Yaesu FT-891 Mode Mobile Transceiver - Radioworld

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This radio is well recommended to anyone searching for a good reliable transmitter (mine does 94 Watts out on SSB from the box) and a good performing receiver (better than my old TS-480hx). After some extensive transmitting periods it gets warm to the touch, but not too warm, nothing to worry about. I use it on ssb with an antlion modmic and get nothing but good audio reports (once the TX equalizer is set to maximum performance). Measuring 6.1 in. x 2.0 in. x 8.6 in. (155 x 52 x 218 mm), FT-891 transceivers are innovative Multi-band, Multi-mode Mobile/Portable transceivers with a rugged case design. The FC-50 is a microprocessor-controlled antenna tuner that is designed specifically for the FT-891. The FC-50 can be easily coupled with the FT-891 and includes all necessary interconnect cables for operation right out of the box. An alternative and perhaps faster method is to press the M>V button. This brings up a multi-line listing of memories that can be scrolled through using the multi-function knob. Pressing the M>V button again copies the selected memory to the VFO and leaves you in VFO mode. This avoids the radio flipping across bands and the associated relay activity. The New FT-991 now includes a high-resolution full color 3.5" TFT Touch panel for superior operability and visibility, incorporating a High Speed Spectrum scope with ASC (Automatic Spectrum-scope control) built right in.

PS, I am a Yorkshire man by birth so I have a built in adversity to spending money, particularly my money! I love the audio from the FT-891 it sounds so much better than my IC-7300 which is fatiguing to listen to after a while, it seems to have a high noise floor and harshness to the audio and yes NR does help but on the 891 I don’t need to use the NR like I do on the 7300. The filters on the 891 are better too with less bleed over from closer stronger stations and I don’t notice any overloading at all compared to the 7300 which means I have to always play with the RF gain. This means that in practice with modern transceivers, 5 to 20 watts would show as 2 S points increase rather than one.Improvements in DSP over the FT-450D are huge. The noise reduction actually works very well, with less tweaking. It is a welcome change. Some may complain that Yaesu's implementation of DNR is a bit watery-sounding, but I find a little DSP SFT (shift), and proper RF/AF gain removes most of the bubbling. I like it.

The 32 bit high speed floating Point DSP (max 3000 MIPS) provides effective cancellation/reduction (DNR) of the random noise that is frequently frustrating while on the HF bands. The highly optimized AUTO NOTCH (DNF) automatically eliminates dominant beat tones, and the CONTOUR, and the APF, are very effective receiver noise reduction tools during HF band operations. The NEW FT-891 offers up to 100 watts of HF/6m output power with efficient dual internal fans, coupled with Yaesu's legendary receiver design,triple conversation with a 1st IF frequency of 69.450MHz for really outstanding performance.The FT-991A is designed for the most competitive operating situations, with a suite of new features to enhance the experience. Whether you primarily operate at home, mobile or in the field, the FT-991 will provide outstanding fundamental performance plus give you easy access to the full range of exciting modes available on the ham bands today.

But, there is a hidden gem within this radio. It’s the YAESU Parametric EQ settings available in the TX Audio options in the menu mode. Use the following menu settings as a starting point. Remember to enable the Parametric EQ in the Settings Mode, FUNCTION-2, MEQ. Select with the multifunction knob, and push to highlight MEQ to engage. I get unsolicited “great audio” reports all the time. Turn the radio volume knob down to a comfortable level for you. I barely want to hear what’s going on. I like to hear it just as an indicator of what’s going on. By the way , I love to listen with headphones and yes, there is an annoying hiss of the 891 that is non existent on the 7300 but I believe there is a resistor mod to eliminate this , I must try it. A native USB connection supports PC connectivity with a single cable, allowing for full rig control via a virtual serial port connection (VCP).

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While there is commercial software available for the FT–891, I only needed to set up the memory channels, so decided to adapt some PowerShell I’d written for another radio, sending the necessary serial port commands to configure my list. I have the Tecsun PL-990x, which sounds absolutely horrible on SSB meaning ECSS is impossible, + like the 7300 the audio from the PL-990x “on SSB” is harsh on the ears and it seems to be related to DSP processing, can’t beat that analogue sound + the DSP portables have a distortion to audio on SSB which is not nice to listen to, The Tecsun PL-680 on the other hand sounds much better but best of all is the FT-891, it’s a really super radio, of course it’s not as portable as the 990x but the newer PL-330 actually sounds better than the PL-990x because the 4 Khz filter actually works, it doesn’t on the 990x,880 or S-8800 but the PL-330 still has that distortion on SSB. Follow the Yaesu manual covering the computer USB connection driver installation/setup first (SCU-17 USB Interface Unit Instruction Manual rev. 2018 listed above). This will give you two COM ports to use when connected to the radio. They have two different purposes, so learn which one you need to point to in any controlling software you’ll use.