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Reviews For: Yaesu FT-90r

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Base/Mobile (non hand-held)

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FT-90r
Reviews: 138MSRP: 399.96
Description:
Micro 2m/440 transciever
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.yaesu.com/ft90r.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001383.5
N2NFL Rating: 2002-09-29
Packaged Performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have owned this rig for approximately 2 months. Haven't had any of the so called heat problems. I was looking for something to fit the "stealth" mode within the vehicle, the size and performance can't be beat! I am considering a second for another vehicle.
KC8TNE Rating: 2002-09-22
Nice general radio for local repeaters. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought this thing primarily for the size and mounting options. When I was forced to get another car about a year ago(some guy ran a light and smashed me good), I ended up getting one that dose not have much room for add on's. I was running out of options for placing a radio unless I decided to just tear off the dash board and leave it off. I saw this radio one day at a hamfest and it gave me some ideas. I liked the fact that I could mount the controls independent of the radio(using the separation kit) and it was not to expensive. I picked one up and actual found room for it. Did not need the separation kit after all.

Having said all that, now for my review of this radio. So far I have not had to many problems. When I first installed it, for some reason it would not let me out of memory mode.(no direct entry after storing about 6 repeaters) I checked out the manual and even talked to a friend that had previously owned one of these. I could not figure it out so a quick full reset and it has worked fine ever since. A word about the heat, yes it dose get hot fast. I was talking to my brother one evening for just a minute or so and being the idiot that I am, I put my hand on the bottom surface of the radio. That was a mistake. Very hot! Other than that I like this radio. Not as cool as some of the other radios out today but it dose what is advertised and you cant complain about that. Like every yeasu I have ever owned it scans at the speed of light.

If your looking for a general radio that will fit in a newer car and you don't need all the bells and whistles, give it a try.
W8PAL Rating: 2002-08-09
Thumbs up Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Great little radio if your expectations are in order. Not dual receive, but for me, the small size was more important. Wide RX, but no WFM mode (hey, you probably already have 89 - 108 installed from the factory already).

I remoted the radio (mounted under the rear seat) and mounted the unbelievably (expletive) small display head on a Pep Boys gooseneck map light that sticks into a cigarette lighter outlet (removed the conductors from the light so it is just a plastic plug). The head unit now sits atop the gooseneck, right below the a/c controls in my GMC pick-up. I put a small speaker that I picked up at Dayton for $5 in the flip-up "stuff box" in the dash and mounted a MFJ through-the-glass antenna on the rear window. The install is ultimately stealthy as the antenna looks "cellularish" and the gooseneck can be removed in about 15 seconds and stowed in the center console. The mic gets tossed in the "stuff box" with the speaker. Presto, no radio to attract attention.

I have not noticed the excessive heating problem (ok, it does warm up a bit on High but that's to be expected). I live in Phoenix and it's August right now. Today it was 113 degrees F. The radio is hot just sitting in the truck, but I haven't seen the squelch problem or the display problem.

The only "gripe" I have is that when the radio has been sitting in the hot truck for an extended period of time (i.e. parked at work for example), I am unable to use the top row of direct-entry DTMF keys (1,2,3, etc.) on the mic to QSY the radio. The other keys work fine (4,5,6,7...). When I get the a/c rolling and the vehicle cools off some, the problem disappears (or if it is parked in a cool garage, etc.). It did this out of the box and Yaesu is stumped. They want me to send it back to them, but we all know about their 2 week turn around (hi hi). Tried a new mic, but the problem is obviously in the radio. Also tried to plug the mic directly into the radio (bypass the sep kit, but also no joy).

Overall, I really enjoy the radio.
WM5L Rating: 2002-07-27
Nice scanner/LOW POWER rig Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned three of these rigs. All of them overheat when on high or near high power if you get long winded. The rx starts cutting out and you have to run the squelch all the way down to rx a s9 signal. It will also due the same thing when it is real cold. Around freezing temp. However thats the easy one to fix. When you jump in you're car and it's colder than the devil. Just key it upon high power for about a minute and it will be ready to rx untill it starts to overheat about two minutes later. HI HI!!! I havent found a goo dway to cool it off very fast.
Maybe some liquid nitro shot directly into the fan
assy on the top??? Anyway I have sold all but one of them now and would have sold it but my wife likes hers in her little car. She dosent talk much and if she does it's on 5 watts into a nearby repeater. So it works fine for her.
K9OU Rating: 2002-07-18
rx problem when warm Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I've had my FT90R since Sep. 01, and have had the same overheating trouble as many others have noted. My radio's quirk is, when warm, the receiver cuts in and out sporatically while receiving a strong repeater signal (146.13/73), and just on that one channel. My HT verifies that the repeater itself is not the culprit. Same thing in VFO mode, and so far, just that one frequency. Very odd.
KD6HXH Rating: 2002-05-25
Nice little radio for the money! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Wow! I must say, after reading some of these reviews about the FT-90, I shutter to think what awaits ME! Any way, as far as my radio is concerned, SO FAR SO GOOD! I love everything about the radio, except one thing. One of the main reasons I went with this radio other than for its size, was that it was supposed to receive in the 800-900mhz. frequency range. Well, it recieves fine in the 900mhz range, but, in the 850-870mhz. range, the signal flutters, or, as some would say, it picket-fences. Why it does this I have no idea. I can receive a station in the 860mhz. range at almost full meter strength, but unless the squelch is turned all the way off, the signal will flutter (just my luck). If anyone has experienced this same effect, and knows how to rectify it, please let me know. (kd6hxh@aol.com).

As far as over heating problems are concerned, and as a lot of reviewers have complained about, I have not experienced any of these problems. Thank god!!!

So, in a nut shell, and provided I do not experience ANY of the problems that some/most of the reveiwers here have, I think this radio was well worth the $289 that I paid for it. Hey, at that price, its practically disposable. :-)

N8QBY Rating: 2002-04-06
OK Radio Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have owned my FT-90R for about a year. I bought it used at the Dayton Hamvention. I like most of the features that it has to offer. Some of the things that I am not crazy about are: The radio gets quite hot when x'mitting on hi power. You can only receive one band at a time. The receive audio is not very impressive. The PTT button on the mic is to sensitive for my liking. ATTENTION: HAS ANYONE HAD THIS PROBLEM: AFTER THE RADIO HAS BEEN IDLE FOR SOME TIME, THE DISPLAY WILL SHOW A RANDOM NUMBER INSTEAD OF THE FREQUENCY DISPLAY? IT MIGHT BE A NUMBER OR A LETTER, AND ONLY ONE. NOTHING IS INTERFERED WITH, AS IT STILL RECEIVES. IF I KEY THE MIC, THE DISPLAY GOES BACK TO NORMAL. IS THIS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS RADIO? IF SO, IS THERE A QUICK FIX, SHORT OF SENDING IT AWAY? IF IT NEVER GETS ANY WORSE, I WON'T EVEN BOTHER HAVING IT FIXED. I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS AN INTERNAL BATTERY BUT I WOULD THINK THAT I WOULD LOSE SOME MEMORIES ALSO. IF ANYONE HAS ANY INPUT, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT: pbernard@sault.com I MISS MY FT-5100.
W0IPL Rating: 2002-04-05
Small and does well Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Why a 4? Because there was not a 4.6.

This is a very nice radio for people that have any of the current crop of new cars. I bought a Nissan Altima (wish I could afford a second one) and did the remote head (just above the rear view mirror) with the RF deck under the drivers seat. Speaker is on the back of the center console.

The only complaint is that at night the display is too bright. The clone instructions have an error in them (but once you look at it you see what needs to be done [a push button doesn't work until the power is turned on]) but the function works beautifully (I now have 2 FT-90s).

Transmit audio is clean. I run remote speakers so the half-dollar sized speaker is not a problem. I actually LIKE the fact it does one band at a time (I have answered a call on 70CM by transmitting on 2M more times than I would like to admit. Thus, the one at a time is best for me.

I have not had any problem with either of mine.

Pat, W0IPL
HB9ZIG Rating: 2002-03-13
Near Perfect Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Got it two years ago, and still no gripes.
Three minor details:
1) After some months of heavy use, it won't even get near the 50W advertised power on 2m anymore. 2) The remote mounting kit is ridiculous - lots of money for a poor bunch of extension cords
3) It doesn't allow tuning steps <5khz, which makes Sat operations a nuisance (or even impossible)
Otherwise, a great radio, which even already got me out of an emergency once (car breakdown in a remote corner of the country with no mobile coverage)
KC7MMI Rating: 2002-03-08
Great Radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought one of the first FT-90's back in '99. Ever since this radio has been working beautiful. Robb, I'm going to have to have a chat with you on the B of A machine...you, me and RTM. :)

I still stand my ground that the FT-90 is a beautiful performer...and I can't remember the last time that I had a squawk of intermod. I hate to say it but I think it's your radio's production run.

73.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KC7MMI on 2001-06-04

->Best dual-band mobile for the features, size, and price
->Plenty of memories for...everything!
->Has many useful features i.e. 5khz and 2.5khz deviation
->Programmable front panel buttons and mic buttons
->My radio experienced a 30 minute (almost continuous) key-down on high power with no damage
->Seven character alphanumeric tag
->Receives 100-999.995Mhz (cellular blocked but portables aren't).
->Chassis mounted SO-239
->50 watts out on 2 meters and 35 watts out on 440Mhz
->Built-in cooling fan
->Buy it if you're looking for the best dual-band radio that doesn't do V+V, V+U, or U+U.