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Reviews For: Yaesu FT-950

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FT-950
Reviews: 278MSRP: 1840
Description:
The Yaesu FT-950 is an HF/6m transceiver which features IF DSP as well as 3 kHz, 6 kHz and 15 kHz roofing filters. The transceiver can be interfaced with the DMU-2000 to add additional functions such Band Scope, Audio Scope, X-Y Oscilloscope, World Clock, Rotator Control, and extensive transceiver status displays, in addition to station logging capability. The optional RF µTuning Kits may be connected via the rear panel, providing improved selectivity to protect the receiver from close-in interference on a crowded band.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0950.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
002784.6
W0NCL Rating: 2024-03-01
Great Radio! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned this radio off and on for about 7-8 years. I traded it to a friend, and got it back when we traded for more radio gear. I had not ever had it hooked up for more than a few months at a time, using other rigs instead. About 14 months ago I put it inline at my QTH and have kept it there. Wow, what a nice radio. Its quiet and sounds great on the transmit side too. You can customize a lot of things on this radio. It easily puts out 100 watts and drives all my amplifiers well. Every once in awhile I need to lookup how to do a function on it, but its not too bad. If you have an opportunity to pick one up used, its a great deal. I could use it for my main rig all day long..... 73 Mark
WJ1T Rating: 2023-02-06
Excellent radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my FT-950 new in 2015. I can't say enough about this radio. It has been nothing but a pleasure to operate. I have used it for contesting, DX, and all the other things. I only wish it had a receive antenna port on it so I didn't have to buy a receive antenna interface to use a Beverage antenna. But, that is one of the very few things I have found that I would change. There are newer very capable radios out there, but I have not found the need to change anything. This one just plain works well!
Keith
K2JF Rating: 2022-07-17
Very enjoyable Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I sold a very competent cw rig the Kenwood TS 590s and wanted to try this one again. I had it years ago but cycled through a number of enjoyable radios in the interim. I found the TS 590S a bit boring to operate. I was a little concerned that I would be taking a step back but all in all I'm loving it. There is a learning curve but I appreciate that. As a 100% cw op I like the QSK which I use in semi mode. People have complained about the noisy AT tuner and I'm thinking what? I don't mind it at all and it does work pretty fast. My one issue is being an old fogie I find the display a bit small for me. It would be great if there were some kind of magnifying screen to place over it. But that being said I just really like the controls that exist for CW and the flexibility those controls offer. Plus - It's freakin' gorgeous to look at!
KU7I Rating: 2021-04-06
Total bargain on the used market. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I equate the FT-950 to a TS-850 with a LCD display that is much easier to see and with modern DSP capability. Mine is stock except for the MARS mod. I find the digital display very easy to see and read for long periods of time. Not so with multiple TS-850s I have owned.....the digital displays on the TS850 and the Kenwood TS950 WILL fade over time to the point where it can be very difficult to use.

The FT950 has some functions embedded in menus that you may use here and there but I have a cheat sheet so I do not have to dig into the manual.

NB is ehhhh, not that great but not surprising. You can set up your SSB xmit BW as wide as 3khz if you like but I set mine from 200-2800 hz to keep peace with others that are close in frequency. The I.F. DSP COUNTOUR seems to work about as good as the one in the FTDX3000. A great tool under the right conditions. It can be adjusted to either be a null or a peak at the adjusted frequency. You can adjust the parameters through the menu. It can make a significant difference on pulling weak signal dx out of the noise. I find it a great asset.

Speech processor is very effective. Xmit audio EQ offers lots of tailoring. There are a few blogs available to help you figure out how to set up the EQ for your operating style.

I have no complaints about this rig other than the auto-tuner is slow to find a match compared to the lightning fast FT1000D but it is a different technology using latching relays. It does almost always find a match so it functions properly.

The FT-950 had a decent production run and there are plenty out there for sale, generally for around $750.00. I like this radio so much I sold my FTDX3000 to pay for a mint IC-765 and kept the 950.

VK2EAT Rating: 2020-11-07
Sound performance Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought the 950 four years ago and been very satisfied. An earlier review said 'this is a fun radio' exactly true. The receiver performance is excellent when you use your DSP tools correctly you are really off to the races.
I use studio condenser mics generally with some added gear but the 950 will do all that alone.
I'm not an essb station just one who appreciates articulation.
Audio reports are always unsolicited and are commendable like 'don't touch a thing' sounds great is common with this radio.
My favourite ops are the DSP tools and what you can sculpt out on most bands, those weak signals are workable and with a set of quality phones on you're really in your element of high end operating.
The radio has performed flawlessly so much so I'm keen to purchase another with current second hand market theyes are generally in great condition as they've been treasured.
This one is definitely a keeper!
S53V Rating: 2020-04-06
It has good ergonomics and they are easy to modify Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I had bought this transceiver second hand for 550 Euro (594 USD) as my back up transceiver. They are easy to modify to make it the contest grade transceiver. As a backup to my primary radio I am using a FT 950 mostly on CW. As an enthusiastic contester, I wanted a better receiver performance so I decided to improve IMD3 and RMDR. After Jeff AC0C wrote that FT2K/FT950 excellent NS roofing filter is no longer in a production I have decided to make my own 2,7kHz roofing filter.
See my Blog: https:// s53v.blogspot.com.

In the second IF 450kHz I have installed a selection of 2 (two) Murata +/- 2kHz CFWLA450KJFA ceramic filters placed in a cascade and therefore reduced IF noise and IF image.

I have also added RTL SDR dongle to IF 69.450MHz for the bandscope function.
After new modifications I have been testing the transceiver in CQWW_2019 CW/LP contest with more than 2010 QSOs and I was really satisfied with FT 950 and I have now contest grade transceiver.

IMD DR3 and RMDR measured results are now comparable to those of 3000 USD radio. This modifications cost me only about 120 EUR (130 USD)
N5XJT Rating: 2020-04-05
A Very Good Transceiver Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Does everything well, very good rx and tx, antenna tuner works as it should but a bit noisy. DNR and filters are quite helpful. Study the manual, learn the menus and you will be happy with this one. Only con is the squelch control instead of a panel mounted RF control but use the work around and not a real issue. Definitely worth the money and as a bonus looks like a million dollars in your shack.
KG7FIU Rating: 2019-12-28
Pretty good. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The FT-950 is a pretty good transceiver. Does everything pretty well. Bought used from HRO, had for several years, and hasn't broken down on me yet. What I don't like is that the front panel controls and menus are kind of complicated -- radio could be simpler to use. Seems like I have to break out the manual every time I need to do something special like work SPLIT mode or access a new mode for digital, etc. There's so many buttons I never use; I just rely on the controls in HRD. Thank goodness the CAT control implementation is solid. There are a bunch of DSP filter options, preamp, bandwidth adjustments, and other signal enhancement options. But haven't found them very useful. Maybe I just don't know how to use the controls effectively...
NZ5L Rating: 2019-08-09
works very well Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought it used 5 years ago in mint condx for $800, and it has everything I need in an HF radio. I LOVE the built-in tuner, tunes anything I throw at it. The DSP noise filter is good for this price range, but not great. I get great reports on the audio, even with the stock mic, thanks to the EQ control. Selectivity is excellent, also quite stable. 6M is mostly dead, but if it ever comes back I have hopes of making a contact on that band. I just hope writing this review will not jinx me.
KB6HRT Rating: 2017-09-20
Nothing needed Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The second FT950 I brought, an am loving it, (WHY) because using it with a G5RV is a winning combo in my book the radio hears great with very low if any background noise, an it transmits a full 100+watts on all bands it covers with its hand mike, if I do DXing with or without using my AMP a SGC-500w cube an a Heil Pro 7 headset it all works together nicely. The first FT950 worked good as well but did not know how to tune the radio as well as I do today, after using a FT9000D an learning how to tune that radio, the FT950 is a piece of cake, no extra filters needed to get the most out of the radio, hope I have learned an will not let this one go for a long time. ( a GREAT receiving radio), easy to tune...73s......kb6hrt

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KB6HRT on 2014-09-17

Have added the ACOC 3K filter to the FTDX950, for me a winning combination, priceee an if I were to sell the radio would not be able to get the money out of it that I now have in it, but it does give better resallaion for weak signals on 15-17-20- 40-75 meters, don't have to ask stations afar to repeat very often, easy copy!
The FTDX950 is backup for the FTDX5000MP, do use it for Rag Chewing most days, radio has never given trouble, it is a winner in my book an like the radio a lot. The 950 is easy for me to use an was easy to setup at this station.............
KB6HRT
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Earlier 5-star review posted by KB6HRT on 2013-10-14

Have 3 HF 160-6m radios and each one has its points there all GREAT radios in there own right. What I like about about the FT950 is it shows me what happening on the bands when the band in use is good it tell me, when there is a lot of noise it tells me, but I can tune out the noise easly with this radio, your tuning can make big differances in performance an I like that. ( It's a FUN radio) Brought the radio on close out for a great price after lissening to its replacement the FT1200 and the FT3000 The FT950 works with my DMU2000 the new radio do not, thats a plus for me, have been getting complements on the audio with the hand mike after I set the mike gain level where it sounded best to my ear. I am very happy
with the FT950 ...........KB6HRT