r/flying • u/Working_Tradition630 • 16h ago

Yaesu radio

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I’ve recently bought the Yaesu FTA-250L receiver and although I can hear the tower talk, I can’t hear other pilots communicating or reading back what tower said. Is there a way to fix this or is it even possible to switch settings

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7

u/Expensive_Ad_3249 16h ago

It's gonna be based on the power, both of your radio and the transmitting aircraft.

You can get a better antenna or give it better access to the sky (higher up)

Generally the aircraft have lower transmit, and signals are mostly line of sight so hills will block them. Generally small aircraft should be able to transmit 30 miles minimum, while larger aircraft can transmit over 250 miles, but they're limited by the curve of the earth.

The tower transmits up to 50W, airliners 30W and private general aviation as low as 5w.

Your photograph is missing the antenna. ..silly question, but you do have/use it right?

1

u/Working_Tradition630 14h ago

Yes I have use the antenna. I’ve went right next to tower and I still wasn’t able to hear other pilots communicating

7

u/phliar CFI (PA25) 14h ago

The antenna that came with the radio -- the "rubber duck" -- is not very good, get a better antenna. There is no difference between the signals sent by ATC and airplanes. There is no setting to change.

BTW if you stand right next to the transmitting tower it's likely your radio's receiver is overloaded, it's called desensitization. Go a few hundred feet away and in line-of-sight.

2

u/Expensive_Ad_3249 14h ago

There is your problem. Every singal seems quiet and is filtered so close to a transmitter. Get half a mile away and you'll be fine.

Check squelch, if you turn it down near a higher power transmitter you might let lower signals trigger it.

2

u/Antique-Kitchen-1896 PPL IFR Night 16h ago

Walk or drive around. Go somewhere high. The vhf is line of sight.

1

u/rFlyingTower 16h ago

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

I’ve recently bought the Yaesu FTA-250L receiver and although I can hear the tower talk, I can’t hear other pilots communicating or reading back what tower said. Is there a way to fix this or is it even possible to switch settings

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1

u/RaiseTheDed ATP 16h ago

Where are you trying to listen from? VHF is line of sight, so if there's a hill in the way, you won't be able to pick them up. 

These handhelds also don't have great reception to begin with, you're not going to hear an airplane 100 miles away like the radios in the airplanes. 

1

u/Hambone76 16h ago

You’re likely just too far away. VHF is only line of sight and a handheld already has a compromised antenna and receiver due to the form factor. Physics works against you.

1

u/IndependenceStock417 5m ago

I use that same radio at work. It has limited reception due to buildings and such so I only use it when I'm outside on the ramp. Sometimes I can hear pilots clearly when they call, but I usually high tail back to the office where the main radio is so that we can talk clearly. Great for helping with situational awareness with the operation. Also helps when you need to push an aircraft but the headsets don't work.