Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Yaesu FT-450D

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

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Yaesu FT-450D
Reviews: 164MSRP: $899.00
Description:
160-6 Meter Base/Mobile/Portable Transceiver.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=102&encProdID=870B3CA7CFCB61E6A599B0EFEA2217E4&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
151644.5
ATC43 Rating: 2012-01-04
brill little radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a fantastic radio,just needs the mod to stop hum,great receive and tx audio,for the money you will not find another radio that offers such great performance,Yaesu just need to add extra earthing for front panel,and all will be well,that said if you are thinking of buying one,get it,you will not be disappointed,easy to use,brill dsp,great audio,tx and rx,i did the mod to stop hum on tx,v easy the ft450d yahoo group has the fix on file,the only thing that does get me is the fact that yaesu new about hum from ft450,and there fix for the 450d,was not good enough
W3QE Rating: 2012-01-01
Why Spend More? Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Based on the price I hear it said that this radio is a good entry level radio. Well Yaesu could probably add another $500 on the price tag and sell them with about the same results one would expect from radios costing that much and still sell as many units. You get a lot of radio for a little money spent. Look at the features not found on similar priced units. I owned the high-cost radios and unless I am deaf after 30 years as a ham, I just can't tell much difference in radios costing twice as much or more. As far as the spec geeks who only decide their purchases based on the Sherwood charts, your deceiving yourself--IMO. Happy New and Hamming

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by W3QE on 2011-02-06

The FT450D is impossible to beat for price/performance ratio coupled with ease of operation loaded with features thought impossible just a few years ago, like the 500 memories, CW training and beacon and a lot more! I owned a few of the FT450AT’s since they came out and actually like them over the FT950 I owned, especially the easy on the eye display and it‘s my opinion the DSP sounds better and is lot easier to manipulate! Now standard with the 300Hz CW bandwidth, most CW operators will no longer have a beef about too wide a bandwidth. Even weak signal work is possible minus the large price tag. The FT450D is enough radio for me taking up precious little space, a do all radio that is a real pleasure to operate and own for base portable or mobile purposes. I like the improvements on the FT450D. The VFO tuning knob still isn’t large but has enough diameter to turn quickly with one finger on the tactile O.D. with the rubber mounted grip. The lights make it a snap to see all controls in dark or bright environments. The narrower CW filter does make a difference, and the four little knobs are a little bigger and fancier. Yaesu now includes the upgraded hand microphone with the controls built in for easy mobile operation. My FT450D replaced a TS590 Kenwood and I have no regrets. To each their own. The FT450 is my choice as the only HF radio in my shack, especially since I operate mostly CW and a lot of QRP too-boot. For me the FT450D is plenty of radio, and actually just about overkill. You get a lot of radio for under a grand! The HF radios costing a ton more sure don’t perform per a dollar anywhere near what you would expect spending that much more hard earned dollars--- of course this is my personal opinion, which this forum is all about---and my personal opinion has been formulated by-- being there done that and wasting money. Now maybe you won’t. Happy Hamming.
W2DI Rating: 2011-12-27
Great Radio-fix for hum Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had an FT-450AT. I only sold it because the original owner missed having it and was looking to buy another, so I sold it back to him.

There is hum on the TX signal and there are mods to fix it. However, a quick and easy fix is to turn the display brightness all the way up. The hum is from an issue with the display dimmer circuit. Again there are mods, but placing the display on its brightest setting will result in ZERO HUM!

Of course, some may not like the display on high, but I did not find it objectionable at all.

The published mods require taking the radio apart and doing some grounding of the culprit circuits. If you contact YAESU, they may repair the problem under warranty (the one I had was used). It was easier for me to just set the brightness on high.

So, why a 5? Aside from this glitch, this is a wonderful radio. The receive and DSP filtering are simply outstanding. This rig IMHO is in a class of more expensive rigs in terms of overall performance, ease of use and features. I really wish I owned this radio, but after selling it I could only afford a less expensive, but ok unit.

My advise to Nick - previous post - is to check with YAESU about a free fix, or turn the display brightness up to full (hum will be totally gone)and you'll have a fantastic radio. Maybe wear your shades (hi, hi) if the level of brightness bothers you, but don't sell the radio. It's a definite keeper!!!

Happy holidays,
Joe -- W2DI
KJ6MGS Rating: 2011-12-27
TX Hum Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased this rig less than a month ago and I already have issues... TX Hum reported on almost every QSO!! Other than that its a good radio for the money. I hope HRO will return it for me so I can at least upgrade to the FT950... Im a huge Yaesu fan but it seems like they need to get there S*** together!!!
VK4NWX Rating: 2011-12-16
GOLD Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Great compact hf/50mhz do all rig! Full of great features not often found in a radio in this price range! I'm really enjoying using this rig and the menu is fairly easy to use once you get to know it. As always read the manual and you'll be ok. The DSP works very well, the ATU does it's job well and the mic EQ gives some good and interesting options. There are many good things to say about the FT450D and just a few things that could be a bit better. But saying that no radio is perfect in every way. But I'm very happy that I decided on the FT450D. 73's
K1ROY Rating: 2011-12-01
Houston we have a problem! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This radio would be a 5 for me on the rating scale except one lil detail,there is a high pitched buzzing or hum getting in the transmit of the radio and even the receive. I firmly believe Yaesu has a manufacturing problem here as posted below from a previous user. If you own this radio please monitor yourself carefully as it will even show up when you record on the DRU built into this neat little radio. Great audio but i returned mine to buy ft-950 before my 10 days expired at HRO. I really loved this radio though and outside of the hum, got excellent audio reports from everyone and everywhere i worked!I tried different power supplies and mics and cords but it seems to stem from an oscillation being developed from maybe the display on the radio. There might be a fix for it but there was no way I was gonna fix it when it was going back, let yaesu fix it!
K2ADK Rating: 2011-11-20
I love this radio. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Nothing but monoband dipoles at my house, a Yaesu power supply and my trusty little FT-450D and I'm good to go. I always have to smile when I look at the rigs and antennas some hams have when they're a 5 and 7 on my radio -- and I'm a 5 and 7 on theirs, too. 100 watts is not always 100 watts, it seems. And with powerful digital filtering capabilities, this radio can probably even squeeze a signal from a coffee can.

One thing that makes this radio special is how other hams hear it. I've heard many contacts comment on the quality of the audio signal, even in poor band conditions.

I've read a few negative comments about the knob and the speaker. The knob is small but is easy to move, plus there are so many memory options that many hams might not use it that much. And the speaker -- well, it's not something you'd listen to Chopin's Nocturnes on, but most folks use headphones or external speakers anyway.

I recommend this radio without reservation.
KC2OYZ Rating: 2011-11-12
BANG for the BUCK Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This radio is a sparkling jewel - all the great engineering and experience of Yaesu is here in this one little rig.

It is small, very well made, clean, easy on the eyes and everything works simply and effectively.

Right off the bat, if you've used other Yaesu rigs, your learning curve will be neglible - I felt right at home and in complete control after one afternoon on the air - and I've used Icom a lot more than Yaesu. In fact I exchanged my new IC-7000 (a pretty but useless toy IMO) for the FT-450D and I have NO regrets whatsoever.

I have a very compromised antenna situation so my signal is never very strong, but I still got unsolicited compliments on my audio using the MD-100 after tweaking things until I got it right.

450D has a clean, quiet RX - a little work with the RF gain and DNR and very weak signals are crystal clear - I rarely touch the other DSP controls - I set them for what sounds natural on a decent signal and haven't played with them much since. Plenty for me under the circumstances.

If you want lots of bells and whistles and things to play with, maybe you'll find the 450D lacking. But if you want a solid, easy to use HF rig that just feels RIGHT, you'll love the 450D - I love mine.

Only beefs I have are that the tuning dial could be a bit larger and you should be able to adjust the tension - I prefer a rather stiff tuning dial and the 450D is quite loose.
KJ6MSG Rating: 2011-11-06
Solid performance and features at the right price. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is my first HF rig and I couldn't be happier. It took me a few months to finally decide on the FT-450D; I was also considering the FT-897D and FT-857D. I am very pleased with my selection and so far it has been a solid performer.

I set up a 20-ish meter dipole up at 10 feet, constructed from 18 AWG speaker wire. Connected through a Hendricks BLT+ tuner, I made my first ever HF QSO into Arkansas from my location in California at 5W on 20m. My second QSO was with T32C on 12m and my third into Russia on 20m. All that with this great rig and a less than optimal antenna!

The controls are very easy to use, the design is stylish, and you don't really have to play with the menus too much once you have everything set up. Some people complain about the tuning dial, but since it's really the first HF rig I've used, it doesn't bother me at all. The DSP is pretty amazing, though I wish it had a dedicated knob (shares functionality with the SEL knob). I have not had a chance to try the built-in antenna tuner since the speaker wire dipole does not use coax. I expect to test it this coming weekend.

Over all, I am amazed at the performance and features in this rig for a very affordable price point. I am very happy with the purchase and have no qualms about recommending it to others.

WP4BHT Rating: 2011-10-28
Best Radio for the PRICE.... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is the radio you need!!!
I have the radio for 3 week now, using signalink usb and the antenna MFJ-1622 inside the apartment, 3 feet high from the floor and counterpoise on my living room floor and my first QSO was PSK31 "599", 20m, 25W in Italy. Next one was Ukraine in Asia voice "57", 20m, 100W...4632.3 miles from the Bronx, NY.
Entry radio no no and no.....this is a radio for everyone......stop jking..."For the price if you get something better than the FT 450D, LET ME KNOW.....ENJOY UR RADIO......GOD BLESS...73

JUAN WP4BHT