Yeasu FT-847...Before you buy one...
jmslater
I have had this rig for only a few weeks and there is much to be discovered
about it. The menu system is a very foreign approach for me and I have yet to
explore all of the capabilities.
I am disappointed that the rig will not allow a dual watch capability...by that
I mean being able to hear the traffic on the main band as well as the sub band
simultaneously. You have to push the A/B function to hear the sub band and vica
versa. There is no way to tell if traffic is occurring on the sub band while
listening to the main band. The only way to work around this is to use the
Priority function but that introduces an annoying "break" in the main band every
five seconds...it is not good.
I also DO NOT like the cross band repeat function. So far I have only been able
to get the rig to cross-band repeat ONE WAY only! If I use UHF as the input and
VHF as the output it does only that...those on the VHF freq. who answer me
cannot TX back to me. This rig DOES NOT cross-band repeat from VHF back to UHF.
If the FT-847 does cross-band repeat both ways I would sure like Yeasu to
explain how! (perhaps my rig is faulty?)
FLASH! FLASH! A Yeasu rep. told me the radio is NOT "bi-directional" in the
cross band repeat mode. (their literature never mentioned this!) He said this is
done to "aid" satellite users. Eh? I say it is not a true cross-band repeat
function as MOST amateurs know it and Yeasu should have been more explicit on
this one! If you want a radio to FULLY cross-band repeat, this is NOT your cup
of tea! Stick to a dual band mobile rig of your choice. The FT-847 just does NOT
cut it!
The "Full Duplex" function on the Yeasu FT-847 is also a bust unless you are a
satellite buff. It is not what I consider to be a full duplex....if you wish to
access this function you MUST put this rig in the Satellite mode first and then
program the frequencies over the pre-programmed ones. I have to do a bit more
research in this area, BUT without the Dual Watch feature this rig is not what m
any of us envision as a REAL full duplex. Again, your dual band mobile rig will
do much better without the hassles.
I have been pleased that the receive on this radio is very sensitive and in
spite of one report that I got that commercial AM signals interfered on the 160
meter bands I have found it to be just great. I have not heard any interference
from any commercial or other stations on this rig. The rejection seems to be
wonderful and in light of the illegal CB'ers we have in this area I have not had
any troubles.
I have had glowing reports on the audio qualities of this rig when I use it on
the VHF/UHF frequencies and that is easily adjusted via the Menu system. My only
"bitch" is that when I go to the HF bands that I cannot control the Processor as
can be done with the Yeasu FT920. This rig only allows me to turn the processor
on or off with no adjustments in between that I have been able to find. This is
a "short sheeted" engineering oversight by Yeasu.
I do not like the fact that the stock mic does not have a touch tone pad on
it...if you want that you have to order a ttp mic as a $60 add-on. That stinks!
Ergo, if you wanted to use this rig to access an auto-patch system on a local
repeater you cannot do so with the stock mic. Yeasu should have done better on
this one. I expected more from them than this considering the hefty ($1850)
price of the radio. Are they so hard up for sales that they could not have
included a decent mic with this high dollar rig? After all, it must cost them a
whopping $5.00 to include a mic with a touch tone pad! The TTP mics that they
use for the mobile rigs are the same as the mic they send with the FT-847 with
the big difference being a modular vs. a 9 pin plug. Does Yeasu need income that
badly?
(side bar....my MD-1 desk mic works on the FT-847 tho it was designed for the
FT-767....the only difference is that the UP/Down keys do not work...this is a
simple wiring change)
I admit that I have much to learn about this rig, but I am NOT convinced that it
is the ultimate of rigs. I am just now beginning to have regrets about buying it
and I seriously question whether it is worth the purchase price. It does nothing
better, it does not outperform and it does not work better than my FT-767 or my
FT-8000 mobile rig. It certainly does not hold a candle to the FT-920!
I have also found that memory storage in the 2 mtr and 440 modes do not store
the programmed power output level as does the FT-8000 mobile rig. This is a
problem when switching from a 2 meter freq. in which you may have only been
using 5 watts to a 10 meter freq. where 5 watts is not enough! It is also
disconcerting when switching back from HF to VHF to have to constantly readjust
the RF Power knob with each change. If Yeasu can allow output power to be
programmed in their mobile rigs memories they should also have been able to do
the same with the FT-847!
Other drawbacks.....This rig has no SWR meter nor does it have a built-in
antenna tuner...not even an inexpensive one which will tune from a standing wave
from 3.1 on down such as the predecessors (FT-767, FT-920) have. If you want a
tuner you must buy the accessory tuner or already own one as an out board item.
This is a MAJOR draw back.
Result: If you want a 2 mtr/440/6mtr/HF rig with all mode capabilities, this is
an acceptable unit at best. Is it worth the hefty price? I would say that it is
not, in spite of the fact that I purchased it. If this rig were priced a few
hundred dollars lower than what it is, it could well be the only rig one would
ever need in a shack. Will I keep it? That one is a toss-up at this time. I do
not feel that this FT-847 is "the cat's meow".
If I had a wish list with this radio I would first and foremost wish that Yeasu
would have engineered this rig with the majority of Hams in mind who do not run
satellite ops. Satellite could well be an option, but Yeasu left out some viable
options on this rig for "other" users.
1. Include a touch tone mic.
2. Include some sort of internal antenna tuner.
3. Include metering to "see" the standing wave ratio.
4. Incorporate a TRUE cross-band repeat function. (bi-directional)
5. Utilize a "dual watch" feature like radios of similar cost have.
6. Allow for true full duplex without using the Satellite function.
7. Install an internal duplexer to allow 2m/440 ops from the SAME antenna as a
menu option. (such as they do with the 6m/HF option)
These are my findings after having this rig for several weeks. Any
questions/comments can be addressed to me at any time and I will attempt to
answer them for you. My advice on this one is "Buyer Beware!" Sometimes you
DON'T get what you pay for!
Mick N9PGE