Re: [Hamlib-developer] Yaesu Refuses to Provide Details for FT-8900R

[Nate B. <n0...@bl...>]

Hi Ken.

If I recall, is the FT-8900 the quad-band FM rig?  Does the radio have
the CAT logo on it (my '920 doesn't and is CAT capable), or does the
manual mention CAT anywhere?

It seems the VHF/UHF Yaesu gear has not had CAT capability for about a
decade.  Neither of my FT-5100s support it although the manual mentions
rig-to-rig cloning.  Nor does my FT-530 or FT-8100.

My guess is that these radios support a direct memory access of sorts
and do not have an API like CAT.  I suspect the software Yaesu sells
for those radios is not portable to another radio unlike the CAT
command set which can have some common elements and portability between
models.

Sadly, I suspect Yaesu's market research has led them to determine that
computer control of "mobile" rigs is not a high priority--at least not
to the degree that CAT requires.  CAT seems to be alive and well in the
HF line where computer integration in the shack is almost seen as
essential.

These are just my observations.  I have not paid much attention to the
current "mobile" radio market.  Do ICOM or Kenwood offer a published
computer control API across their VHF/UHF mobile lines?

73, de Nate >>

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