Question about Yaesu FT-8100R

[Rescue611]

This unit claims to have a detachable face plate for theft prevention. A friend is offering me a great price one what seems to be a great unit, but...

I'm looking for a detachable faceplate for remote mounting, not simple removal for theft prevention. Online photos suggest it IS intended for remote mounting.

What's the true story? Am I barking up the wrong tree?

Thanks very much in advance,

KF7ZXT

[RadioDaze]

It IS a remote mounting faceplate. However, please read the eHam reviews before you make your decision:
Yaesu FT-8100R Product Reviews

[k3td]

The FT-8100 has somewhat of a checkered reputation for intermittent issues, but then again I have a good frind who has owned one for years and loves it. It might come down to - how well do you know the current owner and can you reply on his/her account of how it has been working for them?

Also, since you are thinking about remote mounting it check on pricing and availability of the separation cable and a mounting bracket for the head if the radio doesn't come with them. Accessories for discontinued radios can be expensive and hard to find.

Good luck and 73!

[MOONBOOTS]

Save your cash for something else. They were the worst radio Yaesu made, & had plenty of problems. Unless you personally know the specific radio, & can try it for a week before paying for it, I'd stay away.

[mrweather]

I thought the FT-7100 was the worst radio Yaesu ever made. Terrible intermod and other quirky issues. Sold it to friend even after fully disclosing the problems. He said it was stolen from his vehicle about a year afterwards. Probably the best thing that happened to that radio.

[k3td]

Originally Posted by mrweather

I thought the FT-7100 was the worst radio Yaesu ever made. Terrible intermod and other quirky issues. Sold it to friend even after fully disclosing the problems. He said it was stolen from his vehicle about a year afterwards. Probably the best thing that happened to that radio.

Yes, I think the FT-7100 takes the cake. It had some very nice features for the time, but when I asked someone at HRO what he thought about its performance and reliability, he just shook his head.

[MTS2000des]

Ohh..the FT-7100M, what a cheeseburger of a rig. "Yaesu did it again" alright. I remember when they came out in early 2001, thought it would be the update to the FT-90 (another neat radio that could have been, had it been done right)- but it turned out to be a huge downgrade.

Everyone I know that bought one either returned it, sold it, or tossed it. I don't know what it is with Yaesu, but they have a history of letting the horse out of the gate before she's ready for the track. And then drop the ball on making it right.

The FT-8100 is no exception. If you get a good one, you got a good one. Seems they are a 50/50 crap shoot- if you get a lemon, it will NEVER work right again. It reminds me of 1982 Chevy Celebrity we had. A total POS. Yet my neighbor still has his to this day, on the original motor, some 223K miles later.

I wouldn't mess with any older Yaesu dual band rig. If it's older than 10 years, they don't offer service on it, and parts are scarce.

Older rigs from Kenwood seem to be the complete opposite. I see a ton of TM-721/731A's and these are well over 20, some approaching 25 years old. They still work. One of the first hams I talked to in 1990 had a then used (2 year old) TM-721A. He STILL has that radio, several cars later, and it STILL works as good as it did in 1988, and he used to be on it everyday as a courier running around Atlanta. This should tell you something about build quality in older VHF/UHF ham radios. Go to a hamfest and see how many WORKING Kenwood and Icom rigs there are versus Yaesu rigs from the same time period.

[MOONBOOTS]

I have to totally agree with the above post. My Dad still has a Kenwood 732 in his car, & it works great. However, years ago I had a Yaesu 8000. That was the radio with the potato head mike, but I ordered mine with a normal mike. It was a fabulous working radio that didn't get a chirp of intermod, even in downtown Miami. However, the menu was so difficult to navigate, I always had to have the owners manual with me. Just to change the PL tones was a royal pain. But the radio was one of the best I ever had. I now have a few Icom 2720's, & they are very easy to use.

[Rescue611]

Thanks for the great "bad advice" everyone. I've opted not to purchase my friend's unit at any price. Thanks!