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I wonder why

K

KG0MN

W9WDX Amateur Radio Club Member
Mar 5, 2010
166
42
38
I am an avid follower of QTH.com and read the ads daily so I can have a pretty good idea of what the going rates are for radios. The radio that has interested me the most since I am seeing more than a normal number of them being offered not only on that web site but other dealers as well. The radio is the Yaseu FT-950, to me it looks like a nice radio, albeit it is not an all-band-in-a-box radio it does cover 160~10 and has 6 meters as well. So why would people be offering them, some as recent as 2 months after they purchased them. They will tell you they just decided to try something else. I don't buy that, there has to be a bad tale of this radio out there somewhere affecting these people

Has anyone heard of any issue with this particular radio as I was thinking of obtaining one?
 

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Another great source is Ham Radio Gear For Sale. Anyway, based on Reviews Summary for Yaesu FT-950 it rates a high 4.7/5.0 (Reviews: 113)! It sounds like a great rig. The rig is about 4 years old now - maybe a lot of heavy user's are ready for a new one?

The only complaints I found (above reviews)...

1. FM RX and TX is about 663hz to far to left (am/usb/lsb/cw are perfect).
2. Manual is not very clear.
3. Any CW station with S-9 or stronger signal is covering +/-800Hz in the band. The DSP filter is able to eliminate its sidetone, but the singal still knocking and the covers the weak signals in this range.
4. My neighbor has an electric fence. When it operates I hear a knocking – one knock per second with S-9 strength - noise in all bands. The noise blanker is able to reduce it but cannot eliminate it.
5. I gave it a 4 because the power output adjustment should be on the front of the rig.
6. I would not expect a transceiver DNR.
7. No "direct" power regulation.
8. Intermodulation artifacts all over the 20m band during the night with even the preamp 1 (much more with the preamp 2) engaged.
9. Biggest load of crap to come out of Yaesu cheap and tacky useless ATU makes more noise than a train tinny cheap internal speaker kept it 3 hrs that was enough for me.
10. Found the NB a very serious issue at my QTH.
11. AGC produces overshoot distortion.
 
GM All:
I have had my FT-950 for almost 3 years come Field Day.
I love it! Best radio on the market for the money.
Excellent medium priced rig....I paid just a little over $1200.00 new in the box.
I find the RX very aceptable.... I have found the TX also very good,TX audio is as good anything I have operated.
I have had nothing but excellent reports.
Yaesu has done a good job listening to owners and resolving issues with the NB/DNR and AGC.(adjusting Firmware)
I enjoy the rig on CW...
I have never had a rig where I found the interior speaker...worth a damn!
I wish I had more time this morning to give a more detailed and better report...
Great first rig!
Best in the same price range.
I said goodbye to the TS-850 KWD/ IC-7000/and a couple others since I have owned it. IMHO
I have had others thank me for recommending this rig to them.
I am very pleased with her.:thumbup1: I will keep it even when I upgrade to the FT-2000D (maybe later this year)...:thumbup:
All the Best
BJ
 
Last edited:
I personally used to do just that. Buy a rig and a few months later decide I wanted to try something else, so not a good way to judge what's good and what's bad. I never did that to get rid of a crappy radio. I tried em' all until Icom released the 7800. A little too rich for my blood. I have slowed down and have had the Yaesu FT-450AT for a few years now and love it. It's not a perfect rig by any means but when you weigh features, price,performance and reliability it's one of the best rigs around.

All the reviews, unless very techical in nature, are generally anecdotal as you see from the two above. 180 degree opposite based on their opinions of the radio. Not a bad thing but opinions are just that. Every line of radio is bound to have a few lemons and those owners are the most likely to post a so called "review". The eHam review section is 90% opinion based on emotion and 10% good techinical reviews that make sense. What I see are hams complaining about features a radio doesn't have..yet they bought the darn thing knowing it din't have that feature..WTH??


My next rig is going to be a Yaesu FT-950.
 
I listened to BJ run the net new years eve for SK and boat anchor rigs.

His FT 950 sounded great, and he was able to hear my old Swan 700CX even though my antennas were not oriented favorably in his direction.

Tells me that the FT-950 rig has some good ears also.

All the reviews in the world can not compare to actual on the air results.

That rig rocks
 
On a related topic. I order an FT-950 yesterday and just got a call from the YL letting me know UPS just delivered it!! How sweet is that! I'm playing radio tonight!
 
wavrider said:
I listened to BJ run the net new years eve for SK and boat anchor rigs.

His FT 950 sounded great, and he was able to hear my old Swan 700CX even though my antennas were not oriented favorably in his direction.

Tells me that the FT-950 rig has some good ears also.

All the reviews in the world can not compare to actual on the air results.

That rig rocks
Click to expand...

I meant to say something before...
Wavrider: I remember that SWAN 700CX checking in!!
I still had my 500CX at that time(sold last fall to a collector)...
I had it "fired-up" earlier that day, but went with the 950 that night because the band conditions were so utterly BAD.
I wanted the extra noise reduction the 950 offered.
So you should thank that "Old Girl":thumbup1: she punched a hole in what was some of the worst winter time band conditions the net had to deal with!
I had a chance a few weeks ago to pick up another 950 for $850, if I had just got in my pocket...but no...I want a new screwdriver type antenna for the truck and those I want are a little pricey$$:)
All the Best
BJ
 
Hey BJ no worries and thanks for the compliment on the old Swan700CX.

She is still going strong and working DX on 20 meters is a dream with that old tuber.
 
There are a LOT of wealthy hams out there who buy many of the rigs just to try them out for fun and see if they would like them for a keeper.....end up selling most relatively quickly and don't mind losing a few hundred on them in the process. They can afford it. Must be nice.
 
Wire Weasel said:
There are a LOT of wealthy hams out there who buy many of the rigs just to try them out for fun and see if they would like them for a keeper.....end up selling most relatively quickly and don't mind losing a few hundred on them in the process. They can afford it. Must be nice.
Click to expand...

I'm the same with women, use them them toss them to amateurs such as yourself.

Nothing wrong with being wealthy unless you consider figuring how to keep uncle
Sam away from it.

The Spirit of 43 - Tax Cartoon - YouTube
 

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