Indigo Foxtrot…

The Yaesu FT-950 HF/6m transceiver is my primary HF radio. It is a highly configurable rig with separate firmware for each of the main CPU and DSP chips. My FT-950 has main CPU software version 0110 and DSP software version 11.53. At the time of writing these are the current (i.e. latest) releases. Released in May 2009 they are widely regarded as having made a number of significant improvements to the radio. By way of comparison, prior to owning the FT-950 I have also owned the following HF radios - Kenwood TS-510, TS-120, TS-440, TS-870 and TS-480, Icom IC-737, IC-703, IC-740, Yaesu FT-901D, FT-897, JRC JST-245.

Measuring 365mm x 115mm x 315mm (WxHxD) the FT-950 is bigger in the flesh than it appears in pictures. I was quite surprised at just how big it is. This isn’t to say it’s particularly large - I was just expected something smaller, although having said that I do like the bulk and overall appearance of the radio - it looks like a serious amateur radio transceiver! To illustrate this point I have taken a picture of the radio beside a well known household object for reference. Configuring the FT-950 is done in large part through the 118 menu controlled parameters. I’m going to sub-divide these into what I’m calling either ‘options’ or ’settings’. ‘Options’ are things like the paddle or keyer type - ’settings’ are things like carrier insertion frequencies. Basically I work on the basis you can do no harm by getting the ‘options’ set wrong whereas you can get in a right pickle if you get too many ’settings’ wrong.

FT-950 with 330ml cola can for reference

I have made a few changes to a number of options - to provide for using an iambic paddle in the front key jack and computer keying from the rear jack, I’ve also set the option to NOT change the displayed frequency in CW or data modes but to display the carrier frequency - the default is to have the frequency offset in PSK31 (for instance) by the value of menu option 055 - this was initially the cause of some confusion (particularly when working PSK31) until I compensated for that by applying the corresponding offset in menu option 054. The net results of this is that on 20m USB a dial frequency of 14.070 results in PSK31 signals transmitted on a frequency corresponding 14.070 plus the audio offset (centered on 1500Hz). This may not be your preferred way of working but it’s what I’m used to and it works well for me.

FT-950 extreme close-up

I’ve made very few changes to settings. Changes of note are things like setting the processor level, TX bandwidth and DNR (of which more later). I am still using all of the default settings for things like contour width and depth, TX audio equalisation and carrier insertion points for SSB. The radio seems to work very well with default settings although you might prefer a slightly different setup - there is certainly considerable scope for variation and experimentation. What I have found over the past 5 weeks, in which time I have used the radio quite a lot on all modes, is that I have gradually tweaked the radio to work the way I want it and in a way that best suits my operating. It’s very much an evolutionary process and I suspect I’m not done yet! I work mostly RTTY and PSK31 digimodes with some CW and a bit of SSB. I’m not a great CW operator but it is a mode I use to make contacts that I just wouldn’t be able to make using other modes, especially contests and DXpeditions.

Since this is essentially a user review, rather than considering particular features of the radio one after another, I’m going to consider how well the radio fulfils my requirements in each of the modes for which I use it.

RTTY - this is my most used mode and this just has to work well for any radio to be accepted into the shack. Furthermore it has to provide proper FSK keying, which the FT-950 does. I use the SB-2000 interface unit and this is driven by MMTTY software using the PORTIO extension to key the FSK line.

For RTTY I do not use the DNR function of the FT-950 - my findings with the DNR suggest it doesn’t work well with narrow band modes being better suited to broadband modes like SSB or AM reception. The most important feature of the radio, when using RTTY or other narrow band modes, is the digital IF filtering, and in my opinion this works very well.

I had previously used a TS-480 for RTTY with a 500Hz filter but I found that was a bit too wide, especially on crowded bands during contests. I am finding that I can now eliminate even strong adjacent signals by reducing the IF passband to 200Hz and still get good copy of the isolated RTTY signal. I also find that the digital notch can be used to take out any interfering signals from between the mark & space frequencies (as can happen when signals overlap on a very crowded 20m band during a big contest). I’m finding the FT-950 to be a very capable and easy to use RTTY radio.

PSK31 - until I really got into RTTY about 3 years ago, this was my primary mode of operation. I worked many all time new ones on 20m PSK31 and it’s still a mode I very much enjoy working - even more so with the FT-950. Just like RTTY, when working PSK31 I don’t use the DNR because over time it starts to remove the signal as well as the unwanted noise. I’m hoping that the Yaesu engineers might eventually release a better noise reduction algorithm for digimodes (and CW) in a future version of the DSP software.

When working PSK I like to run quite a wide waterfall so I have the IF bandwidth set to 1200Hz in normal running and 500Hz in the NAR[row] setting. I can then dial that all the way down to 100Hz if I centre the required signal in the passband - this eliminates interference and AGC pumping from other strong signals and provides good copy for all but the weakest of signals. It’s fantastic to see how the strong signals disappear from the waterfall as you narrow the IF bandwith. The screenshot shown to the right illustrates how effectively the digital IF filtering reduces the passband, removing the unwanted signals in the process. This picture shows the passband opening up from 100Hz (at the bottom) to 1700Hz (at the top). For PSK31 (and very occasional PSK63) I use the Digipan software (as I have done for some 4 years now) which is connected to the radio through the SB-2000 interface. This combination works well but I do intend moving to DM780 so as to better utilise the features of Ham Radio Deluxe (which I have only recently started using since acquiring the FT-950).

opening the IF bandwidth from 100Hz to 1700Hz

CW - not my favourite mode but one I persevere with because of the good DX to be had there. I tend to favour contests and DXpeditions for the short & sweet exchanges but I do sometimes have slightly longer QSO’s, even if this extends to little more than an exchange of report, operator name and location. As with digimodes I do not use the DNR on the FT-950 for CW. I find that a combination of narrow IF bandwidth plus the CW audio peaking contour facility more than makes up for it! It does mean that signals even slightly off zero beat are significantly attenuated which can be less than desirable for stations working [say] a 250Hz spread where I find it helps to be able to hear other calling stations (and where I’d use TX clarifier rather than full split). However, for a wider ’split’ (>500Hz say) this isn’t an issue as I then revert to VFO A/B split and I flick to the TX frequency to listen as needed. As for digimodes the digital IF flitering is a big advantage and I can reduce the bandwidth to 200Hz before I start to detect some ringing. Most of the time I run NAR[row] at 300Hz and wide setting at 500Hz.

For contest exchanges (and DXpeditions) I use computer keying with macros set to send callsign and report or contest exchange. I use the CWType software by Sergei (UA9OV) and this again interfaces to the radio through the SB-2000 which provides CW keying over the DTR line.

I had some initial doubts as to how well the FT-950 was working on CW but having now used it for 5 weeks or more, and having made some very nice CW contacts, I am convinced it is an excellent CW radio.

SSB - not my most used mode but one I use whenever I can because it is still a mode I very much enjoy working. Unfortunately my compromise antenna means I’m never likely to have the biggest signal on the band but I still make plenty of contacts and I have had several unsolicited ‘nice sounding audio’ comments from stations worked.

I work SSB with DNR setting #1 which provides minimal noise reduction - doing little more than reducing the high frequency hiss. I use default TX EQ settings with the processor ON and processor level XXX (mic gain in the 10 o’clock position). One significant change I have made is to reduce my TX bandwidth to 2.2Khz (menu number 000) to provide a bit of extra DX punch. This led one contact (on being asked by me how I was sounding) to remark that I had ‘good audio…just sounds a bit pinched’ which given that’s what I would expect was fine with me, especially as I’m not at all into broadcast quality audio (and the 4KHz wide signals that entails) - I am more concerned with just getting through and working the DX.

In terms of RX bandwidths I run with a wide setting of 2.8KHz and will at times reduce this to 2.4KHz if the band is crowded. For the NAR[row] setting I use 1.8KHz and this really allows you to pick out the weak ones or to isolate a signal in the midst of many other strong signals such as might be found during a big contest. The digital IF filtering works very well and I’m very impressed with the SSB performance of the FT-950. The recovered audio might not be as silky smooth as my old Kenwoods (especially the TS-870) but it is well rounded and natural sounding (unless of course you run it really narrow).

In summary - I have to say that the FT-950 has fulfilled all of my expectations. Granted there are some features of the radio that might be better implemented by having a dedicated front panel control instead of a menu option but that would likely have led to a bigger, more expensive radio. I certainly have no problem with diving into the menu every once in a while to change a setting or an option - over time you end up doing that less and less often anyway. I like my Yaesu FT-950 very much and I consider it money well spent. For its feature set you’d be hard pressed to find a better radio for the price!