When you select the 225 FM band long press the Fmenu key into settings. Select TX/RX. Select no. 3 RX mode. by default it is auto for that band. Select AM and back out and you should see 225.000 in AM mode for this band and you can scan it in AM all the way to 400.000. Hope this helps 73 :)
I just tried this and it worked fine! Not sure why they don't enable the mode button to work though. I also was able to program an AM frequency on 229.400 (local airport tower) with the RT Systems software and it worked as well. Thanks for the information!
@@k9swx yeah kind of weird but once that band has been selected in AM it will stay that way. It won’t change the modes for other band unless you get into the settings and change it manually. Glad it’s sorted 😅👍🏽
Good, slow and easy to hear, great explanations. Enjoy your precise detailed instructions. Thanks one of the best videos on TH-cam. Now do one video on the Yaesu Ftm500.
I was in the area yesterday and see that I have you in the station list on my 400XD, also bought a used 5dr recently. Keep up the good work on the channel.
@@k9swx I work for Campus, but not onsite all the time. I also agree about the decoding between kenwood and the Yeasu. I bought the 400 because my 710A needs to go in for repair. It seemed to me the 710 decoded more often then the 400 or the 5dr.
The click click noise is when the SD card is writing. I was getting the noise too. Confirmed with Yaesu as their reference unit in their shop did the same thing.
SD cards can draw high currents during writing and any "designers guide" tells you that you need very good decoupling caps on the SD card power supply and prerably supply it from digital supply and ground only, kept far apart from any analog circuitry and its supply and ground. Apparently the hardware designer(s) goofed here. It reminds me of my first DSP design over 30 years ago, stringing one ground trace from power supply to the DSP processor and then on to the 14 bit AD converter. I lost 5 bits of resolution due to the ground bounce noise... By the way, my FT-65 had the same problem just when I clicked a button and the lights went on. I had it replaced and the problem was gone. Bought am FT-5DE today, so can't wait to test and use it.
Great review! After some very frustrating experiences with the Chinese DMR radios I purchased the Icom ID-52. iCom's without a doubt, has the most user friendly menus and I found programming to be very easy, both from the radio as well as the software. The only problem I had with the ID-52 was the lack of D-Star repeaters in my travel areas, so I purchased a FT5DR. I'm not too concerned with APRS vs DPRS although it would make so much more sense for iCom to use APRS. I must say, I share your dislikes with the FT5DR and wish the ID-52A had some of the features of the FT5DR. One additional issue I have with the FT5 is it short battery life compared to my ID-52, I can go all day with one battery on my ID-52 where I need at least one spare for the FT5 if I'm using it all day. Wouldn't it be great if we could combine the best features of both HTs two into one radio!
Yeah I'm tempted to sell the FT5 and put the money towards an ID-52 and then use something like the FT65 and TNC3/4 for APRS on my phone. Don't like to have to carry 2 radios around though. The Kenwood TH-D75 looks intriguing but it's super expensive and chunky. Be fine for a desktop HT but not sure I'd want to hike with it. Maybe a used TH-D74 might work.
that's a great review on the FT5Dr. I have the radio too, I also bought mine during Hamvention sales. Your pros and cons seemed accurate. I do wish it was full duplex. Seems like a HUGE missed opportunity not to add that as a feature. The scan doesn't bother me, on my 70, it goes so fast you can't read the channels anyway 🤷♂️ great video! 73!
@@k9swx Pricier, without a doubt! And slightly larger would be ok, verically. I'm ok with it not having a TNC like the Kenwood. It just seems that new market tech could try to cover more features that seem to only be found in the used market i.e the 857 v 891. Or the Ft5dr v D74. Don't get me wrong, I love my 5dr and 891. But, a new market release of the 857, or D74 would be great.
Yeah I don't know what's up with Kenwood. Maybe they can't get the parts they need to build new radios. I had an 857 many years ago and that was great in the mobile with the ATAS120 antenna.
I’m about to part with my Icom Delta 1 (triband “brick”) that I love but is getting “long in the tooth” and 1.2 gHz is non-existent in this part old Colorado. Hate to part with it as I consider it a “modern antique”. This sale will partially fund my purchase of this Yaesu radio; I see that you’ve recycled radios for the same reason, LOL! Your excellent review (and I’ve watched a few) has the highest presentation/information qualities. Good job! I can see that I’m in for a substantial learning curve in this new world of 2/440m digital stuff..Fusion, APRS, and possibly satellites! W3ZF
Hi Mr. Olson, Great review! I'm recently licensed and trying to pick out an HT. Sort of narrowed it down to Yaesu FT-D3 vs D5 vs Icom ID-52. Of the many reviews I've looked at on YT, yours offers the most clear and concise list of pros and cons on the D5. Appreciate the time and effort you put in! Very helpful. Have there been any firmware updates or lessons learned that have addressed your concerns since posting this video? I gather still no news on anything new from Kenwood? Am leaning toward the FT-D5 for all the pros you mention. Lack of APRS and limited digital implementation with ID-52 are problematic, although by all accounts sound quality is better. Do you know if the ID-52 handles full duplex? If I understand correctly, an iSpot 4 (or similar) could be used for cross mode digital with either of these HTs, albeit for significant additional cost. I find it disappointing that so many quirks, omissions & gotchas are still present in devices at these price points. Also, at least 2 folks have reported significant build quality issues and poor/unresponsive Yaesu support in the comments under this video alone - seems high to me and kinda worrisome. Subscribed! 73, John KK7JBZ
I haven't seen any firmware updates since I made the video. Sadly I've had to sell the radio to pay down some debt. I had seen several folks mention a tiny crack underneath the battery on the FT5. I didn't have that on the one I had. From what I've read, the ID52 does not do full duplex which is a bummer for the satellite folks. I'd love to try out the radio sometime but for the price I could get a Yaesu 891 HF rig. The Openspot 3 or 4 Pro should handle the cross modes I believe. As you say, it's an additional cost in which you might be better off putting it towards another radio that does a different mode. Thanks for the comment and questions!
Great review of the Ft5! I have an Ft3 but on the fence of purchasing an Ft5 or an ID52. I have both DSTAR and Fusion repeaters in my area. But I just love the size of the FT3, plus I really like APRS. What I like about the 52 is the sound. I have never heard an FT5, what is your opinion of the sound quality?
@@stevennelsonjr.3407 Thanks I use my Sony blutooth headphones which definitely sound better, but I prefer to use nothing but the radio. I bought an ICOM ID52 the other day and the sound is amazing, and the signal reports are just as good. So far very happy with the purchase. Thanks again!
Bought an ft5. Sd card reader was inoperative. Took Yaesu 90+ days to fix and return. Numerous requests for a status update meet with vague replies. Totally dissstisfied with Yaesu customer service department.
In Wires-X or C4FM Thru HOTSPOT, VW (voice wide) will not allow the radio to send position packets when you transmit. No real noticeable difference in audio between VN or VW.
I have the vx-8r which has a built in bar antenna so AM broadcast band receive is excellent. Does the ft-5r have an AM antenna built in? How is the AM broadcast band receive? Thanks
Hello!! I believe it has some sort of antenna for AM... I tried AM band one or two times and worked fine; even the 11 meter ( 27 mHz ) band works great... I got mine 3 days ago... so I still "Playing" with it 😂 73s from KJ4BGW
I just got my FT5D a few days ago, I put my callsign in and everything, then I tried to make a contact with a buddy on both 154.750 and 462.750 MHz and on some GMRS/FRS channels but every time I press the PTT button the radio beeps and says "TX Inhibit"on the screen an it does not transmit. I've looked online and I haven't found anything on this issue, or anything in the manual. I was hoping someone would have insight on this but I no reviews talk about it, it seems to work straight out of the box for most reviewers.
Those frequencies are outside of the ham frequencies. You would have to get the radio modified to get it to transmit on those frequencies. It's usually done by a ham dealer for a small fee. Look up MARS mod.
The radio will only transmit between 144-148 MHz and 430-450 MHz. Try resetting the radio and see if that fixes it. You might also check to make sure your offset is correct. If it's trying to transmit outside the band then that could be why it's showing up as TX Inhibit.
@@k9swx I fixed the problem, there was a small resistor under a cover on the back of the radio that I had to remove. That opened all the frequencies up.
Sounds like it is making interference on its own receive. GPS position calculation takes computer power and having a sensitive receiver that close to little chips and processors is going to be noisy.
The colors for the Volume Bar-Indicator make it very hard to see the volume setting.. Same complaint on my FD3. Please - Can anyone provide a solution to that ?
The ID-52 looks like a wonderful radio though it's several hundred dollars more than the FT5DR. Are you interested in the digital modes and if so, which one is more prevalent in your area? If it's D-STAR, you'd go with the ID-52. If it's Fusion, then you go with the FT5DR. If you're interested in APRS, the FT5DR is the only radio of the two that has that capability. What sort of features are you looking for in an HT?
@@k9swx Thanks for your quick answer! I am a newbe in the ham world and recently got my licence. I am not sure how to find out what between d-star or fusion is used in my area. How can I know it? I would like to know which one is the most robust and which one would have the most features. Thanks.
I would check out www.repeaterbook.com and see what repeaters are in your area. You could also find a local ham radio club and talk to some locals about what they use. They might even have one or both radios you could try out in person. arrl.org/find-a-club
Shouldn't need to register but ARRL is for US hams so probably not going to help on finding a club in France. Try this club and see if it's a good start. I don't speak French so not quite sure where it's located in relation to you. www.f5kee.fr
@@k9swx it finally picked up sats but I csnt grt the gps up. Also I can only hear repeaters I can transmit but I enver make it into thr repeater pl tones correct offset correct there must be some kind of something I don't know about
How far away are the repeaters you are trying to get into? Also check your transmitter power and make sure it’s on high and not one of the low settings.
You can't transmit on GMRS frequencies with the FT5DR but you can listen to them. You could perform the MARS mod which would open up the radio to transmit on GMRS frequencies. However, it wouldn't be technically legal as the radio isn't Part 95 certified for the GMRS frequencies.
@@TheJcGlobal It doesn't look like the IC-R30 will decode C4FM/Yaesu System Fusion. It looks like it just does P25, NXDN and D-STAR. I don't think analog is going away any time soon. Too many radios and repeaters using analog.
I have this radio very disappointed in it, terrible speaker audio, reception is lousy . I have the Baofeng UV21 that does a better job with the items I listed. UV21 has a awesome speaker and it receives better also, ft5dr radio is to small . I would not buy this ft5dr again.
I've not tried a UV21 but the FT5 is a pretty decent radio even with the quirks I pointed out. I like the size of the FT5 as a lot of other radios are a lot bigger. Hard to take with you when they take up so much space. But it depends on how you are using the radio. Thanks for watching!
Too many issues with the radio. It's my opinion that Yaesu make products that "look" good but are really mediocre in performance. I've had two radios (FT-897d and VX-7DR) that literally fell apart during normal use. I'll never by a Yaesu product again.
I miss my 857D. That was a great mobile radio. I do wish Kenwood was still making new radios. They seem to be out of the amateur radio game at least for the time being.
I simply don't believe that either of those radios "fell apart" during normal use. You either bought damaged, used radios or you're extremely hard on equipment. I've had both those models for two decades, and they both still perform as well as they did on day one.
When you select the 225 FM band long press the Fmenu key into settings. Select TX/RX. Select no. 3 RX mode. by default it is auto for that band. Select AM and back out and you should see 225.000 in AM mode for this band and you can scan it in AM all the way to 400.000. Hope this helps 73 :)
I just tried this and it worked fine! Not sure why they don't enable the mode button to work though. I also was able to program an AM frequency on 229.400 (local airport tower) with the RT Systems software and it worked as well. Thanks for the information!
@@k9swx yeah kind of weird but once that band has been selected in AM it will stay that way. It won’t change the modes for other band unless you get into the settings and change it manually. Glad it’s sorted 😅👍🏽
Good, slow and easy to hear, great explanations. Enjoy your precise detailed instructions. Thanks one of the best videos on TH-cam. Now do one video on the Yaesu Ftm500.
Thanks! I will look into the FTM500 but right now it’s a bit out of my budget.
thx for your explanations of the complex learning curve of the ft 5 dr,, Your comments help us 80 + yrs young understand & have fun / the radio 73's
I was in the area yesterday and see that I have you in the station list on my 400XD, also bought a used 5dr recently. Keep up the good work on the channel.
Very cool! Do you pass through here often?
@@k9swx I work for Campus, but not onsite all the time. I also agree about the decoding between kenwood and the Yeasu. I bought the 400 because my 710A needs to go in for repair. It seemed to me the 710 decoded more often then the 400 or the 5dr.
I had the 710GA and enjoyed it a lot but had to sell it. It was a beast at decoding APRS. Maybe down the road I can pick up a used one.
The click click noise is when the SD card is writing. I was getting the noise too. Confirmed with Yaesu as their reference unit in their shop did the same thing.
That was my suspicion but glad to know Yaesu confirmed it. Thanks!
SD cards can draw high currents during writing and any "designers guide" tells you that you need very good decoupling caps on the SD card power supply and prerably supply it from digital supply and ground only, kept far apart from any analog circuitry and its supply and ground. Apparently the hardware designer(s) goofed here.
It reminds me of my first DSP design over 30 years ago, stringing one ground trace from power supply to the DSP processor and then on to the 14 bit AD converter. I lost 5 bits of resolution due to the ground bounce noise...
By the way, my FT-65 had the same problem just when I clicked a button and the lights went on. I had it replaced and the problem was gone.
Bought am FT-5DE today, so can't wait to test and use it.
Great review! After some very frustrating experiences with the Chinese DMR radios I purchased the Icom ID-52. iCom's without a doubt, has the most user friendly menus and I found programming to be very easy, both from the radio as well as the software. The only problem I had with the ID-52 was the lack of D-Star repeaters in my travel areas, so I purchased a FT5DR. I'm not too concerned with APRS vs DPRS although it would make so much more sense for iCom to use APRS. I must say, I share your dislikes with the FT5DR and wish the ID-52A had some of the features of the FT5DR. One additional issue I have with the FT5 is it short battery life compared to my ID-52, I can go all day with one battery on my ID-52 where I need at least one spare for the FT5 if I'm using it all day. Wouldn't it be great if we could combine the best features of both HTs two into one radio!
Yeah I'm tempted to sell the FT5 and put the money towards an ID-52 and then use something like the FT65 and TNC3/4 for APRS on my phone. Don't like to have to carry 2 radios around though. The Kenwood TH-D75 looks intriguing but it's super expensive and chunky. Be fine for a desktop HT but not sure I'd want to hike with it. Maybe a used TH-D74 might work.
that's a great review on the FT5Dr.
I have the radio too, I also bought mine during Hamvention sales. Your pros and cons seemed accurate. I do wish it was full duplex. Seems like a HUGE missed opportunity not to add that as a feature.
The scan doesn't bother me, on my 70, it goes so fast you can't read the channels anyway 🤷♂️
great video! 73!
Thanks for the kind words! I imagine the radio would probably have been even more expensive and larger had they added full duplex.
@@k9swx Pricier, without a doubt! And slightly larger would be ok, verically. I'm ok with it not having a TNC like the Kenwood. It just seems that new market tech could try to cover more features that seem to only be found in the used market i.e the 857 v 891. Or the Ft5dr v D74.
Don't get me wrong, I love my 5dr and 891. But, a new market release of the 857, or D74 would be great.
Yeah I don't know what's up with Kenwood. Maybe they can't get the parts they need to build new radios. I had an 857 many years ago and that was great in the mobile with the ATAS120 antenna.
I’m about to part with my Icom Delta 1 (triband “brick”) that I love but is getting “long in the tooth” and 1.2 gHz is non-existent in this part old Colorado.
Hate to part with it as I consider it a “modern antique”.
This sale will partially fund my purchase of this Yaesu radio;
I see that you’ve recycled radios for the same reason, LOL!
Your excellent review (and I’ve watched a few) has the highest presentation/information qualities. Good job!
I can see that I’m in for a substantial learning curve in this new world of 2/440m digital stuff..Fusion, APRS, and possibly satellites! W3ZF
Thanks for the kind words! There's so much you can do with ham radio. If you get bored of one thing, there's a bunch of other things to tinker with.
Hi Mr. Olson,
Great review! I'm recently licensed and trying to pick out an HT. Sort of narrowed it down to Yaesu FT-D3 vs D5 vs Icom ID-52. Of the many reviews I've looked at on YT, yours offers the most clear and concise list of pros and cons on the D5. Appreciate the time and effort you put in! Very helpful.
Have there been any firmware updates or lessons learned that have addressed your concerns since posting this video?
I gather still no news on anything new from Kenwood?
Am leaning toward the FT-D5 for all the pros you mention. Lack of APRS and limited digital implementation with ID-52 are problematic, although by all accounts sound quality is better.
Do you know if the ID-52 handles full duplex?
If I understand correctly, an iSpot 4 (or similar) could be used for cross mode digital with either of these HTs, albeit for significant additional cost.
I find it disappointing that so many quirks, omissions & gotchas are still present in devices at these price points. Also, at least 2 folks have reported significant build quality issues and poor/unresponsive Yaesu support in the comments under this video alone - seems high to me and kinda worrisome.
Subscribed!
73,
John KK7JBZ
I haven't seen any firmware updates since I made the video. Sadly I've had to sell the radio to pay down some debt.
I had seen several folks mention a tiny crack underneath the battery on the FT5. I didn't have that on the one I had.
From what I've read, the ID52 does not do full duplex which is a bummer for the satellite folks. I'd love to try out the radio sometime but for the price I could get a Yaesu 891 HF rig.
The Openspot 3 or 4 Pro should handle the cross modes I believe. As you say, it's an additional cost in which you might be better off putting it towards another radio that does a different mode.
Thanks for the comment and questions!
Just bought one today Black Friday deal for $339. now I’ll have a IC-52 and this for Dstar and fusion lol😊
Very nice. I saw a few deals on them and now is definitely the time to buy if you want one. Enjoy!
I just ordered on in promo . How do o get charger ? I think they charge you extra for charging bay ??
It's 329 on hro
Great review of the Ft5! I have an Ft3 but on the fence of purchasing an Ft5 or an ID52. I have both DSTAR and Fusion repeaters in my area. But I just love the size of the FT3, plus I really like APRS. What I like about the 52 is the sound. I have never heard an FT5, what is your opinion of the sound quality?
Thanks! It's a great size for a radio.
Sound quality on FT5 is not great. It's loud but thin and tinny
@@stevennelsonjr.3407 thank you..I guess its a ID52 for me.
@@FM-us3rd no prob. I have an SSM17 speaker mic which helps it sound better
@@stevennelsonjr.3407 Thanks I use my Sony blutooth headphones which definitely sound better, but I prefer to use nothing but the radio. I bought an ICOM ID52 the other day and the sound is amazing, and the signal reports are just as good. So far very happy with the purchase. Thanks again!
HRO will also Mars Mod the radio while keeping the warranty intact.
This is true. I just have no use to have any of my radios opened up. To each their own though! :)
Great video, thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Nice video. Mine just arrived today, charging the battery now. Looking forward to trying it out.
Awesome! Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks. Great little rig. I find it easy to add frequencies into, IMHO I think it's much easier to program that my FT70D.@@k9swx
Bought an ft5. Sd card reader was inoperative. Took Yaesu 90+ days to fix and return. Numerous requests for a status update meet with vague replies. Totally dissstisfied with Yaesu customer service department.
Sorry to hear you had so much trouble with your radio. I guess I lucked out with mine.
adverts kill the channel good video sir
Thanks for watching! You can pay for TH-cam Premium if you don't want to see ads. It's around $14/mo.
Good video. I haven’t messed with record function yet, does it record dead air or only when someone is talking?
Only when a signal breaks the squelch.
It's April, 2024. Has yaesu fixed the scanning issue where you see the channels and not just the words VFO SCAN?
Unfortunately not. I think the only solution is to buy a used FT3. ☹️
In Wires-X or C4FM Thru HOTSPOT, VW (voice wide) will not allow the radio to send position packets when you transmit. No real noticeable difference in audio between VN or VW.
Guessing VW mode is using the full bandwidth for audio so there’s no room for GPS data.
I have the vx-8r which has a built in bar antenna so AM broadcast band receive is excellent. Does the ft-5r have an AM antenna built in? How is the AM broadcast band receive? Thanks
Hello!! I believe it has some sort of antenna for AM... I tried AM band one or two times and worked fine; even the 11 meter ( 27 mHz ) band works great... I got mine 3 days ago... so I still "Playing" with it 😂
73s from KJ4BGW
Wonder if we really need a yaesu speaker mic or would an off brand with the 3.5mm plug work
I use the Yaesu SSM-17A. HRO lists several Pryme speaker mics that work with the FT5 like the SPM-102 and SPM-602.
Does it have a kind of roaming function as AnyTone AT-D878UVII Plus DMR has?
Not familiar with DMR and roaming so don't have an answer for you there.
I just got my FT5D a few days ago, I put my callsign in and everything, then I tried to make a contact with a buddy on both 154.750 and 462.750 MHz and on some GMRS/FRS channels but every time I press the PTT button the radio beeps and says "TX Inhibit"on the screen an it does not transmit. I've looked online and I haven't found anything on this issue, or anything in the manual. I was hoping someone would have insight on this but I no reviews talk about it, it seems to work straight out of the box for most reviewers.
Those frequencies are outside of the ham frequencies. You would have to get the radio modified to get it to transmit on those frequencies. It's usually done by a ham dealer for a small fee. Look up MARS mod.
@@k9swx It also can't transmit on any other freq.
The radio will only transmit between 144-148 MHz and 430-450 MHz. Try resetting the radio and see if that fixes it. You might also check to make sure your offset is correct. If it's trying to transmit outside the band then that could be why it's showing up as TX Inhibit.
@@k9swx I fixed the problem, there was a small resistor under a cover on the back of the radio that I had to remove. That opened all the frequencies up.
Sounds like it is making interference on its own receive. GPS position calculation takes computer power and having a sensitive receiver that close to little chips and processors is going to be noisy.
Yeah very possible. Definitely makes more noise when it's writing a lot to the SD card too.
The colors for the Volume Bar-Indicator make it very hard to see the volume setting.. Same complaint on my FD3. Please - Can anyone provide a solution to that ?
I would like to compare between the ID-52 and this FT5D... I still can't decide myself which one I could get. If someone could help me :)
The ID-52 looks like a wonderful radio though it's several hundred dollars more than the FT5DR. Are you interested in the digital modes and if so, which one is more prevalent in your area? If it's D-STAR, you'd go with the ID-52. If it's Fusion, then you go with the FT5DR. If you're interested in APRS, the FT5DR is the only radio of the two that has that capability. What sort of features are you looking for in an HT?
@@k9swx Thanks for your quick answer! I am a newbe in the ham world and recently got my licence. I am not sure how to find out what between d-star or fusion is used in my area. How can I know it? I would like to know which one is the most robust and which one would have the most features. Thanks.
I would check out www.repeaterbook.com and see what repeaters are in your area. You could also find a local ham radio club and talk to some locals about what they use. They might even have one or both radios you could try out in person. arrl.org/find-a-club
@@k9swx I tried to log in on ARRL, but it seams I cannot finish the registration. I am often in France.
Shouldn't need to register but ARRL is for US hams so probably not going to help on finding a club in France.
Try this club and see if it's a good start. I don't speak French so not quite sure where it's located in relation to you.
www.f5kee.fr
I cannot get my gps to do anything but blink... I haven't picked up anything and when I try to transmit it just lights up red I hate it
Hit the F key and then DISP and tap the circle on the screen. Does it show any satellites visible and/or your location?
@@k9swx it finally picked up sats but I csnt grt the gps up. Also I can only hear repeaters I can transmit but I enver make it into thr repeater pl tones correct offset correct there must be some kind of something I don't know about
@sneakerhead3o4 Are you trying this indoors or outside?
@@k9swx sats are fine radio just let me transmit
How far away are the repeaters you are trying to get into? Also check your transmitter power and make sure it’s on high and not one of the low settings.
Will GMRS frequencies work for RX and TX
You can't transmit on GMRS frequencies with the FT5DR but you can listen to them. You could perform the MARS mod which would open up the radio to transmit on GMRS frequencies. However, it wouldn't be technically legal as the radio isn't Part 95 certified for the GMRS frequencies.
Can I listen TV channels ?
Back in the analog TV days you could pick up the audio, but not since they switched to digital.
@@k9swx So I need a digital receiver, like Icom IC-R30 ? analog communications will be lost over time ?
@@TheJcGlobal It doesn't look like the IC-R30 will decode C4FM/Yaesu System Fusion. It looks like it just does P25, NXDN and D-STAR. I don't think analog is going away any time soon. Too many radios and repeaters using analog.
I have this radio very disappointed in it, terrible speaker audio, reception is lousy . I have the Baofeng UV21 that does a better job with the items I listed. UV21 has a awesome speaker and it receives better also, ft5dr radio is to small . I would not buy this ft5dr again.
I've not tried a UV21 but the FT5 is a pretty decent radio even with the quirks I pointed out. I like the size of the FT5 as a lot of other radios are a lot bigger. Hard to take with you when they take up so much space. But it depends on how you are using the radio. Thanks for watching!
Trash radio sold it in two day
What about the radio didn't you like?
Junk radio for the price. I truly regret buying it
What don't you like about it?
@@k9swx The plastic cracks by the PTT and it gets saturated in high rf environments
Bummer for you. Mines great. ツ
Too many issues with the radio. It's my opinion that Yaesu make products that "look" good but are really mediocre in performance. I've had two radios (FT-897d and VX-7DR) that literally fell apart during normal use. I'll never by a Yaesu product again.
I miss my 857D. That was a great mobile radio. I do wish Kenwood was still making new radios. They seem to be out of the amateur radio game at least for the time being.
I simply don't believe that either of those radios "fell apart" during normal use. You either bought damaged, used radios or you're extremely hard on equipment. I've had both those models for two decades, and they both still perform as well as they did on day one.