maybe back on the air

[n1exi]

just bought new ft991 - not sure if i can work it - no tubes any comments?  - greg

[Pete, WA2CWA]

It's got knobs, buttons, display, a telephone-type jack, HF, 6M, 2M, 70cm, it's pretty; what's not to like  
Haven't heard any on the air yet.
They started arriving on dealer shelves during the last week of December.



MORE INFO FOR THOSE THAT NEED TO KNOW:
http://www.yaesu.com/downloadFile.cfm?FileID=8622&FileCatID=156&FileName=LEAFLET%5FFT%2D991.pdf&FileContentType=application%2Fpdf

[n1exi]

tnx pete - gotta move -and get rid of boat anchors - it is new and price right - being a cripple now result of a mva time to downsize and get modulating - greg

[w1vtp]

tnx pete - gotta move -and get rid of boat anchors - it is new and price right - being a cripple now result of a mva time to downsize and get modulating - greg

What's the price class?

[n1exi]

1600 - free shipping - 3yr warranty -need a rig - all my stuff has to go - too heavy - needs work - someone may have time - but i dont - tnx - greg

[KX5JT]

Can you catch "I Love Lucy" on it?  "LUCY!!! I'M HOME!!!"

Gotta love these new rigs with color displays!!  Congratulations!

[n1exi]

pretty funny - still have a day job? - gotta love am and the group that frequents this site - greg

[Opcom]

That's a nice rig there. Ok, well how about listing the stuff you want rid of in the for sale section. One or two folks here like boat anchors. You can always keep a nice tube as a display and for moral support, sand up and varnish a wooden block and drill it for the pins! place on desk!

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Can you catch "I Love Lucy" on it?  "LUCY!!! I'M HOME!!!"

Gotta love these new rigs with color displays!!  Congratulations!

[n1exi]

opom - heath stuff - homebrew 4-440 xmitter rxs like gonsets and hq stuff - will list for sale down below on the site just hard to type - like to keep it light here in qso - just looking for humor here and great onversation hey! only took 10 mins 2 type this!
greg - n1exi

[W2VW]

Hi Greg,

    You might want a pre-owned Phlexx rig. They are proven performers on AM.

It's 5:00 somewhere,

Dave W2VW

[KB2WIG]

"  It's 5:00 somewhere,"

It's 5:00 somewhere twice a day.


klc

[N2DTS]

70 MHz 1st IF, likely to be a poor performer, and it says a 3KHz roofing filter, kind of narrow for AM.
Nice looking radio though.

[n1exi]

tnx all responding decisions have to be made - i want something new - love the old stuff - but a nice rig out of a box - i will let all know - crappy monday here in snj - hoping ups finds me
greg - n1exi

[N2DTS]

Review on eham:

1. AM transmission quality is terrible. Normally, a peak reading watt meter should show about 25 per cent of full power, spiking towards full power on modulation peaks. With my unit, power output drops way down with modulation, even as measured on a peak
reading watt meter.

Yeasu used to do very well on AM.
 

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Review on eham:

1. AM transmission quality is terrible. Normally, a peak reading watt meter should show about 25 per cent of full power, spiking towards full power on modulation peaks. With my unit, power output drops way down with modulation, even as measured on a peak
reading watt meter.

Yeasu used to do very well on AM.
 

I would take that review with a grain of salt. Checking his QRZ page, correct spelling wasn't high on his list either. Like Icom has done for years, Yaesu has probably implemented a similar type AM modulation scenario. What it simply means is that you can push your amplifier close to its maximum in the AM mode and never worry that the AM audio peaks will cause over-driving your amplifier. If you're prone to diddling, you can internally adjust the AM ALC to suit your fancy.

[KD6VXI]

I've found Icom to have better rice box am than Yeasu....   And I own one.

That said,  the 857 yeasu is what I ran mobile,  legal limit,  as well as on my home station.

Worked coast to coast with it,  never got a complaint on audio quality,  and even got a good report from TimTron.

Through the mic jack,  not direct balanced modulator feed.   I did use   negative voltage on the alc input.

That rig looks nice....   Like the next revision of the 857 / 897.

--Shane
KD6VXI

[N2DTS]

The reviews also say the display is not real time?

[Pete, WA2CWA]

The reviews also say the display is not real time?

What time is it  

Who needs a manual to utilize how all the functions work and/or how to make them work properly. Hams are "smart"; they don't need to read manuals.  

If I believed Eham equipment reviews, I probably would never buy anything.

[N2DTS]

I have found the reviews to be very useful, but it depends on what you find important in a rig.
I do very little CW and SSB so I do not care about a lot of things, but if a rig has a flaw, someone will point it out given enough reviews.
Looks like a very nice all in one radio, even has a tuna built in, nice display.
You would think we have moved past 70 MHz first IF's with their poor roofing filters and a very poor ALC operation in the AM mode.
They seem to keep putting the same radio in a different looking box....

[Pete, WA2CWA]

You would think we have moved past 70 MHz first IF's with their poor roofing filters and a very poor ALC operation in the AM mode.
They seem to keep putting the same radio in a different looking box....

I don't get the point about 70 MHz IF's. What's wrong with a 70 MHz IF?
The 1st IF (on the HF portion) of the FTdx-3000 is 9 MHz, the Kenwood TS-990 is 8.248 MHz, Icom IC9100 is 64. 455 MHz, Kenwood TS-830 8.83 MHz.

As far as "very poor ALC operation in the AM mode" , it's probably more of a change in design philosophy. Early solid-state rigs were notorious for over-driving linear amps by their users especially on AM. Too many adjustments (carrier, gain, drive, etc.) had to be diddled with to get it right. Likewise, there are newer linear amps on the market today that don't even have ALC connections so the ALC control has to be done back on the rig.

[N2DTS]

Nothing that I know of that has a 70 MHz 1st IF is very good.
Like the icom 756 pro series, anything within 20Kc or more wipes out the front end because the IF has to be wide to support FM, and a filter that works well at 70 MHz would be VERY expensive so its not included.
You get a poor filter.
Elecraft is one company that went with a low frequency 1st IF, then some other radios jumped on the bandwagon because the spec's (and performance) were so poor.
I had all the 756 pro series and all were poor, as was anything else I ever tried with a 70 MHz 1st IF.

They should have moved past the 70 MHz with a new radio.
The FTDX5000 uses a 9 MHz 1st IF somehow....

[flintstone mop]

Hi Greg,

    You might want a pre-owned Phlexx rig. They are proven performers on AM.

It's 5:00 somewhere,

Dave W2VW

I deleted my comments and realized that the OP already purchased the Yaesu Radio. If you are uncertain about your decision to purchase, can you ask about a return policy? Give it a road test and maybe you'll like it and keep it. Just get the radio to do the basics.
Fred

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Nothing that I know of that has a 70 MHz 1st IF is very good.
Like the icom 756 pro series, anything within 20Kc or more wipes out the front end because the IF has to be wide to support FM, and a filter that works well at 70 MHz would be VERY expensive so its not included.
You get a poor filter.
Elecraft is one company that went with a low frequency 1st IF, then some other radios jumped on the bandwagon because the spec's (and performance) were so poor.
I had all the 756 pro series and all were poor, as was anything else I ever tried with a 70 MHz 1st IF.

They should have moved past the 70 MHz with a new radio.
The FTDX5000 uses a 9 MHz 1st IF somehow....

I've been in dozens and dozens of contests over the years using the 756 PRO II and have not experienced the problems you indicated. Of course, there are occasions when some very strong signal settles 1 or 2 KHz away from where I'm transmitting and causes a problem, but stuff 3 or 4 KHz is rarely an issue. Even the wide AM Class E stations that we hear in NJ don't bother the receiver if I'm 5 or 10 KHz away most of the time. When I'm on AM, the majority of the time I keep the receiver in the 6 KHz filter position since I really don't care for the wide Hi-Fi sound that some amateurs try to propagate on the amateur bands.

[w1vtp]

The 756 pro series isn't much of a receiver.  It rates a not so good spot in Rob Sherwoods's receiver performance table:

http://www.sherweng.com/table.html

It might not matter so much what with the dirty signals we have to tolerate due to poor operating / adjustment techniques we have on the band these days

Al