| AF5CC |
Rating:    |
2022-12-25 | |
| FT7100 use on satellites |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I had sold my VHF/UHF equipment and was going through satellite withdraw, so started looking around for an inexpensive dualband FM radio. After considering some of the Chinese mobile radios, but being a bit leery of them due to a bad experience in the past (read my review of the QYT 8900) I found a used Yaesu FT7100 at a good price. It arrived right before I had to take a trip to Tulsa so I took it with me along with a dualband mag mount antenna and put it on the satellites from a new roving grid-EM26. Given this minimalist setup I made several QSOs on the ISS repeater and one on AO27 in a brief morning of operating.
I have not noticed any of the intermod problems that some reviews talk about and I live near the center of a fairly large city. The sensitivity of the receiver seems pretty good for satellite use, although I don't think it hears SO50 quite as good as the FT100 it replaced but I have made quite a few QSOs on that sat with it. It hears the other satellites as good as any other radio I have used.
Contrary to previous reviews, I have not found it difficult to program by hand, storing a few memories in it for the satellite frequencies. It doesn't store crossband memories like the newer Yaesu radios do, so it makes satellite operating a little harder. It has one set of memories for 2m and a different set for 70cm, so I can at least give the satellite RX and TX frequencies the same memory channel number which makes using them easier. I haven't tried putting alpha tags on the memories yet.
The QST review mentioned the FT7100 doing dual receive, so I figured that meant it will do full duplex. I discovered that it doesn't. It will do dual receive, but you cannot listen to one receiver while transmitting on the other, so I am limited to half duplex on the satellites. That is what I was using before with a Yaesu FT100 so it is still doable on the sats.
The VFO encoder only controls the main band frequency, with no way to control the subband frequency like on newer Yaesus. So, to adjust for doppler I have to change bands with the band button, adjust the receive frequency, and change the bands back with the band button again as you can only transmit on the main band. That is kind of clunky but still usable. You get used to it after a while. Also, you can tune memory channels but the process for doing so isn't quite as easy as it is on newer Yaesus.
So overall, it doesn't do full duplex, doesn't store crossband memory channels, and the firmware isn't quite as user friendly as newer Yaesu radios, but it still has done fine for me on the satellites. It is probably better than most of the Chinese mobile radios out there. The 50 watts on 2m and 35 watts on 70cm is nice also and I haven't noticed it getting hot with the way I have used it.
In a little over a month I have worked around 130 grid squares on the FM satellite with it so it is getting good results. If you can afford a full duplex newer radio, go for it. But if you are on a more limited budget this will get the job done and it will do dual receive, something many dualband radios won't do. It does only have 1 speaker jack so you cannot hook up two speakers for it to monitor each receiver separately.
|
|
| W5KVV |
Rating:     |
2022-06-19 | |
| Not the end of the world |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Gotta buck the trend here boys. This is the first review on this rig since 2015:
My serial number is 2D2********
I picked up this rig from a local ham and club member. I traded a new, in box Astron power supply for it. Chief complaint was difficult to program. ABSOLUTELY it is difficult to program from the front panel, bordering impossible. This rig was built before Yaesu finally figured out their programming/menu scheme that's standard on more modern rigs. FT8800, 8900, FT60, FT 1900, FT2900, FT2980 etc. Old school Japanese menu with the flower & whatnot. God what were they thinking.
Problem solved: RT Systems has programming software for this radio. Bite the bullet, buy the software. It's worth its weight in gold with this rig.
As far as freezes, hiccups, or other problems, my rig has had NONE of these. I have checked it on my service monitor. Keep in mind it's a 20 y/o radio: 36Hz freq error on VHF & UHF (factory spec is +/- 200 Hz). .13uV RX sensitivity, 47 watts on VHF TX, 32 watts on UHF TX. Impressive for a Yaesu to say the least.
My biggest complaint: Like most Yaesu rigs built on this chassis, FT8800, 8900 included: Piss poor thermal management. This radio gets smoking hot even on low power TX. If you run it on high power it WILL fold back power to 5 watts or burn up depending on your luck. Transmitter utilizes a Mitsubishi K3478 final transistor which is long since NLA(no longer avaliable).
Buyer beware but mine gets an OK from me.....
EDIT: It should be noted, the Yaesu YSK-8900 remote kit for the FT-8800 and FT-8900 radios WILL fit this radio. I have confirmed this with my FT-7100 and the YSK-8900 it's currently utilizing.
W5KVV |
|
| G0UOO |
Rating:    |
2015-07-18 | |
| Does The Job |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
In spite of the reviews here, I bought one of these at a very good price about three months ago. I reasoned that if after 14 years it's still going strong, then it's probably a good one.
It's installed in the back of my car and the head unit is connected by a cable I already had in place.
It works very well. I get good reports on the TX audio, and the RX is loud and clear too. It has locked up a couple of times (I don't know why), but turn it off and on and it's back to normal. No more troublesome than most things containing a micro-processor!
However, I don't consider it to be a 50W radio as, to my mind, it gets far too hot at this power level. At 20W it's fine. Who really needs a 50W radio anyway? It doesn't make any difference at all with the local repeaters.
An old radio, but it does the job. And, being old, it was cheap! |
|
| KA0JQF |
Rating:     |
2015-04-12 | |
| No major issues over 10+ years |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
At the time I bought the radio new in 2002 (1E series SN), I was only vaguely aware of the issues that others have had with this radio, but thankfully didn't have any of the major issues others have described here.
I bought mine primarily for the size factor and the ability to remote mount--the radio head was a very nice size for then-new car it went into and integrated nicely into the dashboard cubby--looking like it was part of the car. I permanently installed it in the car with remote kit, mount, external speaker; radio guts were trunk-mounted (constant on 12V/30A circuit was available in the trunk). It lived in that particular car for another ten years, only being removed when I sold the car after 300+k miles.
The quirks were typical--having to cyle power off then back on if left on for long periods, quiet motorboating when scanning in dual band scan mode, but weren't biggies. Otherwise, receiver and transmitter performance were decent. Programming, even with the software was a general pain in the butt, especially after wideband transceive coverage was opened up. Physically, the only issue has been with the mic cord (cable strain relief broke at the mic).
I haven't used it much since as I've bounced from car to car over the last couple years, but will likely re-install it eventually. |
|
| AA1OV |
Rating:    |
2013-11-29 | |
| Oh well |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I bought this used from another ham on the net and used it for several years mostly in the last few years as an APRS digi rig. The finals finally died and apparently something else as I replaced the finals and it was still dead. I guess nothing lasts forever... |
|
| N2PLI |
Rating:  |
2012-05-25 | |
| worst radio ever made hands down |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| The worst radio ever made.I took a beating on this radio.I sent back to Yaesu about 9 times they sent me a ft90 as a replacement the ft90 I still use today is a good radio |
|
| KD9VI |
Rating:   |
2011-07-19 | |
| Update to previous review |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I am frustrated with this radio. Maybe the newness wore off, but lots of people complain about my bad audio. The intermod is insane esp when close to big cities. I don't care for the menu. I am getting a 7800 with a much improved menu and none of the horrors people report on here. If you want a cheap radio that has some issues, go ahead. But you get what you pay for (I learned). |
|
| M6UVF |
Rating:      |
2010-11-12 | |
| Its brilliant |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I must have got what I beleive to be one of the best dual banders money can buy. Its perfect dual display/receive. no problems at all. would I tell some to but one, yes I would no problems....It beats the 7800 hands down
----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by M6UVF on 2010-08-14
I read some reviews and I carnt beleive them. I have had mine in the shack for over a year and its fantastic. I did do the audio mod which most people do to give it a little more bass. I have had other 2/70 yaesu`s, kenwoods, and icoms and this beats them hands down. Would I have another yes I would..... |
|
| KB5WVK |
Rating:      |
2010-07-26 | |
| Awesome! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I have had mine for some time now, no problems at all. If you want one that works, get one with the serial 1F******** |
|
| N6IHC |
Rating:  |
2009-08-11 | |
| Worthless-or worse |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
What's worse than not having a radio? Having a Yaesu 7100 that you THINK will work...but does nothing other than let you down time and again.
From the very first use, this thing was horrid. VFO and volume knobs which would intermittently not work, intermittent no TX, etc.
It was okay if I set it to receive on one frequency and left the unit untouched...but at times adjusting the volume and VFO or TX were unresponsive.
As one other review noted, I'd sell it but I don't want anyone to hate me.
I finally talked a friend into taking it (for free) to see if he could mix and match with his 7100 to make a decent radio. HIS 7100 had even worse behavior issues than mine.
Yaesu disowned this thing; they don't support it. The poor bastard I tricked into taking this radio called Yaesu and got the "we don't know nuthin'" message.
Horrid, awful, nasty, incorrigible, unworkable, defiant, unruly and not pleasant...and those are the good points.
Avoid.
Chris Boyer
kc6uqg |
|