ICQPodcast Episode 239 - Yaesu FT-450D Review Released

In this episode, Martin M1MRB / W9ICQ is joined by Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Chris Howard M0TCH and Martin Rothwell M0SGL to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief, and this episode’s feature is Yaesu FT-450D review.

We would like to thank Grant Porter, KG4SDR, John Boyer KF5FEI, Peter Caffrey, Chris Hayes 2E0XCH, Anonymous from UK and John Baggott K2BAG and our monthly and annual donors for keeping the podcast advert free. To donate, please visit - http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

News stories include:-

• Morse code - The First Social Media
• Review of UHF spectrum at 410-470 MHz
• Radio Ham Saved Guns n' Roses Gig
• Fire Department Installs Shortwave Antenna
• 10-year-old UK Radio Ham
• Build out of Nationwide First Responder Broadband Network Could Drive ARES Changes
• Portable RF Hacking Tool with a Sub 1GHz RF Transceiver, BLE and USB
• New 122GHz and 241GHz UK Distance Records
• Cube Sat Workshop Presentations Available

The ICQPODCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

 

eham reviews are shorter and to the point. the pod casts reviews are way too long,longer than our church services.

 

Finally, I've been praying for a review on a 6 year old radio.

 

it just depends on how long of a nap you want to take

 

Yeah, way too long...I appreciate the sympathy for the Brits but you lost me way before you ever got past that....

 

One point that could be made is how is the product holding up as far as technology and if the radio reviewed has seen a few years how is it holding up. I'll check out the review if I get a chance.

 

Great radio with a fatal flaw--you CANNOT read the display in daylight, even shaded.

 

Can't wait for the TS-820 long term review next podcast.

 

Whoa ! Had to scroll to the 53 min point before they discussed the 450 :O
There are already many reviews on youtube.
G3SEA/KH6

 

Having just purchased a used FT-450D I looked forward to (and enjoyed) the review. Cheers

 

So much hate for a great podcast. Been a long-time listener, and I usually get more from their content than many of the U.S. podcasts.

 

With an external ATU (I use LDG Z11 Pro II) is a very good radio. Now I'm using a Hy End Fed antenna with very good results.

 

More Snark per square inch here on qrz, than Jack London managed in a whole book.
What I love is that the D model is the old model with different knobs..
somebody ought to be able to talk about that for another half hour. I am not wading through this thing..
I just hope somebody mentioned how difficult it is to actually use the many useless features of the DSP.. while actuall operating.

 

How come you can't change the display colors on the 450D? I read about the 450 and one can change display colors.

 

The 450D was my first rig, I still have it for portable ops. I've moved on to a TS-590SG and a IC-7300.

For the $500 I paid for the 450 used it is still a lot of fun. I put 30 countries and 36 states in the log in my first few months. The CAT interface is supported by all of the major logging programs. The DSP functions are easy to change with one button and the knob right next to it. Over time and with practice you can reduce the noise and reject adjacent signals to work weak signals. It is small, and rugged. On transmit it is 100w the same as the rest of them, I always received good signal reports. It can hear about everything the 590 or 7300 can as most of the time you are signal to noise limited by your antenna, not the radio. Under some conditions the 450 is a bit of a "mumble box" due to the up-convering architecture, and the wide 10kHz roofing filter which lets strong adjacent signals in causing distortion due to intermods and a reduction in sensistivity.

I don't get the bashing, it is what it is. It's a well made low end entry level "rice box" with most of the features available today like noise reduction, IF shift, VFO A and B, ability to work split, keyer, ant tuner etc. At a half to a third of the price of other radios you can get on the air 160m - 6m. No, you don't get a color touch screen panadapter, or selectable roofing filters because you didn't pay for them.

Comparing a Ford Focus' short comings to a S-600 Mercedes is the sport of 14 year olds that don't drive.

The videos are always postive raving about all the features and how great they are. If you want a loaner IC-7851 or FTDX-9000 to review once in a while you can't bash the brand.