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Reviews For: Yaesu FT-2800M

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

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FT-2800M
Reviews: 196MSRP: 195.00
Description:
Yaesu 2m Transceiver Introuduced 2/2003. 65 Watt Output,- 4 power levels, 2M Transmit, 134-174 Receive, 219 Memories w/ 6 char AlphaNumeric display, NOAA Weather, CTCSS & DTS encode/decode, rugged case.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.yaesu.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001963.7
N4NDX Rating: 2008-06-15
Nice Rig Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This is my first 2 meter radio and have to say that it will give you an exceptional performance, is very simple to operate and has enough power to work simplex bare- footed. Easy to understand manual with not too complex features. Will recommend to any one that wants a nice rig and don`t want to spend that much $. The buttons seems a little loose but they wont fall out.

73`s
N4NDX
N7AF Rating: 2008-06-02
Low Transmit Audio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Rated #2 - "Needs help" because:
Apparently some FT-2800's are still being shipped with the low transmit audio problem. Mine was one of them and after receiving reports of people barely being able to hear me, I checked the reviews here and found the information about going into the service menu and turning up the audio. I did this and apparently all is well now. However, there is no excuse for Yaesu to continue to be sending out these radios with this known problem after all these years. Secondly, this is the first Yaesu (or any ham transceiver) that I've seen that was manufactured in Communist China where quality control is doubtful, at best. Yaesu should manufacture their radios in Japan or a more reputable country than Communist China and be checking each one before sending them on to verify functionality.

On the positive side, the radio and it's display are nice and large, it's easy to program, and it receives well.

I will think twice about purchasing any further Yaesu products if there is the possibility of them being manufactured in China. There is no excuse for having to "service" a new radio right out of the box.
KJ4CMG Rating: 2008-05-31
Works great Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought this radio a few months ago. After reading reviews of this radio, it seemed there were some problems in the past, but they seemed to have been resolved. This radio works great.
K8POS Rating: 2008-03-20
Great First Rig Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Being newly licensed, I chose the FT2800 due to the reviews I read and the price. $119 + shipping from Universal. I have gotten good comments on my audio, and I love the receive, much better than my scanner.
On high power (65W) it does get warm but not hot. Running into a home made Jpole with the tip about 40' up I can easily hit some repeaters over 100 miles out.
Dis-likes: Alpha display really lacking, Give me a display with several lines and more than 6 char. Button labeling confusing at first. Had to MOD the mic so the lock button would actually lock the mic PTT. (should have been that way from the factory)
So far I love it, intend to get a second one for my truck.
WD40 Rating: 2008-02-29
Great radio for the price Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'm really impressed with the receiver on this radio. Hearing stations that previously could not be heard with any of my Icom VHF mobiles. Receive is as sensitive at the bottom as it is at the top. The mic sorta blows and I'm not a big fan of RJ45 jacks but for $119 I'll deal with it.
KC9KSL Rating: 2008-02-28
Good Solid Rig Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have had this rig since july when I got it as a birtday present. This rig compared to the people who think poorly of this rig is anything but what they say this rig kicks some major but I love it. I have used it outside in the rain and the heat and have had it mobile and I get reports of good clean audio on the local repeaters and on simlex. Yea it gets a little warm but it isn't a space heater like the FT-101ZD I have but like I said it is a awesome radio and for the $135.00 it is a good radio.
WB7CJQ Rating: 2008-02-19
Close To Perfect - Just Close Tho!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'm posting again! I have 4 of these guys. I managed to "boo-boo" one of them and had to get a warranty repair. It took 2-weeks, to the day!!! They changed the front panel, and used a used one (or so it appears) during the repair. The replacement panel lighting isn't quite as good as the other 3, and the view angle is somewhat narrower, and the contrast is a little "light"... Several other models offer a contrast adjustment - this one doesn't - sigh...
However, 2-weeks for a repair and I'm back to 4 working rigs??? I'll take it!!!

During zero temperatures, two of the radios want to transmit all the time. I solved this one by locking the mic. So, it is in the mic., not the radio, and I'm not going to 'slam' the radio because of a poor multi-model mic.

As for packet, remote base, etc. connections, there is a passageway at the rear of the bottom cover. and there is an 8-pin tiny connector inside the rig that will handle just about everything. The problem is where to get the matching plug ??? I'm STILL trying to find it!!!

Pulling the front panel off, you'll get access to the volume pot., so there's one connection solved. Use a standard splitter at the mic. input on the front, and you can add another transmit audio input as well as get to the PTT line. Two more items solved! (I don't like it this way, but it works - sure need that oddball connector!!!)...

Unless you have a microscope, don't try to get to the COS signal that's on the back side of the display. Too bad they didn't bring it out to a connector for us repeater builder folks!!!

Has anyone measured the DC amps. as the various power levels??? If not, I'll do it and report via Yahoo FT-2800 forum. Point is that the radios seem to get pretty warm, even on low power, so I'm wondering if low power reduces the drive to the final, or reduces the DC to the final, etc. Seems to me that at 5-10 watts, a 65 watt rig should run cold...

At any rate, except for my fat fingers and the frozen mic. issue, this radio is a keeper. I'm running a pair in the shop, to antennas that are only separated by about 20 feet vertically, and can use both a the sametime. There's some desense, but it is minimal and not a problem for me. Just about any other 2-meter radio I've tried in the same configuration will fail due to desense. So, the front-end is indeed very well done. Adding a main ground copper strap between the radios helped desense by at least 10dB, so there's no doubt that some of the desense is just shop wiring, etc.

One item that I wish they'd done with this unit is to add a power output select option to the programmable mic keys...

In summary, the radio is great and the mic. just sucks!

I'm planning on buying another unit in a few days, for a total of 5. That just about says it all!!!

73,
Dave
WB7CJQ
M3GQD Rating: 2008-02-09
Solid 2M Mobile, amazing robustness. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've owned this radio since i was first licensed in April 2004, and only just recently sold it. What can i say? its an amazing radio, one of the best! i've owned alot of 2M mobiles but yaesu surely did do a good job in designing this, a good looking rig. never let me down!
SARG Rating: 2008-02-05
Great Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This Is KC2RIF
I just got this radio in the mail (feb 04 2008)from HRO NH. When I recieved this radio I noticed that the SQL knob was a little loose, and the Hand mic was always transmiting, but other then thoes two things this radio still gets the score of 5. I like that radio just wish it had a packet input on the back of the radio.
W8ERV Rating: 2008-01-21
DTMF Issues Abound Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have owned the FT-2400 and the FT-2500, both with no issues, so when I had the chance to get the FT-2800, I jumped. In fact, I have purchased three of them....all having the following issue.

Well, a neighbor has an IRLP Node and this requires DTMF tones to contact other nodes, or to enable/disable the node altogether. As soon as I began attempting to work the node, I noticed that the tones were inconsistent.

So, I figured it was my fat-fingering of them and retried....no tone. And it only seems to be the top row (1, 2, 3, A buttons). After messing with it, checking to be sure the cord was plugged in properly, I found it made no difference and called a contact I had with Yaesu.

He replaced the microphones and, after a few days the issue has returned, only this time one of the radios has no DTMF tones whatsoever.

I am not an electronics expert, but it would seem that the issue must be within the rigs themselves. Has anyone else experienced this???

Thanks, es 73,
Erv W8ERV