A new handheld ILS-capable transceiver YAESU FTA-750L

I now have this radio

It looks really well made. I will do a report when I have had more time to play with it. It has been charging overnight.

I haven’t yet flight tested the ILS, and can’t fly till next weekend (due to staff holidays). At work I have an RF signal generator and a modulator which can be rigged to generate a LOC or a GS but not both concurrently; it would be interesting whether this radio enforces a valid LOC before it will show a GS (which is how EHSIs and above work; the old HSIs/CDIs don’t care).

Normal operating mode:

GPS screen

Headset adapter goes into holes under the little cover held by 2 screws – the radio won’t be waterproof when you remove that cover

On/off switch, volume, etc on the other side

Accessories:

The car charger says “12/24V”.
The USB lead suggests it can be programmed via USB, but no software came with the radio so I will look for that. Or maybe it doesn’t need any…
The extra battery pack is an empty one, for six AA cells – ideal for emergency use when the built-in one might well be flat.
Not in the pic is the mains charging stand, which the phone stands on.

I haven’t yet found the VOR/ILS functions but then I haven’t yet read the manual There is nothing in the config menus.

Yes

The adaptor can go in two ways, but the other way obstructs the USB socket.

Also, the radio may well still be sealed with the adaptor cable attached, although obviously water will get in via the headset jack sockets!

There is a sidetone config but it doesn’t seem to do anything (with my Bose X) even if set to maximum, unless PTT is pressed. The sidetone works only if PTT is being pressed, and (with the Bose X) only if the headset volume is turned up pretty high. I will test the transmission later today.

There is a mike internal/external config which needs to be changed to EXTERNAL if the headset adaptor is attached, but neither setting makes the sidetone work.

I found the programming software manual here It says the PC needs to have Vista, win7 or win8, which is daft.

It looks like all features can be PC-configured, which is nice.

But there doesn’t appear to be a provision for a remote PTT switch, like the ICOMs have. That will be a total showstopper for many people because it makes it very difficult to use it as a backup radio for a total loss of electrics, with the antenna socket connected to a rooftop antenna with a dual-BNC lead. Basically you have to hold the radio in your hand to transmit. There is a mention of a 3rd party PTT switch solution

However, there is a VOX (voice activated transmit) feature which might do the job – so long as you never want to talk to the passenger(s) and if you do that it would be advisable to not slag off the local airport management But in any case if using a handheld radio in this way, you lose the ability to talk to passengers unless you buy yet another box (a multi headset intercom – I have one, from Pilot Industries, but the battery is always flat).

The manual is here

It looks like the NAV functions appear only when (a) a valid NAV frequency is set and (b) a valid NAV signal is actually being received, which is really weird!

Nav will activate when you enter navband freq (for example 144.200).

You need to be actually receiving the signal, not just set the frequency.

How about software/menu performance and speed. It’s not slow?

Fine.

Can you observer how long is battery life with all features (gps) on ?

It seems very good.

It is possible to enter 25khz frequency and immediately after this 8.33khz? Without entering into menu/configuration?

No; you just enable 8.33 in the config and use that all the time. It’s easy.

Maybe small youtube demonstration ? :)

You want to know my day consultancy rate?

This is just a handheld radio. It’s not a Cray XMP.

It is possible to transmit with full power when radio is powered from cigarette lighter socket or AC supply?

I think you have to have a charged battery in there to transmit. The charging accessories cannot power the radio during tha time.