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| Reviews Summary for Yaesu FT-1500M |
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Reviews: 191
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Average rating: 4.6/5
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MSRP: $229
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Description: This is the new Yaesu FT-1500M Mono-band 2 Meter mobile radio. 50 watts out, MH-48 mic, CTCSS encode + decode, DTMF encode + decode, 130 memories, 1200-9300 Packet ready (connector on back), Backlit display, and most other bells and whistles you would come to expect from Yaesu (including SmartSearch, Clock Shift, ect.).
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Product is not in production.
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More info: http://www.yaesu.com/ft1500m.html
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write your own review of the Yaesu FT-1500M.
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M0KRL
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 31, 2012 05:13
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Bullet Proof
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Used it mobile and in the shack, simple menu, even simpler design, the ultimate in bomb proof design.
I would recommend this to anyone who needs a monoband radio.
Karl, M0KRL
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EI4KE
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 12, 2011 01:24
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Great fm radio
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had this radio for a few years now and it's given me great service, from mobile chats to winning the fm section of a 2m contest,,, no complaints, menu is easy, memmory inputs are easy, 5/5
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W9TAM
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Rating: 5/5
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May 31, 2011 14:19
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Solid radio, great for APRS
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This was the first radio I owned, purchased from a friend shortly after I got my ticket in '04. I needed a small radio to mount under the dash in my tiny '97 Nissan Sentra, and this fit the bill. I used it as my mobile rig for nearly 4 years (until I bought a new car and a Kenwood TM-D700A to go in it), and now it has been repurposed as a 2m base in my shack.
As a mobile, I had it almost exclusively doing APRS with a TinyTrak, and it always ran like a champ. The mini-DIN connector in the back is very convenient for use with a TNC. Sure, it gets a little warm at 50W - just keep it ventilated and don't touch it!
For a compact and rugged radio, it's still tough to beat this one. If you see a used one, grab it!
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W8AAZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 10, 2011 17:46
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Still going X2
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I still have the two I reviewed in '05. Still working exactly like they should. But the mobile unit is not left in the car and so whatever abuse they cannot bear from long term use in very hot vehicles running constant full power has not affected mine. The other is my 2M base station. Only abuse it gets is dust. Same old mic cords, they have not broken yet. I see from ebay prices I could sell them for at least what I paid new, back when. That means reputation and demand. A great endorsement regardless of what someone who might have gotten a lemon might say. Recommended except the internal speaker is HT sized.
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KD5PNT
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 10, 2011 15:06
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wonderful performer
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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was my first 2 metre rig when I got the tech license in 2001 . used it in the 96 ranger PU until I traded it in 04 . never had any problems with it until today except the mike cord outer jacket fell apart . the truck was a real beater too , even on the highway it was like riding a bronc . don't know why yaesu discontinued it . would buy another if I can find one anywhere except ebay . will have this one repaired rather than replacing it
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KQ4KK
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 17, 2011 19:08
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Great Radio for TNC
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have 5 of these running APRS, in different modes and locations. 4 of them I bought on eBAY or at local Ham Fests. Those Mic. cords are all falling apart in my hands. The one I bought 10 years ago, and had in my daughters car is fine. One of those I bought on eBay was "brand new". Came in the factory box, with the mic. and cord still in plastic wrap, with original tape. That cord was also bad. You can get NEW cords on eBAY for $24.95, but thats about half the cost of a used 1500m. Since I don't use the mic at all, they just sit in a corner, cables falling apart, along with my Windows XP machine to program them. A great radio for APRS. Has a real mindin data port, makes it easy to connect and change out if required.
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AA4AN
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Rating: 3/5
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Feb 17, 2011 12:05
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What's up with the disintegrating mic cable?
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have three of these radios. I bought all three about 10 years ago. They all work great, and are built like a tank. Great TX and RX audio. Plenty of power to work local and distant repeaters or simplex. NOAA WX channel scanning is nice. That's the good.
The bad is 1. in hot WX the LCD readout turns black. No big deal if you keep the AC running. But be sure to park your car in the shade or in the garage if you want to use the radio before the interior of your car cools down.
2.Like all menu driven Yaesu's they are a pain to program without the manual - which I hate. I own the programming software but it does not work on newer PC's... I gotta keep my old 486 machine handy just in case.
And worst of all 3. All three of my 1500's mic cables are disintegrating. The "rubber" if you will, has deteriorated to the point that it is mostly just bare wires. I thought it might be because of being exposed to the elements in a mobile situation, but I have one in the house that I use for data comm, and I just pulled the unused "new" mic out of the box and it has also deteriorated. The MH-48 mic is a fairly universal mic used on several Yaesu models. I wonder if anyone else has this problem? I have mobile mics that are 30 years old and never had this problem.
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W9SAS
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 7, 2009 18:12
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She's A Brick ... House
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This rig eschews gadgetry for pure meat and potatoes. In temporary installations, I've kicked this radio around the floor of many mobiles for years. It always works. Rx and Tx are always flawless. No fans to clog up with dirt and get noisy. Overheating is not a problem if you keep it out of direct sunlight. No menu selectons for range transponders or similar cruft that interest only 1% of us. Just solid 2m radio performance. So much so, that I've relegated this radio to my test bench as a reference radio for various 2m experiments, where I need a radio I can depend on.
Unless you absolutely need UHF in addition to VHF, buy one of these if you ever encounter one for sale. Mostly, you won't.
- 73s Steve (W9SAS)
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KF6UME
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 1, 2009 21:41
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Bullet proof, solid radio
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've used this model for about 7 years mobile. It's never failed, never lost memory, never over heated and never needed repair. The buttons aren't backlit, but I never needed to program the radio at night. The fully functional MH-48 microphone IS backlit and interfaces well with the radio. I just upgraded to a 7800R in my Jeep, so this was uninstalled. I'll never sell it though, since it is such a great performer.
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KG4OXA
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Rating: 3/5
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Aug 19, 2009 12:11
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Good Radio, not so Durable
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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The radio part is solid. Despite no fan, it never gets even uncomfortably warm using my non-tuned through-the-glass mobile antenna and long full power rag-chew. My audio quality is good, and all the reports I have received are excellent. The display is minimalist, but simple and clear. No complaints there. Kudos for alphanumeric. The black look is sleek and nice.
The main problem is that after a few years, my microphone cable disintegrated, as in, it's just literally rotting and falling apart, and the replacement is $$$. My friend who bought the same unit had his microphone cable fail within a few years as well. Also, while the case seems like you could drive a truck over it, the tuning and volume knobs are on flimsy plastic rods, and the first to go -- as also happened to my friend, and mine are wobbly too. The buttons on the unit are not backlit, so unless you remember what they are you're stuck in a dark vehicle.
Finally, as usual in this kind of gear, you'll need the manual handy to decipher what button to press or hold for how long in what mode to make things happen. Programming is a PITA without the optional cable and software. That being said, it has all the functions one might want.
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