Found at groups.io/g/Yaesu-FT-60/topic/charger_problem/21342403?p "For reference.... FT-60R's manufactured before early 2013 came with a wall wart that can be plugged into the DC jack to charge the battery. FT-60R's manufactured after that can not be charged by plugging a wall wart (or a cigarette lighter adapter) directly into the radio. The charging scheme was modified to comply with a California law requiring charging devices to automatically shut-off if the charge voltage is over 5v. Apparently, Yaesu removed the connection from the DC jack to the battery to accomplish this. These units are supplied with a drop-in charging cradle (with auto shut-off) that is powered by a wall wart. 73, Jim K5JG"
Thank You for the review of the FT-60. I know you wanted to keep opinions to a minimum, but go ahead and Gush on it. It deserves no less. In my opinion, it's one of the best analog 2M/70cm radios on the market. It has the best front end you will find. It's the first choice when working in high RF areas. It's tried and true. It's a brick and a weapon. You can defend yourself with it. It will gain you instant respect from the hams at the radio club. It's easy to program, and for the price is one of the best analog radio's you can buy. It does not have a IP rating, but will do fine in the average rain. If you want the latest radio with duel band display, this is not the radio. If you want a solid performer, look no further. When we are all dead and gone, the aliens will find Roaches and FT-60's. They are that reliable. I own two of them. It was my first HT when I got licensed about 12 years ago. I bought another about 6 months ago. Two is one, one is none. It is the one radio I never want to be without. I also have a FT-3D and FT-5D among others. The FT-60 is still the most reached for radio I have. It is a radio I'd bet my life on it working when needed. New ham ? Bypass the Baofeng and get a FT-60. You'll be glad you did. And yes, it can be MARS moded. This radio was designed in a time when top quality mattered (in Yaesu's Vertex times). They don't make them like this anymore. My original battery from 12 years ago still is at about 50%. Batteries are super reasonable to buy. Bottom line, the price is right, fast scanning, wide receive range, rock solid front end, easy to use and program, main body is metal, great memory channels, it's tough as nails and last but not least, it's a Kool Radio. You owe it to yourself to have at least one FT-60. When all else fails...There is the FT-60.
Thanks for your comments, John. I’m a brand new tech and hopefully general in a few weeks. Your additional comments helped. I think the FT-60R will be my first. I budgeted myself for a couple hundred more so i could have room to grow into more but, can’t seem to find a better option.
I just got my license last week and finally made my first contact last night. I used a diamond magnet mounted mobile antenna attached to an ammo can on my porch roof powered by a cigarette lighter power supply into a bluetti eb3a. I tried simplex and got a response, he said he too was using an ht on 5 watts, radio to radio bo repeater. He was about 35 miles away. Not bad at all, he said I came in full quiet, not a single bit of static on both ends. I love this damn radio, I've had it for about one year now and that was my first official contact. Great radio I would like to buy another and give this one a Mars mod.
This was my favorite radio and I don't think anyone can go wrong with purchasing one and I regret selling it a few years ago when I thought I had outgrown it. There's a reason it's still on sale nearly 20 years later. I recently bought a VX-6 and I think I might like that just a bit more but it's also a nearly 20 year old design. Says something about what Yaesu was doing then with these radios.
It is absolutely the BEST sounding HT out there, and I believe it's because of what you mentioned - it's a double-conversion super heterodyne radio. Even some of Yaesu's later radios simply don't sound as good as this one. Granted, I don't use it that often; but I sure am glad that I have it as a back-up. I liked it so much, that I bought one for the XYL! She's had good luck with hers. I had a Woxun KG-UV9D, and compared it's reception of the 800 mhz band, and the Air band to the FT-60R, and the 20 year old radio blew the 1 year old radio out of the water! Clear sounding audio as opposed to scratchy. The seletivity and the sensitviity are perfect! It's no wonder Yaesu doesn't want to retire this radio. It's a classic! I'll never part with it. You'll have to pry it from my cold, silent-key fingers! DE K7RLN
I have 3 of them. I have nothing newer. It is the best sounding, most reliable, easiest programmable, and after 19 years, a standard by which all other portables will be compared. I also have two other Yaesu monoband portables that use the same batteries so I have a ton of batteries, a multiple charger battery center, and spare batteries that work across several radios. Love my FT-60s.
The FT-60R is my first and only HT, purchased over a year ago. I have carefully considered numerous other HTs with a view to purchasing a more modern HT for working satellites using a pair of HTs, but I feel no need for digital capabilities at this time and would probably sooner buy a second superhet FT-60 before purchasing a typically pricier digital HT lacking full duplex - which is the only thing I miss on the venerable FT-60. Yaesu's venerable (classic) HT may lack some of the functionality featured on more modern HTs, but it handles the core task of analog 2m/70cm transmission/reception exceptionally well - better than most other newer Japanese HTs in fact. That is something that is not appreciated by anyone fixated on $$$ and trying to compare it to a Baofeng or any other generally inexpensive Chinese radio (Wouxan possibly excepted). Think of it as an "old money" HT that gets the job done reliably with understated style. On the other hand, fandangled "new money" radios tend to lack such basic amenities as a dedicated squelch knob or even a keypad. And the reason is almost certainly due to lack of space, as all HTs are a compromise in features and/or quality compared with larger mobile radios. The designers can only cram so much into a small space. With that in mind, Yaesu's designers thankfully opted for maximum quality of the basics in the given space instead of adding more features that most people don't need. For all those people disappointed at the lack of a lithium battery, there is no reason to be concerned about the older battery technology IMO, because the standby current consumption of the FT-60 is low compared with feature-rich, more modern HTs, which need the higher energy density of a (more expensive and less environmentally friendly) Li-ion battery to power their often larger color screens and handle background tasks such as APRS, digital tasks, GPS, true dual-band monitoring, etc. Another bonus: Yaesu sells a AA-battery tray for the FT-60 that can be used in place of the standard NiHM battery and which supports a full 5W output. I'm not aware of another HT with that potentially lifesaving feature. @Ham Radio Dude: The antenna seen in the beginning of the video is not the stock antenna, which does not need a spacer, as it screws down into the recess on the top of the radio and has the Yaesu logo near the base where yours appears to have short vertical lines. Most aftermarket antennas will require such a spacer as the one on your radio. But you can find a suitable rubber spacer at your local hardware store that will fill that gap and help retain sufficient water ingress protection. Speaking of which... My FT-60 sports a BNC adapter and a rubber spacer along with (normally) a Comet whip. One time, while multi-tasking in my yard and using the HT with the aforementioned BNC/Comet combo to monitor a local frequency, I got distracted and left the radio on the ground overnight - in the rain. That is no joke in SW Florida. I was dismayed when I realized my blunder, but the radio fired up the next day like nothing had happened after popping in a fresh battery. The FT-60 doesn't have an official IP-rating, but that unintentional test has me convinced that it will handle a deluge just shy of submersion. If you can get by with an analog dual-band HT, there is IMO no better choice than the FT-60R.
I recently started learning about this hobby and first thing everyone recommended is to ditch the Baofeng and buy Yaesu FT-60. And to be honest it is currently my dream radio, unfortunately it is too expensive for my student life. But hopefully some day I'll get it 😄
This is the best video on this radio I have found yet. I would have liked to see what every option in menu did, doesn't matter how long video gets or make a part 2. Also waiting fro the manual programming video, I use a RF/Systems program for mine but an in depth refresher on how to manually program would be fantastic.
A lot of SOTA guys in my area like it because it has decent selectivity and ability to reject other strong RF signals when on summits with high RF (towers, etc.). Not impervious but respectable.
Awesome video. Thank you so much for putting this together. Just picked up this radio as it was recommended by MANY people. I am looking forward to your other videos. Thanks again for taking the time to professionally and personally put this together. Plus, I appreciate how you approach your thoughts with care and concern. You also keep things clean. I appreciate that too. When people start using bad language, it feels so unprofessional and cheap. Keep up the great work!
I purchased a used FT-60R on EBay. According to the seller, the unit was acquired through an estate sale. I received the unit, and found out the unit was manufactured in 2006 (based on the serial number and the copyright year on the operating manual). I ended up purchasing a new battery at my local Ham Radio Outlet. After charging the new battery, I reset the memory and proceeded to key up repeaters and test transmit and receive on simplex. I'm listening to a net right now and the sound is very clear and clean on the FT-60R. I like it to the point I might get another one if it goes on sale at HRO during the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas sales.
Thanks, I still plan on doing the programming video it's just that I have a lot on my plate at the moment. But I'm looking forward to getting part two out there. I appreciate your support
My first HT was the HTX-202 from Radio Shack. My very next buy, and first dual-bander was the Yaesu FT-530. The Yaesu just died on me! After 32 years, it finally got dropped once too often and landed, face down in two inches of muddy water 💧. I've just last week got myself the FT-60. As a "Mate" to my FD-70 ! So yeah, I'm a big fan of Yaesu radios since the early 90's.
Thank you for doing the overview of the FT-60. I got my technicians license last year & tried to learn things on my own (no Elmers where I live) & first got a Wouxan KG9. For me, I had trouble understanding this radio (my fault since I am a beginner). I seem to program in some frequencies & some would work while others don’t. When I had the spare time, I would fiddle with it & not be on the air very much because I just could not grasp the operation/programming. While visiting my daughter in Phoenix, I noticed half of the keypad would not illuminate, & I never treated that device roughly. Hmm. I went over to HRO in Phoenix since none exists in my hometown & purchased the Yaesu FT-60r with RTsystems programming software/cable. After charging the FT-60 & programming it, I was actually using it within minutes, unlike the Wouxan I had after months of fiddling. The audio on the Wouxan also sounds distorted. It is much better on the Yaesu. I have much, much more to learn, but getting it to work this quickly was encouraging. The FT-60 is a great HT! Don’t waste money & time on stuff just a few dollars cheaper! BTW, there have been some controversy online over FT-60’s being made in CCP China. I just picked up my FT60 less than a week ago & it is clearly marked made in Japan. Nothing against everything made in CCP China. My iPhone is excellent & it is made in CCP China. Having a dedicated squelch knob is the bomb!
I just programmed one for a friend. She had it in a box for a number of years. It's fairly easy to progam. There are steps you need that aren't in the manual.
I've had my FT-60R since 2007. It also has the "2017" above the serial number so definitely not the year I bought mine. Love this little handheld. Its built like a tank!
The FT60 is awesome. Picked one up for $100. Mars mod and it's great. Think of it a a baofeng on steroids that is superheterodyne and a bit more reliable. I have a few HT's and this FT60 is dope af. Don't know how I found your channel but I'm now subbed. 🤙🏽
You're doing a great job I have mine now for 30 years and it's still like brand new I think you're awesome showing this radio because it is truly well made it's a solid radio and it sounds great but I got batteries from battery America lithium ion battery in a Lithium-Ion charger to go with the batteries❤
One of the best sights of the Dayton Hamvention 2024 - a full 20 years after it was announced - was one of these bad boys for sale at the HRO booth. Granted it was still there at the end of the day on Sunday while plenty of the FT-65's were sold. But still a great sight. First radio for so many HAM's between 2004-2012.
My first Ht was an FT60. It is a bullet proof radio. It is one to kind of use as a standard. Love the detailed review of it. Super Heterodyne is a way great receiver! 73
Very informative! I'm an old ham from the late 1960's... WB8ANZ was my call sign which I did not renew after I was married. Nevertheless, I have purchased a Yaesu FT-60 to mainly listen to the air band. At my age, and with my health limitations, listening to the air band is my main entertainment. Your RUclips channel is also a nice option for me. You do great educational videos which I enjoy. Thank you for your tenacity to produce such fine videos.
Great video. This is a solid, good performing radio that has been in production for 20 years. It is reliable, easy to operate and reasonably affordable. Keep this kind of videos coming please.
I most definitely will. Please let people know of my channel as it continues to help attract interest in the type of radios I am overviewing and reviewing and helps me to make more like this. Thanks for your support.
I modified mine so it will change through the DC plug. It's pretty straightforward; a matter of bridging over a tiny capacitor with solder. It charges well, but I would highly recommend using only the Yaesu wall wart for charging. The Yaesu 12V cigarette lighter power adapter which I also have pushes much more current which heats up the cells and could easily damage them. I'm using Eneloop AA cells in the optional loose battery holder. 73
I did a bit more testing, and the Eneloop cells are full when the radio's displayed voltage reaches 9.4. More than that and the cells are saturated and just generate heat and would likely be damaged if left on the charge. It's a balancing act with the voltage and current supply of the wall wart. When at rest, the fully charged cells will be lower, so keep that in mind and only use the 9.4V in context.
@@KE5BCP It's basically just a straight applied voltage to the battery cells, not a regulator that I can tell. So a "dumb" charger, that's why it's important to make sure to use an appropriate power supply source, and presumably also why they disabled charging this way. You could ruin the cells or perhaps even the radio if not careful. A fire seems unlikely unless you go nuts and try using Li-Ion batteries or hook it straight up to the mains - so at least there's that! LOL But anyway, yeah, if you use the stock 12V 0.5A wall wart and don't leave it on the charge too long, it's a nice option to have for charging. An even better option would probably be using a 9V wall wart that doesn't require the low current rate as a safety dam. Cheers.
I’m glad to see a more in depth overview of the Yaesu FT60. I’m an older person, but a very new ham. I’m considering this Yaesu for a first real HT as it excels on the basics of sensitivity, selectivity, & sound quality for its size. It is also able to use AA batteries (the most internationally common battery) on transmit with the optional battery holder. I am weighing this against the Wuxian HT’s that have numerous choices, have more features like being able to monitor on more than one frequency, but seems a little weak on the FT60’s strengths- like difficult to program in the field, having proprietary battery packs, good but not as great on sensitivity, selectivity, etc… Seems like there is no one clear winner.
Love my FT60. I don’t recall you showing this on the radio so I don’t know if you are aware of it, but the radio does have the NOAA frequencies already programmed within. Instead of having to go to the VFO and putting them in, just hold down button 1 and it has them all channelized. Great video! Looking forward to more videos of this.
You know, you're absolutely right. I was going to do scanning and in the scanning features I was going to show the NOAA memory banks. Sometime during making the video I completely put that past my head and just showed memory banks. I could probably make this up in an episode where I show how to program the radio. Great point! Thanks
At one time I had an 817, but that was long before I decided to do RUclips. There are possibilities that maybe one day I'll get my hands on one again. Until then, thanks for watching
I respectfully disagree with your statement about the 60 not being usable for the blind. I am totally blind, and just bought one of these radios last week. Got it on Saturday, and using the different pitches of the tones in the radio, I'm able to discern where I am in most of the menus. It's not as good as a TH-D74, but not many handhelds are. Love the video by the way, and the fact that you leave the beeps on is an ennormous help, because I can get an idea of whether or not I'd be able to adapt specific radios for me to use without verbal feedback.
Thanks for the input. This is exactly why I don't typically speak of vision impairment features, typically. But I can keep trying in the videos. Knowing leaving the beeps on helps is something I'll remember. My thought was incorrect, which was,"if it doesn't speak to you, it's not good". I thank you for explaining the beeping and tones as a way to navigate! Enjoy the radio and take care
@@HAMRADIODUDE I thought you were just trolling the pedantic hams with the Handie-Talkie comment. Last time I try to be your wingman. My bad. Yes in 2023, most people do actually mean handheld transceiver when they use the acronym HT. But to pretend that HT didn't originally stand for Handie-Talkie is just ignoring history. The Handie-Talkie was the original HT. You should do a video on that. The comments section will be wild.
I am learning to use this radio and your video has been a nice find. In programming it, if I hit the wrong key or screw it up some other way, how can I easily "erase" or fix it? Is there a 'back' button somehow? It is frustrating if you make a small mistake. Thanks.
Oh man. I'm disappointed in this comment. Why, you may ask.... Because I didn't know they still made the vx6r and now I need to get my hands on one. After all it's pretty intriguing that it's a tri-band. I'm kidding around admit the disappointment 🤣. Have a good one... Now to go find a vx6r
@@HAMRADIODUDE Ha. Yup. Go get one! But, from a guy that only uses HT’s for SOTA primarily, the 60 was my initial inclination. However, the difficulty in finding OEM lithium batteries was one aspect of my decision. Vertex stopped making the lithium batteries that would work. Now it’s only sketchy 3rd party options or make my own. I prefer lithium over the NiMH.
I have Yaesu FT-60 - not an R. Have license but have not used this radio in a long time and have forgotten basics - how to find where I can hear for instance weather, and basically how to use this radio. What videos do you have to help me!!!
This was my first upgrade radio from the uv-5r. What a difference! There's a nice 3D printable 18650 battery pack on Thingiverse that would make a great how-to video (wink wink).
I'm ON IT! Thanks for the tip (and to anyone reading www.thingiverse.com/thing:3286597). The most difficult thing for me will be the altoids tin for contacts. I'll probably cut myself or lose an eye :D
can a aftermarket company decide to change from Ni-mh battery to Lithium Ion, that would mean the chargers would have to be changed out? The Circuit board?
There are LI batteries out there. They would require a LI charger and would not be able to be charged in the radio by the radios internal charging. There is also a "AA" battery pack that allows full power output use.
This seems to be more basic compared to the Baofeng UV-17L Pro I picked up a few weeks ago. They are both 5 watt hand held radios. Would the Yaesu somehow transmit and receive from further away and connect better to repeaters? That’s really the only thing that will sway me to spend so much more money on the radio and accessories.
❤ Hallo even met René uit Nederland Ik heb dezelfde portofoon Duo banden de standaard frequenties die er nu in zitten Kan ik die ook veranderen dat hij lager of hoger kan Groetjes vanuit Nederland
I’ve learned that the easiest way to change frequencies is by using software. I used software from RTsystems which is better than Chirp for a beginner like me. You will need a computer (WIN or Mac) to run the software/interface. If you mean to expand the operational frequencies, there is the MARS mod to consider, which involves the removal of a small surface mounted component on the main board.
I lived my FT-60... to bad it wasn't mine LOL. I hated the battery life and in 2023 it needs the aftermarket Li-ion battery! Matter of fact it should be the first accessory you buy over a hand mic. Hell dont bother with a hand mic! Have you looked at the pin out? its the worst pin out ever, if mic cable is lightly out, it transmits! Happens on the ft-60, ft70 and my vx-150.
I jumped straight to the FT-5DR when I got Technician, so I don't have the FT-60. But in my experience, NiMH batteries like those in the FT-60 hold their charge longer than Lithium ion batteries (FT-5, FT-65, most other modern radios). This could be am advantage for those who want a backup HT that won't get used (or recharged) very often. My only real concern is that batteries might become hard to find because the technology is older and used less often. Also, the FT-60 feels more rugged than other HTs I have held and tried. Could be a very good choice for rougher-use situations.
@@HAMRADIODUDE I don't think you will ever have a hard time finding FT-60 batteries. Either Yaesu or aftermarket. There are so many of these radios out there and so much love for them, there will always be a demand for them.
NiMH cells typically do actually self-discharge much faster than Li-Ion cells, unless you're using something like Eneloop cells, but they're more of an exception than the norm.
Found at groups.io/g/Yaesu-FT-60/topic/charger_problem/21342403?p
"For reference....
FT-60R's manufactured before early 2013 came with a wall wart that can
be plugged into the DC jack to charge the battery.
FT-60R's manufactured after that can not be charged by plugging a wall
wart (or a cigarette lighter adapter) directly into the radio. The
charging scheme was modified to comply with a California law requiring
charging devices to automatically shut-off if the charge voltage is over
5v. Apparently, Yaesu removed the connection from the DC jack to the
battery to accomplish this. These units are supplied with a drop-in
charging cradle (with auto shut-off) that is powered by a wall wart.
73, Jim K5JG"
Thanks!
I was wondering what the heck was going on there.
Thank You for the review of the FT-60. I know you wanted to keep opinions to a minimum, but go ahead and Gush on it. It deserves no less. In my opinion, it's one of the best analog 2M/70cm radios on the market. It has the best front end you will find. It's the first choice when working in high RF areas. It's tried and true. It's a brick and a weapon. You can defend yourself with it. It will gain you instant respect from the hams at the radio club. It's easy to program, and for the price is one of the best analog radio's you can buy. It does not have a IP rating, but will do fine in the average rain. If you want the latest radio with duel band display, this is not the radio. If you want a solid performer, look no further. When we are all dead and gone, the aliens will find Roaches and FT-60's. They are that reliable. I own two of them. It was my first HT when I got licensed about 12 years ago. I bought another about 6 months ago. Two is one, one is none. It is the one radio I never want to be without. I also have a FT-3D and FT-5D among others. The FT-60 is still the most reached for radio I have. It is a radio I'd bet my life on it working when needed. New ham ? Bypass the Baofeng and get a FT-60. You'll be glad you did. And yes, it can be MARS moded. This radio was designed in a time when top quality mattered (in Yaesu's Vertex times). They don't make them like this anymore. My original battery from 12 years ago still is at about 50%. Batteries are super reasonable to buy. Bottom line, the price is right, fast scanning, wide receive range, rock solid front end, easy to use and program, main body is metal, great memory channels, it's tough as nails and last but not least, it's a Kool Radio. You owe it to yourself to have at least one FT-60. When all else fails...There is the FT-60.
Thanks for your comments, John. I’m a brand new tech and hopefully general in a few weeks. Your additional comments helped. I think the FT-60R will be my first. I budgeted myself for a couple hundred more so i could have room to grow into more but, can’t seem to find a better option.
I just got my license last week and finally made my first contact last night. I used a diamond magnet mounted mobile antenna attached to an ammo can on my porch roof powered by a cigarette lighter power supply into a bluetti eb3a. I tried simplex and got a response, he said he too was using an ht on 5 watts, radio to radio bo repeater. He was about 35 miles away. Not bad at all, he said I came in full quiet, not a single bit of static on both ends. I love this damn radio, I've had it for about one year now and that was my first official contact. Great radio I would like to buy another and give this one a Mars mod.
Still my all-time favorite radio.
This was my favorite radio and I don't think anyone can go wrong with purchasing one and I regret selling it a few years ago when I thought I had outgrown it. There's a reason it's still on sale nearly 20 years later. I recently bought a VX-6 and I think I might like that just a bit more but it's also a nearly 20 year old design. Says something about what Yaesu was doing then with these radios.
It is absolutely the BEST sounding HT out there, and I believe it's because of what you mentioned - it's a double-conversion super heterodyne radio. Even some of Yaesu's later radios simply don't sound as good as this one. Granted, I don't use it that often; but I sure am glad that I have it as a back-up. I liked it so much, that I bought one for the XYL! She's had good luck with hers. I had a Woxun KG-UV9D, and compared it's reception of the 800 mhz band, and the Air band to the FT-60R, and the 20 year old radio blew the 1 year old radio out of the water! Clear sounding audio as opposed to scratchy. The seletivity and the sensitviity are perfect! It's no wonder Yaesu doesn't want to retire this radio. It's a classic! I'll never part with it. You'll have to pry it from my cold, silent-key fingers! DE K7RLN
I have 3 of them. I have nothing newer. It is the best sounding, most reliable, easiest programmable, and after 19 years, a standard by which all other portables will be compared. I also have two other Yaesu monoband portables that use the same batteries so I have a ton of batteries, a multiple charger battery center, and spare batteries that work across several radios. Love my FT-60s.
The FT-60R is my first and only HT, purchased over a year ago. I have carefully considered numerous other HTs with a view to purchasing a more modern HT for working satellites using a pair of HTs, but I feel no need for digital capabilities at this time and would probably sooner buy a second superhet FT-60 before purchasing a typically pricier digital HT lacking full duplex - which is the only thing I miss on the venerable FT-60. Yaesu's venerable (classic) HT may lack some of the functionality featured on more modern HTs, but it handles the core task of analog 2m/70cm transmission/reception exceptionally well - better than most other newer Japanese HTs in fact. That is something that is not appreciated by anyone fixated on $$$ and trying to compare it to a Baofeng or any other generally inexpensive Chinese radio (Wouxan possibly excepted). Think of it as an "old money" HT that gets the job done reliably with understated style. On the other hand, fandangled "new money" radios tend to lack such basic amenities as a dedicated squelch knob or even a keypad. And the reason is almost certainly due to lack of space, as all HTs are a compromise in features and/or quality compared with larger mobile radios. The designers can only cram so much into a small space. With that in mind, Yaesu's designers thankfully opted for maximum quality of the basics in the given space instead of adding more features that most people don't need.
For all those people disappointed at the lack of a lithium battery, there is no reason to be concerned about the older battery technology IMO, because the standby current consumption of the FT-60 is low compared with feature-rich, more modern HTs, which need the higher energy density of a (more expensive and less environmentally friendly) Li-ion battery to power their often larger color screens and handle background tasks such as APRS, digital tasks, GPS, true dual-band monitoring, etc. Another bonus: Yaesu sells a AA-battery tray for the FT-60 that can be used in place of the standard NiHM battery and which supports a full 5W output. I'm not aware of another HT with that potentially lifesaving feature.
@Ham Radio Dude: The antenna seen in the beginning of the video is not the stock antenna, which does not need a spacer, as it screws down into the recess on the top of the radio and has the Yaesu logo near the base where yours appears to have short vertical lines. Most aftermarket antennas will require such a spacer as the one on your radio. But you can find a suitable rubber spacer at your local hardware store that will fill that gap and help retain sufficient water ingress protection. Speaking of which... My FT-60 sports a BNC adapter and a rubber spacer along with (normally) a Comet whip. One time, while multi-tasking in my yard and using the HT with the aforementioned BNC/Comet combo to monitor a local frequency, I got distracted and left the radio on the ground overnight - in the rain. That is no joke in SW Florida. I was dismayed when I realized my blunder, but the radio fired up the next day like nothing had happened after popping in a fresh battery. The FT-60 doesn't have an official IP-rating, but that unintentional test has me convinced that it will handle a deluge just shy of submersion. If you can get by with an analog dual-band HT, there is IMO no better choice than the FT-60R.
I just bought my FT60 and I am learning how to use it. I love it!
Ya no se vende, no?. O lo has comprado de segunda mano?. Saludos!
I recently started learning about this hobby and first thing everyone recommended is to ditch the Baofeng and buy Yaesu FT-60. And to be honest it is currently my dream radio, unfortunately it is too expensive for my student life. But hopefully some day I'll get it 😄
This came in so clutch... im waiting on that next ft60 vid!!
Thanks! Later next week is the goal!
This is the best video on this radio I have found yet. I would have liked to see what every option in menu did, doesn't matter how long video gets or make a part 2. Also waiting fro the manual programming video, I use a RF/Systems program for mine but an in depth refresher on how to manually program would be fantastic.
Part 2 is definitely coming, Thanks! I just need to get some time. After these next two weeks, I will be trying to get caught up with these videos.
Great overview. Honest, broad ranging. I"ve subscribed.
A lot of SOTA guys in my area like it because it has decent selectivity and ability to reject other strong RF signals when on summits with high RF (towers, etc.). Not impervious but respectable.
Awesome video. Thank you so much for putting this together. Just picked up this radio as it was recommended by MANY people. I am looking forward to your other videos. Thanks again for taking the time to professionally and personally put this together. Plus, I appreciate how you approach your thoughts with care and concern. You also keep things clean. I appreciate that too. When people start using bad language, it feels so unprofessional and cheap. Keep up the great work!
Glad it was helpful!
I purchased a used FT-60R on EBay. According to the seller, the unit was acquired through an estate sale. I received the unit, and found out the unit was manufactured in 2006 (based on the serial number and the copyright year on the operating manual). I ended up purchasing a new battery at my local Ham Radio Outlet. After charging the new battery, I reset the memory and proceeded to key up repeaters and test transmit and receive on simplex. I'm listening to a net right now and the sound is very clear and clean on the FT-60R. I like it to the point I might get another one if it goes on sale at HRO during the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas sales.
Enjoyed this video on the FT-60R. I like the way you explained some of these features. i learned quite a bit.
Thanks, I still plan on doing the programming video it's just that I have a lot on my plate at the moment. But I'm looking forward to getting part two out there. I appreciate your support
My first HT was the HTX-202 from Radio Shack. My very next buy, and first dual-bander was the Yaesu FT-530.
The Yaesu just died on me! After 32 years, it finally got dropped once too often and landed, face down in two inches of muddy water 💧.
I've just last week got myself the FT-60. As a "Mate" to my FD-70 !
So yeah, I'm a big fan of Yaesu radios since the early 90's.
Thank you for doing the overview of the FT-60. I got my technicians license last year & tried to learn things on my own (no Elmers where I live) & first got a Wouxan KG9. For me, I had trouble understanding this radio (my fault since I am a beginner). I seem to program in some frequencies & some would work while others don’t. When I had the spare time, I would fiddle with it & not be on the air very much because I just could not grasp the operation/programming. While visiting my daughter in Phoenix, I noticed half of the keypad would not illuminate, & I never treated that device roughly. Hmm. I went over to HRO in Phoenix since none exists in my hometown & purchased the Yaesu FT-60r with RTsystems programming software/cable. After charging the FT-60 & programming it, I was actually using it within minutes, unlike the Wouxan I had after months of fiddling. The audio on the Wouxan also sounds distorted. It is much better on the Yaesu. I have much, much more to learn, but getting it to work this quickly was encouraging. The FT-60 is a great HT! Don’t waste money & time on stuff just a few dollars cheaper!
BTW, there have been some controversy online over FT-60’s being made in CCP China. I just picked up my FT60 less than a week ago & it is clearly marked made in Japan.
Nothing against everything made in CCP China. My iPhone is excellent & it is made in CCP China.
Having a dedicated squelch knob is the bomb!
I have been using FT60 for about 12 years, and after change the stock antenna with the antenna of TYT UV98, the Rx n Tx are sooo much better !!!
I am very happy that you're showing this radio off I think it's great because the radio deserves it it's a great darn radio for the price 🙂
I just programmed one for a friend. She had it in a box for a number of years. It's fairly easy to progam. There are steps you need that aren't in the manual.
This is good to know. I should finish the video for programming, soon. I'm sure it will help. Thanks for the info about the manual.
I've had my FT-60R since 2007. It also has the "2017" above the serial number so definitely not the year I bought mine. Love this little handheld. Its built like a tank!
Very interesting. Thanks!
The FT60 is awesome. Picked one up for $100. Mars mod and it's great. Think of it a a baofeng on steroids that is superheterodyne and a bit more reliable. I have a few HT's and this FT60 is dope af.
Don't know how I found your channel but I'm now subbed. 🤙🏽
You're doing a great job I have mine now for 30 years and it's still like brand new I think you're awesome showing this radio because it is truly well made it's a solid radio and it sounds great but I got batteries from battery America lithium ion battery in a Lithium-Ion charger to go with the batteries❤
Thank You, you're very kind, Joe!
One of the best sights of the Dayton Hamvention 2024 - a full 20 years after it was announced - was one of these bad boys for sale at the HRO booth. Granted it was still there at the end of the day on Sunday while plenty of the FT-65's were sold. But still a great sight. First radio for so many HAM's between 2004-2012.
Such a great radio it really is it's easy to program it does so much and I do like the lamp in it at night time it looks beautiful 🤩😊
My first Ht was an FT60. It is a bullet proof radio. It is one to kind of use as a standard. Love the detailed review of it. Super Heterodyne is a way great receiver! 73
Very informative! I'm an old ham from the late 1960's... WB8ANZ was my call sign which I did not renew after I was married. Nevertheless, I have purchased a Yaesu FT-60 to mainly listen to the air band. At my age, and with my health limitations, listening to the air band is my main entertainment. Your RUclips channel is also a nice option for me. You do great educational videos which I enjoy. Thank you for your tenacity to produce such fine videos.
Thank You. Hopefully I will be able to get part 2 out soon, now that I have some free time! Thank You for watching and learning!
Great video. This is a solid, good performing radio that has been in production for 20 years. It is reliable, easy to operate and reasonably affordable.
Keep this kind of videos coming please.
I most definitely will. Please let people know of my channel as it continues to help attract interest in the type of radios I am overviewing and reviewing and helps me to make more like this. Thanks for your support.
Have 2 of these radios. Leaned alot about it in this video. 73
I modified mine so it will change through the DC plug. It's pretty straightforward; a matter of bridging over a tiny capacitor with solder. It charges well, but I would highly recommend using only the Yaesu wall wart for charging. The Yaesu 12V cigarette lighter power adapter which I also have pushes much more current which heats up the cells and could easily damage them. I'm using Eneloop AA cells in the optional loose battery holder. 73
I did a bit more testing, and the Eneloop cells are full when the radio's displayed voltage reaches 9.4. More than that and the cells are saturated and just generate heat and would likely be damaged if left on the charge. It's a balancing act with the voltage and current supply of the wall wart. When at rest, the fully charged cells will be lower, so keep that in mind and only use the 9.4V in context.
Interesting! So the charger is still “in” the radio, but they just disabled it?
Wish Yeasu would make a factory car charger for the FT6.
@@KE5BCP It's basically just a straight applied voltage to the battery cells, not a regulator that I can tell. So a "dumb" charger, that's why it's important to make sure to use an appropriate power supply source, and presumably also why they disabled charging this way. You could ruin the cells or perhaps even the radio if not careful. A fire seems unlikely unless you go nuts and try using Li-Ion batteries or hook it straight up to the mains - so at least there's that! LOL But anyway, yeah, if you use the stock 12V 0.5A wall wart and don't leave it on the charge too long, it's a nice option to have for charging. An even better option would probably be using a 9V wall wart that doesn't require the low current rate as a safety dam. Cheers.
I’m glad to see a more in depth overview of the Yaesu FT60. I’m an older person, but a very new ham. I’m considering this Yaesu for a first real HT as it excels on the basics of sensitivity, selectivity, & sound quality for its size. It is also able to use AA batteries (the most internationally common battery) on transmit with the optional battery holder. I am weighing this against the Wuxian HT’s that have numerous choices, have more features like being able to monitor on more than one frequency, but seems a little weak on the FT60’s strengths- like difficult to program in the field, having proprietary battery packs, good but not as great on sensitivity, selectivity, etc… Seems like there is no one clear winner.
This was my 2nd handheld radio every. My first was the RadioShack VHF mini.
Love my FT60. I don’t recall you showing this on the radio so I don’t know if you are aware of it, but the radio does have the NOAA frequencies already programmed within. Instead of having to go to the VFO and putting them in, just hold down button 1 and it has them all channelized. Great video! Looking forward to more videos of this.
You know, you're absolutely right. I was going to do scanning and in the scanning features I was going to show the NOAA memory banks. Sometime during making the video I completely put that past my head and just showed memory banks. I could probably make this up in an episode where I show how to program the radio. Great point! Thanks
The yaesu ft60 has a die cast aluminum housing. Not plastic. Thats why its heavy
Thanks
Nice HT. I like good info in a longer video. I'll have to check if you have a similar 817/818 video.
Thanks. I do not, unfortunately.
Would have been nice, but no worries. I'll look forward to your other FT-60 videos too. 73
At one time I had an 817, but that was long before I decided to do RUclips. There are possibilities that maybe one day I'll get my hands on one again. Until then, thanks for watching
I respectfully disagree with your statement about the 60 not being usable for the blind. I am totally blind, and just bought one of these radios last week. Got it on Saturday, and using the different pitches of the tones in the radio, I'm able to discern where I am in most of the menus. It's not as good as a TH-D74, but not many handhelds are. Love the video by the way, and the fact that you leave the beeps on is an ennormous help, because I can get an idea of whether or not I'd be able to adapt specific radios for me to use without verbal feedback.
Thanks for the input. This is exactly why I don't typically speak of vision impairment features, typically. But I can keep trying in the videos. Knowing leaving the beeps on helps is something I'll remember. My thought was incorrect, which was,"if it doesn't speak to you, it's not good". I thank you for explaining the beeping and tones as a way to navigate! Enjoy the radio and take care
Great video. Extra points for knowing that HT = Handie-Talkie.
Handheld Transceiver... 😏
🙄 here we go
@@HAMRADIODUDE All in good fun. 73
@@WR3ND I realized thar after. More importantly, thanks for all the input in the comments section. That's useful for all. 73 to you
@@HAMRADIODUDE I thought you were just trolling the pedantic hams with the Handie-Talkie comment. Last time I try to be your wingman. My bad.
Yes in 2023, most people do actually mean handheld transceiver when they use the acronym HT. But to pretend that HT didn't originally stand for Handie-Talkie is just ignoring history. The Handie-Talkie was the original HT. You should do a video on that. The comments section will be wild.
I am learning to use this radio and your video has been a nice find. In programming it, if I hit the wrong key or screw it up some other way, how can I easily "erase" or fix it? Is there a 'back' button somehow? It is frustrating if you make a small mistake. Thanks.
Turn it off and back on?
@@matthennagersguitarlessons That is what I had to do..but think there has to be a better way..ha.
Batteries America makes a charger in lithium ion batteries for that radio a lot more milliamps and lot more time ❤️
Thank You!
Almost went with this radio. Stepped it up to the VX-6R, which is a more robust and feature rich radio IMO.
Oh man. I'm disappointed in this comment. Why, you may ask.... Because I didn't know they still made the vx6r and now I need to get my hands on one. After all it's pretty intriguing that it's a tri-band. I'm kidding around admit the disappointment 🤣. Have a good one... Now to go find a vx6r
@@HAMRADIODUDE Ha. Yup. Go get one! But, from a guy that only uses HT’s for SOTA primarily, the 60 was my initial inclination. However, the difficulty in finding OEM lithium batteries was one aspect of my decision. Vertex stopped making the lithium batteries that would work. Now it’s only sketchy 3rd party options or make my own. I prefer lithium over the NiMH.
Still in production? I mean can find a brand new ft60? Thanks
Got one comin in :]
Awesome!
I have Yaesu FT-60 - not an R. Have license but have not used this radio in a long time and have forgotten basics - how to find where I can hear for instance weather, and basically how to use this radio. What videos do you have to help me!!!
This was my first upgrade radio from the uv-5r. What a difference! There's a nice 3D printable 18650 battery pack on Thingiverse that would make a great how-to video (wink wink).
I'm ON IT! Thanks for the tip (and to anyone reading www.thingiverse.com/thing:3286597). The most difficult thing for me will be the altoids tin for contacts. I'll probably cut myself or lose an eye :D
Eneloop cells work well. They're a bit of a hidden gem.
can a aftermarket company decide to change from Ni-mh battery to Lithium Ion, that would mean the chargers would have to be changed out? The Circuit board?
There are LI batteries out there. They would require a LI charger and would not be able to be charged in the radio by the radios internal charging. There is also a "AA" battery pack that allows full power output use.
This seems to be more basic compared to the Baofeng UV-17L Pro I picked up a few weeks ago. They are both 5 watt hand held radios. Would the Yaesu somehow transmit and receive from further away and connect better to repeaters? That’s really the only thing that will sway me to spend so much more money on the radio and accessories.
Mine is like 6 years ol and neve any issues
it sure is a great radio but I wont buy because of battery type.... why yaesu does not upgrade it to lithium?
❤ Hallo even met René uit Nederland Ik heb dezelfde portofoon Duo banden de standaard frequenties die er nu in zitten Kan ik die ook veranderen dat hij lager of hoger kan Groetjes vanuit Nederland
I’ve learned that the easiest way to change frequencies is by using software. I used software from RTsystems which is better than Chirp for a beginner like me. You will need a computer (WIN or Mac) to run the software/interface. If you mean to expand the operational frequencies, there is the MARS mod to consider, which involves the removal of a small surface mounted component on the main board.
Hi. Why does my FT60 show error when transmitting?
Perhaps you're attempting to transmit out of band?
I lived my FT-60... to bad it wasn't mine LOL. I hated the battery life and in 2023 it needs the aftermarket Li-ion battery! Matter of fact it should be the first accessory you buy over a hand mic. Hell dont bother with a hand mic! Have you looked at the pin out? its the worst pin out ever, if mic cable is lightly out, it transmits! Happens on the ft-60, ft70 and my vx-150.
I'll check out the pin out. Definitely want a new battery pack for this one. Being used, I think the cells are not great
are you in Chitown
Someone does make a lithium ion battery for this radio.
still doing that set up video?
Yep
I jumped straight to the FT-5DR when I got Technician, so I don't have the FT-60. But in my experience, NiMH batteries like those in the FT-60 hold their charge longer than Lithium ion batteries (FT-5, FT-65, most other modern radios). This could be am advantage for those who want a backup HT that won't get used (or recharged) very often. My only real concern is that batteries might become hard to find because the technology is older and used less often.
Also, the FT-60 feels more rugged than other HTs I have held and tried. Could be a very good choice for rougher-use situations.
Great information and great point regarding the batteries; Thank You!
@@HAMRADIODUDE I don't think you will ever have a hard time finding FT-60 batteries. Either Yaesu or aftermarket. There are so many of these radios out there and so much love for them, there will always be a demand for them.
NiMH cells typically do actually self-discharge much faster than Li-Ion cells, unless you're using something like Eneloop cells, but they're more of an exception than the norm.
Oh, also, I believe the stock battery pack is made in China, so it's unlikely to be low self-discharging. Eneloops are made in Japan.
can you get to the point we want sweet and short
Nope . This is what I do for a detailed overview. Thanks for watching
Definately not from 2017.
You're absolutely right. What year is it from?
@@HAMRADIODUDE From 2004 onwards. Yaesu still didn't archive it in their catalogue. It is a beautiful machine.
Stop with the hands!
I have a video coming out for it in about two hours