The Tech Prepper is live! Yaesu FT-991A

[@wheeler7973]

Happy to see the 991a getting some attention😊

[@TheTechPrepper]

There's a decent following of users for the 991A, so hopefully I'll have some insights for this community and vice versa.

[@jaredringenberg]

Awesome to see. Got a 991A but haven't had much time to dig into it. I'll have to check this out.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Give it some love. It's a nice little rig, but takes some getting used to. I am actually pretty happy with the menu system and interface after playing with it for a couple of days. I actually already have some tips that I'll try to share soon. Enjoy your 991A!

[@jaredringenberg]

@TheTechPrepper Will do, I'll make that a 2025 project. Got a comet GP3 on a 25' pole on the RV in Mesa, need new power supply and cable for it. Also need to figure what I'm going to do for an HF antenna. Looking forward to the vids.

[@brandonporter4227]

Love my 991a! It was the second HF radio I bought after the 817. The 991a is my primary radio in the shack and I use it every day for talking on our club 2m repeater and not quite as often as I'd like on HF. I have taken it into the field with me. While it works well, it's not really what I'd call portable. Excited to see this getting some love for EMCOMM Tools, which will be super useful when I take it to the EOC for AUXCOMM work!

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's a perfect shack rig. You're brave taking this in the field. I assume you have in a Pelican or hard shell case?

[@brandonporter4227]

@TheTechPrepper believe it or not, no! I actually used my Eberlestock FAC Track. I strapped it down in the top of the main compartment under the protective flap. I don't think the new version of the bag has the synch straps or that flap anymore though and just has a MOLLE panel in it now. It's a great radio bag, but it gets extremely heavy when you load it down with a radio and other survival gear. The 991a lives in the shack now, but I'd probably take it with me to the EOC because it is an extremely capable radio for both VHF/UHF and HF work. As you know, there aren't a lot of all band, all mode radios out there. My new field radio for POTA is a Xiegu X6200. Much smaller and lighter weight. The drawback is it's a QRP radio. But I've got it in a bag that's grab and go with a whole other go box for doing QRO that I can use it with when I want that extra power.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@brandonporter4227 I have the original FAC Track. That's a great pack. I've been running it for about 4 years now.

[@ae1tpa92gwtom2]

The 991a is my hands on go to radio since 2019, these days i operate mostly remote but am even looking at getting a second 991a as a bkup rig, the menu system is long, but she does it all. Enjoy yr channel, u put many of us to shame with yr dedication and knowledge, cheers 73 n gd dx, packet, phone,.....

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's a nice little Swiss Army Knife. I wish that the industry would make more "shack in the box" rigs. 73

[@TrenchKraft]

I like your approach of not watching other videos because I think it gives you the opportunity to see things from a fresh unbiased perspective. BTW, I too was hoping for a Yaesu 100W 857D replacement. I think they are missing a big market opportunity but 🤷🏼‍♂️ You have done a lot in 5 years of ham radio. I was licensed in the 80’s as a teen, and you are light years ahead of me in the digital “nerd” realm 😂 fascinating stuff, keep up the good work!

[@TheTechPrepper]

It really helps experiencing the world with fresh eyes. That was the other benefit of discovering amateur very late in life (my late 30's). More coming.

[@krobarr]

Seen you yesterday at Superfest. You were busy talking with a few ppl. Didn't want to interrupt. I just wanted to say thank you, as you were one of the top youtubers to get me into ham radio. Thanks again! KK7QJL

[@TheTechPrepper]

You should have interrupted and said "hello". You're very welcome. Glad to see another new ham join the ranks. 73

[@timevans239]

Love my 991A. glad to see you got one finally. Mine was a present to me for passing my general test. Hope it will grow on you and thank you for the support

[@TheTechPrepper]

Wow. That's a nice gift. Good motivation for passing your General.

[@D4000-u7e]

After an ftm-400 and spending too much time with DMR, finally got a 991a ! So much it can do, it's hampered by humans, and most of the software for radio control is very confusing because there are so many modes, options and features. If anyone ever designed a simpler software interface, that would be a game changer !

[@tangobayus]

Great value for the money. I have homemade dipoles for 70cm and 2m and 40m end fed half wave on mine.

[@NickFrom1228]

The 991 has been a fun rig. Made contacts worldwide. It's a bit menu deep and the display could be bigger but honestly it gets the job done rather nicely.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's doing a great job and looks like it will be a very capable rig for just about any need. Nice work making great use of its capabilities.

[@PigsLipstick]

Enjoyed this early-days overview of 991 ownership experience. I deliberated over a 991 vs 7300 for ages after selling off my X6100 and XPA amp (I miss neither, at all). Finally decided on the 7300 … one day I may pick up a 991 to find out what I’m missing out on, but the 7300 has been a dream. The stuff that needs to just works - no drama, no witchcraft, no BS. The X6100 was a test of will and patience.

[@TheTechPrepper]

The X6100 had potential, but I sold mine too. It was nothing but headaches.

[@metatechnologist]

Lol "going back to the older days" I was ready to hear "ft101"!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's a great rig. I only go as far back as the FT-450 in terms of personal experience. I joined this hobby very late in life (just under 5 years back).

[@KE4NAB]

My dad had a ft757gx2.... I loved that radio growing up!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Now, that is classic Yaesu. Your dad has good taste.

[@owlcricker-k7ulm]

FB GMan, great shack rig! No pain no gain.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Damn straight. It's a keeper.... I'm pretty sure.

[@honeybadger6127]

I wish there were more radios like the Xiegu G90. I know you're not a great fan of that radio, but price/performance is spot on. I love mine and would even get a second one if I find one locally.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's a great rig, I just had some personal reliability issues with G90 and could not get passed. I donated my G90 to a new ham. 20 watts is the sweet spot. We need more radios like the G90 in terms of size, weight and power output.

[@Indigenous_Patriot_1175]

Excellent video as always. I love the portability of the tablets. where can I find those tablets?

[@TheTechPrepper]

eBay. Search for FZ-M1 Mk2. Avoid the Japanese model if you can. These should be less than $400 USD in good condition.

[@granitebuilt5836]

I think you mentioned in a previous video that you got rid of the beard once a year (or something to that effect) and then let it grow back. New year, new beard.👍 On the older hf rigs, one of the things I find nice is that the current drain on receive is a little lower than on the newer rigs. I know these days we have some nice portable power sources, but nice to be able to draw less current when possible. Hope you and your family have a great holiday season!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yes, I shave it once a year, but this was a few weeks early. Happy holidays to and yours.

[@Swamp-Fox]

Congrats on the new radio!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you, sir. It's a keeper for the shack.

[@neosmith6862]

The Icom 7300 has a touchscreen setting button Labeled FT8 to implement the settings. You can also create your own saved settings. I also learned how to get the 7300 to scan for MARS and, TTP voice channels.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for sharing. The 7300 is the gold standard for an entry-level HF rig, but I really like 2m SSB. There are not many options these days for VHF/UHF SSB.

[@MNHAM73]

I’ve had the 991A for almost a year and recently started doing FT8 and JS8 call on the same settings. I use the split mode vs “ fake it”. it works well but the one big issue is RF on the USB cable. It will stop the computer from transmitting and required restarting the software. Multiple toroids on the cable fixed it. I’ve read this is a common problem. Of course 100 watts! 😂

[@TheTechPrepper]

RFI is a problem on most rigs for digital especially at the higher power output. Ferrite beads are your friend.

[@BryanWicks]

Good morning from Southwest Oklahoma! I just bought my own FT-991A during the Black Friday sales at Gigaparts for the purpose of having a dedicated rig for digital modes (FT8, JS8Call, VARAC, etc.). Interestingly, I too sold my FT-897D in order to upgrade to a newer rig (in that case, the FT-DX10), and saved a bit more for the FTM-300DR). And yes, I have been a big fan of Yaesu products since the beginning. 😎 As I continue to attend KZbin university and watch content creators spill the tea on shortcuts and capabilities of the 991A, I will also be watching your video journey on this rig with great interest. For the moment, I have mine attached to a hex beam antenna suspended about 40 feet in the air. Hopefully my signal reports from other operators will be good ones. 😉 I owe you a cup of coffee. Thanks for all that you do, and 73! - Bryan (K5WIX)

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good morning from AZ! You probably did better on the price than I did. Well done! I'll have a few tips coming. If you're following allowing on the bleeding edge of the EmComm Tools Community releases, I added support for the FT-991A to the in-flight release/r4 branch. It works great!

[@mediocreman2]

If there was a communication standard combined with some software that was very smooth and well integrated with that standard, I think people would be willing to pay for it. Because you're right, a lot of people are afraid to tinker, but the tinkers would still be out there if they didn't want to pay, and they could do their own thing. For me, I have a dozen hobbies, so I can't put eight hours a day into HAM radio, so if there were a product that functioned out of the box and I had to pay for it, but it was consistent and reliable, kind of like my iPhone, I'd be interested.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Standards will go a long way to make amateur more mainstream.

[@pale_2111]

The 991A seems a bit complicated to get it set up for data modes compared to Icom radios like the 7300, 7100 and 705.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It is absolutely more complicate. However, these are set once and forget. I have IC-7200 and those settings were a pain, too. However, the IC-705 works out of the box.

[@kyrenegade858]

I still have one of the ft8900 radios I bought years ago in my jeep. The other one I had was a casualty when my previous jeep caught fire. But I would love an all mode version of the 8900 to be released.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Now, that is a great rig. I bought the FT-8900 used a couple years back. That is my cross-band repeater rig for the vehicle. I agree. I would love to see a quad band, all-mode version of the 8900.

[@IM1deadMONEY]

Man, that 991a is the one that got away from me.... hard times and I had to sell it. You are right , SSB on VHF is downright fun! Never let her (the radio) go!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

It will come back to you at some point. 2m SSB for the win!

[@JoeSoubie]

Maybe someday. Still like my 897D in the field. I know that it needs a sound card for digital, but a small price for being flexible at a reasonable price. The U-2 looks like fun. Just need time to play with it. My wife was happy with me springing for dinner that night. 73 KG7COA

[@TheTechPrepper]

The 897D is a tank, I can't the same about the 991A. Hey, I run my twin FT-857D's and FT-818ND's with the DigiRig Mobile. There's nothing wrong with adding an aftermarket sound card interface, although it is really nice having that built-in sound card. 73

[@davidwilkinson1480]

I am a big fan of the FT 818 and FT 991A. The only issue that I have experienced in the field regarding the 991A is that the display is very difficult to see when located in unshaded sun light. The displays on the FT 818 and FT 891 (6m and HF, all mode) work well in the field during direct sun light.

[@TheTechPrepper]

These color screen are never suited for outdoor use. This is another reason why I use the FT-818ND and FT-857D for the field. Cheers to another field operator.

[@slappomatthew]

totally agree. ham radio is way too complicated for what it is from a software stand point. drivers and settings etc. very few standards.

[@TheTechPrepper]

The Chinese are making it easier. I hope that the Japanese will starting taking notes.

[@jhlewis10]

Bailed on all my Yaesu gear exept an HT. IC-7300 and all mode all band IC-705 have been so much easier for me to work digital.

[@TheTechPrepper]

As a 705 owner, I agree. The IC-705 is pretty much ready to go.

[@RatchetFWD]

So far emcomm on the surface go has been working out nicely. Went to activate the Hollywood sign peak on Black Friday but didn’t run any digital. I used sotamat to spot myself on ft8 from my phone. Will try spotting with js8call next time! Or over aprs with AIOC profile I created .

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear the report of it working well on other hardware. In general, if the system works fine under Ubuntu 22.10, it will work.

[@FreerideDhAddict657]

Any plan to support your anytones? Just picked up a 578uv III+, but there are two digi rig options, one with CAT and one without, I dont know which would be more usable moving forward Thanks for what you do Sir!

[@TheTechPrepper]

At some point, I may see what is involved to add the support for the AT-578 via the DigiRig. I have that rig and cable. This likely very far into the future due to time constraints.

[@tomsmall6220]

Looking forward to your opinion of the 991 once you start using it more. Did you MARS mod it? Does that open up FRS/GMRS frequencies? Thanks for the great content!

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's strange, this is the only radio in my fleet that is not MARS modified. I guess I forgot. I'll look into in the future.

[@genemcphee8053]

It is on my List. I too have the 817, 857, and 897.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You have a great line-up. I love the FT-8xx line up.

[@genemcphee8053]

@@TheTechPrepper Thanks. Always thinking of how to make field packs from them. 73. N3XUS

[@ghostmandka5498]

Not sure about the 897, but on the 991 while doing digital the DT Gain will need attention to get power output.

[@TheTechPrepper]

What do you have your digital gain set to? I am having no issues with the default setting of 50 getting into HF ARDOP Winlink stations or using JS8Call on 5 watts.

[@ric8013]

I really enjoy your videos. You remind me of a young ham friend of mine about your age I'm guessing. I'm a old fart 71 years old. :). Anyway I have 2 Icom 7300's and a older 200 watt Yeasu FT-1000, lots of Motorola vhf/uhf+ gear HH/Mobile's P-25/NFM rigs. I would like to have a ft-991a, maybe down the road.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You have a great collection of gear. I am not sure there's enough juice for the squeeze to upgrade your gear. It's been a couple of days, and I'm really enjoying the 991 so far.

[@willian.direction6740]

Great radio for digital. I set mine up to run in PTT method RTS on USB. Followed a video by Hayden vk7hh who set his up that way. 1 USB cable and good to go.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear it works for you. I finished my integration with EmComm Tools and all the modes work with the settings that I described for both packet and a variety of HF modes. The only change that I had to make was set the WIDTH to 3000hz when switching to HF digital. I added the "WIDTH" button to my quick buttons on the bottom. I don't like this extra step to check the width, but the FT-891 worked the same way.

[@georgetimm8203]

Depending the manufacturing and version software, you will need to flash the memory software. It not hard to do but will take an hour of your time.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for the heads up!

[@jimmyslim1628]

I want to get into communication but once it goes past Wal-Mart level I'm totally lost. License, no License, uhf, vhf, ham, ect, ect, is just too much for me to understand unfortunately.

[@mediocreman2]

Get involved in a local club. There will be people to help you.

[@jimmyslim1628]

Good idea, thanks. ​@@mediocreman2

[@TheTechPrepper]

I agree. Find a local amateur radio club in your area. If amateur radio is not your thing, take a look at the various GMRS clubs. The Jeep community has embraced GMRS for their overlanding. Good luck!

[@stevesummersell_K4WXX]

Who is this beardless wonder in Gaston’s house?!? 😮 Intruder Alert! 🚨 😂

[@TheTechPrepper]

Where? I'll kick his ass. ;-)

[@stevesummersell_K4WXX]

@ It’s probably grown back by now, right? 🧔🏻‍♂️

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@stevesummersell_K4WXX It's grown, but I'll likely get carded for another couple of weeks.

[@BobBob-il2ku]

Don’t really see what the 991a does better than the Ft-897 🤷‍♂️

[@TheTechPrepper]

For me, it's a modern all-band, all-mode rig that is an active production and supports a single USB interface for digital modes. I am trying to inspire a new generation of hams and most are having a difficult time finding the older gear in good condition and at a good price. I need this unit to develop plug and play support for my software project.

[@Eric10179]

These anti-aging creams are getting out of hand

[@mikemcdonald5147]

my goodness all those slashes and commands and spaces and such LOL. I would never figure that all out only copy paste from someone else LOL. This is why this nerd can't do stuff like that. I just want it to work.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's a bit nuts. I read it off just to make the point on how complicated "modern" ham radio is in 2024.

[@malanalan1]

no vertical videos please.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I'll see what I can do.

[@mediocreman2]

It's actually great if you're on a cell phone because you can maximize it and it fills the whole screen.

[@forgetyourlife]

By the year 2030 all movie theaters and home TV’s will be vertical.