Yaesu FT-650 reviews

Over Engineered

GI0ZGB	Jan 11th, 13:49	Build quality
Purchased: GBP  775.00 (New) in 2002		Features
Time owned: more than 12 months		User friendliness
		Value for money

Build quality is rugged and of a very high standard from the same era and family as the FT-990 and FT-1000D.
This was a very expensive rig and that fact contributed largely to it being discontinued.
The TRX audio was excellent but the filtering needed help as there was considerable blowpass.
The auto notch wasn't great but the manual usually got the job done. The noise blanker was useless, a mod is available but not recommended.
The DVS2 digital voice unit required careful AF adjustment to avoid distortion on TX making it something of a pain to use.
The rig is highly regarded by six metre groups and even today commands a high second hand value.
I purchased mine brand new, after it was discontinued, and got good bang for the buck.
Warmly recommended, excellent little rig.