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Reviews For: Yaesu FT-8900R

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

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FT-8900R
Reviews: 170MSRP: 469.95
Description:
10M, 6M, 2M & 440Mhz Quad Band Radio with Dual Band Receive.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.yaesu.com/amateur/pdf/brochures/ft_8900r.pdf
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001704.2
K1RET Rating: 2016-05-14
Still Learning Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I haven't had a lot of time yet to operate this rig. For a quad band rig it is decent...my only complaint is that it is purely FM and there is no SSB. Since I am a Technician Class I can't operate the 10M FM so I cannot review it in full. It is a bit sensitive in the control knobs. I will amend this review after I get a bit more time to play. So far I like what I have been able to use of it.
NZ4ZN Rating: 2015-11-19
Going to get another one. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've been using the FT-8900r both mobile and as a base station for a little over two years.

I need another mobile radio and cannot find one I think I'd like better. Already having one sample of a certain model lends that model an advantage, since there is no learning curve. Even then, I'd buy it again on features and performance.

I use the cross band repeat function with the HT, but mainly use it to work local repeaters from home or from the truck while monitoring other bands/frequencies on the other half of the radio. I get good signal reports and am told modulation is good.

Yaesu could have fine tuned this a little though, and I see the following characteristics as shortcomings:

1) Audio gain (volume) control is touchy and far too sensitive. Even in the truck, I never get past about a quarter turn of travel and half way up is overdriven. Listening to it indoors, the volume is barely cracked. I'd like to put a resistor in series with the volume potentiometer.

2) IMO, the 10/6 meter functions should have had their own antenna connection. I use an antenna switch at the house to go from the 2m to the 6m antenna. I've never run the radio on 10m.

3) The memory locations are shared between halves of the radio, so it you wish to scan saved memory channels on one band with the left half and scan another band with the right half, they will just scan the same freqs.
G6IYD Rating: 2015-09-06
Great little radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Only went out to buy a dual-band, but for a small extra cost, went for the FT-8900. Not regretted it. 6mtrs and 10mtrs may be a bit quiet, but nice to have these bands if I want to. It is a small transceiver, and the knobs and buttons may seem a bit fiddly to use. Not having small hands I thought it might be a problem, but in practice I have no problems using these. On both TX and RX I have been please with the results. Yaesu memory programming is not the easiest, but so simple using the correct lead (Ebay) and Chirp. All in all I find it a nice radio and would give it 5 out of 5.
KM6CQ Rating: 2015-09-04
Quit after warranty expired. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The radio was okay. Problem is it quit after the warranty expired, it was never abused, hardly used and without one blemish. Yaesu told me it would cost more to fix it then a new one would cost. They offered to ship it back at my cost plus tech time. I told them to throw it in the trash. It is where it now belongs. I now buy Icom mobiles.
VK4LAC Rating: 2015-08-30
Nice Radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I was going to buy the FT-7900 a friend let me borrow his FT-2900 in the meantime but waiting for the shipment to arrive for over a month left me thinking to upgrade so I did I paid the extra for the 8900 and it was on its way.

I have found it to be a nice radio easy to use but I liked the big display of the 2900 but I hope I have made the right choice.

So far so good

Colin
VK4LAC
AD5HD Rating: 2015-07-07
Best FM xcvr w/o GPS Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Second radio for mobile use. For twenty bucks more than the 8800 it's a deal, ten bucks per extra band. The receiver does seem to be very sensitive. Forgot to install the antenna the other day and spent the drive listening to the local repeater until it started to break up in an RF canyon where it never does. Great set of features, very easy to set up and program. One of the nicer features is that the mic connects to the remote head. Without a need for APRS or proprietary digital FM this radio was the best choice and it's the smallest of the multiband radios although I didn't look closely at Alinco, Powerwerx, or Wouxun. The audio is pretty good, not as good as Kenwood but with a Kenwood KES-5 external speaker it's quite good.
N1RIK Rating: 2015-04-21
Great radio !! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is my second FT-8900R. I own repeaters on 10m, 6m, and 440 and it allows me to work them all from the car... The front end on it works great... Much better than the TYT-9800.. and now you can get them new for $389 with free shipping... Gotta make sure you have this radio in your arsenal... hands down the best FM quadbander on the market !
VE6BGM Rating: 2015-01-24
Wish the mic plugged into the main body. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had 2 8900s for over 10 years. Used in the heat and -40'C [same as -40'F]. Still strong as ever. With distracted driving now in place, I don't require back lite keys. It is easy to know and feel what each key on the head does without even having to look at it. And the hand held mic can be programmed to do the most common functions one needs as well. No need to even take your eyes off the road to change the parameters that are important to you. Thus can keep your eyes on the road and not the radio. I just hate the fact the mic plugs into the head as the head is almost on my lap every time I use the mic. Oh for it to be plugged into the main body. But that isn't the reason I gave it a 4 out of 5. I have yet to use a radio that I could rate as a 5 out of 5. The 8900 does come very close however.

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Earlier 4-star review posted by VE6BGM on 2010-06-23

I have owned 2 x 8900 for over 5 years. I cannot give them a 5, but certainly a 4. Yes, I have had minor problems. One being the microphone connector on the remote head tends to come loose or break so that one has to put another connector on the cord. Or make sure it is seated in correctly. I do not like the mic. Cord attaching directly to the detachable head. One tends to pull on the mic. Cord too much and it will eventually cause the connector to come loose or to separate from the cord. Can get around this by installing an adaptor and extension cord. But then, I don’t know why they don’t connect it directly to the body of the radio and supply an extension cord like ICOM does. The other problem I have seen with the 8900 is that some people turn on the NARROW function and this decreases volume of transmissions. This is the same thing that can happen with any manufacturer’s radio if the settings have been changed by a user. And this has been the most common cause that I have seen with the 8900. I have done it myself, not even knowing that I have left it in NARROW FM mode. There is another problem when switching from cross band repeat. In this case, it is advised to stop the cross band repeat and turn the radio off and back on before transmitting in a non cross band mode. I’m sure the Yahoo 8900 group will have more causes and actions to correct. All manufacturers can have problems. And I have had problems with ICOM and KENWOOD radios. I would just like to see a non company radio tech review these problem radios and come up with a definitive diagnosis. This will tell if it is a user problem or hardware problem.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by VE6BGM on 2008-03-16

I think the scanning function has a lot of options. One that I like in particular, is on One Bank Side of the memories, you can set the system to scan ALL frequencies. On the other side I can set it to scan only Preferential Scan. Thus, when it the city, if I do not want to scan out of town repeaters, I can set them up as non Preferential Scan. Then in the Menu, I can set either the left or right side to scan every memory frequency, or either side to scan only Preferential Scan or one side to scan all and the other just Preferential Scan. When I go out on a trip, then, again, I can set this up the same way if desired. Yes if you SKIP a frequency, it SKIPs it on both sides. I would like to see something like the old FT-90R where pushing skip quickly only would skip it until radio turned off. Generally, if I want to set the SKIP memory channel, I WANT it removed from both sides anyhow. If the interference or problem with the memory clears, I can go back to ALL SCAN or PREFERANCE SCAN. I do have radios with Band Scan but never use them anyhow. I find thes Preferential memory system on the FT-8900R just excellent. Programming with a program is required based on the large number of memories. Programming or changing information on a Memory is very easy as well. Have had this radio for 5 years and it is very flexable for my, and probably, most people's use. With lots of memory space, can set up a number of frequencies with, for example different PL, and using Preferential Memory can scan them all the time or only when required. I see no reason to give it a 2 based slowly on memory, as I think the memory system is great!
N1KDO Rating: 2015-01-24
liked enough to buy a 2nd one Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This radio is very good, but not quite great.

It replaced a Standard C5900, which was the first radio I am aware of to have hyper-memories. The C5900 was a great radio.

There are two things that make the FT-8900R not as good as the C5900:

* Buttons are not backlit on the Yaesu
* The mic plugs into the control head, nowhere else.

I miss those backlit buttons.

I program the radio with the excellent "Chirp" free software and a cable from Ebay.

I liked the radio enough that I bought a 2nd one for the shack. Wish I could get another C5900.
VK3FMJA Rating: 2015-01-12
Great Rig! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have been using thig rig for over 10 months now and it always give me the satisfaction. I had this rig during my FOUNDATION period and this rig ALWAYS amaze me. I bought another one of this rig and I put it in my other car. I will RECOMMEND this rig to any of my friends. You don't need 50 watt to go far but incase you need it it's there for you.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by VK3FMJA on 2014-03-18

This is my FIRST mobile radio and with a 50 watts power behind the wheel this rig can kick arse. I have chosen the Diamond CR8900 for my antenna to match this rig and to use the FULL potential of this radio. I have tride the 2m and 70cm for a fair distance and this rig works really smooth. Another MASTERPIECE by YAESU.