Yaesu: Yaesu FT-8500sp10

[BrettL]

Anyone familiar with this radio?

Is it a good first time radio if I can get past the quirks of programming it?

I have used a Baofeng_UV5R since I got my license this year in March. It's ok for what it is. I hate it for a mobile radio in my truck. It picks up to much power line noise and its heard in my transmission at times. The scan stops well before it gets to the actual frequency the signal is being transmitted. I will have to bump it a few notches to get it on frequency. Today I thought I heard a TV station and also I heard a noise like a fax but it had some audio in it and I could hear the guy talking. It has a trashy receive but it's a $30.00 HT.

So I hope the Yaesu 8500 will be a good radio. I found some good and bad reviews about the radio. Mostly the bad was about the programming.

 

[MTS2000des]

The 8500 was way ahead of it's time when it showed up in 1994/1995. One of the first radios to offer ADMS support. It was also one of the first crossband repeat capable radios with an alphanumeric display.

Most people either loved or hated the "potato" microphone. I thought it was innovative. The only gripe was tone squelch was an OPTION, and an EXPENSIVE one, if the radio you are getting today does not have the optional FTS-22, you'll be shelling out $89 to Piexx for one if you want tone DECODE (encode was included). Decode is really a must have if you plan to crossband repeat IMO.

The YSK-8500 remote kit is also unobtanium at this point.

Those are the minuses. The rig does have some other cool features like a spectrum scope, air band receive, and will let you receive two VHF or UHF frequencies. It also has a mini DIN port for packet/data.

It has one of the coolest looking control heads. If they updated some of the UI (added more memories, CTCSS and DCS) they could easily sell the radio today.

 

[N4KVE]

I had an 8500 back in the day, but since I hated the potato head mike, I waited until they released it with a normal mike. One of the few radios that got zero intermod in downtown Miami. The other was a Standard 5718. While the radio was one of my favorite, performance wise, it was horrible to program. I had to always keep the owner's manual in the car, as changing PL meant going 3 levels deep in the menu. The original mike died, but lucky for me, the Miami Hamfest was the next day, & I swapped it out for a new one right there at the show. As long as I used the radio on freq's that were already programmed in memory, I loved it. But to enter a new freq, & PL, it was horrible. Reluctantly I sold it after a year or 2 because of this. My favorite radio of all time is the Icom 2720. Works great [does get a little intermod, but not too bad], but SUPER EASY to add new freq's, including PL. I still have 2 of them.

 

[cmdrwill]

The mics on these Yaesu radios suck... If you look around there are some mods that do help that poor little mic sound better. The one that deletes the plastic 'spacer' in the mic housing and drilling/cutting out the holes in the front cover. I do put a piece of speaker felt on the mic element before sliding it back in the font cover.

But I run a GM300 mic on my ICOM 7200.....

 

[BrettL]

I'm trying to figure how to put in the tone for the repeater manually. When using the manual its kinda skips around. I will have software next week. I'm not sure if its got tone board in it .......

 

[BrettL]

Nevermind......I figured it out......dummy me...ha. This little booger is a mess. Tad on the complicated side. It will take a little while to learn the ropes. I'm not too fond of the mic. Every time I lay it down it moves the volume or squelch. I guess I need to mount the mic holder to the dash. Seems like each time I pick it up I'm pressing a button or having to rotate it causing knots in the mic cord. This is crazy.

2 weeks from now I will be laughing at myself for even making tis thread. This radio is in a 9.5/10 condition. Every accessory was in the box but the program software and cable. I got it for $200.00.

I'm thinking of putting a screen protector on the face. I may have to put this radio in the house and get me another one. It's too nice to get beat around and lose value inside of my truck.