Got myself a YAESU FT-8900

Anyone get comm gear for christmas?

Any new additions to your van/car EXK?

Naw, nothing too recent.

I bought myself an early Christmas present of sorts a few months ago... a Yaesu FT60.

I would HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this thing to ANYONE wanting a portable radio.

Much like Winamp, it really kicks the llama's ass.

-Mike

I've had my FT-8900 for over a year now... it simply rocks.

Have you done any tweaking on it etc?

Posted by ExKa|iBuR Naw, nothing too recent. I bought myself an early Christmas present of sorts a few months ago... a Yaesu FT60. I would HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this thing to ANYONE wanting a portable radio. Much like Winamp, it really kicks the llama's ass. -Mike

How does it compare to the motorola jedi and HT radios? I'm guessing nowhere near as good, but good enough to start out with?

-
chris

Posted by Mark Have you done any tweaking on it etc?

Nope. I haven't really had the need to transmit out of the amateur bands. If you really want to mod it. The extended TX mod is relatively simple if you are interested, when you open up the 8900 there is a row of pads on the left, with only two diodes in it. One is in the front, and one is in the back. Remove the one in the front for extended TX.

I'm pretty sure you can find a more detailed version of that mod on mods.dk or Google, if you are interested in it.

MUHAHAHAHA(dances around like a kid with candy) the mod is complete the radio works like a freaking charm By the way Cybo do you want the software for your radio?

Sure, if you would not mind. I was planning on making a few data cables for it... I might as well make one for my computer.

anyone remote mount the 8900? i just installed my new baby in my pickup and i had to remote mount it so i cant hear it. Think a CB external speaker would handle the 2 watts of pure external speaker power? Also, what freqs. does opening up the radio give you access to? anything interesting? This radio is awsome, it is 1000 times better than my old FT-2500R.

Up to 470 something I believe but no AM.

Posted by Fallen_Knight How does it compare to the motorola jedi and HT radios? I'm guessing nowhere near as good, but good enough to start out with? - chris

hey Chris;

Well, the FT60 is a GREAT starter radio. The Jedi radio kicks the heck out of it, but the advantage of the FT60 is that it works everywhere...so there's no need to carry 3 radios with you.

Price wise, for 300 dollars, you are out the door with a NEW FT60.

For 300 dollars, you can get a good Jedi, but keep in mind, that will be a used radio. For New, you're looking at something around 800.

-Mike

Whats a good/average price to pay for a YAESU FT-8900?

I looked up mine and it was somewhere around 400 or so, shop around and you can find great deals. I think i saw a 8900 from somewhere online for like 290 something. check ebay too, you could get lucky

got myself a Yeasu FT-7400 to add to my collection

soon to be getting a VHF 64 channel 35 watt Standard GX6000 or something like that, i forget the model.

edit: sort of off topic but whatever....

Posted by Mark MUHAHAHAHA(dances around like a kid with candy) the mod is complete the radio works like a freaking charm By the way Cybo do you want the software for your radio?

whth the mod, what frequencies can you now tx on? and what frequencies can you still not tx on?

also, a couple more questions about the radio
1. is there any way to, instead of using 1 antenna that can handle all 4 bands, being able to split it up in to 2 antennas 1 for VHF and lower, and 1 for UHF.
2. I see the older models put out 40watts on UHF, is there any hardware you can get to increase it from 35 to 40 watts, or will those 5 watts not make much of a diference?

Conundrum

Posted by Conundrum whth the mod, what frequencies can you now tx on? and what frequencies can you still not tx on? also, a couple more questions about the radio 1. is there any way to, instead of using 1 antenna that can handle all 4 bands, being able to split it up in to 2 antennas 1 for VHF and lower, and 1 for UHF. 2. I see the older models put out 40watts on UHF, is there any hardware you can get to increase it from 35 to 40 watts, or will those 5 watts not make much of a diference? Conundrum

well you can probably use coaxial switches to switch which antennas your using? i don't know the specs on this radio in question but I assume its 6 meter, 2 meter, 1.2 meter and 70 cm? in this case - assuming I would use the 6 meter and 1.2 meter bands (assuming thats my influance for buying the radio) I would probably install a 6 meter quarter wave, a 2 meter / 70 cm dual bander, and a 1.2 meter half wave antenna. but, gee, thats a ton of antennas for a single radio... a quad band antenna would be rather interesting?

also if you get enough antenna gain with 70 cm, you dont really need the extra 5 watts. altho it would be nice i suppose.

<looks at conundrum> don't tell me your interested in getting this radio? lol

Posted by Roadwolf well you can probably use coaxial switches to switch which antennas your using? i don't know the specs on this radio in question but I assume its 6 meter, 2 meter, 1.2 meter and 70 cm? in this case - assuming I would use the 6 meter and 1.2 meter bands (assuming thats my influance for buying the radio) I would probably install a 6 meter quarter wave, a 2 meter / 70 cm dual bander, and a 1.2 meter half wave antenna. but, gee, thats a ton of antennas for a single radio... a quad band antenna would be rather interesting? also if you get enough antenna gain with 70 cm, you dont really need the extra 5 watts. altho it would be nice i suppose. <looks at conundrum> don't tell me your interested in getting this radio? lol

heres a 10m, 6m, 2m, and 70cm Antenna, its really tall (1.2m)
http://www.rigpix....as/maldol_hmc4.htm
and yea I'm looking in to this radio, I want a radio that can do VHF & UHF, and its a cross-band repeter, and dual receiver. I was also looking at the 8800r, its almost the same as the 8900r, but does not have 29/50 MHz, which I don't know if I would use.

<wonders why conundrum needs a ham radio, especally one capable of acting as a crossband repeater, when hes not a HAM?> isnt that like the chicken before the egg theory?

Posted by Conundrum heres a 10m, 6m, 2m, and 70cm Antenna, its really tall (1.2m) http://www.rigpix....as/maldol_hmc4.htm

1.2 meters is not tall at all ! i would even consider putting a 1.2 m antenna on my van (it would have to be at the front so i could get into garages.. but still) its not that tall. its actually a very reasonable size.

Posted by Roadwolf <wonders why conundrum needs a ham radio, especally one capable of acting as a crossband repeater, when hes not a HAM?> isnt that like the chicken before the egg theory?

You had a few radios before you had your ham licence...

Posted by Roadwolf 1.2 meters is not tall at all ! i would even consider putting a 1.2 m antenna on my van (it would have to be at the front so i could get into garages.. but still) its not that tall. its actually a very reasonable size.

in retrospect, 1.2m isn't that tall when you think of some of the whip antennas out there, but when you compare it to the 10 to 25cm antennas that I have always dealt with, it is.