Yaesu: Yaesu ft5d Reception Terrible

[KD9YCC]

Ok I'm a newly licensed Ham - Tech license.
I bought a Baofeng BF-F8HP and played with it (monitoring) for about 6-7 month while studying for my exam.
I listened to all the repeaters and local HAMS in my area while learning how to access repeaters and the difference between 2 meter and 70 cm.
It was a lot of fun!
After passing my exam, I looked for a high quality HT to purchases. I decided on the Yaesu ft5dr. Big Money!. When it arrived I began to lean how to operate it and program the stations I used the most. I wasn't paying much attention to the guys talking on the radio, but on how to manipulate the radio..
After several days I began making calls and that's when I realized how very poor the reception was on my new very expensive HT. The static/background noise was totally unacceptable the audio was poor and the reception was so broken up that it was unintelligible. I bought a new antenna from SignalStuff, no difference. It was so poor that I used my phone and made a video of my very expensive Yaesu and another video of my very inexpensive Baofeng on the same frequency and the same conversation..
The cheap Baofeng sounded 100 time better than the Yaesu.
I sent the Yaesu back!!
Am I the only one who has had this issue? Was my HT defective? Is this what I can Expect from Yaesu?
I don't mean to rant but for something so expensive to perform so poorly was very very disappointing.

 

[AK9R]

I have a new FT5DR. It works fine.

I've owned many Yaesu handhelds going back to the FT-23R I bought in the late 1980s. They've all worked fine.

Sorry yours didn't work as you expected. Not much we can do about it as you've already sent it back.

 

[MTS2000des]

Yeah, say he got a bad one. My FT-5D has superior performance compared to any Bowelturd, and in fact, rivals my APX8000 for sensitivity on analog FM.

Yaesu has a 3 year warranty. Why not call tech support and show them your video?

 

[KD9YCC]

You’re right I should have contacted Yaesu support.
What do you think they would have been able to do ?
I was worried about the ten day return policy from the seller, thought I was going to get stuck with a lemon. If in the future I have a proble I will do as you advised.
Thank you

 

[AK9R]

I have found that certain retailers have less-than-customer-friendly return and in-store warranty policies. Here's one (I've underlined the pertinent bits):

"New Radio transceivers, receivers, transmitters, tuners and amplifiers have a 10-day warranty against manufacturing defects through [our store] from the date you receive your order. Most products carry a factory warranty, available through the manufacturer. Your product will be replaced or repaired at our option or at the manufacturer's option. Radio manufacturers will not authorize us to directly replace your radio more than 10 days from the date you receive your radio. During the initial 10-day warranty, [our store] can only warranty items that are in NEW condition, unmodified, with the original packaging materials, manuals, accessories, warranty cards, and UPC tags in NEW condition. Items not in new condition should be returned to the manufacturer for warranty service even if it is within the first 10 days of receipt."

The key here is that you have to prove to the store and the manufacturer that your purchase has a manufacturing defect. And, they may repair your purchase instead of replacing it. And, anything they do to remedy your problem is at their option.

I once purchased a handheld radio from the retailer from which I copied the above in-store warranty policy. I thought the radio had a problem, so I called the store. I explained what I thought was happening. They said call the importer which I did and explained the problem to them. The importer's service rep wasn't sure they were hearing the same issue I was hearing and said I'd have to send the radio to them, at my cost for shipping, for full diagnosis. In other words, neither the store nor the manufacturer would take my word over the phone that the radio had a problem. The radio didn't cost that much and I ended up selling it as a used radio for about 60% of new price. And, I've never purchased another radio from that store.

But, there were things about the design and features of that radio that I really liked. So, I bought another one from a different retailer. Turned out, it had the same problem as the first one. At that point, I decided that we were dealing with a design problem. I sold the second radio on the used market, too.

Oh, BTW, I bought a Signal Stuff antenna for my FT5DR. Based on my cursory observations of it's performance, I'm not impressed. It doesn't seem to be any better or worse than the OEM antenna.

 

[Kd8lzl]

Maybe you got a lemon. My ft5d is pretty good on receive. Even better with a diamond antenna on it. Maybe it's time to call and get a repair ticket started.

 

[N4KVE]

Years ago I purchased a Yaesu HT from a small local store. Don’t remember which model. The store had two, & my friend bought one, & I got the other. After five minutes I knew mine was bad, & I called my friend, & his was fine. Since the store didn’t have any more I called Yaesu. They said if I sent it in overnight at my expense, they’d deal with it immediately, & send it back overnight on their dime. I sent it out on Monday, & Wednesday I had a new replacement which was perfect. In my opinion, the OP should have done the same.

 

[MTS2000des]

Yaesu is the only radio manufacturer offering 3 year parts/labor warranty on all ham equipment sold from authorized dealers. The FT-5 is made in Japan not China, and their quality control is pretty thorough. A simple call to their USA facility in Cypress, CA (714)-827-7600, or email amateurtech@yaesu.com and you'll actually get a response from someone in the USA. Good luck getting that from Chinacom/Bowelturd/CCR Trash Farm as they don't offer you anything.

It's not that they are perfect, but they at least stand behind their products, as does Icom America. I sent an ID-5100A I got from a fellow ham who damaged the speaker jack 2 by getting a plug broken off in it. For $100 Icom repaired the physical damage and returned it to me in 2 weeks.

These Japanese companies care about quality. Offer them the opportunity to address one's concern and see why.

 

[KD9YCC]

Thanks to everyone for their responses!

The Baofeng is the radio equivalent to a gateway drug for HAMS. It’s usually the first radio a lot of us purchase, not wanting to pay a lot for a hobby we are just getting into.
I bought mine before getting licensed, to see if the hobby was something I was going to actually want to continue in. Don’t worry I only monitored, didn’t make calls until I had my license.

The example AK9R gave is exactly why I was in a hurry to return the radio to the the place where I purchased it. The 10 day return policy should be extended to 30 days so that people like me could take more time to reach out to the manufacturers tech support and HAM forums like this one to try and resolve the issues before resorting to sending it back.

As I said I really like everything about the radio and would like mine repaired if possible or replaced. It was a-lot of money for me but I don’t mind if everything is working properly.

I found a co-worker that a has the FR5DR and I played with his for several hours changing settings and frequencies without and issues.

Anyway, thank you all for your input. I continue to grow and learn from great people like you!!

 

[MTS2000des]

Bowelturds are cheap radios built on SOCs designed for children's toys and bubble pack FRS radios. While many hams look at them as a gateway, many who have been in radio for decades know they are road apples that usually disappoint a new ham as their wide open receiver front ends, abysmally slow scan (makes it difficult to search for active repeater/simplex), and muffled low and weak transmit audio causes even full quieting transmissions to go ignored, making a new ham feel unwelcome on a repeater and thus, drives them away.

It is strongly recommended that one try a true purpose built amateur transceiver with a good quality external antenna- doesn't have to be new- even older commercial radios tossed aside make GREAT first ham radios: they are simple to use, offer stellar performance, can be had cheap/free, and let one "jump in on the deep end" and not drown. Of course it takes a little to get them going (unless someone helps), but that is the true amateur spirit: advancing the art of radio, one trained operator at a time.

Side not to why the few amateur dealers don't offer typical consumer returns: they aren't able to afford the losses suffered by "buyer's remorse" if one returns and non-defective product. They can't get credit from the manufacturer like they can with a broken/defective/damaged unit, and therefore have to sell it as an open-box/repack at a loss. The profit margin on commercially available ham gear is thin, which is why accessory sales are pushed by the few ham dealers left like HRO, GigaParts and DX Engineering. All of them DO support their customers after a sale, and offer technical support, something one won't get form Chinazon or the Bowelturd makers.

Finding local hams like you did is paramount to success. Many will be kind and allow you to borrow/play with their gear so you can "test drive" before putting down hard earned money. They will also tell you things the many sponsored/biased YouTube and Internet reviews will not about a particular radio or piece of gear.

 

[KD9YCC]

I’m not here to sing prases for cheep radios, but I could understand the conversation on my 68 dollar radio vs my $320 radio. In the end having a radio is about being able to communicate which I was unable to do with my very expensive radio!!
It had a problems ! And while the companies selling said HT’s may indeed have a thin profit margin they did not afford me enough time to consider other options.
i still have found that all of the HAMs I have talked to said they started with a cheap Baofeng as did I.

 

[palmerjrusa]

Yaesu is the only radio manufacturer offering 3 year parts/labor warranty on all ham equipment sold from authorized dealers. The FT-5 is made in Japan not China, and their quality control is pretty thorough. A simple call to their USA facility in Cypress, CA (714)-827-7600, or email amateurtech@yaesu.com and you'll actually get a response from someone in the USA. Good luck getting that from Chinacom/Bowelturd/CCR Trash Farm as they don't offer you anything.

It's not that they are perfect, but they at least stand behind their products, as does Icom America. I sent an ID-5100A I got from a fellow ham who damaged the speaker jack 2 by getting a plug broken off in it. For $100 Icom repaired the physical damage and returned it to me in 2 weeks.

These Japanese companies care about quality. Offer them the opportunity to address one's concern and see why.

The Big Three (Icom, Yaesu and Kenwood) are the Gold Standard for quality control.

MFJ, the less said the better...

 

[KD9YCC]

So I have been advised, however what is a person to do when the sellers warranty is only 10 days ?
As I said in my original post, I spent the first five or six days using the little bit of time I had each day learning how to use the various features of the radio. It was When I actually started transmitting that I noticed the reception issue. I called the seller they started a ticket on my issue but were unable to provide any solution. It was then that I read their warranty police and discovered I only had 10 days to return to the for repair or replacement. To add to my problem we were leaving on a week long vacation and I was down to three day to get it returned, I was ok with them repairing or replacing my radio. I opted to return it.
So do I ignore the 10 day return police or take advantage of ?
At the end of the day the radio I purchased had an issue I couldn’t correct. I opted for returning it and let the seller deal with the manufacture. They have a return policy so why not use it.

 

[AK9R]

If you thought that the radio was defective and the best way for you to remain whole was to return the radio, you probably did the right thing.

In your original post, you said:

Am I the only one who has had this issue? Was my HT defective? Is this what I can Expect from Yaesu?

My answers are:
No, my FT5DR works fine and I know of others in the hands of friends that are working fine.
I don't know and, since the radio is gone, it would be impossible for anyone here to help you troubleshoot the problem.
Not, in my experience.

 

[KD9YCC]

It happens right! Sometimes there are truly issues with what we purchase.
I think a lot of people are getting caught up in the fact that I mentioned the Baofeng (bowelturd) radio. I never meant to imply that it was comparable to the Yaesu. I know the Baofeng it a cheap throwaway radio. It was just what I bought as my introduction radio to get me started. But people get angry by my even mentioning it In the same sentence with Yaesu. It was to demonstrate how terrible my reception was on the Yaesu, that such a cheap radio sounded so much better.

 

[N4DJC]

I have found that certain retailers have less-than-customer-friendly return and in-store warranty policies. Here's one (I've underlined the pertinent bits):

"New Radio transceivers, receivers, transmitters, tuners and amplifiers have a 10-day warranty against manufacturing defects through [our store] from the date you receive your order. Most products carry a factory warranty, available through the manufacturer. Your product will be replaced or repaired at our option or at the manufacturer's option. Radio manufacturers will not authorize us to directly replace your radio more than 10 days from the date you receive your radio. During the initial 10-day warranty, [our store] can only warranty items that are in NEW condition, unmodified, with the original packaging materials, manuals, accessories, warranty cards, and UPC tags in NEW condition. Items not in new condition should be returned to the manufacturer for warranty service even if it is within the first 10 days of receipt."

The key here is that you have to prove to the store and the manufacturer that your purchase has a manufacturing defect. And, they may repair your purchase instead of replacing it. And, anything they do to remedy your problem is at their option.

I once purchased a handheld radio from the retailer from which I copied the above in-store warranty policy. I thought the radio had a problem, so I called the store. I explained what I thought was happening. They said call the importer which I did and explained the problem to them. The importer's service rep wasn't sure they were hearing the same issue I was hearing and said I'd have to send the radio to them, at my cost for shipping, for full diagnosis. In other words, neither the store nor the manufacturer would take my word over the phone that the radio had a problem. The radio didn't cost that much and I ended up selling it as a used radio for about 60% of new price. And, I've never purchased another radio from that store.

But, there were things about the design and features of that radio that I really liked. So, I bought another one from a different retailer. Turned out, it had the same problem as the first one. At that point, I decided that we were dealing with a design problem. I sold the second radio on the used market, too.

Oh, BTW, I bought a Signal Stuff antenna for my FT5DR. Based on my cursory observations of it's performance, I'm not impressed. It doesn't seem to be any better or worse than the OEM antenna.

I had a similar experience with a retailer I’d done business with for 40 years, a store employee accused me of opening the radio (I did not but they did when I brought it in earlier in the day). It was finally resolved with an intervention by a manufacturer’s national sales manager who is a personal friend.

 

[KF8ZR]

The Big Three (Icom, Yaesu and Kenwood) are the Gold Standard for quality control.

MFJ, the less said the better...

While I tend to agree and still like buying from the big three radio companies. I purchased an Icom 4SRA in the 1990s and it did everything right except when I would transmit, it would be off frequency by 25khz. My question is why would their "quality" control allow this to leave the factory in that condition? I sold the radio to some other poor soul who had to take it to have it properly calibrated.

 

[palmerjrusa]

While I tend to agree and still like buying from the big three radio companies. I purchased an Icom 4SRA in the 1990s and it did everything right except when I would transmit, it would be off frequency by 25khz. My question is why would their "quality" control allow this to leave the factory in that condition? I sold the radio to some other poor soul who had to take it to have it properly calibrated.

No quality control is 100% effective.

I've been buying Icom gear for around 30 years (high to low end and own a ton of it). Only problem I ever had was with a battery that went south.

Ditto for Yaesu, one problem. Some pixels on my VR-500 receiver went bad. By that time the receiver was so old Yaesu was no longer servicing it.

I still buy from the Big Three for the quality and performance, especially Icom, big Icom fan...

 

[palmerjrusa]

While I tend to agree and still like buying from the big three radio companies. I purchased an Icom 4SRA in the 1990s and it did everything right except when I would transmit, it would be off frequency by 25khz. My question is why would their "quality" control allow this to leave the factory in that condition? I sold the radio to some other poor soul who had to take it to have it properly calibrated.

While I tend to agree and still like buying from the big three radio companies. I purchased an Icom 4SRA in the 1990s and it did everything right except when I would transmit, it would be off frequency by 25khz. My question is why would their "quality" control allow this to leave the factory in that condition? I sold the radio to some other poor soul who had to take it to have it properly calibrated.

Oops, memory lapse.

One of my IC-R30's speakers developed a problem.
It was still under warranty and Icom returned the unit with a new speaker installed in around 3 weeks.

 

[devicelab]

I have a new FT5DR. It works fine.

Funny. Sorry I didn't see this thread earlier but I received my FT-5DR on the 15th and after a couple of antenna swaps the friggin SMA pin inside the antenna broke off. I emailed Yaesu customer service on the 17th but it's been crickets ever since. No reply.

Easy fix obviously but be aware their stock antennas may have issues.

EDIT: Sorry I read the original post in full. No idea why receive was so bad. Perhaps you had the ATT enabled? My transceiver has been 100% fine.