Yaesu Vx-7R Owners

[Uncle Ben]

Done....request to Sophie has been made.... Thank you Wes and Sophie, what a great team!

 

[Romer]

This makes me want to program the 7800.

I didn't get the cable last night it is in the package coming today. I did get the yaesu SW though so I can play with both of them.

Dave - Since your stoked, how do you make the groups? Also, based on what you said I don't see any reason to keep the CB channels. I am going to add the Moab channels and look up the Repeaters near the Rubithon and add those.

Wondering if after I get this all programmed if I can use the same file with different SW for my 7800. be a lot easier if you had the same groups etc.

 

[Shark Bait]

I ordered the USB cable off of ebay

Ken,

Which one did you get? The ones from Hong Kong are a little cheaper, but delivery time seems kind of uncertain.

Alvaro turned me on to this place and I got a cable & adapter to program the FT-2800 for my FJ40. It only took about 3 days for my order to show up.

 

[Shark Bait]

Thanks Dave,

Maybe we should have a programming party?

 

[DaveInDenver]

Dave - Since your stoked, how do you make the groups? Also, based on what you said I don't see any reason to keep the CB channels. I am going to add the Moab channels and look up the Repeaters near the Rubithon and add those.

Dunno with the RT software. With Commander, at the top there is pull down that lets you get to memory groups. It's not fancy. On the radio, push MON[F] and then the #9 key. This accesses the special memories section. You scroll through the selections (SW BC, Marine, etc) to the #2 option, MR Groups. Press the MON[F] - #9 key combination to set it. Now the upper left of the display will be flashing the 'MG' and the group number will be just to the right of it. Scroll through to the number of the MG you want. In the case of Denver repeaters, go to #3. With it flashing, hit [V/M] to select it and now the radio will only do MG frequencies. BTW, this only works on the main VFO, not the sub. Press the [V/M] key again to pick a different memory group. To get out, do the MON[F]-#9, select the #1 option of off. Now the main VFO is back to normal operation. This is also how you get the shortwave broadcast stations, the #5 option in the special memories.

Wondering if after I get this all programmed if I can use the same file with different SW for my 7800. be a lot easier if you had the same groups etc.

The files are not universal. So you have to export one into a CSV and then you can import the CSV into the other radio's programming software. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure that the RT Systems ADMS-2I software can do that. Dang it, I forgot about that, now I gotta get the FTB8800 tool...

 

[Romer]

Ken,

Which one did you get? The ones from Hong Kong are a little cheaper, but delivery time seems kind of uncertain.

Alvaro turned me on to this place and I got a cable & adapter to program the FT-2800 for my FJ40. It only took about 3 days for my order to show up.

This one
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170194147270&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=007

Bought it last Saturday and should be getting it today

 

[Uncle Ben]

Hmmmmmm......uploading from Commander to VX-7r keeps locking up the laptop......not sure why as I have no error message just frozen computer. Yes, I have the 7r in Clone Wait mode and my com port is correct.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Hmmmmmm......uploading from Commander to VX-7r keeps locking up the laptop......not sure why as I have no error message just frozen computer. Yes, I have the 7r in Clone Wait mode and my com port is correct.

Does that little Cable Test program run OK? A locked up 'puter sounds more like a driver issue.

 

[Uncle Ben]

Does that little Cable Test program run OK? A locked up 'puter sounds more like a driver issue.

I have waisted too much time I didn't have on it now so it's gonna have to wait till later. It seems like the USB/Serial adapter thats messing with it. It worked yesterday so I might have to reload the driver for the adapter before I mess with it again....

 

[Romer]

So do you use the FRS signals to talk to people on portable unlicensed radios?

What are the ones marked 4WD and those with -Nat after it?

I am going to take a cut at different file using yours as the starting point. Trying to first define what are the groups that would be good to have, maybe we can compile several inputs and come up with a master. Could even split up the work entering info.

Here is my thoughts on grouping set looking for comments:

Denver/Boulder Area 2M Repeaters
Colorado Connection Repeaters 2M
Denver/Boulder area 70cM Repeaters
2M Simplex
Moab 2M Repeaters
Rubicon 2M Repeaters
6M stuff

Have you found value with the CB, FRS and GMRS freq's?

 

[Romer]

Here is a freq I added from a search on the Rubicon

Hi Robert, try 146.805 pl 123 minus. The KA6GWY/R.
It's used for S&R activities here in El Dorado County.
Most deputies have ham licenses."
​

One other guy said it worked great to get a medavac team in there.

I tokk Dave's file and added the repeater above and the Moab repeaters from the link in the other thread. I then made the following Groups

MG1 - Denver/Boulder Repeaters
MG2 - Colorado Connection
MG3 - Moab Repeaters - 3 only seemed like they would cover
MG4 - 2M Simplex Channels
MG5- Rubicon (Eldorado Vally)

I also have in the file all the 2M repeaters across Colorado

Since we (I at least) use 2M, I thought I would start with just that. It's easy to copy and paste between files to add stuff. I was going to do the 70cM after we get what is a good 2M list.

Am I just running amok or do you guys see value in this? If you do, look it over and lets add other 2M repeaters that might be useful.

There probably are a few emergency ones that might be good to add.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Good deal, Romer.

I had:
group 1 as FRS (this for me is useful because people I ski, ride and hike with use FRS and the VX-7R with a Diamond has got to be about the best FRS receiver ever)

group 2 was CB (not useful in the pickup, although I do listen to the semis when we're in the 4Runner, the beauty of NMO mounts is that I can swap antennas in no time)

group 3 is Front Range 6m, 2m, 1.25m and 70cm repeaters (this is the group I leave my VX-7R on most of the time)

group 4 Colorado Connected Repeaters statewide

group 5 2m simplex channels for Colorado (15KHz spacing)

group 6 Calling frequencies on the bands the VX-7R can do, so 50.3FM (West Coast calling), 50.4AM (National), 52.525FM (National Calling), 146.520 (National), 223.500 (National), 446.00 (National)

When I travel I usually let the radios find the stations, using the Smart Search deal. It generates a new group of local stations that gets flushed when you go out of Smart Search. I'll sometimes program active ones to regular memory if it's a place we go more than once. For example, I have some of the Moab, Flagstaff and Sedona repeaters that seemed to always have activity programmed into the FT-7800R that's going into Red Chili. I dunno, I'm just lazy mostly and let the radio do the work for places I'm only visiting temporarily.

 

[Romer]

Dave, do you use the 6M, 70cm and 1.25m bands. I have only used 2M so far. I think the 7800 only does 2M and 70cM. One reason whyy I wanted to do 2M first and then add in the 70cM.

Can you tell me more about group 6. I haven't reached that part of my education yet.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Dave, do you use the 6M, 70cm and 1.25m bands. I have only used 2M so far. I think the 7800 only does 2M and 70cM. One reason whyy I wanted to do 2M first and then add in the 70cM.

Can you tell me more about group 6. I haven't reached that part of my education yet.

The VX-7R will TX on all four bands (although 1.25cm is only 300mW). The national calling frequencies are simplex channels that everyone agrees to use to hail someone. This would be when you call CQ and look for a simplex contact. Also they are the frequencies we are supposed to monitor in the backcountry.

 

[Romer]

The VX-7R will TX on all four bands (although 1.25cm is only 300mW). The national calling frequencies are simplex channels that everyone agrees to use to hail someone. This would be when you call CQ and look for a simplex contact. Also they are the frequencies we are supposed to monitor in the backcountry.

Thanks Dave.

I updated the file and this is realy just re-organizing Dave's file and adding Moab and the Rubi so it makes sense to me. In this way I will know whats there. I also want a file I can use on my 7800.

So I added the 70CM, FRS, GMRS, National and looks like police and CDOT

Here is the way I have it organized

MG1 - Denver/Boulder area 2M
MG2 - Colorado Connection
MG3 - Moab Repeaters/ Rubicon - only 1 rptr for Eldorado cnty
MG4 - 2M Colorado Simplex
MG5 - 2M Colorado Repeaters (Not Denver Area of CC)
MG6 - National Freqs - I included 6M and 222
MG7 - Denver Boulder 70cM
MG8 - Colorado 70cM
MG9 - GRS/GMRS/CDOT/CSP FERN

What's Fern?

Like I said it only has the2M and 70CM for now.

Again, if nothing else this was useful to me so I could understand what was in there.

Thanks again Dave for the list

 

[Uncle Ben]

Great work guys! I did have Wes relocate Daves File to members only so ROMO you might want to put yours there too!

 

[Romer]

This is really cool. Had some setup issues though.

I'm running vista-64 bit and tried to use the unsigned driver for windows xp-64. Took a bit but if you press F8 at startup you canm allow unsigned drivers for this boot only.

Next needed to configure the com port to 4 and then go into control panel and turn the fifo buffers down.

Once I worked through all of that it worked flawlesly. I like how this display gives the freq number and the tag entered in the VX Commander.

I then enabled the Memory groups the way Dave mentioned. In plain memory mode you have access to all and can scroll through them all as one big list.

Now to get this good stuff into the 7800

Kevin - I don't understand the need to move this to the Members only section. Nothing club related is in the file. Why the concern? I don't think my little 8K file would cause any bandwidth issues (Would it wes) and the key words are already in the section to create Google hits.

 

[Romer]

VX Commander can do SW mods to enhance the functionality of the radio

TX Frequencies:
Freeband: 40-224.995Mhz and 300-579.995Mhz
Mars/Cap: 50Mhz-54Mhz, 140Mhz-174Mhz, 222Mhz-225Mhz, and 420Mhz-470Mhz.


Can someone who has done this elaborate on the benifit. Not sure what Mars/cap or freeband means.

 

[Uncle Ben]

Kevin - I don't understand the need to move this to the Members only section. Nothing club related is in the file. Why the concern? I don't think my little 8K file would cause any bandwidth issues (Would it wes) and the key words are already in the section to create Google hits.

Sorry Romer.....I looked but didn't find you agreed but I thought we all had decided. My bad....Just figure we offer a lot to non-RS members and I obviously feel pretty strong about keeping some of our efforts exclusive to those in the club who's dues make all this possible!

There's nothing secret about it. But, yeah, we might want to move it to Member's Only to keep Google from finding it and having every VX-7R owner in the world downloading it.

 

[Hulk]

I'll be happy to give you some twin lead to make the J-pole antenna. Last time I was on with my VX-7R I was sitting inside at my desk and I think I sounded fine according to the others that were online that night.

Love to see a picture of your antenna, Chris.