[amsat-bb] Re: Yaesu FT-8800

[Ernie Howard]

I have three of the FT-8800 mobiles. They work great for satellite. It 
is my FM radio for sat operation installed here at home. I've tried 
other dual band radios, but the FT-8800 is much preferred.

The downside is that I too have noticed that they lack sensitivity 
especially on 70cm. Yes, I measured it on a signal generator. They are 
more than 5 to 7 db down from other radios that I have. But they do have 
better intermod immunity that most radios.

I have used one of my FT-8800 units with a hand held Arrow antenna and 
short coax for club and class demos with good success.

Don't expect it to hear the weaker sats well, like SO-50, on the end of 
about 75' of coax on steerable beams on the roof. My solution for this 
at home was to place a SSB preamp at the antenna on the roof. With that 
setup I can hear SO-50 horizon to horizon. Without the preamp I have 
drop outs and signals are very weak at the horizon.


Ernie W8EH


On 1/12/2011 3:43 PM, Clint Bradford wrote:
>>> ...  I do not like the receive sensitivity ...
> Hmmm ... I just didn't experience that. Does your '8800 work fine for local/repeater work?
>
> Clint, K6LCS
>
>
>
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