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Reviews For: Yaesu FRG-9600

Category: Receivers: General Coverage

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FRG-9600
Reviews: 19MSRP: 529.00
Description:
Yaesu FRG-9600 V/UHF General Coverage (Wideband) Receiver 60 to 905 MHz (modifiable) Gapless Coverage.
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00193
WB4IVG Rating: 2018-09-04
One Unique Radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I first bought one of these receivers when they just came out. I used it as an instrument in hunting Bugs and looking at or for Harmonics and for checking for signals not easily found with conventional Scanners and other similar equipment. I sold it to a friend of mine who had tried to buy it from the day I had gotten it. He used it pretty much the same way that I had been doing. I had no sooner sold the first one until I missed it and needed it almost daily, so I started looking for another one. I finally found one in mint condition with all accessories all manuals and the original box. I have had this one ever since and use it in my Lab and in my Ham Shack. It is really good for cross band operation with my 6 Meter Rig for 4 Meters from Europe especially since it has SSB capability. I use remote Preamps with it so I don't miss any signals. I also bought an upconverter to make the unit cover from 10KHz-60MHz as well as the 60MHz-950MHz that it comes from the factory covering. I also bought the Video Module and installed it so I can use it for 440 ATV and 902 ATV. This is one great radio for what it is made for, but make no mistake just because it scans IT IS NOT A SCANNER! It is a Tunable Receiver just like HF Receivers are.
VK2JEM Rating: 2017-07-25
Had its day Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Had one years ago. Didnt keep it long
Wide coverage, but slow scanner, few scan options, not very sensitive and prone to overload on the discone.

I wouldnt buy one today. For less money a newer uniden or realistic scanner or icom 7000 or similar will put it to shame.
PE2KMV Rating: 2016-07-05
Deaf a s a post Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Yes, the 9600 is rather aged. But that's no excuse for being really deaf. My unit was just good enough to hear some (local) air traffic.

Furthermore the multiplexing display caused some minor interference. The slightly flickering display could be heard although the squelch was closed.

Last but not least don't expect this to be a scanner. Yes, it has a scanning function, but that's it. Don't expect any performance as scanning is very slow and again causing some interference (ticking sound).

Summary: great looks (green segment display), low performance.
DXTUNER Rating: 2014-06-22
It's a classic that hears well. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This now classic scanning receiver has really bad reviews, along with some 5-star ratings. Either you'll love it or absolutely hate it. Obviously the bad reviews come from people who (a.) were expecting a super-fast police scanner and (b.) paid a premium price for it.

Me, I've always loved this as a VHF/UHF receiver. First of all, I personally prefer VFO'ing over scanning. But what really makes the FRG-9600 special is that it's not super-duper highly "sensitive". Because, on VHF/UHF, radios with so-called 'high sensitivity' actually get too much noise and gunk, preventing weaker signals from being heard. Remember, except for the air band, you're mainly dealing with FM mode now. Anyhow, the FRG-9600 hears really well, much better than these turbo-charged police scanner things. The audio is much better too.

I limit my positive rating to 4-stars though, because of the curious omission of VHF-low and 6-meters from this unit. I enjoy low band dx'ing very much and that alone keeps me from giving the FRG-9600 the highest mark. These Frogs typically go for $150-$225 on the used market and that's about it's usable worth. If you get suckered into paying more than that, by some slickly-worded ad, then you will write a scathing review like the others.
PY2026SWL Rating: 2013-10-12
Very Sensitive / Excelent Size! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought one FRG-9600 last week!
Its very sensitive on ALL bands.
No harmonics, excelent selectivity.
Excelent size, very compact!
Nice audio on all modes.
Im using a disconne antenna.Excelent performance.
Im very happy using this unit!!
KB0XR Rating: 2011-04-24
Not what I wanted Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got one of these in a trade about 20 years ago. I wanted a wide band scanner and what I got was an okay single frequency monitor. I lusted after the tv module but never found one. I traded it back for a Sony 2010 which I still have and use every day. A cheap Bearcat scanner filled my needs as I was not then interested in exotic frequencies.
KM1H Rating: 2011-04-22
Decent for what it is Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Ive had one for almost 20 years, bought it used for a song from another unskilled or over expectant owner.

It came with the RS-232 adaptor and I added the Radiokit 100 KHz to 60 MHz converter.

It followed me around the world on business trips, helped locate in house and external interference sources as well as noisy utility lnes and leaky CATV lines.

I still havent used the RS-232 option but it has been a good little tool to listen to ham activity while Im upstairs with the family.

Its also been particularly good for keeping an eye on VHF and UHF ham bands for exceptional tropo conditions. I have it set up so I can easily switch in to the various large yagi arrays while I either ragchew or chase DX on the HF bands.

It does exactly what I expected and operation has been flawless.

Carl
K9MHM Rating: 2011-02-11
Recives geart Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought mine used from a guy in Canada for $135 about 3 weeks ago not a mark on the front . He has had it since its been out,used it alot but it was still like new letters were still there on the front the lens was not marked up,he was just downsizeing old stuff to make room for new and I tell you what I put it up side by side with my Bearcat BC-9000 it has a peramp on it with the same kind of home made wire antenna on it and its better sounding then the Bearcat it receives better then my Bearcat by far! I live 6 miles from are P.D. and with out a antenna I was picking them up not good but I coulnd hear them I got a good deal but I had to wait for 3 weeks for the money order to clear coustoms that was the bad thing shipping wasnt to bad it onley took 5 days to get here from the west side of Canada I live in Ia. they onely held it up in coustoms for 4 hours in the US I watched the tracking everyday BBW when U send something to Canada coustoms doesnt move to fast there. It has good FM sound even without a speaker I have a Motorola speaker on mine but it does fine with out one. I tried for 3 months on Ebay went up to $426 allways got beat by $.50 or $1 I tried 6 times on Ebay and I found anouther ! in Canada on the East side he wanted $285 for it I asked if he hold it for 4 days tell I got the money together he said yes but when I called he let it go the day before but that didnt stop me I got on Goggle and frist thing that poped up it just went on a few hours before I looked for it I wrote hime told him Id had the money he said hed hang on to it but the thing that made him mad was the thing with coustoms he wanted his money and just for a letter Money order from the post office they held it for 3 weeks thats crazy! I had to buy a wire stand for it but that was not much shipping hrom Yaesu was more then the stand was and it didnt bring it up high enough so I did a goggle on the MMB28 moble brakit and found one at Unaversal Radio he said he hadnt seen one of those in years I said it shows on the website u got it he look at his and said it dont show up on his he said wait and u counlnd hear him say by god we do have 1 left lol he came to the phone and said u dount know how much dust I had to take off to see it. It still had some dust on it whenI got it its was $27:87 then he let me have it for $17.78 + shipping Id buy anouther 1 if I found 1 cheap! I have it on everyday hasnt failed yet!
W0EAJ Rating: 2010-01-11
Good for the money Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I got mine in a trade some years back; it's used on the bench for a monitor, and works splendidly. Covering that "missing" portion from 200 to 400 mHz, it's invaluable. Verify your garage door at 303.825 mHz for instance.

Quite often, I put it on WBFM and listen to a commercial FM classical station - works great and sounds like a concert hall with an external speaker. It's a horrible "scanner", but that is NOT it's design forte' - nor was it ever MEANT to be.

Yeah, I wish it covered 6m, but with a 4-ele yagi, I can copy AMSAT stuff pretty easily, and it's never given me any trouble.

(see, no misspelled words - it's amazing what reading will do for your vocabulary)
KK0DJ Rating: 2008-01-13
Less than Splendid Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I would have to say that this was a pretty feeble attempt by Yaesu to provide a nice broadband rig too. I had one and quickly discovered it was of little to no fun to use... and quickly traded it off.