| G0LGB |
Rating:  |
2024-06-12 | |
| Best thing I ever did was sell this set.... (991A) |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
In 35 years of radio, owning all kinds of sets, this is the worst I've ever owned by far!
I do a lot of research before buying a new rig and VERY rarely sell them..but boy was i glad to see the back of this!
As others have said, mine blew its finals at just 9 months old, and had only ever been used on VHF/UHF & under 25 watts too!
To quote the supplier "Oooh you used FT-8? The RIG KILLER!"
A top end rig in 2024 can't handle 30 second bursts of 20w RF??
It only took them 12 weeks to replace the Pa board too!
What else made me truly hate this rig?
Firstly it's not a real SDR set, they just took the elderly 991 and tapped into the IF to put out a very low resolution waterfall, too low res to be of much use.
For comparison the 7300 will go down to 5k width, the 991a will only go as low as 50k (25k per side)...so everything just becomes a jerky smudge, whereas the 7300 is silky smooth and you can make out individual ft-8 traces.
Then they bolted on a cheap sound card with built in Tokyo drift that will have you constantly watching your ALC in data modes...
Next...coverage, for £1,300 GBP you don't get 70mhz at all...in 2024??
It also doesn't do 60m in any meaningful way...if you pay to have it "Widebanded" it will cover the 60m FT-8 freq, but that is about all, all the other allocations available are just receive only...so no CW section, no VMARS net, no international frequencies...etc etc
And note the filtering on this set will scupper most of what you thought, or hoped you'd get from this set, you may get it to operate out of it's designed bands, kind of, but its performance will be terrible due to this filtering.
Next....in 2024, a rig that covers from top band to 70cms, analogue & digital...yet it only has 99 memories??
That's for all your hf frequencies and all your analogue and digital repeaters....? I have twenty year old handies with ten times more memories! I have decade old sets with well over a thousand memories!
Next, Air Band, it does have a dedicated RX section...which is great if you are into that..however...it doesn't have 8.33k channel steps...which have been the norm for over a decade!
It's out of the box RX performance isn't actually terrible, the problems start when you try to utilise any kind of adjustment of the filters...anything Kenwood or Icom can do in one or two button presses, or twists of a knob, Yaesu (or as they now call themselves "Yay-Zoo") will have you doing twenty button presses and a lot of cursing!
An example of this is the "Multifunction" button.
Sure, you can turn it, you can see the memories you programmed in via the 3rd party software you had to buy on top of the already high purchase price...but you CANNOT select any as the button doesn't push in to select anything at all...
And don't even think about programming without this software if you value your sanity!
Maybe, if every repeater in your area uses the same repeater shift, but here in Europe we have a huge amount of shifts, from the good old -600k to plus or minus, to 7.6mhz,so without that software you will soon be cursing your purchase.
The only set worse to program I have found was the Yaesu FT-70D, which if you enjoyed that insanity, (plug in the lead, power on, power off, remove battery, tap you left foot and whistle the first bar of the Japanese national anthem) well maybe the 991A is the set for you!?
I could go on...& on....& on...but I'll draw the line there....
Oh...Firmware bugs...yes you have to expect them for Yay-Zoo in 2024...the VFO A/B button being the first that sprang to mind...sure you can switch between the VFO's...but the set will only ever show you as operating on VFO A...
Yet you will struggle to find a bad review out there, believe me before my purchase, I did search...why though is a real puzzle, these people have clearly never owned or used a well designed, or user friendly rig before.
To the designer of this set all I can say is...May God have mercy upon your soul.
Just to add...What did I replace this with eventually?
An Icom IC-9700
Sure it doesn't have HF or C4FM...but I have a 7300 for hf and C4 has almost zero users these days around here, and the 9700 is a delight to use...it's like going from a 20 year old Hyundai (now pronounced Hondai) to a brand new Bentley...
Yes i know it is more money, but save up, sell a kidney, whatever..life is too short for Yaesu...sorry YAY-ZOO. |
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| N2EPV |
Rating: |
2024-01-18 | |
| 991A - good all-around rig |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Really good all-around radio. The spectrum display is pretty good, but not as good as the IC-7300. 2 meter and 440 receiver performs very well in an RF noisy environment with no intermodulation at all. Out of the box it develops a solid 100 watts on HF and 50 watts + on 2 and 440. I have a 300 watt pager transmitter 1 mile away which makes most 2 meter rigs act up, but the 991A isn't effected, even on a gain antenna. One quirk - if you turn the rig on with a USB cable connected to a computer, the 991 locks up - apparently a firmware bug. I have the latest firmware installed as of Jan 2024. |
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| ND6V |
Rating: |
2023-10-05 | |
| I love my FT-991A. I have also owned an FT-847 for many years. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I like both Icom and Yaesu, but decided on this radio for my mobile, POTA or SOTA radio. Its a great performer for it size. It is still manageable to use the knobs unless you have large hands where an FT-710 AESS might be better.
It is almost as good (signal sensitivity) as the FT-710 that I use as my base HF radio. If you can only afford one radio for your shack, this is the one to get. |
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| K2ENF |
Rating: |
2023-08-27 | |
| Great shack in the box radio. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
When I finally got my ticket, I went for the 991a for two reasons....
1:I've been a Yaesu fan for a long time
2: I wanted the VHF and UHF ability, as well as HF. Specifically, I wanted SSB ability on 2m and 70cm as well as HF.
The negatives, first:
1: the menu structure is a bit clumsy. The complexity of the menu structure is Yaesu's attempt to cover all the bases. It was a fair job at this given the space they had to work with, but there's a learning curve to dealing with the controls... and even when you get used to it, it's not an easy task to make the most of the radio's outstanding receiver.
2:The screen size is a tad small, and past the Win4Yeasu software, which I'll get to...there's no real option to make it more readable.
3: Transmit audio: No way to control ALC action on transmit. No way to monitor your transmit audio in FM mode.
4: C4FM, both transmit and rec, sounds like a bad MP3 player. Interpacket phasing, mostly. then again, DMR sounds that way to me, as well. Since I didn't buy the rig for that mode it's not a big deal.
5: One of the problems with any shack in the box radio is the inability to monitor the local repeaters while chasing DX on 15m. A couple old programmable police scanners solve that issue, however.
Positives:
1: The receiver in this thing is phenomenal, particularly when you master the filters. The DNR alone is worth the price of admission. Does sound very digital at some levels but allows you to pull signals out of then much in a way that older tech rigs simply can't do. The filters bring some serious value to the party, as well.
2: Got it's own sound card, which makes hooking this thing up to my heavily computerized shack is a snap. I run WIN4Yaesu software, which I strongly advise getting for this rig. Brings a whole new level to the radio... audio scopes cat control, SDR plugin ability, and brings all the menu driven stuff out from for my faster control. Makes running this radio to the max of it's ability a breeze. Frankly, I seldom touch the radio itself anymore except scanning the bands with the big knob. (Old habits die harder, I suppose)
3:Good transmit audio: I got good signal reports on this radio from day one, and it keeps improving. I use a boom mike or a set of Heil proset 6 cans. I have seperate EQ paterns on each, on file and with the WIN4Yeasu software can swap them out quickly. (Aside, don't EQ for the radio, rather EQ for the mike you're on and your VOICE. ) I run an external processing stack of my own design, these days, and have found that the internal ALC/Compressor are a needless limitation. It's like a bike with training wheels you can't remove.... a design plan that always annoys me.) Still, once I set the external up to work in harmony with the internal processing, it comes out pretty well... I get good comparative (Stack On and Off) reports. But I could make it better if I could get these training wheels off. I suppose for me that's a slight negative but for most folks it won't matter much.
4: Finals problems? I've not had any, though I suppose that's due to my having gotten one of the later built units. The problems seem to be in the early ones and seem to have something to do with the intitial calibration. Bias issues as I gather it. Oh... I don't plan on using an amp for the time being.
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| W6YH |
Rating: |
2023-08-25 | |
| Great radio that does a lot |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I am surprised at all the negative comments about trivial things. I purchase an FT-991a for $650 about a year ago, mainly for VHF/UHF and at least for me, it does a great job. I have made contacts on HF with it and got good responses.
I have to say I still prefer my old Kenwood TS-2000 as it has 2 receivers, but the HF receiver on the FT-991A is superior.
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|
| K9POW |
Rating: |
2023-04-13 | |
| A really good radio, but not an ICOM-7300 |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I recently purchased a Yaesu 991a and I really love the radio. A truly "shack in a box" which is the reason I decided on the 991a. If the ICOM-7300 had VHF I would have gotten the ICOM. I'm very disappointed in the C4FM and digital mode on the radio. I thought that digital would be crisp, clean audio, but the digital mode sounds like a computer generated voice. I'm just glad I didn't purchase the radio for the digital modes--I would have sent it back. I wanted to be able to do 2 meter SSB 'cause we have a Wed. net here in TN, on 2 meter sideband. I do enjoy the HF, 6 meter and VHF/UHF, just not the digital. Do not use the YouTube settings for your parametric equalizer. They will make your radio sound very bad. Instead, go to 3895KHz.com and pull up the audio settings for the parametric equalizer. It will make it 2000% better.
UPDATE: Now that I've had the radio for a month, I still love the radio, just not the system confusion! LoL! I guess I'm just old school and am an analog guy. I would recommend this radio to anyone; the receive sensitivity is excellent. I guess you'd call this a step-up from my previous radio, a Kenwood TS-430S which I gave to another new Ham. Cheers from eastern Tennessee |
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| KB9FMV |
Rating: |
2023-04-01 | |
| NOT FAIR TO LUMP 2 RIGS TOGETHER |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I own the FT 991 not A model don't understand why this site cant get it straight ! 2different radios but anyway bet digital rig I have owned plus HF is outstanding ! Tuner is flawless and receiver is OUTSTANDING ! Had to roll back DNR setting but other than that WOW great rig and GREAT DIGITAL FOR FUSION/C4FM PLUS WIRES X and FM DIGITAL NARROW!
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Earlier 5-star review posted by KB9FMV on 2018-12-01
Well after just about a year with this rig must say GREAT ALL AROUND RIG! It pulls out the HF weak signals and once you learn how to set it up thru the menus great receiver and NO DOUBT GREAT TRANSMITTER! I worked this rig through the paces working DX for 3 day straight and no problems also used it so much on FUSION AMAZING RESULTS! This rig is the 991 that went back to Yaesu to set the bias correctly ! I bought it from MTC with a 2 year warranty would highly recommend them good staff! I would say if you could get either the A model or just the plain 991 for all around shack in the box this is it! I had the Kenwood TS 2000 and the receive on HF was not as good as the Yaesu course the Yaesu is newer technology!
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Earlier 5-star review posted by KB9FMV on 2018-03-12
Well after posting in January still going strong and what a delight ! HF OUTSTANDING AND FUSION OUTSTANDING HIGHLY RECOMMENED! AAAAAA ++++++++ GREAT RIG !
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Earlier 5-star review posted by KB9FMV on 2018-01-10
I just bought this rig from MTC Radio in Paris Tx and a great bargin! Its a refurb unit from Yaesu with 90 day and 3 year warranty! I must say a great performer all modes and all bands ! I have not experience any problems and the tuner will tune a coat hanger! I must say I thought the receive was going to be somewhat less desirable than my other rigs (Yaesu FT 1000 MKV 200WATTS and Icom IC7410 but almost as good on hf !The noise blanker and receiver on the ICOM 7410 is better than all of them! Now lest look at digital this rig with C4FM and Fusion is a HANDS DOWN THE BEST MODE I have experienced! The C4FM Wires is like no other mode I have ever experienced with the exception of PCM ON a TRC 24 when I was in the US Army! Well if you get the chance try FUSION THIS IS LIKE speaking to someone on the telephone! I spoke to people in the Philippines , Japan, Germany and what an amazing experience ! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! GREAT RIG GREAT PRICE !
BEST RADIO I HAVE EVER OWNED SO FAR ! GREAT SUPPORT FROM YAESU TOO! |
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| WJ1Q |
Rating: |
2023-03-31 | |
| Wouldn't Purchase Again |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| My finals have blown out twice in the four years I have owned the rig. When it works, it's great. However, both repairs were at my expense. It takes almost two months to get a repair estimate and Yaesu isn't pro-active, never commits to anything. My experience has been poor at best and I would not purchase this rig, again, unless the manufacturer has made major changes. |
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| KI5BMK |
Rating: |
2023-03-22 | |
| Rock Star |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Absolutely fantastic radio. Built like a tank. Way better receiver than my Icom 7300 and a solid VHF/UHF radio.
It will need an update soon for the older screen.
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|
| N7JS |
Rating:  |
2023-03-21 | |
| FT-991 Beware |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
| This review is for the 991. These radios blow finals just looking at them. Mine did so 2X even after Yaesu supposedly repaired it. I've been a ham for several decades and it was not operator error. I ended up getting rid of it as a parts radio. Just do a Google search on 991 blown finals. Yaesu really should have compensated (or offered a free upgrade to) the original purchasers of this radio. There's a big reason why they rushed out the 991A and it wasn't just for the real time display. Hopefully Yaesu learned from this radio. Long story short, stay away from the non A version. |
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