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Reviews For: Yaesu DVS-2 (on the FT1000MP)

Category: Voice Keyers

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Review Summary For : Yaesu DVS-2 (on the FT1000MP)
Reviews: 20MSRP:
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Product is in production
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# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00202.7
N6NZ Rating: 2001-03-17
overpriced crap Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Even after considerable fiddling, it sounds like crap on the other end. Astoundingly overpriced given the pathetic performance. I suggest the best place for this item is under the leg of a wobbly operating table.
K1YA Rating: 2001-03-15
Works good on FT900CAT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought one used for under $100. The price new is very expensive for this item.

It works well on the FT900, the audio sounds scratchy but the transmitted audio is fine, according to people who have heard it on the air.

Mine must be a newer model, because it lets you terminate your recording whenever you want to. Overall a good addition to the shack, the alternative is to rig up some external device or computer. This is the slick way to do it, just plug it in and go.
WB9YCJ Rating: 2001-03-05
Good (mine needs frequent resetting) Time Owned: more than 12 months.
A great item for the contester, swapnetter, etc.
My unit needs frequent reseting. It seems to "freeze up" at least one time per operating session. Cure is simply getting a paper clip and pressing the reset button on the inside. This is not an RFI matter since it also does it during listen only sessions as well. Does anyone know a cure? If so, please post with your review (opinion). -Ken
WW2R Rating: 2001-03-05
Worthwhile addition Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Good quality record and playback. Better than TS850 onboard voice keyer AND it mutes the mike input when playing back. Glad I bought it.
NZ3O Rating: 2001-02-02
New Owner - Different Experience Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the DVS-2 after having PC-based voice keying problems during CQWW SSB. I wanted to have a simple-to-use near failsafe voice playback capability. The added benefit would be calling through DX pileups late at night and not waking the family. I didn't experience the "overdrive" problems referenced in the other reviews. As a matter of fact, I feel I really need to use my normal voice (and not my quiet nighttime voice) to record the messages or the recording doesn't sound urgent enough.

The unit is compact with a long cable that can't be detached from the unit without opening it up. I find it hard to find a good spot to place it right now, but I'm still getting used to having it around.

I think the price (street $219) is pretty steep for what you get, but it is simple and almost foolproof for me. And that's what I was looking for to begin with.
NE4S Rating: 1999-11-04
Can be made to sound "OK" Time Owned: unknown months.
The DVS2 is an OK addition, a Voice keyer would be better however. It Works as advertised, but any recordings on the FT1000 should be done with the RF power lever turned all the way down. This tip is on the archives. Would I purchase it again. Perhaps not, too expensive compared to options now available. Do I use it now that I have it? Yes...
OE5OHO Rating: 1999-11-04
Doesn´t work very well with FT-1000MP (it´s a sham Time Owned: unknown months.
It didn´t even work VERY well with the FT-900AT. When I complained to YAESU Germany about the too high "sidetone" of the keyer (meaning you did hear the transmitted recording), which was not fine during 48h contests of course, they did not react at first. As the CQWW that year came near I got nervous and phoned them up - told them what I call service ;-) Well, the result was that they faxed one page with a simple modification: i should install a single resistor to attenuate the audiooutput from the keyer!!!!??! (a solution???! having lower poweroutput due to lower input!!). [I was talking about the 900] Well, I did the modification a few hours before the test, but I would not call it a modification as it did not solve the problem - it somewhat changed only the problem (to low output), hi. Later I used it with the 1000MP - it plays (I did not write it worked ufb!!). One mistake with the DVS-2 is, that you have to take MUCH MUCH care not to speak too(!) loudly into your mic while recording messages! Otherwise the recorded audio will sound distorted when played on air. As a summary: DVS-2 works, not more! This peace of rig seems to have difficulties concerning audio-levels. If you can cope with that and that the messages will keep the PTT down (and the TX on trx) for the WHOLE periode you selected (either 2 times 8sec or 4 times 4sec), even when you just record a "one-second-message", THEN it is a fine supplement for the 900 or 1000.
GJ0NYG Rating: 1999-10-28
OK on FT990, overdrives FT650 Time Owned: unknown months.
I have a DVS2 and whilst it's the best thing I ever bought for contesting (well maybe 2nd after computer logging), it hideously overdrives my FT650. Using it on the Club's 990 shows no problems. Yaesu UK faxed me details of a mod to reduce the Audio out from the keyer, but I'm loathe to do this if it works fine on the 990
KB1H Rating: 1999-09-24
DVS-2/FT-1000MP Bad Combo Time Owned: unknown months.
I recently replaced my TS-940 with a FT-1000MP. As an option I purchased the voice recorder DVS-2. Contesting is the normal operation here at KB1H. The DVS-2 seems to overdrive the audio on the MP. A search of the internet brings up numerous other complaints and even a fix done by an amateur in 4X-land. Replacing surface mounted resistors in both the MP and the DVS-2, cutting etchings on the DVS-2 unit. Should you have to do this on a $200 option and a $3500 radio??!!! Yaesu says hold the mike away from your mouth. We took the longest arm in the shack and still have the terrible reports on the audio quality. The handheld mike, the desk mike, and a Heil Pro-Set sound OK. Contest season is approaching with still no help from Yaesu other than "we'll give this report to our engineering staff". My advice right now is save a few bucks and buy a DVP. Shame, I had high hopes for this unit as I really like the unit we use on the TS-850 here.
N1XS Rating: 1999-09-09
It will be great...if they fix it! Time Owned: unknown months.
The DVS-2 unit, which Yaesu says works great out of the box, has an unacceptable audio quality. It is very raspy and almost sounds clipped when played back, but there is no indication of this problem when I speak through any microphone normally through the rig! Yaesu says the answer to the problem is to hold the microphone further away and speak softer. I don't think that an end user should need to speak differently when recording than when having a QSO. I have seen lots of posts on the various reflectors about this exact prob. (apparently it works OK with other Yaesu models but not the 1000's) and Yaesu says ther is no fix! Gee almost 4 grand for the rig with filters and DVS-2 and they say that there is no fix for this problem? Sigh. Stick with the DVP!