Finally Got My First Real HF Rig - Yaesu FT-891 Setup

The FT-891 arrived yesterday and I spent most of the evening getting it set up. I have to say, coming from the simple world of VHF/UHF repeaters, this thing is pretty intimidating! So many buttons, menus, and settings. The manual is thick enough to use as a doorstop.

Why I Chose the FT-891

I went back and forth between several radios for weeks. The IC-7300 kept coming up in reviews as the gold standard for new HF operators, but honestly it was just out of my budget range. The FT-891 seemed like a good compromise - it has most of the modern features I wanted like a waterfall display and decent built-in antenna tuner, but at a price point I could actually afford.

I also liked that it's compact. My shack is really just a corner of my bedroom right now, so space is at a premium. The 891 fits nicely on my small desk without taking over the whole area.

Setting It Up

The unboxing was exciting, but then reality hit when I realized I needed to figure out how to actually connect everything. The radio came with a basic DC power cable, but I needed to get a proper power supply. After reading some forums, I ended up getting an Astron RS-35M. It's probably overkill for this radio, but I figured it would give me room to grow.

Getting the power supply wired up was straightforward enough - red to positive, black to negative, nothing too scary there. The manual recommends heavy gauge wire for the DC connection, so I used 12 AWG which seems to work fine.

The antenna situation is still a work in progress. Right now I have a simple wire dipole cut for 20 meters stretched between my house and a tree in the backyard. It's not pretty and it's definitely not optimal, but it's what I can do in my current living situation. The built-in tuner in the 891 seems to handle it okay, though I know I'm probably not getting the best performance.

First Impressions

The display is really nice compared to older radios I've seen at the club. The waterfall display actually helps me understand what's happening on the band in a way that just listening never did. I can see the signals visually and it makes tuning around much more intuitive.

The audio quality through the built-in speaker is decent, though I've been using headphones most of the time since I'm operating in the bedroom and don't want to disturb anyone. The headphone jack is conveniently located on the front panel.

One thing that's taking some getting used to is all the menu options. There are so many settings to tweak! I'm trying not to go overboard and change everything at once, but it's tempting. The noise reduction features are pretty impressive - much better than I expected from a radio in this price range.

Making My First HF Contacts

Last night I finally worked up the courage to make my first HF contact. I'd been listening for a few days getting comfortable with the bands, but actually transmitting felt like a big step. I found a station in Texas calling CQ on 20 meters and managed to work him without too much trouble. He was running high power and had a great signal, so it wasn't exactly a challenging contact, but it felt amazing to actually talk to someone hundreds of miles away with my own equipment.

This morning I got up early and caught some interesting DX on 40 meters. I didn't try to work anyone since I'm still not confident with my operating procedures, but just listening to stations from different countries was fascinating. The propagation seems much different from what I'm used to on VHF.

Things I'm Still Learning

The antenna tuner is something I need to understand better. It seems to tune up fine on most frequencies, but I'm not really sure when I should and shouldn't use it. I've been reading about SWR and impedance matching, but there's definitely a lot more to learn there.

Band planning is another area where I feel like a beginner again. On VHF it's pretty straightforward - repeaters are here, simplex is there. But HF has all these different sub-bands for different license classes and different activities. I bought the ARRL band plan chart to tape up next to the radio, which helps.

I also want to get into digital modes eventually. The 891 has a USB port that's supposed to make computer interfacing easier, but I haven't tackled that yet. One thing at a time!

Next Steps

My immediate priority is improving my antenna situation. The wire dipole works, but I'd like something more permanent and efficient. I'm thinking about trying a fan dipole that would cover multiple bands, or maybe looking into a vertical antenna that would fit better in my small yard.

I also want to join in on some of the nets I've been hearing. There's a local emergency net that meets twice a week, and it seems like good practice for improving my operating skills in a friendly environment.

Overall, I'm really happy with the FT-891 so far. It feels like a big step up from my previous equipment, and I'm excited to explore what HF has to offer. The learning curve is steep, but that's part of what makes this hobby interesting. Every contact teaches me something new.

If anyone has tips for a new HF operator or suggestions for getting the most out of this radio, I'd love to hear them!