Yaesu FT70D, FT1D, FT1XD, FT2D, FT3D, FT5D comparison
An unscientific comparison — what’s the right Yaesu C4FM portable for you?
I’ve had the chance to try all of Yaesu’s portable digital radios so far, after Nash Casten 4E1FLD/N4SHX lent me his Yaesu FT5D. I do own the FT70D, FT1D, FT1XD (my EDC), FT2D (now used for WIRES-X node), and FT3D.
Some observations:
Audio quality
So far, I can say that the radio with the best audio quality is the FT-70DR.
FT1D and FT1XDR are a close second, with audio very pleasing to the ear. FT2D audio is weaker and tinnier than the FT1’s. FT3D audio is the worst of them all — very tinny and with poor dynamic range. FT5D somewhat improves on that with a bigger speaker and providing an option to adjust for bass boost, treble boost, or just neutral. Still, i expected the FT5 to have better audio given its price, but the FT70 is still best in terms of audio, in my opinion.
Text input
The FT1 seres also give me the best APRS message typing experience with its keypad. I prefer multi-tap on actual tactile keypads instead of a small resistive touchscreen. It’s not just the typing itself, but some other UI elements. On the FT2, 3, and 5, everything gets deleted when I clear the message text (including the callsign and SSID), which is not the case with the FT1 — which can be a pain when replying to APRS messages.
Display
The FT1’s screen is now too small and dim for my eyes!
The best screen for reading APRS messages are from the FT3 and FT5. The FT2 gives you bigger screen real estate, but its contrast is too washed out that it’s not so easy to read. The FT2 does have a full-time clock display that disappeared on the FT3 and FT5 (you have to go through the menu system to see the clock). On the FT1 and FT1XD, the clock is displayed in single receiver mode.
Dual receiver
The FT1 series only provide C4FM operation on the A band. The B band is analog only! But for my purposes, I don’t mind, because I usually use the B band for APRS or for our club’s analog repeater channel.
Of course, this does not exist on the FT70D, which is a single-receiver only radio. You do have the option of doing a priority scan or a band scan on all these models, should you want to monitor several channels. Only the FT3 and FT5 have more advanced channel activity monitor or “CAM” mode that lets you visually see traffic on up to 5 channels, while listening to the primary/selected one.
Firmware and hardware bugs
Speaking of APRS, the FT3D has a firmware bug that causes it to freeze when sending an APRS beacon. The only way to stop transmit is by turning the radio off. This is intermittent, and I have not found an exact cause. I’ve therefore set my TOT to 1 minute, to prevent the radio from being stuck at transmit. It can be annoying, and it has not yet been resolved as of the most recent firmware update. With the release of the FT5 as the new flagship portable, I don’t think Yaesu will still continue updating the FT3.
Both the FT3 and FT5 experience RF “birdies” meaning the squelch opens even when there’s supposed to be no RF signal being received. I believe this stems from its use of a colored screen. The color LCD has some noise that the radio hears on certain frequencies. I think this is also why Yaesu removed the moving frequency/channel display during scan mode.
Battery performance
The FT3D gives me the best battery life, followed by the FT5 and FT2. FT1D and FT1XD battery life is significantly shorter, especially with digital (you can significantly extend it if you’re only monitoring and transmitting analog).
Update: Upon further testing, I have determined that it’s APRS that causes significantly reduced battery life on the FT1D and FT1XD since it is on standby full-time without RX power saving, and not necessarily digital. Using the FT1 with digital or AMS on but with GPS and APRS off gives me good battery life — around 16-18 hours on a single charge with the SBR-14Li. When APRS is turned on, the radio is on standby full-time (no RX save), thus uses significantly more battery power.
With the FT70, well what can I say? It has the worst battery performance among all the digital portables. You can find a comparison of battery usage specs here.
What’s good is that the FT1, 2, 3, and 5 share the same battery platform, so you have a good upgrade path or you can buy several extra batteries, the rapid charging cradle, and share them across the radios. There is also an option for a AA battery case for emergency power. The same can’t be said for the FT70.
All of the radios can also run from the DC-in jack. A 12V power supply capable of at least 2A lets you transmit at full power. The FT1 and FT70’s 10.5V 1A stock charger lets you transmit comfortably at up to 2.5W. I use this to power the FT2 WIRES-X node. I also have an adaptor for charging in the car.
The SBR-14Li’s battery tabs are easily broken after a few years of use. I have a few batteries with only one of the two tabs remaining, and one has both tabs broken. I use these as backup batteries now. The one with no tabs is now backup power for the FT2DR WIRES-X node. Some are also used with the FT1 held secure using the vinyl case.
A battery cradle (or more) will be a must if you have several battery packs. Charging the SBR-14 takes around 8 hours when using the FT1, 2, 3, or 5’s internal charger via DC-in. The cradle brings this down to 2.5–3 hours for a full charge. You can also easily swap batteries between uses.
Note that the FT1D came packaged with a smaller-capacity battery, at 1,100 mAH. FT1XD and newer models came bundled with the 2,200 mAH SBR-14Li. Did you know there’s a third-party “SBR-15Li” 3,800 mAH being sold?
User interface
The FT5’s keypad and “F” menu system has been significantly changed compared to the previous models. You might get confused at first, switching from the FT2 or FT3. The F button has been removed from the touchscreen softkey into a physical button. The GM and WIRES-X buttons have been combined. The FT5’s PTT, moni, squelch, and power buttons also now sit flush at the side, shifting away from the FT3 and FT70’s contoured design. Pros: They are no longer easily pressed accidentally. Cons: They are now harder to find if you’re used to tactile feel in finding these buttons.
I kind of miss the one-touch PTT toggle between FM and C4FM mode that’s present in the FT1, FT1XD, FT2, and other radios like the FT-991A, FTM400D, etc. The FT70, FT3, and FT5 do not have this, but they compensate for it by remembering the digital setting across channels (which is not the case with the FT1, FT2, FTM400, wherein you have to make sure you’re on the right mode after a channel change.
On the FT5D, you have the option of selecting channels on a per-band basis. For example, amateur VHF, amateur VHF, or “other” bands, etc.
What I like with the FT70 and FT1 series is that you can easily switch between memory mode and bank mode by pressong on the BAND key. On radios with touchscreen, you have to press F and then the on-screen BANK to switch between these modes.
Ruggedness
The FT5D is supposedly IP-67 rated, but Nash specifically advised me not to submerge the radio in water (he knows I have the tendency to try, like what I did with my FT3 and what I often do with my VX-6R).
The main reason I prefer my FT1XD as my every day carry is that there is no screen to scratch up or break. I mostly carry the radio on my belt, and my biggest concern with the FT3 or FT5 is hitting a corner — or even pressing it against the seatbelt buckle — and breaking the glass LCD.
The FT70 is perhaps the most rugged of them all (even if it doesn’t have the FT5’s IP67 rating). It’s also the reason that my three teen-aged children who are also licensed hams use the FT70D as their primary radio (with one of them also having their own FT1XD). They just drop it in their backpack without worrying about breaking a screen.
Other features
I like the FT3 and FT5’s “CAM” functionality, which lets you keep several channels in scan, providing a visual representation of signals received. But I don’t have much of a use case for it, as I don’t really sit around waiting for traffic except for our club’s UHF repeater, VHF repeater, and APRS.
Nash did not include the radio holster, so I won’t have the opportunity to review that. He did, however, include the MH-85 speakermic with camera. I shall be testing image capture and transmit with that soon.
Here are some feature comparisons:
- Vibrator: FT1, FT2 have vibrator as part of signaling. I find this useful in very noisy environments or when I need to be in a quiet environement but still monitoring for calls (I dislike earpieces, so I’d rather get a buzz from the radio). Yaesu removed the vibrator from the FT3 and FT5.
- Bar antenna: FT1 and FT1XD (like the VX-8) have a bar antenna for improved broadcast AM reception.
- Voice recorder: FT3 and FT5 have a voice recorder, which pauses when there is no traffic sent or received. Useful when assessing audio or signal quality later on. I do wonder about the legal aspects of recording conversations, though. microSD required.
- Picture sending and receive: Possible with the FT3 and FT5 either as part of WIRES-X or LOG. microSD required.
- Cable inclusion: The FT1D and FT1XD included the SCU-19 cable (some packages had SCU-18) as part of the retail package. On latter models, this was a separate purchase.
- WIRES-X: FT2, FT3, and FT5 can be used in PDN or portable HRI mode, directly connected to Wires-X on a computer (using the SCU-19). This is not supported by FT1 and FT70.
- Name and activity WIRES-X search: Supported by all digital models except the FT70, which only supports numeric entry in its WIRES-X interface.
- On-screen clock: Full-time on-screen display with the FT2. Displayed onscreen in single-receiver mode with the FT1D and FT1XD. Not discplayed on the FT3 and FT5 — need to enter the menu system to see the clock. No clock for the FT70.
- Battery case: FT1, FT2, FT3, FT5 support the FBA-39A battery case, which takes three AA cells for emergency power (maximum 1 watt, though). There is no such option for the FT-70D.
- Bluetooth: FT3 and FT5 both have bluetooth connectivity, but the compatibility with non-Yaesu devices is usually a concern. Also, it’s limited to audio. It could potentially have a use case in packet (e.g., APRS or winlink using the radio as a soundmodem), but unfortunately not supported.
- VOX: Only the FT5 has VOX.
Final (for now) thoughts
I do understand that only the FT-70D and FT-5D are current models. However, some users or collectors still prefer the older ones, which are certainly still available in the secondary market (or even brand-new from some dealers). I’ve seen the FT1XD being sold on eBay for as much as a brand new FT5, for instance! At the very least, I hope this article can help readers in deciding when purchasing a C4FM radio or in deciding whether to upgrade or sell their existing gear.
The FT2 is my least favorite due to is bulky size. It’s the most vulnerable to screen breakage, having the biggest screen, which is not recessed into the housing like with the FT3 and FT5. I still have a preference for using my FT1XD as my every day radio with its great audio quality and since I don’t have to worry about breaking a screen. My biggest gripe is the poorer battery life compared to the FT3. The small screen is still liveable if I use my reading glasses.
Now, the question: If you already have the FT3D, should you upgrade to the FT5D? I would be happy with the FT3 if not for the tinny audio. I do have a hack for that, though — covering part of the front speaker grille with tape.
If you have the resources for an upgrade, then go for it.
If you’re going for your first C4FM radio, then the FT5 would be a good choice if money is not an issue.
If you only need a radio for voice (no GPS, no APRS, no texting, etc), then the FT70 might be a good choice. Just buy extra battery packs and a rapid charging cradle so you can easily swap out batteries.
I do fervently hope that Yaesu will still come up with something that has a keypad for APRS messaging. I believe Kenwood’s recently-announced TH-D75 has a keypad, which should make for easier APRS texting.
I shall be updating this comparison article with more information.
Note: Some resources are affliate links.
