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PRODUCT REVIEW YAESU FT5DR VHF/UHF ANALOG/DIGITAL TRANSCEIVER ITS FAIR TO
DESCRIBE YAESUS FT5DR AS THE SUCCESSOR TO THEIR POPULAR FT3DR HANDHELD
TRANSCEIVER.  LIKE THE FT3DR, THIS IS A DUAL BAND VHF/UHF RADIO THAT OFFERS
ANALOG FM VOICE AND DIGITAL C4FM.  IT IS LIKE THE FT3DR IN MANY OTHER WAYS
AS WELL, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES SEVERAL REFINEMENTS.  THE TRANSMIT RANGES ARE
144 TO 148 MHZ AND 430 TO 450 MHZ, WHICH IS TO BE EXPECTED.  WHATS
UNEXPECTED IS THE ASTONISHING RECEIVE COVERAGE AS CLOSE TO DC TO DAYLIGHT
AS YOURE LIKELY TO FIND IN A HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER.  RECEIVE COVERAGE IS
SPLIT BETWEEN TWO BANDS, WHICH YOU CAN SELECT WITH THE FRONT PANEL A/B
BUTTON.  SEE TABLE 2.  THE FT5DR FEATURES TWO INDEPENDENT RECEIVERS.  THIS
MEANS YOU CAN MONITOR ANY TWO A/B BAND FREQUENCIES SIMULTANEOUSLY.  THE
FT5DR OFFERS A HEFTY 5 W MAXIMUM RF OUTPUT, BUT YOU CAN REDUCE THE OUTPUT
LEVEL TO AS LITTLE AS 300 MW TO HELP CONSERVE BATTERY POWER.  SPEAKING OF
THE BATTERY, YAESU INCLUDES A 2200 MAH LITHIUM ION BATTERY WITH THE FT5DR.
I FOUND THE BATTERY MORE THAN ADEQUATE FOR A FULL DAY OF FREQUENT USE, EVEN
WHEN THE OUTPUT WAS SET TO 5 W.  PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES THE FT5DR IS COMPACT
AT APPROXIMATELY 2R5 X 4 X 1R5 INCHES, BUT ID STOP SHORT OF CALLING IT
TINY.  IT FIT COMFORTABLY WITHIN MY SHIRT POCKET, ALTHOUGH WITH A WEIGHT OF
ALMOST 10 OUNCES, I WAS ALWAYS AWARE OF ITS PRESENCE THERE.  ONE OF THE
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