Below are some miscellaneous features of the Yaesu FTM-350AR that were not expounded upon in my previous posts regarding this radio and its configuration. This page will be added to occasionally.
#1: Voice Alert
E36
One of the very important, but yet sometimes overlooked functions of many APRS capable radios is the voice alert feature. What this feature does is mute the APRS band by enabling a 100.0Hz tone, but when another station wants to call you they can transmit voice over 144.390 (or other APRS frequency) using a 100.0Hz tone which will break your squelch. To enable this feature, proceed to menu item E36 in the APRS/PKT group, select "TONE SQL" in menu #1 and 100.0Hz (default) in menu #2. If you have configured the Voice Alert function properly, a "TSQ" icon will blink under the "GPS" icon on the main VFO.
#2: Filtering
E35
Yet another overlooked function of this radio, the filter and sort functions can eliminate a lot of headache. The sort function is pretty self explanatory - you decide how to sort incoming packets (ie., time). The filter function, on the other hand, is a little more complex. To set this function, proceed to menu item E35 in the APRS/PKT group. Menu item #2 is by default set to "ALL," which means that the radio receives all packets. Select this menu item, and via the left main nob scroll through the various parameters. If you only want to receive MOBILE stations, select "MOBILE," and so forth.
#3: APRS Ringer
E10
The APRS ringer function is a handy function to have available to keep track of when you friends are out and about. Via menu E10 and the alpha-numeric keypad on the mic, you can program in certain callsigns followed by their SSID. Whenever the radio receives a packet from the specified stations, a brief ringer will sound altering you of the received packet.
#4: APRS Mute
E06
If you are tired of all of the beeping that takes place when you turn the radio on for the first time and are bombarded with packets, proceed to menu E06 and turn the APRS Mute feature "ON" (default is "OFF"). This feature mutes received packets (audio), as well as all ringers and alarms.
#5: APRS Ringers
E09
If do not want to completely mute the APRS functions as shown above, menu E09 provides a more detailed muting process that allows you to mute certain ringers. As shown below in menu E09, the "TX BEACON" (my beacon) and "TX MESSAGE" ringers are turned "ON." Every time I transmit a packet of message the radio will beep. In menu #3, however, I have "RX BEACON" turned "OFF" because I do not want to hear a ringer every time I receive someone else's packet. There are many more things that you can either mute or turn on besides the three shown below as examples.
#6: Popup Color
E08
In menu E08, you have many options as to what color you want certain popups to be. For example, as seen below in menu item #7, whenever I receive a message the popup displaying the message will come up as AMBER. You can set certain colors for range ringers, group bulletins, mobile stations, etc. This helps draw attention to more important received packets while on the road.
#7: Frequency & Status Text
E14
Another neat feature of the FTM-350AR is the ability to display what frequency you are monitoring on the band opposite of the APRS band. Via menu E14 #3-7, you can program up to 5 beacon texts (On the way to Hamvention, etc.). Via menu #1 you can select which of these to display, and you can select how many times to display it (1/1 (every) beacons, 1/2 beacons, etc.) in menu #2. When typing in a beacon text, you will be given three options: "NONE," "FREQUENCY," and "FREQ&SQL&SFT" (see second pic). If you only want to transmit your specified text, select "NONE;" If you want to transmit your text along with what frequency you are monitoring, select "FREQUENCY;" If you want to transmit your text along with what frequency, tone, and shift you are monitoring, select "FREQ&SQL&SFT." Once you have selected which one you prefer and have transmitted a packet, your beacon text will look like the third picture below. Please also note that it will automatically transmit what frequency you are monitoring as you change it - no additional setup is necessary when you change frequency on the band opposite your APRS band.
