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This is a great radio. It is dual VHF/UHF (2M and 70cm bands) receive and transmit but it will scan many more including the NOAA radio weather channels. Plenty of memories and the ability to break memories into banks such as local repeaters or local fire/rescue.
It's true that the microphone connection is a phono plug however, the Yaesu external microphone/speaker plug goes in at a right angle so I don't know how anyone has pulled it out accidentally. I never have.
The one negative I have found is that the "0" (zero) key on the keypad activates a function to prefix transmissions with DTMF tones for Yaesu's "WIRES" repeater function. This is of course,very easy to activate accidentally and will send a DTMF prefix whether you meant to or not, reducing your audio to next to nothing so other stations don't hear your call sign or the call sign of the station you are calling. There's a way to disable this but why this feature was not assigned to a function key I don't know.
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The Yaesu FT-60R DualBand Handheld 5W VHF/UHF Amateur Radio Transceiver Dual Band is an excellent radio especially for new ham radio operators. Whether you are looking for a handy talkie (HT) for a hobby, emergency communications (EMCOMM), or for those times when cell phone service is not reliable the FT-60R is an excellent choice. At 5 watts it is also a good option when hiking, backpacking, or camping. Preppers will also find this to be a useful form of communications. Great radio for a go bag.Pros:
+ 5 Watts of Power
+ 1000 Memory Channels
+ Dual band VHF/UHF for 2M and 70cm bands
+ NOAA Weather Alerts
+ User manual is well written
+ High quality; durable product
+ Decent battery life (the battery is good for approximately 300 charges)
+ Sound clarity is very good
+ Lots of accessories are available
+ The radio has a lot of options and functions to change different settings to your preference
+ Easy to program although I do recommend using Yaesu ADMS-1J Programming Software which is simple, fast, and effective to program all of your frequencies
+ With a cloning cable it is easy to clone another FT-60R to transfer all of your frequencies
Cons:
A bit heavy and bulky compared to newer radios
The speaker volume is a tad bit low for me. Don't get me wrong it is not bad but I would prefer the speaker volume to be a little louder.
The charger does not indicate that the radio is charging or when the charge is complete.
If you are not using WIRES then turn it off otherwise you will have a delay when pressing the PTT which can cut off what you are saying. Press the "0" (zero) button to disable WIRES.
Recommendations:
1. I recommend upgrading the antenna. I am using a Diamond SRH77CA and notice a significant difference in performance compared to the standard rubber duck antenna.
2. I also recommend getting the Vertex Standard Alkaline Battery Case (FBA-25) which will allow you to use 6 AA alkaline batteries for power should your NiMH battery lose its power.
Overall Assessment:
While this radio doesn't have all of the latest and greatest gadgetry such as GPS the FT-60R is a very popular radio that has been around for quite some time and has a proven track record. Many experienced ham operators own one and this is a great first radio. Also, many Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) use this radio. The FT-60R is often used as a great basic emergency communications (EMCOMM) radio. Keep in mind that during a crisis such as 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombing cell phone service failed yet ham radio operators where still able to communicate with ease!
Radio performance has a lot of different variables that will affect how well the radio performs. Your location, type of antenna, battery level, radio settings, etc. can influence radio performance. I am in an area with a lot of repeaters. Using repeaters I have communicated with "nets" from Arizona to California covering hundreds of miles. I am also able to communicate with a friend, using a repeater, which is about 35 miles away.
Yaesu is a well-known brand in the amateur radio world. They make solid reliable radios that will perform well and last for years. I did a lot of research before purchasing this radio and I have no regrets at all. I would buy this radio again. If you are new to ham radio and don't want to spend a lot of money to get into this hobby the FT-60R is a great radio at a solid price. I purchased mine at Ham Radio Outlet for $149 and the salesperson was extremely helpful and friendly.
I highly recommend this product.
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I purchased this radio just over a year ago from a major ham radio retailer. At that time, the price was about what it is on Amazon now, and has since decreased a decent amount. The radio itself, however is outstanding. As a new ham, all of the acronyms and features had me pretty confused, but within a week or two of use, the radio was much simpler to program and operate.The build quality of the unit is notable, and definitely a step above other cheap knockoff radios that exist. My radio has held up very well to moderate use, and even survived a couple of spills with no real notable damage. As another review noted, the design of the accessory port leaves something to be desired, although I have found that routing your speaker mic cable under the belt clip aids in keeping the plug seated properly.
Programming the radio by hand is not something I would want to attempt with 50+ channels, but is doable. Get yourself a cable and search around for the software, and it goes much smoother.
Most of my club members have purchased the FT-60R, and the club owns an additional 10. Altogether we have had no real issues with any of them.
I would definitely recommended this HT as a solid performer for any ham looking to pickup an HT.
73's!
Honest reviews on Yaesu FT-60R DualBand Handheld 5W VHF/UHF Amateur Radio Transceiver
This is a great radio. Easy to use and lots of features. The only thing I don't like about it is the external microphone port doesn't have threads to secure the cable.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Yaesu FT-60R DualBand Handheld 5W VHF/UHF Amateur Radio Transceiver
I use a HAM radio roughly about 2-3 times a year when I lend my time to the Miami Marathon and the MS150 as a volunteer radio operator. This radio replaced my old clunky Radio Shack VHF HTX-202 which was my very first radio. I love Yaesu because they always pump out a great product and I already have a Yaesu in my car as my mobile unit, therefore you can count on the interface being very similar.This radio is very easy to use and you can usually figure out what you are doing even without the manual because it is rather intuitive as to how to set your tones and program the memory.
It has excellent range and the battery life is amazing, huge improvement over my last radio which was using NiCad primarily. It is quite light weight and fits nicely in your hand to allow for one hand operation.
The only thing I wonder is if this radio could use an upgraded antenna, not sure as of yet.
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