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Reviews For: Yaesu FTdx-5000 (including D and MP versions)

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

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FTdx-5000 (including D and MP versions)
Reviews: 146MSRP: 5750 (D version)
Description:
The FT dx 5000 Series HF/50 MHz 200 Watt Transceivers are a new Premium Class of Yaesu radios with 2 Independent Receivers plus many unique options and accessories designed to meet the Performance Requirements of even the most demanding serious Amateur Radio operator.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=102&encProdID=12FF98B9C73C8988F2398C979793E2E1&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
151464.7
K4BDN Rating: 2017-03-17
EXCELLENT! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Now that I’ve had my FTdx-5000MPL for almost a year I thought I would write a review. My FTdx-5000MPL, was manufactured in Oct. 2015 and I took delivery in April 2016.

I have only had 3 HF transceivers, Icom IC-730, IC-7000, and now the Yaesu FTdx-5000MPL with SM-5000 Station Monitor. My current antenna setup, which I did use with other 2 transceivers, is a broadband Hexbeam @ 45-feet, a fan dipole 80m, 40m, 20m @ 36-feet, 1/4 wave Sloper for 160m, a 40m dipole @ 42-feet, and an amplified receive-only magnetic loop antenna.

My basic set up is FTdx-5000MPL, a Heil PR-22 mic with the on board equalizer and transmit bandwidths adjusted as per the Heil web site recommendations. An ALS-600 amp, feeding the antennas with good quality RG8 coax. I normally run with the “Class-A” switch engaged, which reduces the power to 75 watts, while 5th- and higher-order transmitter IMD typically falls to -65 dB or better. In this configuration my ALS-600 amp really seems to work well putting out about 500 watts on most bands. I routinely get unsolicited “great audio" reports.

This rig is just amazing, especially under our current band conditions. Both receivers work superbly. With the 3 roofing filters, the outstanding DSP, and so many ways to adjust the filters I’ve been able to dig-out some very marginal signals to make contacts that I would have never heard on my other rigs, even before I installed the amplified receiving mag loop. Since taking delivery of this rig, I have added 85 DX contacts to my logbook. The auto-tuner easily matches my dipoles and the 1/4 sloper to a very low SWR. The second receiver is wonderful while trying work a hot DX or during the contests.

I know there are other outstanding HF/6m XCVRs on the market, but for the price you pay for the FTDX-5000MPL you would be hard press to beat it. Just take a look at the Sherwood Engineering, Inc. receiver test data and you quickly realize the FTdx-5000MPL is top notch and in keeping with good company.

This is the very best transceiver I’ve ever used or own.

PD9CN Rating: 2017-02-16
1 word it is Perfection Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Hi,

This Yaesu FTdx5000MP is in one word perfection.

I own FTdx5000MP for about five years now.
And it is alway pleasure to turn on the FTdx5000MP.

And I use this radio for DX digital & rag chew ESSB audio.
For DX you can pull out very little signal unbelievable what this radio can do to you. And for digital you have those nice roofing filters you will notice every signal. And the menu structure is easy to use almost everything you have it on the front knops.

This radio will only move from me shack if Yaesu makes a better radio than the FTdx-5000MP.

Till that time we stay best friends:)

Regards,

Cor PD9CN
www.pd9cn.nl
W7KNX Rating: 2017-02-16
Fabulous Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I've had mine now for about a year. I use it primarily for SSB rag chew and contesting. It's a pleasure to operate in a contest environment. I can usually quickly turn an impossible to copy signal into one that is readable. Great tx and rx audio quality for rag chew. One of the finest radios I have ever operated in my 40 years in amateur radio. I rate it equal to my Orion II in terms of operating enjoyment.
W5RG Rating: 2017-01-18
BAD DISPLAY Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought a new FTDX5000 Dec of 2016 so I have had the rig now 5 weeks. Noticed when I change bands down to 15 meters the first digit two did not light up bright like the rest of the display.. after a few weeks I now see one of the OLED light starting to look dimmer than the other.. my first though was crap they have not fix the problems I have heard about with the display. This radio has been out a few years now why have they not fix this problem.. I have alway been a Yaesu owner, but this is it for me.. I contacted Tim at Yaesu and reported the problem and sent pictures and he replied back that it was not bad enough for a repair. I love the radio.. works fine on SSB but I like the K3 better for CW. So what to do. after spending most of my money on this radio I guess I'm stuck with it.. Should not have sold my K3!!
KE4EX Rating: 2017-01-08
Ftdx 5000mp Time Owned: more than 12 months.
One heck of a receiver. Ssb, cw, digital.
Over a year on a used mp one minor issue.
Dreaded OLED's started to dim.
Called yaesu ordered replacement, installed in less than 3 hours. No brainer, no whinning.
No soldering, plug and go. Take your time.
Picture of station on qrz.
73
AD9P Rating: 2016-12-30
The Best Time Owned: N.A.
Simply the best rig I have used.
W6GEE Rating: 2016-12-29
The best Yaesu I've every owned!!! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I write this review based on my limited exposure to other manufacturers other than Yaesu. The rigs I've owned since becoming active again in 1988: FT-101ZD, FT-890, FT-920, FT-1000MP Mk V, and the FTDX-5000MP. I'm primarily a CW op and dabble in PSK31, with an occasional venture into the SSB bands. My current antenna setup is a Mosley MP-33 3-el tri-band Yagi, 43-ft vertical (160-10m), and an M2 3-el 6m Yagi. I decided to wait a few months in order to battle test this rig and not jump to premature conclusions from the excitement of first getting this radio in June 2016.

When the price of this rig dropped well below $4K, I finally sprung for it. After regretting not buying an FT-1000MP Mk V new before it went out of production, no way was I going to miss the chance to buy this ground-breaking radio brand new. The FTDX-5000MP is the absolute best radio I've ever owned since being a ham in 1968.

This rig shines especially under our current poor band conditions with respect to digging marginal signals out of QRN. I might be exaggerating (on the low side), but I estimate this rig has doubled my QSO completion rate due to the fact that I've been able to dig out weak signals with the outstanding noise reduction features and QRM separation capabilities. Once I became more adept with combining the various noise reduction and filtering capabilities of this radio, I can easily dial in signals under some pretty adverse conditions. This will take some practice, but well worth the effort. Contesting will really give you some great practice in this regard. I've also made many QRPers and SOTA ops happy by being able to easily dig their signals out of the noise too.

I've never been a big SSB op, but I couldn't help but start fiddling with the voice equalizer settings that have resulted in resounding compliments on my audio clarity while running a "barefoot" 200W. SSB is more of a filler mode for me when CW and PSK31 aren't happening, so it's nice to have a high quality radio like the FTDX-5000MP to make some casual SSB QSOs.

I'm sure there are other outstanding HF/6m XCVRs on the market, but you'd probably have to pay almost twice as much as you'd pay for the FTDX-5000MP. I'm also not much interested in having some computer capabilities built into my rig, so I wouldn't really want to spend a wad on those features either.

Even though $3,600 (with current discounts/rebates) is a chunk of change, in my opinion, this rig hands down is an exceptional value for a radio that's loaded with features. It's scary to think how much more outstanding a performer this rig would be under better band conditions. This radio would make it worthwhile to hang around for another hundred years to wait for band conditions to improve. This will be a radio that I'll stick with for many many years!
K4DPS Rating: 2016-12-28
One of the Best Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It's been six years since my FTdx5000 arrived and my station has been excellent. I get consistently good audio reports (no matter which microphone I use). Contacts are easy to make (if I can hear them, I can work them). I have pretty much my dream station. I have owned and operated many Yaesu's over the years and this one performs above them all. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with this radio. I haven't had any issues with mine that others have described. Yes, it is heavy, but built very well. You can look me up on QRZ.com to see my station configuration. 73
W1LW Rating: 2016-12-28
ft 5000 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had this FT-5000 for four years. it and others have replaced my whole FT series radios.
It has suffered, on and off, of the white line and I ignored them, they come and go and did not affect it's operation.
In my opinion for my operation it is the best.
I WAS TOLD BY A YAESU REP that the white line problem was caused by moisture in the area.
I don't know but I continued to use it as is and the problem goes away. Why should I be concerned? I am not, it help me to gain 9-band DXCC and ARRL Nr 1.
I consider this radio the best I have ever had and rate it only as a 10 out of the five. 10/5
I wear double hearing aids and can pick the weakest of signal out of the noise with no external devices used. Go figure.
Some operators are better than others, I am a ex-20 year naval radioman.
KG5ABW Rating: 2016-09-23
KG5ABW Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I've had mine for 6 months and really like how little amount of user intervention is required once it is set up. It CAN use a Data Management Unit. Look at my web page on qrz.com and you will
see how mine is set up.

I would buy it again. I also have a FTDX1200 and a FTDX3000.