Sunday, 1 November 2015

MARS mod for FT-450

There is a way of extending the TX frequency range of the FT-450 transceiver. The so called “MARS” (“Military Affiliate Radio System”) modification provides out-of-the band operation of the transceiver. You can operate anywhere within the range 1.8-40 MHz after the transceiver has been modified.

The modification is simple. Just remove jumper JP4002 on the control pcb and make some settings. A description of the mod can be found here:
http://www.santerweb.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/MARS-Mod-for-FT-450.pdf

YouTube shows the instructions as well. For example this one for the FT-450D:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8kqyekwPxc

Example of out-of-band operation:


Jumper to be removed:

It took me some courage to open the transceiver and do the mod, but in fact it turned out to be rather simple.





6 comments:

  1. Good afternoon Ron, it sure is an odd feeling to bring a soldering Iron so close to your rig! I can remember doing the same thing with my K3 and not sure what the out come would be but as with you all turned out ok.
    73
    Mike

    ReplyDelete
  2. OK Mike,
    Yes quite a relief when all works as before after first power on :-)
    73 Ron

    ReplyDelete
  3. Can you use the DATA modes across the bands after the mod?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello i did this mod, now i can not switch from Type-a, to type-t

    ReplyDelete
  5. I purchased my FT 450AT sometime around 2008. At that time seems as though I removed the front panel and clipped a blue wire. Am I talking about some other radio of was this a another way back at that time?

    Thanks, Bob, N0DAN

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do not remember the blue wire Bob. Probably another transceiver. 73 Ron

      Delete