Thank you for the frank overview... it was very helpful to this old ham who has not been active for about 20+ yrs and now thinking of getting back to my hobby... Keep up the nice work. N8IOK
Fantastic, I've had a 991 for about a year and learned more practical stuff here than all other sources combined. Thank You, Thank You...!!!!!!!. PS I'm a relatively new Ham this is my first radio and I have enjoyed it very much...first with a G5RV, now with the addition of a K4KIO Hex-Beam. Just bought a FT-891 & would love to see something like this on it..
Thanks for the review, I'm a new General and have been looking to pick up my first HF rig. I really wanted to get the 991A but became concerned when I started reading about all the issues with the finals blowing out. Yours' is the first review I've seen where you addressed the finals issue and its "fix". I like the fact that Yeasu has 3 year warranties on their equipment and based on your comments about their fixing the blown finals issue I think this will be the rig I get.
Great review of a my discontinued Radio. I have been working to get on HF, bought this about a year ago and now trying to get active on MARS. Did the mod, but am still learning. Thanks for great info 73 DE KW7YZ-Dave
Love the video. Just got my ticket and I wanted to go all out for my first radio as I don’t know when I’ll have the money again to upgrade or double up. I also looked at Kenwood TS- 2000. Seeing this video and how you went through it, made my decision. -73- KC1KSM Kevin
This is a FANTASTIC introduction to that radio! But more than an intro - a demo and some opinion. The video is seriously pleasant to watch and well done. Uh, well done! 73 OMs
Thank you. Very useful review. Just getting back into hobby after a break, and so different these new/modern radios. Head spinning :-) :-) but you certainly helped.
Well done review, Bob, thank you! Can you advise if the display has different modes? For example, in your video, the frequency readout is somewhat obscured by the red "shading" in the background, and I didn't like the horizontal bars on some of the screen buttons that were there to give the visual impression you are pressing an actual button (e.g. the Sweep button). Can that stuff be turned off? 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Superheterodyne is out - SDR is in. The IC-7300 takes the 991/991A's lunch money. For $250 less though, this radio isn't a bad deal if you really want VHF/UHF. Great video.
The early production 991's blew finals because the bias was set too high from the factory. A ham friend of mine had his fail and the factory tech told him this was the cause. If you have one that hasn't failed yet, you can save it by setting the bias properly yourself.
In any case, you should transform your FT-991 into FT-991A. So you'll change your opinion about this exellent tranciever. In adition - better to change simple mikrophone from complect, for instance, to install Yaesu MD-100A8X. Then you get'll much better RST from other HAMs at once. Thanks for video. Best wishes. 73
@@Yavor54 Thanks for reply. I didn't find in your video any information about log or computer soft to control your tranciever. I use LogHX together with my FT-991A. Its so simple to connect them and very pleasent to control FT-991A by this LogHX. All kinds of modulation (SSB, CW, FT8 etc.) in all bands. There is FREE english version of LogHX. Besides you can ask the author of this soft any questions without payment. Before I tried many other ham's logs, but LogHX was the best which I know. Please try it with your tranciever FT-991A and write me your opinion. I think you like it. Its not an advertisment, only HAM-friendly recomendation. :-) Please write me about names of computer soft which you use with FT-991A. Its very interesting for me - what logs and computer programs use experienced HAMs in USA. Regards. 73
Very nice video! Really appreciate the more detailed illustration of how the radio works and compares to others. Would you recommend the FT-991A version for a new HAM? '73 KE8EUI Mike
I have one of these and am very happy with it. The only bugbear is the spectral display. What were the design engineers thinking introducing such a 1/2 baked feature?
Bob, thanks for the review. I agree, it's pretty darn nice! I updated my VHF/UHF all mode from an FT-847 to an FT-991 late production (8/2016), no regrets. 73 AB4D
Bom dia a todos, antes de mais nada quero parabeniza-los pelos videos , bom vejo que em alguns vídeos vocês operaram FT-897D e em outros FT-991. Bom eu tenho hoje um FT-897D e gosto muio do equipamento mas eu gostaria de evoluir sendo que o FT-991 me agrada muito pela sua beleza, sua tela colorida com o espectro e tudo mais que ele é capaz de fazer, porem aqui no Brasil esse FT-991 tem fama de ser muito frágil e apresentar defeito rápidamente. Eu penso que o melhor seria perguntar a quem tem os dois modelos de rádio e como vocês tem eu gostaria de saber sua opinião sobre o FT-991. Muito obrigado. Charles PU2TBK Brasil Jaguariúna-SP
Great review, TNX, Bob. And very convincing :) I bought the FT-991 (partly based on your review) one from the last EU stocks I think. I needed a portable radio to replace my FT-897 before going on a hoiliday-style DX trip. So far I am not disappointed at all. There are some stuff that could be better, but all in all, for the discounted price it cost, it really is a great little radio and a huge way from the 897 in terms of ergonomy. If Yaesu released the firmware to HAMs to hack it, I believe it would make it a cult radio. I for one would allow some further customisation of the screen panel, would perhaps also remap some of the physical buttons. But even the way it is, it is quite usable. Not a contest radio for sure, but for holiday style expeditons or for occasional DXing from home, it is truly a nice companion.
Nice review, Robert. You need to play with that Contour more. It is very effective at reducing noise or increasing the sound you want to hear. All w/o any digital artifact. Most newer Yaesu's have it & it seems to be exclusive to Yaesu (post correction if I am wrong) and one of the key reasons for buying a Yaesu IMO. Nice little rig. Too bad Yaesu screwed up the introduction. If I didn't already have a IC-7000, it would be on my list. I also agree with your Icom xmit audio comment. Although they took a step forward with the 7300. Icom puts that damn 8VDC on the Mic+. 73 Bob
I bought a Yaesu FT-991 in 2015 and hardly ever used it. Then in 2018, I sent it in to Yaesu to have it converted to a 991A for about $300+. It now seems to work just like a 991A now and it is always in sweep mode (with audio), but I always wonder exactly what Yaesu did to perform the conversion. I wonder if the conversion involved replacement of the finals. The radio works great now, and just yesterday, I worked stations in New Zealand and Argentina on 10 meters from Northern California using just a Buddipole antenna. I'm not sure what it was really like as a 991, because I don't think I ever even transmitted on it as a 991. Does anyone even know exactly what Yaesu does with a 991 to 991A conversion? Thanks. 73.
Great review! I’m new to HF and curious what would be a good HF antenna if I do not have a tower (and live on a 1-acre lot with a couple of 30’ trees near my shack in the house). For VHF/UHF I run a Diamond X50.
Well, know that a resonant antenna (even simple dipole) will perform better than any antenna you need to use an antenna tuner on. In your case, I would put up three antennas. First is a 20 meter folded dipole. It costs about $25 to make plus some RG-8X coax. Use 1/2 inch PVC pipe for the 6" separators. It has Gain! point the broad side towards Europe and SW to Australia. Second is a 139 ft closed loop. Just hang it in whatever shape you can- as high as you can. It should tune up on 40 meters and up with the radio's tuner. It has very low noise and radiates in all directions. Third is a 152 ft Carolina Windom. It requires two baluns...and is about $50 to construct. You can buy them pre-fab. Great 40 meter and up antenna with a low angle of radiation for DX (requires tuner in radio). Broadside to Europe...Get a nice antenna switch and a PL-259 jumper. Ground your system!!! I'm talking cut an 8ft ground pole in two and pound them in at least 12 feet apart. Use bare 6 or 4 gauge to connect everything. So for $150 total, you have a nice antenna farm. RG-8X coax on all. Snag your baluns on Ebay.
Bob, I enjoy your videos a lot. You share a lot of information and you have an incredible wealth of knowledge which I would like to tap into if you don’t mind my friend. My question has to do with a dilemma that I’m facing. I love to work DX. But I also like the versatility of the 991A for FM modes, and Fusion. BUT I LOVE getting that faaaaar off DX QSO. I’m stuck between the FTDX 3000 and the 991a. I know that the 3000 has a 9 kHz front end which greatly helps in its RX capabilities. But how much “less“ on the RX side in your opinion would I lose with the reception on the 991a for DX HF QSO’s? To try and make this easier to answer I’ll ask if you would be kind enough to give me the answer based on a 1 to 10 scale, one being “no where near capable of working DX on the HF bands compared to the Yaesu FTDX 3000” and 10 being “similar to the FTDX 3000for working DX on the HF bands.” I really do appreciate your help with this my friend and keep putting these videos out! They are informative, and in a relaxed manner they’re easy to watch and done very well! Blessings and 73! Larry K7HN
Larry- This is easy to answer! You will not work one more DX station on the FTdx-3000 than the 991a. The only difference is that during a big contest where the band is JAMMED with signals end to end, you MIGHT be able to hear an individual signal with SLIGHTLY less noise on the 3000 because of the roofing filter. In 99% of normal operation, there would be NO functional difference in the 991A and 3000 on HF. Yaesu designers share components of the designs between their radios - so as to not have to re-invent the wheel. The 991a has a decent front-end and is light-years better than radios like the IC-706 IIG, IC-718, FT-818, IC-7200, TS-2000, FT-897, FT-857..etc. The TX is awesome too.. the 6 band EQ is SUPERB. So, no contest, buy the 991A...good deals available now too. I have a lot of rigs, and I'm not selling mine!
I find that a lot of people are saying the FT991 is very bassy and muffled, I have just had mine upgraded with the new boards making it in effect a 991A and i have to tell you its no better on CF4M, i have recently done a CZcams video of a comparison between the FT991 and the FT1D hand held and the handheld sounded better, i do wonder if anyone has found a solution either an external plug in or radio settings
I will purchase this 991. Not much choice knowing how old the IC7100 is already. However, due to display problems (FT 857 FTDX 3000), I swore I would never purchase that brand again. They better rise the cost and use proper hardware.
I do not understand why the radio manufactures NEVER made videos like yours. The last company that did "that i know of" was Ten Tec.... Now that i have seen the video you made, I WANT THE RADIO..... You would think they would make them??!! Ohh Well!! Thank You.
Cookin finals haha you say. Expensive hahas. I have had an expensive haha due to lightning and a spider in my HV connector. It end up the cost of the entire FTDX3000 blown. Around $3000.
B- Well, the radio's RX is really superb as is. I have it on deck with a IC-7610, Elad Duo SDR and FT-897. It is easily the most sensitive RX in the bunch. What you could do is actually back-off the HF sensitivity in the Factory set-up menu. Intercept point comes right up if you start backing off sensitivity. You can really accomplish the same thing using the IPO. Take out 10DB of gain and the noise drops by 10DB. The Contour control is amazing- makes signals poop out in SSB. DSP NR is among the best in the industry. This little radio is a "sleeper"...a superb radio that gets little attention. Yaesu really shows their design skills in this radio.
I bought a FT-991 store demo for a steal and traded in my Icom 706mkIIg. Very little out of pocket expense. I agree the snapshot band scope is fine. I really don't care if I can see the signal as long as I can hear it.
I never used the 706 on CW. On SSB it was a bit broad but I didn't have the optional filter which can be had for around $100. The DSP didn't do much for me your opinion may differ, Transmitted audio reports were always good, SSB, AM and FM. Great all around radio. Especially if you want to do HF-VHF-UHF in the car due to the handy removable head. Try to find one that includes the remote kit if you want to mount the head somewhere else.
My aunt and uncle was a gnegy yes I know it's spelled different but it is pronounced the same they are both silent keys they were ka0ksi & kaoksh I thought that was kind of cool you two have the exact same pronunciation of your name I am N0SPW Clarence swope I am thinking about getting the yaesu ft 991a
Frankly I don't wanna work without the waterfall scope anymore. There's a reason submarines use the same system, because it gives you awareness of what's going on in the band. Hunt and peck is so much easier with a constantly updating scope. I feel Yaesu hasn't really gotten the hang of that yet. Plus the way they implemented the waterfall in the FT-991 was really weird. It's great that they fixed this in the updated version, but still...
They desperately tacked on a sub-performance (compared to IC-7300) real-time scope in the 991A. Still, the 991/991A is a dated design compared to a few hundred $$ more for the IC-7300, which is a few hundred less than the 991A.
Have you considered filming another one of these "Final Analysis" videos with the newer 991A model? Or has your conclusion remained the same with the latest "Alpha" variant? Stay classy my friend.
I have the 991A and it is just not enough difference. Yes, the scope is nice to have, but it is not a FFT/SDR type of fast scope. It barely helps. The 991A is staying in my shack!
Yo Bob, in the uk we have 4 mts, 70mhz, will it work on there, i see it has General covarage...so wondered if you could dial 70.450 in manaully...Fred g4vvq Uk
How good of a stand alone uhf vhf rig is this. I really want an all mode uhf vhf rig, and don’t want to pay 1600 for the icom. The hf would be a plus to substitute for my 1200
It is totally legit on VHF/UHF. OK, not as good as the 9700, but a far superior value. the better screen on the 9700 isn't very useful on the upper bands...more for HF. I'm not selling mine..and I have a 9700.
897 rugged.... on the back seat of my car and the main encoder shaft broke... turns out its just plastic.. the weight if the knob was enough to fracture it.. all show. Good thing is when I ordered a new encoder from Yaesu UK, i received a discount after grumbling about the £28 price.. well done them. My 991a has been all over the place and no problems so far.
Interesting, watching this in 2021. The alpha is a big step forward and must be annoying if you've laid out a lot of money only to find your 991 pride and joy is now superceded shortly after you've bought it. But the 991-a looks superb, you buy it...only for a year later Yaesu have increased the screen size etc and you think perhaps I should have waited....there's always a better rig just around the corner...
Having a known issue where the finals blow is outrageous! I don't blame people for staying away from this model for that reason. It's hard to gain back trust after you lost it. Now that I know about this issue I wouldn't touch a 991 with a ten foot pole. I work too hard for my money to spend it on faulty equipment.
Icom,.., Military looking??? Icom are the Military radio makers. Icom save our veterans lives especially when they package them in their bomb cases. Considering the price of the Icom radios it feels like we are supporting the troops when we buy one lol.
Brand new out of the box getting horrible reports FM Audio Low and Muffled. I cant use it. Going back to my 20 dollar baofeng and 25 yo rfconcepts 30 w amp which I get good audio reports. 1300 bucks....Thanks Yeasu
Check to see if there is a FM bandwidth setting. You might be on Narrow. Sometimes the FM receive bandwidth setting controls the TX bandwidth too (does on Icom radios)
Afternoon Bob Nagy I had an aunt and uncle their last name gnegy and it was also sounds like Nagy they were ka0ksi and ka0ksh I thought it was kind of funny how you too have the same sounding last name but two different spelling of your name Be safe from n0spw 73 for now
The video is well done but the subject is poor. It's hard to compare it's two radios. The ICOM 7300 does not make VHF and UHF all mode. It would be more equitable to compare the ICOM 7300 with the FT-1200 which is cheaper and more efficient. There is currently no competitor at icom for the FT-991A. There is the ICOM 7100 but with a terrible screen, and portable is hell. And let's not forget the C4FM which is far superior to anything that is done in amateur radio. 73, your video is well framed and the sound is very good, continuous to make comparisons but a little more fair ...
You are completely right. All other brands of amateur equipment are far superior to Yaesu and that is why Yaesu is the top-selling amateur radio equipment manufacturer on the planet. People love poor performing and over-priced equipment and they know it when they see it. An oatmeal box with 5 feet of wire and a diode is light-years ahead of this piece of digital engineering with 9 million+ transistor junctions, 32 bit DSP processors, Fast Fourier transform correlation NR filtering, multi-mode TX/RX over 11 bands and the optimized designs from over 35 years of circuit design. All for just over a grand. What a rip-off!
@@Yavor54 some people believe a Lower Price is best but Quality cost more and I will take Quality any time so I own a lot of ICOM Gear because they truly outperform the Garbage built by Yaesu.I would not own ANY Yaesu even if it were FREE if I were required to keep and use them.It’s a matter of personal choice because I know that ICOM makes a far Superior radio.I have had so many issues with Yaesu radios in the past that I will never waste another minute of my life on a Piece of SHIT radio such as Yaesu radios.You waste your money and time because it’s obvious that you have never owned a QUALITY Radio because you can’t afford one.👍💩🚽 As I said,YAESU = Yet Another Excuse Simply Useless.💩🚽👍
You do a great job in helping explain the features of this radio vs FT-991 ---- Thanks Tom
Just thankyou for sharing your knowledge base, far and few dudes with your character!
Great vid Bob. Thanks for posting. Merry Xmas and HNY.
73, Chris ha7wx
Thank you for the frank overview... it was very helpful to this old ham who has not been active for about 20+ yrs and now thinking of getting back to my hobby... Keep up the nice work. N8IOK
Best review of the 991 I've seen so far, Thanks
Great review. Very clear and thorough.
Really well done video. Learned a lot. Much to think about.
Fantastic, I've had a 991 for about a year and learned more practical stuff here than all other sources combined. Thank You, Thank You...!!!!!!!. PS I'm a relatively new Ham this is my first radio and I have enjoyed it very much...first with a G5RV, now with the addition of a K4KIO Hex-Beam. Just bought a FT-891 & would love to see something like this on it..
You have produced a great tutorial, very informative.
Thanks for the review, I'm a new General and have been looking to pick up my first HF rig. I really wanted to get the 991A but became concerned when I started reading about all the issues with the finals blowing out. Yours' is the first review I've seen where you addressed the finals issue and its "fix". I like the fact that Yeasu has 3 year warranties on their equipment and based on your comments about their fixing the blown finals issue I think this will be the rig I get.
Thanks for the video Bob. I bought my late model FT-991 purely off your video. 73
Excellent and well thought through. Thank you for taking the time to put this together! Subscribed. :-)
Great informative review and a used 991 is a steal as a shack in the box with enhanced features. The gravy is the Fusion and built In Tuner.
Great review/video as always.
Awesome video! Thank you I’ll play a little more with my FT-991A
Thank you for the review Bob. Just a very comprehensive review, easy to follow and clearly articulated. 73, KF5KI - John
Great review of a my discontinued Radio. I have been working to get on HF, bought this about a year ago and now trying to get active on MARS. Did the mod, but am still learning. Thanks for great info 73 DE KW7YZ-Dave
Love the video. Just got my ticket and I wanted to go all out for my first radio as I don’t know when I’ll have the money again to upgrade or double up. I also looked at Kenwood TS- 2000. Seeing this video and how you went through it, made my decision. -73- KC1KSM Kevin
Thanks very complete, and helps me decide
Bob? You are the Best,, Articulate, exacting, understandable...!
This is a FANTASTIC introduction to that radio! But more than an intro - a demo and some opinion. The video is seriously pleasant to watch and well done. Uh, well done! 73 OMs
Thank you!
VERY well done video, Robert. Thanks for your insight and comments - I learned a lot about my own 991!
73 K1MIX
I bought the 991a (used). I'm a new ham, and utilizing the "shack in the box" to try different modes, bands, etc. Thanks for the review!
Very Informative. Thanks.
Thanks for the video
Very good video. Thank you
Best video on the 991, thank you sir.
Thank you!
good review great information.
Helped me decide on what I am going to purchase FT-991A👍🏻
Nice review. I enjoy mine. It's a shack in the box.
Köszi a videót!🇭🇺
Örömöm! Ez még mindig jó rádió. Maradj meleg és 73 éves - Bob
Great Review! 73
Thanks!
Thank you. Very useful review. Just getting back into hobby after a break, and so different these new/modern radios. Head spinning :-) :-) but you certainly helped.
Don Hodkinson Your right there Don. Sets today are too bloody complicated to operate.
Well done review, Bob, thank you! Can you advise if the display has different modes? For example, in your video, the frequency readout is somewhat obscured by the red "shading" in the background, and I didn't like the horizontal bars on some of the screen buttons that were there to give the visual impression you are pressing an actual button (e.g. the Sweep button). Can that stuff be turned off?
73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Superheterodyne is out - SDR is in. The IC-7300 takes the 991/991A's lunch money. For $250 less though, this radio isn't a bad deal if you really want VHF/UHF. Great video.
excellent & well presented . you have convinced me . please keep up the outstanding reviews . KE0NAZ ; 73's.
The early production 991's blew finals because the bias was set too high from the factory. A ham friend of mine had his fail and the factory tech told him this was the cause. If you have one that hasn't failed yet, you can save it by setting the bias properly yourself.
Great video, I still have my yaesu ft847 an earlier shack in a box , 73 mark G8RDE
Santa's a HAM? Hmmmmmmm.....
In any case, you should transform your FT-991 into FT-991A. So you'll change your opinion about this exellent tranciever. In adition - better to change simple mikrophone from complect, for instance, to install Yaesu MD-100A8X. Then you get'll much better RST from other HAMs at once. Thanks for video. Best wishes. 73
I did.. 991A is excellent. TX audio is superb too! Contour feature is my favorite Yaesu exclusive.
@@Yavor54 Thanks for reply. I didn't find in your video any information about log or computer soft to control your tranciever. I use LogHX together with my FT-991A. Its so simple to connect them and very pleasent to control FT-991A by this LogHX. All kinds of modulation (SSB, CW, FT8 etc.) in all bands. There is FREE english version of LogHX. Besides you can ask the author of this soft any questions without payment.
Before I tried many other ham's logs, but LogHX was the best which I know. Please try it with your tranciever FT-991A and write me your opinion. I think you like it.
Its not an advertisment, only HAM-friendly recomendation. :-)
Please write me about names of computer soft which you use with FT-991A. Its very interesting for me - what logs and computer programs use experienced HAMs in USA. Regards. 73
Very nice video! Really appreciate the more detailed illustration of how the radio works and compares to others. Would you recommend the FT-991A version for a new HAM? '73 KE8EUI Mike
I find that C4FM sounds bassy from 991. Than's fantastic. I don't know whether it sounds as good from FTM-400DR.
Tnx for the very nice demo. Well done.
KU3X
I have one of these and am very happy with it. The only bugbear is the spectral display. What were the design engineers thinking introducing such a 1/2 baked feature?
It’s not an SDR radio so I think they cheaped out not having a secondary receive circuitry for the waterfall.
Just found one new unopened. I hope it works. Looks like a great radio...
Bob, thanks for the review. I agree, it's pretty darn nice! I updated my VHF/UHF all mode from an FT-847 to an FT-991 late production (8/2016), no regrets. 73 AB4D
great video. but did not excite me enough to runout and buy a 991a. I think i'l stick with my ft897d.
Bom dia a todos, antes de mais nada quero parabeniza-los pelos videos , bom vejo que em alguns vídeos vocês operaram FT-897D e em outros FT-991. Bom eu tenho hoje um FT-897D e gosto muio do equipamento mas eu gostaria de evoluir sendo que o FT-991 me agrada muito pela sua beleza, sua tela colorida com o espectro e tudo mais que ele é capaz de fazer, porem aqui no Brasil esse FT-991 tem fama de ser muito frágil e apresentar defeito rápidamente. Eu penso que o melhor seria perguntar a quem tem os dois modelos de rádio e como vocês tem eu gostaria de saber sua opinião sobre o FT-991.
Muito obrigado.
Charles PU2TBK
Brasil
Jaguariúna-SP
Great review, TNX, Bob. And very convincing :) I bought the FT-991 (partly based on your review) one from the last EU stocks I think. I needed a portable radio to replace my FT-897 before going on a hoiliday-style DX trip. So far I am not disappointed at all. There are some stuff that could be better, but all in all, for the discounted price it cost, it really is a great little radio and a huge way from the 897 in terms of ergonomy. If Yaesu released the firmware to HAMs to hack it, I believe it would make it a cult radio. I for one would allow some further customisation of the screen panel, would perhaps also remap some of the physical buttons. But even the way it is, it is quite usable. Not a contest radio for sure, but for holiday style expeditons or for occasional DXing from home, it is truly a nice companion.
Nice review, Robert. You need to play with that Contour more. It is very effective at reducing noise or increasing the sound you want to hear. All w/o any digital artifact. Most newer Yaesu's have it & it seems to be exclusive to Yaesu (post correction if I am wrong) and one of the key reasons for buying a Yaesu IMO. Nice little rig. Too bad Yaesu screwed up the introduction. If I didn't already have a IC-7000, it would be on my list. I also agree with your Icom xmit audio comment. Although they took a step forward with the 7300. Icom puts that damn 8VDC on the Mic+. 73 Bob
Bob Ograv uh
I bought a Yaesu FT-991 in 2015 and hardly ever used it. Then in 2018, I sent it in to Yaesu to have it converted to a 991A for about $300+. It now seems to work just like a 991A now and it is always in sweep mode (with audio), but I always wonder exactly what Yaesu did to perform the conversion. I wonder if the conversion involved replacement of the finals. The radio works great now, and just yesterday, I worked stations in New Zealand and Argentina on 10 meters from Northern California using just a Buddipole antenna. I'm not sure what it was really like as a 991, because I don't think I ever even transmitted on it as a 991. Does anyone even know exactly what Yaesu does with a 991 to 991A conversion? Thanks. 73.
Great review! I’m new to HF and curious what would be a good HF antenna if I do not have a tower (and live on a 1-acre lot with a couple of 30’ trees near my shack in the house). For VHF/UHF I run a Diamond X50.
Well, know that a resonant antenna (even simple dipole) will perform better than any antenna you need to use an antenna tuner on. In your case, I would put up three antennas. First is a 20 meter folded dipole. It costs about $25 to make plus some RG-8X coax. Use 1/2 inch PVC pipe for the 6" separators. It has Gain! point the broad side towards Europe and SW to Australia. Second is a 139 ft closed loop. Just hang it in whatever shape you can- as high as you can. It should tune up on 40 meters and up with the radio's tuner. It has very low noise and radiates in all directions. Third is a 152 ft Carolina Windom. It requires two baluns...and is about $50 to construct. You can buy them pre-fab. Great 40 meter and up antenna with a low angle of radiation for DX (requires tuner in radio). Broadside to Europe...Get a nice antenna switch and a PL-259 jumper. Ground your system!!! I'm talking cut an 8ft ground pole in two and pound them in at least 12 feet apart. Use bare 6 or 4 gauge to connect everything. So for $150 total, you have a nice antenna farm. RG-8X coax on all. Snag your baluns on Ebay.
The UK price of the ft991 upgrade kit has just been announced and it's £500!!!!! Just to add the real time scope, very expensive.
Bob, I enjoy your videos a lot. You share a lot of information and you have an incredible wealth of knowledge which I would like to tap into if you don’t mind my friend.
My question has to do with a dilemma that I’m facing.
I love to work DX. But I also like the versatility of the 991A for FM modes, and Fusion. BUT I LOVE getting that faaaaar off DX QSO.
I’m stuck between the FTDX 3000 and the 991a. I know that the 3000 has a 9 kHz front end which greatly helps in its RX capabilities.
But how much “less“ on the RX side in your opinion would I lose with the reception on the 991a for DX HF QSO’s?
To try and make this easier to answer I’ll ask if you would be kind enough to give me the answer based on a 1 to 10 scale, one being “no where near capable of working DX on the HF bands compared to the Yaesu FTDX 3000” and 10 being “similar to the FTDX 3000for working DX on the HF bands.”
I really do appreciate your help with this my friend and keep putting these videos out! They are informative, and in a relaxed manner they’re easy to watch and done very well!
Blessings and 73!
Larry
K7HN
Larry- This is easy to answer! You will not work one more DX station on the FTdx-3000 than the 991a. The only difference is that during a big contest where the band is JAMMED with signals end to end, you MIGHT be able to hear an individual signal with SLIGHTLY less noise on the 3000 because of the roofing filter. In 99% of normal operation, there would be NO functional difference in the 991A and 3000 on HF. Yaesu designers share components of the designs between their radios - so as to not have to re-invent the wheel. The 991a has a decent front-end and is light-years better than radios like the IC-706 IIG, IC-718, FT-818, IC-7200, TS-2000, FT-897, FT-857..etc. The TX is awesome too.. the 6 band EQ is SUPERB. So, no contest, buy the 991A...good deals available now too. I have a lot of rigs, and I'm not selling mine!
Bob, thanks for your kindness. And your fine. Do you have both rigs? Or have you owned a 3000 before?
Nothing wrong with my 991 and it`s an early model!
I find that a lot of people are saying the FT991 is very bassy and muffled, I have just had mine upgraded with the new boards making it in effect a 991A and i have to tell you its no better on CF4M, i have recently done a CZcams video of a comparison between the FT991 and the FT1D hand held and the handheld sounded better, i do wonder if anyone has found a solution either an external plug in or radio settings
I will purchase this 991. Not much choice knowing how old the IC7100 is already. However, due to display problems (FT 857 FTDX 3000), I swore I would never purchase that brand again. They better rise the cost and use proper hardware.
Got my 991 for $500 with all the updates already done. I'll kind of miss my 857d (now mounted in the RV).
Love to have one.
If I had one radio... this would be it.
I do not understand why the radio manufactures NEVER made videos like yours. The last company that did "that i know of" was Ten Tec.... Now that i have seen the video you
made, I WANT THE RADIO..... You would think they would make them??!! Ohh Well!!
Thank You.
Cookin finals haha you say. Expensive hahas. I have had an expensive haha due to lightning and a spider in my HV connector. It end up the cost of the entire FTDX3000 blown. Around $3000.
Are there any after-market filters that can be installed to lower the Noise floor?
AC7AA
B- Well, the radio's RX is really superb as is. I have it on deck with a IC-7610, Elad Duo SDR and FT-897. It is easily the most sensitive RX in the bunch. What you could do is actually back-off the HF sensitivity in the Factory set-up menu. Intercept point comes right up if you start backing off sensitivity. You can really accomplish the same thing using the IPO. Take out 10DB of gain and the noise drops by 10DB. The Contour control is amazing- makes signals poop out in SSB. DSP NR is among the best in the industry. This little radio is a "sleeper"...a superb radio that gets little attention. Yaesu really shows their design skills in this radio.
Thank you. What is their current MSRP on a 991a?
I bought a FT-991 store demo for a steal and traded in my Icom 706mkIIg. Very little out of pocket expense. I agree the snapshot band scope is fine. I really don't care if I can see the signal as long as I can hear it.
Mike, how did the 706 work on CW and SSB? Was filtering sufficient to work with? What about the receive and transmit quality?
I never used the 706 on CW. On SSB it was a bit broad but I didn't have the optional filter which can be had for around $100. The DSP didn't do much for me your opinion may differ, Transmitted audio reports were always good, SSB, AM and FM. Great all around radio. Especially if you want to do HF-VHF-UHF in the car due to the handy removable head. Try to find one that includes the remote kit if you want to mount the head somewhere else.
Great thank you! I think I will keep an eye out for a used 706, but with the optional narrow filters in it.
yeasu teck people will work with you they have a webcite for more info i love my 991 kg6mn
My aunt and uncle was a gnegy yes I know it's spelled different but it is pronounced the same they are both silent keys they were ka0ksi & kaoksh I thought that was kind of cool you two have the exact same pronunciation of your name I am N0SPW Clarence swope I am thinking about getting the yaesu ft 991a
Frankly I don't wanna work without the waterfall scope anymore. There's a reason submarines use the same system, because it gives you awareness of what's going on in the band. Hunt and peck is so much easier with a constantly updating scope. I feel Yaesu hasn't really gotten the hang of that yet.
Plus the way they implemented the waterfall in the FT-991 was really weird. It's great that they fixed this in the updated version, but still...
They desperately tacked on a sub-performance (compared to IC-7300) real-time scope in the 991A. Still, the 991/991A is a dated design compared to a few hundred $$ more for the IC-7300, which is a few hundred less than the 991A.
Have you considered filming another one of these "Final Analysis" videos with the newer 991A model? Or has your conclusion remained the same with the latest "Alpha" variant?
Stay classy my friend.
I have the 991A and it is just not enough difference. Yes, the scope is nice to have, but it is not a FFT/SDR type of fast scope. It barely helps. The 991A is staying in my shack!
Yo Bob, in the uk we have 4 mts, 70mhz, will it work on there, i see it has General covarage...so wondered if you could dial 70.450 in manaully...Fred g4vvq Uk
is the WIDTH an audio filter or is it really adjusting the I.F. bandwidth?
Ken b
Did you ever do a video about the FUSION side of this radio?
Michael VA6XMB
No, but I can say that it does not have the best C4FM audio of the Yaesu line. Don't know why... it's OK.. fully usable.
@@Yavor54 - Which piece of equipment has the best audio?
Michael VA6XMB
How good of a stand alone uhf vhf rig is this. I really want an all mode uhf vhf rig, and don’t want to pay 1600 for the icom. The hf would be a plus to substitute for my 1200
It is totally legit on VHF/UHF. OK, not as good as the 9700, but a far superior value. the better screen on the 9700 isn't very useful on the upper bands...more for HF. I'm not selling mine..and I have a 9700.
You still cant take it to the field and use it like a 897. The 897 only needed 1A on receive and the 991 cant touch the rugged nature of the 897.
897 rugged.... on the back seat of my car and the main encoder shaft broke... turns out its just plastic.. the weight if the knob was enough to fracture it.. all show. Good thing is when I ordered a new encoder from Yaesu UK, i received a discount after grumbling about the £28 price.. well done them. My 991a has been all over the place and no problems so far.
Radio giocattolo!
Interesting, watching this in 2021. The alpha is a big step forward and must be annoying if you've laid out a lot of money only to find your 991 pride and joy is now superceded shortly after you've bought it. But the 991-a looks superb, you buy it...only for a year later Yaesu have increased the screen size etc and you think perhaps I should have waited....there's always a better rig just around the corner...
Kerchunk?
I went w IC-7300
Having a known issue where the finals blow is outrageous! I don't blame people for staying away from this model for that reason. It's hard to gain back trust after you lost it. Now that I know about this issue I wouldn't touch a 991 with a ten foot pole. I work too hard for my money to spend it on faulty equipment.
hmm blown finals but it never the users fault.
IM WAITING FOR THE FT991B MAYBE THEY FIX THE FINAL ISSUES KG6MN
Note if you buy a radio get the warrentee dont be stupid like me
I think the digital sounds awful compared to analog FM. It's muffled and robot like.. I wanted to get into digital, but I am not sold at all.
Icom,.., Military looking??? Icom are the Military radio makers. Icom save our veterans lives especially when they package them in their bomb cases. Considering the price of the Icom radios it feels like we are supporting the troops when we buy one lol.
Ubdate software you can download here: rfcb.com.pl/showthread.php?tid=1291
Also seem to have auto tuner issues.
Auto tuner is as good as any in other modern rigs...
repair was more expensive than an external tuner with more tuning capability, down side was it was external.
Brand new out of the box getting horrible reports FM Audio Low and Muffled. I cant use it. Going back to my 20 dollar baofeng and 25 yo rfconcepts 30 w amp which I get good audio reports. 1300 bucks....Thanks Yeasu
Check to see if there is a FM bandwidth setting. You might be on Narrow. Sometimes the FM receive bandwidth setting controls the TX bandwidth too (does on Icom radios)
Afternoon Bob Nagy
I had an aunt and uncle their last name gnegy and it was also sounds like Nagy they were ka0ksi and ka0ksh I thought it was kind of funny how you too have the same sounding last name but two different spelling of your name
Be safe from n0spw 73 for now
ha! It just means Big in Hungarian and is the most common last name there.
Sp 10 spkr for the ft991 only 150 bucks over priced u tell me kg6mn
6 years ago...THE FINAL ANALYSIS...cut it out
The radio was discontinued back then, so it was MY final analysis.
14 blue jays don't like the review.
I finally figured out what you meant. I think my cat has eaten both those jays since I did the review!
Get a 897/D
The video is well done but the subject is poor. It's hard to compare it's two radios. The ICOM 7300 does not make VHF and UHF all mode. It would be more equitable to compare the ICOM 7300 with the FT-1200 which is cheaper and more efficient. There is currently no competitor at icom for the FT-991A. There is the ICOM 7100 but with a terrible screen, and portable is hell. And let's not forget the C4FM which is far superior to anything that is done in amateur radio. 73, your video is well framed and the sound is very good, continuous to make comparisons but a little more fair ...
Do I see pink fingernail polish? Really?
Thank you for my first laugh of the day! Must be your monitors color balance, but it's actually "Rosie Dawn" - NOT.
dstar is horrible sounding dv i think better littlle bit
It’s only a YAESU & that makes it garbage.YAESU = Yet Another Excuse Simply Useless.
You are completely right. All other brands of amateur equipment are far superior to Yaesu and that is why Yaesu is the top-selling amateur radio equipment manufacturer on the planet. People love poor performing and over-priced equipment and they know it when they see it. An oatmeal box with 5 feet of wire and a diode is light-years ahead of this piece of digital engineering with 9 million+ transistor junctions, 32 bit DSP processors, Fast Fourier transform correlation NR filtering, multi-mode TX/RX over 11 bands and the optimized designs from over 35 years of circuit design. All for just over a grand. What a rip-off!
...looks like we're done here lol
@@Yavor54 some people believe a Lower Price is best but Quality cost more and I will take Quality any time so I own a lot of ICOM Gear because they truly outperform the Garbage built by Yaesu.I would not own ANY Yaesu even if it were FREE if I were required to keep and use them.It’s a matter of personal choice because I know that ICOM makes a far Superior radio.I have had so many issues with Yaesu radios in the past that I will never waste another minute of my life on a Piece of SHIT radio such as Yaesu radios.You waste your money and time because it’s obvious that you have never owned a QUALITY Radio because you can’t afford one.👍💩🚽 As I said,YAESU = Yet Another Excuse Simply Useless.💩🚽👍
Best look at the FT-991 ! Thank you for your thoughtful comments. W6WUH.
Thanks! Still have my 991A here- and it's not going anywhere...