are reported on clusters and the pile ups begin. It is more than fast enough for this and I doubt that I could work a station that only will register on a bandscope for a second and then never apear again. If it is a workable station it will show up. I work a lot of weak signal stations and this DMU has allowed me to find them and many other stations that I miss if I simply use my VFO. I wonder how many users even know that you can select a small part of the band and spread it out so that you can see even the weakest signal inbetween more powerful one. It is not intuitive but not difficult to learn either and I discovered that if I used the time I was spending thinking about how to make it better and instead devoted it to learning all of its features, I ended up learning how to make it even more useful than I thought it was.
The only things I use are the bandscope, memory manager and spectrum analyzer. They work very well and have helped me tremendously during contest time. With some imagination you will quickly realize that you can setup several configurations for your rig and save them. I have a rag chewing, DX, bareback and QSO and Contest set of memories saved and recall them as the need arises. This makes it easy to reconfigure my rig in a few seconds.
If you look at this for what it is, which is basically the DMU portion of the Yaesu top of the line rig, rather than a computer or what it should be, then you will not be disappointed. If you bought this after doing the proper amount of research you have no right to complain about what it does not have. A little bit of reading would have told you what it did not have before you spent your money. Don't buy a Honda and then complain it is not a Lexus.
Is it worth the money? It depends on whether or not its price is considered expensive to you or not and/or its usefulness. If you are mostly a ragchewer than save your money. If you like chasing DX and finding those hidden weak signals, like I do, then go ahead if the price does not break the bank.
I will end this and say, YES, it could have been designed better but I also realize that Yaesu basically ported what was in their FT9000 line to a standalone unit. I knew what I was buying when I plunked my money down so I am not disappointed because I got what I paid for. I am not one to knowingly buy a pig in a poke and then complain that it is a pig in a poke. Shame on me if I did not know that before I bought it. :)
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| G8FXC |
Rating:     |
2009-03-16 | |
| Room for improvement, but I like it. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
If you view the DMU-2000 as a computer, you'll probably be disappointed, but that isn't what it is about. The DMU-2000 is an extension of the radio's front panel - it gives you the extra information displays that you can't fit onto the panel.
Yes, the bandscope isn't as responsive as a full SDR radio, but it's perfectly adequate for monitoring band activity and identifying interesting signals - the dual receive of the FT-2000 really comes into its own for that. I can be in QSO with one station and monitoring the band on the scope, identifying signals down the band on the sub-receiver.
The audio spectrum analyser and oscilloscope are useful for setting up the compressor and monitoring other people's signals.
I don't generally use the logbook - normally use a PC logging program - but the fast boot of the DMU is handy if I'm just switching on for a short time - I can always export the DMU log and import it into my PC logging program later.
The world map and clock are handy, if not too exciting...
There are a number of shortcomings - why on earth didn't Yaesu make full use of the keyboard and allow us to plug up a mouse? Hopefully they will get round to it soon. Internally, it is a general purpose, rather low-end PC running Linux - it can't be long before someone produces alternative software for it - I may have a go myself sometime soon.
Martin (G8FXC) |
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| VE3EN |
Rating:   |
2009-01-16 | |
| Needs alot of help. |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
DMU had alot of potential, but after using it I found out it was not worth the money.
After using the Icom 756 Pro 2 for sometime and having a bandscope, once you have a bandscope you cannot go back to being without.
The FT2000 seemed like a nice big radio, so I purchased the DMU2000 to go along with it.. as the main feature is the band scope.
The DMU2000 scope was very slow and sluggish. After many different settings, setting the roofing filter etc I was able to get it working "ok" .. but far from excellent.
On a band like 6m when you are trying to find weak signals in a hurry... it was downright awful.
Everything else in it.. the logbook looks like it was just thrown on there for the heck of it.
The grayline map looked nice..
Rotor control seemed nice as well, however too much money to change rotor's just to put to use.
I have since sold the FT2000 and DMU2000.
FT2000 is a good radio, but DMU is not all that it is cracked up to be. |
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| K5LOT |
Rating:   |
2009-01-16 | |
| GPS WITH THE DMU2000 |
Time Owned: N.A. |
| BOUGHT THE GARMIN C330 FOR THE DMU2000 GPS PROGRAMING BUT THERE IS NO KNOWN WAY TO CONNECT IT TO THE SERIAL CONNECTOR ON THE DMU LOOKS LIKE YAESU ENGINEERS ARE 5-10 YEARS BEHIND ON TECHNOLOGY SO NOW I HAVE A GPS TO STICK INTO THE CLOSET THE GARMIN C330 IS DISCONTINUED AND MAPS ARE OUT OF DATE BECAREFUL WHAT YOU BUY ALMOST SPENT OVER 60 BUCKS FOR A CABLE I HAD GARMIN ON THE PHONE FOR HOURS THE CABLE WON'T WORK WITH THE DMU2000 SEARCHED FOR A FULL DAY NOTHING USB SERIAL THE DMU HAS A USB PORT BUT ONLY FOR KEY BOARD CONNECTION THEY ALMOST HAD IT DOWN RIGHT THE DMU NEEDS MORE WORK TO MAKE IT FUNCTION WITH OTHER STUFF WHY DID THEY PUT IT IN THE MANUAL THAT YOU COULD USE YOUR GPS TO SET YOUR LOCATION WITHOUT REFERING TO AN EXACT DEVICE |
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