After using the Yaesu FTM-300DE in the car for a long time, I began to wonder why I specifically needed a set with a dual VFO. Yes, on VFO-A I was continuously tuned to my hotspot frequency that was connected to my own XLX reflector, but VFO-B was actually where the action took place.
As soon as I got into the car I connected my Bluetooth headset to the FTM-300 and placed the microphone on the passenger seat. The microphone was connected via a long cable to the set in the trunk. The only reason it was still connected was to start scanning using the up/down keys.
I started to wonder if I could start scanning with the camera microphone and then connect it directly to the control head. But unfortunately, the camera microphone does not have up/down keys, so that would not work.
After some puzzle work I decided to replace the FTM-300DE with the FTM-200DE. That set has the option to start scanning from the Fast Menu, can do priority scan (which in my case checks once every 5 seconds whether there is activity on the hotspot frequency) and can, by means of an optional Bluetooth unit that needs to be placed in the control head, connect to the Blueparrot Bluetooth headset, which I use to my complete satisfaction.
I have been driving around with the FTM-200DE for a month now and I must say that I really like the set. Yes, the menu structure is not as nicely laid out as on the FTM-300DE, but that takes some getting used to.
The set offers the option of adding up to 8 frequently used menu items to the Fast Menu. I have the following items in the Fast Menu: Scan, TXPower, SQL, RPT-R, Tone and Mic Gain. And therefore I don’t have to connect an external microphone to start/stop scanning.
What strikes me is that the volume button remains in use when using a Bluetooth headset. In my case I have the volume fully turned up and I prefer to adjust the volume via the buttons on the headset itself, but it is something you have to be aware of. Otherwise, you might wonder if there’s something wrong with the Bluetooth unit, your headset, or the transceiver itself.
A miss in the FTM-300DE is just as present in the FTM-200DE. If you manually scroll through your programmed frequencies and you get to the last frequency, you have to go all the way back to get to the first frequency. So there is no option to go directly from the last programmed frequency to the first programmed frequency.
After having used the FTM-200DE for a month, my impression is good. If you are used to Yaesu transceivers, whether analogue or C4FM, then it is a straightforward transceiver that does what it is supposed to do.
