Specifications

From March 2008 QST © ARRL
are sturdy with the front adjustable, so you
shouldn’t have any trouble finding a comfort-
able operating position.
In order to offer a transceiver with all
of the superb features that are found in the
bigger rigs, cost had to be cut somewhere
on the FT-950 without sacrificing operation.
Jettisoning the aforementioned power supply
contributed to the economy of the ’950 as did
replacing the FT-2000’s analog meter with an
LED bar graph style multimeter that is part of
the brightly colored and easy to read display.
The meter functions are still there — ALC,
speech compression level, SWR and final
amplifier drain current and voltage.
Perhaps one of the most noticeable
changes (or perhaps not, depending on your
operating style) is the exclusion of a second
receiver. Many operators probably would
not consider losing a second receiver a big
sacrifice in performance because the rig uses
dual VFOs, essential for split operation when
working DX stations whose band allocations
are different than your own.
Working a DX station that is calling CQ
takes just takes a quick push of the A-B button
to move the DX frequency to the sub VFO,
allowing the operator to tune the main VFO
In the July 2007 Product Review, we compared some of the
features and performance of the radios in the $2500 to $3000
range. With the introduction of the FT-950, there are now four
desktop radios within $100 of $1500. They are listed in alpha-
betical order in Table A starting with the ICOM IC-746PRO,
then the Kenwood TS-2000, the Ten-Tec Jupiter and finally the
new Yaesu FT-950. This price range is above the entry level, but
about half that of the middle ground radios looked at previously.
Near this range there are other radios as well, but perhaps
not quite direct competition. The new Elecraft K3 100 W kit
starts just above this range, but we haven’t reviewed it yet.
For most buyers, with usual accessory features, it will end up
as competition in the next higher bracket. There are compact
portable or mobile radios that are also close to this range,
the ICOM IC-7000 perhaps the most obvious choice. The kit
Elecraft K2/100 with a few options is in the same range, but
both of these are a bit outside this desktop market segment.
Either could fill that role, especially for smaller desks.
Each of these radios offers 160 through 10 meter operation
with a general coverage receiver and IF DSP. They all oper-
ate from an external 12.6 V supply. These radios offer distinct
choices among the models that will make each appeal to hams
with particular needs and interests. Perhaps the most dramatic
difference is in V/UHF frequency coverage, which may be a
decision maker for many potential buyers. I have summarized
the major features and performance characteristics in Table A
to make a comparison easier. Note that higher dynamic range
values provide better rejection of the effects of nearby strong
signals. Still, there are many subjective differences worth
reviewing and all are on the ARRL members Web page in
the original product reviews. — Joel Hallas, W1ZR,
Technical Editor, QST
A Look at the Field
Table A
Key Differences Between the Contenders
Feature IC-746PRO TS-2000 Jupiter FT-950
Base Price $1525 $1570 $1549 $1475
Power Supply Included* $135 $169 $170
MF/HF/6 Meters Yes + 2 Meters Yes + 2 M, 70 cm MF/HF only Yes
IF DSP Yes Yes Yes Yes
Dual Receiver None V/UHF AM-FM None None
14 MHz BDR (20/5/2 kHz) dB** 125/100/94 126/103/87 123/94/93 128/111/98
14 MHz 3OIMD (20/5/2 kHz) dB** 97/75/70 94/69/66 85/69/67 95/91/71
Antenna Tuner SWR Range 3:1*** 3:1 10:1, $300 Option 3:1
Firmware Downloadable No Yes Yes Yes
Electronic Memory Keyer Yes Yes Yes Yes
Transmit Audio Equalizer Yes Yes Yes Yes
*Limited time offer, regularly $300.
**Preamp off.
***2.5:1 on 6 meters.
to the frequency that the DX station is listen-
ing to. Another quick poke at this button re-
turns the rig to the appropriate receive and
transmit frequencies, ready to break the
pileup. A nice feature of the FT-950, also
found on the FT-2000, is the TXW button.
Holding the TXW button, conveniently lo-
cated to the lower left of the main VFO,
momentarily swaps the two VFOs allowing
the operator to monitor the rig’s transmit
frequency. Releasing the TXW button returns
the VFOs to the proper TX/RX configuration
for working split. Because this is a momentary
feature and does not permit the rig to transmit
when activated, the TXW should all but
eliminate the “wrong VFO” syndrome.
The FT-2000 rear panel includes connec-
tions for an external VHF/UHF transverter
and for an external receive antenna. Both
are absent from the FT-950’s rear panel, and
that may or may not be an issue depending
on your on-air activities.
Ergonomics
The ergonomic design of the FT-950
makes it a real pleasure to operate. Some of
the lesser-used controls are positioned out
of the way but remain fully accessible when
needed. The more frequently used features
utilize larger buttons and knobs and are
placed within easy reach. Routine maneu-
vers, such as toggling between two antenna
inputs, simply requires pushing a button
located on the front of the radio.
The large knurled rubber knob of the main
VFO makes tuning signals easy and comfort-
able. Dial torque is easily adjustable. Similar
to the FT-2000 and FTDX9000 transceivers,
the FT-950 has a medium sized tuning knob
on the lower right of the front of the rig. In
the larger radios this knob is used to tune the
sub receiver and VFO B. The FT-950 uses this
CLAR/VFO B knob for the clarifier (RIT/XIT)
or to tune VFO B when the second VFO is
activated. Just as on the larger rigs the CLAR/
VFO B knob is also used to select memory
channels or to navigate through the general
coverage receive bands in menu selectable
1 MHz or 100 kHz increments.
The AF GAIN knob and its concentric part-
ner, RF GAIN, use larger than normal knobs,
making fine adjustments smooth and easy. A
similar sized knob labeled SELECT is to the
left of the main VFO, positioned beneath a
bank of six buttons that activate the IF shift,
IF width, contour, notch filter and optional