This does appear to be a multi-machine issue, and perhaps a design one. I hope they fix it for you, but I am pessimistic. I wonder if they would be able to adjust software to higher port speeds? As W1PJE has noted, increasing to its highest port speed makes the click reduce, and much higher in pitch. If they could go from its max port speed to 38400 to 119xxx, or whatever that high port speed is, I wonder if they could reduce that noise entirely? I also wonder if the noise might then interefere with digital performance (or if it does, already)? At this moment, I cannot recommend this rig for digital mode use with rig control. It is a good value for SSB use, and portable SSB, but if you plan to go digital, I would look into other rigs. I am new to digital modes, and leave commenting to others who know more.
I looked into the potential interference with digital modes by capturing audio in WAV format and then analyzing it with a couple different tools including spectral analysis. It was very clear that the periodic interference was going to provide QRM to any digital mode no matter what baud you used. But modes like FT8 and JT65 have a lot of coding redundancy built-in (error correction, etc.) and in practice you might not necessarily notice the problem as it would not be that correlated with the code sequence itself. In a controlled lab setting, I would bet that you could show that the weak signal floor of -24 dB in e.g. JT65 over SSB bandwidths was degraded (i.e. noise floor raised) by the QRM, but you'd have to isolate that and it might be hard to conclusively prove the problem exists. It would be equivalent to having a really strong in-band transmitter within your SSB filter bandwidth competing with the digital coded signal coming in through the antenna RF path.
I recently purchased an ft 891. I have limited space for a shack and recently retired and want to spend more time on the low bands. I read the story in arrl about the IMD problem but read the article at least four times and did a lot of research. Well, I bought the rig from HRO and quickly unpacked it read the manual and turned it on! LET me tell you. THIS IS ONE SWEET SURPRISE. I work predominately cw and it' superb receiver and easily accessible controls works wonders in any pile up and a transmitter getting solid reports off an attic bound end fed. While I have never done much phone work, I figured I would try my hand at some net work on 75, and 40. Again with great success. I agree that a different mike and headset could make operating more comfortable with possibly additional performance. I learned some 50 years ago that when operating with an antenna turned, it' best to log the settings. It's success continues with using a manual tuner with the ft891.. Once you have set the reference band switching a 1.2 and 1.1 swr are readily obtained. To close. A fantastic little rig with a great price small footprint and ease of operation. A pleasure to operate. 73`s. Roy KD 1 Y F
Thanks for the review. I saw this review and picked up a unit for SOTA and love it. Given the sun cycle, the 817 just wasn't hack'n it and in a pileup, I didn't stand a chance. With the 891, I can activate and pack up a little quicker so people aren't waiting around too long for me. I stayed away from the Yaesu matched tuner... I'm bummed that they couldn't turn out a better unit. I opted for a LDG 100 PRO II given my familirty with the Z817 but it just didn't seem to work right and refused to tune on command (had to ask it 3 times). I switched to the MFJ-939Y and it works well and the MFJ can be commanded by the 891 tuner button too!
The radio is fantastic on SSB and Cw. Don't give a flip about digital, so I should be ok. Im thinking about getting an automatic tuner. Seems like the ldg z100 should mate ok...
the 891 is fine for digital operations, in fact, it as a separate menu adjustment just to adjust the audio level to maintain zero ALC deflection.
Very nice - wasn't even on my radar until now. I agree with the tuner comment, can't do much better than LDG on just about any Yaesu. I do like the fact that it has the TUN/LIN, DATA, and USB connections like the 991. I like easy programming. 73 Jim, WQ2H
I'm about to purchase one later this week and can't wait to get my hands on it. Having read and viewed so many reviews, I can say that I'm pretty familiar with the radio and it is exactly what I need. However, one thing puzzles me, why on earth did they go with the dot matrix display when TFT screens are so cheap these days. It would have made a huge difference if the radio had the FT-DX1200 or 3000 type of display, just in the small size.
My guess would be tooling, firmware, and getting the product to market quickly. The company I work for builds instruments that use similar displays. Every time they change display sizes it's a nightmare of tooling costs for the new size which is dwarfed by the firmware implications. Not a good excuse, but it could be a reason. Good question however - the TFT's on the 991, 1200, and the FTM-400, are all excellent with apparently even higher resolution then the dot matrix. 73 Jim, WQ2H However, one thing puzzles me, why on earth did they go with the dot matrix display when TFT screens are so cheap these days. It would have made a huge difference if the radio had the FT-DX1200 or 3000 type of display, just in the small size.
I have to add a word of praise for the FT-891. I'm using it mostly for CW at my home station and it performs quite well. I have no HF hams within several miles of me and no beam antennas, so I decided to not be very concerned with the ARRL phase noise report. Comparing the ARRL test chart with those from other rigs, there are some that are not much different in transmitted noise. I wonder why ARRL did not ask for another sample in case there was something wrong with the test unit? Anyway, it does pretty much everything my FTDX-1200 did in a much smaller form factor, except for the tuner. I added a MFJ autotuner and took care of that issue. The 891 does have the parametric transmit equalizer, with separate settings for processor on and off, as the bigger rigs. The Yaesu FH-2 remote keypad works with it for direct frequency entry and the sending of CW or voice memories. Most cost-effective ham purchase I've ever made. 73 Paul K4PDM
Regarding the dot matrix display ... see my post above. I was wondering why Yaesu didn't use the TFT screen like on FT-DX3000, but opted for rather low resolution, rubbish looking dot matrix. Today I've found my answer. I used my FT-DX3000 to operate WWFF from a park the other day and the display was pretty difficult to read in the broad daylight. Not even in the direct sunlight, there was some shade but I still struggled reading it. Yesterday I had my FT-891 delivered and this afternoon I took it outside to the local park to tune my linked dipole. That display was a perfect read even with the sun shining straight into it. No problem reading it at all. The blue backlight becomes irrelevant but the dark dots are just like printed on the paper - perfect. Being a mobile rig, this makes perfect sense. OK, it would be better, much better, if they used a higher resolution, but it is what it is. Have a look here, it's perfectly readable. I forgive them now
I use an FTM-400 in my car, and have no trouble reading the display even in the harshest sunlight. (assuming you use a 'high screen brightness' setting, and cancel out screen glare) Clearly a subjective observation - but there you have it. Either way, I still like the 891 a lot.
Hello, I wonder if CAT clicking noise is related to USB? Is it possible to control this rig using TUN/LIN connector ? Thanks, Serge
Update as of 21 Jan 2018 on FT-891 "clicking" problem under CAT control: (Youtube video here: ) My radio is now on its way back from Yaesu Repair in California after nearly 2 months. My radio "meets factory specifications" according to repair. Yaesu HQ in Japan told me they are aware of the clicking problem. Yaesu told me they have no fix for the problem. Worse yet, Yaesu has no technical bulletin officially admitting there is a problem. Japan HQ was completely non-responsive to my requests for discussion or a fix (these were passed along multiple times to HQ by Yaesu repair). So I have completely failed to fix the problem by sending it to the official repair facility. Based on my 30+ years of RF experience, this is a hardware problem and will not be fixed by any firmware updates. Their engineers created a poor mixed signal environment and the digital lines are crossing over into either the audio amplifier stage or worse yet into the RF stage (perhaps more unlikely). I am convinced that the only way to fix it is to redesign the PCB inside the radio, but Yaesu HQ seems unwilling to do this, or to publically admit there is a problem. There is no way to avoid it as it is not possible to control the radio any other way than using the USB port. As a result, I am definitely planning to sell the radio as the clicking noise is so bad that it is useless for any control application (e.g. digital) and contesting is impossible since the noise covers up stations in situations where you ride the RF gain (normal practice for any receiver in crowded bands). This is obvious from the video. It is possible that you might get a radio that does not have the problem under CAT control, but I would say the odds are not good as more than one person has written me with exactly the same symptoms. The engineering on the radio's digital lines is obviously very poor, and I was really disappointed by Yaesu HQ's unwillingness to work with me at all to address the issue. It's a sad situation and the company should not be very proud of its work or its non-response. It's a sensitive receiver and a fine radio if you don't use any CAT control at all - this is true of course for many applications - but as I mentioned above, it's unusable if you want to use any kind of computer control. This same conclusion has been noted by Derek Fichtner more than once here. I would like to thank Tim Factor and Dale "Scotty" Scott of Yaesu Repair in Cypress CA for their assistance - they did an excellent job with customer service and faithfully ran my requests up the chain. The problem is entirely with Yaesu HQ in Japan, its engineers, and their regrettable unwillingness to work with me to effect a solution.
This is rather troubling to me as I am considering getting into digital ops with the 891. If I were using a Signalink or SCU-17 for an interface with the 891, and use the front panel to control the rig, would this clicking still occur? 73 Paul K4PDM
