| WPXM985 |
Rating:  |
2008-01-08 | |
| Perfect |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have owned this rig for 5 years.
A snap to program.
I did some linking with West Mountain interface - worked well.
The TX power and signal reports are better than most rigs I have owned.
The size is a plus - I use it as a base station with a mobile antenna.
I can get out over mountain terrain quite well.
Programming allows you not to get lost in misinformation.
This is a keeper.
----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by WPXM985 on 2004-08-14
The transciever is a bang for the buck! It took me a while to master the programming. Once you master the programming its fun to check out all the features. I have had excellent reports on the audio and power. The back lighting and display characters are big enough for a 60 year old like me. Scan is excellent! Plenty of memory. The speaker output will drive a 8 ohm setup. The boys at Yaesu really did their homework on this one. The microphone allows you to access all the functions. I am ready to install one in my truck. I gave the radio a shakedown in the house for a couple of months.
KG6VFV Southern California |
|
| AA5CH |
Rating: |
2007-12-09 | |
| Mine Farts |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
This transceiver has garnered many positive reviews and represents a pretty good value. However, mine has some problems and I've not been very pleased with it.
I browsed the other reviews to see if there was any mention of the issues I have had with mine, namely poor TX audio quality and what can best [if not humorously] be described as fart-like noises in the transmit audio.
I did see a couple of references to poor TX audio quality, but saw many more reporting the opposite. The consensus here is that mine has very poor audio quality. It is weak and lacks low frequency response. Setting the deviation would probably address the low audio but isn't likely to correct the frequency response issue. Perhaps it is a Mic problem?
While operating it mobile I started getting reports of another anomaly in my TX audio and the reports have continued after moving it to the shack. All joking aside, it does sound as if someone is passing gas, loudly enough to be heard while I am talking. Until recently it was an intermittent phenomenon. It seems to be heat related and more likely to occur when transmitting on high power. It usually occurs within a few seconds of depressing the PTT button and only once per transmission.
It was funny for a while but the joke has gotten old and I have pulled it from service. My first QSO made with an Icom 2200H I keep in reserve resulted in an unsolicited comment about the dramatic improvement in my audio.
I'm not certain whether I will send it to Yaesu for service. I fear that it would have the same poor TX audio when it returns. However, it would be more useable than it is now.
I found the programming to be cumbersome and unintuitive compared to similar Icom and Kenwood products I've used or owned. For the first time I felt the need to carry a manual with me when operating mobile. I adjusted to it, though. In the long run it really isn't an issue that should keep anyone from purchasing one.
The farting though, is another matter. HIHI
73,
Brad
AA5CH
|
|
| AC5WO |
Rating: |
2007-11-24 | |
| Excellent Mobile with 220MHz RX too |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
The Yaesu FT-7800R has been the best new transceiver vs. cost ($240) I have purchased so far. Received unsolicited reports of excellent transmit audio quality, receiver rarely has overload/intermod problems, and the internal single main circuit board is a relatively elegant design vs. the "more parts is better" designs of past Japanese amateur transceivers.
The FT-7800R is fairly simple to use while driving once I programmed the 5 "Hyper Memory" and 4 function keys on the microphone to do useful things. (Wish I could lock out the useless WiRES button.) I programmed all 2m, 1.25m, and 70cm repeater and simplex frequencies for both the Texas bandplans (146-148MHz 20kHz step) used here in the Dallas area plus the (146-148MHz 15kHz step) Oklahoma 2m bandplan and only used about half of the 1000 Memory channels. I then map banks of frequencies and settings to a hyper channel so I can change groups without taking my eyes off the road. I also programmed the microphone function keys so I can change power output and tone mode from the microphone.
The big missing feature is a one button "find and set CTCSS tone" function. If the correct tone isn't in memory, I can't safely set CTCSS while driving.
Unexpected good features of the FT-7800R are 1) scanning is fast enough to be useful and 2) receiver performance is good on the 222-225MHz band too. Found 220 activity that I didn't know existed. It's also possible to program 70cm or 2m transmit and 1.25m receive split frequencies in memory. One disappointment is that "cellular blocked" excludes not only US cellular frequencies, but also the 914-928MHz upper half of the 33cm band which has the repeater outputs. Frustrating!
Also bought the ADMS-2K software and wish I had not. Not even worth pirating! It locked up a couple of times, wasting lots of typing. |
|
| VA3TDZ |
Rating: |
2007-10-23 | |
| A Great Dual-Band Mobile Radio |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I bought mine (used) about a month ago and have it hooked up to a Maldol EX-104B Exceed compact dual-band antenna mounted on a Comet CP-5M trunk-lid mount.
Sure, I could hit some of the more distant repeaters with a bigger, better antenna, but at least it has a very low profile - enough to make people think it's a cell-phone antenna. No worries about parking garage clearances with this one.
I shelled out for the unreasonably-priced Yaesu separation kit. I could have paid less for a knock-off version, or made my own but I don't have the tools, or the knowledge needed to make the control cable.
I also figured that by the time I bought the CAT-20 cable stripper and crimper, a soldering gun and other bits and pieces needed for the installation I would have come close to spending the $90.00CDN Yaesu wants for the kit.
The radio is mated to a cheap extension speaker which takes its pride of place in a cubbyhole in the dash of my 2006 Honda Civic. The audio from this speaker isn't the greatest. Then again, whaddya want for five bucks at a hamfest? I can always upgrade later.
Overall, the audio output from the radio is sufficient for all but the very noisiest conditions and it's usually crisp and clear.
To put it simply, I really like this radio. It's rock-solid reliable and I get great TX reports from everyone I talk to.
Programming could be easier, but it follows the same schema used by the Yaesu FT60R HT I own, so it's not unfamiliar. Surveying my fellow amateurs, I've discovered it's a pretty popular rig.
I'm not sorry I bought it. After I get my HF rig, I may well buy another as a base unit. After all, why try to reinvent the wheel? |
|
| KI4YJL |
Rating: |
2007-10-23 | |
| Perfect, simple. |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
| This was my first radio, and it can not be better. ONE downside, the speaker. Sound is horrible but acceptable, but please spend $10-$20 on a speaker, you will be much more pleased. |
|
| N8MJS |
Rating: |
2007-10-20 | |
| My first radio. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I am very new to amateur radio and I was looking for a low price radio to start out with. I just got the radio yesterday and for not knowing much about how things work yet I had no problem programming it. I like all the features in this small sized radio.
|
|
| K7PEH |
Rating: |
2007-09-25 | |
| I Own Two |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I own two of these. Bought the first one about two years ago after reading reviews here and used that at the home base to complement my HF rig.
I had an Icom 706 MkIIG in my truck for mobile ops but I didn't like how it worked on VHF/UHF (too awkward to setup or change things). And, I felt that it would be nice to have a second rig so I bought another FT-7800R for the truck. This way I can monitor the calling frequency when I travel without changing out from my favorite HF bands on the 706.
How does it perform?
Does everything I expect and I have absolutely no complaints. I do have to read the manual every time I program it but that is because I so rarely program it that I forget the various little steps involved. But, I carry the manuals for all my rigs in my pickup truck so that is not a problem.
I rated a 4 rather then a 5 because I don't know whether this is the best thing on the planet as I haven't used any of the other rigs of this class. But, this rig works, works as documented, and does exactly what I want. |
|
| N0MUD |
Rating: |
2007-09-23 | |
| Fantastic radio |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I own three FT-7800's and three FT-8800's. They both are extremely easy to program. I can have each one programed with all the freq's, tones and any thing else in about 10 minutes. I don't mean to brag but there is absolutely nothing difficult with either radio. A friend bought the FT-8900 and I sat down and started to program the 2/44 side of it and he wanted to program it with the program disk so I sat back and watched as it was slower because by the time you input everything into your computer I could have had it all done. All three radios the 7800, 8800, 8900 all program the same and none of them are difficult unless you can't read the book. As long as you read the book and follow the instructions you won't have any problems. There is nothing in the book about having fat fingers or small buttons so don't complain about those two problems that people seem to complain about. So buy one, heckles buy two and if you have a need for three buy three. Buy the time you buy three you will be a pro at programming them.
Have fun with your radios and enjoy them, oh by the way you can program them with the microphone with ease and just the push of a button. You still have to go to the radio for the tones.
73s
Mike, NØmud
----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by N0MUD on 2006-10-19
I own three FT-7800's. They are easy to operate, easy to program and have never had any problems from any of them. One is in my pickup truck and handles the daily bumping and road driving with no problems, even off road during hunting season. If your looking for a nice easy to use radio, then go to your local store, try one on for size, if it fits and you will see that it does, then go ahead and buy one, heckles, buy two, you won't regret it.
73's Mike, NØmud
----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by N0MUD on 2006-04-13
Hey see my Mar 2nd article and I am so happy with two that I found another one on Ebay and just couldn't pass it up and bought it too so now I have three. Extremely easy to program, extremely easy to use and three work perfectly. No intermod, no unusual noise as I drive around Colorado Springs. Go ahead try one out, you will end up buying, one, maybe two or possibly three, you won't regret any decision you make about owning one.
73's de NØmud |
|
| N5PU |
Rating: |
2007-09-23 | |
| Fantastic! to me. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I bought this rig after reading the reviews on this site. Yeah, it's a little radio and somewhat hard to program. I downloaded the software from G4HFQ website and paid the $18.50 by PayPal and had the radio program with all the local repeaters and working within 20 minutes out of the box! Thanks to the reviews about the radio and software on this site! Great radio as far as I am concerned. |
|
| KE7JFA |
Rating: |
2007-09-09 | |
| Fantastic |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I bought this radio to replace my FT-1802.
The FT-1802 was a great radio but I wanted a dual bander so I went with the FT-7800.
The FT-1802 and the FT-7800 use the same identical bracket and power plug so the installation took a whopping 5 minutes and I was on the air!
I did remove that stupid plastic disc inside the mic that even Yaesu has no idea why it is in there.
Every Yaesu I get, I instantly remove that disk for the clearest audio quality and not so muffled and low.
Using a dual band mag mount I get great reports both UHF and VHF. Audio is strong, frontside is great.
The menu's on all the Yaesu mobiles are easy to use compared to Icoms or Alinco's.
The FT-7800 is a tough unit. The fan is whisper quiet and a great feature keeping rig cool.
It will not break the bank either on cost.
A great value for a great radio! |
|
