|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Speak Out
Strays
Survey Question
Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation
Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers
Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net
|
| Reviews Summary for Yaesu FT-950 |
|
Reviews: 113
|
Average rating: 4.6/5
|
MSRP: $1840
|
|
Description: The Yaesu FT-950 is an HF/6m transceiver which features IF DSP as well as 3 kHz, 6 kHz and 15 kHz roofing filters. The transceiver can be interfaced with the DMU-2000 to add additional functions such Band Scope, Audio Scope, X-Y Oscilloscope, World Clock, Rotator Control, and extensive transceiver status displays, in addition to station logging capability. The optional RF µTuning Kits may be connected via the rear panel, providing improved selectivity to protect the receiver from close-in interference on a crowded band.
|
|
More info: http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0950.html
|
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this review.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
|
You can
write your own review of the Yaesu FT-950.
|
ON3RE
|
Rating: 4/5
|
Sep 24, 2009 14:48
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
good radio
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
I have my radio about a year now.
good radio but just one problem.
(all ft950 and ft2000 have this problem)
the fm RX and TX is about 663hz to far to left!
only FM problem, Am/usb/lsb/cw are perfect...
so if you want to youse for FM, Mmmm think again.
updated firmware 11.531.11 still the same problem...
hope there will be a update soon......
|
|
KA2DDX
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 20, 2009 10:37
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Nice Rig
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I have owned this rig for a little over a month and have used it a lot. I still have my FT-920, which I've been very happy with, so the 950 had to own up. And, it does. It has a nicer display with a lot of features. This is not a radio to turn on and use, you must play with it, and get familiar with the various features, especially the filtering. Using Ham Radio Deluxe software with this makes it an even better experience.
The radio firmware update went ok. I live in an area with a lot of qrn, probably from the old shopping center behind me. Recently, one night on 20 meters, I was able to drop the noise way down and work an S2 Western Siberian station on cw, armchair copy, albeit at solar minimum, thanks to the advanced filtering in this rig. Receive audio is good, especially on ssb. Afsk works well from this rig. Nice and stable. The internal tuner works well on my 130 foot dipole except on 40 meters, while my FT-920 tunes the same dipole 160 thru 6 meters. Otherwise, no gripes about the tuner.
If you're looking for an all-mode rig for around $1300 bux, go for it, just be patient learning how to use it. So far, so good.
|
|
VE2EZD
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Aug 18, 2009 18:58
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
A classic in the making...
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
I bought my Ft-950 11 months ago. Why Yaesu? Primarily because of reliability issues. I own a TS-570DG that I had to send back for repair because of blown out drivers. The 570 is the most intuitive radio I've used. Unbelievable! But that driver problem set me $400 back and I was also experiencing very bad AGC pumping in CW with the stock filter. Yes, I added an Inrad narrow CW filter to it but as I like to go chasing CW stations S&P style with the wide filter I can tell you that this pumping is it's weakest point.
I wanted to upgrade to an IF-DSP radio in the 1500$ level. The IC-746Pro was very attractive but the reviews on eHam were not reassuring on long term reliability. Then Steeve at Radioworld (Toronto) told me about the FT-950. After reading A LOT about this radio I decided to take the plunge. And I can tell you that I do not regret my choice.
First impressions.
The radio is BIG, much bigger than my FT-847 and TS570DG. The display is clear and crisp but somewhat limited on the quantity of information delivered but I can easily live with it. The VFO knob is very well made and silky smooth and you don't see it wobble like so many other radios.
The receiver.
OK! I do not have access to any HP test equipement to support my comments but in my humble experience in amateur radio (32 years), this is a very fine receiver. I worked a lot of CW contests and had to copy stations in very difficult situations. I threw at them all the tools the FT-950 offered to me, from bandwith, IPO, RF-gain, IF-shift, attenuator, width, AGC settings and contour. The FT-950 proved to be a solid performer.
Operating CW contests Low Power is not an easy task. My secret weapon is to "zero-beat" the station I want to contact. I know some reviewers judged the FT-950 "zero-beat" indicator to be worthless. Please, keep this impression. I'm just amazed at how fast I can zero-in a CW signal with it. Awsome! Yes it's perfectible but it's still the best I found on a radio.
I did all the PEP upgrades available and this radio went to fine to very very fine. At first I experienced noticeable hiss in the audio when using the headphones. There is no more hiss with the PEP upgrade. The receiver audio also went from just OK to crisp and clear with the PEP upgrade.
I wrote a very efficient Win32 application in C to control the radio. I can access with it a lot of the FT-950 functionnality without entering any menu. As an example, I can engage or disengage the DNR with a single click of the mouse. Now I understand why Yeasu restrained so much the FT-950 front-pannel functionnality, It would have easily been an FT-2000 killer.
73s de VE2EZD
|
|
K3EY
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Aug 2, 2009 08:13
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Best Value out there Period!
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
After having owned several of these radios including the very early S/N I felt like I owed Yaesu to write this review. When they first came out I slammed these radios and like others gave them unfair low ratings.
Even when I would sell one I would end up getting another one after some time because one thing I do love about the 950 is the ergonomics combined with the feel of a big high quality radio.
I write this review freely admitting to throwing good money away buying new high-end HF radios only to sell them after a short time at a loss just so I could play with them. After many radios including the K2 and PROIII which are both rated at the top in the performance scale, I find the FT950 with it's latest software updates to be right there with them. IMO spending twice as much for a HF radio is a fools game when the 950’s performance is just as good. Plus Yaesu with their software updates can make an older radio a new radio and as good as others costing a lot more. You buy a IC7600 and that's what you bought it will never change but if Yaesu keeps improving this 950 with updated software, well you get the picture.
As far as the remarks of dedicated power button and other IMO silly issues, again you knew this going in, so why is it an issues?
This radio is more than enough for my operating which is weak CW DX, PSK and rag chewing with an occasional SSB QSO. It’s performance is just as good and it's more fun to play with than my PROIII which is neat but outdated as far as cost versus performance.
MY only regret--I should have saved my money and keep the first 950 I bought and when the updates came out I would have been satisfied.
For the best bang for the buck the 950 is top dog and anyone saying differently isn't rational or irrational biased and blinded with brand loyalty.
|
|
WB5JEO
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jul 20, 2009 08:01
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Me like.
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
Okay. I've had it a week, so this is hardly an exhaustive review of all features and functions. My 6th HF rig in 35 years and my first Yaesu of any kind. I am first struck by the receiver, just plain performance without any tweaking. It is the best I've ever had. It's not just specifics. There's an overall quality, a "purity" that I just don't feel with my Kenwood. Looks to me like an honest S-meter, too.
I find it an easy radio to operate. I think anyone would find it simple to open the box, plug it in, and begin operating with no more adjustment than mic gain. It's true that there is a lot going on, but it took me relatively little time to get oriented. The areas of the front panel dedicated to particular groups of functions follow the same general pattern of selecting function to be controlled by the local knob that it's easy to retain the ways the controls are used.
Some have spoken of the menu system. I find it not at all difficult to navigate. It's true that there are a lot of menu options, but it's not hard to find what you want. I particularly like the system block diagram on the display. Just a glance tells you what's going on in each section, without having to scan the individual controls.
It's true that the tuner is loud. But who cares? It works and reaches its conclusions pretty rapidly. I kind of like to hear it working. (It's got that old movie computer sound, like the clacking as the text appears on the screen in Alien.)
You can do more elaborate things with memory, but there is a dead simple Store and Recall that sequences through five memories on a FIFO scheme that is very nice for setting up the day's interests very rapidly.
It's a big enough radio that the controls are nicely sized, with no tendency to bump one when using another. The main tuning knob can be finely adjusted for drag very easily. If you sit up high, figure on rigging something to angle the front panel up to get a good look at the display and the lower controls.
Overall, it strikes me that Yaesu has struck a pretty good balance between what is set through a menu and what is directly set from a panel control. They did an excellent job of making good use of the available front panel space without having a dozen tiny knobs.
Bottom line is a stunning receiver, and in less than an hour, I was up and running QSO's, with TX and RX audio running into my computer recorder, and I would guess 80-90% of the functions usable and doing it without much thought or hunting for function controls. For a radio in this price range, that's the way it should be, and Yaesu does not disappoint.
|
|
OH8UV
|
Rating: 4/5
|
Jul 13, 2009 16:49
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
My rig
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
Now everything works fine.
Somebody complains about NB, someone else about the scanner.
Everything works fine if you just read the manual. You can adjust NB as you like. There is one touch and second touch (more abt 1 seconds). If that is not enough you can go inside and make your own adjust.
But the manual is not very clear. This is the negative point !
FT 950 is great but the manual is poor. Thats way rating is 4 points.
The scanning system was working after many tries. If you do like as the manual says, you can do it, if you are on the right "mode".
But you have to read many chapters before and check all: as and if.... F.ex. How to scan between 50.090 - 50.120.
Please do the better introduction about how to make the rig really to scan. All the steps, A>M etc. Put everything on one page!
But the rig is very fine.
I have still Kenwood TS520S and TS830S. Those audio is excellent.
So it is also with FT950 audio if you just adjust it!
But you have to do it by yourself.
So you have to do also with your newest versatile cellular phones.
On the old rigs there was only few buttons. On Kenwood they were just ok. Excellent quality.
You have to understand that if you want more options on your new rig you have to read the manual or you have to need some hundreds of buttons on the rigs shape. Then with the chart you could have old TS, old Heathkitt, old Drake, old ICOM sound...
The beacon and very many other versatile functions are great.
I think this is my best HF rig! At least really the best 6 meter rig!
In the beginning of June I was comparing on 6 meters TS2000 and IC7400 with FT950. The difference was clear.
As on old Kenwood user I have to say very sorry that TS2000 was not good. IC7400 was better, but FT950 was the best.
I have had FT950 now with peditions 5 times. It does a great job!
At home I use it allways and sorry to my old Kenwoods those are now retired.
|
|
WD0FIA
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Apr 25, 2009 01:39
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
WOW!
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
As well as having the FT-950 I own 4 hf rigs, Yaesu, Kenwood, Icom, and Ten Tec. There is NO comparison!
Excellent audio, great signal reports! Easy to see (and understand) display. Knobs and buttons are sized perfectly, no fumbling around!
Real Bang for the buck, it is the LEAST expensive HF rig I have, and it has the BEST available features!
|
|
IZ3ATV
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Apr 24, 2009 05:44
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Unbeatable for price
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
This is my second review after some major firmware updates.
It's surely no good as the K3, the Flex series, the Orion II or the Yaesu and Icom flagship transceivers but by the numbers and tests, the FT-950's receiver performs better than any rigs in it's price range.
It's not intended to be a killer contest rig, unlike some exaggerated advertisement may depict it, neither it's a perfect example of human-factors engineering nor it's a wholly perfect rig.
But it's growing better step by step for free every firmware upgrade.
In my opinion, it's more a favourably-priced, all-purpose rig with performance that's mostly on a par with radios costing quite a bit more, and with very good DSP functioning in the same or better league than many more-costly radios.
The FT-950 has a number of TX/RX features usually not found on HF rigs under 1200 Euro.
The single word better reporting this rig is:
BARGAIN.
|
|
AD4C2009
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Apr 21, 2009 09:19
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
FT-950 a good radio
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
After been an Icom radios lover for many years,wanted to give a try to this FT-950 after reading all the good reviews here so I taded my year old IC-7000 backup even for this Yaesu radio with the hope that it was going to be a better radio and after been using it for 4 days I think I did a good deal.It took me just 4 hours to figure out how to do all the menu settings even for TX ESSB,I attached an Audio Technica ATR-30 dynamic mic and after setting all the three parametric builtin EQ's,believe it or not it have a better Tx audio than my ProIII with external EQ boxes.In terms of audio response both radios have the roll-off around 80 Hz but the "lows" on the 950 sound more natural than on the ProIII.
At the begining I noticed the 950 noise floor was higher than the ProIII about 3db but after installed yesterday the latest firmware upgrade for the CPU and the DSP the 950 became even quiter than the ProIII and sensitivity equals the the ProIII.Only dislike I have so far is that some important functions we use daily as the DNR and Tx Pwr for example,are within the menu and it takes time to open it up and move the "select" knob to find it,yes there is a dedicated "CS" key to have any function enabled in that key but how about others? Yaesu should have thought about it and then should have provided an extra CS key or otherwise have dedicated knobs/keys for DNR and Power.Of course this will not make me change my opinion that is still a great radio for the price is been sold.
Automatic antenna tuner even is a bit noisy can tune any swr up to 3 to 1 in less than 4 seconds,its not as fast as the one on my ProIII or the one on my K3 but still do the job.
Mine arrived lower in power in all bands,around 90W but its very easy to access the service menu without even open it and recalibrate all bands one by one to 120W or more.Radio works cool,after a long cw period of operation it becomes just warm,so heat sink is well designed.I will keep this radio as a backup for a long time.
AD4C
Lake Worth/FL
|
|
W9ZO
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Mar 21, 2009 09:41
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Nice Gig
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I just traded in my TS-570SG for the FT-950.
The 950 is much better than the 570 but requires that you read the manual fully to understand the operation of the radio.
The first thing I did was the 11.50 and 610 firmware updates.
Very easy if you follow the instructions.
As for the menu items such as changing power etc, I recommend using the Ham Radio Deluxe program to interface the radio to your computer.
There is a slider for power adjustment and many of the other features.
At first I used the Phones jack to get the audio out to my Sound Card Line In.
This worked but I wanted a fixed level output.
You can use either the PKT jack or the REC jack on the rear panel.
I used the REC to Line In, but the level was a little low.
Changing the plug from Line In to the Microphone jack solved the problem.
The sensitivity and audio quality is outstanding.
CW operation is great.
This rig has to be one of the best buys for the buck.
Outstanding value!
|
|
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews,
please email your Reviews Manager.
|
|
|
|
|
