Part of our Yaesu FTX-1: The Complete Guide.
Firmware updates on the FTX-1 have brought real improvements since launch, but they’re also the one maintenance task with real potential to disrupt a working setup if you rush it. Here’s how I approach them.
Read the release notes before you touch anything
Not every firmware update matters to how you use the radio. Some fix bugs in features you never touch, others address something you’ve actually run into. Check Yaesu’s release notes before updating, if nothing in the changelog affects you and everything is working well, there’s no rule that says you have to update the day it drops.
Back up first, every time
This is the step I don’t skip regardless of how minor the update looks. Save your full configuration, memory channels and menu settings, before starting. Firmware updates occasionally reset settings even when the update itself succeeds cleanly, and you don’t want to discover that after the fact with no recent backup.
The actual update process
Download the firmware file from Yaesu’s site, load it onto an SD card formatted the way the radio expects, and follow the on-screen update process from the radio’s menu. Make sure the radio has solid power for the entire update, either a full battery or a stable external supply, an interrupted update mid-flash is a genuinely bad outcome. Don’t touch the radio or pull power until it confirms completion.
After the update
Check your menu settings and memory channels against your backup before you trust the radio for anything important. If something reset, restore from your backup rather than reprogramming by hand. Do a basic function check, transmit power, tuner operation, CAT control if you use it, before your next real operating session.
My update checklist
- Read the release notes and decide if the update actually matters to you.
- Back up full configuration before starting, no exceptions.
- Confirm stable power for the entire update process.
- Verify settings and run a basic function check afterward before relying on the radio.
None of this is complicated, but skipping the backup step is the mistake that turns a routine update into an afternoon of reprogramming. Don’t skip it.