How to Program an FT-991A — Step by Step

HF through 70 centimeters in one box, with a colour touchscreen in front of it. Most of what you reach for mid-QSO is one button and one touch away; the deep settings are a flat list of 154 numbered menu items.

This page covers: Yaesu FT-991A, Yaesu FT-991. They share the same firmware, so the steps below are identical on all of them whatever name is printed on the front.

What you can do on this radio

• Set the radio up for FT8 and other digital modes
• Connect the radio to a computer
• Set the drive level for digital modes
• Narrow the filter to shut out the station next door
• Turn on noise reduction
• Turn on the noise blanker
• Notch out a whistle or a carrier
• Work a DX station that is running split
• Save a frequency to a memory channel
• Run the antenna tuner
• Set the CW keyer speed and weight
• Reset the menu to factory settings

Set the radio up for FT8 and other digital modes on an FT-991A

This is the radio's best feature and its most confusing one. Everything runs down a single USB cable, but that means four separate menu items all have to agree about which jack the audio is coming from — and Yaesu's own manual contradicts itself on one of them.

1. Press MODE, then touch DATA-USB on the screen.MODE›touch DATA-USBThe screen should show: The D-U icon appears in the display.The manual is explicit that USB is the conventional sideband for digital work on every band. That is not the same as the radio's DATA BFO default, so do not skip this.
2. Press MENU(SETUP), rotate MULTI to item 062 DATA MODE, touch SELECT, and choose OTHERS.MENU(SETUP)›DATA MODE›touch SELECT›dial → OTHERS›touch ENTERThe screen should show: 062 DATA MODE, then OTHERS.Watch out. Yaesu's own data-mode page says PSK here, and for PSK31-era software that is right — the radio generates the tone and item 063 sets it. FT8 is different: WSJT-X makes its own tones and expects the dial to read the base frequency for the band. PSK shifts the carrier point by the PSK tone, so the dial and the software stop agreeing. OTHERS with items 064 and 065 left at 0 Hz is what keeps them lined up.
3. Check items 064 OTHER DISP and 065 OTHER SHIFT are both on 0 Hz.OTHER DISP (SSB)›dial → 0›touch ENTER›OTHER SHIFT (SSB)›dial → 0›touch ENTERThe screen should show: 0Hz on both.064 moves what the display reads; 065 moves the actual carrier point. Both are 0 from the factory, and both are things people nudge while chasing a signal that came out in the wrong place.
4. Set item 070 DATA IN SELECT to REAR.DATA IN SELECT›dial → REAR›touch ENTERThe screen should show: 070 DATA IN SELECT, then REAR.Watch out. This is the contradiction. The setup page at the back of the manual says MIC. The description of item 070 says REAR is what selects the USB jack, and the description of item 072 says 072 only does anything when 070 is REAR. Set this to MIC and the radio listens to the front microphone jack, so nothing your computer sends ever reaches the transmitter. REAR is the setting that agrees with both item definitions.
5. Set item 072 DATA PORT SELECT to USB.DATA PORT SELECT›dial → USB›touch ENTERThe screen should show: 072 DATA PORT SELECT, then USB.REAR covers two different sockets — the old RTTY/DATA jack and the USB jack. This is the item that says which. It leaves the factory on DATA, so it does need changing.
6. Set item 071 DATA PTT SELECT to RTS, then press MENU(SETUP) to leave.DATA PTT SELECT›dial → RTS›touch ENTER›MENU(SETUP)The screen should show: 071 DATA PTT SELECT, then RTS.RTS keys the transmitter from the USB virtual COM port's RTS line, which is what the manual's own software notes ask for — PTT on RTS, DTR off. Whatever you choose here has to match what you set in WSJT-X.

On the software side the manual asks for the Enhanced COM port driver, the soundcard set to USB CODEC AUDIO, and the output level started around 70%. It also warns that if the soundcard level is too low the radio will not switch to transmit at all — so if nothing happens when you click Tune, turn the computer's output up before you go looking for a fault in the radio.

Taken from the manufacturer's own manual for this model.

Connect the radio to a computer on an FT-991A

One USB cable gives you two COM ports: one for CAT control, one for keying. Getting them the right way round, at the right speed, is most of the job.

1. Press MENU(SETUP), rotate to item 031 CAT RATE, touch SELECT, and set the speed to match your software.MENU(SETUP)›CAT RATE›touch SELECT›dial → 38400›touch ENTERThe screen should show: 031 CAT RATE, then 4800, 9600, 19200 or 38400 bps.Watch out. The factory setting is 4800 bps, and almost nothing defaults to that any more. When the radio and the software disagree on speed the radio simply does not reply, which looks exactly like a broken cable or a wrong COM port. Change it here and set the identical number in the software.
2. Item 032 CAT TOT is how long the radio waits on a half-finished command before discarding it.CAT TOT›dial → 10, 100, 1000 or 3000›touch ENTERThe screen should show: 032 CAT TOT, then a value in milliseconds.10 ms is the default and is right for a direct USB cable.
3. Item 033 CAT RTS decides whether the radio expects RTS flow control. Then MENU(SETUP) to leave.CAT RTS›dial → ENABLE or DISABLE›touch ENTER›MENU(SETUP)The screen should show: 033 CAT RTS, then ENABLE or DISABLE.Watch out. Default is ENABLE. Note that RTS is also what item 071 uses to key the transmitter for digital modes — if you have one program holding RTS for PTT and another expecting it for flow control, they will fight. If CAT is unreliable and the speed is right, this is the setting to look at.

Two ports appear when you install the driver: the Enhanced one is for CAT, the Standard one for keying. If the radio answers on neither, try swapping which port number you gave to which job before changing anything in this menu.

Taken from the manufacturer's own manual for this model.

Set the drive level for digital modes on an FT-991A

Three things set your digital transmit level, and they interact: the computer's output, the radio's power setting, and the menu item for data gain. Turning the wrong one is how people end up transmitting a wide, distorted signal while believing they are being careful.

1. Press F(M-LIST) and touch RF PWR, then rotate MULTI to set the transmit power.F(M-LIST)›touch RF PWR›dial → downThe screen should show: The power setting.Watch out. The manual points out that reducing power this way makes the ALC meter read higher, and says plainly that this is normal and not a fault. Do not chase that reading — it is not telling you the signal is dirty.
2. Item 073 DATA OUT LEVEL sets the audio the radio sends back out to the computer.MENU(SETUP)›DATA OUT LEVEL›touch SELECT›dial → 0 - 100›touch ENTERThe screen should show: 073 DATA OUT LEVEL, then a number from 0 to 100.This one is about RECEIVE — it is what your decoder hears. If WSJT-X shows a flat waterfall or a pegged one, this is the level to move, not anything on the transmit side.
3. Put the meter on ALC so you can see what the transmitter is actually doing.F(M-LIST)›touch MTR›dial → ALCThe screen should show: The ALC meter.You want to be watching while you adjust rather than guessing, and the computer's output slider is usually the thing that needs moving.

The manual's own starting point is the computer's soundcard output at about 70%, with the warning that too low and the radio will not key at all. Work down from a level that transmits, not up from silence — and judge it by the power meter sitting steady on a constant tone rather than by any single ALC number.

Taken from the manufacturer's own manual for this model.

Narrow the filter to shut out the station next door on an FT-991A

WIDTH changes how wide the opening is. SHIFT slides it sideways. On this radio both live on the function menu and both hand the MULTI knob over to do the work.

1. Press F(M-LIST) and touch WIDTH on the screen.F(M-LIST)›touch WIDTHThe screen should show: The WIDTH indicator and a level indicator appear.Touching it does not just switch something on — it re-purposes the MULTI knob as the width control until you pick something else.
2. Rotate MULTI counter-clockwise to narrow the passband until the interference drops away.dial → counter-clockwise to narrowThe screen should show: The width level indicator moving.Watch out. Clockwise makes it WIDER, and the manual is clear that you can open it past the default deliberately — worth knowing on a quiet band, and worth knowing so you can tell which way you have gone wrong when a signal suddenly sounds thin.
3. If interference is still leaking in from one side, touch SHIFT instead and rotate MULTI.F(M-LIST)›touch SHIFT›dial → left or rightThe screen should show: The SHIFT indicator.Narrowing is symmetrical — it closes in from both sides at once. When the interference is only on one side, shifting the whole passband away from it keeps more of the wanted signal than narrowing does.

The FT-991A also has roofing filters ahead of all this, and a CONTOUR control for gently shaping the passband rather than cutting it. Width and shift are the two that solve most problems; reach for contour when a signal is not being interfered with, just sounding wrong.

Taken from the manufacturer's own manual for this model.

Turn on noise reduction on an FT-991A

For the steady background roar rather than sharp ticks. The manual says it is especially effective on SSB, and gives you fifteen different algorithms to try because no single filter suits every kind of noise.

1. Press F(M-LIST), then touch DNR on the screen.F(M-LIST)›touch DNRThe screen should show: The DNR indicator comes on, with a level indicator beside it.
2. Rotate MULTI to step through the fifteen algorithms until one of them takes the noise down best.dial → 1 - 15The screen should show: The DNR level indicator changing.They are not a scale from weak to strong — each was built for a different noise profile, so the right one depends entirely on the noise you have. The manual's own advice is to experiment rather than pick a favourite.

Touch DNR again to switch it off. Use as little as does the job: every algorithm here removes some of the wanted signal along with the noise, and voices go hollow well before the noise disappears.

Taken from the manufacturer's own manual for this model.

Turn on the noise blanker on an FT-991A

For repeating pulse noise — the manual names automotive ignition systems, switching transients and power lines. It also says plainly that it may be less effective on other kinds of interference, which is a fair warning.

1. Press F(M-LIST) and touch the NB icon.F(M-LIST)›touch NBThe screen should show: The Noise Blanker turns ON.
2. The blanker level can then be adjusted with the MULTI knob.dial → the blanker levelThe screen should show: The NB level indicator.
3. Three more settings sit in the numbered menu: 023 NB WIDTH, 024 NB REJECTION and 025 NB LEVEL.MENU(SETUP)›NB WIDTH›NB REJECTION›NB LEVELThe screen should show: Width 1, 3 or 10 ms; rejection 10, 30 or 50 dB; level 0 to 10.WIDTH is how long the blanker assumes each pulse lasts. A fast sharp tick wants 1 ms, a broader thump wants 10 — this is the one worth changing when the blanker helps but not enough.

Touch NB again to turn it off, and do turn it off when the noise stops. A hard blanker setting on a quiet band chews up strong signals and makes them sound distorted, which is easy to mistake for a problem at the far end.

Taken from the manufacturer's own manual for this model.

Notch out a whistle or a carrier on an FT-991A

Two notches, and they are for different jobs. The IF notch you aim by hand at one carrier. The digital notch hunts by itself and will chase several at once.

1. Press F(M-LIST), then touch NOTCH on the screen.F(M-LIST)›touch NOTCHThe screen should show: The NOTCH indicator turns on, with a level indicator.
2. Rotate MULTI to move the null onto the offending tone.dial → the null onto the toneThe screen should show: The notch level indicator moving, and the whistle vanishing.You are sliding a very narrow hole through the passband. The tone disappears abruptly when the hole lands on it, so move slowly through the region rather than sweeping.
3. How wide that hole is comes from item 114 IF NOTCH WIDTH.MENU(SETUP)›IF NOTCH WIDTH›touch SELECT›dial → NARROW or WIDE›touch ENTERThe screen should show: 114 IF NOTCH WIDTH, then NARROW or WIDE.Watch out. Factory setting is WIDE, which is easier to aim but takes more of the voice with it. If the notch is killing the whistle and muffling the station at the same time, this is why.
4. The automatic one is DNF on the same function menu — touch it to turn it on, touch it again for off.F(M-LIST)›touch DNFThe screen should show: DNF on or off.DNF finds the tones itself and handles more than one, which the manual notch cannot. It is the quicker choice, but it can also take a bite out of something you wanted.

Turn the notch off when the interference goes. A notch left parked in the middle of the passband quietly removes part of every signal you listen to afterwards, and it is very easy to forget it is there.

Taken from the manufacturer's own manual for this model.

Work a DX station that is running split on an FT-991A

The FT-991A tells you what it is doing with four LEDs rather than one indicator, which is genuinely useful once you know what to look for: green means receive, red means transmit, and split is when the green is on A and the red is on B.

1. Tune VFO-A to the station you can hear.dial → the DX station's frequencyThe screen should show: VFO-A RX green, VFO-A TX red — ordinary simplex operation.
2. Press A/B to swap to VFO-B, tune it to where the station is listening, then press A/B again to come back.A/B›dial → the listening frequency›A/BThe screen should show: VFO-B on your transmit frequency, and you are hearing VFO-A again.Watch out. It is easy to lose track of which VFO you are on and tune the DX station right off your receive frequency. The LEDs are the check: you want green on A before you go any further.
3. Press SPLIT.SPLITThe screen should show: VFO-A RX green, VFO-A TX off, VFO-B RX off, VFO-B TX red.That LED pattern is the whole confirmation — listening on A, transmitting on B. Press SPLIT once more to cancel it.
4. For the common case, skip all that: hold SPLIT for a second and the radio puts VFO-B 5 kHz above VFO-A and turns split on in one move.hold SPLITThe screen should show: The same split LED pattern, with VFO-B 5 kHz up.Hold it again and it steps another 5 kHz up, so working your way up a pileup is one button. The step size comes from menu item 035 QUICK SPLIT FREQ and can be set anywhere from 20 kHz down to 20 kHz up.
5. To hear your own transmit frequency before you call, use TXW.TXWThe screen should show: You hear VFO-B while you hold it.This is how you find out whether the frequency you are about to call on is clear or already has three other people sitting on it.

Set item 035 to whatever the pileups you actually chase use, and the quick split becomes the only method you need. The LEDs are worth trusting over memory — if the red one is on VFO-A, you are not split, whatever you meant to do.

Taken from the manufacturer's own manual for this model.

Save a frequency to a memory channel on an FT-991A

99 memories, each holding the frequency, the mode and a good deal of the status with it. The one thing to get right is that the button is tapped once and then held — two different actions on the same key.

1. Set VFO-A up exactly as you want it remembered — frequency, mode, and anything else.dial → the frequency you wantThe screen should show: Your frequency.The mode is stored with the channel, so set it before you write rather than after.
2. Press the A▶M button once, then rotate MULTI to the channel you want.A▶M›dial → an empty channelThe screen should show: The channel number appears, with MCK beside it.Watch out. That is A▶M, the VFO-to-memory button — not the AM mode. The manual's own figures abbreviate it in a way that makes the two easy to confuse.
3. Press and hold A▶M for one second to store it.hold A▶MThe screen should show: A double beep confirms it is saved.The double beep is the confirmation. A single tap here only moves the selection — nothing is written until you hold it.

Press V/M to move between the VFO and your memories. Memories can be sorted into as many as six groups, which is worth doing once you are past a dozen channels.

Taken from the manufacturer's own manual for this model.

Run the antenna tuner on an FT-991A

There is a real antenna tuner in this radio, and one button drives it — but that button does two different things depending on how long you hold it, and confusing them is why people think the tuner is not working.

1. Tune to the frequency you actually want to work.dial → your operating frequencyThe screen should show: Your frequency.Watch out. The manual asks you to listen first and make sure you are not about to transmit on top of somebody. Tuning keys the transmitter.
2. Press TUNE briefly. This only switches the tuner into the transmit path — it does not tune anything yet.TUNEThe screen should show: The TUNER icon appears, steady.On this press the radio also picks the stored tuning point nearest your frequency, out of the 100 it keeps. Often that alone is enough and you never need the second step.
3. Press and hold TUNE for one second to actually tune.hold TUNEThe screen should show: The TUNER icon blinks while it works, then goes steady again when it has finished and the radio returns to receive.Blinking means working, steady means done. That is the whole readout.
4. A brief press again takes the tuner back out of the transmit path.TUNEThe screen should show: The TUNER icon goes out.

Two limits worth knowing, both from the manual. It matches roughly 16.7 to 150 ohms — about 3:1 SWR — so a random wire, a non-resonant whip or a G5RV on most bands may simply be outside its range and no amount of pressing will help. And because it sits inside the radio it only fixes what the transmitter sees at the station end of your coax; it does nothing about the SWR at the antenna itself.

Taken from the manufacturer's own manual for this model.

Set the CW keyer speed and weight on an FT-991A

Speed is on the touchscreen with the rest of the CW controls. The feel of the sending — the ratio of dahs to dits — is in the numbered menu instead.

1. Press F(M-LIST) and touch KEYER, then ON, to bring the built-in electronic keyer up.F(M-LIST)›touch KEYER›touch ONThe screen should show: KEYER shows ON.
2. Touch SPEED, then rotate MULTI to set the sending speed between 4 and 60 words per minute.touch SPEED›dial → 4 - 60 WPMThe screen should show: The speed in WPM below the SPEED indicator.Pressing either side of the paddle sounds the tone as you go, so you can hear the speed rather than read it.
3. Item 012 KEYER TYPE picks the keyer's behaviour: OFF, BUG, ELEKEY-A, ELEKEY-B, ELEKEY-Y or ACS.MENU(SETUP)›KEYER TYPE›touch SELECT›dial → ELEKEY-B›touch ENTERThe screen should show: 012 KEYER TYPE, then your choice.ELEKEY-B is the factory default and suits most paddles. OFF is what you want for a straight key in the same jack.
4. Item 014 CW WEIGHT sets the dah-to-dit ratio, 2.5 to 4.5.CW WEIGHT›dial → 2.5 - 4.5›touch ENTER›MENU(SETUP)The screen should show: 014 CW WEIGHT, then a number.3.0 is the textbook ratio and the factory setting. A little heavier is often easier for the other operator to copy through noise.

If you want to practise without going on the air, set BK-IN to OFF on the function menu — the sidetone still sounds and the transmitter stays quiet.

Taken from the manufacturer's own manual for this model.

Reset the menu to factory settings on an FT-991A

Nothing here is in the menu. All four resets on this radio are a button held down while you switch it on, and they take away very different things — so read which is which first, because none of them can be undone.

1. Switch the radio off at the front panel.ON/OFFThe screen should show: A dark display.Every one of these is done from cold. There is nothing to find in the menu.
2. For the one you almost certainly want: hold MENU(SETUP) in, and while holding it switch the radio on. Let go once it comes up.hold MENU(SETUP)›ON/OFFThe screen should show: The radio starts with the menu back at factory settings.This restores the menu settings and LEAVES YOUR MEMORIES ALONE. It is the right first move when something is misconfigured and you cannot work out what.
3. Holding A▶M instead clears the stored memory channels and leaves the menu as it is.hold A▶M›ON/OFFThe screen should show: The radio starts with empty memories.Watch out. On the US version this cannot erase channel 01, or 5-01 through 5-10.
4. Holding F(M-LIST) resets the menu AND clears every memory, but keeps your SETUP entries.hold F(M-LIST)›ON/OFFThe screen should show: The radio starts fully reset, but still knows your call sign.SETUP is where MY CALL, latitude and longitude, the time and date, and your CW text live. This is the reset that spares you re-entering them.
5. Holding FAST and LOCK together is the full reset — everything, SETUP included.hold FAST + LOCK›ON/OFFThe screen should show: The radio starts as it left the factory, and asks for your call sign again.Watch out. This is the destructive one. Menu, memories, call sign, position, CW messages — all of it. Try the MENU(SETUP) reset first; it fixes most of what sends people looking, and it costs you nothing.

Because these are power-on combinations rather than a menu item, there is no confirmation screen and no way to back out once the radio starts. Be sure which button you are holding before you reach for the power switch.

Taken from the manufacturer's own manual for this model.