I picked up on this thanks to a “Tweet” from KE9V Jeff and after taking a look at some of the early information I thought I would share it with you.
On the Left you have the Yaesu FT 450 which has been a favourite of new and not so new hams since it was brought out.
On the right is the Yaesu FT450D which is listed on the Universal Radio Website as not for sale yet but coming in the future. Once the FCC rubber stamps it you will be seeing the new version in North America.
Here are the fine points of both radios:
FT450
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9 x 3.3 x 8.5 inches 7.9 lbs. The FT-450 comes with: MH-67A8J hand mic, mic clip and DC power cord. It requires 13.8 VDC at 22 amps. There is an optional, internally mounted ATU-450 automatic tuner available.
The Yaesu FT-450AT version has the ATU-450 automatic tuner factory installed.
New FT450D
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The Yaesu FT-450D expands on the success of the FT-450 adding new features (
). Enjoy world class performance in an easy to use, compact package. It employs blazing fast 400 MHz IF DSP technology to bring an array of advanced features to the operator. Transmit frequency coverage includes 160 to 6 meters. The receive range is 30 kHz to 54 MHz. Power output is 100 watts on HF and 6 meters. Operating modes include USB, LSB, CW, AM and FM. An antenna tuning system is built in!
The FT-450D comes with: MH-31A8J hand mic, mic clip and DC power cord. It requires 13.8 VDC at 22 amps.
More technical information and additional photos will be added shortly. Estimated delivery is late November 2010.
This device has not been approved by the F.C.C. This device may not be offered for sale or lease or be sold or leased until approval of the F.C.C. has been obtained. The information shown is preliminary and may be subject to change without notice or obligation.
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Now if you have been following this blog you know I am a Yaesu Fanatic.
When I cut myself shaving I bleed Orange and Black…
Right now in the shack I am looking at a FT847, FT897 (with a FC40), FT817, FT60r, VX8gr, FT2400 and I think I just bought a VX1 (waiting for the offer to be accepted) I sold my FT857 when I got rid of my car…
So right now the worlds biggest Yaesu fan is sitting here scratching his head and wondering why the new model…
Whats so new and improved???
Lets see… The new one has:
400 MHz built-in IF DSP
According to the literature the old one has a 400 MHZ built in IF DSP
Built in Antenna Tuning System
The FT450 had an optional ATU
Classically Designed Knobs
The FT450 had knobs…
Included Dynamic hand mic
The FT450 uses the MH-67A8J hand mic and the FT450D uses the MH-31A8J hand mic. The MH31 came as the stock mic with my FT897 and I find it to have good quality audio. I have never used the MH67 so I can’t comment on its quality.
Key Illumination
Having issues with my eyesight and not always being smart enought to wear my glasses this could be great idea
Foot Stand
New and improved angling of dispaly in the FT450D
500 & 300 Hz CW Filters
Better Filters in the FT450D
So there you have it… Built in Tuner (no longer an option) with better CW filters would see to be the main points.…
Having the illuminated keys do make it easier to see and I would have to see both radios side by side to comment on the new and improved Feet. The new hand mic is good but most of the Amateurs who use the FT450 at home use a desk mic anyway…
What do the Yaesu FT450 users out there think??? Would these improvements make you sell the old FT450 and rush out and pick up the FT450D???
As I don’t own a FT 450 these are questions I can’t answer… We saw the VX8r morph into the VX8Dr… Do minor changes deserve a new model number???
Did the changes in this model come out to challenge the new Kenwood TS590?
To us diehard Yeasu users out there… There is no need to challenge…
More on this topic when I can get some new data on the radio…
73bob
PS
Thanks again to Jeff KE9V for bringing the new radio to my attention by tweeting about it and as always thanks to Universal Radio for having an up to date website with good data.
Tags: amateur radio, KE9V Jeff, Yaesu FT 450, Yaesu FT 450D, YAESU Radios
November 2, 2010 at 3:06 am |
Hi.
I was wondering myself what was so *new* in the FT-450D.
I think they are running out of stock of original 450 rigs. Some parts, like the DSP, could be not available now and must be replaced by a new chip reference.
They are just enjoying the redesign to correct some minor errors like the foot stands, the knobs and key illumination that some people (including QST reviewers I think) did not like in the previous model.
The ATU/CW filter inclusion could be to justify a slight price increase and can help Yaesu keeping margins ok as they have less references to manage.
I am hoping to buy a new rig for christmas (perhaps delayed until Tet holidays) and the FT-450D could be a great candidate as I will not have enough money for my dreamed FT-950…
73,
Yan.
January 23, 2011 at 1:28 am |
Hi Bob,
Caught your comments on the two FT-450′s. I have a FT-450at, and it has proved to be a fairly good radio. The biggest thing I like about the DSP is that it is so fast (fastest DSP in any IF-DSP of any radio I have yet gotten proper specs for) that the resulting audio is smooth as silk, and has no audio artifacts at all. Keep in mind this DSP is the same family as the two in the Icom IC-7000 and the one in the IC-7000 . Where Yaesu is using the -531 chip, Icom uses the -532 (main difference is 16MB for the 531′s cache, and the 532 has 32MB).
Only problems I have with the FT-450 implementation is the radio has no Auto-Notch, and the manual-notch is really irritating. This is a big shortcoming as Icom DOES have Auto-Notch (and it works quite well along side it’s manual-notch) using basically the same chip. No technical excuses possible at Yaesu. I’m mainly a SSB guy, and the Auto-notch is very helpful in SSB.
The other problem being that the ALC (in SSB) in the FT-450 is VERY aggressive and tends to cut back power below the AGC-setpoint (normally around 70-watts PEP). I’ve tested my radio on a hi-cost PEP meter and confirmed the problem. This is NOT correctable by proper alignment, and there does not appear to be a non-proper alignment that will fix it. The radio does put out a solid 100-watts on carrier modes (CW and FM), so there is technically nothing wrong with the transmitter. This problem is all over the FT-450 Yahoo Group, so I’m not the only guy.
I have loaned out my FT-450 to a friend of mine, who does a lot of CW, and he really likes the radio (especially since a CW op never needs Auto-Notch anyhow). Only complaint he has is that he wishes it had more gain on 6m, but I think his main problem is that he uses a M2 6m antenna and it has no gain at the antenna whatsoever .
Also he used to use an external SGC DSP speaker to kill the racket he was getting from his Kenwood TH-480at. The DSP Auto-Noise filter in the FT-450 is so good, he just uses the speaker for a speaker now (artifacts and distortion from the SGC DSP was obnoxious, but he didn’t know until he got ahold of a really good DSP). Now he’s a believer . Basic internal speaker in the FT-450 is very poor, FT-857d audio is really really bad, so it is advisable to plug in anything rather than use the built-in speaker on either Yaesu radio.
Overall performance is nothing special, as far as rejection and basic selectivity. FT-450 is only slightly better for rejection than my FT-857d in the mobile (and I include that I added the TCXO and the hi-cost mechanical SSB filter).
More perspective, while both the FT-450 and the FT-857d have DSP’s, you only get one shot with the FT-450, but in the FT-857d you get mechanical filter, then you can alter the bandwidth of the DSP as a second filter and improves rejection significantly. This is why I prefer the FT-450 only slightly.
Without the FT-450 on my base, my day-to-day radio of late, is my Drake TR-4. Selectivity is MUCH better than either one of my Yaesu radios, and is much quieter vs noise on the band (or self-generated). While both my Drake and either one of my Yeasu’s consume 300-watts to transmit, both the Yaesu’s manage something less than 100-watts (FT-857 is pretty close). The TR-4 delivers a solid 200-watts PEP, and it actually helps in dicey conditions to be heard. I have found that brute power is more effective than audiol compression (although that helps sometimes too).
Putting all this in perspective, my base antenna is a Terminated Folded Dipole the YA-30 (MADE BY YAESU) which replaces my End-Fed-Zepp. New antenna has 42-db less noise (not a misprint!), and gives me 9-db more gain! I need no tuner from 80m-10m, and need to retune only for 160m and 6-m, but in no case do I have more than 2.5:1 SWR! I recommend it to anyone that can use a radio without a amplifier (since the YA-30 should never have more than 200-watts on it [some folks have tried up to 400-watts with mild heating, but I'm not that brave]).
Hope the commentary is useful, have fun and good luck!
February 6, 2011 at 4:43 pm |
The FT-450D also reportedly corrects the display problem, which may be due to a missing polarizing filter that results in all the LCD segments being slightly illuminated even when not enabled. Useful, but for these mostly cosmetic changes it’s listing (on sale) for $300 more than the FT-450AT closeout price.
May 27, 2011 at 2:41 am |
I just got a new ft450d and astron rs35m…been a ham for many yrs,since 93….and before that ran on 11mtrs ssb only.I have had many radios,and this ft450d impress me to no end.It just rocks,i have had tentecs,icoms,kenwwods.I have a mint ts520 that i wouldnt take $1000 for.73s everyone de n0zna/John
June 23, 2011 at 10:05 pm |
I wish I could find a source for a service manual for my brand
new 450d.
It sounds like the receiver selectivity skirts are not too good,
and expectedly so since the only ssb passband filtering is digital.
I have an FT-900 that is really a marine radio dressed up as
a ham rig- reliable, simple and clean audio. I installed a second
Collins mechanical ssb in series with the existing unit- an easy
mod. Skirt selectivity is spectacular compared with anything
i have or had since 1959 novice days. I would hope to find
something solid at the FT-450d second IF to series with the
digital chip for steeper skirts- probably an L/C filter like the
50KHz high-Q filters of the early Drakes- my 2B’s are still great
listening machines and will outlive me by decades.
September 1, 2011 at 2:35 am |
i own the 450at great radio operating the radio at 50 watts output and a ,big signal dipole at 72 feet high,my first contact,ucraine,russia and lot’s more great radio ,improvements made in the new model . let’s see if the company who make so much money call the owners of the 450 at and grant for free these improvements,the illumination a must in dark places when hunting,and the cosmetic ones i don’t care. thanks 73′ssss
November 1, 2011 at 5:24 pm |
Greetings! I just bought & donated an FT-450D to our emergency operations center. I liked the simple operation layout, large screen and small footprint. (not to mention the coverage and modes).
My first radio was an FT-101e that I rebuilt (ebay special) and have assembled a FULL FT-101 station – minus the clock….
I also use FT-350M, FT-8800R, FT-897D, VX-150 & VX-177.
{I should own stock in VS….}
My only critical comment on the 450 is the speaker, given the small size of it, it sounds like what it is….
November 1, 2011 at 5:41 pm |
I think the 450 would be great choice for any comm center that needs HF comms as part as their emergency comms plan.
Its always great to hear comments from another “Orange and Black” fan.
I operate a FT450, FT 897, FT 817 FT2900, FT 2400, VX 8gr, VX5, VX1, FT60r
73bob
August 18, 2012 at 9:30 pm |
I love my 450AT. People complain that the tuner is only a 3:1. People, if you can’t tune an antenna to 3:1 or less…
Long-wire folks excluded. I use mine with a 40m OCF at 30′, and with Par EndFedz for portable. I purchased mine “very slightly” used, and it has an 847 bail installed. This puts the radio at just the right height for me. People have complained that it has a small tuning knob. That doesn’t bother me at all. I like to use mine for both stateside and DX, as well as the OMISS & 3905CCN nets. Even at QRP, people compliment me for the radio’s strong audio. My only prior experience was with the 706 MarkIIG at FD, so I can’t really compare it to much else. That noted, I am extremely pleased with the 450 and would easily consider buying another one.