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Reviews For: Yaesu FT-227RA Memorizer

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Base/Mobile (non hand-held)

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FT-227RA Memorizer
Reviews: 30MSRP: ± 50.00 to 90.00$
Description:
Yaesu two-meter synthesized transceiver
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00304.7
KC9FJE Rating: 2004-10-31
awesome rig Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I got this radio as my 1st rig... and it's one of the best rigs ive ever used. the receiver is extremly sesitive, but as for transmitted audio it's a bit too "bassy"
WB6NVH Rating: 2004-08-09
Excellent value Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Yaesu made the FT-227R and then the 227RA and 227RB. The later versions include more memory but are otherwise nearly identical. There are a few things these rigs suffer from some 20+ years later. The lamp for the s-meter is usually blown out (and easy repair) and more seriously, the socketed IC's develop intermittent pin contact connections which are difficult to diagnose. I suggest squirting some DeOxit into the IC sockets and carefully re-inserting the chips and couple of times. The metal housing is superior to modern plastic radios. Yes, you can use an aftermarket CTCSS encoder board such as a Com-Spec SS32, however you will find that the level on the Com-Spec needs to be at near-maximum to drive the 227R's tone accessory connection. The 10 Watt output is a little light but was par for the course in 1980. The 227R series service manuals are comprehensive but somewhat hard to follow and the RA and RB supplements look like they were put together hastily and don't always match the actual equipment. For some reason, the manufacturer thought having a scan-for-vacant-frequency feature was useful. I would rather have had a memory channel scan feature instead.
N9MVM Rating: 2004-07-06
Modern rigs can't compete Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had the Yaesu FT-227R for a couple of years now (picked it up on Ebay) and had originally used it on packet. After getting a chance to play around with it on phone, I have to say that if I want to set up packet again - it's not going to be with this rig :)

I've gotten so used to the tinny and hollow audio from the newer rigs, along with the intermod, 3 days of reading manuals to learn how to program a memory channel, etc that I forgot how great the simple life of these older rigs really is.

If you have a FT-227R (or the RA model), hang onto it. If you don't and have a chance to buy one - do it. You won't be sorry.

Also, don't worry about finding the original tone board (they're expensive and impossible to find), any PL encoder can be interfaced with an hour or so and a soldering iron. Good stuff!
VE1HE Rating: 2002-10-19
Quality all around! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased my first 227 when I was a brand new ham in my 20's as one of my very first 2m rig.

Like other hams in this review forum, I unfortunately traded it a few months later and regreted the move ever since until... recently, when I saw one for sale.
I didn't hesitate a moment: Not only did I acquire one but two of them...

As far as I'm concerned, ham radio is no longer 'really' what it was with all these full featured bells-and-whistles, lighter rigs. The FT-227R is really not that kind of equipment and visibly belongs to another generation which is still very present in some ham shacks today.

+ 2m rig covers 144.000 to 148.000 MHz in increments of 10 kHz (+5 kHz button makes those rpts allocated at 15 kHz increments accessible)
+ Simplex, Duplex (2m standard of 600 kHz) and Memory offset available for non-standard operation
+ Very efficient againts 'intermod' due to it's built-in front end circuit section
- 1 memory channel !!! (You may laugh but it was a big thing in the early 80's!... Thriller!)
+ Big red LED display
+ Very clear quality 'audio' on RX and TX
- Does NOT have a CTCSS encoder (you might have to build your own as most rpts are PL protected nowadays)

If you see one for sale in the 50-70$ range, get it... You will not be disapointed.

I would like to appologize to Chris, VE2PIZ for misadvertantly connecting his borrowed 227 in reverse polarity in 1989...
It had been 'previously' fuse-bypassed and was pluged-in on a fully-charged car battery... Needless to say that everything melted under a thick cloud of smoke... Be advised that this transceiver was originally NOT factory-protected for reverse current by a Zener.

If you still own one of these boat anchors or are a hobbyist, please feel free to joint the FT-227's newsgroup where we share projects and knowledge base @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FT-227

73 DE VE1HE
VE3YF Rating: 2002-07-17
Workhouse Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Hi:
I have had this rig for almost a decade and has worked flawlessly. For the last 6 years this rig has been used as the packet rig. The radio chugs along 24/7 without a problem. Only 10w output, but for packet that is good enough. The only problem that I have encountered is the RX led and the meter lamps have burned out. I have picked up some replacements with higher voltage rating and someday will get around to replacing them. This unit runs nice and cool and is suited perfect as a packet radio, which many Amateurs I know use the radi ojust for that purpose. One small definicincy though is once the radio looses power it defaults to 147.000 but I don't have very many power failures here.

73 De Mike
VE3YF
K6ZZZ Rating: 2002-04-22
BULLET PROOF RADIO!!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought 2 of these radios, a few years ago, and ended up selling them. I was sorry I did.

Last year I found another one and bought it...it was nice to have a 227 again.

This is a bare bones...no frills 10 watt radio...that is a nice addition to any collection.

If you find one...don't pass it up!!!
KC2IYG Rating: 2002-02-02
surprising! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just got my license , I am 11 years old and I have a lot of fun with this radio. The audio is superb! It has a switch that has a simplex mode, and both -and+ splits. I use this radio with a Ten-Tec power supply, and a J pole antenna. On hi power it puts out 10 watts And I can hit all the local repeaters. I bought this radio at the Lockport N.Y. Ham-Fest for 41$ and I thought it was a great deal! I would reccomend this radio to anyone who is interested in 2m operations. I also compared the Memorizer with my dads Icom ic-706 and found very little difference between the two.
K5ENA Rating: 2002-01-29
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had a FT-227RA in the 80's then sold it. I regretted selling it ever since. A friend gave me another FT-227RA a few years ago. I had a tone board installed and have used it in my car ever since. One of the best built 2 meter radios ever manufactured. It may be 20-25 years old, but it is not for sale.
KB9YFX Rating: 2002-01-28
great early systhesized rig Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I agree with AC5XP. Can't really add much more other than personal opinion.
I have owned a FT 227R, modified to scan, and have regretted selling it.
My father has owned a FT 227RB since they were introduced. It has been used in the shack and several vehicles, looks like heck, but still works fine.
Since selling my 227R, I am always on the look out for a nice clean 227R, 227RA or 227RB.
They are simple efficient 2 meter rigs. Built like brick chicken houses, and they look neat to!!
AC5XP Rating: 2002-01-28
Great vintage VHF radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I initially purchased the FT-227R when it came out in the seventies. It was I think the first 2-meter radio with an easy to use synthesizer (no diode programming and all that stuff). It competed with the TR-7200 crystal-controlled transceiver, remember that one? They had the same styling, and Kenwood was forced later to bring out a VFO for it to compete with the Yaesu...
The radio is incredibly tough and works quite well. In those days VHF radios still had high-Q silver-coil based VHF band-pass filters in the receiver front-end, something that was given up in later radio designs with all kind of pager tower IMD problems as a result.
The 227 does not have that problem at all. It still holds its own against todays radios, I have compared it to my IC-706MK2G and they are equal in sensitivity. Not bad for a radio that is 25 years old...
I sold my FT-227R years ago which I regretted after some years. So I was very pleased when I could snatch up a mint FT-227RA. the RA was the "memorizer" and had up-down buttons on the mike, quite something in those days.
The radio is built well with a die-cast front panel and is well constructed from the inside as well.
I have never parted from my vintage FT-227RA any more and do not plan on doing so either. A very cool piece of ham history, which came out in the days when I still was a young ham, freshly licensed!