March 6, 2025
16:30
by: Dan

IRYS Yaesu-to-Icom Tuner Adapter

Overview

The IRYS device lets you control Icom AH-4 compatible tuners (including LDG) from your Yaesu radio natively. This means the radio controls the tuner, indicates the tuning state on the screen, and does not require use of the key jack to do this. Benefits:
  • Use your native “TUNE” button on the radio, see tuner status on the screen
  • Remote-mount a tuner, control it from the radio
  • Access the much wider range of available tuners for Icom radios with your Yaesu
  • Retain the ability to use your remote keypad *and* an external tuner!
  • Tuner is powered from the radio (like an Icom radio does, when supported by the tuner)
I designed this so that people at field day with Yaesu radios can use their voice keyer keypad and an external tuner at the same time. It also brings the extra benefit of being able to swap antennas and tuners with Icom users!
 
This has been tested with the following radios:
  • Yaesu FT-450
  • Yaesu FT-710
  • Yaesu FT-891
  • Yaesu FT-991A
  • Yaesu FTDX10
  • Yaesu FTDX101MP
  • Vertex Standard VX-1700
It should work with any Yaesu radio that supports the FC-40 tuner (i.e. FT-857, FT-897, etc), but the above have been tested. It should also work with any tuner that implements the AH-4 tuner protocol, but the following have been tested:
  • Icom AH-4, AH-730, AT-120
  • LDG Z-100A, IT-100 (and friends) with the IC-100 cable
  • LDG AT-100/200/600/1000 Pro-II with the IC-PAC cable
  • MFJ-929
The device has an 8-pin Mini-DIN plug that interfaces with your Yaesu radio’s TUNER/LIN jack, and provides a 4-pin Molex connector for connection to an Icom-compatible tuner.
 

Notes and Errata

  1. It is important to understand that this is an adapter. It intends to make two incompatible devices talk to each other that were not meant to. Even though this works very well for most people, it is not perfect and you should not expect 100% seamless operation. However, for my purposes it works extremely well and opens up Yaesu owners to a much wider array of available tuners.
  2. I have received one report that the MFJ-939B tuner does not operate properly with the adapter (hence why it is not on the supported list above). It is workable, but requires three attempts to operate the tuner each time (the first two fail to initialize the tuner, but the third always works). This may be something I can work around, but I will have to get my hands on one to reproduce and test a fix.
  3. The power provided by the Yaesu radios via the tuner is much less than the Icom tuner jack. Even though the AH-4 and LDG tuners are very power-efficient, keep in mind that all the power for everything in the tuner chain comes from a tiny pin in the Mini-DIN connector. Make sure you have reasonably-sized control wire conductors, that they are in good condition, and that your connector mates securely.

Resources

Here are some links that may be helpful:

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