| N9WHH |
Rating:      |
2019-08-29 | |
| Best HT I have ever owned! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I purchased my FT530 25 years ago as my first HT. As I recall it cost me somewhere in the vicinity of $500. I purchased it on the way home from successfully passing my Technicians test for my first ham license. I did not realize at the time that I would still be using it 25 years later.
A few years later I had the desire to have a second HT as I work a lot of public service events. I looked at a Radio Shack HT, as a low priced alternative. I was not happy with the RS salesman or the radio, for that matter, and walked out. I found a good deal on another 530, brand new, for quite a bit less than the original, so I purchased it.
Yes, I have gone thru a few batteries, over the years, but like the Timex; it takes a beatin’ and keeps on tickin’. I eventually purchased a few newer HTs, over the years, with most of them being Yaesus. A lot smaller, better battery technologies, greater frequency coverage, and etc. The mighty 530s got relegated to the shelf. Batteries all went south from disuse and the memory batteries died.
Fast forward to today; I needed an HT with a BNC antenna connector. So off the shelf came the old trusty 530s. I even found one that was given to me a few years ago that I forgot about. With new memory batteries, and a little fiddling around with old batteries, they all came back to life. They did require resetting, but are now working. I was even able to program and store frequencies without referring to the manual. Hell, I can’t even do that with the new, modern, wiz bang VX8 that I have been using for years.
To make the story even longer, I just placed an order for a new battery, just in case the older ones don’t hold a charge. In fact, I think I will order two more, so I can get all 3 up and running. The two I purchased still look like the day I purchased them. Only a little wear of the Yaesu logo. Even the one given to me still looks pretty good.
They have to be the best ham radio purchase I have ever made. These guys won’t be sold off! Well deserving the 5 star rating plus. |
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| G6GIY |
Rating:      |
2019-01-06 | |
| Feels like a Motorola |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
I have had a couple of these over the years and I bought another at a US hamfest this year. It seems better than ever as most hand held radios seem to be plastic toys now.
The button sequences to do some things is a bit fiddly, but just down load a quick guide from the web. |
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| KJ4FGI |
Rating:     |
2017-06-12 | |
| Very Nice, minor heatsink problem |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Quick review, I owned the FT-530 and enjoyed it, the problem with this radio is that the Belt Clip on the back of the radio is the heat sink. Many of these radios are missing it, if your's is it might be a good idea to correct that issue. It is a good radio.
Than the newer Yaesu FT-51r came out and I enjoy it, it even has help menu on the display. The FT-51r is also a full duplex HT and fixed the heatsink problem |
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| DL2DMC |
Rating:      |
2016-02-13 | |
| The best handheld I ever had |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I owned, beside other portables, three of these nice radios during the last 10 years. I bought them one by one on eBay, partially paying high prices. Unfortunately I have sold the last one some months ago.
The FT-530 is easy to operate, features full duplex and cross band repeater function and is also capable to receive VHF Air band in AM! What a nice bonus function. It can be used with 6 standard AA batteries. I had one empty battery case that I equipped with a 11,1 LiPo battery that fits exactly in that case. That gave me the full five watts and had a great capacity.
Also, this radio gains the price as "the most beautiful amateur handheld transceiver ever produced".
Display and keyboard can be illuminated, and pressing the F key before will make the light stay on permanently.
Still today, the FT-530 does not need to hide behind modern equipment. It is a dream holding this fine piece of electronics in your hands. Wherever I took it, people made big eyes.
I hope I will get one more mint FT-530 in the future. |
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| K8IDX |
Rating:      |
2015-06-17 | |
| A rare gem |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This is the best HT I have ever used. When I got a 530 new back in 1995 I noticed a clear reduction in intermod from pagers and other near by sources in the Washington, D.C. area. I found out that a good receiver can save you there and the 530 just amazed me. I have a vx6 and four FT-530's. The VX6 is a great little HT but it is the 530 that I grab when I go out. They still fetch a high price on ebay but I am keeping all 4 of mine.
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| K1MGY |
Rating:      |
2013-12-28 | |
| Repair |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
The FT-530 is an easy to operate, rugged, robust radio. I traded with a local ham for two of these; one non-functional and the other delivered with a warning: "never, ever set this in the desk charger when the radio power is turned on". Two months later I did just that, which resulted in another dead FT-530.
Recently I determined to repair at least one of these radios. The schematic diagram available by download is of poor quality, but I managed to nurse it into a somewhat useful state. A brief study led me to a 5 volt voltage regulator on the CNTRL Unit made by Seiko Instruments: S-87050-VR. In one unit the regulator was hot, and the output was flat. In the other, the regulator was cracked (had overheated to the point of destruction). A read of Seiko's data sheet for this part revealed its lack of short circuit and over-current protection and a very limited input voltage range (a transient when the radio was first attached to the charger was the likely culprit). Although available through YAESU, the part is otherwise absent normal distribution. Further search led me to Seiko, for they have updated this part, and greatly improved upon its capabilities. Plus it has a new part number, in the S-87 series. If I were re-designing the FT-530's 5V supply, I'd use it, for Seiko has added short circuit protection and - significantly - improved the input voltage range. The package is tiny but is able to dissipate 500mw through an integrated heat sink pad at the base of the device. Makes it difficult to remove, of course.
Seiko kindly provided a few samples of the part (S-875033EUP-AJAT2). Readers who dig into the data sheet will note that there are a 5 versions of the device, one handling shutdown and another providing delay for voltage detector. I chose the wrong part and had to jumper the SENSE pin to VIN so the device would regulate. This problem aside, my FT-530 is working again. I'll keep the other broken unit in reserve for parts.
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| KI4WBZ |
Rating:      |
2013-11-03 | |
| Best in its class |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I've had at least one of these for several years. No current HT has all the features this does. How many current HT units on the market offer crossband repeat? This one does! Full duplex, affordable replacement batteries, backlit LED for night time operation... it even has an alarm clock for use when traveling. While it may not have computer download capability like the new ones, or fit in your palm thanks to SMT components, it was the best of its era and still gets good audio reports in my QSOs on the local repeaters. |
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| KC9SNB |
Rating:      |
2013-02-08 | |
| The best dual band handheld ever made |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I love this radio. It is a bit large and heavy, particularly by today's standards; but when I die my grandkids will get this. It is a metal bodied radio with cross-band repeat capability, and a full 5 watts on battery power. I love the display, the capability to dual monitor,and the many memories, as well as the ability to set any repeater offset, program DTMF tones in memory, and even to detect PL tones on receive so that you may discover the local tones being used. Every time I use this radio, it surprises me. No issues, no drama, no disappointments. It has extended receive which allows listening to weather and air bands, as well as mods to permit extended (and illegal) transmit. There are a number of battery options, and I love the display microphone, which shows frequency and allows limited remote control of the rig. The unit is as capable as any base or mobile I have ever had - except for the limit of five watts of power. Oh, well, you can't have everything. |
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| WW4CC |
Rating:      |
2012-01-17 | |
| The best hand held I have ever owned! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I was first licensed in 1990 as KC4TCG. I purchased an Icom IC2-SAT used from a friend and it was ok, but I wanted a brand new ht. I bought this one from HRO in Atlanta in 1994. It cost a lot of 1994 dollars, but it was the best money I ever spent. I used it for years, but decided one day that it was getting "long in the tooth" as it were, and a new ht was in order, so I sold the 530 and I bought a vx-5r. That was the first in a long line of mistakes. The VX-5 was ok, but I wasn't happy. It was nowhere near the radio that my old 530 was. Over the next few years I went thru every HT Yaesu (and some of the others) could come up with, but nothing was ever quite the same with the "New" technology, so I sold every HT that I had and went back to the 530, and unless they just die and I can't find a replacement, that will be all I'll ever use from now on. It just can't be beat. It certainly gets my vote for the best handheld ever made! |
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| VE3PWR |
Rating:      |
2010-08-27 | |
| It Was Well Worth The Money Back in 1994.. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I Have NOTHING bad to say about my experience
with my Yaesu FT 530... ( FIVE STARS ***** )
I purchased it new back in 1994... I also purchased the NC-50 Desk Rapid Charger and soft cover case for the radio and It came out to
$ 570.00 (CDN. with taxes). I thought back then.. What the heck am I doing spending soo much money on my first handheld... WELL... Let me tell you... It was the BEST $ 570.00 I have ever spent...
I still have and use the handheld to this day...
I will never sell it....
Everything still works on it.. ( even the rapid charger works and chargers all the battery packs I have had to replace over the years ) .. That's it.. I've just had to purchase new battery packs every sooo many years .. The Handheld keeps going and going..and going.. Problem Free !!!!!
It actually still looks like new.. The soft cover case I purchased back then is still used on the handheld and has kept it looking like new... It's Great to have a True Dual Band Receive VHF/UHF at once with the dual volume and squelch controls...
I haven't been impressed with any other handheld Yaesu has brought out since this BABY...
They sure don't make them like this anymore...
I've recently purchased a new Handheld from a company in Hong Kong on Ebay for alot less money then I spent in 1994 .. But when you hold the FT-530 in your hand.. then hold the handheld from Hong Kong.. You can even feel the difference without having to turn them on...
If you get a chance to buy one at a Flea Market or on Ebay that has been well looked after Grab It ...
You may have to buy a new battery ( which are available also on Ebay or Batteries America )
and you won't be dissappointed...
It's a True Work Horse !!!!
73 Martin VE3PWR
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