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write your own review of the Yaesu FT-920.
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W7PV
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 16, 2009 11:42
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Great rig; great value.
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought my 920 new, and have had it for about 7 years with zero problems. I've been licensed/operating for 46 years and used lots of different rigs. Antenna tuner is fast & handles reasonable swr, filtering is good, recorder/player is useful for contesting, and I like the vfo buttons >< (and then >), so I can go quickly from the top of the band to the bottom for manual scanning. Dual antenna ports are great for my 80/40 dipole and my StepIR. Audio reports have been super with the MD-100 mic. Best of all, for the money, you can't do better. You have to pay 2 or 3 times as much to get something marginally better. I can afford most anything, but can't see spending a lot more to get so little additional capability.
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HAMDUDE
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 16, 2009 09:36
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5/5
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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just got my 4th 920 in the last 5 year's. why, because they are a very under-rated radio available in exellent condition for around $800.00. one of the better dsp system's out there, including a quite a few so called "big bit" systems. handle's noise well, nice rcvr, get fine audio report's on ssb using a shure beta 58a microphone. tough as nail's dependable radio. going to invest in the inrad roofing filter, adjacent noise sometime's a problem, but never a contact killer. i believe it would be very hard to find a radio that perform's as well as a 920 for the used price. try one, you'll like it...
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AA2SM
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 27, 2009 00:26
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Super Rig
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Well I first wrote a review on the FT920 back in early 2004. I was very impressed with this rig. I had purchased it brand new.At the time they were trying to sell what was left in stock due to Yasue discontinued its production. I paid 12 hundred and change for it. After years of reliable service, I can honestly say I would pay twice that amount if they were to make the exact same rig today. I basically do CW and the rig performs flawlessly in that mode. On voice I still get compliments on its audio. I use a small Ameritron AL811 amp with it. A very nice combo.After owning many many rigs, this one will be with me forever. I still sit back and admire its beauty. If you can pick this rig up in mint shape for a grand or less, do it, you won't be sprry.
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KB6HRT
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 23, 2009 19:47
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I LIKE IT!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Have had it less than a week. Read all the positive reviews on this radio, got a chance to pick up a 920 for $850. In real good shape. The receiver is very warm sounding with a very good signal to noise ratio. I am a Rag Chewer an this rig hears very very well. The output is not as full sounding as my ICOM 756PROIII but you can sure hear it a long ways away, its very clear sounding I have been told more than once! This radio is very easy to use an tune for this old guy an thats is a treat. There is a nob or button for most every function one uses, wish Yaesu still made radios like this today, will be holding on to this radio for a very long time...............KB6HRT
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N1XZZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 23, 2009 13:11
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The Sportiest looking Radio you have ever seen
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I got this Yaesu FT-920 used but very clean 9 1/2 of 10 very close to mint. The Radio is by far the best looking Ham Radio I have ever seen. And I have seen some of the big Radios but they do not have the aerodynamic look of a sports car like the FT-920 dose ;) the first thing that caught my eye was the receiver. It has very good sensitivity and when there’s a lot of noise it has its shear of filters you can work with. The tuner is fast and accurate even with a home brew 80m dipole feed with latter line. 6m works as well as any of the HF bands With full 100w output. All in all I don’t know what this radio went for when new but for what I paid for it, it is more than I ever expected the more you read the manual the more features you find this Radio has. If you’re looking for a base radio that performs very well go no further than the Yaesu FT-920 . You can find them very easy for under $1000.00 and they perform like a million bucks :)
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IW7ED
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Rating: 5/5
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May 1, 2009 07:42
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FT920 special Inrad
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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with the roofing filter inrad becomes truly exceptional.
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N4DXA
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 27, 2009 20:25
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Fine radio
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have owned my 920 for about 5 and a half years. It has taken a lot of studying to learn how to use all the features, but as with any high tech equipment, it pays to keep the manual nearby. I bought this radio as a replacement for a 900 which I still have and run mobile at times. I have had absolutely no problems with this rig and if I had to replace it I would think about another 920 before making my final decision.
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IK0YKM
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 11, 2009 04:05
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Große Gerät
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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Ich habe meine zweite Yaesu FT-920. Der Empfänger ist groß. Der Empfang und süß und angenehm. Die Ausgangsleistung beträgt ca. 60/70 Watt sprach auch über das Mikrofon mit sehr modernen Heil Sound oder andere. Das Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis ist ausgezeichnet. Das Erscheinungsbild ist sehr bemerkenswert, ist die Figur in der Station. Er hat eine gute DSP und die Zeichen sind sehr deutlich und lesbar. Ich glaube, dass ich nicht mehr zu verkaufen.
Gute dx für alle von Henry
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NH7O
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Rating: 2/5
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Jan 15, 2009 23:41
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Inrad to the rescue
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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First let me say that, although I like the radio, giving this rating of 2 means on eHam "Needs help", which is true. It is also a keeper, as Inrad has come up with the needed fixes.
There are many aspects of the FT-920 that are very well done. The human interface is good, all the controls are convenient, save for the keyer speed control. The RX is very clean sounding, with low IMD in the audio stages. The TX can be made to sound fine with the internal DSP filters, (but I am looking for communications quality audio, not hifi). The large second VFO knob is great. There are several different ways to QSY around the bands, so everyone should be able to find a method that works. I don't find I need to access the menus much.
The A/B antenna selection and rx antenna input are a boon.
The auto notch works very well, and the noise blanker is good. I use the DSP audio filters constantly, and they are very effective.
I am mainly on CW, and find the adjustable pitch to be a great step over rigs with a fixed pitch. The sidetone automatically tracks the pitch control, and the spot switch also gives the proper tone. With all that, there is no way that one can be off frequency.
At the top of the list of detractions is the poor RX performance in the stock configuration, at least as far as use in dxing and crowded band conditions is concerned. The filter leakage (blow-by) and ultimate rejection is objectionable. The close in strong signal handling is poor for a modern rig. The DSP audio filter helps some on cw, but not so much on SSB. Local signals on 160m and 80m are just too much for it. Happily Inrad has come up with cascaded filter boards for extra IF filters, and a roofing filter. There are also some tips on the net for reducing the leakage around the filters to a decent level. Once done, the performance is acceptable, but still not great. Further improvements would require redesign of the filter switching circuitry and the second mixer.
The audio DSP I suppose was intended to overcome the problems with the poor IF filter performance, but the agc pumping that comes with audio filtering is not acceptable for weak signal use. There is no substitute for good crystal filters.
The memory keyer and voice keyer are quite buggy. Messages end up getting written over for no reason. It looks like the programmer just didn't check out his memory management properly, and such poor firmware really should not have gone out the door. There is an ability to record off the air, but oddly that recording can't be played back over the air. When monitoring the voice messages recorded, the playback is muffled and distorted, however playback on the air sounds fine. To play any message, two buttons must be pushed, which is fine once in a while, but not for contests.
The noise reduction control has no effect that I can discern, other than to reduce the audio level. I may not have the sort of noise it was designed to reduce.
To summarize, I think Yaesu cut some corners in making what could have been a top radio, corners that didn't really affect the cost. I found my 920 for a very good price, and after investing that much again in Inrad filters, I now have a good radio. To this end, 920 news group is quite helpful.
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