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Reviews For: Yaesu FT-60R

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Hand-held

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FT-60R
Reviews: 324MSRP: TBA
Description:
A dual-bander io the same case format as the VX150!
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=111&encProdID=PUtPQg4MnJI%3D&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
33.73244.6
N9LCD Rating: 2019-12-29
GREAT BUT ..... Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Used mainly as a receiver to monitor Chicago Police; Chicago Transit Authority, VHF & UHF aeronautical at ORD; and UHF ground operations at ORD. My Astron 10-amp PS at 13.9 volts (FT-60 indication) really helps RF & AF. Battery life OK; battery only used when rig is "portable".
1. Like most rigs, especially multi-band VHF/UHF, best with programming software.
2. The cover for the programming & DC power jacks can be hard to seat. Hard to fit both programming cable & DC power cord at the same time. Unless portable, i leave the cover(s) open.
3. Desktop charger requires several tries to insert rig & make contact for charging.
Overall, beats my first HT the FT-470 circa 1992 for size and performance. And really beats the VX-7R that it replaces.
N6TRU Rating: 2019-08-06
Simply superb! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had my Yaesu FT-60R since my birthday in 2016! The radio is well worth the price, and is extremely sturdy too. I'm still unsure if Yaesu has really stopped making them, they are still buyable. The FT-60 was suggested to me when I first got my license, and at first I was kind of reluctant. At that point, I thought I should start with a mobile radio to use as a base (more power was my thinking then), or maybe a cheaper Baofeng brand handheld. But I decided to go the local Sunnyvale HRO (no longer in business) pick one up, and I have no regrets. The one minor detail at first was programming, but once you get the hang of that (it is much easier than other Baofeng units), it becomes much simpler. It is simply a marvelous radio, and my recommendation to anyone who doesn't have one already is: get one while you can!
W1KJL Rating: 2018-10-24
Still the best! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This radio was introduced back in 2004 and is still the best. Solid construction, great TX/RX, separate volume, squelch and tuning knobs. Incredibly easy to program by hand, although Chirp makes things go quicker. I've tried a lot of HT's over the years, including the new DMR radios, but I keep coming back to the FT-60R and you should too!
AE5GT Rating: 2018-09-03
Handheld RF toolbox Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Interface could be better with tone / shift /split easily accessible instead the front is a bit cryptic to figure out without a manual . Once you get past that quality is excellent , takes abuse well (dropped many times) , while old the nicd batteries hold up well in the long run (10 years) if your a moderate user.

It really shines because of its receiver with 130 mhz AM and 330 mhz AM its a godsend for HF opertors chasing bad power poles. For that alone i
would never consider getting rid of mine .

puchased 2008.
KR1CKF Rating: 2018-08-18
Great Value Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Great Radio for the price, I agree with KD5RYO would prefer BNC over SMA. Programming could be easier, but with use I hope to master it.
KD5RYO Rating: 2018-04-22
fantastic HT Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had this HT for just over a year now. I bought it when I came back into the avocation after an absence and wanted something like my old FT-50R.

I get great signal reports with this HT and, combined with my home made antennas, I can reach pretty good distances with LOW and MED power settings.

I use this for terrestrial repeaters, connecting to my AllStar Link node, working FM satellites, listening to WX stations, and listening to aircraft stations. I also occasionally use it with my computer to monitor APRS.

It's relatively durable and has pretty good battery life, especially on the lower power settings. There are also a number of decent accessories available for it.

I've heard complaints about the menu system but it's really quite easy once you learn it. I rarely have to consult my manual any longer. Additionally, there's no real need for computer programming as manual storing of frequencies is straightforward and easy.

I'm still rating it a 5 because of its dependability but there are a few minor things I would like to see changed on it:

- Drop the SMA connector in favor of BNC

- Better material for the mic and DC jack covers. The current one bends out of shape if a mic is plugged in for too long.

- Simultaneous charge and talk.

- Drop the "WiRES" functionality for something more modern. I've been hard pressed to find any repeaters that use Yaesu's old digital voice mode.

Overall, this is a terrific HT and it's my daily driver. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a dependable HT.
N5XJT Rating: 2018-01-25
A Best Buy! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a great little HT! Battery life is excellent, easy to program, great audio reports, good sensitivity, easy to operate. Owned for 5 yrs. with no problems. Only two vagaries, transmitted audio reports with the Yaesu speaker mic are not as good as with the built in mic and be careful not to trip the "wires" key.

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by N5XJT on 2016-10-08

Update from 5 yrs. ago: Still love this HT which is a great dual bander and is built like a tank. Pros are great audio on RX and TX, super long battery life and size is just about right. It is super reliable, no problems at all and still on the original battery. Surprisingly the built in mic provides better audio on both rx and tx than the Yaesu speaker mic. Cons are few but have to mention the "wires" issue plus it takes a bit of work to program it.
W5KVV Rating: 2018-01-23
Great radio - GARBO antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Purchased new 1-20-18.

After owning the radio for a few days and familiarizing myself with it I feel i can write a review. This is my first "hammy" HT. All my other portables have been commercial Motorolas.

The radio has a good feel to it. It feels heavy in the hand. Not too heavy, certainly not too lite. The front panel buttons are small, but they're spaced out enough one doesn't have to worry about pressing two at once. The display is clear & bright, the audio is loud & clear. All in all a nice little HT. Having a VFO comes in handy every now & then.

Programming from the front panel is easy. There's really no need in using a computer if you don't mind a little button pushing. Battery life seems to be good, but keep in mind this is a brand new radio.

This radio has been on the market long enough to have a myriad of accessories available. BONUS. Everything from antennas, high cap batteries, battery eliminators to carrying cases & speaker mics.

The output looks nice & clean on my service monitor & power out is a full 5 watts. HOWEVER the fatal flaw on my particular radio is the stock rubber duck. This thing is just trash. The radio is absolutely deaf with it. I can swap it out for a different antenna and the RX comes alive. I believe mine could be defective as a friend and fellow ham has the same radio albeit a year older than mine & he doesn't have the antenna issue.

I have already ordered a Diamond SRH-701 replacement. Once it gets here the stock antenna is going in the trash. Other than that a good little HT and worth the money.
N7WY Rating: 2017-09-04
Easy manual programming Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Pros - Easy to program this radio manually. Knob access to squelch setting. Illuminates and beeps when scanning stops. Good battery life.

Cons - Requires patience when putting the radio into the drop in charger. Inadvertently pressing the 0 (zero) button activates WIRES - pay attention to the upper right corner of the display.
DV2AWN Rating: 2017-05-29
Im so glad i got this Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Love this HT! where do i start?... from the wideband receiver (air band, to 999mhz), rugged and solid build, simple design... this is going to be my daily carry rig. The only thing that i wish could have been included is crossband capability and li-ion battery. also mine came without the desk charger, so i wish it came with that. another thing also is that i wish it was IP rated like the yaesu ft-270R. over all, i would recommend this HT in a heart beat.