How to Program an FT-60R — Step by Step

No menu numbers to count through for the common jobs. You hold a function key, then press the number key printed with the setting you want.

This page covers: Yaesu FT-60R, Yaesu FT-60E. They share the same firmware, so the steps below are identical on all of them whatever name is printed on the front.

Look at the small print on the number keys

The useful settings are not buried in the menu on this radio. Each number key has a second name printed under it, and pressing F/W followed by that key goes straight there. There is also a numbered menu of 56 items behind F/W then 0, but for everything below you will not need it.

What you can do on this radio

Rather do this on your phone, standing at the radio?

The app walks you through the same steps one at a time, on a screen sized for a phone.

Open Radio Rosetta

Save a repeater to a memory channel on an FT-60R

Set the frequency, then set the tone and the shift with the shortcut keys, then hold F/W to put the whole thing in a channel. The shortcuts are what make this radio pleasant once you know they are there.

Have these to hand before you start

  • The repeater's output frequency.
  • Its tone, if it uses one.
  • Which way it is offset — though the radio will usually work that out itself.
  1. Press V/M until the screen shows a plain frequency rather than a channel.V/MThe screen should show: A frequency, with no memory channel number.That is VFO mode, where the keypad types frequencies instead of stepping through saved channels.
  2. Type the repeater's output frequency. All six digits, including the trailing zero.type 147.080The screen should show: Your frequency.Watch out. It wants six digits. Typing 147.08 and stopping leaves the radio waiting for one more, and it will look as though nothing happened.
  3. Press F/W, then the 1 key — it is labelled SQ TYP. Turn the dial to TONE, then press F/W.F/W›1 (SQ TYP)›dial → TONE›F/WThe screen should show: SQ TYP, then TONE.TONE sends your tone to the repeater and still lets you hear everything. TSQL also mutes the radio unless a tone comes back, which is a different job and not what a repeater needs.
  4. Press F/W, then the 2 key — labelled CODE. Turn the dial to the repeater's tone, then F/W.F/W›2 (CODE)›dial → your tone›F/WThe screen should show: CODE, then a frequency like 100.0.
  5. Press F/W, then the 4 key — labelled RPT. Turn the dial to + or − to match the repeater, then F/W.F/W›4 (RPT)›dial → + or −›F/WThe screen should show: RPT, then your choice.This radio also has an automatic repeater shift that sets the direction for you on ordinary repeater frequencies. Setting it by hand here always works, and works on the unusual ones too.
  6. Hold F/W down until the channel number flashes, turn the dial to an empty channel, then press F/W once to store it.hold F/W›dial → an empty channel›F/WThe screen should show: A flashing channel number, then a steady one.Watch out. There is a time limit once the number starts flashing — around ten seconds. If it stops flashing before you press F/W, nothing was saved. Start the hold again rather than assuming it worked.

Press V/M to go back to memory mode and the repeater will be on the channel you picked.

Checked against two independent sources.

Set the transmit tone (CTCSS / PL) on an FT-60R

Two settings, on two adjacent number keys. The first says what kind of tone you want, the second says which tone.

  1. Press F/W, then 1, and turn the dial to TONE. Press F/W to save.F/W›1 (SQ TYP)›dial → TONE›F/WThe screen should show: SQ TYP, then TONE.
  2. Press F/W, then 2, and turn the dial to the tone the repeater wants. Press F/W to save.F/W›2 (CODE)›dial → your tone›F/WThe screen should show: CODE, then your tone.

Choose TONE and not TSQL unless you know you want the radio to stay silent for anything without a tone on it. TSQL is the setting people pick by accident and then cannot work out why the radio has gone quiet.

Checked against two independent sources.

Change the transmit power on an FT-60R

  1. Press F/W, then the 3 key — labelled TX PO. Turn the dial to the level you want, then F/W.F/W›3 (TX PO)›dial → LOW, MED or HIGH›F/WThe screen should show: TX PO, then your choice.

Three levels rather than two, so there is a sensible middle. If the repeater hears you on LOW, stay there — a five watt handheld eats its battery fast, and the extra power mostly goes into covering up somebody further away.

Checked against two independent sources.

Not covered yet on this radio

Delete a memory channel · Factory reset · Listen on the repeater's input · Lock the keypad · Name a memory channel · Set the offset direction and amount · Set the receive tone · Set the squelch · Turn off dual watch · Turn off the roger beep · Turn off the voice announcements

These are honestly missing rather than hidden. Nothing goes on this page until it has been checked on the radio itself, and guessing at a keystroke is exactly the failure these pages exist to avoid.

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