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Author Topic: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?  (Read 1918 times)

W6UV

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FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« on: November 21, 2020, 11:08:48 PM »

I’ve been in the market for a new rig for several years now, patiently waiting until the various manufacturers came out with their latest generation of rigs. I’m tired of waiting and want to have something new in my shack, in part to alleviate some of the boredom due to the Covid lockdown situation here.

Some rigs I’ve considered:

Icom 7610: This rig used to be at the top of my shortlist due to its price, performance, and features, but the persistent display issues that have plagued it have soured me on the 7610.

Kenwood TS-890: Lack of a second receiver makes this one a non-starter for me.

Elecraft K4: This looks to be a nice rig, and Elecraft has great customer service, but it’s not available now (I didn’t get on the waiting list soon enough, and don’t want to wait a few more months). I’ve also never been a fan of the build quality of Elecraft rigs—the main PCB forms the backbone of the rig and everything else bolts onto it. By comparison, Japanese rigs use a solid, die cast aluminum chassis. I’ve never been a fan of the knobs, especially the main VFO knob, on Elecraft rigs either.

That leaves the FTdx-101MP. Are there any “gotchas” with this rig? Power overshoots, display issues, nasty firmware bugs, etc? I’ve been satisfied generally with the FTdx-5000 I’ve had for the last seven years, but it did have annoying issues with its three OLED displays, and I’m hoping the 101 doesn’t have a similar Achilles heel.
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K6AER

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2020, 12:03:53 AM »

I have not played with the FTDX-101MP much but I notice there have been a few (1-3) per week that come up for sale after the radio has been use for 2-3 months.

The 7610 I think have the display issues behind it, especially if the radio date code is less than 6 months old. I like the waterfall and very accurate spectrum analyzer on the Icom's and the close in band resolution is on par with my Hewlett Packard spectrum analyzer's. The radio is very intuitive and you can operate the radio well in just a few hours.

Something else to consider is factory support. Icom has multiple repair centers across the US.

Let us know your dissension and impressions of what ever you end up with.
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WX4W

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2020, 03:30:37 AM »

By adding a TS-590 slaved to the TS-890 you have a second receiver and a backup radio as well.  The TS-890 was designed to do this using special slave cables to the 590.
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K0UA

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2020, 05:11:37 AM »

There is nothing to fear from the 7610. Mine is original and has no issues. Sure some did, but Icom repaired them. I sure would a lot rather have the second receiver than that single receiver Yaesu. Mighty handy. I have had mine for well over a year now, and it was lightly used by an older fella going into an assisted living facility and could not utilize it any longer.  Best money I have spend on rig in a long time. Full performance out of the box with nothing else to "add on" for more money. Very hard to beat in its class.
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73  James K0UA

K9IUQ

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2020, 06:04:17 AM »

I’ve been in the market for a new rig for several years now,

That leaves the FTdx-101MP. Are there any “gotchas” with this rig? Power overshoots, display issues, nasty firmware bugs, etc? I’ve been satisfied generally with the FTdx-500

I’m hoping the 101 doesn’t have a similar Achilles heel.

Hey Jerry, I beat this topic to death here on this forum a year ago. You can go back and read all about the 101MP, 890s and the Icom 7610 screen debacle with several Topics I started or participated in.

https://www.eham.net/community/smf/index.php/topic,125335.0.html

https://www.eham.net/community/smf/index.php/topic,127311.0.html

https://www.eham.net/community/smf/index.php/topic,126632.0.html

These are very large discussions and has more info than you may want to digest but the answers to all your questions are in there somewhere.

Info about the 7610 screen debacle is in there too along with early 101 issues.

I have owned my FTDX101MP for a year now. Unlike other hams who feel they have to defend the radio they own no matter what I tell it like it is. Of course you have known me for 10 years or so and already know about K9IUQ.

My 101MP is a beautiful radio and presently trouble and frustration free. I have no buyers remorse and it is the finest radio I have owned so far in my 60 year ham career. Is it perfect? No. In order to be a perfect radio it would have to have a Elecraft or Flexradio badge.  :) :) :)  Yaesu owners are not cult members. To Yaesu owners it is just a radio, not something to love or worship.  ;)

I could say many many things about the FTDX101MP, Icom 7610 and Elecraft and the Kenwood 890s but I have already done so in the links I provided. Nothing in the past year has changed any of my opinions. the 7610 will always have the screen issue debacle hanging over its head, no matter what K0UA spins, and the 890s will always have ONE RX... And yes Elecraft will always have the Tinker Toy construction compared to *** radios..

My advice, read all the information I provided and buy the 101MP, I know you want one. Good prices around this time of the year. Occasionally I have seen Gigaparts run 30 day money back guarantees on the 101MP radios and if you end up not liking the 101MP you can easily dump it without losing much $$ and come back here on eham and bash it and blame me for recommending a 101MP.. :)

Stan K9IUQ
« Last Edit: November 22, 2020, 06:15:51 AM by K9IUQ »
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W1LV

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2020, 06:24:57 AM »

There is nothing to fear from the 7610. Mine is original and has no issues. Sure some did, but Icom repaired them. I sure would a lot rather have the second receiver than that single receiver Yaesu. Mighty handy. I have had mine for well over a year now, and it was lightly used by an older fella going into an assisted living facility and could not utilize it any longer.  Best money I have spend on rig in a long time. Full performance out of the box with nothing else to "add on" for more money. Very hard to beat in its class.

James K0UA: When you say single receiver Yaesu, are you referring to the FTDX10, and not the FTDX101MP/D? The Yaesu manual for the latter refers to Main and Sub receivers, and they do not appear to be merely two VFOs. I'm faced with the same decision as W6UV.

Thanks,
Steve W1LV
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K8EZB

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2020, 07:34:46 AM »

I have been using a 7610 for the last two years without problems of any kind (so far). However, I am about to purchase a 101MP more out of curiosity and want, not need, and as the OP stated, an antidote for Covid 19 lockdown syndrome. I followed Stan's research a year ago and have been tracking 101MP progress since then. My homework to date has not revealed any substantive bugs that were not addressed in previous hardware and firmware updates. To improve the odds of getting the latest mod status, I have told my local HRO store that I will need a radio with a serial number beginning with 0L through 0N. The zero designates the year of manufacture (0=2020) and the letter designates the month (L=Oct; position of letter in alphabet - 2; 12-2 = 10 = Oct). I have just this morning been reviewing the service manual for the 101MP and am amazed that it works at all given the complexity.

The 7610 has a lot going for it, especially at the current street price. The 101MP appears to significantly eclipse the 7851 at about one third the price, so also a good value from this perspective. At current HRO prices, there is about a $900 difference between the 7610 and 101MP. If one is buying for the long haul, this wouldn't seem like a show stopper.

Rick
K8EZB
« Last Edit: November 22, 2020, 07:53:03 AM by K8EZB »
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W0CKI

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2020, 08:24:10 AM »

I have one of each, a 7610 that I have had for 2 years plus, trouble free, and a 101MP that I have had for 2 months. My early impressions are that the RX on the MP is the better of the two radios. However, yesterday during sweepstakes I found myself using the 7610 more during the contest.
The display on the 7610 is more user friendly. The display on the MP during the contest even on the slowest setting is much to fast and herky jerky for my tastes and appears cluttered and hard to distinguish signal levels. Having said that the RX on the MP is the quietest on any rig that I have owned in over 65 years as a ham.
Both radios are pretty intuitive and the learning process take little time.
Both rigs have enough knobs for us old hams to satisfy our needs.
There have been some complaints about RF overshoot. I have not experienced that but I've only had limited time to operate the MP.
Both are great radios!
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K9IUQ

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2020, 09:00:42 AM »

My early impressions are that the RX on the MP is the better of the two radios.

The display on the 7610 is more user friendly. The display on the MP during the contest even on the slowest setting is much to fast and herky jerky for my tastes and appears cluttered and hard to distinguish signal levels. Having said that the RX on the MP is the quietest on any rig that I have owned in over 65 years as a ham.

Both are great radios!

I have experienced much the same. The 101MP RX is very quiet especially with proper use of the VC Tune. Not only that but the RX audio is very pleasant to listen, unlike the harsh audio of many radios.

When I first got the 101MP I too thought the display was too fast and needed damping like Icom displays. However after using the radio I actually prefer the fast display and going back to my Icom no longer satisfies me. I do wish Yaesu would add a feature to an upcoming FW update that would allow the operator to slow/dampen the display if desired. this would eliminate ops complaining about the fast display.

Many hams have pissed and moaned about the 3D display, I at first thought it was useless until I played around with it for a while. It can be very useful on a band like 15/12/10 mtrs.  Regardless, there is no reason for hams to complain about a 3D display, if you don't like it, don't use it. Pretend it ain't there.....

I have done 4 or 5 contests with the radio, on CW the 300hz roof filter is outstanding, I never use the 600hz filter. With the 300hz roof filter and adjustable DSP width control at 100/150hz the CW reception is marvelous.

Whereas Icom uses DSP filters that can be set to only 3 different width frequencies and then selected, the Yaesu DSP frequency width is constantly adjustable with a knob, much more useful.

Sometimes I use an external monitor and mouse with the 101MP. This gives point and click tuning with the mouse and in fact just about anything you can do with your finger on the touch screen, you can do with the mouse on the external monitor.

Stan K9IUQ
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K9IUQ

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2020, 09:08:42 AM »

there is about a $900 difference between the 7610 and 101MP. If one is buying for the long haul, this wouldn't seem like a show stopper.

Rick
K8EZB

Remember also that the 101MP does 200 watts vs 100 watts for the Icom. While many hams pooh pooh the difference, in the real world the higher power IS useful.

My 101MP is my first Yaesu HF radio since the 90's when I had the FT-1000 for many years. Mostly I have bought Icoms since my IC-751A. OK, I have admitted this publicly before, I am an Icom Fanboy.

Both manufacturers produce quality competitive radios.

Stan K9IUQ
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K9IUQ

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #10 on: November 22, 2020, 09:39:53 AM »

The display on the MP during the contest even on the slowest setting is much to fast and herky jerky for my tastes and appears cluttered and hard to distinguish signal levels.

Display Signal levels are fully adjustable on the display. Assign the level control to the multi knob and adjust away. You can make the signals as high or low on the display as you wish. Also the span of the display is easily adjustable In fact there many tweaks to the display one can do. Maybe too many. Unfortunately for many ops no speed damping yet.

While pretty intuitive the 101MP has many features not readily apparent until one reads the manual several times. In fact after a year I still am learning new things.

Stan  K9IUQ
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W6UV

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2020, 02:39:13 PM »

Sometimes I use an external monitor and mouse with the 101MP. This gives point and click tuning with the mouse and in fact just about anything you can do with your finger on the touch screen, you can do with the mouse on the external monitor.

So anything “touchable” on the 101’s touch screen is also clickable with a mouse? If so, that would be nice. I believe you can only mouse click on signals on the 7610 and not anything else, like menu items.
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K9IUQ

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #12 on: November 22, 2020, 03:44:20 PM »

So anything “touchable” on the 101’s touch screen is also clickable with a mouse? If so, that would be nice. I believe you can only mouse click on signals on the 7610 and not anything else, like menu items.

Yes, that is true. I use a corded USB mouse but have read that many hams use a wireless/USB mouse. Not sure of the external resolution but it looks great on a 32" 1080HD TV screen. HOWEVER the 101MP does use the dreaded DVI connector which you seem to hate. So no HDMI/Dolby audio going to your HTS/ 4K projector system.  ;)

I don't always use the external monitor with the 101MP as the builtin display is quite nice and the touch display is very responsive. Not an iPad Responsive but the 101MP touch screen is more than adequate. Mouse cursor works on the builtin display too, which means if you hate touch screens and or have very fat Gorilla fingers, you can just use the mouse which works on the internal display, no external monitor needed.

Stan K9IUQ

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W6UV

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #13 on: November 22, 2020, 03:50:27 PM »

Here’s another question for 101MP owners. The December 2020 issue of QST has a review of the FTdx-101MP and it says the following:

“The ‘MP model also brings with it multiple subtle improvements to the display system, presented on a 7-inch TFT color touch-panel display.”

What are these “subtle improvements” they’re talking about? I can’t find any references anywhere to differences between the display systems on the 101D and 101MP.
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W9IQ

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Re: FTdx-101MP Gotchas?
« Reply #14 on: November 22, 2020, 04:18:07 PM »

Send an email to the author, Mark, K1RO, to ask what he meant. His email address is on top of the first page of the review

- Glenn W9IQ
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- Glenn W9IQ

God runs electromagnetics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the wave theory and the devil runs it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Quantum theory.
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