Yaesu FTDX-10

As readers will know, I have been strongly considering one of these. 

At the moment MLS is offering a very good deal, but I am still undecided. I am probably not buying one, although it is very highly rated in the Sherwood RX tests. With the £100 MLS gift voucher and Yaesu £85 cashback, now is probably the very best time.

It has a very good receiver, 4m and an auto-ATU, but not 2m or 70cm. At 100W on HF it has about 20 times the power I would ever use!

Yaesu FTDX-10

At the moment MLS is offering some good deals on this with a £100 gift voucher to use on future purchases. This offer runs until Monday. The gift voucher can be used at any time. Yaesu also has a £85 cash back offer. 

The rig has received rave reviews, but does not have 2m or 70cm, but does have 4m and an auto ATU. Although seriously tempted, at the moment I am inclined against it. My fear (hopefully unfounded) is that Yaesu is leaving the market. To me, the MLS move is to retain custom.

In these hard times, all dealers will struggle. Amateur radio usually depends on disposable income. There is less.

Yaesu up to date?

As I was considering purchasing the Yaesu FTDX-10, I thought I would look at the Yaesu Japan site for more data. I was invited to do a download. Imagine my horror when I was looking at a 2011 (yes 2011) catalogue!! Does not exactly fill you with confidence. Perhaps this explains why we have seen no decent FT817 replacement.  

Hello, hello - anyone there??

At this rate I expect a spark TX and coherer RX soon - latest Yaesu technology. My fear is that if I buy an FTDX-10, will Yaesu still be around in 5 years time? I really hope so, but I have my doubts, seriously.

FTDX-10

I am seriously thinking about one of these radios. Over the years I have had many Yaesu rigs and this has some rave reviews. It includes an ATU and 4m, but does not include 2m or 70cm. At 100W, it is far more power than I would ever want. Most times it would be used at 5W!

Ideally, please may I have a decent FT817 replacement with 4m? No doubt the minute I was to buy an FTDX-10 they would announce a decent FT817 replacement at half the price of the FTDX-10. Perhaps I should wait....

FT819?

From the outset let me say this does not exist and is probably not even in the minds of Yaesu designers. I cannot believe that I originally posted my ideas as long ago as 2010!! This is a Photoshop mock up. 

Actually I think Yaesu has totally "missed the boat" and we will never see a proper successor to the FT817ND and FT818. Most were totally underwhelmed when the actual FT818 came out. What a missed opportunity! We are again on the solar up-slopes, this time towards solar peak 25.

These were the specs I was hoping for 12 years ago!  

 

Yaesu already has an SDR architecture in their FTDX10. They could reuse the FT817ND mechanics. Instead they have let ICOM have the market with the IC-705.  I cannot see Yaesu making a fortune now, sadly.

I give Yaesu 5 years to leave the market or go bust. 

Let us hope I am wrong. 

Yaesu FT7

One of the best rigs I have ever owned was the Yaesu FT7.  I owned this from 1979 and it was a 10W rig really aimed at mobile use. 

The receiver was exceptionally quiet. It had no memories, no synthesiser and did not cover the WARC bands and 6m as none of these existed back then. 

It was not small. In fact, it was considerably larger than the FT817/8 that covers more modes and bands.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/yaesu-ft7

Yaesu FT818

This was introduced some years ago, mainly to address component obsolescence with the FT817.  I have owned 2 FT817s over many years and these were good, solid QRP transceivers. In my case they have been used from 136kHz to 432MHz, in some cases with homebrew transverters. I have never, ever regretted having them.

When the FT818 came out I was extremely disappointed. It seemed that Yaesu had lost its way and ignored the huge worldwide market for a better, modern, product. They could have used the same mechanics and just changed the battery and guts. Instead, they introduced basically the very same product. Such a wasted chance.

In my view, they have one last chance. We are on the way up to the next solar peak and the world is expecting a replacement for a product that is about 20 years old.

Yaesu is well capable of designing a worthy successor to the FT817, so get on with it!

Yaesu  -  wake up!!!

Yaesu VX series

These were tiny dual-band FM handhelds produced by Yaesu. 

In the past I have used these (I have a VX1 and VX2) on both 2m and 70cm simplex and repeaters. Many found the supplied antenna not as good as they could be and they replaced these with better ones. 

These days, many have bought much less expensive Beofeng units, although the quality control on these seems a bit hit and miss. 

At the moment the Chinese manufacturers seem to have work to do to get amateur radio products to the same consistent quality we are used to from Japan. They will get there, but it may take a few years. When Chinese products get to the same quality and consistency we are used to from Japan the Japanese will face serious competition.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/vhfuhfmicrowaves/vhfuhf-commercial-rigs/yaesu-vx2 .

What Yaesu SHOULD have done with the FT818

When their replacement for the FT817ND was announced most people groaned that they could miss out on such an opportunity. 

Way back in 2010 I suggested a possible successor. They did something that, in my view, was totally pathetic and underwhelming totally "missing the boat" and doing the minimum to overcome supply issues and nothing to make it a decent step forward.

The photo shows what many of us were hoping for 11 years ago!!

Since then they have had some fine SDR transceivers, but no attempt to get into the QRP portable market leaving many people to wonder if they have lost their way or have no money or are considering leaving the market. 

My message is simple - Yaesu wake up!!

FT817

The FT817/818 has appeared in a few guises, but Yaesu has totally "missed the boat" with regard to a really competitive replacement. 

It is still a decent radio, covering all the HF bands, 6m, 2m and 70cm with all modes. It may be used at home or out portable, but some quite small changes could transform it. 

My feelings are that Yaesu has lost its way and become, at best, a follower rather than a leader. I have owned several Yaesu radios since the 1970s. I really hope they "get on their game" soon.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/yaesu-ft817nd

Yaesu cashback

The latest MLS "Something for the weekend" video has news of the Yaesu cashback offers. They have some great deals and a free PSU on some models.

Yaesu FTDX10

Yaesu has just released its new hybrid 100W SDR transceiver the FTDX10. It is based on the FTDX101. 

I wonder if Yaesu is considering an SDR QRP rig to replace the FT817/818 and to compete with the IC-705? 

The new radio does not cover 2m and 70cm, but does have an auto ATU, although I expect the range is limited. It also includes 4m TX.  It is a fair bit more expensive than the IC-705.

At the moment I am torn. As a QRP fan I have owned 2 FT817s and several other Yaesu products. They have all been reliable. The standard Yaesu warranty is 3 years. 

Although I stand to be corrected, I do not think the Yaesu radio has the GPS and Bluetooth features that the IC-705 has. At the moment, the IC-705 is still better in my view.

Yaesu FTDX101D

The new Yaesu flagship radio is far too expensive for me to even consider, although for some it is within their budget. It is also not a QRP radio. 

This is probably the first of a range of SDR based Yaesu radios. What strikes me is that Yaesu has become a follower rather than a leader. 

I have been a Yaesu fan since the 1970s, but at the moment ICOM seems to be the leader. It is almost as if Yaesu is rudderless and drifting. In my mind, they seem half-hearted about the amateur radio market. Come on Yaesu - prove me wrong!

Yaesu competition for the ICOM IC-705?

Apparently Yaesu has discontinued a couple of their popular transceivers. According to Steve, G1KQH, he thinks Yaesu is about to launch competition to the IC-705, but at lower prices. 

In recent years, I have thought of Yaesu as being followers rather than leaders. In my own experience, it would not have surprised me if Yaesu threw in the towel and left the amateur radio market based on their terrible marketing performance. They totally missed the boat with the FT818, which was pathetic. 

For over 40 years I have been a great Yaesu supporter and have owned many Yaesu transceivers. They have all been good, reliable radios, so I hope Steve is correct. 

Yaesu prices

Steve G1KQH informs me that some Yaesu prices are increasing.

Yaesu FT7 HF transceiver

This product was around in the late 1970s  and was a 10W rig intended for mobile use. By modern standards it was big. From memory it was about 6 times bigger than the FT817. It covered all the non WARC bands from 80-10m. On the latter band it only covered 500kHz. The later FT7B was 50W and had 4 switched bands to cover 10m. In those days there was no 6m in Europe and the WARC bands had not been allocated.

It was one of the quietest receivers I have ever owned. It was before the days of synthesisers. I liked mine and worked the world with it from home with simple 10m antennas and 10W SSB.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ft7

FT-991A web page

I have owned the FT-991A for a few weeks now, so have created a webpage. As time goes by, I hope to add more stuff.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/ft991a

New radio

It is not often I get new radios. When I get these, they usually do me for years.

I bought a Yaesu FT991A, which seems to do my sort of operating and covers 160m to 70cm (no 4m) with all modes and an auto ATU. It is supposed to have a 3 year warranty, although I could not find this in the paperwork. I shall have to get MLS to make this explicitly clear. There is also a cashback offer from Yaesu. At the moment, I am still finding my way around. For example, I have still to figure out how to add speech processing in SSB. I need to read the manual in bed!

This evening it was used for a 2m FM net with locals and to work an Italian by Es on 6m SSB. Good reports so far at well below the maximum powers on these bands.

At some point I shall try FT8, which is my favourite mode with my poor voice.

It is smaller than the IC7300, although not SDR based and probably not as high spec. The fan only come on when the rig is hot. Covering 2m and 70cm suits me more. I can turn it down to 5W.

MLS cashback on Yaesu

Certainly MLS (and probably other dealers) are still offering cashback on certain Yaesu products. The next few weeks looks a good time to buy. Unless I am mistaken dealers are offering 3 years warranty on Yaesu.

Yaesu's flagship

Although far more than I am willing to pay for amateur radio gear, Yaesu is trying hard with their new flagship, SDR based radio called the FTdx101D being demonstrated at Nevada according to Southgate News.

I hope they introduce a real FT817 replacement later this year, SDR based. We should know next week.

If they "miss the boat" again, I give them 5 years or less before they quit this market. Of late, they have been followers rather than leaders. It is almost as if they have lost their way and are in "catch-up" mode. Over the years I have been a keen Yaesu man and it pains me to say this. If I was to say who might survive, my money is on ICOM.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2019/may/demonstration-and-talk-on-the-new-yaesu-ftdx-101d-transceiver.htm#.XNUQDfZFy00.

See also https://www.nevadaradio.co.uk/amateur-radio/

See also https://www.hamradio.co.uk/amateur-radio-base-station-radio-yaesu-base-station-radio/yaesu/yaesu-ftdx101d-pd-8964.php