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| Reviews Summary for Yaesu FT-897 |
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Reviews: 275
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Average rating: 4.6/5
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MSRP: $1049.95
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Description: It is the world's first multi-mode high-power base/mobile transceiver designed to fitted with internal batteries (optional) for portable use. The coverage is HF 160 to 10 meters plus 50/144/430 MHz VHF/UHF. Receive is 0.1-56, 76-108, 118-164 and 420-470 MHz. 7.9x3.2x10.3 inches (200x80x263 mm).
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More info: http://www.yaesu.com/amateur/ft897.html
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LU5DDX
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 7, 2009 17:29
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increible!!
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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exelente equipo !!!!! tiene todo lo que puedas imaginar y cada uno de los mandos responden al pedido de su funcion .. nada esta de mentira ..
lo mejor ,,, el dsp , tamaņo , bandas , audio, modos, opcionales .. lo peor ,, nada de nada .. yaesu creo que en ese rango de precio y funciones va a tardar mucho en ser superado ..
yo le doy 10/10 .. doble para inclinarse ante el ..
felicitaciones yaesu .. saludos jorge
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DK5EW
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 23, 2009 11:27
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!! WOW !!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I've been a Icom user for more than 20 years now.
Just for fun I bought at the HamRadio in Friedrichshafen a new FT-897D with mechanical Collins filter and some mods done by dealer.
As I'm doing mainly 2m EME/Meteorscatter and Tropo I use the Rig there. I also own(ed) a IC-746Pro using for same. So I made comparison on EME/JT65b and I was so what of surprised ! All signals are up to 5dB stronger than with the 746 on same antenna and same PreAmp switching between IC/FT-TRX.
Never thought this could happen by just changing the TRX only but it tells me that the FT-897D is more sensitive.
Also I like very much that the RIG gives a great modulation with my HeilSetPro.
I don't like the small LCD-display but a big display is impossible on that small rig. So I bought me a FT-laaaaarge Meter - fun !
At all I can say this was the best buy I did in the past and I'm going to love that little cheap rig more and more.
73's Erwin/DK5EW
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KD4TWP
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Rating: 4/5
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Jul 22, 2009 05:06
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My thoughts
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Well i got my 897 when they first came out before the D models came out. I am happy with it other than 2 things. The meter is way to small for me to see. so i got the external LDG meter and that works great.
Next thing is the matching auto tuner,it is not all that good,if you have 2.5 or higher swrs it will not tune,on 10mtrs it diesnt tune unless it is under a 2. so that is realy the only problems I have with this radio. I got the extra 110volt pwr supply that goes with it.And it works great.
it realy depends what yo want to do with this radio, if you never plan to use it on the bateries then i wouldnt get it i would get the 950 for a good mid range radio.
well i hope this helped someone out there.
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M0RTS
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 5, 2009 13:08
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Excellent
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Well,I don't know where to start.I purchased by FT 897D brand new from a local emporium.
I always said i wouldnt buy a new modern Radio after running FT902's/FT101ZD's for years, I never thought that modern radios would be as reliable or well built. I was WRONG.
I did a lot of reaserach prior to purchasing my 897D comparing what was on the market for a "new shack in a box" and after speaking to various Hams who also had 897's I chose it.
Value for money is superb, from HF to 70cms and being multimode this rig is a dream, its packed full of features except the kitchen sink, all of which are a joy to use. It took a short while to get use to the menu's on this rig but don't let this put you off. One of my favourite features is the DSP which has made life an absolute dream,especially on CW. You can also customise your settings to your needs easily depending which Bands you use.
I started to use my 897D straight out of the box as set by the factory. Transmit audio reports are superb both thousands of miles away and locally,I havent altered anything yet as reports are good.
The reciever is excellent, very sensitive and nice to listen to,as mentioned earlier the DSP is easy and very effective which I still can't get over. The Noise Blanker is also a pleasure as I have always suffered interference at this QTH due to the local vicinity(supermarkets,shops,various elctrical appliances) but now its Gone!
Despite owning this Gem for a little over a year I haven't finished entirly looking at all of the features this Radio has due to work being demanding and because I love to use it on the air!
The size of the Rig is super,nice and easy for portable/mobile use and of course at home. The radio is built well and has not missed a beat, this rig for me is a keeper.
So if anyone is considering buying an FT-897D or looking to buy a new radio for the shack then I would say Go For It! You won't be dissapointed.
Also Well Done Yaesu!!
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DK5EW
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 3, 2009 07:03
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Fantastic RIG
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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After 20 years of having ICOM transceivers I wanted to give that little RIG a chance. I mostly operate on 2m in Meteorscatter and EME mode. After setting up the 897D and making familar with the menue I made first attempts in MS/EME/TROPO. I was really surpriced how sensitive that little wounder is. The factory installed TCXO gives the 897 a very stable freq. what is needed in JT65 EME mode. Also my HeilSetPro is running great with perfect modulation.
Looking on the price and what the 897D offers I will sell my 7400 because that RIG is not better.
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WB4RHQ
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Rating: 5/5
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May 11, 2009 05:36
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Outstanding Performer
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I have had my 897 for about a year and use it with a 170' long wire. Performance has been outstanding. Recently I obtained an IC-7000 to run mobile, but have had then both on the desk to compare. Most friends who run the 7000 have raved about the audio and the reception, but side by side, the 897 is a clear winner to me. The 7000 will still go in the truck, but the 897 is hard to beat for a sub $1000 radio.
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N8EB
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Rating: 5/5
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May 11, 2009 04:54
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Second look after a year
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had my 897D for about a year now, and thought an update was in order. If you read my first review, I mention that I had a noise source near my QTH that I could not track down. I have moved, so that is one problem cleared up.
I now live in a mobile home park that has antenna restrictions, so for 2 months I have been using a borrowed ATAS antenna with mag mount on the car to work HF - until last week. Some hams came out and put up an almost invisible inverted "L" wire antenna, so I have a choice.
On to the 897D! It has performed rather well even on the ATAS on the car. Now that I also have a wire antenna, it is amazing me even more on how well this rig can tune out noise - at least compared to my old Icom.
I have also started doing a little digital work lately, and I can not find any negative points about this radio - at least in it's price point. As I say in my original review, if you have a bazillion dollars to spend, there are better radios out there, but for a sub $1,000 rig that covers HF/UHF/VHF, this radio is hard to beat.
I am toying with the idea of buying a filter for digital work, but it certainly is not needed!
Unless I win the lotto, I plan on keeping this rig around for a while - great portable rig, decent base rig, and handles every mode/band with ease. Definately a keeper!
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WF7LSU
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Rating: 4/5
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May 7, 2009 21:42
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Solid Rig
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I bought the FT-897D for VHF/6M/Echolink to complement my 950D. I run it via HRD as I find the controls a tad too narrow for constant tweaking. Aside from that minor inconvenience I find the rig a delight to work and the menu system easy after a few run throughs. I'm looking forward to field work in the Wind Rivers this summer. 73
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G4WBW
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Rating: 4/5
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Apr 28, 2009 23:25
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Happy ending
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Waters and Stanton contacted me yesterday to say that as my 897 could not be repaired after so long they were sending my a replacement.
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G0RIF
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Rating: 4/5
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Mar 30, 2009 03:17
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First impressions...are good!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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My FT-897 (purchased second hand) arrived about a week ago but was only used on receive for the first few days while I got the hang of the menu system and sorted out a new power supply. Out of the box I have to say that the pictures don't do this radio justice. Granted it's what's on the inside that really matters but it doesn't hurt if a radio looks good on the desk. To that end the FT-897 is a good looking radio!
In use I have found the menu system simple enough but if you're used to a more sophisticated user interface you may find some of the key presses required to effect a change in the radio's setup to be a little bit long winded. My other radio is a Kenwood TS-480SAT and that radio has a very nice user interface - by comparison I am finding the Yaesu FT-897 to be a bit cumbersome.
Receive performance on HF is good and the radio does benefit from audio DSP noise reduction. This does significantly quieten what is otherwise a pretty noisy receiver. There is also DSP [audio] bandwidth filtering which is effective in reducing adjacent channel interference. This was put to particular use in the CQWW WPX SSB contest this past weekend where the receiver seemed to cope quite well with crowded band conditions, although it should be noted I do have the W4RT 2.3KHz Collins SSB filter installed which no doubt helps.
By way of comparison I would say that the FT-897 is not as good as the TS-480 on HF receive but that should come as no real surprise as the TS-480 is HF+6m only and is designed for optimal HF performance whereas the FT-897 covers HF+6m plus 2m and 70cm. The difference is hard to quantify and I couldn't hear anything on the Kenwood that I couldn't on the Yaesu - it's just that the Kenwood seems more "in control" and has better recovered audio that the FT-897. This is just my wholly subjective view - your opinions might differ.
I can't say much yet about the transmit performance - I need a few on air reports to compare a few settings before passing judgement. I hope to be able to conduct those tests in the next few weeks - I'll report my findings then.
Overall, given it's design intent, the FT-897 is in my opinion a very good radio. It seems to have ticked all the right boxes and arrived at good compromises in terms of size, frequency coverage, operator convenience and performance.
I am looking forward to taking the radio out into the field for some portable operations and antenna experimentation but for now I'm enjoying using the radio in the shack where it is used for HF SSB, 2m and 70cm work while the TS-480 handles all other HF modes.
In summary then, given what it sets out to achieve, I have to rate the Yaesu FT-897 a very good radio (but not great) and one I look forward to owning and using for many years.
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