YAESUFTA-850L Color Bluetooth NAV/COM Aviation Transceiver

Fantastic radio with the option to plug in your headset. It comes with GPS and several navigation features too. The manual is thorough and easy to follow, but it’s so easy to figure out just by exploring it directly. This radio goes with me on every flight and I can rest assured that in the event of an emergency - loss of comms or navigation - I’ve got this radio to bring me safely home.

So, after reading all I could find on this device, I had mixed feelings about it and those are what makes me write this review. I am very pleased with the multiple options this radio can perform, and the size of it. The color screen is nice but is really overkill since it doesn’t do much with colors. However, I am not happy with the functionality of the screen in any real sunlight, as it just appears BLACK! I have increased the brightness as high as I can set it, and that does help some, but it also kills the battery. I also changed the timeout of the screen so I can read it before it goes dark again. This is a problem with this unit, and it needs to be addressed. The features are easily selected from either the keypad or the touchscreen which is nice. the functionality is not bad and takes some getting used to but work well once you figure it out. I didn't like the way you have to program the groups and adding channels for scanning or sorting. I good guild or video would have been nice to have here.The overall quality of the speaker and voices is quite good and improved substantially in the air. I connected it to my headset, and it was way better than my aircrafts radio. The VOR and ILS functions worked very well too and I found them to be quite accurate when referenced by those in my plane. You could use this for instrument references if so needed. The radio came packaged nicely with alot of extras like DC porwe cable, AC powercable and base charger, headphone interface, and PC USB cable. There was one battery (2200mah), and a double A battery case if so desired. A belt clip, screws for the headphone jack, and a fairly decent manual. All-in-all not bad for the price. It was a big stem up from my old ICON unit.So, is it the best on the market, that is yet to be decided, but it is one of the best for sure. Just hope they figure out that screen lighting issue. Oh, and the device is not reccomended to be used while plugged into a charger or DC cable. So charge, use then charge again. 5.2 hours for a complete charge from empty.

Great item. Has more than I hoped for. Quick delivery

The media could not be loaded. PROS:- Group Memory Name is now displayed during scanning mode — finally;- Alpha-Numeric Tags displayed once scanning locks on to a frequency — finally;- Color Display is vibrant;- GPS quickly locks on to satellite and is accurate;- My PIC tested the RX/TX while flying his Gulfstream G650, and he gave it 5-stars with air:air, air:ground, and air:air communications;- My PIC tested the FTA-850L’s avionics, and all passed with decent accuracy — nothing he would rely on, but it worked with decently accuracy;- Easy to program once you understand the logic or illogic method of Yaesu;- It is durable and water resistant;- The RX is really good — I can pick up aircraft and ATC comms from my house with the OEM rubber-duck antenna;- The speaker is loud;- TX voice quality is excellent; and,- Yaesu is very generous by supplying all the accessories you will need as a PIC: headphone:mic adapter, ferrites, cradle-charger, 12V charger, antenna, battery, AA battery adapter, programming cable, and different outlet sockets.CONS:- The color display sucks in direct sunlight and outside — the natural light and direct sunlight blacks out the display — I can’t read anything — I have to be in the shade to see the data (see picture); hence, the reason I gave this product 4-stars; my FTA-450L, has no problem showing data in the sunlight (see picture);- I can’t charge the battery alone in the cradle — I have to keep the battery attached to the transceiver, which means, even though I can use the battery from my FTA-450L, I cannot use my FTA-850L if I need to charge the battery. Fortunately, I can use my FTA-450L as a battery holder while charging the spare battery; and,- Bluetooth doesn’t connect to my Motorola Earpiece and PTT FOB. I guess I have to use the Yaesu Bluetooth earpiece.Notwithstanding the CONS, I am still happy with my purchase.It is definitely a good transceiver for back-up RX/TX in the event that the onboard flight RX/TX goes out for some reason.I ain’t a PIC; hence, I use the FTA-850L strictly as toy to entertain me while I am at home, at the FBO or civilian airports, and up in the air in a private jet or commercial plane, as a passenger. As a passenger, I use the FTA-850L’s avionics to track my PIC’s flight path to and from LAX, SFO, JFK, and LGA while up in the air — pretty cool, and I enjoy it.My private jet PIC carries the FTA-850L in his flight bag as a back-up RX/TX tool — he doesn’t use the FTA-850L’s avionics to navigate nor land — it’s strictly a communications back-up tool for him.Check 6!/s/ Alfonso Faustino

Exactly as expected. Easy to setup and the color screen is easy to read. It takes some reading/practicing to get it up and programmed but the info you need is in the manual, just takes practice.

This Radio is amazing it have so many functions I really recommend .

Bought this for my trip and of course I get it and they don’t include the push to talk button. They tell you to buy it. Total inconvenience. They include the headset adapter, but no push to talk, which makes absolutely no sense