Hi everyone,I was looking at this handheld ham radio to get for my first radio and I was wondering if anyone who has this could put their opinion about it? Thanks.
Yaesu FT-60, Yaesu FT60R 2 Meter HT
Yaesu FT-60, Yaesu FT60R 2 Meter HT
Yaesu: Yaesu FT-60R
- Thread starter Rt169Radio
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W2NJS
Member
I've owned a 60 for about ten years. Unlike their VX-5R, the FT60 has never had any problems, although it does get only very light usage. The battery type is also very common among several Vertex/Yaesu models and thus can be found pretty cheap on the battery market. The only weak point I found about the VX-5R and the FT60 is that the speaker-mic plug tends to become detached from the radio due to the lack of a plug-retaining device.
ka0blc
Member
have had one for a couple of years. very happy with it. get the program and cable for programming it.
iowabassplayer
Member
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2011
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Bought one earlier this year. Over the years I have owned an Icom Z1a, Yaesu FT-530, Rad Shack HTX202/404, Yaesu VX5R...This is the Best HT I have ever owned: rugged - it has some WEIGHT to it - does not feel like a toy in your hand, clear audio reports, tons of memories, battery lasts a long time between charges.
The ONE drawback I have found, is the audio is not as loud as I'd like it to be in a noisy environment. A speaker/mike may help but I have not purchased one yet.
Also, unless you plan on buying a drop in charger for it, be very mindful that the HT should only be connected to the wallwart for 10 to 12 hours at a time. Do not just let it sit on the charger to keep it "topped off", as you will damage the battery. Also, the book recommends that you do not place it on the charger until the Low Battery indicator shows on the screen in order to make sure the battery charges to it's capacity.
One of the features I love is the power setting - Low is .5 watts, medium is 2 watts (most handhelds medium setting is 1 watt) and high is 5 watts. I run medium setting 90% of the time and the 2 watts keep me in the local repeater without any problems at all.
If I lost mine, I'd definately replace it with another FT60R.
The ONE drawback I have found, is the audio is not as loud as I'd like it to be in a noisy environment. A speaker/mike may help but I have not purchased one yet.
Also, unless you plan on buying a drop in charger for it, be very mindful that the HT should only be connected to the wallwart for 10 to 12 hours at a time. Do not just let it sit on the charger to keep it "topped off", as you will damage the battery. Also, the book recommends that you do not place it on the charger until the Low Battery indicator shows on the screen in order to make sure the battery charges to it's capacity.
One of the features I love is the power setting - Low is .5 watts, medium is 2 watts (most handhelds medium setting is 1 watt) and high is 5 watts. I run medium setting 90% of the time and the 2 watts keep me in the local repeater without any problems at all.
If I lost mine, I'd definately replace it with another FT60R.
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The FT-60 is a helluva an HT. I've been nothing but impressed by the features on it, and i use it almost every day. I picked upan LCC-150S/TT leather case for it, and a Workman DM911 hand mic which kicks a** over the stock Yaesu mic.
The cord is longer, the mic is beefier like a Motorola style mic, and it has a heavy duty metal clip instead of the cheap plastic one on the Yaesu.
Regarding the issue of the mic plug coming out of the jack, you can hook it under the belt clip to keep it in place, or with the case i have, i just secure it under the strap. If you go with that particular case, you will have to slightly modify it to expose the display and the mic on the radio. I too would replace it with another FT-60 if anything ever happened to mine.
The cord is longer, the mic is beefier like a Motorola style mic, and it has a heavy duty metal clip instead of the cheap plastic one on the Yaesu.
Regarding the issue of the mic plug coming out of the jack, you can hook it under the belt clip to keep it in place, or with the case i have, i just secure it under the strap. If you go with that particular case, you will have to slightly modify it to expose the display and the mic on the radio. I too would replace it with another FT-60 if anything ever happened to mine.
emd001
Member
the 60 is the first radio I bought. It has been great and I have carried it with me everyday for about 4 years. Been through alot and never given me a single problem.
K
kb0nly
Guest
Another vote for the 60R... I also bought one of those cases and slightly modified it for the 60R. Nobody makes a better case, just a little cutting and perfecto!
Thanks everyone for your input.
nexus
Member
Add me to the list. I've owned an FT-60r for several years, and it is by far my most favorite and used HT! I also have a newer DSTARS Icom IC-91AD and I hardly ever use it because I love the Yaesu so much better.
The FT-60 is feels very rugged, yet still small, has great audio quality... I don't think you could go wrong with one.
The FT-60 is feels very rugged, yet still small, has great audio quality... I don't think you could go wrong with one.
BigEvil
Member
can't say enough great things about the FT60R. I have that and a VX8DR and think for the price and feature set there is no better radio out there. Its very intuitive once you learn the radio & read the whole manual(a must!). Additionally I have experienced the speaker jack problems previous posters have managed but I was happy to fund that Yaesu has included a small adapter with their handheld speaker/mic that stops this from happening. Originally I'd bought a aftermarket handheld mic/speaker combo and was driven crazy by the constant slipping out.
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
FT-60's now made in CHINA
I love the FT60, however it looks like Yaesu is going the "WalMart" route. Current production models (1xxxxx S/N's) are made in China NOT Japan. The quality of the RX audio on a new Chinese made FT-60 is quite a bit less AF output and different tonal sound than a Japanese built radio (7xxxx S/N circa late 2007).
I've noticed this one three newer FT60's, all made in China, versus my older 2007 Japanese radio, and a friends' 2005 vintage well used FT60. The RX audio is louder (about 50 percent), cleaner and better RX sensitivity side by side to the new Chinese production radios.
Had a bad experience with a Chinese made VX150 that was a dud out of the box, went back twice to Cerritos, one of the worst service experiences ever. I guess Yaesu had to do something to drop the price to $159, I guess you mine as well get a Wouxun or TYT if the quality is the same.
I love the FT60, however it looks like Yaesu is going the "WalMart" route. Current production models (1xxxxx S/N's) are made in China NOT Japan. The quality of the RX audio on a new Chinese made FT-60 is quite a bit less AF output and different tonal sound than a Japanese built radio (7xxxx S/N circa late 2007).
I've noticed this one three newer FT60's, all made in China, versus my older 2007 Japanese radio, and a friends' 2005 vintage well used FT60. The RX audio is louder (about 50 percent), cleaner and better RX sensitivity side by side to the new Chinese production radios.
Had a bad experience with a Chinese made VX150 that was a dud out of the box, went back twice to Cerritos, one of the worst service experiences ever. I guess Yaesu had to do something to drop the price to $159, I guess you mine as well get a Wouxun or TYT if the quality is the same.
CalebATC
Member
WONDERFUL HT! Great audio, not quite as loud as I'd like, but the times I need it to go high are seldom. It's built like a rock, and the battery is wonderful! Yaesu really did there homework before building this unit, and it paid off!
Ft-60r
I own a FT-60R, and highly recommend it. Most of the hams in my area that have HT's have also purchased one. I would consider also purchasing the computer software programming package from RT Systems since it makes it so easy to program the radio.
I own a FT-60R, and highly recommend it. Most of the hams in my area that have HT's have also purchased one. I would consider also purchasing the computer software programming package from RT Systems since it makes it so easy to program the radio.
I am a new ham and the FT-60 is my first radio. I agree with all of the comments about the sound and over all quality of the radio, but I am having issues with mine right out of the box. I have entered the repeater frequencies and repeater offset frequencies and the CTCSS tone codes. When I key the mike, it activates the repeater and I hear a lot of static (Im using a scanner to listen) but my voice does not come across the radio.
I have programmed different repeater frequencies and the correct offsets and CTCss codes, and its the same thing on all of them; static but no voice is going out.
I can receive others transmissions just fine, but I cannot get out.
Can anyone please advise what might be my problem and any solutions? Ive been working on this for 2 days and I dont know what else to do.
Thanks and 73
Michael
KF5LFT
I have programmed different repeater frequencies and the correct offsets and CTCss codes, and its the same thing on all of them; static but no voice is going out.
I can receive others transmissions just fine, but I cannot get out.
Can anyone please advise what might be my problem and any solutions? Ive been working on this for 2 days and I dont know what else to do.
Thanks and 73
Michael
KF5LFT
nexus
Member
Michael see the thread you created about your issue.. there's posts there.
emcomm
Member
Had it for 5 years, amazing radio. Tough, the software is a must to program it.
Another vote for the FT-60R. Not quite as solid as my FT-270, which could double as a brick, but very rugged none the less. Mine gets pretty decent performance with the stock duck. Might grab another as the price on them seems to be falling as of late.
Jay
Jay
RadioDaze
Member
As long as so many owners are here, may I jump and ask: Do any of you find that it is a little shaky when it stands upright on a table... like it will easily tip over backwards? (It's my only complaint about it.)
Yeah, I have noticed that as well. The radio sits on the two little post on the front side and the clip for the battery on the back side. I believe the radio would be more stable if there were two little post on the back side as well. Just my 2 cents!
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