Yaesu FTA handheld radios unresponsive

[AC103]

Hi folks,

This is primarily aimed at users of the Yaesu FTA-550 or FTA-750.
Has anyone had a similar experience to what follows with these radios?

I recently purchased a 550 as a back up radio. It was DOA but then magically came to life after a number of power supply swaps.
I sent this back and got a 750 from a different region. It seemed OK but then also became unresponsive seemingly randomly.

After some investigation with the 750 I can see that if the battery is removed for more than about 7-30 seconds it will then not respond to power up. Not only that but when in a non responsive state it has a parasitic power drain that will flatten the battery completely in short order.

If the battery is removed for more than 7-30 seconds (this varies greatly) and then the power button is depressed while the battery is re-inserted the unit respond normally and there is no measurable power drain when shut down.

Essentially I have had two units that if you replaced the battery could end up non responsive and proceed to flatten the battery with out warning.

See videos of the troubleshooting as I tried to replicate the issue.

First the 750 where I discovered the power button hold workaround
https://vimeo.com/134139188

Secondly the 750 showing the parasitic drain when non responsive
https://vimeo.com/134283013

Lastly the 550 DOA - I would say this was a similar issue. Forgive the grumpy tones on this one MyPilotStore were a nightmare to deal with. ML&S in the UK (where I purchased the 750 from) quite the opposite.
https://vimeo.com/130580333

Yaesu UK are investigating this with the vendor and myself and Yaesu Japan but I said I would also see if anyone else has seen similar issues.

[A and C]

Very interesting, I shall check my Yaesu radio over the weekend and see if it exibits the same problems.

[piperboy84]

I have the 750, it's a piece of **** , wish I had bought the sportys instead

[A and C]

Please can you tell us why you hold that opinion ?

[piperboy84]

It keeps freezing all the time and I have to pull the battery out to get it working again, then I downloaded a bunch of frequencies and tried to import them ( instead of manually having to input them) when I tried to connect to the PC there was some problem with the communications between the 2, I could connect but not import (I called Yaesu and they confirmed that my version of windows should work) I downloaded some type of driver and it still didn't work so I gave up and manually typed it in. The Gps is just a bare bones kind of deal, I had more functionality on the very first Garmin handheld Gps I bought back in 1996 than this thing does.

The user friendliness of the menu and submenus was obviously designed by a techno nerd with no thought of how the average Joe would find it cumbersome to navigate.

Looking back I wish I had bought the sportys with the NAV CDI feature instead of the Yaesa 750, it has the big dial pad for fat fingers.

[AC103]

Thanks folks, piper, not able to replicate the power issue in the vids with yours?

Any chance of a vid on it freezing? I too had to manually install a driver in my windows 7 machine. The software worked after that.

Very interested to see yours freezing.

[Whopity]

The user friendliness of the menu and submenus was obviously designed by a techno nerd with no thought of how the average Joe would find it cumbersome to navigate. Typical of all modern Yaesu (Vertex Standard) radios. Illogical from start to finish.

[A and C]

I dont seem to have the problems that the video demonstrated.

As to the functionality...... well it is a bit chalenged so as a primary radio in an aircraft with no electrics I think I would look for another product.

However my reason for buying the radio was for use as a last ditch back up to counter the total electrical failure in IMC situation. At one time when the UK had more than a token air force a hand held radio with an external antenna was enough to get you on the ground using a military PAR.

This option for safe recovery now being almost unavalable within the 30 min standby attitude battery life I decided that the Yeasu was the bit of kit for my situation as with the ILS you have far more airfield options.

[alland2012]

I have the 550 bought as a back up radio, never had any issues up to now.

Only let down was I bought it at the Sebring Sports Expo in January and it came with a mail in coupon for a $25 cash rebate, I never did receive it, anyway I took it up with the Yaesu rep at Sun n Fun, he assured me he would look into it which he did, he informed me I would receive a cheque within 30 days.....that was April we are now almost the end of July...no cheque..Oh well it's $25 I never had in the first place so I won't miss it...but it was a poor show to offer a deal and then not follow it through...

[AC103]

Thanks folks.

Yaesu are supposed to be investigating and they have the serial numbers of both of the units and access to one that had this issue. Not heard anything back. Time for a chaser.

[chevvron]

Get an Icom.

[Cows getting bigger]

Sportys own is far better.

Sporty's SP-400 Handheld NAV/COM Aviation Radio | Sporty's Radios | Aviation Radios | Avionics and Radios - from Sporty's Pilot Shop (http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/avionics-and-radios/aviation-radios/sporty-s-radios/sporty-s-sp-400-handheld-nav-com-aviation-radio.html)

[mikehallam]

I just looked at the Sporty's web advert.

Customer reviews on the same link are 'poor'.
Spec'n. neglects to say frequency range and in particular spacing.
Advert. doesn't let you determine if a direct 12 volt input is possible.
Headset adapter kit needed too.
Can't tell, but suspect the Aerial socket isn't the standard Bnc.
For the UK, wx channel not any use, just clutter.
Assume it's a Chinese copy of Vertex ?
At over £200 the known Icom is much the same cost & might be a better purchase in the U.K.

Finally I bought the Vertex (Yaesu) VXA 220 hand held about 5 years ago, Runs well, no issues, takes 12 volts from a/c supply. Great little set, so the pedigree is good.

mike hallam. (U.K.)

[carmam]

I have a problem with my Yaesu FTA-550 . In the glider, it was receiving OK, then when I pressed transmit, it just switched off. When I switched it back on, I got the welcome screen followed by the legal advice screen. At the same time as the legal advice screen came up, I got a tone (probably about 500Hz - but I am not musical so could be way off). I tried your advice, and inserted the battery with the power button pressed, but it made no difference. I found that the new batteries did go flat very quickly when just inserted as normal into the u/s radio (a matter of seconds - unless I have been sold 3 duds, as when I checked them 3 were flat and 3 were OK).
In the time it took me to write this (a few minutes), the battery pack has been out, then inserted as per your advice. The same.
Any ideas?

[Chuck Glider]

I just looked at the Sporty's web advert.

Customer reviews on the same link are 'poor'.
Spec'n. neglects to say frequency range and in particular spacing.

mike hallam. (U.K.)
The Sporty's page linked to by Cows getting bigger says it will receive but not transmit on 8.33.

I have a Yaesu 550 which so far has been satisfactory.

[Hyperdark]

I bought a 450, I wanted a backup radio not another GPS oh and what is a VOR?
It has been faultless so far and I found the programming via PC about as easy as any other I've come across

[carmam]

My 550 is unresponsive (solid tone after switch on - see earlier post). How do I connect it to my PC in that state, as I don't seem able to? Do I need a driver?

[cessnapete]

My 550 is unresponsive (solid tone after switch on - see earlier post). How do I connect it to my PC in that state, as I don't seem able to? Do I need a driver?

I bought the basic FTA-250 model some months ago. Great features and faultless so far.

[Penny Washers]

My 750 has held the battery charge for several weeks at a time - no problem there.

But I did find that it was easy to fit the unit into the charger wrongly and that care was needed to get the slots in the unit to register with the charger. There is an indicator light on the charger.

Are you charging the batteries fully? Low batteries might account for the switch-off when transmitting.

[double_barrel]

I don't suppose anyone knows if it's possible to 'open' these radios to cover marine VHF ? - that would be very useful if very slightly illegal to use, but not illegal for me to posess as a radio ham. The freqs are close enough and the limits must simply be defined in firmware.

['Chuffer' Dandridge]

My 750 has worked perfectly ever since I bought it a few years ago. No issues at all. Built well, it makes an iCom handheld look cheap....

[rans6andrew]

My 550, bought about 2 years ago, used on and off as a handheld portable has worked as expected. I didn't get around to using it in flight on aircraft power until September last when I started running out of 25kHz places to visit.

Cost less than the Icom** equivalent and has better functionality. If you want to check the frequency/channel your Icom is tuned to while it is displaying the station name it is a few button presses but the Yeasu has it already on show. This may sound like something you would not want to do but during the transition year 8.33<>25kHz it has been often used when the old grey matter failed remember if the ground station had changed.

** hint, buy handheld airband radios from the radio ham stores which often are more competitively priced than the aviation stores.

Rans6.......

[rob59]

I don't suppose anyone knows if it's possible to 'open' these radios to cover marine VHF ? - that would be very useful if very slightly illegal to use, but not illegal for me to posess as a radio ham. The freqs are close enough and the limits must simply be defined in firmware.
Frequencies are close, but modulation is different: marine VHF uses FM (frequency modulation), airband AM (amplitude modulation); so is not only a software issue to 'open' the frequency coverage

[double_barrel]

Frequencies are close, but modulation is different: marine VHF uses FM (frequency modulation), airband AM (amplitude modulation); so is not only a software issue to 'open' the frequency coverage

Ooops. Good point! I am used to radios with all modes available.

[Stefan De Sutter]

I have a Yaesu FTA-750 and since a few weeks the unit doesn't respond to anything anymore. No charging, no start-up, nothing....