---
title: Yaesu FT-3D
aliases:
  - /equipment/handhelds/yaesu-ft3d
date: 2020-05-24
lastmod: 2024-11-09T11:00:54+0000

showBreadcrumbs: true
showReadingTime: false
showWordCount: false
---

C4FM is one of the easiest digital operating mode to set up. Enter your
callsign and you're good to go.

All in all, the FT-3D is a nice and handy radio.

## Keys and buttons

I like the arrangement of the `PTT` and the knob on the top is very usable.

## Easy to use T-CALL

One button below the `PTT` is the `MONI/T-CALL` button located, which you can
either configure as a `MONITOR` button (opens both receiver at once) or as
`T-CALL` button, which sends out a 1750Hz tone immediately.

### Opening SQL when you use T-CALL

When you configured your `MONI/T-CALL` button for `T-CALL`, you can open the
squelch by pressing the `SQL` button (between `MONI/T-CALL` and `POWER` button)
and then use the volume knob to reduce or increase the squelch level.

## Full APRS

But it cannot use [Voice Alert][va]. Nonetheless a device which can send and
receive APRS packets is not seen very often on portable devices. Not even the
new Icom ID-52 has APRS support.

[va]: http://www.aprs.org/VoiceAlert3.html

Send and receive APRS including messaging.

## Color screen

The screen is okay and you see instantly which band is active at the moment.
Using the touch screen is very intuitive, although I personally prefer devices
with no touch screen at all. I never had any problems with the coloring or
the brightness at all, but YMMV.

## Transmit power

The FT-3D supports 4 power levels: LOW1 (0.3W), LOW2 (1W), LOW3 (2.5W) and
HIGH (5W).

| Power output on 2m and 70cm                                        |                                                                        |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ![2m power output](power-2m.png "power output around 145.500 MHz") | ![70cm power output](power-70cm.png "power output around 433.500 MHz") |

| Power setting | Output 2m | Output 70cm |
| :------------ | :-------- | :---------- |
| LOW1          | 350 mW    | 340 mW      |
| LOW2          | 1.00 W    | 972 mW      |
| LOW3          | 2.80 W    | 2.44 W      |
| HIGH          | 5.66 W    | 4.87 W      |

## Band scope

This is probably the first portable radio that I bought which had a band scope.
The scope itself is quite usable, it let's you split the screen width into
19, 39 or 79 bars of details. I usually switch between 39 and 79 bars to get
the best results.

## Dual receive (D.RCV)

## Preset receiver memory channels (P.RCVR)

Change with `BAND` button between Weather broadcast (WX CH), international VHF
marine radio (INTVHF) or international shortwave broadcast (SW) channels.

For shortwave listening (only AM, no SSB), a longer antenna may not be a bad
idea.

## AF-DUAL receive function (A.DUAL)

This enables radio broadcast reception on the A band receiver. The radio
reception is interrupted, when a signals is receiver on either A or B band
receivers.

## Built-in GPS receiver

GPS is a handy function, but it drains the battery. You may also use pre-defined
locations for APRS and save some battery life if you are stationary.

## Cross-band memory channels

The FT-3D lets you save memories that use 2m for receive but 70cm for transmit,
for example. The repeater _OE7XZR_ (Zugspitze, Tyrol) is one of them. It sends
on 145.57500 MHz but receives on 432.57500 MHz.

## Recordings

Although the recordings are sometimes quite buggy, I really appreciate this
function on newer radios. No need to pull out your smartphone to get a recording
on tape.