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FTM-350R has no memory banks or groups

Wise87

Member
Jan 6, 2010
39
0
16
I emailed Yaesu tech support and asked “what’s the deal with the 350R lack of memory groups and banks”. They got back to me and stated the 350 does NOT have a memory bank feature. As to why or will it be added later is up to Japan. What this means is no sharing or organizing of frequencies. I know we get 500 channels per side but that’s it, no organization and if you want to skip during scan, then you have to set it up that way. Entries will have to be entered on both sides if you want to be able to use the same frequency. Why Yaesu Japan decided to change things with their latest release is beyond me. Now I’m wasting memory space like and I can’t preprogram frequencies for a road trip like you can with the other radios. I wonder if this feature can be added later with a firmware update. If enough users requested the feature I wonder if it would be added. This is a big Con for me and I’m sure other users who like good frequency management. The VX-8R has an awesome bank/frequency setup. Why did they stop there? :confused:
 

I was disappointed with this also. When RT Systems releases the programming software, it will be easy to reprogram the memories for trips and such. It sure would be nice to just have the ability to organize the memories, though.
 
Yaesu Please Fix This!

As a VX-8R user and potential FTM-350 purchaser, this is a major issue I hope gets resolved.

The features of the VX-8R are fantastic and should be carried over to the mobile version of their APRS radio!
 
This is what the 350 needed. I was also leaning towards the 2820. They start out at the same price.


The IC-2820H has a total of 522 memory
channels, 500 regular channels, 2 call channels
and 20 scan edge channels. Each memory
channel stores tone frequency, skip information
and so on. The Dynamic Memory Scan (DMS)
system divides these memories into 26 groups,
A to Z, and provides easy channel selection.
Of course, bank scanning is also possible.
 
Ohhh weird omission with all the other things they put in it.

I just bought an FT-8800R as I realized I had all the gear to do APRS 'my way' anyway and wouldn't get the benefit of the bells and whistles of the FTM-350 or a TMD-710...really nice radio, been around for a long time too.

The two things that bug me with it are.

If you have the 'right side' running packet, selected as the 'main' VFO, all is hunky dory. If someone calls you on the other side, and you switch, packet still can be pinned to receive on the right, but it will transmit wherever 'main' is selected. So with APRS on it for mobile tracking, if you switch over, packet will come over while you are actively talking on another frequency.

Not a big deal for me, but a very small firmware change would have fixed that.

The other one is, you have two banks of 500 channels, one per 'side' of the radio. You can't link them, so to have frequencies the same on both sides you have to cut/paste in programming software to do that. Again not a big deal as even 500 frequencies for around here is way more than I'll ever use.

But....since you have the frequencies duped, say you stop one side of the radio to monitor simplex and scan on the other side. Even though 520 is on the main selected VFO, it isn't automatically skipped on the scanning side. You can manually go in and set it to 'skip' but I operate like this all the time and tend to move around the transmitting frequency.

Small issues really, but really easy fixes. Things you would generally never know until you get playing with them for a while.
 
The lack of a central memory pool gives me pause. All the redundant programming caused by this is awful. It is a huge reduction in flexibility.

No memory banks seals the deal. I experimented with an ICOM 91AD before I chose my VX-8DR and I was impressed with how easy it was to work with memory banks. THey were easy enough to use so that it was a practical feature. The VX-8DR does banks also, but the Kenwood did it with less keystrokes. Now Yaesu deletes banks altogether from a new flagship radio, I don't get it.

Maybe the next radio they release will correct these basic errors, but who knows how long that will be. They keep releasing the same basic dual band radios with really nothing new. I won't get my hopes up for a firmware update for these features. They did an upgrade to the VX-8R and it didn't really add much for features. Smart-beaconing and more memory slots, basically.

So, if anyone cares, I am bummed. I was very excited to get this radio, but I have decided to hold off and get by with my 8 until a better mobile comes along.
 
I was just entertaining the thought of adding an FTM-350AR to my toy box: what to sell ebay, where to put it, and the new possibilities with an integrated GPS enabled radio.

Then I spotted this sobering thread, now 14 pages deep in the forum, that reminded me that there are no user-definable memory banks. I have been so content with the VX-8 series and IC-92AD in their memory management that going back in memory technology implementation two decades really isnt acceptable to me either. That "seals the deal" for me too. I would much rather keep on with my VX-8R/GR, use an external amp and mic, and have dual band APRS that way rather than compromise on a $600 radio. Together with my 880H and the HT in the car I am already covered, but was just looking to upgrade the mobile station. I think I will wait until the next one comes out.

Thanks worldwidedx forum.
 

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