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AnalogueVHFUHFNo. 0023 min

Wire a Yaesu FTM-10 to a Sena SR10 bluetooth interface

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ON3WOO · Updated

So I ride a motorcyle. And I have a HAM license. And I have a bluetooth intercom system in my motorcycle helmet. And I’d like to do both, since riding is a lonely endeavour.

I had already bought the Sena SR10 bluetooth mono interface with telephone headset and 2-way-radio feature to be able to listen to my Garmin Zumo 660 satellite navigation system and GPS based speed trap alerter (although you can do without the SR10 if the Zumo is your only other mono sound interface next to your phone). I also used the SR10 connected to a PMR so I already had set up the PTT button to my left steering handle. The PMR is a Kenwood one, so I used the Sena compatible cable for Kenwood 2-way radio’s.

Then I bought the Yaesu FTM-10E.

It is a 50W 2 way waterproof radio with remote head, covering the VHF and UHF amateur frequencies. I set up a Diamond SGM-507 antenna on one of the handlebars of the passenger seat, put the radio under the top case and mounted the remote head with a RAM mount in between my handle bars.

Yaesu FTM-10

Now, there are two options to connect this Yaesu FTM-10 to a bluetooth headset. One is as far as I know currently unproven scenario where you’d buy the FTM-10 with the optional bluetooth adapter and use bluetooth to connect to my bluetooth intercom headset. Theoretically it is possible, but I wonder how I’d manage to use PTT in this scenario because the Sena SMH10 bluetooth intercom I use does not have a PTT button included.

The other option is through the Sena SR10 bluetooth interface, which allows wired connections to bluetooth intercoms, and includes the necessary PTT button and is proven to work with other 2-way radio’s. In price, it’s also about the same as the bluetooth adapter in the FTM-10, but I already bought it for my Garmin Zumo 660 and GPS based speed trap alerter, so that part is already known territory to me.

So basically, you need:

  • Yaesu FTM-10E or FTM-10R. The connections on the FTM-10SE and FTM-10SR are different, so stop reading now if you have these 10W versions;
  • Sena SR10 bluetooth adapter
  • Sena SC-A0116 cable, which connects on one side to the SR10 and is open ended on the other side, for you to make your own cable. Which we are going to do.
  • Yaesu CT-M11, which connects to the back of the FTM-10 on one side and is also open ended on the other side, which we are going to connect to the Sena cable
  • 2 390 kΩ resistors, which are needed to make the SR10 PTT buttons work with the Yaesu FTM-10
  • Soldering iron, tape, crimp tools, a steady hand, … anything to hook up some very tiny wires together. Realistically speaking, you are going to prefer soldering the resistors to the wires and then want to make everything waterproof by mounting the connections and resistors in a little box filling it with silicone sealant.

Once you have put in your orders, got your resistors through eBay and have waited 2 months to get your CT-M11 cable, you can get to work.

Download the Connection Yaesu FTM-10 Sena SR10 file, print it out and happy soldering!

Further reading