Ft 8800r
- Thread starter chuck525
- Start date
- Status
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
I've had one for about 3 years in my car. Overall, a decent radio, but has a couple of bugs that annoy me.
1)-Tone squelch decode SUCKS. It falses and opens even when a signal with the wrong or no PL/DPL is present. Apparently it's how Yaesu has the tone decode logic set in the firmware. And, you guessed it, firmware is NOT flashable but hard coded in ROM so forget any fixes. The folks in Cerritos just shrug their shoulders.
2)-When turning off crossband repeat, sometimes a static sound is present when you start transmitting, you have to power off then on the radio. It's almost as if the audio path from the other band gets left wide open. Another firmware bug prehaps? No help from Yaesu either. Users of the FT8900 also report this.
Radio runs pretty cool even on high power. Has a pretty good receiver. Does NOT tune 2.5KHz steps, so will be useless for scanning purposes after 2013, at least on any splinter channels. The control head is somewhat confusing, I have one of those quick reference cards sold at hamfests.
In comparison, I own a Kenwood TM-V71A at home. I think it's a hands down better rig. Tone squelch mutes properly, no crossband issues, and the radios' firmware IS upgradeable (Kenwood even posts updates on their support site.). Not to mention the control head looks better, is more logically laid out, and display backlight can be changed from green to amber.
If I had it to do all over again I'd choose the Kenwood over the Yaesu for the car.
1)-Tone squelch decode SUCKS. It falses and opens even when a signal with the wrong or no PL/DPL is present. Apparently it's how Yaesu has the tone decode logic set in the firmware. And, you guessed it, firmware is NOT flashable but hard coded in ROM so forget any fixes. The folks in Cerritos just shrug their shoulders.
2)-When turning off crossband repeat, sometimes a static sound is present when you start transmitting, you have to power off then on the radio. It's almost as if the audio path from the other band gets left wide open. Another firmware bug prehaps? No help from Yaesu either. Users of the FT8900 also report this.
Radio runs pretty cool even on high power. Has a pretty good receiver. Does NOT tune 2.5KHz steps, so will be useless for scanning purposes after 2013, at least on any splinter channels. The control head is somewhat confusing, I have one of those quick reference cards sold at hamfests.
In comparison, I own a Kenwood TM-V71A at home. I think it's a hands down better rig. Tone squelch mutes properly, no crossband issues, and the radios' firmware IS upgradeable (Kenwood even posts updates on their support site.). Not to mention the control head looks better, is more logically laid out, and display backlight can be changed from green to amber.
If I had it to do all over again I'd choose the Kenwood over the Yaesu for the car.
kayn1n32008
ØÆSØ Say it, say 'ENCRYPTION'
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9780; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.8+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0.0.600 Mobile Safari/534.8+)
Love my 8800, two complaints.
1. Audio: even with an external speaker there are times where the audio output is not enough. I have my 8800 in a 2008 F-350 Diesel.
2. The knobs suck, it is very easy to go in the opposite direction than you want.
I crossband lots and have had no issues.
With over 1000 memories and a ton of other settings I would recomend getting RT-Systems software to program it, it works well and with the import feature you can import CSV files really easily.
One other complaint is the Alpha display, 8-12 caracters would be nice, 6 just is not quite enough for me
Love my 8800, two complaints.
1. Audio: even with an external speaker there are times where the audio output is not enough. I have my 8800 in a 2008 F-350 Diesel.
2. The knobs suck, it is very easy to go in the opposite direction than you want.
I crossband lots and have had no issues.
With over 1000 memories and a ton of other settings I would recomend getting RT-Systems software to program it, it works well and with the import feature you can import CSV files really easily.
One other complaint is the Alpha display, 8-12 caracters would be nice, 6 just is not quite enough for me
hockeyshrink
Member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2009
- Messages
- 265
- Reaction score
- 2
I have had one in the truck for a little over 2 years. I'm generally quite happy with it.
The crossband function is cool and works well for me...no glitches. The decode, however, is a little "loose" for me, as MTS2000des reported. The knobs are indeed touchy as well, per kayn1n32008. My main issue, however, is how the "secondary menu" buttons are laid out. For example, to go into reverse, you need to hit a couple other functions first. I fixed that by programming reverse on a mic PF button, but to go into the secondary menu on the control head is a pain.
All in all, though, I'm happy with it.
PS: ths shape of the control head is a pain. The bottom is rockered, not flat, so you kind of need the mount to put it on a flat surface.
The crossband function is cool and works well for me...no glitches. The decode, however, is a little "loose" for me, as MTS2000des reported. The knobs are indeed touchy as well, per kayn1n32008. My main issue, however, is how the "secondary menu" buttons are laid out. For example, to go into reverse, you need to hit a couple other functions first. I fixed that by programming reverse on a mic PF button, but to go into the secondary menu on the control head is a pain.
All in all, though, I'm happy with it.
PS: ths shape of the control head is a pain. The bottom is rockered, not flat, so you kind of need the mount to put it on a flat surface.
Last edited:
First I agree wholeheartedly with MTS2000des. I own 2 V71A's and a D710A. Kenwood makes a wonderful product.
Second, I'll tell you what I didn't like about the 8900 the club I started with at school has, and the 8800 I owned for a while, same radio less 6 and 10m, just proving I've used them:
1. The knobs are stupid, yaesu put the wrong value resistor inline, so the first half of the turn does nothing on the volume for both sides of the radio.
2. The control head is illogically laid out. If you want to adjust the left side of the radio your hand is in the way of the screen since the knobs are adjacent to, not below the screen.
3. No backlit buttons.
4. Only 30w on UHF.
5. Menus are illogically laid out alphabetically.
My Kenwoods make sense in terms of how they work, buttons are backlit, 50w on both bands, and the menus are topical. On top of it all, RT Systems has come out with software for the Kenwoods, which is much better that the free stuff that Kenwood puts out. One still has to buy the serial programming cable to do firmware updates, or make one. Also, for any dual bander, a good external speaker makes it. The SP-50B by Kenwood or the MLS-100 by Yaesu, both are great choices, they are interchangeable, just like to brand match my equipment.
Second, I'll tell you what I didn't like about the 8900 the club I started with at school has, and the 8800 I owned for a while, same radio less 6 and 10m, just proving I've used them:
1. The knobs are stupid, yaesu put the wrong value resistor inline, so the first half of the turn does nothing on the volume for both sides of the radio.
2. The control head is illogically laid out. If you want to adjust the left side of the radio your hand is in the way of the screen since the knobs are adjacent to, not below the screen.
3. No backlit buttons.
4. Only 30w on UHF.
5. Menus are illogically laid out alphabetically.
My Kenwoods make sense in terms of how they work, buttons are backlit, 50w on both bands, and the menus are topical. On top of it all, RT Systems has come out with software for the Kenwoods, which is much better that the free stuff that Kenwood puts out. One still has to buy the serial programming cable to do firmware updates, or make one. Also, for any dual bander, a good external speaker makes it. The SP-50B by Kenwood or the MLS-100 by Yaesu, both are great choices, they are interchangeable, just like to brand match my equipment.
K
kb0nly
Guest
Have had a 8800 mobile and in the shack for what five years now, or has it been six, i forget, it was the year they came out.
I haven't had any of the problems reported here. I haven't even heard of anyone having the tone squelch problem, must be a defective unit that should be sent in to be looked at.
Almost all the dual band radios are 30-35w on UHF, so that is a dumb complaint, its just how the industry makes them, i don't agree with it but they do.
Don't understand why everyone has trouble with the knobs, i like the concentric design.
I haven't had any of the problems reported here. I haven't even heard of anyone having the tone squelch problem, must be a defective unit that should be sent in to be looked at.
Almost all the dual band radios are 30-35w on UHF, so that is a dumb complaint, its just how the industry makes them, i don't agree with it but they do.
Don't understand why everyone has trouble with the knobs, i like the concentric design.
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
Yaesu acknowledges the PL problem, they aren't going to fix it. It requires a firmware re-write, which for some reason the one guy who designs all their VHF/UHF gear insists on using ancient masked ROM IC's (save cost?) versus flash ROM to hold firmware.
Icom IC-208, ID-880, IC-2820 are all 50 watts on UHF.
Kenwood TM-V71A and Kenwood TM-D710A are 50 watts on UHF.
On the knobs, it's not the design, but the implementation. I don't know if it affects all the radios but some were produced with a linear taper pot for the volume, I had this problem with mine, here's what I found on eHam, he said it better than I can:
UHF output power is a specious argument. The difference between 35 and 50 watts is barely an S-unit on the receiver's radio.
Having said that, my FT-8900 has the same squelch issue. In a high RF environment it squeaks and squawks with PL decode turned on. My TM-V71A and TK-790 remain silent. The way it should be.
Having said that, my FT-8900 has the same squelch issue. In a high RF environment it squeaks and squawks with PL decode turned on. My TM-V71A and TK-790 remain silent. The way it should be.
K
kb0nly
Guest
My 8800 and 7800's never skip a beat on PL decode, so i still don't see the problem. I have had them both in some high rf environments, and never an issue.
Must be where you guys live or the setup.
Must be where you guys live or the setup.
IowaGuy1603
Member
I have 3 7800's in use all the time and have never had one skip a beat.
I've only experienced it in the car and only on VHF. Antenna was a 1/2 wave VHF whip on a permanent NMO mount. Happens while driving within about 1/4 mile of a tower sporting VHF trunked radio system antennas.
In the same location and with the same antenna my V71A indicates that something is breaking through (due to activity on the S-meter) but the speaker always stays quiet.
K
kb0nly
Guest
Odd... I was at a site with it mobile a while back, on a Comet SBB-7 which has more gain over that 1/2w, i was right next to a 1000w transmitter and it didn't cause it. Sounds more like an intermod issue that your having then a PL issue.
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
same thing here, only seems to happen on VHF. I use a DPL on my crossband frequency, yet it will unmute when it hears a carrier without the proper DPL (or any PL at all, most of the time it's weak intermod). Other radios, including the V71A, hear the signal but mute properly. Happens on other VHF frequencies with CTCSS decode. There is one fire department I monitor that has an adjacent town on the same output frequency but different PL, yet the 8800 unmutes sometimes. The PL tones are different, not near each other in frequency or harmonics. Just a poor implementation of tone decoding.
I've had the rig on the bench at Yaesu and sent it back NTF. After arguing with their tech support, they admitted it's factory bug that is in the firmware and nothing can/will be done about it.
Why I'll never buy another. No flashable firmware? What year is this? I could see if this were a hundred dollar Chinese knockoff, but it's a Japanese built 400 plus dollar radio.
I've had the rig on the bench at Yaesu and sent it back NTF. After arguing with their tech support, they admitted it's factory bug that is in the firmware and nothing can/will be done about it.
Why I'll never buy another. No flashable firmware? What year is this? I could see if this were a hundred dollar Chinese knockoff, but it's a Japanese built 400 plus dollar radio.
K
kb0nly
Guest
Well thats why i havent seen or even heard of this problem until now, and there is a lot of 8800's floating around where i live. But we don't have the intermod problems you guys do. So i would think its such a small percentage of owners that experience it that they said why bother on the fix. That doesn't surprise me, even Motorola does stuff like that to cut costs, if its not a widespread problem ignore it.
- Status
Similar threads
