Yaesu Update

Now that I've had my Yaesu FT-7800R in the truck for a little while I have a better idea of how it works.  In a word: Great!

As I expected, it's a much more sensitive receiver than the VX-5RS handy talkie I'd been using, even with the same antenna.  For example, I listen to the radio on my short drive to the train station each morning.  It's common for me to pick up repeaters from Lancaster and even Harrisburg (I live just outside Philadelphia).

Last night I took my laptop with G4FHQ's FTB-7800 programming software out to the truck, and added a bunch of repeaters in anticipation of this weekend's trip down to Arlington, VA.  After loading in the settings for repeaters in MD, DC, and VA, I had the radio scan through them.  I picked up traffic from a couple repeaters in Baltimore.  Remarkable!  I haven't yet tried hitting those repeaters and suspect that I'll be able to listen to them from a much further distance than I can hit them with my transmissions, but this is still impressive performance.