Yaesu FTM-200D MARS CAP Mod - Extended Transmit - Open Transmit

This video details how you can perform the MARs CAP modification on the Yaesu FTM-200D. The purpose of the modification is to extend the transmit frequency range.

[@pilot7200able]

Thank you, have a great day too! God bless you!

[@MerchantsOfMisery]

Great video. I'd love to have one of these radios, they look so cool. Thanks for posting this!

[@donsdoityourself2547]

You are welcome. It is a great radio for the truck. I really like the simplicity and functions. However, I'd go with the FTM-300 or FTM-400 for a base station. I have the FTM-400 on my base station.

[@MerchantsOfMisery]

@@donsdoityourself2547 Someday! Right now a base station is a *little* too expensive for me, so I stick to HTs but it's still a lot of fun!

[@Fickle-Gamer]

Worked for me great

[@rfengineer3]

All good!

[@cnguyen32]

Do you have the "brain" mounted under the seat? Is the built-in speaker sufficient or should an external speaker be used?

[@donsdoityourself2547]

Yes, I mounted the main unit under the driver seat and I am using an external speaker with the auxiliary audio output. Thanks for watching.

[@marcelogalban6584]

After removing the resistance of the radio, what other procedure must be done? Thank you very much for sharing the information I have the same radio.

[@donsdoityourself2547]

You are welcome. After removing the resistor, put the cover back on and power it up. It will reset and behave like a new radio and you enter your callsign. If you are going to reprogram it manually, no problems. If you are going to restore with the SD card, make sure to watch end part of the video before any modification.

[@El_Greko_Junior]

the highest and lowest end of the transmission range which is after the mod. in ftm-200de is it known if it will work? I ask because I have the ftm 200de and it does tx only on 144 and 146 and on 430 and 440

[@fab0423]

C'est bon ça fonctionne je l'ai fait il y a 2 ans et toujours opérationnel 👌73

[@Tim-Brink]

My buddy is a deputy and i like to listen to them when he is on duty, the 200D doesnt have those frequencies, will this mod open the 155 to 156 frequencies?

[@donsdoityourself2547]

I haven't looked.. but I believe so. In any case.. never transmit there.

[@weslinscott3370]

What is the bracket you have holding your faceplate in the vehicle?

[@donsdoityourself2547]

Wes, it is a RAM mount. The type I am using is called an X-grip that people would typically use for a smart phone. So you need that and the suction cup extension to secure to the windshield.

[@weslinscott3370]

@@donsdoityourself2547 Thanks for the info.

[@WVHick]

What is the new TX range? Will it go down to 136 or 137 MHz?

[@donsdoityourself2547]

The low end of the transmit range is 137Mhz after the mod.

[@TheMockTv]

nice job does this also work with the ftm-200de or only with the ftm-200d has someone experienced it or you

[@donsdoityourself2547]

Hi. I cannot speak on the FTM-200DE with certainty as I only performed this on the FTM-200D. Just purely speculation on my part, but I don't see why not. Let me know what you find out. It may be helpful to others.

[@TheMockTv]

@@donsdoityourself2547 hello i bought the ftm-300de because of the more equipment and i had the mod made by the dealer what i saw in the funk he only removed the resistor as you did in the video i think with the ftm-200de it will be the same

[@jonpachla1]

did you or can you perform a power output test up in the GMRS range?

[@donsdoityourself2547]

Give me a few days and I'll check it for you. I did make sure the Antenna SWR was acceptable, but did not transmit at full power. Have to get my dummy load and etc.. out to my truck.

[@donsdoityourself2547]

Okay... UHF Power in general appears to be lower than VHF. Seems I get 49W on VHF (HAM Band), 28W on UHF (Ham band). GRMS frequencies are 24W. These are all into a 50ohm dummy load. Now I am wondering if the UHF on my FTM-200 has an issue? Should be 50W? My FTM-400 is 50W accross the board... Very flat.

[@jonpachla1]

@@donsdoityourself2547 Thanks for info. It’s is interesting because I found a group on Facebook for the ftm200, 300. Two people there state they are getting 50 on gmrs.

[@donsdoityourself2547]

@@jonpachla1 yes, I am thinking I have an issue. It should be flat across the bands.

[@donsdoityourself2547]

OK... figured it out. I have a cheap portable power meter I use for checking things in my vehicles which should be good up to 500MHZ. It turns out that it is not accurate on UHF. It rolls off. I put it in series with my inline Diamond SX400 with my FTM-400 in my house, and it reads about the same as the FTM-200 in the truck when the Diamond SX400 meter is reading 50W. I think it is just a poor meter. Given that, I'd say it is 50W or real close across the bands including GRMS. I don't want to pull apart my Base Station to take the Diamond SX400 out to my truck, but given the comparison between the meters inside, it makes sense now. Edit... I calibrated/adjusted the meter against my Diamond SX-400 and FTM-400 and now I measure the 50W across the VHF/UHF/GRMS bands on the FTM-200.

[@ALFA_HOTEL]

What is the range of TX on 2m and 70cm after mod?

[@cnguyen32]

Use your imagination!

[@ALFA_HOTEL]

@@cnguyen32 Ha, ha.... 🙂

[@suleymandoruk2037]

This radio ftm 200 came from japan. Is there any different software or hardware? The resistor has been removed. Can you research and help me? Thank you.

[@donsdoityourself2547]

Hi. I am assuming everything else still works okay.. just no expanded transmit frequency range. Correct?

[@suleymandoruk2037]

Evet doğru

[@suleymandoruk2037]

Gmrs frekanslar da tx yok

[@suleymandoruk2037]

144-146 ve 440-440 var Ben VHF136-174 UHF 400-480 yapmak istiyorum ilginiz için teşekkür ederim

[@donsdoityourself2547]

I did some research and it appears the Japanese models will not work this way. Was the hardware the same? See old post I copied from a Facebook user group: *******" You can do the MARS mod as described but it will not open the frequencies to match the US band plan nor up the power output. About the only thing I would use the JA models for is a Wires-X donor radio if I wasn't concerned about the max power output and don't mind only using 1/3 of the band plan we have.

[@jeffwright6685]

Will this unlock 1.25 meter tx?

[@donsdoityourself2547]

No, it will not do that. It opens up the 2M and 70CM to some adjacent frequencies .

[@DaytonaJim78]

Is the 200dr the same

[@donsdoityourself2547]

Yes.

[@suleymandoruk2037]

Ftm 200d ben de direnci kaldırdım ama gmrs olmadı

[@donsdoityourself2547]

Not sure why it wouldn't. Does your radio have different firmware? Works on my FTM-200 perfectly, but it is a US model.

[@suleymandoruk2037]

Ftm 200d direnç yok ne olabilir lütfen yardım edin teşekkür ederim

[@RíCrusader]

DO NOT USE A SOLDERING IRON! A strong needle will easily pop that thing out without melting things. Way to small work for any iron. A sewing hem needle with a little ball on the end . A big one 2 to 3 inches.

[@donsdoityourself2547]

It is small for sure, but if you have a very fine tipped soldering iron that is tinned well with just a little bit of solder on the tip, all it takes is a brief touch to heat the part and it pops off with a little push. I am afraid to pry it off and potentially break the circuit traces. In any case, if that works for you, great. There is enough space around this particular resistor to do the job without heating other parts.

[@RíCrusader]

@@donsdoityourself2547 great stuff!

[@rfengineer3]

I achieved success with a hot air pencil and a pair of needle tipped tweezers.

[@MrBowNaxe]

That's way too technical for me Don...

[@donsdoityourself2547]

Ha ha.. lol. Yes, not much use unless you have that specific radio.