Yaesu FT-1DR or Icom ID-51A?

[IZ3SIK]

I told myself it's time to try the D-STAR infrastructure...
What do you recommend between these two handhelds?

Yaesu FT1D, Yaesu FT1DR, Yaesu FT-1DR Amateur HT

Icom ID-51A, Icom ID51A D-STAR HandiTalkie, Icom ID51

I actually use a Yaesu VX-8GR.
thx

 

[KE5MC]

Only the 51 will get you into the D-STAR infrastructure. Its important that a D-STAR stack (repeater) is operational in your area too. Maybe a DV Dongle would be better to check things out. Gets you into D-STAR with only your desktop/laptop computer and internet access. New about $200 and used about $40 less.

Mike

 

[IZ3SIK]

So the Yaesu will use a standard not yet supported by the existing DSTAR infrastructure?

 

[KE5MC]

That's one of the negative points of Yaesu's digital radio (12.5 kHz C4FM FDMA). I don't know the merits of what they have purposed, but nothing I have heard indicates DSTAR compatibility.
Mike

So the Yaesu will use a standard not yet supported by the existing DSTAR infrastructure?

 

[K0epp]

the Yaesu uses a different modulation from D-star and is not compatible.
If you are interested in what the Yaesu digital system entails, I recommending taking a look at the PDF here: http://www.yaesu.com/downloadFile.cfm?FileID=7146&FileCatID=151&FileName=DigitalCommunicationsGuide%5FE%5B1%5D.pdf&FileContentType=application/pdf

 

[Moleculo]

I've been tempted to try the Yaesu FT-1DR, but the digital mode isn't supported by anything else at this point. For me, the selling point would be if it could also RX P25 frequencies, but it can't even do that from what I understand. So, that makes it a very niche product. D-Star is well established and accessible to everyone at this point. If there are no repeaters in your area, you can even put up your own for a couple hundred bucks and be connected to the worldwide D-STAR network. Both the Icom ID-31 and ID-51 are pretty nice radios, very easy to use and program, and really make it worth taking the plunge into D-STAR, IMO.

I've put up a club (W9WDX) D-STAR homebrew repeater here in Southern California - it would be really cool to get a few other systems from site members and linked in. It really is pretty simple.

 

[KE5MC]

I was talking with one of my ham buddies this morning about the Yaesu FT-1DR. It was his understanding that the radio will use the same digital 'chip' that a mototurbo radio uses. That if mototurbo goes open-source it might be possible to reprogram the micro-code. Which opens many possibilities... which I admit I am not aware of and we didn't get into the details. He's into reprogramming routers and using them to create MESH networks which is just his current project activity among many others.
Mike