Yaesu MARK V / FT-1000MP |
(last updated January 10,2004)
Introduced at the Dayton 2000 Hamvention, the new Yaesu Mark V/FT-1000MP transceiver is squarely aimed at the high performance contest and DX crowd. Combining the best of the venerable FT-1000D with the DSP and computer glitz of the mid-priced FT-1000MP, the Mark V is Yaesu's attempt to dominate the "elite class" market for the next decade. After swearing that I would never get rid of my beloved FT-1000D, I finally succumbed to temptation and shelled out $3269 (plust tax) for the basic Mark V and another $900 for optional filters. That was then. Today, you can pick up a brand new Mark V for well under $2000 (and hundreds less for a Mark V Field), making it one of the best buys in ham radio. |
What first catches your eye about the new Mark V is the top heatsink, which is an integral part of the cabinet. Yaesu claims the heatsink has 250% greater cooling power than the rear-mounted heatsink on the FT-1000D. Like the FT-1000D, the Mark V runs 200+ watts output. Whereas the FT-1000D used bipolar power transistors, the Mark V uses a pair of Phillips BLF147 power MOSFETS. A special "Class A" mode reduces power output to 75 watts, and reduces IMD (distortion) to lower than -50db, which bests any ham transceiver ever made. |
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There's good news and bad news about the FP-29 external switching power supply The good news is that the FP-29, which provides 30V @15A and 13.8V@3A is included at no additional charge. The bad news is that the FP-29 has an irritating bottom-mounted fan (see below) which runs all the time. Though much quieter than the fan on Icom switchers, it's still audible in a quiet room. On the plus side, Yaesu provides a 2 meter long interconnecting cable, so the supply can be hidden behind the desk. Note that the FP-29 only runs on 120VAC; there's no provision for 240VAC. (Update note: this statement is in error; the FP-29 can be configured for 240V operation. Early units required removing the bottom cover to reconfigure for 240V.) |
The unusual top-mounted heatsink (right) is cooled by a novel "paddle-wheel" internal fan (below). The fan is thermostatically controlled and doesn't run all the time. |
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Plan on spending about $900 if you want to load up your Mark V with optional filters. The main receiver takes up to five optional filters for the 2nd and 3rd IF, and the sub-receiver holds one optional filter. The Mark V uses a combination of crystal and (Collins) mechanical filters. The three filters at the bottom of the photo are supplied (the blue one is a Collins 10 pole SSB filter --the FT1000MP uses an 8-pole filter.), while a 250 Hz optional filter is at the upper right. A nice new feature: the bandwidth of the DSP filtering (in the ssb mode only) is automatically interlocked to the bandwidth of the selected analog filters, even when using the "width" vernier. |
Out of the Box: My first challenge with the radio was installing two plug-in optional filters. I couldn't figure out how to take the cabinet off! The instructions in the manual were wrong (probably not updated from the FT-1000MP). (Update note: Recent version of the manual now describe the correct procedure.) In short, the cabinet is in four pieces, with 23 screws of three different types. Although it was easy to plug in the filters once I got the cabinet apart, it was then a challenge putting everything back together. Two tiny screws recess into the narrow space between the heatsink fins; nursing them back into their holes required a bright light and pair of curved tweezers. My advice: ask the dealer to install the filters for you. The blue Collins 500 Hz sub-receiver filter is shown in the below photo, to the right of the TCXO oscillator module. Initializing the software for the selected filters was also confusing. More about this problem, below. |
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How's the Quality? I am generally pleased with the radio's workmanship. It seems nicely engineered and layed out. Circuit boards use a combination of surface-mount and through-hole components. The top-firing internal speaker is larger than normal (3.5 in.) and sounds very good. Initially, the supplied thin little AC line cord (left) seemed underrated for a rig that draws nearly 500 watts, but later versions supplied a beefed-up cord. I also didn't care for the cheezy interconnecting cable between the FP-29 and the radio. It uses molex-type connectors on each end of individual wires (a black sleeve holds the bundle together), with no strain-relief on the wires. Seems like for four grand, you would get a nice cable with molded connectors. |
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How about new features? Look closely at the right photo and you'll see "VRF" and "IDBT" on each side of the tuning knob, underneath the TX and RX LEDs. The VRF "Variable RF" button activates a manually-tuned front-end preselector, which one tweaks for maximum signal, just like us old-timers used to do on radios from previous eras. I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same. |
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IDBT stands for "interlocked digital bandwidth tracking system," which sets the radio's DSP bandwidth to that used by the cascaded crystal and mechanical filters. What's neat about this feature is that it automatically corrects for adjustments in the IF shift and IF width controls. The feature can be toggled on or off by a button to the right of the tuning knob. Note that this feature only works in the SSB mode; on CW, one uses the audio peak filter instead. |
Rough Edges: The Mark V isn't without blemishes, many attributed to its being brand new on the market. Some of these result from Operating Manual errors (such as the cabinet removal instructions, noted above), some from inappropriate default menu settings, and a few from quirky design choices. ( I received an email from Yaesu promising to fix the manual problems in subsequent editions.) (Update note: Yaesu kept their promise; recent editions have corrected the problems.)Although frustrating, none of these problems in my opinion are deal-breakers. I've had two Mark V owners report to me that their radios seem sensitive to RF feedback, caused by high SWRs. The symptom is that the radio locks itself into the transmit mode, with the only recourse being to kill the AC power. I have also had this symptom appear with my Mark V, but very rarely. |
On-the-Air at Last! To get a feel for the new rig, I tried it side-by-side (see photo below) with an Icom IC-756PRO and a 15-year-old Signal/One Milspec 1030. First, let me dispell any notions you might have that radios were better in the "good old days." The top-of-the-line Signal/One just didn't cut it, receiver-wise. Compared to either the Yaesu or Icom, the Signal/One sounded noisier on the bands, the noise blanker didn't measure up to the others, the selectivity wasn't as good, and it sure wasn't as convenient to use. However, in the Signal/One's defense, people liked its rf-processed transmit audio better than the processed audio on the other rigs. |
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How does the Mark V stack up against the IC-756PRO? Keep in mind that I wasn't pushing the radios to their limits, as one might do in a pileup on 160m CW or a multi-multi contest operation. These are impressions, not detailed technical comparisons. |
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But features don't tell the whole story! Although the Mark V doesn't do as much as the 756PRO, what it does, it does brilliantly. For instance, I checked the s-meter sensitivity on 160m, 20m, and 10m on both radios with my HP-8640 signal generator. An S-9 signal is supposed to be 50 uV. However, S-9 on the Icom wandered between 72uV and 96uV on the three bands (no preamp). An S-9 on the Mark V (no preamp) was exactly 50uV on all three bands -- a minor accomplishment, admittedly, but a sign that the designers paid close attention to detail. |
How does the Mark V compare to the FT-1000D? Although I can't do a technical analysis, I can make some operating comparisons between the two radios, since I owned a "D" for 8 years. First, let me just note that the "feel" of the two radios is similar. If you're a "D" owner, you won't have difficulty adjusting to the Mark V. However, as shown on the photo (right) and described below, the Mark V has many operating features that the FT-1000D lacks, as well as somewhat different panel layout. |
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For example, the Mark V has S-meters for both the main and the sub-receiver, and both of these have a peak-hold option. Only the Mark V has "shuttle-jog" tuning, which lets one rapidly change frequency with one hand. One can select different tuning rates on the Mark V, and there's also a handy "fast tune" button below the main tuning knob. The "D" lacks these features. |
The bottom line: QST has now reviewed the Mark V (November 2000) and confirmed my subjective impression that this radio sets a new standard for strong-signal-handling performance. With filters galore (crystal, mechanical, audio, and DSP) and tuned preselectors, the Mark V is the radio to beat for contesting and top-band dxing. In terms of most important areas of receiver performance, QST rates it the best receiver ever tested. Feature-wise, the Mark V is comparable to many other modern transceivers. The controls are intuitive and straightforward and the DSP, NB, NR, etc., work well. (I do wish there was more flexibility in the AGC choices; it would be nice to have the time constants selectable by menu.) However, Yaesu is clearly not banking on glitz to sell this radio. The Mark V will sink or swim on the basis of its core receiver performance. Because of its incredible selectivity and crunch-proof design, I predict the "big gun" power users will jump on this radio as eagerly as they did on the FT-1000D, nearly ten years ago. Update Note (December 2001): Now that a year has passed since I wrote this review, I have had many inquiries about whether I still like my Mark V and am pleased with my choice? The answer is a definite YES. I am continually amazed by the receiver, which is clearly better than any I've ever used. This fact became evident once again during this past weekend's 160 meter contest. Aside from the early problem with the tuner, described above, my Mark V has been 100% reliable. One positive development in the past year is that the price of the Mark V has dropped significantly, along with the price of other Japanese rigs. I thought the Mark V was a good value when I bought it for about $3300 (not so, the optional filters, which seem quite expensive to me), but now I think it's a steal! Incidentally, I've still got my ICOM 756PRO. I still believe it's a good general purpose rig, but now I only use it on six meters, where the bandscope is very useful to see band openings. |