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Yaesu FT-891 Initial Impressions from an Outdoor Ham Radio Operator

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by W5KV, Jul 2, 2018.

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  1. W5KV

    W5KV XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Hi folks!

    Please enjoy this presentation of the Yaesu FT-891.

    I think that this radio is at a great price point, and will make it just a bit easier to operate portable with its small form factor!

    The DSP in the FT-891 is top notch, though it has a few quirks that some have pointed out, IMHO this is a great option for either a portable unit, or even a base unit. Coming from a rig that was a bit less menu driven, I found the menu system on the Yaesu really easy to navigate.

    I can't wait to see what Yaesu develops next!



    [​IMG]

    73

    K5ACL
    SignalSearch
     
    KI7ZRI, KB7THL, KN4DQE and 6 others like this.
  2. KN4ELD

    KN4ELD Ham Member QRZ Page

    I bought one of these at Gigaparts on sale in June, 2018. Its a complex and proprietary system. So many menus to work through. Down-side? Its hard to switch modes without running through a whole bunch of menus, same with metering, etc. That said, this is not a mobile rig, its a portable or base rig to be sure. Trying to tune this, switch modes or go through the menu while barreling down the road makes driving a chore (LOL). In short you need to be stationary to operate this thing. Plus side? It gets you out there. The DSP is excellent though sounds a bit "computer-y" at times. Other quirks are it does not agree with my antenna tuner on 6 meters though they are both matched with the right cables. There were sudden power drops, and definitely do not try and tune while in FM mode, go to AM or CW for that or else you'll blow a fuse. FM does require more power on 6 m. Other issues are not worth mentioning. Like all expensive and compact rigs, the smaller the rig + higher power (e.g. not a QRP rig) the fewer the knobs and switches, and more menu driven buttons.

    Another positive? It does not super heat in receive mode the way the FT-100D does. It stays cool so you don't have to shut down.

    It took me 2 days to get the hang of the radio and while I was doing that I spent more time working an Alinco sr8 as a portable which is as basic as you can get than I did with this rig. However, when I did get it to do what I wanted it to do (as opposed to the default settings that Yaesu has it going to), I was quite pleased. Overall its not a Yaesu FT-857D, and its less complex than the FT-100D so I give them points for that. I like the rest of the features, but heck its a battle getting to a lot of them so it takes time to learn this radio!
     
    N8STN, K7LZR, KN4RA and 1 other person like this.
  3. KD9CJX

    KD9CJX Ham Member QRZ Page

    G6LSO likes this.
  4. K9CQ

    K9CQ Guest

    I run one mobile. I have no trouble with the menu system. I have even put the rig in split running down the road and worked a station in a pileup. I have ran mostly an FT-857 and a FT-991 mobile and this little FT-891 has a much better DNR than either of the other. It will knock out power line noise in town and running down the road 10 times better. I am really impressed with it.
     
    VK5JA, KN4OO and ND6M like this.
  5. KB4MNG

    KB4MNG Ham Member QRZ Page

    I don't like menu driven radios and find it irritating at times but it is a very good radio for the money. I bought mine 11/17 and got it for around $575 with a heil mic. I primarily op cw and ssb and it is great for that purpose. One of the best cw rigs I have owned and I have owned some really good ones. I get very good ssb audio reports.

    Once in a while, I find my self digging through the manual to find a forgotten function. Just part of it. Great video, looking forward to more.
     
  6. KE0EYJ

    KE0EYJ Ham Member QRZ Page

    W5KV likes this.
  7. W5KV

    W5KV XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    KE0EYJ likes this.
  8. K7WFM

    K7WFM Ham Member QRZ Page

    To switch modes just hold down the BAND button on top. It will put you quickly in the MODE menu.

    I love the FT-891. The digital CW filter can be narrowed to 50 hz with no ringing whatsoever. As ACL mentions in his video, the DNR is amazing.
     
    W8TJM and W5KV like this.
  9. W8DU

    W8DU XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Thanks for the vid. Glad you like your new radio. Here's a thought: If you want to demonstrate the effectiveness of the noise blanker, think about showing how it can make an unreadable signal now readable. After all, the purpose of a NB is to improve S/N ratio.
    Enjoy your new radio. 73 de Arnie W8DU
     
    W5KV likes this.
  10. WD0BCT

    WD0BCT Ham Member QRZ Page

    I found the QMB switch an excellent way to switch modes in a hurry if you set up mode/band carefully in QMB. I stumbled upon this when wondering what the heck the QMB switch was for. Unfortunately you can only set up 5 QMB set ups. But it works great!
     
  11. K9UR

    K9UR Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    i bought one of these to stick in an old samsonite briefcase. I have been using Ic-7300's both at home and portable, but the size of the yaesu is attractive, as is the ability to compactly fit a small manual-style antenna tuner in my little briefcase (*the icom has a built in ATU but limited range, and is jut a little too big for the radio and extras to fit into my briefcase;

    My conclusion using it absolutely side by side to the Ic-7300 is that the Icom is better on many fronts , but for half the cost, the Yaesu 891 is inexpensive and a very viable contender.

    On the amp, it does show IMD issues, but my plan is to run this portable, no amp, etc. Keep the ALC to one-fourth difflection and it cleans right up.

    I tried it in a few contests and also during FD - it gets hot running 100W cw. You MUST go into the menu settings and select the "contest" feature for the fans and that keeps the fans running, but, it still gets quite warm to the touch.

    Lots and lots and lots of menus' You need the NIFTY guide or similar to adjust simple stuff like CW side-tone volume, power output, etc. After practicing with it for a few weeks and a few frustrations that required going back to the manual, it's easier to use now than before.

    It is far FAR superior on HF to the IC-706 varieties and the FT-857 which are comparable class-size radios. Doesn't cover VHF/UHF either but the radios that cover / are a shack in the box do not do the newer digital modes either...so it's a compromise.
     
    NU4R and W5KV like this.
  12. KE0EYJ

    KE0EYJ Ham Member QRZ Page

    I learned first-hand that this is not a field day rig. To be honest, anyone having a field day should probably make sure this radio is not in the group. Although it is a nice radio to take out on the mountain on your own, it doesn't play well with other radios nearby. Every time I keyed-up, I was causing issues around me. Our antennas were too close, yes. But sadly, my radio was enough of a problem that it hampered me from using it, that day. Even moving further away did not help.
     
    W5KV likes this.
  13. KK5JY

    KK5JY Ham Member QRZ Page

    This radio has been out for how many months now? The ARRL review was over a year ago. How is it that Yaesu hasn't fixed the bugs in this radio yet? :oops:
     
    NU4R likes this.
  14. KE0EYJ

    KE0EYJ Ham Member QRZ Page

    Mine is a year old, btw. They may have fixed sone bugs.
     
  15. KK5JY

    KK5JY Ham Member QRZ Page

    Do tell.

    The only description I can find to the latest firmware is "Improved and optimized." That doesn't say very much about the update.
     

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