Yaesu FT-891: Status LED, SWR & Power Analysis
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- Опубликовано: 25 фев 2022
- This video shows how to interpret the FT-891 status LED and use it, along with the metering, to analyze SWR and RF power output.
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73, de N4HNH 
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You and some other RUclipsrs have convinced me that my portable, POTA, mobile radio will BE the 891. I have an FT-710 in my shack but the idea of having to unplug a bunch of wires if I want to go POTA is almost undoable - ha. Or at least 'unwannadoable'. Not to mention size and WEIGHT issues! Thanks for taking the time to make this vid. Up to now I was fearing the claims about the unbelievably horrible menu system. But I think I can negotiate them with time.
The menu system in the FT-891 isn’t horrible. But I hardly ever touch it anymore. I use the memory tune method that I showed in one of my videos. I have to grab the manual to tweak my ICOM 2m/70cm mobile rig. That’s a terrible menu system.
I’ve got a FTDX10 in the shack. I bought an Ft-891 at the end of December. Until recently I’d only used the 891 for a couple POTA activations. I put it in my pickup a couple weeks ago paired with an ATAS-120A antenna. Now that I’ve gotten familiar with the radio I really like it a lot.
Thanks for the videos, I’ve learned a lot from them about both the FTDX10 and the FT891 radios.
I can’t say that I’m extremely happy with the ATAS antenna. I took it down and put up a 40m Hamstick in its place. The receive quality seems to be a lot better.
I too am a fan of the ham stick antennas. I carry a fleet of them of course, but the performance makes it worth it. And the little FT-891 deserves more credit than it gets. We get so much bang for our buck. I’ve enjoyed mine as a base station, a portable, and a mobile.
Thank you for supporting this channel, James. I appreciate you.
73, de N4HNH
Thanks for all your videos,I just got my new 891 n totally set it up in 7 minutes n get fantastic reports for my audio etc :) saves us all so much time so thanks again 👍👍
You’re very welcome, Andy! I appreciate hearing from those who have found the channel helpful.
73, Doug
Doug these short format videos that address a specific feature or issue are great. Easy to save to a playlist and reference back to in the future.
Thank you! I’m glad you like that format. It’s a double-edged sword I guess. It means that there are so many videos that some people get lost, or so I have been told. But Playlists are the way to manage it.
73, de N4HNH
Thanks for the great video, Doug ! I use my FT-891 almost exclusively for POTA. I had a situation that might be of interest to those who see they have no power out. I run a portable vertical antenna that one time was shorted out so the entire unit was transmitting to ground. In that state the antenna acted just like your dummy load. The SWR reading was 1.1:1 but no signal was outgoing. One way to check if this is your problem is to test the SWR on all bands. If the SWR is great all across the board, be suspicious. You may have lost the insulator between the parts of your antenna that needs to be loaded and the stand.
Great point, Jim. 73, Doug
Very helpful, realized my SWR was way high on my FT-891
I’m glad you liked it.
I enjoy these FT-891 videos just as much as the FTDX10 series! Thanks!
I bounce all over the place. There is no format. Many of my videos are the result of something that comes to mind while I am operating. If I run across something that I think should be shared, I do. Of course I can only share videos related to the radios I own.
I’m glad you like the FT-891. It’s an unsung hero.
@@n4hnhradio If I could only have one rig the 891 would be it.
If I could only have one rig, it would be the FT-991A.
Thanks for the out of range explaination. I just have been confused by the red blinking light when tx out of Ham bands.
You’re very welcome! 73, de N4HNH
Doug....Thank you for taking the time and effort to put up this video. While I do not have the FT-891 I found it interesting to watch and It is great to see a well done and researched video and I very much appreciate the time and effort you must have put in to make this one. I find HF mobile too dangerous now... here in Ireland we have tiny tiny country lanes and even staying accident free without the detraction of a nice HF radio can be a challenge at times. When mobile I stick with VHF and UHF as that can be done with a single button press... and at 77 years old... that's just about all I can manage .
Albert.
EI7II
Hi Albert! Yes HF mobile can be dangerous. I have learned the FT-891 to the extent that I can operate mobile with very little button pushing; only glancing at the transceiver occasionally. That is covered in a video from a couple of months ago. Memory Tune is a big part of my operating method.
Thank you for your kind comment! I wish you all the best. Congratulations for 77 years. I’m sure you’ve experienced a great many things. I wish you many more birthdays.
73, Doug
Great video 73
I’m glad you liked it. 73, de N4HNH
@@n4hnhradio Was on QRZ and looked your call up. Pretty impressive resume. I just got and ft981. Very impressive little rig. Anyway just wanted to say 73 and stay radio active ✌
Yes, the FT-891 is a very capable transceiver. Thanks for stopping by.
Doug, Great video helped me a ton. Just picked up the FT891 today and am trying to learn the bells and whistles. So far awesome radio except for the freq lock that I haven't figured out how I turned it on or how to turn off but I will get. Keep up the great videos!!! 73...WB3FRL
Hi Don! Congratulations! Remarkable radio, the FT-891. Tap the power button to toggle the VFO lock on or off.
73, de N4HNH
@@n4hnhradio Thanks Doug! I decided to read the manual when I went to bed and low and behold I found it. It was driving me crazy! Thanks for the response! 73...WB3FRL
Tried my radio for the first time on tx tonight...oh no no output...red flashing tx light...thought it must be a warning.. Thanks for making your films h4hnh.. Now i know its a warning.. Food for thought.73S
I’m glad you found the video. 73
👍Good job!
Thank you! 73, de N4HNH
Can't thank you enough for this!!! '73 de
You’re very welcome! 73, de N4HNH
Please look for an email from me in the next few days...thanks...Larry
@@n4hnhradio just sent you an email now....thanks...L.
Great video. New General and recent ft 891 owner. How would you rate the accuracy of the radio's SWR meter? Trying to to determine if an external swr meter is a necessary expense.
Built-in SWR meters are not generally as accurate as external ones, but they are accurate enough to serve their purpose. A reading of 1.7:1 might be within a “tick” or two off, but that’s close enough. External ones can be off a tick or two as well, unless you pay the price for one that is calibrated to within +/- 5% against the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
I own a RigExpert ZOOM AA-230 antenna analyzer. But I only use it when I first install the antenna, to get the SWR set initially. After that I rely on the built-in SWR meter for relative diagnostics.
I leave my meter set for SWR. If I see the reading suddenly go full scale, I know that either my antenna or coax has a serious problem. If it goes slightly above 2:1, it usually means my antenna has water or ice accumulated on it.
If the SWR rises much above 2:1, the FT-891 will start cutting power output to protect itself. The built-in SWR bridge will provide a close enough reading for the protection circuitry (foldback circuit) to function.
73, de N4HNH
I use my FT-891 as backpack radio for POTA activations and it has been a great little radio. One quick question about the meter. I’ve watched many of your videos and have noticed your meter indicates differently than mine. My meter bar just moves up and down while your meter momentarily leaves a single pixel at the peak. Is that a setting option or maybe a software update? I have yet to find it discussed in the manual. Thanks for the great videos on both the FT-891 and FTDX10. You have shown me many features I would never have known about. Keep ‘em coming! Ed Morris, K5KMY.
Hi! Check menu selection 2-05. That controls the Peak-Hold. I am running latest firmware, but the Peak-Hold option was there before. I didn’t notice any appreciable improvement with the firmware update they put out last year. I don’t usually update unless I’m having trouble. My FTdx10 is still at version 01-04. They are up to 01-09 now.
73, de N4HNH
Wow.
Great videos Doug, I have a question regarding the 891, I seem to be approx 3 S points lower on the receive compared to my 991A on say 20m SSB and was wondering if you could try and expalin to me how this could be, same antenna, many thanks
Is there a difference in gain structure? IPO, ATT, etc.? Be careful that you don’t transmit one radio while the other is turned on, especially if they are tuned to the same band. It can damage the receiver front end.
73, de N4HNH
@@n4hnhradio Hi Doug, all Ipo and Att settings are the same on both radios, only have one on at a time with another station transmitting to me while I change radios over, it seems strange that there is such a difference in the receive signals
73, MW7KDA
There shouldn’t be a difference. That’s why I was concerned that maybe you accidentally transmitted with the FT-991A while the FT-891 was powered on. I put both radios up against one another in some of my videos and they were fairly close in performance on receive. The FT-991A will have a slight edge though because it borrows some of the receiver front-end architecture from the FTdx5000.
You didn’t mention which mode. With CW the S-meter readings will drop significantly when using less than a 150 Hz bandwidth. That’s normal though, and it should drop about the same with both radios.
73, de N4HNH
Great video. One note. You did the tests with the processor turned on. So the power was optimized anyway. But it's nothing. I have a request. Could you please make a video of how the ALC behaves at 100W and under an artificial load? No cpu and rf gain at 50% in CW. Because I have such a radio and I wanted to see if it shows the same.
I always run the processor. I never use ALC. I only watch the ALC meter when adjusting mic gain and processor level.
Thank you, I just bought this radio and trying to figure it out. By the way what does a green led mean?
If you enable squelch, and set it to mask the noise, when a signal overcomes the squelch, the green LED illuminates. This can be helpful if you had the volume turned down. You will have a visual indication of a signal.
Doug -- Can I use a "Cross-Needle" SWR meter on the FT-891 instead of the automatic versions?? I don't see anything related to this in the manual(?). Thank you.
You should be able to use any type of external power or SWR meter that you wish. I do.
Doug: what make and model of meters do you use on the 891?@@n4hnhradio
This is a great portable rig and I’ve had a lot of fun activations with it. It’s my go-to rig. For /p, Rx current is a bit high for portable operation but it’s still an awesome rig and a great price too. 73 de Will, M0LGW
Hi Will! Yes, the RX current for mine is approximately 1A at a reasonable volume level. But I can tolerate that. The batteries I use (3aH & 6aH LiFePo4) provide plenty of power for a day of SOTA. I can usually activate 2 or 3 summits with the 6aH, amounting to approximately 100 contacts.
Thanks for your comment!
73, Doug
Can you test your SWR on FT-891 in SSB voice mode or must you switch to AM or CW?
The SWR will display in SSB mode. It will track with your voice peaks. Whistle into the mic to get the highest reading.
At 3:30 mark in video is the dummy load something extra we have to attach to the ft 891? Where can we buy a cheap tester dummy load?
A dummy load is a 50-Ohm load that equates to a dummy antenna. It allows me to test the transmitter without actually radiating a radio wave that can be received by other amateur radio operators. A dummy load is primarily used for testing a transmitter. It provides the radio with something akin to a “perfect” antenna that doesn’t actually radiate a signal.
Additionally, it isn’t legal, or polite, to radiate a signal without identifying with a callsign. I didn’t want to be heard by anyone else, so I used a dummy load. Therefore saying my callsign is optional. But, I often say my callsign anyway, just to provide some verbiage with which to test the output power of the transmitter.
A dummy load is indeed a separate purchase. However it isn’t a requirement. Normally you connect the radio to an antenna. I happen to use a switch that allows me to select either an antenna (when I want to be heard) or a dummy load (for testing my radio transmitter).
73, de N4HNH
thank you@@n4hnhradio
Got it. Thanks@@n4hnhradio
DOUG: How accurate is the 891's SWR readings? Say I'm transmitting with the 891 and the SWR is 1.5:1. I then whip-out a RigExpert analyzer and read the antenna's SWR direct at the coax input and the SWR reads something far different. What should I be thinking at this point??
I find the SWR meter in the FT-891 to be reasonably accurate. Not exact but possibly within 0.2:1 to 0.3:1 of what my cross-needle meter shows. In your case, I suspect the coax.
1. 10:26 you said you have to be quick about it and I must agree, the screen changes instantly. I have a problem with this because of my visual limitations, is there any way to change the time it takes the screen to change?
2. Thanks for showing how to go to the SWR meter display, I can’t find this process in the 891’s manual and I needed this as I set up my radio for the first time yesterday… I gave up and didn’t get on the air.
D.C.
WP4TGK
Don’t change bands that way. Follow the instructions in my video about using memory tune.
@@n4hnhradio it’s not just changing bands, I can’t even change modes because by the time I find the option (or before) it returns to previous view.
@azarellediaz4892 that’s what the video I mentioned is about. Store favorite frequencies and modes in memories. Change memory to switch to a different band/mode. It’s so easy that I can do it while driving.
@@n4hnhradio to store it I must first be able to get to it 🤪 I have half my sight, am old and this is a radio I haven’t had a single contact on because I still don’t know if my antenna is matched to the radio. Perhaps I should’ve stuck with my old CB’s that didn’t have so many buttons or menus. I’m a member of a local club where I can’t get help except told to read the manual… although they know I’m legally blind.
You would do better with a larger radio, like the FT-710. And shame on your local club.
Doing some messing around today and I believe HF power also affects FM transmit power. Did a few tests today on 10 meter repeaters. Have you noticed this? Thanks.
Only AM and SSB have separate power setting. CW and FM power is set in menus 16-03 and 16-06 (50MHz).
Ok thanks for the reply. You and your videos make learning this hobby much easier and enjoyable. Thanks again Sir. KK7NED
You’re very welcome but I cannot take the credit. If not for the generous monthly donations from Patreon members this channel would cease.
Red LED will also blink on off if the rig is powered up with the PTT depressed. Rig will not transmit even if in band. Saves a burnt out PA due to a struck PTT. Clever radio ..who's a good boy then!
Indeed, Denis. Something similar happened to me with my FT-920. I accidentally pressed the MOX button while powering down, in the dark. It is right next to the power button. Later, when I powered up again, the FT-920 TX indicator blinked.
73, Doug
Also blinks red when you accidentally plug external speaker into CW Key input on back of rig. How do I know this?
I just installed mine in my truck . I got a blinking light without pressing PTT. You know what it was? I had plugged the external speaker connector into the CW Key input. OOPS.
That can happen. The labels that define the connections on the back are on the bottom side of the radio.
Where can I get that bumper ? Thanks in advance
The protective rails are from: portablezero.com/
I use those rails because I carry that FT-891 in a backpack for SOTA hikes. The rails protect the knobs and connectors.
Zi affects tx Freq, but one can use split to overcome
ZIN is a different approach. ZIN adjusts both the RX and TX frequencies, so my transmitted frequency matches the transmitted frequency of the other station. This allows them to hear the CW pitch they prefer.
The Clarifier would be another method. If I use the Clarifier to adjust to their sending frequency, they don’t hear my transmissions at their desired pitch. My transmissions are at the frequency I originally dialed in. I could add the TX Clarifier to adjust my TX frequency to their RX frequency, but that is essentially what ZIN accomplishes. ZIN handles both the RX and TX with one button press.
You say your using a Dummy Load . Do you have the Dummy on the Radio TX out or are you using a SWR meter/tuner elsewhere with it . Also if I have a SWR meter/tuner in line to tune , should the 2 different meters both read a good SWR or do I depend on the Radio as the final truth ?
The dummy load is connected to my antenna switch. The antenna switch is connected to my amplifier. If the SWR meter is between the amplifier and an external antenna tuner, both the external SWR meter and the Radio SWR meter should read an acceptable SWR, once the antenna tuner has found a match. The radio meter and the external SWR meter might not exactly agree but they should be close. One might show 1.3:1 and the other 1.5:1.
Fine video ! What about green LED status ? 😀
If the squelch is enabled (menu 05-05), a green LED indicates that a signal or noise has broken through the squelch threshold.
@@n4hnhradio Thank you so much !
I asked you this because in your video we did not see the green LED when the YAESU is receiving... Greetings from France ! 😀
@aureliusprimus I don’t have squelch enabled in the video. The green LED function is covered on page 17 of the operating manual. The FT-891 will automatically enable squelch when operating in FM mode. (Sadly, FTdx10 and FT-710 do not have that feature). The green LED automatically comes into play with FM mode. You might squelch out the noise and accidentally turn down your volume. The green LED will alert you that there is a signal. If you want squelch for all modes, go to menu 05-05 and set it to SQL. The RF Gain control will then act as a squelch control. Most people prefer RF Gain for SSB and AM.
@@n4hnhradio ok my friend and thanks a lot…
Another thing : I setup
Power in AM SSB mode but I did not find how to setup power in FM mode. Do you know how I can setup Power in FM mode ? 😊
@aureliusprimus you probably need my menu optimizations document. It is available for S7 Patreon members who join for a year.
Hello Doug sent you friend up in one land, if that is his location. For got to tell him that you sent me to him.
Still thinking 991a which a lot bigger than the 891
73 KQ4CD Paul
I asked his permission for you to contact him, so he was already expecting to hear from you.
@@n4hnhradio ok
73 de W3PDW
73, de N4HNH
Ftdx10 do not have peak power output, if you transmit at ftdx10 the meter only indicate average output.
That is correct. You must whistle a loud and steady tone in SSB mode, or use FM mode, to check for full power when using only the internal metering. I don’t watch the PO meter anyway. I always leave the meter set for SWR, as shown in this video.
73, de N4HNH
@@n4hnhradio Thank You
HF PWR is for Data
HF Power controls CW power in mine. But that’s because I don’t do data. It’s actually the power level for other modes that don’t have a dedicated power level listed in the menu.
On 7.2MHz lSB it doesn't send too (german version), Thats bad. 7.2MHz is the upper border of 40m in germany.
Cela correspond pas du tous au titre
Yes, it does.