Yaesu FT-891 UK Price Revealed!

In their latest advert in RadCom this month, Martin Lynch & Sons have revealed the UK price of the new Yaesu FT-891:

£599.95

So is that a good price? - I'm not sure, you can get an FT-857 for about the same price and that has 2m and 70cm (Missing from the FT-891) or you could pay little extra and get the FT-991 which currently has £80 cashback and effectively costs you only £819.95.

I think that this price may well drop a little over the next few months.....

Yaesu FT-991 Firmware Update (August 2016)

It's always a nervous time for me when updating my FT-991 firmware due to the fact that when I first got the radio I performed an update only to brick the radio! Phone calls to the dealer and to Yaesu failed to help but fortunately after several hours of stressful attempts I managed to sort it out myself....

So it is with trepidation that I installed the latest update this morning.... 

The latest update adds the multi-coloured waterfall feature to the radio. 

The update files and instructions (Please follow them VERY carefully) can be found on the Yaesu website: CLICK HERE

Yaesu FT-817ND Only £407.95!!!!

With the Yaesu cash back promotion the FT-817 has never been so cheap.....

Price after the £40 cash back:

LAMCO - £407.95 - LINK

Martin Lynch - £409.95 - LINK

Nevada - £409.95 - LINK

Waters and Stanton - £409.95 - LINK

Yaesu FT-991 Only £839.95 @ Waters And Stanton!!!!

An even cheaper deal on the Yaesu FT-991 - Waters and Stanton are selling the radio for £919.95 

Take off the Yaesu £80 cash back and the final price you pay is only £839.95!!!

Link to Waters And Stanton Website: CLICK HERE

Yaesu FT-991 ONLY £869.95 @ Nevada

The deals on this fantastic radio just keep getting better and better. Nevada have the Yaesu FT-991 listed for £949.95 and now Yaesu offer £80 cashback making the final amount you pay an incredible £869.95!!!!!

Just think if you had bought this radio only 12 months ago it would have cost you about £450 more than it does today!!!!

Anyway heres the link to the Nevada website: CLICK HERE

6m Propagation - GM2T - 18/06/2016

GM2T (From: Cockenzie and Port Seton Amateur Radio Club) is located some 60 miles north of me. Initially heard talking to M0XVF who is located near Bishop Auckland at a distance of 85 miles from GM2T.

Click Images To Enlarge:

2m Propagation 05/06/2016 (Yaesu FT-991)

Yaesu Radios - Now With 3 Year Warranty!

Martin Lynch & Sons have announced that all Yaesu radios now come with a 3 YEAR WARRANTY. This includes radios that have already been purchased!!!

Good news for all Yaesu owners or prospective Yaesu owners.

Link To ML&S Website: CLICK HERE

VIDEO - New Yaesu FT-891

Video: YouTube/Laboenligne.ca

Yaesu FT-891 - Martin Lynch Taking Orders!

Martin Lynch & Sons would appear to be first off the starting block taking orders for the new Yaesu FT-891.

No price as yet but if you fancy taking a punt here is the all important link: CLICK HERE

Yaesu FT-891 - Another Photo Shows Detachable Front

Yet another photo has emerged of the new Yaesu FT-891, this time showing the radio with the detachable front removed: 

   (Click To Enlarge)

As for availability and price, rumours are that the radio should hit the shops during the summer months with a price of around $900/£620 - This of course is speculation and is yet to be confirmed by Yaesu!

 

Yaesu FT-891 - NEW PHOTOS!

Seen at the Daytona Hamvention, the Yaesu FT-891 is a new amateur HF transceiver covering the 1.8Mhz to 50Mhz bands with 100 watts output power. No word on price/availability yet!

(Click Images To Enlarge)

More photos: CLICK HERE

CB Radio Skip 28/04/2016

The bands have been very quiet for many weeks so it was nice to hear a little activity yesterday! 

Tim Peake Heard On The Space Station 25/04/2016 (Yaesu FT-857D)

... and the same contact heard on my Wouxun KG-UV9D which was connected to a second antenna....

FT-891 - New Radio From Yaesu?

 

This photo, which has appeared on several radio forums in the past few days, is reportedly showing a new radio from Yaesu. The Yaesu FT-891.

  

(Click Images To Enlarge)

 

Documentation also appears to show that the radio is for HF and 6M.

 

The power requirements are 13.8V and 23 AMPS, suggesting that the radio will have 100w of power on transmit.

Now we just need to know the price......!

TX Factor

For those of you who haven't already discovered this excellent show, the TX Factor is a professionally produced High Definition show about the world of Amateur Radio. 

Now in it's third year there are TEN full episodes along with a few shorter EXTRA episodes to watch. 

Episode 10 is the latest show and is available to watch below:

"In this episode the sky's the limit as Mike Marsh discovers when he returns to his old school! We visit Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall and return to the site of Marconi's early test transmissions. Bob McCreadie checks out the FT-991 all-band transceiver from Yaesu"

The full episode play list is available HERE and the TX Factor website can be found HERE

Meet the presenters . . .

Bob McCreadie G0FGX

Bob began his broadcasting career in the Arabian Gulf as a presenter on Radio Bahrain and as a news reporter for the TV service. That's also where he held his first amateur radio licence as A92CX.

Bob returned to the UK in 1986 to become G0FGX and to begin his UK radio career which has involved presenting and management roles at several of the west country's leading commercial radio stations.

Bob is currently the Morning Show presenter at Radio Plymouth www.radioplymouth.com
yet also finds time to write and publish children's books. www.fredthefabulousflamingo.co.uk

Bob's amateur radio interests are very broad: he's active on HF, VHF and UHF and particularly enjoys working through satellites and operating mobile.

"I would describe myself as a real technophile; I love anything to do with science and technology, so amateur radio is the perfect hobby for me," says Bob. "After a hard day at work talking to people on the radio I can come home and . . . talk to people on the radio!

Working on TX Factor is a fantastic opportunity to combine my broadcasting experience with the hobby I am so passionate about."

Mike Marsh G1IAR

Mike has been a music industry professional for over 30 years having started as a trainee recording engineer in a multi-track studio in Devon. "As a kid I grew up loving music and pushing buttons so it seemed like an ideal job!"

In the early 90s Mike fulfilled his ambition to broadcast in wideband FM mode by becoming a weekend radio presenter on one of the largest commercial radio stations in the south-west of England. "Radio was great fun. I presented a variety of shows including The Saturday Night Dance Party, the Saturday sport show and the Sunday morning breakfast show.

Mike is now senior mastering engineer at The Exchange Mike Marsh Mastering Studios in Exmouth, handling releases for record companies and international artists including Elton John, Depeche Mode and Oasis.

"I'm active on most bands and getting to grips with the world of digi-modes. I'm still eager to get my first QSO logged with the ISS but that's another box yet to be ticked!

I love all my hobbies but radio is probably the one I've enjoyed for the longest time. That's why I'm super excited to be part of TX Factor, helping to make programmes about the fast-changing world of technology and amateur radio in the 21st century."

Nick Bennett 2E0FGQ

Nick began his broadcasting career in the pioneering days of commercial radio in Plymouth and Exeter during the seventies and eighties. Although a broadcast engineer and studio technical operator Nick was equally at home in front of the microphone presenting a rock show for 12 years.

Nick's own broadcast engineering company Media Concepts designed, installed and maintained broadcast radio stations for the Orchard Media Group overseeing the construction and subsequent refurbishment of its portfolio of radio stations. He later joined the GWR Group as regional chief engineer and gained responsibility for maintaining the Group's six south-west studio centres which provided seven programme services feeding 14 FM and AM transmitters via a proprietary digital distribution and satellite network.

Nick also worked as a studio sound supervisor on one of the UK's largest regional ITV stations and today spends his time as a freelance TV and film sound recordist and documentary producer.

Nick says, "If the TX Factor filming schedule allows, I promise to attempt the Full licence sometime in 2016! I tend to operate on most bands and modes, but love the unpredictably of 6 metres and 2 metres during a lift. I'm also a keen SOTA chaser."

Yaesu Spring Cashback Offers @ Martin Lynch & Sons

Some cracking offers available on Yaesu radios at Martin Lynch and & Sons:

FT-DX5000 - £240 Cashback

FT-DX3000 - £160 Cashback

FT-DX1200 - £80 Cashback

FT-991 - £80 Cashback

FTM-400 - Free Microphone

I know the FT-991 is a radio wanted by many and after cashback this radio will now only cost you £909.95 - Sounds like a bargain to me.....!

Anyway here's the LINK

C4FM (Fusion Digital Radio) on GB3HA Repeater

Tim Peake On The International Space Station 05/03/2016

Icom IC-7300 vs Yaesu FT-991 80m SSB Comparison

Video:YouTube/MLandSshop

Of course just one video and one comparison so difficult to draw any conclusions but to my ear the Yaesu FT-991 sounded slightly better....See what you think!