Yaesu FT-891

The Yaesu FT-891 is a fantastic little power house of an HF transceiver!  Packing 100 watts in a radio the size of an old car stereo, do NOT let its size fool you.  Although it may not have the fancy colorful animated waterfalls like some of the HF radio, it packs a punch when it comes to reaching out and touching someone.  With a good antenna you will log thousands of contacts with the Yaesu FT-891!!!

At the time of this writing the FT-891 is $639.95

yaesu ft-891 features explained

INNER KNOB - AF Knob - 

The inner AF knob adjusts the receiver
audio volume levels of the internal or
external speaker.  Clockwise rotation
increases volume level.

Outer Ring Knob -

RF/SQL knob

Rotate this knob counter-clockwise to reduce the
background noise and the system gain. Rotate this
knob fully clockwise to set the gain to the highest
level for normal operations. Counter-
clockwise rotation will raise the start position of
the S-Meter indication. When receiving a strong
signal, the noise is reduced and the signal is emphasized.

  • Rotate this knob slightly counter-clockwise
    to the point where the “stationary” meter

indication is set just about the same as the
receiver noise level.

This control may be changed to function
as the squelch control by selecting “SQL” on
Menu Mode “05-05 [RF/SQL VR]”.

MULTI function knob - 

This knob incorporates multiple tasks and makes
it very convenient to operate the various
functions of the FT-891.
1 Adjusts the operating
frequency of VFO-A in 500 kHz Steps (except the for
AM and FM modes)
2 Adjusts the operating frequency of VFO-B

3 Operates the [A]/[B]/[C]/ [CLAR] key function

4 Selects the Desired memory channel

5 Switches the Setting Modes ON/OFF

6 Changes the Menu Mode setting values

[F] key - Repeatedly press this key momentarily
to step through the Setting Modes as follows:

➠ FUNCTION-1 ➠FUNCTION-2 ➠ CW SETTING ➠

Select the desired function from the Setting
Modes, and then press the MULTI
function knob to switch the selected function ON or OFF.

  • While in the Setting Modes,
    to assign the Setting Modes
    to the [A]/[B]/[C] keys, rotate the 
    MULTI function knob to select the
    desired function, and then press and hold
    the  [A]/[B]/[C]
  • FM SETTING, REC SETTING and ATAS SETTING
    function screens may be en­abled via Menu mode
    “05-10”, “05-11” or “05-12”.
  • To return to normal operation, rotate the MAIN DIAL
    or press another

Press and hold this key to activate the Menu mode.

●  [A] (SFT): IF SHIFT function

In the SSB mode, IF SHIFT permits moving the DSP filter
passband higher or lower, without changing the pitch of the
incoming signal, and thus reduces or eliminates interference.
Press this key to display the IF SHIFT

  1. Rotate the MULTI function knob to the left or right to
    reduce interfering sig­
  2. Press and hold the MULTI function knob to restore the IF
    SHIFT setting to the factory default.

●  [B] (SCP): The SCOPE function
The SCOPE function provides a spectrum display of the band
conditions. Press this key to display the band condition
(spectrum).

When the SCOPE function is active, the [A]/[B]/[C] keys are
automatically changed to the below operations.

[A](SPN) key:     This key changes the displayed bandwidth.
Available selections are 750 kHz, 375 kHz, 150 kHz, 75 kHz, or
37.5 kHz ranges.

[B](SWP) key: Each time the [B](SWP) key is pressed, a new
scan of the spec­trum scope is shown on the LCD display.

The SWP icon blinking on the LCD is confirmation that the
“Continuous Sweeping mode” is running.


[C] (NB): Noise Blanker function

The IF Noise Blanker can significantly reduce the noise that is
caused by automo­tive ignition systems.

[CLAR] key
During reception, press this key, and then rotate the  MULTI
function knob to adjust the VFO-A RX clarifier offset value up
to ±9.998 kHz.

The clarifier offset value (frequency) can be restored to “0
(zero)” by pressing the MULTI function knob for more than one
second.

MAIN DIAL

This is the main tuning dial for the transceiver. Rotate this knob
clockwise to increase the operating frequency and rotate it
counterclockwise to decrease the operating fre­quency.

  • Pressing the [FAST] key will change the tuning of the
    MAIN DIAL to a higher step rate.The frequency steps
    available are 10Hz and 100Hz per step (2kHz and 20kHz
    per rotation).

Pressing the  [PWR/LOCK] key briefly will engage or release
the DIAL knob lock.

[QMB] key

Press and hold this key for more than one second to write
the frequency and the data presently displayed on VFO-A
to the quick memory bank (QMB).

  • Once all 5 QMB memories have data written on them, the
    previous data will be over-written on a first-in, first-out
    basis.
  • 5 QMB memory channels are Press this key briefly to recall
    the data writ­ten onto the quick memory banks (QMB) one
    by one.
  • To change the frequency in the recalled quick memory
    bank (QMB), rotate the MAIN DIAL.

[M▶V] key

This key will copy the saved data from a written memory
channel to VFO-A. Press this key to display the “MEMORY
CHANNEL” list screen.

Rotate the MULTI function knob to select the desired
previously written memory channel.

Press this key again to copy the currently selected memory
channel data to VFO-A.

[V▶M] key

This key is used to save the data from VFO-A to a memory
channel. Press this key to display the “MEMORY CHANNEL” list
screen.

Rotate the  MULTI function knob to select the desired memory
channel.

Press this key again to copy the VFO-A operating data to the
selected memory channel.

  • When the “MEMORY CHANNEL” list screen is displayed,
    press the [A]/[B]/[C] key to edit the selected memory
    channel.

[V/M] key

This key toggles frequency control between the VFO and the
memory systems.

  • When the memory channel data is recalled, the previously
    selected Memory channel

number is displayed like “M01”.

  • Rotate the MULTI function knob to change the memory
    channel
  • While operating on a memory channel, if the MAIN DIAL
    knob is turned, the “Memory Channel Number” will be
    replaced by the MEMORY TUNE indicator “MT ”; this
    indicates that the operating frequency of the Memory
    Channel is temporarily changed. Pressing the [V/M] key
    while in the MEMORY TUNE state will restore the previous
    memory channel data.

[A/B] key

Pressing this key momentarily, exchanges the frequency and
memory channel data of VFO-A and VFO-B.

Press and hold this key for one second to set VFO-A and VFO-B to
the same frequen­cy and data values.

[BAND (MODE)] key

  • Press this key to display the “BAND SELECT” screen
    (Operating band selection screen).
  • Rotate the  MAIN DIAL knob to select the desired frequency
    band (operating band).

    The selected frequency band will be set automatically in one
    second and the display will return to normal operation.

    Press and hold this key to display the “MODE SELECT”

    Rotate the  MAIN DIAL knob to select the radio modulation
    form (operating mode).

    The selected operating mode will be set automatically in one
    second and the dis­play will return to normal operation in the
    selected operating mode. (The mode is automatically preset
    for each operating band, it is only necessary to set “MODE SELECT”
    when a change is desired).

[FAST] key

Press this key to change the tuning of the  MAIN DIAL to a
higher step rate. The “FST ” will be displayed at the bottom right
corner of the screen.

The tuning steps for the  MAIN DIAL knob are set at the factory
to 10 Hz -100 Hz for one step and 20 kHz for each dial rotation, in
the SSB/AM/CW/RTTY/DATA Mode (One kHz for each step and
200 kHz for each dial rotation in the FM Mode).

TX/BUSY Indicator

The Indicator glows green while the squelch opens on receiving
signals. The Indicator glows blue: While Zeroing during CW mode.

On receiving a signal with a CTCSS/DCS tone matching the
squelch tone code setting of the transceiver.

The Indicator glows red when transmit is engaged.

[PWR/LOCK] key

Press and hold this key to turn the transceiver ON or OFF.

Briefly press the key while the transceiver is ON to engage the
 MAIN DIAL knob lock. This key toggles the  MAIN DIAL knob lock
ON/OFF.

FT-891 Screen Features Explained

Antenna Tuner - Indicates
if a tuner is present.

The VOX function is in use

The Speech Processor
function is in use

The Monitor function is
in use

Running split operation

Lock Feature Active

Displays the various Operating Modes:

A/A VFO-A
M01 - Memory Channel Number
PMS - Programmable Memory Scanning
QMB - Operating with the Quick Memory Bank
MT - Memory Tune
EMG - Recalling the emergency contac tfrequency

Mode Indicator - 

USB, LSB, CW, Etc...

Meters Indicator -

PO - Output Power Meter
ALC - ALC Voltage Meter
SWR - Standing Wave Ratio Meter 
CMP - Speech Processor Compression level Meter
IDD - Displays the drain current of the final stage FET transistors

Actual Meter Reading based on
what you have showing on the left

Current Operating Frequency

VFO-B data Clarifier operation

VFO-B

Clarifier

The receiver preamplifier is OFF

The attenuator is in use

The Narrow IF DSP filter is in use

The noise blanker is in use

MAIN DIAL at a higher step rate

IF SHIFT function

Scope Function

Noise Blanker Function

Similar to the 991A Diagram on this site, the FT-891 has multiple menus that you are not seeing displayed in teh graphic above.  If I remember corerctly there were about 60 menu items on the 891 that most of whihc you will set it and forget it.

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