Month: May 2025

Those that know me are quite aware I prefer Yaesu radios. Let me tell you why. (I own a FT-991A, FT-891, FT-450D, FT-817ND, 3 – VX-6’s, and a FT-60).

I recently purchased the FT-450D at the Big Bear HamEscape swap meet. The radio appeared to be in prime shape – but you never know. The seller told me the radio was gently used and spent most if its life in an EOC, in a drawer.

When I got home, I determined the radio worked just great. Really nice unit. The only thing I noticed, was the headphone jack volume appeared to be a little low.

The Yaesu North America repair center is in Orange County (Cypress), CA where I live. Since the FT-450D was such a bargain, I dropped the radio off at the repair facility for a “Health-Check.”

About a week later, I got a call from the Yaesu technician. He told me he analyzed the radio and confirmed it was in fine shape. He said the radio was within factory specs, including both the speaker and headphone jack volumes.

I told him I would pick the unit up at “Will-Call”, and asked him how much I owed him. He said, “There is no charge mate, if we do not have to repair it.” He also said he would be glad to ship the unit to the house at no charge to save me the trip back to Cypress.

Wow!

I had a similar experience about three years ago. At a local club swap meet, I purchased a VX-6 H/T. It looked “well-used” and the battery was dead. I could not power it on to test it. The seller told me the unit worked fine.

When I got home and plugged the H/T in to a charger, to my horror, I discovered the LCD display was scrambled eggs. Buyer beware.

I took the H/T to Yaesu to get a repair estimate. The H/T has a manufacture date of 2015 – so it is pretty old. Yaesu replaced the LCD, updated the firmware, and ensured the unit was operating within factory specs. Repair cost? Less than $40 USD. I installed a new battery, and added the H/T to my EmComm inventory. It works great.

This level of service is mighty rare in our modern world. Especially in the tech industry. It is important to note, however, this commitment to customer service pays off in customer loyalty.

After the above two experiences, do you think the next time I decide to purchase a radio I would consider any other?

Cheers to you Yaesu!

73,
N1SPW

In a previous post, I talked about the experience of being on a comms support team for the Orange PD in the 2025 Baker-To-Vegas (B2V) Challenge Cup Relay. In this post, let’s take a look at how we implemented a new comms methodology.

A B2V support team provides the following functions:
1) Communications command center – Usually a hotel room in Pahrump or Las Vegas.
2) Follow vehicle (FV) – This vehicle follows the runners across the desert.
3) Leap-Frog (LF) vehicle – This vehicle supports the runner transition at each checkpoint.
4) Catcher – This is an individual in the LF vehicle that manages the runner transition at each checkpoint.
5) Shuttle vehicles (SV) – Vehicles that move support personnel around the race course.

One of the great challenges in the B2V race is meeting the communications requirements of each support function. There are seven comm requirements:
1) Communications base to all support personnel.
2) FV to LF and command center.
3) LF to FV and catcher.
4) Catcher to LF.
5) SV to FV, LF, and command center.
6) Internet access for everyone.
7) Mobile phone comms for everyone.

Continue reading “Baker To Vegas Communications”

Every year in late April, law enforcement officers run a relay race (B2V) from Baker, CA to Las Vegas, NV. 20 legs. 120miles.

Lots of cops. (This is a friendly term in the B2V vocabulary).

241 teams x 20 legs = 4,820 cops.

Hosted and operated by the Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club (LAPRAAC), the B2V race dates back to the early 1980’s.

The race route starts 24 miles North of Baker High School, runs North on Hwy 127 to Shoshone,CA. It then winds NE to Pahrump,NV on Hwy 178/372. It then rolls through the mountains SE on Hwy 160 into Las Vegas. The finish line is inside the Rio Hotel.

In one sentence: The cops run across the Mojave desert, up over a mountain, and finsih at the Rio Hotel in Vegas. Brutal.
Continue reading “Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay”