I have the 897D and yes it is a lot of radio in a small package.
The audio DSP is not that impressive on voice modes , however it is a good little CW rig.
The nb is almost useless in a mobile.
The speach processor is a joke.
Also be aware that if you expand the tx you will lose the auto repeater offsets.
I got the 897 over the 857 because of how little heatsink there is with the smaller radio.
I have run it at home, in the mobile (have the mobile bracket) and used it camping many times so I can not say it has not been a good radio , just not a great radio.
Now it is starting to develop the Zebra syndrome on the display that Yaesu is very aware of and still will not own up to, but will fix for a couple hundred bucks.
However they will not tell you that sometime down the road it won't fail again.
I also had a VX5R that was DOA when I bought it new and had to go back before I could even use it.
The display backlight was too dim and made it hard to read in bright sunlight.
The printing on the keypad did not last even a year before I had to have that replaced and required you to keep it in a case to prevent it from wearing out again.
That was followed by a VX7R that the RX sounded like hell from day 1. It also had to go back for a fix that took care of it , but the TX audio was never anything to write home about.
There was a mod to fix that issue but it involved poking holes in the waterproof membrane over the Mic element..... I was like WTF?
The water proof feature was one of the selling points of the radio.
Then about a year later one of the cermanic filters failed in the radio.
I had that fixed and i threw in the towel and got rid of it.
All of this has left a bad taste in my mouth for any Yaesu branded products.
73
Jeff
