Yaesu VX-8r Review

[Wise87]

SR385
Thanks for the instructions. I will have one of our electricians perform the mod for me. I have also heard the Yaesu will still honor the warranty if someone performs the mod. Have you heard the same thing?
Thank Again
Dan

 

[Moleculo]

I have also heard the Yaesu will still honor the warranty if someone performs the mod. Have you heard the same thing?

The "official" policy is that the warranty is voided if you mod a radio. However, most people's experience (including my own) is that if the extended TX/RX mod you perform isn't the cause of the problem you're sending it in for, they don't have a problem fixing it. My experience with Yaesu tech support has been really positive.

 

[SR385]

That's what I've seen from most of the manufacturers... "you broke it, you bought it" basically. So if you do it cleanly, they don't care, but if you cause a failure, it's on you.

 

[kg4iqm]

ok i am ordering it now that it i just joined the site and read all 19 pages of posts! and other attached photos and all i am sold i had a vx7 that has gone to the last qso in the sky!! but now its a tough call the vx-8r or the vx-8dr hummm??
any thoughts??

 

[kg4iqm]

ok this group and review is awsome!!lots of good info on this little rig as i said i am buying one of these little bad boys!! just a queston that floated through all this gray matter i call my brain tonight will the radio also transmit the temp and other su1 (or what ever is called in ths on i know its built in) data acrossed aprs???

 

[Moleculo]

but now its a tough call the vx-8r or the vx-8dr hummm??

I guess that depends on how serious of an APRS & GPS user you're going to be with the VX-8 and whether or not the extra APRS features are worth the extra cost to you.

 

[kg4iqm]

I guess that depends on how serious of an APRS & GPS user you're going to be with the VX-8 and whether or not the extra APRS features are worth the extra cost to you.

i guess i will spring the 50 bucks on the added aprs stuff since i am into emergancy response in a large way. as for the rest you have done a fine job from where i stand on this review loads of good data thanks :

 

[N7WWL]

Defective unit???

From everything I've read on this post, this sounded like a GREAT radio. So I bought one. The first thing that I noticed was that it didn't seem to have the range of my other Yaesu handheld. (FT-530) I didn't worry about that at first. I went through the manual and learned how to use it. I had fun receiving APRS packets and looking at the data. (I haven't bought the GPS yet.) So far so good. This morning, I tried to talk with a friend on our local repeater. I had a full scale on the receive side, and I was on HI power. I was barely holding the repeater. This is a 2m repeater that I was only a mile or two from. We decided to try 70cm. Same problem with the local machine. Also only a couple of miles away. We moved to a repeater that is located on top of a hotel. Great coverage on this machine. I was able to carry on a conversation, but he said I sounded bad. Like I was talking through a door.
I'm going to take it back to AES on Saturday and see if I can get a replacement. (I just picked it up LAST Saturday.) Hopefully (and from what I've read) this is just a bad unit and not a bad design.
Anybody have any similar experiences?

 

[Moleculo]

Hopefully (and from what I've read) this is just a bad unit and not a bad design.
Anybody have any similar experiences?

I have not had that experience. Do you have a VHF/UHF power meter and dummy load that you can check the power output with?

 

[N7WWL]

The power output was just below 5 watts.

 

[Moleculo]

The power output was just below 5 watts.

It sounds like the radio is working fine then. Perhaps something is wrong with the stock antenna supplied with your rig. Do you have another antenna you can try with? It certainly is odd if the repeater is as close as you're describing.

 

[N7WWL]

It sounds like the radio is working fine then. Perhaps something is wrong with the stock antenna supplied with your rig. Do you have another antenna you can try with? It certainly is odd if the repeater is as close as you're describing.

That might be part of it, but there were times that I was able to hold the repeater, but I just wasn't getting any audio through. I was told "You're holding the repeater open, I just don't hear you saying anything."
I spoke with the salesman at AES that I purchased it from. I'll be taking it in on Saturday to swap it for another unit. It's supposed to be a nice day for a motorcycle ride anyway.
Hopefully the new one will work fine. I've NEVER had problems with Yaesu in the past, and anybody can produce a defective unit.
I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Wise87]

That might be part of it, but there were times that I was able to hold the repeater, but I just wasn't getting any audio through. I was told "You're holding the repeater open, I just don't hear you saying anything."
I spoke with the salesman at AES that I purchased it from. I'll be taking it in on Saturday to swap it for another unit. It's supposed to be a nice day for a motorcycle ride anyway.
Hopefully the new one will work fine. I've NEVER had problems with Yaesu in the past, and anybody can produce a defective unit.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Sounds like the problem I was having with my new VX-8R. I sent it back to Yaesu to have them look at it. I was having what appeared to be weak output to no audio but it was receiving and holding the repeater just fine.

 

[gesquibel]

I have a vx-7r and am looking at upgrading to the 8r due to the great comments I've been reading here.

Is it possible to use the current headset I have with the mic adaptor cable. I'm thinking down the road to get the bluetooth headset but for now I don't really need the bluetooth.

 

[KO4GS]

I am unable to set the correct time on my VX-8R. I follow the procedure on p. 120 of the manual but when I press the PTT to save the settings the radio exits the Menu mode and continues to display the wrong time.

Ideas?

Howard