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Reviews For: LDG FT-Meter

Category: SWR & Wattmeters & Dummy Loads

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Review Summary For : LDG FT-Meter
	Reviews: 49	MSRP: 49.00
	Description: Yaesu's popular FT-857 and FT-897 transceivers are wonders of compact efficiency. These do-anything, go-anywhere transceivers were science fiction just a few years ago, but ham's today are using them in shacks, mobiles and on dxpeditions from the back yard to the top of the world. About the only problem with these radios is that us hams who are old enough to remember when stuff like this really was science fiction are also old enough to wish that the display was just little bit bigger. As we grow in wisdom and experience, we also grow to depend on bifocals; those tiny little screens are just plain hard to read! Add to that a strong desire to see a real live meter needle bouncing on voice peaks, and you find yourself wishing Yaesu had thought all this through when they designed the radio. Well, in fact they did. A little known feature of these radios, noticed only by compulsive manual readers, is a meter jack on the bottom of the front panel. You have to figure that Yaesu knew they needed a bigger display all along, but just left it as an exercise for the user. Well, help is here! The LDG FT-Meter is a low-cost, plug-and-play solution to all your FT metering needs. The FT-Meter presents a lush, highly readable 2.5" meter face with calibrated scales for signal strength and discriminator reading on receive, and power output, SWR, modulation, ALC action and supply voltage on transmit. Each function is s electable from the radio's menu. Easily visible from anywhere on your desk or dash, the FT-Meter is illuminated by any external 12 vdc source. The FT-Meter comes fully assembled and ready to go; just plug it into the radio and you're in the picture like never before. Order yours today
	Product is in production
More Info: http://www.ldgelectronics.com/FT-Meter_purchase.html
# last 180 days	Avg. Rating last 180 days	Total reviews	Avg. overall rating
0	0	49	4.6

N4MJG	Rating:	2023-08-09
updated aug 2023 AWSOME METER !!!			Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had this meter ft meter very long time I use on my 897D and 857D to use meter on both radios right now I use on my 857D really works greats for my old work eyears right eye bind on my right eye due to diabetic stork since 2019 I had use it on my ft 857D I really love this ft meter ! 73 Jackie N4MJG This is the awsome meter ever owned ,i got mine christmas i'm using mine on FT 897D. this is best gift ever got. 73 Jackie KG4ORX WEBSITE http://webpages.charter.net/kg4orx/

VK3ZGP	Rating:	2021-12-10
FT897D Experience			Time Owned: more than 12 months.
When purchased many years ago my meter out of the box worked perfectly as specified without any quality control problems. After many years of connecting and disconnecting the meter from the jack on the FT-897D the meter now fails to connect. The problem is not the meter or cable but the jack or PCB connection of the jack in the FT-897D. I.e. need to have the FT-897D repaired. Only a minor issue noted. During ATAS-120A antenna tuning with my FT-897D on some combinations of band and antenna tuning the SWR reading is greater than infinity on the FT-Meter. Error is not due to zero set on the meter and no calibration information supplied with the FT-Meter or FT-897D manuals. Not a critical problem as SWR is so high the FT-897D is not going to work into this mismatched load. I use a variable voltage (12V max) wallwart to dim the internal lamp as required. My experience of this product is 5 star 'Great!'.

N0TES	Rating:	2020-06-01
Good for these old eyes			Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Purchased the FTL-Meter for my Yaesu FT-857D. The Meter is always easy to see and gives me Useable real-time information. The rear-panel plugs work, but are nothing to write home about; they’re just there and usable. I do like the Back-Lit display and the meter is large enough for these old eye to see!

N6BIZ	Rating:	2015-03-06
TERRIFC			Time Owned: more than 12 months.
HAD MINE SINCE 2003 ... NEVER A PROBLEM...

K4FMH	Rating:	2015-03-06
Great accessory!			Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My experience with the LDG FT-Meter for the Yaesu FT-857D has been nothing less than superlative. It gives a much better view of the standard meter readings that would get lost in the very small LCD on the rig itself. Mine was purchased through an LDG reseller (probably Cheapham.com), arrived in great shape, and has operated flawlessly for several years now. It's currently installed in a Gator Case for my portable ops station so it does get a bang or two while being transported. Angel Perez bashed on MFJ in his review. I have a simiilar meter from MFJ in my shack. It works flawlessly. Not quite as accurate as a Bird but what is? It's certainly accurate enough for operating on the HF bands! My other LDG products---autotuners---have worked great too. LDG omitted a power cable from the 600 watt model and BOTH LDG and Cheapham sent replacements!

KP4MLF	Rating:	2015-03-05
no quality control			Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
LDG is owned by MFJ? How a brand new meter can come DOA because the meter needle is broke and when ask the company they ask you to send it back of course by your own expenses. Never again LDG, no quality control

K7DRO	Rating:	2014-11-09
I like this Meter			Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The FTL-meter works great out of the box with the Ft-897d. Nice packaging, quick shipping from HRO. I have had no issues with the QC. Added the 9v battery MOD, looks good on my desk.

K3LRH	Rating:	2014-09-07
GREAT OLD METER "5"			Time Owned: more than 12 months.
.....it seems that the newer releases of this meter are suffering from cheap parts and poor (NO?)QC. My ca.2008 meter has worked flawlessly for six years. Older reviews of this meter seem to support these comments.

N7AHE	Rating:	2014-09-07
Very poor quality control			Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Similar to KC2NEO I received one of these with the backlight not working. The meter functions worked fine. Had to pay shipping to return. Received a new one - same problem, no backlight. Would have to pay again to have it fixed/replaced again. Won't do that. Fixed it myself. It had an open solder joint where the socket connects to the board. To answer KC2NEO's question, it looks like they have little/no QC on these and a high failure rate. If you need or expect a meter with a backlight, look elsewhere. Wish I had read the reviews before I purchased. Lesson learned. Won't consider LDG meters in the future.

KC2NEO	Rating:	2014-07-29
Poor Quality Control			Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Before I ordered my FT-Meter I read the reviews here. For most, it worked out of the box. For some, the cables provided didn't mate correctly. I'm one of the schlubs that got a dud. The cable for 12V to power the light didn't want to seat at all in the jack. Confirmed the power is getting to the plug as it should. A bit of jostling and now it seats all the way but no light. Don't they test things before they send out? Apparently not. Now I get to see how to resolve this dud. Buyer beware.

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Category:

SWR & Wattmeters & Dummy Loads

Product:

LDG FT-Meter

Summary:

Rating:	Time Owned:
Great! Good OK Needs Help Poor Awful!	0 - 3 Months 3 - 6 Months 6 - 12 Months More than 12 Months

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