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write your own review of the Yaesu FT-51R.
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N8QID
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 21, 2005 13:53
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Very good dual bander
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought one of the first Yaesu FT-51r handhelds in December of 1994. It was from the first shipment of FT-51s that R&L Electronics got in stock.
I still own the radio today, and I wouldn't get rid of it. I've taken it camping and dropped it (submerged) in mud puddles, and it keeps working. I've banged it around, and it still works. It is quite a rugged radio even though it may not appear like it is!
If Yaesu would have designed a general coverage receiver into it, it would have been an even better radio, but that was unheard of in 1994, so I'm very happy with it.
It is a true dual bander so you can listen to VHF - UHF at the same time, or VHF VHF or UHF UHF. The battery life is good, although my 10 year old batteries are starting to get a little tired.
If you see one of these for a good price, don't hesitate to buy it. It is a great radio.
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KN7T
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Rating: 4/5
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Aug 11, 2005 09:53
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Full Featured!!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought my FT-51RH new a number of years ago. I also purchased all of the various accessories that go with it along with the programming software that was available at that time. I really like this radio, it has a very solid feel and is easy to hold on to - unlike some of the newer and smaller HTs. The only real gripe I have about the radio is that when changing the battery packs, the radio often will not power up. My experience has been that rubbing the battery contacts and the mating pins on the radio with a pencil eraser and then re-mating the two usually restores proper operation but that can be a hassle when you need to do a quick pack change. The contacts on the pack and radio do not appear to be oxidized so I'm not entirely certain why this problem recurs as frequently as it does. I'm still using the original factory battery packs and they continue to hold a full charge.
All in all, I really do like this radio and the slight problem I've had with the battery packs would not be enough to keep me from buying another one (used) if I needed to replace mine for some reason. I would recommend purchasing a better antenna for it - I bought a longer length "ducky" and the performance is greatly enhanced - it allows me to use a lower power setting and I can still access nearly every repeater I need to while saving drain on the battery.
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KG0WX
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 11, 2005 06:12
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What an HT Should be!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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First, let me dispute what KB7UIX wrote below, re the rigs ability to do VHF/VHF or UHF/UHF. It DOES do that! The quirk is that it only does it in VFO mode and if you transmit, the reciever mutes the other VFO.
Now, on to the radio. I've owned my fair share of ht's in my life and this is the first one that had performance equal to a mobile even when hooked to a big antenna (GP-6 @40'). Not one hint of the intermod that blows away my scanners and my other rigs (VX-1, VX-2, VX-5 & VX7).
The rig has a hefty feel to it - it's quite solid and feels heavy for it's size. The keypad is small but easy to use. Speaker audio is plentifull and hooking up a speaker, thanks to the classic mic connection, is easy.
There are a few nits, to pick, of course. This radio has a protective thermal switch which cuts
back on power if the rig gets too hot. The manual says that when this happens, "low" is displayed. I tried and tried but I couldn't get it to go into that mode although the rig did get almost coffee cup hot. I noticed that the rig's heating was rapid at first then tapered off. I gave up after a while.
www.mods.dk has of course the mod for this rig but I feel I must add a cavet here. If you try to remove the battery tray without unscrewing the battery latch, you risk damaging or loosing the micro spring on the latch.
On the manual - if your used to Yaesu rigs and read the scrolling help texts on the screen, you won't really need the manual. I only read mine to find out what the radio is capable of. No, a VX-7R it aint but like my Elecraft K2, what it does do it does better than any HT I've ever owned. The features I had on my VX radios like HF rx, 220, 6m are NOT missed. I guess it's because those features on the VX-7 are so poorly implemented that they were practically useless.
I have the remote display speaker mic - that's the main reason I bought this particular radio. I ride a road race bike and I wanted to put the rig in my backpack and use the mic to operate the radio. The mic is pure gold in this respect.
One thing I did NOT like is the lack of stability when standing on it's bottom. The battery has 2 runners on either side to keep the rig upside up but they are not very effective. Another minor complaint is the spacing between the knob and antenna - it's tight going to lift the rubber mic cover off and plug in a mic. Thank god this rig uses a BNC for the antenna and a classic twin plug mic connector!
Alpha tags - with 40 memories per band and 8 characters per tag, tagging took most of my programming time. Here is one feature I HATE about "Modern" HT's - you only get to choose either alpha tag OR freq display. The FT-51R does both!
One last feature I should mention - not only does this rig do cross band repeat but you can select either 1 way or 2 way repeat. Nice!
If you get one of these and go looking for batteries, PLEASE read the reviews on Batteries America before buying! I have 2 batteries from W&W and they appear to be better in quality.
One last comment - Yaesu - PLEASE bring this kind of radio BACK!!!! If I had a choice in buying a near mint FT-51R or a VX-7R for twice the price (I did), I'd buy the FT-51R in a hot minute (I did!).
Ken KG0WX
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KB4NOT
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 3, 2004 06:05
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Great dual-band
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I just bought this radio used. So far I have been very impressed with the radio. I have a couple of after market batteries (MaHa MH-FNB-38), the MH-29 display mic -- so neat, dual drop in charger, MH-12 speaker mic etc.
I have had no intermod problems at all. I did try some other antennas at a local hamfest yesterday and much to my surprise, they were actually worse than the stock antenna. MFJ, Opek, and others would not even bring up the repeater I was trying to hit. The only antenna that was as good if not better than the stock was the Diamond RH-519 which is much more flexible than the stock.
Now the batteries. Yes there is a "fit" problem with some of the batteries. I have found that you will need to "shim" some of them up to make them fit properly. I know that is not the best thing to have to do but it does work. The battery life is so-so at best. Nowhere near as good as my 50R that I traded for this radio. A larger lithium battery would do much better.
The menu system is in my opinion is very easy to navigate. I had no problems setting up memories and alpha tags. The performance of the radio has been great and the audio from the internal speaker and the speaker mic is very good compared to some that I have had. If you want a good solid dual band HT with a good visible display and one that is not "micro" in size, than this one is for you. I would buy another one should that occasion arise.
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KB2TES
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Rating: 2/5
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Mar 7, 2004 20:36
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Fragile
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Small radio with lots of excellent features. Comfortable to use. Gets quite warm on extended transmissions.
Did not have the durability that I need. Radio was never dropped or abused.
Purchased the radio used (in new condition) with FNB 31 & 38 batteries, speaker mike, VOX headset, and charger.
After less than a year and a half of use, no longer transmits on 2-meters, speaker is blown and I listen to the radio through the speaker mike, batteries do not seem to make consistent contact with the radio upon installation, labeling on keys seems to be wearing off. I have not used the radio in at least 2 years.
I will now establish repair cost estimates and determine the viability of resurrection.
KB2TES
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KG6LFN
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Rating: 4/5
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Jan 2, 2004 21:04
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SO GOOD THAT I BOUGHT ANOTHER ONE
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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The FT-51R has many great features that I wish Yaesu carried over to its VX-5R. Features include dual receive, independent volume control, duplex-ability, page-ability, a nice display, a real BNC antenna connector and fantastic performance. If you don’t use it for a while, don't panic, it tutors you with scrolling messages that help you to program it – nice for those of us who suffer from C.R.S! It has some intermod when using too much antenna, but that’s to be expected, hey, it’s a HT. With the smaller battery attached I think this radio is the perfect size. The lager capacity tapered base battery makes the radio feel a little goofy and a tip-over waiting to happen if you set it on a desk. Also the battery is not solidly attached to the radio, and gives it a cheesy feeling that I had to remedy with some rubber tape acting as a shim. My biggest gripe is the “dual-function” dial that can be set for tuning or volume control. The radio needs another knob!
My dream HT would be based on the practicality of a FT-51R with a modern 1800 mAh Li-ion battery, tri-band capability with 2M/220/440, wide band receive, a mini joystick like the TH-F6A, loud Motorola audio, a BNC connector, a clock, a barometer that doesn’t read in metric, waterproof with a mic that still works and an accurate thermometer. I’ll keep dreaming.
The current trend of tic-tac sized radios with worthless features like blinking strobe lights and nutty icons seem to prevail on contemporary designs. What’s next after strobe lights, maybe a retractable disco ball and smoke effects? Designers need to remember that Hams use HT’s to communicate with under sometimes adverse conditions in hostile unfamilier dark environments using different antennas with the manual back in the nice warm shack.
If you’re looking for a good, solid dual bander that will still be a good solid dual bander in another ten years, you can’t go wrong with a FT-51R!
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KA0MYG
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 4, 2003 10:11
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Bring it Back!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've had mine since 1995. Still works GREAT! I purchased another used ft-51r last year. The nicad packs are only usefull when I use my CD-2 mobile rapid charger. Otherwise, I use the alkaline packs which keep me running all day long. I've cross-banded another HT back to net control during a search and rescue. I purchased a Yaesu FT-8900 today to be my mobile cross-band rig. The FT-51r is dependable, rugged (it's been dropped several times), easy to use, great power economy, excellent receiver, lot's of usefull features! YAESU, PLEASE BRING IT BACK!
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KB4LP
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 23, 2003 15:20
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Great Radio
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had my FT-51 for many years. Never a problem other than the power switch replaced under warranty. The display is large and contains a lot of information including displaying the Alpha characters at the same time as the frequencies. If you can find one of these used, and want a dual band with most all of the features of a mobile rig, then this is the one to buy!. It is like having a mobile in your hand. These things sold for over $300 when new. I also have the display microphone which is great if you run this rig mobile. There is a mobile stand as well as a cigarette lighter accessory to power it. It works great with a dual band amplifier such as the Mirage BD-35. There are so many menu features that one must have the programming software. The number of memory channels is not what the new rigs are, but they are sufficient for a handheld.
To answer GW0MOF below. The switch you are referring to is a special type of switch (I believe a capacitive type). They do go bad and seemed to be a common problem with this handheld. My FT-51 had to have the power switch replaced for the same exact "sensitivity issue" you are talking about. Most Yaesu dealers will have these switches and I don't recommend doing it yourself as they require soldering to a PC surface.
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KB7UIX
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Rating: 4/5
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Jul 11, 2003 00:47
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nice little jap HT
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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owned this radio for several years. it's a real full-size HT (but quite small if you use a low voltage/capacity battery) with dual receive (but not V/V or U/U), a screen large enough to display sufficient status info, crossband repeat, paging. zero electrical problems/failures for me. physically, it never felt very solid. the antenna connector can loosen up, the top knob fell off and got lost several times, and the silkscreening on the case wore off in spots. NiCd batteries never lasted quite long enough for me, so i would recommend looking for a NiMH/LiIon alternative. selecting this radio as your utilitarian wilderness radio is discouraged, but it's an otherwise reliable and fun toy with some TLC.
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WA6EIK
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 23, 2003 18:20
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Still a great HT
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I just got a clean 51r on a trade and for me personally, I prefer it to newer radios. I sold off my IC-32a, VX-7, VX-5 for various quirks that I didn't care for, and I'll keep my 51r for 2 and 440, and my Kenwood TH-F6 for 220. I was also able to modify my 51r for wide band reception also... MY only wish would be for more memories.
73, Duane WA6EIK
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