Yaesu FT-891 POTA: Breaking in my new-to-me transceiver during a chilly activation!

[@JayN4GO]

891 is an amazing pota Cw rig. Begali looks great next to it.

[@mikemiles3068]

Great video Thomas❗️ The FT 891 is my favorite radio, the more you use it you won’t even think about the menu’s.

[@KaL_Terow]

I bought one last month and I'm wondering why it took me so long. 73

[@thomasrossow2130]

Hello Thomas, I have to say a big thank you to you at this point. You inspired me through your videos to keep learning CW and not be afraid to activate. I slowly approached it with initially only a few CW QSO's during an activation and the last three completely in CW. Through your vids I've seen that other OMs are much more likely to overcome their insecurities and put their skills on the bands. Thank you very much. vy 73 Thomas dc5ly

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Thank you so much for the kind note, Thomas. I'm honored to have even played a small role in your CW journey! Keep up the amazing work! Cheers, Thomas K4SWL

[@mcdeadsquirrel]

That's MY rig, too!!!!! Super, Tom!!!! '73 Lar

[@Relayer1974]

Coffee and Tom is a great way to start the week!

[@Windmill97]

Agreed!

[@EvanK2EJT]

Woohoo! First call was me! LOL

[@skepticalmechanic]

Love my 891😊 I take it every where and know it inside out!

[@jolebole-yt]

First I found your website.. now I found your YT channel. Good stuff. Im a new General Ham and I'm learning new things every day thanks to people like you.

[@m0aze611]

I’ll confess straight away that I’ve had the generic solidly built Yaesu QRP and QRO sets and I just didn’t get on with them because I only used them in the field - bought a KX3 . Filtering and keying on this sounds great and smooth. Thanks for posting regards Mike

[@DonLevey-j7b]

Just wanted to add my voice to the chorus of "thank yous". I normally watch your videos on the big screen in the living room, and the interface doesn't let me Like or Comment, so I came here. You've encouraged me to pursue CW more seriously, and I've made my first POTA contact as a CW hunter just a few minutes ago. Your videos inspire me to continue, and start my own activations later in the summer, and I listen to you to hone my CW skills at picking up call signs and states at a much higher rate than I'm normally accustomed. Thank you again, and I hope to see you on the air. -Don (KC1HBG)

[@ThomasK4SWL]

So very kind of you, Don. Thank you so much. :)

[@Windmill97]

You can do it, Don!

[@skepticalmechanic]

Absolutely love my 891

[@WB0RLJ]

Your enthusiasm was quite evident today, Thomas! 🙂 I love the FT-891. Your comments encouraging hunters to shift off of frequency just a bit are necessary and should be frequently repeated. When all the hunters zero-beat the activator's frequency, they just add to the blob that sounds like one continuous tone. It's impossible to pick-out one individual station from that blob, and it gets very frustrating for the activator. It's a breath of fresh air to hear that one station (which may actually be a QRP station) stand out from the crowd. Great work, Thomas! 73

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Thank you, Jim! You do such a superb job managing pileups on your end! Always great to work you!

[@pkvalsvik]

Thank you again for you videos! You have inspired me to take out my old lisence (never used) my old radios and starting small making contact with the local clubs, and accidentally 😅 bought myself the tx-500 in preparation for the good weather so I can go for POTA and SOTA, and you realy inspire me to learn CW!! The last one will take forever, but I'm so grateful for your videos and I hope you see how much inspiration and life you bring to the wonderful ham radio community! 73 de LA1FUA

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Excellent, Peter! Thank you so much for the kind comment. :)

[@tommcmichael8679]

I always have troubles with Y and F. It's crazy. Thanks again! I always learn something.

[@alvarogaitan2529]

great radio Thomas congratulations enjoy your rig 73

[@johnratcliffe6438]

The FT891 is incredible; it's my portable rig for SSB. I love it.

[@johnblouch3309]

I agree. Subtitles would be awesome if you had time. I am a new CW learner as well. It's exciting. I am starting to understand the Cw protocol. Love your videos. Great job thank you very much.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Yes, I really wish I had the time to add them. Sadly, I don't. :(

[@AzPauly]

Thanks for posting, I was about to pull the trigger on a G90 however, after reviewing eHam and other reviews, the lack of North America service/parts support has me pointed at the Yeasu 891.. having owned a Kenwood TS-590 & TS-50 and IC-7300 I feel the quality is more inline and the extra $ will be well spent.. thanks again.

[@luisfigueroa3300]

Thanks for the great tips on frequency control and tailing. When I hear a long pile up, I tend to just listen for a while until it thins out. As a hunter, I have all the time in the world 😊

[@Derrick6162]

Always enjoy, Thanks for sharing.

[@apburner]

Thats a beautiful paddle.

[@brianmatthews232]

your videos are always enjoyable to watch, informative and helpful.Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm 😀

[@o00scorpion00o]

Congratulations Thomas, you finally got the FT-891, it's a really lovely sounding radio especially with headphones, it's got a really low noise floor. Use the countour setting and adjust to 3200 Hz, it will make it sound brighter, I really like it. You can do a anderson power pole mod, I haven't done it but it would probably be more convenient. The 2 Mic EQ settings are also really convenient to have. The MFJ-935y tuner works amazingly well with this radio, change AM power to 5 watts, set the radio ATAS to enable, menu 5-12 and then when you press PTT and UP it will auto send a carrier of 5w and the tuner will tune automatically, you don't have to change modes, power and back again, really cool. The 891 is an amazing radio!

[@Windmill97]

This was a really fun video to watch. I’m strongly considering this transceiver for POTA because of the strong SSB option. As we move into a less favorable solar cycle in the coming years I worry how well QRP SSB will be able to pierce up through the noise floor. Your positive comments about the keyer in this rig has reinforced my excitement about an FT-891 in my arsenal. As always, keep up the unique and insightful work you do on this channel. It is my favorite.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

The FT-891 is a solid choice. I wouldn't be too concerned about QRP not working in the doldrums of the solar cycle. When you're the DX (a POTA or SOTA activator) it's not an issue. All of my NPOTA activations were done in 2016 when solar was dismal--operated 5-10W SSB then and never had a failed activation.

[@Windmill97]

Wow! Thx for the response. I love this channel!

[@Windmill97]

I just bought an FT-891. I’m hoping to acquire a Begali Traveler, too. Thx for all you do, Thomas!

[@N0BoW_99]

Just found your channel and it is my favorite now!! Also been digging deep into your writing. Very well written!! I’m looking to take my tech and general very soon!!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Excellent! Best of luck on your Tech and General exams. You've got this! :)

[@N0BoW_99]

I now have my tech!! KQ4HTX

[@ThomasK4SWL]

@@N0BoW_99 WOO HOO! Well done, KQ4HTX!

[@ralphnunn3]

You know, sir, that you're committing the cardinal sin of QRP operating - using a QRO rig for QRP... But, no worries. It makes sense why you did. It just so happens that the FT-891 is my next purchase, so this was a timely video for me to watch. I hope you enjoyed using it! Good stuff, as always.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Guilty! :)

[@KaL_Terow]

I'm in love with my 891 bought last month

[@JonathanKayne]

What a coincidence, I literally just bought one from HRO an hour ago! I had originally bought one from DX engineering but they keep delaying shipment of their products. 39:00 and yes, I was indeed QRP as well. I was doing 10 watts on the elecraft KX2 if I remember correctly.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Woo hoo! Foreshadowing! Great to work you, OM!

[@sstorholm]

I understand it’s a big ask, but even a single video like this one with subtitles for the Morse code would be amazing for us learning CW.

[@ssmith7163]

Morse code ninja podcast is the place you need to check out.

[@LouiseBrooksBob]

I tend to think that learning CW may be more difficult with subtitles since I find that I end up reading the subtitles instead of copying the CW. POTA and SOTA activations may not be the best for learning since they are very formulaic and the QSOs are very similar, which would make the effort of creating subtitles even less necessary. Having said that, other videos and channels do exist which provide subtitles.

[@Philip-KA4KOE]

My goto is K2175. 10 minutes from home.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Hi, Sebastian, If I had time, I would add Morse Code translations in Closed Captioning so it could be turned on/off. I simply don't have time to do it, unfortunately. It would at least double the amount of time needed to produce a video and field report. I try to place my log in such a way that it can be viewed as I work stations.

[@ve2zdx]

Hohoho I like this radio a lot. Its front end is not as good as, for example, the 705 but changing the bandwidth to 50hz and setting the DNR to about 10 makes miracles to bring those weak signals to audible levels. If someday you decide to build a go box to make your deployment easier, you know my go box already, but there’s another one that’s is awesome. K9laf he has pictures of it on qrz 😊 Enjoy the qro! 73

[@brucecorbettn9bh398]

Why do we enjoy watching this, but we do. I’m sure I would fatigue pretty fast, so good watching you do all the work. 😀😀

[@vimmander4308]

I'm bouncing around from video to video in no particular order, but I'm enjoying them. If I may make a suggestion, I would consider packing a few of the disposable hand warmers for the winter. They saved my bacon working a marathon-like event in February where I had to stand out in the cold and count runners.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I actually do pack hand-warmers these days! Thanks for the tip!

[@stampdealer]

Hi Thomas, I just found your channel by watching an old episode of HRCC when you were on with Josh talking CW. I plan to get my license in the next month or so, by the end of the summer, anyway, and this is the exact kind of rig that I would like to have. Simple yet versatile, economical, and able to be used at home or mobile. I plan to learn CW, as well. Thanks for the great videos. -Greg

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Good luck with your license and ham radio journey! You've got this! Cheers & 73, Thomas (K4SWL)

[@ricsanders69]

I too just did my first activation with the FT-891, bioenno (20Ah) battery, an MFJ 43 ft fiberglass pole and a 40' random wire antenna! I was going to just paper log, but I realized I didn't take a pen or pencil!! So I downloaded a generic ham logger on my phone...not super ready with the size of keys and my fat fingers...but I made it work. 111 contacts SSB was a ton of fun...next time I will spend more time to thin out what I take with me...plus plenty of pens! 73 de KN4FTT

[@rpgiuliani]

Nice overview. It would have been nice if it included 2m and 70cm like the FT857D had. I sold my 857D in early 2022 due to lack of use and after having it since 2005. I did hold onto the ATAS120A. I figured I'd get newer technology going forward when I'd have more time and I understand the 891 can use it. The 857D had more buttons around the VFO and mode, band had dedicated buttons without having the extra step of another knob to select. The 857D also had a similar screen but the background color could be selected or programmed for many different parameters. I think the 857D display was smaller. My use would be for mobile HF so perhaps the 2m and 70cm won't be missed as long as I have the 5100 in the vehicle as well. Nice video. Well produced and easy to follow. 73 Bob

[@ncphotos]

Great video! de W2CSI and I have activated that park also.

[@dandypoint]

I program one of the programable buttons on the front for the bandwidth as that’s something I use all the time on CW. I tend to keep it in narrow so my bandwidth is adjustable from 500 HZ down. If anyone calls me too far off frequency they will be the last ones I work. When the pileup slacks off I then turn on the RIT or on the FT -891 I guess I should say CLA ! I also don’t use the full break in or QSK. I have the delay set so I don’t need QSK for fast contest turnovers. I am a long time CW contest operator and love the FT-891. My main rig is a K3 with almost all of the options except a Voice Keyer. I do do SSB contests, so I now see hat as a mistake. I should have gotten one. The FT-891 does have one so I may try it in the next 160 meter SSB contest when it gets really slow after sunrise!

[@Brian-WR1W]

I wish people would wait for the QSO to complete before keying up. Just because the activator sends a "dit dit" doesn't mean its over. The hunter might want to send a "73" or "TU" back.

[@w4arb]

a tip for you: you can customize the buttons on the main screen. i set mine to the things i use for CW and very rarely need to go into the menu. 73! thanks for another great video Thomas! de W4ARB

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Yep! I've already done this since that activation. Very handy!

[@MrRadiorobot]

You need some blu tack to hold that key down..I see operators struggling with wandering keys, a pack of blu tack in the go pack is a must!! Great video, thanks for posting.

[@aj2isotadxing]

Trades are always more fun, dunno why but I like them more then buy/sells

[@hechtkalle3680]

The 891 ist Great ❤ 73 from Germany DG1PK

[@jozefbezan2501]

Danke für das tolle Video.73. von Jozef,S56CJG.QTH Wien,Österreich.😊😊😊

[@aurtisanminer2827]

I think the biggest complaint that I have about my FT 891 is that there is no option for a real time voltmeter. It only comes on when you first turn the radio on. I really do love the radio though. It is great for taking with me on ATV rides.

[@ae4xo]

I started with a g90. Sold it for the ft891. Best decision

[@geartheif2043]

G90 or FT891 for a new ham I am from Canada and I was looking at the g90 but what do you think

[@ae4xo]

@Geartheif 204 the problem I had with the g90 was probably the antenna more than the radio. I had a wolf river coil and it didn't work for me

[@lotharen]

Currently learning CW and watch your videos. Still can't pick out individual letters. I know I'm not done learning the entire alphabet so I hope as I go it will all become clear. I have a Yaesu base station that I haven't used since I first hooked it up. Didn't care for 100w of power and I think the lowest it will go is 20 or 25w. I found out, after the fact of course, that I prefer QRP operation and staying 5w and below (would maybe take 10w and below). Now I'm stuck with this thing lol. Want to learn CW before I commit to Purchasing a QRP rig though.

[@Windmill97]

Try the Morse Code Ninja podcast. It has helped me more than anything else.

[@Mr3bairs]

For the money you can't beat the 891

[@whippersnappercc]

I'd say you got the better end of that trade!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I felt so, too, so I sweetened the pot for him. :)

[@mikemiles3068]

Now you have to do a video on the AX1 with the FT 891, I use them all the time together. 73. KV5P Great video.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

For sure!

[@N0SSC]

18:07 hi Kyle 21:19 and W2AEW too! I see now why he’s not been putting out videos…playing radio instead 😅 Love your activations! 73!

[@WKMG365]

Almost bought the 891…walked out the HRO with a RigExpert instead. Figured I have a few radio but no analyzer. Next time it’ll be the 891 :) Thanks for the vid! Mat - K4OCY

[@G0NMY]

Thomas you have great control in the pile up. And I agree stick to the one you heard and ignore the wrong calls. You show newcomers a great way to operate cw when in a pile up. I wonder how big the pile up would get at 100W output? Maybe DX from europe would hear you. 72 my friend really enjoy your videos de Mark G0NMY 👍

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I may very well do a 100W activation someday just for the fun of it. Actually, I'd like to do a 100W activation on a summit. :) I work EU DX quite often at QRP levels.

[@AlGritzmacher]

I hope WB8ZRQ finds out he embarrassed himself on KZbin video by sending over and over out of turn! Good job sticking with the station you wanted.

[@davidryeburn6446]

Were you varying the sidetone level? At times it was many, many dB below the level of the stations working or calling you. If I turned up the volume here, better to hear what you were sending, then when the other station(s) came back, or your sidetone volume increased itself, I would almost be deafened. Here's a trick to improve a technique you already use (listening for stations slightly off frequency). Set the sidetone pitch about one octave lower than normal (say change 600 Hz to 300 Hz). Then when stations come back near but not quite on your frequency, they will be spread out pitch-wise (in semitones) about twice as much as they would have been before. I learned this trick when I was a teenager using an ancient Hallicrafters S20-R receiver where the only effective filter was the one between my ears. Makes it a lot easier to pay attention to just one of them. David VE7EZM and AF7BZ

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Great tip! Yes, the sidetone was a bit low during this activation. Chalk that up to my inexperience with the FT-891. I took it out before I fully explored its feature set via the manual.

[@T-Hogie]

Thomas, can you please do a SSB activation with the FT-891? I'd like to hear your thoughts on the radio in SSB mode.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I will certainly try to do one in the near future!

[@yannickseibert8647]

Greetings Thomas. First of all, i love all your videos because they motivated me to learn CW. I can recognize all the letters and digits, but far away from writing down a callsign. But with steady work i am sure to make my first cw contact this year. And who knows, if condx are good we make a P2P qso in CW! 😁 Thanks for your inspiration! 73s, Yannick DK8YS P.S.: Im new to this topic, is there an issue with relay stress/wear out in full break-in mode?

[@ThomasK4SWL]

It would be an honor to work you P2P! Great job on the CW journey! I suppose full break in does cause a bit more mechanical stress with radios that use relays, but I've never had one fail me and, frankly, I doubt I ever will. Perhaps someone with more knowledge can comment, though, about relays in QSK.

[@anthonygiancarli9089]

Hi Thomas. Very much enjoy your videos. Thanks for sharing. I have looked through the gear list of many of your blogs and never see what coax (and how long) you are using. I recently purchased the Ft-891 for portable work. I will be using a EFHW resonant 80-10m Balun Designs antenna. I am trying to decide on the type and length of coax and whether adding 5-7 ferrites is overkill. Trying to figure out if this configuration needs a counter poise or will the coax participate in the overall antenna design. Is coax length critical in my situation? I was thinking of ABR Ind. cable, but again unsure of which one to use. Looking for light weight, but do not want to give up performance. Thanks again.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I use RG-316 cables 90% of the time. The one I used in this video is RG-174--I prefer RG-316. They're lightweight and pretty efficient (if properly constructed) on HF bands pushing QRP power. I tend to buy mine via ABR industries and usually order them aroun 15-25' in length. Ideally, the least amount you need, the better. 20' is a good compromise. Here's a link (it's affiliate, and with the coupon code ABR10QRPER they'll give you 10% off: abrind.com/shop/qrp-pota-portable-cables/abr316-with-bnc-males/?sld=twitherspoon If you're pushing more than, say, 20 watts and you are using an end-fed antenna, in-line toroids are a good idea: abrind.com/shop/qrp-pota-portable-cables/abr316-with-bnc-males-with-5-ferrites/?sld=twitherspoon You can also call ABR if you need something slightly different. They have great customer service. Of course, you can build your own! I do this, too, but I'll admit that I love supporting ABR. PackTenna and Tufteln also make high-quality assemblies, but pretty much only RG-316 (to the best of my knowledge). You can't go wrong with any of these options! :)

[@ukrainehamradio]

Nice radio! Can you show screen a little closer next time? Why is there such a high level of noise? 73 de US7IGN!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I will try. I think much of the noise that day may have been atmospheric. In truth, this particular park is actually in the middle of a neighborhood, so not the quietest of parks I activate.

[@anthonyspina4093]

Have you tested the FX4CR from BG2FX?

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Not yet, but I have the L model on order. Not sure when it'll be ready for Prime Time.

[@mrkopecky]

I guess I need the 891 now. I'm sure tired of packing my ft-710 out to the park. Do you still have your 891?

[@alanakins3099]

Great looking paddles what’s the model and who made it

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Its a Begali Traveler. Wonderful key.

[@nr3rful]

Am I missing it but you are not sending your POTA number

[@ThomasK4SWL]

No. It's not needed unless you're doing a Park-to-Park contact and even then it's not required. Typically if the other park doesn't send the designator, I don't either. Else, I default to sharing my park ID.

[@hcy0]

The FT-891 was my first serious TRX and I still use it most of the time. But do you have S9 noise in the park? Looks like this on the display.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Part of the problem I didn't realize at the time was that I had the RF gain set higher than needed. Just my inexperience with it at the time.

[@hcy0]

@@ThomasK4SWL Yes this is a strange behaviour on the 891 - if you reduce the RF gain the S value display will increase. Something I never understood.

[@Yaegermeister163]

What is the key your using?

[@ThomasK4SWL]

A Begali Traveler

[@TridentMissileTech]

How far off frequency should a person tune off. I realize you can’t go outside of the filter range but I am curious what the least amount makes a significance difference. I have experimented but it really didn’t help. I think I use a 650-700 hz tone.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I typically tune off an activator's frequency by about 400 Hz or so. That usually keeps me within their filter range, yet vary my pitch on their end. Keep in mind, this isn't necessary if there's no pileup.

[@JohnCook-bx4gv]

Awesome video, I'll have to look into buying me an FT-891.

[@Frank_K4FMH]

Hi Thomas! Glad you did this review. To learn more very quickly about the 891, check out Dough N4HNH's KZbin channel. He's the Mac Daddy on the Yaesu HF rigs....73 de K4FMH

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Thanks for the info! Will do, Frank! :)

[@tim123527]

As always, a very interesting, entertaining and instructive video, Thomas. Some good tips at the end about your activating strategy and hunting by not zero beating . The cold and bleak wx conditions were felt here watching in the UK so I’m pleased I had a hot cup of tea to follow your calls. I also got the Chelegance MC-750 from its performance on your previous videos and it certainly is an excellent portable antenna. :) 73. Tim. G4XWJ/AG5YP