One of the things I was concerned about the FTX1 was how to protect its face while in transit. The Yaesu side rails which are not yet available are too large. They make the radio too bulky. Icom, when they made the IC-705 available also released a STL file so we could make our own covers which I did. Actually, I modified the file and my son printed it on his 3D printer.
The other day, I decided to check to see if someone had made a STL file for a FTX1 cover. They did! I downloaded the file and sent it to my son who printed it out for me (19 hours). The file was unmodified and fit the FTX1 to a tee. The file can be found here: Yaesu FTX1 3D Cover
I will wrap a silicone rubber band around it to keep the radio secure in the cover. The cover weighs 6.5 oz and the whole weighs just over 4 lbs without the rubber band. For comparison, My IC-705 with cover weighs in at just under 3 lbs.
Another annoyance or at least a distraction is during CW transmit. On the FTX1 the frequency readout flashes in time to CW along with the xmit light above the main dial. It is rather bright. I shot a YouTube video showing the difference between the FTX1 and the IC-705.
Where does this leave me. Well, for one thing wondering what Yaesu was thinking. I’m not giving up on the radio, hopefully as time goes by, Yaesu will work out some of the kinks. I am a bit annoyed that Yaesu is using us as beta testers. I would expect that from a company like Xeigu which sells their radios for less than half the price of the FTX1. The FTX1 is supposed to be a premium radio at a premium price. Come on Yaesu, you can do better. I think Yaesu had an opportunity and missed the mark. As I said in a prior post, I have been very busy this summer. Hopefully soon, I will get the FTX1 out in the field. So far, as of today if I had to choose between the FTX1 and the IC-705, I would still choose the IC-705 for a QRP radio. For a full size radio, I would take the IC-7300 or the FT-710 over the FTX1 Optima. Of course, your mileage may vary. Thanks for stopping by. 72 de Scott
KK4Z 