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Reviews For: Yaesu FT-897 & 897D

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FT-897 & 897D
Reviews: 340MSRP: 1049.95
Description:
It is the world's first multi-mode high-power base/mobile transceiver designed to fitted with internal batteries (optional) for portable use. The coverage is HF 160 to 10 meters plus 50/144/430 MHz VHF/UHF. Receive is 0.1-56, 76-108, 118-164 and 420-470 MHz. 7.9x3.2x10.3 inches (200x80x263 mm).
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.yaesu.com/amateur/ft897.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
353404.6
MW0GUK Rating: 2010-05-11
Great Start Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
OK its a small radio and like most things of this ilk, it is not GREAT at anything however it is good at everything. If you read the book and use it accordingly it does just about everything that a relativly new ham could possibly want. At the moment its my main rig and I have good reports from all over. The display is a bit small but I use it with HRD and could not be more pleased.

For the money, easily the best starter rig out there
ARAHAIM Rating: 2010-04-13
GREAT radio! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I needed a radio that would work almost everything out there, and this one does. Living in the Florida Keys, I also needed a radio that could be used in mobile mode if I needed to evacuate (or live out of my car after a storm). This radio does it all. I recommend getting the programming software, as it also works on a FT 857D as well.

I can not recommend a specific antenna, as those are personal choices based on funding, logisitcs, etc. DO your own research, as I've used three different types, just to test things out, and all have performed just fine.

I have nothing bad to say about this radio.
K5DHE Rating: 2010-04-11
good price and a good rig Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
i was going to sell my 897d at belton but after reading all these reviews i think ill just keep it.. the receiver just doesnt compare to my kenwood ts-830... i keep forgetting that i wanted all hf bands plus vhf..
k5dhe
PD9OH Rating: 2010-04-09
nice radio fot the money Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought my FT897D for backup HF rig and main rig for UHF/VHF
I think it's a good radio for the money.
Menu's are not to hard to learn and otherwise you could programs like HRD, you don't use the menu's a lot than.

First of all i wan't to tell to the people who review this radio less than 2, you did'nt read a lot about this radio and just purchased it.

It's also not fair to compare this radio with an icom 7700, K3, FT1000 ect ect, radio's with only HF and 6M.

I also have a kenwood TS940 and yes that radio is much better but you pay a lot more fot that kind of radios

If you need a back-up radio or you just started the hobby, the 897D is a good radio with lot's of features and if you use CAT it's also easy to control.

so i rate a four because of the money/quality.
WZ3O Rating: 2010-04-01
Ist Impressions Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
As always I reserve a "5" for the "perfect" rig...So nothing again may achieve that lofty status that I handed out so freely I was a "young/naive" Ham...
Now to this rig, FT-897D purchased "used", but looks and "acts" "NEW". I have an 857D in my pickup which made this a breeze to use, once you recognize there are 2 function "layers" to the menus that get "bashed", you have it made. Have compare it on an A/B coax switch with my TS-2000 and don't hear much difference, if any on receive. Slightly different tonal quality, but since you can tweak the TX/RX audio on the 2000, it's not an issue.
TX seems as good, and working DX as well as I do with 2000, so for a smaller, lighter, more versatile (in many ways), "do-it-all" rig....NICE.....
W0LTL Rating: 2010-03-14
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Just an update! Still using this wonderful radio now as the main station. I noticed all the articles recently on the "Go" boxes. Wondering why one would not just get an FT-897() and use it? It has 160 through 70 CM, great power, easy to use, very rugged, can include internal power supply. This is so much smaller than a typical "go": package I have been seeing!
Truly a great radio for the price. Outstanding performer!


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Earlier 5-star review posted by W0LTL on 2006-01-16

I purchased mine from an Ebay seller. The radio was new, wonderful, and meets all my expectations. I have done it all over the last 48 years as a ham, home brew, towers, beams, seperates, vintage, and this radio with the CW filter is absolutely wonderful. There may be some small complaints, menu takes a little getting used to , but it is well thought out. Purchased the internal AC supply, now have a complete HF through UHF radio in half the size of my former rig, an IC 746Pro, also a fine radio. The FC 30 side by side tuner does only what it says, 3:1 SWR softening and that is it. Probably not worth the money, although it looks great mounted on the radio. Size of display characters can be made bigger for older eyes, CW is excellent, keyer excellent. Receiver is great. Transmitter puts out advertised plus power. Great radio! Very convenient, very stable, nice to have great UFH VHF and HF all in one place. Aesthetically pleasing. Well Done!
PA0FVH Rating: 2010-03-13
Great little rig Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought the FT-897d in 2006 and I have had no problems with radio. It offers excellent value for money and I can highly recommend this rig.

73 de Fred
KU3X Rating: 2010-01-15
Gud rig for the bucks Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just picked up the FT 897D used from a friend of mine. One of the main reasons I picked this rig was low current drain compare to some other rigs. I needed a, “One radio do all” knock around rig to, not only use in the shack, but to take portable and run off of a battery. At 40 watts output, the 897 draws about 9.9 amps. The IC 7200 draws about 14.4 amps. That is almost a 5 amp savings in current. I like running QRP at a max out of only 5 watts and the FT 897 draws 4.7 amps of current at that power level and the IC 7200 draws 7.9 amps. I do have an IC 703 Plus if I want to work only QRP, but there are times I want to run more power when the band conditions are not all that good.
Seeing I mostly operate CW portable, I find the DSP in this rig great. The noise reduction does an ok job. I have the 500 hz roofing filter installed but with the internal DSP I can narrow that bandwidth down to three other levels.....240 hz, 120hz and 60 hz. That really fits my needs.
Before I bought the rig I downloaded the PDF copy of the operating manual. I next printed out pages 52 and 53. That is a copy of the setup menus. There are 93 of them. I just read each one and when I received the rig I took one menu item at a time and set the rig up to my liking. People complain about the menus but I find then very user friendly and great to have. If you push and hold the “F” key on the face of the rig, the radio goes into the setup menu. If you just tap it for about ½ of a second you go into the operating features menu. This is the menu you would use to do things like, change from VFO A to B, noise blanker ON/OFF, processor ON/OFF.......you get the idea. I think this menu could have been laid out a little better. I think there are 17 screens of three items per screen to choose from. If you want a small rig with a lot of features you are going to have menus. If menus are a problem, then get a bigger rig with more knobs. I am not about to carry my Kenwood TS850SAT in my backpack to set up portable. Even that rig uses menus to set it up.
When you turn the power level down and read the numbers on the rig’s screen, the numbers pretty much match the power level you are shooting for. My IC 703's readings on the display do not match the power levels. In the setup menu of the 703, it does. But when I use the operating menu it just gives a scale of 1 to 10. On the FT 897, when the screen shows 40 watts, it’s very close to, if not right on, the 40 watt level.
For an external tuner I chose the MFJ 929 because it is much more versatile than ANY of the tuners that attach to the side of this rig. But that’s another review.
For a small, “One Radio Do All” , I don’t think you would go wrong with this rig. The only thing I am sorry about is that I didn’t buy one sooner.
Barry G. Kery, KU3X
AI4WC Rating: 2010-01-03
Great radio! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I echo the comments of W4PHS, with two exceptions: I equipped my 897 with an LDG-200 PRO autotuner (because it is versatile and can be used with my TS-130S) and a Palstar SP-30 speaker (best value for the money) for home use. I have owned the radio for five years and it always performs! My Yaesu FT-950 has a much better receiver, but for the money it costs, it's small size and versatility, the 897 is a GREAT radio!

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Earlier 5-star review posted by AI4WC on 2009-03-05

I bought my 897 while still a Technician-it was an incentive to upgrade. I'm apartment-bound and use it with portable Hamstick dipoles and it performs well, all things considered. The menu's are sometimes frustrating, but the radio performs as one would expect. Coupled with my LDG AT-200 PRO autotuner, it is a joy to operate. The W4RT internal battery pack and the One Fast Charger are the perfect accessory for portable work. I have a Kenwood TS-130S also but the 897 is my choice for portable operations, along with my 80 watt BP solar panel for battery charging.
W4PHS Rating: 2009-12-05
Great radio at a great price Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The FT-897D has to be the best bargain going in ham equipment. You get a very capable radio that covers all of the HF bands plus VHF and UHF. It's also nice that the rig is small enough to easily carry to field events.

The controls are easy to use, feel solid, and are laid out with enough room for convenient operation. The display is small, but it is easy to read the frequency. I would love to have a spectrum scope like an Icom 756 III, but that would add a grand or more to the price.

The transmitter is excellent. I routinely get compliments on my signal.

The receiver is good, but not great. It lets through a lot of QRN. The radio has built-in DSP, but it is not very effective. The DSP is definitely inferior to the DSP on a friend's Icom 756 III.

If you buy this rig, I strongly recommend two accessories:

1. The LDG AT-897 antenna tuner. This is a great tuner that bolts to the end of the unit. It works well, and it's never given me any trouble.

2. The West Mountain Radio CLRspkr with DSP processing. As I said above, the DSP in the 897 is poor, but the CLRspkr more than makes up for it. I compared the effectiveness of the CLRspkr DSP with the DSP in an Icom 756 Pro 3, and the CLRspkr is every bit as good. The CLRspkr is my most valued accessory. I set the radio's DSP to a low level and rely on the CLRspkr for noise reduction.