[VHFcontesting] New Rig: Yaesu FT-991

[Les Rayburn]

Looks like Yaesu will be offering a new HF/VHF/UHF "DC to Daylight" rig 
that may be attractive to weak signal operators. The badly translated 
press release is listed below, along with a link to a web site where you 
can find some photos of the unit taken at the Tokyo Ham Fair.

One of the photos shows a USB connection on the rear of the rig, along 
with the more familiar mini-DIN plug for RTTY/DATA. I'd speculate that 
you'll be able to operate sound card modes directly from the rig without 
the necessity of an interface. That would make the rig attractive for 
rovers who might wish to operate WSJT.

Hate to see Icom, Yaesu, and I believe Kenwood all introducing different 
"digital" protocols. I was an early adopter of Icom's D-STAR, but found 
it lacking in several key areas. I doubt I'd be any more impressed with 
C4FMDigital. If manufacturers really hope to transition amateur radio 
into digital modes, they're going to need to agree on a standard, and 
implement it jointly. Until then, I suspect soundcard based modes will 
continue to dominate.

Otherwise, this looks very promising for weak signal types.

===============================================================

http://qrznow.com/yaesu-ft-991/

We are pleased to announce the launch of an exciting new product, The 
FT-991 HF/50MHz/VHF/UHF Base Station Transceiver. The Yaesu FT-991 
Transceiver is capable of operating SSB, CW, AM, FM, Packet and System 
Fusion C4FMDigital. The legendary tradition of Yaesu design is a legacy 
of excellence established decades ago, providing quality, stability and 
durability. The Yaesu FT-991 is designed for the most competitive 
operating situations, with a suite of new features to enhance the 
experience. Whether you primarily operate at home, mobile or in the 
field, the FT-991 will provide outstanding fundamental performance and 
an inviting expansion into a full featured base station.

Please refer below for more information on the features of the new 
FT-991. We will release the new FT-991 at the Tokyo HAM FAIR in 2014.

Radio Features;

  * 160 Meters through 70 Centimeters – SSB/CW/FM/C4FM Digital/AM/RTTY/PSK
  * 100 Watts (2 Meter / 70 Centimeter: 50 Watts) of Solid Performance
  * 3.5 inch TFT Full-Color Touch Panel Operation for Superior
    Operability and Visibility
  * High Speed Spectrum Scope with ASC (Automatic Spectrum-Scope
    Control) built-in
  * Roofing Filter 3 kHz and 15 kHz
  * High Accuracy TCXO ±0.5 ppm and high resolution DDS and PLL local
    oscillator
  * 32-bit High Speed Floating Point IF DSP
  * IF WIDTH and IF SHIFT provides great QRM Rejection
  * CONTOUR, DNR, IF Notch and APF (Audio Peak Filter, CW only)
  * 160 – 6 Meters High Speed Automatic Antenna Tuner included



-- 
--
73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF
121 Mayfair Park
Maylene, AL 35114
EM63nf

6M VUCC #1712
AMSAT #38965
Grid Bandits #222
Southeastern VHF Society
Central States VHF Society Life Member
Six Club #2484

Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz & Light