New 2m/70cm Radio Yaesu FTM-300D

After many years of using an Icom IC-2000 for 2m FM in the shack, decided to upgrade and got a Yaesu FTM-300D. This is a 2m/70cm dual band, dual receive radio, with some extras such as APRS.

I set mine up with one band set to the local 2m repeater, VK1RGI Mt Ginini. The other band set to the National APRS frequency 145.175.

 Here is the old setup, Icom IC-2000 with 2m FM only.

It works quite well, just not used much, very quiet on the local 2m repeaters. Even scanning all the repeaters hardly anyone on... Used it a bit working SOTA activators on 146.500 FM, otherwise would sit idle in the shack for hours each day...

So got the Yaesu FTM-300D. This gives me some more repeaters to work on 70cm. The main activity now on 2m seems to be APRS. Monitoring the APRS frequency shows a lot of activity. The Station List display shows APRS packet activity.

Clicking on each entry gives good details on what and where the station is, speed and altitude, direction and for some weather stations temperature and other data.

I set it up to beacon my station call a few times an hour, shows up on the APRS website aprs.fi okay as a Yellow/Green roof house...

Most of the packets I hear come from VK1RGI-1, the Mt Ginini digipeater. Not surprising given its excellent coverage of the region, it acts as a relay for APRS traffic over a vast area. I also get copied by VK1RBM-1, Black mountain, which is only 6 Km away and very strong.

Some park and SOTA operators run APRS when driving and activating sites, so handy to keep track of them.

Still have lots more to learn about APRS, anyway something else to look at when HF is quiet.