Mike Zero Tango Bravo X-ray
an adventure with amateur radio

Station Details

• 5 min read • Updated Dec 18, 2011

FT-897 / FT-897D — Announced in the early 2000s (QST reviewed it in May 2003), the FT-897 series was an all-band, all-mode HF/6 m/2 m/70 cm transceiver aimed at base, mobile, and field use, with options for internal batteries and tuner—essentially a “go-anywhere” shack in a box. Yaesu discontinued the 897D around June 2014; in practice, the HF/VHF/UHF all-mode role moved to the touch-screen FT-991 series (later the 991A), though the 991 is more “compact base” than backpack rig.

FT-857D — Reviewed by QST in August 2003, the 857/857D packed 100 W HF + 6 m plus 2 m/70 cm into one of the smallest all-mode mobiles ever, sharing architecture with the 897. Production ended circa 2019–2020 with no true one-box successor; most hams now fill the gap with the HF-only FT-891 (2016) plus a separate VHF/UHF rig, or step up to the all-band FT-991A.

FT-817ND — The FT-817 debuted in 2001 and became the iconic QRP “do-everything” portable: HF through UHF, all-mode, with an internal battery. The ND refresh (2004) added 60 m channels (US), tweaks, and updated accessories. Yaesu later replaced it with the FT-818 (slightly higher power, bigger battery, built-in TCXO), but in December 2022 Yaesu announced the end of FT-818 production as well.

VX-7R — A rugged, waterproof (to 1 m/30 min) magnesium-cased HT from the mid-2000s that transmitted on 50/144/430 MHz (plus low-power 220 MHz on US models) and featured a wideband receiver and true dual receive—popular with emergency and outdoor users. It’s discontinued; Yaesu’s tri-/quad-band handheld lineage continued via the VX-8 family and, in the “tough, waterproof” slot, the still-current VX-6R line rather than a 1:1 VX-7 successor.

FT-8900R — Yaesu’s quad-band FM mobile (10 m/6 m/2 m/70 cm) offering about 50 W on the lower three bands and ~35 W on 70 cm, with dual receive, full-duplex VHF/UHF, cross-band repeat, and 800+ memories. It’s now listed by Yaesu as a Legacy product and no direct Yaesu replacement has appeared; owners typically migrate to dual-banders or non-Yaesu quad-band sets.

VX-3R — The ultra-mini dual-band (2 m/70 cm) successor to the VX-1R/VX-2R line, notable for its shirt-pocket size, ~1.5 W (2 m) / 1 W (70 cm) on the internal battery, wideband receive (AM/FM broadcast through VHF/UHF air/TV), and clever touches like stereo FM with the headset used as the antenna. It’s discontinued; there’s no direct Yaesu micro-HT replacement today.

LDG YT-100 — The YT-100 is an automatic/semi-automatic antenna tuner designed by LDG specifically for Yaesu HF transceivers (FT-100/FT-100D, FT-857/857D, FT-897/897D). It supports tuning across 1.8 to 54 MHz (HF + 6 m), consumes its power via the Yaesu CAT port (no separate power cable), and delivers up to ~100-125 watts SSB/CW/AM, with somewhat lower limits in digital modes. It features memory tuning (2000 frequency memories) so that once you tune on a given frequency, subsequent tuning is very fast. It also includes bypass mode, remote switch support, and is intended to integrate tightly with those Yaesu radios via the CAT/Linear interface (mode switching, power reduction etc during tuning). As for what replaced or succeeded it: there doesn’t seem to be a direct one-for-one newer model that does exactly the same thing with all the same Yaesu-specific integrations; rather LDG has focused more on generic zero-power tuners (e.g. Z-series) and some rig-specific / portable units. So the YT-100 remains useful for people using those Yaesu rigs who want that tight integration.

LDG Z-11Pro II — This is a more general (“generic”) automatic tuner from LDG, intended for use in base, mobile, or portable settings. It handles up to 125 watts SSB (lower figures for digital modes), covers about 1.8–54 MHz (HF + 6 m), uses latching relays (very low/no power draw in standby), and has 2,000 memory locations, so it can “remember” tuning solutions for previously used frequencies to speed things up. It was designed with battery-powered / portable / mobile use in mind, emphasizing low power consumption when idle (“zero power” standby) and being compact/light. It also provides manual fine-tuning (L Up/Down, C Up/Down) for those who like to tweak matches. In terms of replacement: Z-11Pro II is itself an evolution of earlier Z-11/Z-11Pro models. There isn’t a newer model that entirely dwarfs its capabilities in its class (portable/auto tuner up to ~125 W) as of the latest information found, though LDG continues to offer other tuners with higher power, or more specialized feature-sets, depending on needs.

Equipment used from my main QTH

  • FT897 YT-100 FT8900
  • FT-897D Multimode Transceiver
  • LDG YT-100 Tuner
  • Home made doublet and a Hustler vertical antenna
  • FT-8900E Quad Band FM Amateur Radio Transceiver (when not in the car)

Equipment used when out in the car

  • FT857
  • ATAS120
  • Sometimes I put the FT-857D in the car with the ATAS antenna system.

Equipment used when in the field

  • FT857 LDGZ11Pro
  • FT-857D Multimode Transceiver
  • LDG Z11 Pro 2 Tuner
  • Various Antennas

Handheld equipment used

  • vx3 vx7 id51 d878uv
  • Yaesu VX3 Handheld Transceiver
  • Yaesu VX7R Handheld Transceiver
  • Icom ID-51 Handheld Transceiver
  • Anytone d878uv Plus Handheld Transceiver

Hope this gives you a feel of the various components that make up a radio station. I look forward to contacting you on the air in the future. — Kevin (M0TBX)

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