Showing posts with label yaesu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yaesu. Show all posts

9 Mar 2024

Yaesu cashback - last hurrah?

 MLS is again offering cashback on some Yaesu products. When they get it right, Yaesu create some great products, but I get the distinct impression they have lost their way in recent years. They now follow others whereas a while back they were clear leaders.

It is my contention that manufacturers and dealers are only really interested in profits. Once the amateur market ceases to deliver profits, they will move on or close.

In my view, MLS will be around longer than most, but both Japanese manufacturers and dealers will be questioning their options. The amateur market is OK now, but for how many years?

I hope I am very wrong.

18 Feb 2024

Yaesu: multi-band, multi-mode, portables - gone?

Just now, I took another look at the Yaesu, Japan website. The FT818 has gone and is no longer shown. Many have been waiting for years and years for a decent successor to the FT817. It never came.

There can be several reasons:

  • Yaesu is of the view there is too little profit as the competition is now high.
  • They are working on a successor.
  • They are thinking (...zzz), but have not decided what to do.

In my view, there is a market gagging for a decent product. Yaesu has the skills to make a good product. They have shown this with the FT710. 

We are on the downward slope (probably) of the solar cycle. This really is their last chance.

Yaesu - wake up!!


30 Dec 2023

FT818 replacement?

There is much speculation that the now old FT817/818 Yaesu had been discontinued about a possible successor. When it was first introduced it had no competition. These days there are many competitors, so Yaesu may decide not to bother.

One of the competitors is the DX Explorer TX-500. This is available from MLS. I have no idea where this is made, but it is rugged and feature rich.

As a Yaesu fan I would consider a new Yaesu portable at the right price and with the right features. Sorry, but in recent years I think Yaesu has been reactive rather than proactive. They will have a tough time unless there are some "killer" applications.

20 Dec 2023

FT-817/818 replacement?

Since before the peak of the last solar cycle (24), I have been speculating about Yaesu launching a replacement to the flagship FT-817/818 series. As most know, these are QRP, all band, all mode, portables. The same basic rig has been around since about the year 2000. Worldwide, it has been very successful.

The Facebook FT-818 user group and QRPer website talk about the FT-818 being discontinued.  Yaesu has all the things it needs to do a good replacement.: an SDR RX architecture, DSP technology, LiIon battery packs, and auto ATU design, speech processing etc..  They could even use the same case!!  It needs to be a market disruptor with unique selling points. The IC-705 has no auto ATU or 2m and 70cm bands. Could they consider a "killer" app that really makes people want one? It is also not a real handheld.  My puzzlement is why has a replacement not appeared already? 

There is a great danger of Yaesu missing the boat (yet again) as sunspots decline. This, as a QRPer, at the right price and spec, is the one rig I might consider for a trade-in.  At the right price and spec, this could be Yaesu's saviour, but they need to launch very soon.

Does anyone have any inside knowledge? Spec, launch date, etc..

UPDATE 2055z:  No inputs yet from anyone.

UPDATE 2110z: I took look at the Yaesu Japan website. All they could manage was the 2011 catalogue!! Does not fill one with confidence. If they want to make profits, you would think they would have a 2023 catalogue at least! Come on Yaesu - wake up!!

See https://qrper.com/2023/01/if-yaesu-designed-an-ft-818-replacement-what-would-you-like-to-see/

25 Oct 2023

Yaesu discounting

At least one UK retailer is making a "big thing" of Yaesu discounts. 

This may be the lead-up to end-of-year sales like "black Friday" and the Christmas holidays. Or it could be Yaesu is desperate to gain or hold on to market share.  

My view is that all Japanese manufacturers of amateur gear are going to struggle in the years ahead. Some customers have lots of faith and I hope I am very wrong.

3 Aug 2023

FT817 and successors


For over 40 years, I have been a great fan of Yaesu. In the past they were at the forefront of innovation in amateur radio.  Like many, I have been waiting for a real replacement to the FT817/818 family. The FT818 was a bitter disappointment as it still lacked most of the features people had hoped for. They still make some good products like the FT-710 which is SDR based.

My own view is that Yaesu has lost direction in the amateur radio market. Against many competitors they now look second best reacting to the market rather than being out front. Arguably the FT-991A and the FT-710 were reactions to the ICOM IC-7300. This is so sad as Yaesu definitely could lead the market. 

After many years, they seem to have lost the battle for the QRP market. ICOM introduced the IC-705 and the Chinese are appearing with some serious kit.

It is my view, hopefully wrong, that Yaesu will leave the amateur radio market before 2027. They will realise they can no longer make profits and go.

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

In 2010 (yes 2010!!) I produced a wish list and Photoshop mock-up of what I was expecting for a possible replacement. Instead we got the real FT818, which was a total letdown.  What I was expecting in 2010 still largely holds, plus an SDR RX architecture. 

Sadly, I cannot see this ever coming.  Who would launch a new QRP portable after a sunspot maximum? We shall call this now the FT819, although I suspect this is now pipe-dreaming! 

Yaesu - very last chance!

These are the features expected:
  • All mode 472 kHz to 1296 MHz with 5 MHz, 40 MHz, and 70 MHz.
  • 5W RF (2W 1296 MHz).
  • 3.5AHr LiPo battery (fast charging).
  • Random wire auto ATU.
  • SDR RX architecture.
  • Full colour OLED display.
  • RF speech processor.
  • Digital ready.
  • DSP noise reduction.

20 Jul 2023

Yaesu FT-710

This is a very good transceiver, scoring very highly on the Sherwood tests. However, I missed 2m and 70cm and found 4m a disappointment. In the end, I went back to the ICOM IC-705 that better matched my needs. 

It is my view that Yaesu has lost its way in the amateur radio market. They are capable of making some excellent products, but need to get a grip before it is too late. In my professional life, I saw signs. Yaesu has them all. Let's hope I am very very wrong. I like Yaesu.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/yaesu-ft-710 .

8 Jul 2023

Yaesu FT-710 and ICOM IC-705

Both are excellent radios. 

On the Sherwood tests the FT-710 came 4th, which is very good.  It is disappointing Yaesu has chosen to, effectively, ignore the QRP market it once dominated. It is almost as if Yaesu has given up. 

The FT818 was really about component obsolescence and really had none of the features expected in a modern QRP rig. To many, it was a total disappointment. 

Yaesu introduced the FT-710 which is SDR based. Personally, I found the ergonomics easier than on the IC-705. The FT-710 includes 4m, but does not do 2m and 70cm which I missed.  It also has an auto-ATU. 

ICOM launched the IC-705 some years ago. It is a 10W portable unit covering 160m-70cms, all modes, but it omits 4m and the auto ATU. It is also too expensive. Having tried 4m both in the Es season and before, 4m has proved a disappointment. Personally, I was expecting more from the band.

In the end, I went back to the IC-705 as I missed 2m and 70cm more than I missed 4m and the auto-ATU. It is a 10W radio and far smaller. As a QRPer, 10W is quite enough, especially on FT8 and WSPR. On its battery it is a 5W radio. Had Yaesu announced a new QRP rig, I might have traded my FT-710 in for one. Sadly, I see no new QRP rigs from Yaesu on the horizon.

Personally, I give Yaesu a maximum of 36 months in the amateur radio business. 

As a Yaesu fan of old, I very much hope I am wrong.  They have had chances and blown them.  To my mind, they are a company floundering.

10 Jun 2023

Yaesu curtains?

For several years I have been worried about Yaesu. At the Dayton Hamvention 2023, I was hoping they would announce a new SDR QRP radio to replace the FT817/818. They have the technology.  Sadly, nothing HF was announced just, yet another, VHF/UHF mobile.

Since the early 1970s, I have been a real Yaesu fan. Many Yaesu radios have been bought over the years. At the present time I have 4 Yaesu rigs.  In my view, they have blown their last chance.

In my view Yaesu will quit the amateur radio market in the next few years. I hope I am wrong.

6 Jun 2023

Friedrichshafen - mid June

This is the biggest gathering in Europe for radio amateurs. It attracts amateurs from a wide range of countries. I still keep hoping Yaesu will announce a new QRP SDR radio to replace the FT817. I suspect they will not, alas. In my view they have "missed the boat"....yet again. Personally, I fear Yaesu will leave the amateur radio market shortly. They could well be joined by others.

 "Times, they are a changing".

See https://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.com/ .

20 May 2023

New Yaesu HF QRP Transceiver?

Does anyone have any idea if Yaesu is planning to launch a new HF QRP radio as a proper replacement for the FT817?  The FT818 is a joke.

One has been overdue for many, many years and I fear they have lost their chance. They now have an SDR platform and surely could do this. 

With the right features and form, it could still be a winner. I would certainly consider one. As time progresses, they are facing yet more competition from ICOM, Elecraft and various Chinese offerings.

This is their very last chance!! If one is not forthcoming very soon, I fear it is curtains for Yaesu in the Amateur Radio Service.

UPDATE 1314z:   I think Yaesu has blown it (yet again). Initial reports from Hamvention suggest nothing. If they had anything at all (even a non working mock-up) they would have shown it. I give them 3 years in the Amateur Radio Service market before they are out, possibly less at this rate. I am a great Yaesu fan, but in recent years their marketing has been unbelievably poor. If I was in charge, the entire marketing department for amateur radio would have been sacked as totally incompetent.

16 Apr 2023

Dayton Hamvention

Mid may sees the Dayton Hamvention in the USA. This is probably the biggest amateur radio gathering on the planet. Often, the big manufacturers use it to announce new products, even if they are still in development.

I really hope Yaesu announces a real successor to the FT817/818, both of which are no longer in production because of component shortages. This is their very last chance. Otherwise I fear they will leave the amateur market. The impression you get is of a floundering market strategy in which they cannot tell their a*e from their elbow. 

What do we want?

  • SDR based RX
  • Better battery pack
  • Auto ATU
  • More bands
  • Speech processor
  • etc.

None of this is rocket science. Yaesu - pull your finger out!! Do it NOW!


12 Mar 2023

Yaesu FT-710 FT8 - last try!

Having tried most things, I shall give my FT-710AESS one more try on FT8. 

So far, everything I have tried has failed. If it is something I am doing wrong, I have yet to find out what it is! All the drivers are installed, port selection is correct, port properties are correct, rig selection is correct, RTS is selected (as they say), but still CAT fails to work. 

If this fails, the rig will have to go back. I really hope I can crack it. It should not be this hard. If the rig is working, I fail to see why this popular mode is so difficult.

If you have one of these rigs, please tell me your FT8 settings both on the transceiver and WSJT-X. I thought mine were all correct, but obviously not.

Yaesu FT77


Way back in the last century, I bought this radio. It came after the FT7 (which I loved) and had the WARC bands. I guess this would have been in the mid 1980s. I did not warm to the rig. As for the DX worked with it, I cannot remember. As I recall it had a noisy RX. Mind you, after the FT7 most receiver sounded noisy!

See https://www.rigpix.com/yaesu/ft77.htm .

11 Mar 2023

Still no luck with the FT-710 on FT8

My other Windows PC came back yesterday and works fine with my tiny QDX. It has already been spotted all over the place and works fine on RX too. 

Sadly I have still not got my Yaesu FT-710 to work on FT8. I cannot get the CAT to communicate with the rig. I have downloaded the drivers, adjusted the settings for the driver speed as they say, selected the correct port and all settings and still no joy.  This is so frustrating.

After lots of trying, I just cannot see what I am doing wrong. If this is "finger trouble" at my end I just do not understand. I shall give it another try or it will have to go back. It is a pity, as this is a good rig.

2 Mar 2023

Yaesu FT7

My first ever Yaesu rig was the 10W FT7, which I bought second hand in 1979. By modern standards it was big, but it was a great rig, enabling me to work 10m SSB QRP DXCC in the 1980s. Being this old, WARC bands were not included and on 10m, it only covered 500 kHz. 

Later, they brought out a 50W version (the FT7B) that covered all of 10m in 4 switched bands. Synthesizers and memories were in the future, so it had an analogue VFO. The RX was very quiet. It was one of the best rigs I have ever owned.

Several Yaesu rigs have been owned and I like Yaesu products, but feel they lost their way in recent years. Let's really hope they survive.


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

17 Feb 2023

FT-710AESS and 4m

Until today, I did not realise that 4m has to be enabled on this rig.  As it comes, both 70 MHz and UK 5 MHz bands have to be enabled. I thought these already were!

A very helpful phone call and email from Steve Venner at MLS explained how to do this (it was very easy), and I now have power on 4m. It is also meant to enable 60m UK allocations with the same mods although I have not yet checked.

I have still to test the rig fully. Steve is also checking the AESS functionality on the MLS demo rig. I must say, Steve was very helpful.

Apart from the AESS function, I am very pleased with the rig so far.

I traded in my IC-705, but have not yet received a credit on my card. I guess they have to check it all first. It is mint. It was a very good rig.

UPDATE 1529z: The 2m big-wheel and feeder does match on 4m (I am pleased to say) using the internal auto-ATU on the FT-710. No doubt a dedicated 4m antenna would be much better, but this is a start. I have not even started on the DSP and filter options! I hope to go on the 4m activity contest (March 15th) with this compromise antenna. I think this is a Tuesday.

12 Feb 2023

Yaesu FT-710AESS first impressions

Yesterday, I fired up my Yaesu FT-710AESS for the first time. It is very highly rated on the Sherwood tests coming 4th. 

As a dedicated QRPer, it will be used mostly on its lowest power (5W), although I may run 10W PEP on SSB. It is capable of 100W on the HF bands. It does not cover 2m and 70cm, but does include 4m.  

Everything (I think) seems OK, although the AESS appears not to work, merely switching to the external loudspeaker irrespective of the degree of balance. 

The fan (which used to be on all the time in first versions) appears not to be on. I am not sure if this was changed to come on only when the rig is hot. I want to do a full reset, but want to talk with MLS first in case this loses me 5 MHz and 70 MHz bands.

I am hoping the AESS issue is "finger trouble", although I did everything as stated in the manual (I thought). If the reset does not fix the issue and I cannot find something simple that I am doing wrong, it will have to go back to MLS under warranty. Otherwise it is a good buy.

UPDATE 1546z:  I tried making sure the external LS was connected before turning the rig on, but sadly this did not change things. I have asked MLS about a reset and the fan. I hope the rig does not have to be returned under guarantee as otherwise it is a fine radio.

8 Jan 2023

The Yaesu FT81x transceivers

Yaesu has announced the ending of production of the FT818 transceiver claiming parts shortage as their reason. 

When the FT818 was launched, like many, I was completely under-whelmed. What a complete failure!! 

The FT818 offered none of the things people had expected and that would have been very easy to do. Instead, they opened the market to others and gave us the impression of a company that had totally lost its way. 

In my view they have one last chance in 2023. Based on their muddled performance in 2022 I am not too hopeful. If they are after profits, they have surely lost their chances already. Compared with, say, 10 years ago there are far more competitors.  At one time they ruled the QRP market and were leaders not followers.

In my time I have owned many Yaesu transceivers. I was a Yaesu fan. 

It would not surprise me at all if Yaesu left the amateur radio market within 5 years.

28 Aug 2022

Yaesu FTDX-10

After a huge amount of thought I have decided not to buy this radio. 

Apart from 4m, it is unlikely to offer me much more than I already have. I am sure the IC-705 offers nearly as much.  The 100W is wasted on me!  What I might have bought was a 10W version or a real FT817 replacement.

There is little doubt that this is an excellent transceiver especially with the special bank holiday deals from MLS.

So, I'll pass. Maybe I'll regret this.