With my working conditions (CW; low power; attic antenna), the apparent non-contest reduced CW activity and the waning sunspot cycle a hard choice is here.
- FT-8 is an unbelievable mode and I from time to time look for DX with the mode. However, there is no joy in contacting a station four states away on FT-8.
- At first WWFF then POTA were fun. But how many times can you work the same park? Not fun anymore.
- QRT? Ham radio has been such a part of my life for so many years. I hate to hang up may keys.
The following is being done to delay the shutdown (Looking for the spark – not spark gap)
- An FTx-1F was purchased to kindle the fire. It is a fun little radio, but it does not change the stations I can work with my working conditions.
- Operate from our back deck with a portable antenna – WX permitting.
- Operating the activities run by SKCC and next in line are those run by NAQCC.
- Work a few state QSO Parties.
I have been using the FTX-1F for several months. Here are my thoughts so far.
But first, my operating environment:
The radio is used mostly in the shack on a 13.8 volt power supply at the 10 watt level. CW is the main mode (almost the only mode, but I have made a few contact on SSB and FT-8). The antenna is a 55 foot doublet in the attic bent to fit. I have not used the radio on VHF or UHF other than to hear the audio in an HT on two meters.
Comments:
- Fun radio to use
- Good receiver
- Good keyer
- Menus are okay to use (cannot have a bunch of knobs on the front of such a small radio)
- Gets out well
- Limit use out of the shack but easily carried and used in the field or on our back desk.
Accessories purchased
- Fan – does a good job of cooling the radio
- Bluetooth – worthless! (I guess I was foolish to think it would work with something other than the Yaesu Headset.)
This is a complex radio. The danger is to learn a limited amount of its functions and stop learning what else it can do. I must fight this from happening.
This morning on 40 meter CW a station in Norway was worked. He actually copied my little 10 watt signal from my attic doublet. The FTX-1F came through. A great station at the other end, great conditions, no one else calling and look what happens.
The little radio works on SSB also. Yes not a rock solid signal around the world, but it does get heard. Once again Parks are a good way to test. Since I do not operate phone often the parks worked were new ones. Not like on CW where the same parks are heard over and over again.
So far so good. POTA is helpful as a test vehicle for new radios, morse key settings, etc.
To this point only one glitch. The disappearing CW indicator after operating split. I put a message out to Yaesu but nothing heard. The September 2025 software update (202511) should take care of this issue.
CW is my main operating mode so my comments result from operating CW. However, I did work a park on SSB with the FTX-1F and all went well (I think).
In the shack:
The transceiver does run hot as reported by many users. I purchased the fan and it appears to cool things down a bit (on a DC supply).
I have used the radio connected to my Mac via a USB-C cable. I am waiting for the Bluetooth unit to arrive. I hope Bluetooth can be used to replace the cable to talk to the computer. Report back when the module is received and installed.
Away from the shack:
The FTX-1F performed well using the battery on the back deck feeding a Wolf River vertical. Hopefully soon it will go on the road for more tests in the wild.
A new addition to the shack is the Yaesu FTX-1 Field radio. The pic here is in its initial testing phase (still in as of this posting). So far so good.
