Yaesu FTM-400XDE - first run on car antenna

Well it wasn't really a proportionate test as the bands and repeaters were not as active as I'd have liked, though there were some QSOs going on I felt best that I not interrupt and put out calls on repeaters that were otherwise clear.

At my usual testing ground for all things radio at the top of the hill, access to GB3CD in the radio's "DN" mode (ie C4FM) was possible, though at the end of the second check the repeater switched to FM on transmit, thus putting the radio back into FM as well as the AMS was turned on, GB3CD appeared to also end-stop the meter on the display, indicating a good signal from it.  GB3IR was obviously going to work fine, I got a report that the audio was fine, though simplex would work better here.  GB3HG was busy, and was also good signal to me.

A few simplex QSOs, as I mentioned above, were going on, so I took this time to use that as a good reference for receive, the antenna pulling the signals in well, none of them into the red part of the s-meter but still very good signals.

Also, the APRS side was on and it was receiving with no issue whatsoever, I did not have my beacon on for the reason that I was not testing that side out and would prefer to be /m while doing so.

All this leaves now is the rig be installed in the car via a relay to protect the battery from being drained should I forget to shut the radio off, it also acts as a prompt that I can only use the radio with the key in the ignition, the relay I have chosen is a standard Bosch automotive relay that omits pin 87a as this would not be needed, the coil supply has already been assembled to the relay and this will be tapped from an IGN switched source, I was thinking the loom for my Parrot handsfree or even the stereo itself, though the latter is more difficult to repair, but either way it will switch the rig off with the ignition.

so far so good

73 de M6RSQ