KE0GXN
Member
K6cpo, I have read that manufacture of the FT60R has been moved back to Japan. When did you buy yours? I believe Japan models have been shipping since February 2014 or so....
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Yaesu: Yaesu FT-60 country of manufacture
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k6cpo
Member
I bought mine in February of 2012. I have never had any problems with it.
KE0GXN
Member
Okay, cool.
Out of personal curiosity, I emailed Yaesu to possibly get a definitive answer on the current location of manufacture of FT60R.
Thanks.
FKimble
Member
Purchased one Dec 2014, sticker on battery was China, sticker on radio, under the battery was Japan.
Family in Norway and Spain came for a visit this Christmas. I was surprised with a gift of a brand new FT-60E. I just checked the placard inside the radio, and see it was also manuf in Japan.
KE0GXN
Member
I received a response to my inquiry from Yaesu.
The FT60R is currently manufactured in Japan.
The FT60R is currently manufactured in Japan.
k6cpo
Member
I don't see that where Yaesu manufactures the FT-60 is much of an issue as long as it operates as it's supposed to. Mine (ca. 2012) was manufactured in China and I doubt you could find any difference between it and one made in Japan.
KE0GXN
Member
Not trying to imply your radio is less than any other that was made in Japan. I did not ask the representative if at any time they were manufactured anywhere else, I just asked where they are manufactured now.
Your FT60 is obviously working for you, so as you state the manufacture location is irrelevant in your case.
However, when I first started researching Yaesu radios, I found a video on YouTube, it educated me on the fact that Yaesu radios can be counterfeited...again, not saying that is/may be the case with yours or anyone else's that was manufactured in China or in Japan for that matter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J40bNZcd9lo
Just food for thought....
Your FT60 is obviously working for you, so as you state the manufacture location is irrelevant in your case.
However, when I first started researching Yaesu radios, I found a video on YouTube, it educated me on the fact that Yaesu radios can be counterfeited...again, not saying that is/may be the case with yours or anyone else's that was manufactured in China or in Japan for that matter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J40bNZcd9lo
Just food for thought....
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k6cpo
Member
Where one purchases a radio could have a bearing on whether the radio is counterfeit or not. Buying from a sketchy website site in an effort to save money usually doesn't end well.
I purchased mine from Ham Radio Outlet and I have the utmost faith that they are sourcing their stock through Yaesu USA in Cypress, Ca.
KE0GXN
Member
I agree, I am also using HRO for my ham needs. I have found them to be top notch with my inquires so far and they will be my first go to source for future needs, so I get what you are saying there.
What I got out of that video the most is how well they are able to counterfiet a given radio. Granted folks like you or someone who has been in the hobby a minute or two might be able to spot a knock-off pretty quick, but someone like me, given what the radio looked like on it's face would have been duped easy....
So yeah, I will be lookng over any big three radio I buy from now on with a fine tooth comb.
What I got out of that video the most is how well they are able to counterfiet a given radio. Granted folks like you or someone who has been in the hobby a minute or two might be able to spot a knock-off pretty quick, but someone like me, given what the radio looked like on it's face would have been duped easy....
So yeah, I will be lookng over any big three radio I buy from now on with a fine tooth comb.
bill4long
Member
I got mu FT-60R from HRO 4 years ago and it says "Made in China." Works just fine.
k6cpo
Member
After watching most of that video, I'm not convinced that the radio is counterfeit. What it looks like to me is that someone (possibly even the video maker himself) put a foreign market radio in a US market box. He makes a big deal out of the fact the so-called "counterfeit" doesn't have an FCC ID or other US mandated warning stickers. A radio for a foreign market wouldn't have these. Serial number? A radio manufactured for a different market might just have a different serial number series. If he talked to Yaesu USA, they might not have records of these numbers.
N4KVE
Member
Years ago I purchased a UHF Motorola MTS2000 from someone I knew. He had a connection with the factory in Sunrise Florida which was just 5 miles away, & the radio was built there. However the radio was meant to be exported to South America, so a few of the keypad buttons were different from the US version. It was easy to order the correct buttons, & switch them out. I don't remember if this radio had a FCC approval #, but since it was used on the 440-450 freq's, it didn't matter. Technically it wasn't meant to be sold in the US, but it was priced right, & brand new. OTOH, I have some Kenwood TK-840's. They are identical, & the real deal, but the older ones are made in Japan, & the newer ones are made in Singapore. They all work the same, & built by Kenwood to their spec's, just in another country. No big deal.
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KE0GXN
Member
I am to new to debate whether he staged the video or not. Dude "seems" like a legit guy based on his other videos that I have watched...but who knows these days. He did take it apart and point out some components as being un-genuine....
Either way, the thing said made in Japan on it, so who knows. Like said, I am getting my radio from HRO, so I am not overly concerned, however it will not hurt to do some (best I can) self verifications of the radio and accessories on my end anyway.
Gunnar_Guy
Member
He's really worked up, but I'd guess the one he's calling counterfeit is a grey market one intended for a different market. Something like an N connector might be common other places. They are much better than UHF/SO239 for VHF and up anyway.
The Vertex Standard on the label just means it's only older one from before the amateur division was spun off in 2014 (I think) back into Yaesu Munsen. I have a FT-857D from about 8 years ago and it says "Vertex Standard" and has a serial number format of 9Mxxxxxx.
Yeasu and other manufacturers often use jumpers to configure radios for different purposes and markets, so a difference in populated parts is not unusual, nor would be having different components. Caps are sometimes black, yellow or tan depending on value, tolerance and material. A radio intended for another market would be tuned for a different range of frequencies, so it's wouldn't be surprising that component values are different.
FWIW, I just bought a FT-1900R from Gigaparts and it was made in China. Carried a Yaesu Munsen sticker, so it's relatively recent build.
I watched the entire video, and I do not believe it is a "knockoff". It'ss a radio made for a foreign market. Radio's built for non-USA markets do not carry the same SN prefixes; do not have the FCC compliance number, and as far as component differences, I would be surprised if radios built for foreign markets had identical components. The other differences he noted are also likely due to different markets.
The crystals he mentioned come in a variety of packages, as do resistors, capacitors and semiconductors. Different vendors; different production runs and month/year of manufacture will all have to do with differences noted in that video.
I actually think that is a very high quality radio he had there, but not made to sell in the US.
The crystals he mentioned come in a variety of packages, as do resistors, capacitors and semiconductors. Different vendors; different production runs and month/year of manufacture will all have to do with differences noted in that video.
I actually think that is a very high quality radio he had there, but not made to sell in the US.
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N2RAC
Newbie
I have 3 FT60Rs.
One says Yaesu Musen, made in Japan.
Another says Yaesu at front, then Vertex Standard, Made in China at the sticker.
The other one, strangely enough, says Standard at front. It says Vertex Standard, Made in China at the sticker.
I had an older one, since sold off. Says Vertex Standard, Made in Japan at the sticker (Yaesu at front).
XYL says I have too many radios, an observation I deny.
One says Yaesu Musen, made in Japan.
Another says Yaesu at front, then Vertex Standard, Made in China at the sticker.
The other one, strangely enough, says Standard at front. It says Vertex Standard, Made in China at the sticker.
I had an older one, since sold off. Says Vertex Standard, Made in Japan at the sticker (Yaesu at front).
XYL says I have too many radios, an observation I deny.
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The one that says "Standard" on the bezel around the LCD display --is it a knock-off?
davidzimmerman
Member
ive had mine for 9 or 10 years GREAT little radio best money i spent on a dual band radio also own the FR90 in my escape
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