HYS TC-8900 Comments/Mini Review

[W8WCA]

HYS TC-8900 Comments:

I ordered a HYS TC-8900 from Ebay (A place that ships from /usa/ca). (A China copy of the Yaesu FT-8900)
(I also ordered a 2 year Warranty - not feeling to great about how well it would hold up)

The place I purchased it from (walkietalkie64) did respond quickly to any questions but there is a bit of a language barrier english is not their main language.

I requested a pdf copy of the manual so I can keep it on my Smart Phones and my little Surface GO and he quickly sent me a link to download it.

First off it has a "N" Connector for the antenna connection(see just below)
(I am glad I happened to have N to UHF Adaptor around)!
The Manual calls it a Q16 Antenna Connector

I never had a Yaesu FT-8900 just the FT-8800
(I would rather have the FT-8800 due to it's memory being separate left and right side - but that is another story)!

The HYS TC-8900 has the same 6 Pin DIN connector (for TNC or Programing)that the FT-8900 had.

I downloaded a Manual for the FT-8900 to do some comparing.
The knobs and buttons are all the same and in the same place as the FT-8900.
The Mic buttons are all the same also.
The Menu Items are the exact same as the FT-8900.

I took a chance and ordered RT Systems FT8900 Cable and Software to program it - and it DOES work!

The Build seems solid like the FT-8800.
It's Volume and Squelch knobs are nicer than the ones on a FT8800 I had - they were very flimsy.

I am using a Diamond CR-8900 Antenna (though I cannot Tx on 10M FM, and doubt i ever will even when I get my General ticket). My Mount is a 6" Dia. Magnetic Mount.

A note on the CR-8900 Diamond Antenna:
I would not have purchased it, if I had known it is not like some of Diamond's dual band fold over antennas.
Yes it folds over - BUT you have to unscrew a sleeve to allow it to fold over. For me that is useless - I may as well just unscrew the whole antenna from the Magnetic mount. (Well maybe it will save the 259 on my magnet mount over the years)

It does have an annoying beep every time I key the mic . . . . no idea why.

I have been letting my little (but mighty big in features) Kenwood TH-D74A scan the local Amateur repeaters and simplex freq's in the evenings and I must say for bieng in a fairly large city (Columbus OH Population apx. 900K) there is very little activity on the local Repeaters.

Sad to say I have been out 2 times in the last 2 days here in COlumbus Oh & Delaware OH - I have not made a single contact. No one was on them. I was out for an hour each time!

I can hit the 147.24 Columbus OH Repeater from Delaware OH - so I know it is making it out.

More to follow after I make a few contacts!

73 de Charlie W8WCA

 

[W8WCA]

HYS TC-8900 Comments:

I ordered a HYS TC-8900 from Ebay (A place that ships from /usa/ca). (A China copy of the Yaesu FT-8900)
(I also ordered a 2 year Warranty - not feeling to great about how well it would hold up)

The place I purchased it from (walkietalkie64) did respond quickly to any questions but there is a bit of a language barrier english is not their main language.

I requested a pdf copy of the manual so I can keep it on my Smart Phones and my little Surface GO and he quickly sent me a link to download it.

First off it has a "N" Connector for the antenna connection(see just below)
(I am glad I happened to have N to UHF Adaptor around)!
The Manual calls it a Q16 Antenna Connector

I never had a Yaesu FT-8900 just the FT-8800
(I would rather have the FT-8800 due to it's memory being separate left and right side - but that is another story)!

The HYS TC-8900 has the same 6 Pin DIN connector (for TNC or Programing)that the FT-8900 had.

I downloaded a Manual for the FT-8900 to do some comparing.
The knobs and buttons are all the same and in the same place as the FT-8900.
The Mic buttons are all the same also.
The Menu Items are the exact same as the FT-8900.

I took a chance and ordered RT Systems FT8900 Cable and Software to program it - and it DOES work!

The Build seems solid like the FT-8800.
It's Volume and Squelch knobs are nicer than the ones on a FT8800 I had - they were very flimsy.

I am using a Diamond CR-8900 Antenna (though I cannot Tx on 10M FM, and doubt i ever will even when I get my General ticket). My Mount is a 6" Dia. Magnetic Mount.

A note on the CR-8900 Diamond Antenna:
I would not have purchased it, if I had known it is not like some of Diamond's dual band fold over antennas.
Yes it folds over - BUT you have to unscrew a sleeve to allow it to fold over. For me that is useless - I may as well just unscrew the whole antenna from the Magnetic mount. (Well maybe it will save the 259 on my magnet mount over the years)

It does have an annoying beep every time I key the mic . . . . no idea why.

I have been letting my little (but mighty big in features) Kenwood TH-D74A scan the local Amateur repeaters and simplex freq's in the evenings and I must say for bieng in a fairly large city (Columbus OH Population apx. 900K) there is very little activity on the local Repeaters.

Sad to say I have been out 2 times in the last 2 days here in COlumbus Oh & Delaware OH - I have not made a single contact. No one was on them. I was out for an hour each time!

I can hit the 147.24 Columbus OH Repeater from Delaware OH - so I know it is making it out.

More to follow after I make a few contacts!

73 de Charlie W8WCA

 

[W8WCA]

Wow: I sure picked a bad time to put a rig back in my Van!

Over 2 weeks and at least 1 - 1/2 Hour a day in my Van and not had 1 Contact!

Not even heard any chat. Local repeaters are just sitting there unused.

 

[robertmac]

Wow: I sure picked a bad time to put a rig back in my Van!

Over 2 weeks and at least 1 - 1/2 Hour a day in my Van and not had 1 Contact!

Not even heard any chat. Local repeaters are just sitting there unused.

I often hear comments such as this but after 3 hours of almost steady use. Timing is everything.

 

[popnokick]

I had a TYT TH9800 in my mobile (TYT version of your radio). Sold it and upgraded to a Connect Systems CS-800D which does everything the 9800 did except 6M and 10M and crossband repeat (which I wasn't using much anyway). BUT it got me onto DMR in my mobile... and I now have lots of activity and can make QSOs whenever I like. Also got rid of the Diamond CR-8900 antenna... and now my antenna clears the top of the garage door. So maybe you're just in the wrong mode (FM analog) in your area for repeaters. Repeaterbook.com shows at least five DMR repeaters within range of your location... but your TC-8900 is useless with them.

 

[W8WCA]

I had a TYT TH9800 in my mobile (TYT version of your radio). Sold it and upgraded to a Connect Systems CS-800D which does everything the 9800 did except 6M and 10M and crossband repeat (which I wasn't using much anyway). BUT it got me onto DMR in my mobile... and I now have lots of activity and can make QSOs whenever I like. Also got rid of the Diamond CR-8900 antenna... and now my antenna clears the top of the garage door. So maybe you're just in the wrong mode (FM analog) in your area for repeaters. Repeaterbook.com shows at least five DMR repeaters within range of your location... but your TC-8900 is useless with them.

Thanks and yes, I do not have DMR - but I have D-Star via my little Kenwood TH-D74A (Well and my IC-7100 but that will stay as a base unit) and I can always hear traffic on one or more reflectors.

So far it is a nice unit for the $. I will likely keep it.

 

[popnokick]

I've got a 7100 as a base unit also... experimented with D-Star on my Pi-Star hotspot (no D-Star repeaters in range). Works fine, but repeater activity here is FM and DMR. There is one YSF repeater but it's fringe coverage for me. So CS-800D was more appropriate mobile radio for me. In this rural part of the state VHF / UHF activity is minimal without a digital hotspot or getting on DMR repeaters.

 

[W8WCA]

yea with my HT I had to get a HotSpot (Unless I wanted to stand outside and talk)

Looks like next up for me will be something that can-do DMR!

 

[W8WCA]

I found a way to have one side scan VHF/UHF Amateur Channels and other frequencies on the other side:
(Like Civil Air or LEERN / Public Service )

It turns out that the right side can ONLY Scan Channels in the 2 Meter and 70 CM Amateur Bands so that is what I do with it.
(It ignores channels out of this range)

The left side I use the Preferential Scan feature and Just scan Preferential Scan Channels

I's not as nice as the FT8800 that actually has separate channels Left And Right side but it works

I knw there are probably not many here that have this HYS TC-8900 but I wanted to post what I found