| NA4IT |
Rating:     |
2002-09-25 | |
| Good little rig! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Had mine for about a year or so now. Bought it used from a fellow ham.
I use a manual tuner with it, feeding a 160 dipole and a 10M dipole, both with coax.
Works SSB, CW, SSTV, and PSK with absolutely no problems. I use a studio mic with it on SSB with excellent reports (and no equalizer inline).
Just wish it had VOX... |
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| BERT |
Rating:      |
2002-08-30 | |
| Withstood The Test Of Time - GREAT Rig! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This rig has been around since the early 90's and is still a solid performer. While it may not have the "hot" receiver of the newer generation DSP monsters, it's performance is still on par nonetheless. If you enjoy CW, add the optional 500Hz filter from Yaesu or the aftermarket 250Hz from International Radio. (They too offer a 500Hz filter. Is it better than Yaesu's? I dunno.) I've had my FT-840 for over two years and love it.
73 de Bert
WA2SI |
|
| K5ENA |
Rating:      |
2002-08-29 | |
| Excellent |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have had my FT-840 for over a year and have worked more DX with it and a G5RV than I can shake a stick at. It has everything I need, including the dual VFO's for working split. I don't need a hundred buttons and a receiver that slices and dices. I have received many insolicited compliments about my transmit audio, using either the handheld Yaesu mic, or the MD-1.
Some FT-840 owners have experienced the VFO tuning knob freezing or locking up. 3 owners have taken the tuning knob off, and applied a thin lubricant on the shaft between the shaft and bearing to correct the problem. A quick, simple, and cheap fix. I have been in ham radio for 42 years and the FT-840 is my main rig. I would recommend this radio to anyone.
Thanks for reading and 73,
John, K5ENA |
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| KA0YSO |
Rating:      |
2002-07-17 | |
| Love the radio |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This is a nice rig for the money. This is a radio without the fancy filters, DSP, etc that will drive up the cost of a radio.
I bought the CW filter and it is worth having if you work CW.
The only complaint I have is that AM reception is not the best, but I do not have the optional filter, which I am sure is needed.
I have no regrets buying this rig.
73 |
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| KE4HBE |
Rating:      |
2002-05-15 | |
| very satisfied with rig |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Bought as first rig in 1994, been using regularly ever since,I only work CW so had to have the 500hz filter, wish it had option for a narrower filter.
I haven't had any problems with this rig whatsoever and would recommend it. |
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| WA2MER |
Rating:     |
2002-02-28 | |
| Great radio for the price |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I bought this radio used as a backup to my Drake C-Line. It came with the FC-10 auto tuner. Both units have performed flawlessly. It's not fair to rate a rig in this price class to higher-end equipment, but with the excpetion of having no notch filter this radio is a winner. The IF shift works very well and the noise blanker is very effective when I occasionally operate mobile.
I too had a problem with the VFO contol: one day it just locked up solid. Figuring that I had nothing to lose before shipping it off to Yaesu, I set out to fix it myself. I removed the knob, put a few drops of tuner cleaner solvent (just degreaser, no lubricant) on the shaft where the c-clip meets the threaded mounting collar and worked the shaft in and out a few times with a set of pliers to get the solvent into the shaft collar. Be sure to use a heavy cloth or other means of protecting the shaft from getting chewed up by the pliers. Within seconds I was able to rotate the shaft just a little bit. A few more applications of solvent completely freed up the control. After it was turning smoothly with no hint of binding, I put a few drops of aerosol silicon lubricant on the shaft and worked it in. End of problem, no cost, no significant down time. Just be sure not to overdo it with lubricant; I don't know what can happen if too much finds its way into the encoder.
The '840 is a wonderful radio; it gets a 4 only because of its tendency to lock up the VFO. |
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| K4MZW |
Rating:      |
2002-01-29 | |
| Great Little Workhorse Transceiver |
Time Owned: N.A. |
| If you are looking for a terrific compact unit with the right features; AM/FM filter options, bright display and a "real" meter then the FT-840 is a good choice. I have owned most of the popular transceivers from all the manufacturers except Kenwood (KW lost my vote after their "truck stop" decision). I've owned them all from the Icom 756 to the Yaesu FT-100. When I began looking for a simple yet functional rig to run mobile I settled on the FT-840. I used it at my home station for a week or so and got excellent audio reports and it rivaled my FT-1000 on my larger antennas. In mobile use it has been quite a good performer. I get unsolicited good audio reports and the rig just keeps surprising me both in noisy environments and for just pure enjoyment, and best of all NO MENUS or SMALL BUTTONS! |
|
| WV4H |
Rating:      |
2002-01-20 | |
| Excellent general purpose HF rig. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have been licensed 20 years and have owned several HF rigs, the most recent before the FT-840 being an IC-706MKII. I sold the 706 because using the menu system and tiny buttons was too time consuming for real on-the-air situations requiring quick responses. For example, I ended up using my external CW keyer instead of the built in one because it took too long to change speeds. Also the 706 transmit audio got relatively poor on-the-air response compared to other rigs in the past (TS-520, IC-730). All in all, the 706 was not a satisfying rig to use on a regular basis.
I am a casual (non-fanatic) general purpose HF ham: some CW, some SSB, a bit of contesting, DXing, and ragchewing. I like to build antennas and tuners, work all the bands, and get QSL cards. I wanted a traditional looking radio without lots of bells and whistles that I'd never use. I looked at the IC-718, which has more features for only a bit more money, but it looked ugly, had rubbery buttons, and had menus! No thanks.
So I took a chance on the FT-840 (with the CW filter) and have been extremely pleased. It is the most satisfying HF rig I have ever owned, all things considered. The receiver is sensitive and all-around very satisfactory. Transmit audio brings excellent response, and it is the first time I've received unsolicited compliments on the audio since 15+ years ago on my original Kenwood TS-520 (tube finals).
I love the traditional looks and the analog meter. The panel is well designed with easy-to-reach buttons in all the right places. It is a very intuitive rig to operate. The twin VFO split operation is very quick. The IF Shift and RIT are both excellent.
While some would call it "bare-bones" compared to the wonder boxes, the 840 has everything needed for general purpose HF work, and is NOT an "old-fashioned" rig. It has two VFO settings for each band which can store freq/mode settings plus 100 memories, VFO or memory scan, works with auto-tuners, etc.
My chief complaint is the lack of an RF Gain control, which I have always found useful, but it's not a show stopper. It also lacks VOX, which some users might miss sorely, especially those active on nets. The receive audio is a bit too bassy for my taste - it's not satisfying for AM SWL music listening (an external speaker helps).
The FT-840 has been around since 1994 (ARRL members can read the original QST review at the ARRL web site), so any early bugs surely have been worked out of them. The repair guy at a major vendor said they are solid as a rock and almost never come in for repairs, and that Yaesu keeps them on the market because they have a great reputation and continue to sell steadily even though they aren't pushed in their advertising.
At the current price of $579, in my opinion there is no better deal out there. I highly recommend this rig for anyone who wants to get on HF without spending a fortune.
As with any radio, people can compare specs all day long, but the bottom line is how well you like it in actual use. The highest compliment I can give the FT-840 is that it is a delightfully friendly and cozy rig to snuggle up with in the wee hours of the morning and reach out across the world.
73,
Clayton Jones, WV4H |
|
| K9FE |
Rating:      |
2002-01-05 | |
| Great all around radio |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Had my 840 for 7 years....had it all over the world and throughout the US. Have used it mobile and fixed. Great Rag Chew radio...the receive audio and transmit audio is great with the right mic. ( use an old Shure 444 and it sounds like a milliion bucks) I have used it at up to 100 watts for PSK31 and it never complained. Simple radio with few toys, but a very enjoyable radio to operate. The receiver is not as hot as my IC-746, but the 746 costs almost twice as much. I don't like the receive audio on the 746, so the 840 gets a lot more use than the 746.
You can't go wrong for a fun radio to own on a budget. People say it must be the backup for my 746. They are wrong. The 746 is a backup to the 840!
BE CAREFUL AND NEVER USE THE 12V JACK ON THE BACK OF THE RADIO HOWEVER. IF SHORTED IT CAN DESTROY THE BUS IN THE ENTIRE RADIO. (I had a friend do it on his 840) |
|
| KO4DT |
Rating:      |
2002-01-05 | |
| Bargain Radio |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I've owned my 840 for 18 months now. It has the AM/CW filters and the FM board installed. It is a simple and easy radio to use and a pleasure to operate. It has been reliable with no problems apparent. I would recommend this rig to anyone.For the money, only an Icom 718 would be a better buy in this price range. |
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