[chirp_users] programming Yaesu FT2D

W Paul Mills
Mon Nov 14 18:17:56 PST 2016


Not sure what cable you have, but according to Yaesu website, you need
the SCU-19.

On 11/14/2016 01:33 PM, Robert Carter wrote:
> Thanks David. I stand corrected. I have some work ahead of me to get 
> this all figured out.
> 
> I'm willing to support some experimentation with the FT2DR. Just so long 
> as I don't brick it! Just another embedded system to play with.
> 
> 
> On 11/14/2016 12:37 PM, David Ranch wrote:
>>
>> Hello Bob,
>>
>>> Clearly from the information posted to Yeasu's website the in-the-box
>>> supplied cable is a Prolific chipset. However, Yeasu appears to have
>>> tweaked the PID/VID to 'cripple' the cable and limit its use.
>>
>> That's not correct.  The USB cable Yaesu provided for the FT2 is just a
>> vanilla USB cable.  The VID:PID you're seeing is coming from the Yaesu
>> FT2D radio itself.  I bet this is a MUXed USB chip (maybe similar to the
>> CP-102) chips that can do multiple things (this is how say the Kenwood
>> TS590SG works too).  That's just a guess and there is very little
>> information out there on this port, how say the Camera MIC accessory
>> works with it, etc.  Yaesu has not offered any details though people
>> have been asking for years.
>>
>>
>>> Coming from ground zero, the radio and manual is daunting. There are a
>>> lot of nuances and frankly, the manual isn't well written, so I'm not
>>> surprised that I missed the difference between a 'data' cable and a
>>> 'programming' cable.
>>
>> It's also a change in behavior as the FT1D didn't support direct USB
>> connectivity for firmware updates like this.
>>
>>
>>> Late yesterday, I was able to figure out how to program it via uploading
>>> to the microSD card. But pulling the card out, loading the data to it,
>>> then putting the microSD card back into the FT2DR is extremely time
>>> consuming and inefficient. (And if not careful you can fat finger the
>>> microSD card and break it or the slot. I've had to use tweezers to pull
>>> the card out -- I can't get my fingers in grab the card.) The Yeasu
>>> ADMS-8 software appears to have limited functionality.
>>
>> Yaesu provided a microSD card extration tool as part of the FT1D radio
>> for this very reason (it's just a set of plastic tweasers).
>>
>>
>>> Programming via the radio UI is also possible, but slow and inefficient.
>>> But, I did 6 or 7 local repeaters yesterday.
>>>
>>> So my next question is does the list have a recommendation on a
>>> 'programming' cable that I should get?
>>
>> Sounds like the RT Systems cable and software is your only option
>> today.  Maybe in the future, someone will be willing to reverse engineer
>> the FT2 programming signalling via the SCU-19 cable.  Btw, some time
>> ago, RT Systems was recommending to write to the FT2 memories file to
>> the SD card (via a USB card reader).  You would then upload to the radio
>> via the SD import on the radio itself.  They might have added support
>> for the programming cable since then.  I would reach out to them and see
>> if that's still the case.
>>
>>> Has anyone updated the firmware for either the FT1D or FT2D with the
>>> supplied cable? Any failures?
>>
>> I've upgraded my FT1 with the SCU-19 cable w/o any issues.  It's
>> critical you follow every step (must be connected to a power source),
>> flipping the programming switch, etc.  The FT2 might be different so you
>> need to read the instructions.
>>
>> --David
>> KI6ZHD

-- 
/**************************************************
* Amateur Radio Station AC0HY                     *
* W. Paul Mills         SN807                     *
* Assistant EC Alpha-1 ARES Shawnee/Wabaunsee, KS *
* President Kaw Valley Amateur Radio Club         *
**************************************************/



More information about the chirp_users mailing list