How to Program an FT3D — Step by Step

No menu numbers to memorise. You hold a button, a named menu appears on the touchscreen, and you turn the dial to pick a value.

This page covers: Yaesu FT3DR, Yaesu FT3DE, Yaesu FT5DR, Yaesu FT5DE. They share the same firmware, so the steps below are identical on all of them whatever name is printed on the front.

It usually sets the offset for you

This radio has Automatic Repeater Shift switched on by default. Tune to a frequency inside a repeater sub-band and it works out the direction and the amount without being asked. You only set the offset by hand when the repeater is unusual.

Walked on an FT3D

Every step below was checked on a physical FT3D. The FT5DR carries the same menu items under the same numbers according to Yaesu's own manual, so the steps apply to both — but it is the FT3D that was in somebody's hand.

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 FT3D

This radio works the offset out for itself on ordinary repeater frequencies, so there are fewer steps than you would expect. Set the frequency, set the tone, write it to a channel.

Have these to hand before you start

  • The repeater's output frequency.
  • Its tone, if it uses one.
  • Its offset — but usually you will not have to touch it.
  1. Press V/M until you are in VFO mode.V/MThe screen should show: A frequency rather than a memory channel name.
  2. Enter the repeater's output frequency.type 146.940The screen should show: Your frequency on the main display.Automatic Repeater Shift is on by default. As soon as the frequency lands inside a repeater sub-band, the radio sets the direction and the amount itself — you should see a small + or − appear.
  3. Hold DISP, touch SIGNALING, touch 11 SQL TYPE, turn the dial to TONE, then tap PTT to save.hold DISP›touch SIGNALING›touch 11 SQL TYPE›dial → TONE›PTTThe screen should show: SQL TYPE showing TONE.TONE sends a tone without requiring one to come back. TONE SQL also mutes you unless the incoming signal carries the tone — that is a different job, and not what a repeater needs.
  4. Hold DISP again, touch SIGNALING, touch 12 TONE SQL FREQ, turn the dial to your tone, tap PTT.hold DISP›touch SIGNALING›touch 12 TONE SQL FREQ›dial → your tone›PTTThe screen should show: The tone frequency, somewhere between 67.0 and 254.1 Hz.
  5. Touch and hold F MW, turn the dial to an empty channel number, then touch M.WRITE.hold F MW›dial → an empty channel›touch M.WRITEThe screen should show: The channel number, then a beep to confirm.Watch out. If the channel already has something in it the radio asks before overwriting. Read that prompt rather than tapping through it.

Press V/M to switch to memory mode and your repeater is on the channel you picked.

Checked on the radio itself, not just read off a manual.

Set the transmit tone (CTCSS / PL) on an FT3D

  1. Hold DISP, touch SIGNALING, touch 11 SQL TYPE, set it to TONE, tap PTT.hold DISP›touch SIGNALING›touch 11 SQL TYPE›dial → TONE›PTTThe screen should show: SQL TYPE showing TONE.Two separate settings do this job on a Yaesu: what kind of tone squelch you want, and which tone. This is the first.
  2. Then touch 12 TONE SQL FREQ and turn the dial to your tone.hold DISP›touch SIGNALING›touch 12 TONE SQL FREQ›dial → your tone›PTTThe screen should show: Your tone frequency.

TONE transmits the tone and lets you hear everything. TONE SQL also silences the radio unless the tone comes back — choose that one only if you know you want it.

Checked on the radio itself, not just read off a manual.

Set the offset direction and amount on an FT3D

Only needed when the repeater is unusual — a non-standard offset, or a frequency outside the normal repeater sub-bands. Otherwise the radio has already done this.

  1. Hold DISP, touch CONFIG, touch 14 RPT ARS and turn it OFF.hold DISP›touch CONFIG›touch 14 RPT ARS›dial → OFF›PTTThe screen should show: RPT ARS showing OFF.Automatic Repeater Shift has to be out of the way before your manual setting will stick.
  2. Touch 15 RPT SHIFT and choose +RPT or −RPT.hold DISP›touch CONFIG›touch 15 RPT SHIFT›dial → +RPT or −RPT›PTTThe screen should show: RPT SHIFT showing your choice.
  3. Touch 16 RPT SHIFT FREQ and turn the dial to the offset amount.hold DISP›touch CONFIG›touch 16 RPT SHIFT FREQ›dial → 0.600 MHz›PTTThe screen should show: The offset in MHz.Anything from 0 to 150 MHz is allowed, so the dial has a long way to go. Turn it faster and it moves in bigger jumps.

Turn RPT ARS back on afterwards if you want the radio handling ordinary repeaters for you again.

Checked on the radio itself, not just read off a manual.

Listen on the repeater's input on an FT3D

  1. Touch F MW, then touch REV.touch F MW›touch REVThe screen should show: The transmit and receive frequencies swap over.

Now you are listening on the repeater's input. If you can hear the other station this way, the two of you can talk directly and leave the repeater out of it.

Checked on the radio itself, not just read off a manual.

Not covered yet on this radio

Change the transmit power · Delete a memory channel · Factory reset · Lock the keypad · Name a memory channel · 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.

Keep going