📻 Yaesu FT-65 FT-65R Original Dual-Band Rugged & Compact Handheld Transceiver, 144/440 MHz, 5W Output Power - 3-Year Warranty Review

After trying several different dual band HTs with varying degrees of success and quality, I finally settled on this excellent transceiver and I really liked it. Although it costs a little more than some of its competitors, it has the weight and feel of high-end tech and works very well.

So I bought this radio and it feels good, looks good and is easy to use. A cool belt clip was included. but there are no screws to attach it. Not in the box, not in the packaging, not on the back of the radio. I'm still happy with the radio but the lack of quality control will cost this guy a star.

Good solid construction HT, easy to use menus. It only comes with an abridged version of the manual. You need to download the complete "Advanced User Guide" from Yaesu website to understand all the functions. The stock antenna is stable. The radio makes a very well-made impression. Most of the problems are due to the fact that it is a new product in the Yaesu range. While not many accessories are available, as of February 2nd, 2018 there is no support for CHIRP. There are no proper tutorials on

The Yaesu FT-65 is top notch. The build quality is excellent, it feels very solid in the hand. I replaced the antenna with a Nagoya NA-701 and it gives me a great signal and the speaker is very loud even when turned on a little. I don't have a programming cable, but programming by hand wasn't a problem. It took about 30 minutes to get used to what was on the menu. The only thing I don't like is the shrill sound it produces when received at full volume reduction. It would be best if it were…

I expected more from a "famous brand" than the slightly inferior Baofeng UV-5R. Don't waste your money on this radio. It's garbage.::edit::Okay, that's why I call it garbage. I have a Baofeng UV-5R and it has moderately good reception but poor performance. 5 watts are not enough. I had it for 3 months. I tested the Yaesu FT-65R as well as the UV-5R. I installed a standard antenna, ran tests with known good repeaters, and nothing. Nobody heard my screams. I went outside at the same spot where my

This radio made me think at first it was Baofeng in a new case. After about a week of using it I'm really impressed and see big improvements over say UV82 or similar. For example, the display is really easy to read with a large (and accurate) signal meter similar to Yaesu monoband radios like the FT-270r. The speaker sound could have been a little cleaner at high volumes, but the overall tone and clarity of the sound at mid to low levels is amazing. Scanning is a little slow, but not terrible…

I think maybe Yaesu backed off on quality to try to compete on price. This radio looks and feels like it was made by one of the Chinese "cheap" manufacturers - it seriously resembles one of BaoFeng's radios. It's meant for split tone but I've yet to get it working. There are grammatical errors in the programming software and the settings do not match the programming settings on the front of the radio. On a positive note, check with a spectrum analyzer, HF is very clean, modulation (WB and NB)…

The reason I claim this radio is the best is based on using the following radios1. Yeasu FT3D is a waste of money, but reception or transmission is poor.2. Yaesu ft-70dr is good but short battery life and transmit/receive is ok3. Baoefeng bf-f8hp is good but not US certified.4. Other GMRS Radios Now for the Yeasu FT-65, the range and performance is excellent and to give just one example my son was driving down the road towards the hill and I was at our house and there was no line of sight and…