| KG5ABW |
Rating:  |
2016-07-13 | |
| Very good |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I have a ftdx 1200, a ftdx3000, and a ftdx5000MP LIMITED and they are all fine. They all operate as the manufacturer states |
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| MI0NWA |
Rating: |
2016-06-27 | |
| Nice rig! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
This is an awesome rig with loads of easy to work features, some of which I will probably seldom use. My main reason for purchase was the noise reduction filters which did not fail to impress. A weak distorted signal became clear and very readable once the DNR was switched on and even further clarity can be had by using the contour setting among others.
The only down side was the use of a tune button for use with tuning up when using an amplifier but I found that using a CW key and changing a few settings via the menu you can hit the key while in SSB mode and it will automatically change to CW and reduce power to whatever power you set CW mode too, so I set mine to 10 watts on all bands and when you let the key go it simply goes back to SSB mode. I have since made a little box with a push button running directly to the key socket at the back and screwed it under my shack table so if I need to tune up or just check SWR etc I can push the button instead of having a Morse key sitting there as I don’t use CW as a mode but only for tuning purposes.
I still give the rig a 4.5/5 as the tune up button is not a major issue although you would think this rig costing what it does would have this feature, but again, it’s not a problem for me personally. I also like the fact you can change from and analogue meter to a bar meter, would have liked to be able to change the colours around though but again not a big problem. The menu is easy to navigate and the CW decode is a cool feature but I doubt I will use it much but it’s good to show it off to friends. I have had good reports with this rig although I am using a WI2HY 8 band EQ and a Heil PR40 microphone but I’ve heard guys on the receive end using the same rig with only the stock hand microphone and they sound fantastic. I have also done power out tests and on key down it will show just over 100 watts on an external meter and 50-60 watts average on SSB which is quite normal on a 100w rig.
The only 2 issues some might have:
1. No tune up button but this is easy to work around
2. The ATU isn’t great, tends to drift and needs re-tuned more often that other radios I’ve owned. Personally I’ve since bought an LDG 600 Pro II as I plan to use a 600w amp in the near future so not too worried about the onboard tuner although a quick tune with this rig and you’re good to go again. So not a major issue.
I’m still well pleased I bought it and would recommend it to anyone but if you work with antennas that have relatively high SWR’s then forget it, this will refuse point blank. I’m using an Optibeam OB9-5 which is close to resonance on all bands and a Double Bazooka on 40m Band which is 1.5 so very little is needed in the tuning department. I don't think it's fair to fault a rig with a working tuner just because it won't tune someone's antenna that's probably sitting at 6.1 as the whole point is to have a well tuned antenna to start and use the tuner to flatten it out to protect the rig, nothing more. I had an FT-1000D that tuned anything but at the end of the day there's no point fooling the rig to much as the antennas performance would be terrible at best anyway if your having to tune down a very high SWR.
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| M0AZE |
Rating: |
2016-06-16 | |
| Another follow up review |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
CQ Yaesu CQ Yaesu - is anyone listening?
I've owned my rig for 15 months now - time to investigate upgrading the Firmware etc as there are enhancements to be had. One of the reasons I purchased the rig. First observation is how long winded it is and it's Windows based - really! For a company that is technically astute, Yaesu live in a time zone when DOS and RS232 was king.
Even a paper Calendar will indicate the year is 2016. The days of DOS and Windows has moved on since then and there is a little U.S. based company called Apple (still ignored by most suppliers). So I run a Mac with Parallels and Windows 8.1 just for ham radio applications. Nothing else. I'm not debating or challenging Windows versus OSX here - it was my choice.
That aside the people responsible for this Upgrade element need to be released to the competition. I did cal Yaesu UK...
Now we know other manufacturers make this work, Elecraft is a prime example. And they recognise OSX as well - 10 to 20 minute operation - happy days. No virtual COM port driver, no Microsoft.NET and most certainly not a misleading upgrade guide to wade through. No powering on from my 12 volt supply located 3 feet away while pressing up down keys on the set. Maybe Yeasu could re-brand the Firmware upgrade and call it "Twister".
The FT3000 is a serious piece of kit but I'm astounded by the antiquated view Yaesu and other similar manufacturers take over major items such as this. I don't know why we in the ham radio world are constantly denied the best customer experience? USB has been around for a while now - it's been years since I had a computer with RS232.
Yaesu have a proud heritage of making first class pieces of radio equipment and I concur with most of the reviews that the radio element of this rig is very good. But the bar has been raised and Yaesu need to raise their own and move into the 21st century.
Only by using such valuable resources such as eHam will we ever be able to challenge global suppliers and tell them its time to change. As what they farm out to us under their own marketing statements is frankly not good enough!
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| WD4ED |
Rating: |
2016-05-20 | |
| Follow up to Review |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Consider this as part 2 of my recent review of the FTdx3000d.
In just a day I have received quite a bit of feedback about my review. Some of it confirming some of these issues. Some claiming that "that I must have gotten a bad one!" or similar.
I will start off by saying I have never had a complaint about splatter. I have almost always run some form of station monitoring equipment. So I tend not to run my gear that hard when it comes to audio and bandwidth. Where I did first see the problem was while I was listening to other peoples FTdx3000 while using SDR equipment. Maybe some of you.
I mentioned this in the Yahoo group and received several emails from others that had noticed the same issues with others on the air and their own radios (sensitive mic gain settings and odd ALC indications).
I don't use some repurposed TV dongle as an SDR. I have a ELAD FDM-S2 on the RF Out port, SDR-IQ on it's own antenna and T/R switch and an LP-PAN2 on the IF Out port. When all three at the same time show a station splattering and none of the other stations, some stronger not splattering... well then that station is probably splattering. Don't have an SDR? There are other "old fashioned" ways to tell as well. But not here and now.
When using an SDR, a splattering station sticks out like a sore thumb. When I move to monitor the offending station it was surprisingly often a FTdx3000. Normally running in ESSB with an aftermarket "studio" quality mic and some form of "EQ". In several of these sessions the operators on that "net" were actually glowing to one another about how great their audio was and in particular how great the FTdx3000 audio was. Nobody was complaining that this FTdx3000 was using between 10 and 20khz of bandwidth. This became a pattern, especially on 75m where for some reason it's acceptable to use excessive bandwidth and splatter one another. Always conscious of my own output, I wanted to take a re-look at my own rig and the way I operate it to ensure that wouldn't be me. The condition was easily reproduced.
BTW, you cannot hear your own splatter. Just because nobody has complained to you doesn't mean you are not an offender. There are no obvious indications on the transmitter side either.
Here is a great link. While it doesn't mention the FTdx3000 directly... It could...
http://www.w8ji.com/transmitter_splatter.htm
Combine "enhanced SSB audio" with a transmitter that is widely known to have marginal (poor in some opinions) third order IMD specs... this should all be expected. It's sadly the norm in HF radios nowadays. What we can do is learn how to operate the radios in a manner they don't cause issues. Station monitoring goes a long way to ensure you have a clean output signal, but even then there is no absolute indication that you are splattering others. It's a combination of subtle indications. The easiest one is your ALC indication. Use it as I described and you will be fine. Get aggressive with the ALC and you are getting close. Add in all of the other audio goodies with an aggressive ALC indication you are probably splattering. It's the part of being a good operator that nobody considers any longer! The thought is that "if it's bad why would Yaesu put it there?" Yaesu is not responsible for what comes out of your antenna. You are.
I noticed this over almost a 3 year period of daily monitoring and operating. I have had others mention to me that they have noticed these issues as well. This is what led me to test my own radio. So if I got a "bad one", many of you did as well, because I've been listening to you! I didn't just get bored one day. It was boredom across many days! :-)
IMHO, it's really more about how you use the radio than the radio itself.
I have remembered a few more of the "quirks" about the radio but enough is enough. :-)
Don't like my review? It's my review and my opinion.
Have questions, I'm always glad to help.
Thanks again and 73s,
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| KD6G |
Rating: |
2016-04-28 | |
| Underrated HF Transceiver |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This is not about the technical reviews. There are many pages about that. This about my experience and how the Yaesu FTDX 3000 series works for me.
Starting out decades ago working in a CB radio shop and later testing radios for B-52s with Rockwell I started out with the Yaesu FT-101 series, moving on with a Kenwood TS-940s (It was used in the movie Die Hard 2...love seeing it every time I watch it), added an Icon IC-7000 for portable use and finally going with the Yaesu FTDX 5000MP as the primary base station. I've been lucky to experience how radio technology has advanced over the years and appreciate the awesome capabilities they currently have. One had to work on a clean signal with the Kenwood TS-940S but it was one of the first to have Digital Signal Processing (DSP) which made a huge difference. I smiled a lot. Today the Yaesu FTDX 5000MP can turn any decent signal into FM broadcast quality and pull out weak signals the Kenwood would never see.
So does the Yaesu FTDX 3000D. When it came out I was big into Field Day as the CW station. Our amateur club was using Kenwood TS-570s as they are light, portable and work well with Bencher Iambic paddles and LogiKey electronic keyers. But when I saw the specs on the 3000 I called up my vendor, gave them my credit card info and told them to send me one when they receive them. I have never been disappointed. It even has a Morse decoder built in for those just starting out to help them along a little. Kids coming to the Field Day station could hear the beeps and see the text getting them interested.
Then I plugged it into the primary station antennas and found that it can receive a signal just as well as the 5000 with very acceptable audio results both on CW and voice. Add in the firmware updates and it now has the waterfall frequency scope which was a separate component on the 5000. Thus one can visually see the transmissions on a band without rotating the main dial until one hears something on a speaker. Add in microphone adjustments and there is no need to buy expensive after market desk mics to get great transmit audio. Add in so many features like USB support directly to a PC and operation is a lot simpler.
The bad news is that most new radios use computer technology and menu systems to access the features previous ones used knobs. That is the major difference between a 5000 with all those knobs and a 3000 with menus. But they did it very well even for us old guys and it becomes second nature in a short time. Young people will nail it as they had computers in 1st grade and smart phones in 6th!
The Yaesu FTDX 3000 series is a very powerful tool and is underrated per all the PR hype the manufacturer's do with their advertisements getting us to spend more on something bigger and better. When I bought it the price was $3500. One can now purchase it for $2300. That is not about the quality of the transceiver but but more about PR and the future of Amateur Radio in a world where smart phone apps are becoming proficient with communications. With the right antennas, grounding system and dedication to expanding your Amateur Radio skills this will do the job nicely for many years. When that smart phone and the cell phone network goes out in a major event the 3000 with battery backup will still get the messages through.
Regards,
George
KD6G
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| KC2QYW |
Rating: |
2016-04-26 | |
| A+ Nice Radio |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
| My experience with the Yaesu ftdx-3000d is all good.So I give it a 5 rating. |
|
| WD5DJX |
Rating: |
2016-03-18 | |
| Best in Class |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I was a bit anxious coming from a Yaesu FT-1000MP Mark V going to this radio as I tend to like knobs and switches a lot more than screens and menus. I was also looking at the Yaesu FT-991 but I told myself that I absolutely did not want a touch screen, this radio does not require you to ever touch the screen. The finals are very poor quality in the FT-991 to Boot!
The receive on the radio is excellent, just as good if not a touch better than on the FT-1000MP Mark V, my FT-1000MP Mark V also had all of the filters installed including the Inrad Roofing Filter. One thing that is I noticed that is better on the older FT-1000MP Mark V is the audio. The contour on the FTDX-3000 does not seem to get the same quality of sound even using the same Yaesu SP-8 speaker on both. You can get close, 75%, but just not the same. The FFT screen on the FTDX-3000 makes notching out offending signals VERY easy and fun as you can visually see how your filters work. The notch on the Mark V is just not that good in my opinion. All of the other standard features such as Width/Shift work as expected and are very easy to use especially with the digital/visual display. The noise blanker works very well and cleans up just all of the noise I have encountered.
One of the main reasons I chose the FTDX-3000 was the built in sound-card. I absolutely hated having to run cables to Rigblasters, computers and microphones. With one USB cable I can run all of my digital mode and voice keyer software easily and efficiently, this is a big plus as it simplifies everything and clears up clutter in the shack. This also cleaned up some RFI I was experiencing when running a Rigblaster.
The scope is a nice feature as you visually see the signals and then tune to them, this makes chasing DX fun however i find that only the stronger signals show up on the scope. The waterfall has made all the difference since it was added recently.
Even though there is no second receiver in this radio running split operation is a breeze, the top RX/TX buttons are big enough to make switching back and forth really simple.
The DSP is described in one word, OUTSTANDING! On several occasions the DSP has made the difference in being able to hear weak contacts and not being to hear them at all, it is that good. Adjusting it on the fly is not as easy as say the FTDX-5000 but I'll forget about that based on the performance advantage it offers especially in weak signal work.
My only gripe with this radio is the "mode" button, switching between modes is a pain as you have to keep pressing or holding down the one button. But maybe I am being too picky here, this is a great radio that does everything really well, buy with confidence as you will not be disappointed. To me this is the Best in it's class. I sold my first one and missed it so bad, I had to buy another. I don't think I will be selling it anytime soon. It is my favorite of the 35 radios I now own and operate. |
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| K4ECD |
Rating: |
2016-03-14 | |
| 3 years of bliss |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This is a follow up review, so it will be short.
The best receive audio in it price range, fantastic audio on TX.
DXCC with nothing but wire, 100w and this xcvr
Features galore, great yaesu updates over time, nothing more to say but 5+ |
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| N0LYI |
Rating: |
2016-03-01 | |
| GREAT RADIO BUT BEWARE THE MENU! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
The Yaesu FT DX3000 is a class rig with excellent features,many of which are buried deep within its extensive menu system and the reason I give it a 3.5 instead of a 5.
I have owned this rig for a year now and have been both impressed and frustrated at what it can do. Very impressive is the radios quality on receive and its digital noise reduction and signal processing capability. Less impressive and the object of frustration is the fact that one must go into its extensive embedded menu features to configure it properly.
In the interest of keeping this review relatively concise,let me share a recent experience with the dx3000 that saw me coming very close to boxing up the rig and sending it in for "service", only to discover that a simple menu setting was the source of my problem.
I enjoy operating the digital modes and this rig does an excellent job. I found that in order to successfully use WSJT alongside Ham Radio Deluxe,it was necessary for me to configure menu setting 103, which controls how ssb audio is sent to the mic. For WSJT, I needed to select "USB" to enable the onboard soundcard at the expense of disabling the mic, connected to the traditional mic port on the front of the radio. To return operation to voice on ssb,I of course needed to change menu 103 from"USB" back to "FRONT".
Well I think you can see where our story is headed. I was operating digital modes and then didn't operate for weeks, until one day I saw on the DX Cluster that there were some stations popping up on 10 meters. When I tried to work these stations, I was not getting any audio out because I neglected to realize that my menu 103 setting was still configured for soundcard modes! I eventually discovered what was wrong but there was a lot of troubleshooting and time involved. A tough way to live life if you ask me!
So caveat emptor on this Yaesu! I previously owned the Yaesu ft-450 and felt that it was much easier to operate and much more user friendly. |
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| VE3TS |
Rating: |
2016-01-02 | |
| The Great, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I am coming from a slightly different perspective in that I do a fair amount of SWL'ing, BCB, and VLF listening in addition to regular hamming, both voice and digital modes. I looked for a radio that had good specs below 1.6 megs. My previous KX3, although a great radio, was useless below 1.6 megs. Buying a radio from specs can only tell you so much, the rest of the story you have to learn by using it. The Great. Its raw receive capability. It is sensitive, selective and stable. In addition there are a host of signal improvements possible via filters, noise reduction and notches. The Good. It's ability to mate very well with a computer using USB connectivity, and an external IF output. Audio for digital modes can be sent over the usb port, allowing you to get rid of the external interface and a mess of wires. SW, BCB, and VLF reception are all very good. Nice easy to read displays. The Bad. The mode switch, yuk. Cheap, badly positioned and requires multiple pushes or a hold-in to select mode. Slow, delayed bandscope. Firmware update is a pain. Generally cheezy buttons and switches, except for a nice main tuning dial. AM receive does not allow choice of filters. The Ugly. With almost 200 menu items it is easy to overlook something, One thing not to overlook is the fact the the default menu setting can put RF power on Antenna no 3 position, which is labelled as a receive antenna. I managed to blow the lo noise amps for my receive loops. A warning in the manual would have been very much appreciated.
Overall it should get a 4.5 but you can't do that, so I have settled on a 4.
73, good dx. |
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