Also known as: FT-891, FT891
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The Yaesu FT-891 is the community’s standing answer to “best value 100 W radio, period”: a full 100 W on 160–6 m from a 4.5-pound, mobile-form-factor body that mostly lives on desks and picnic tables, for around $640–700.1 The receiver measures noticeably well for the class, the build is bulletproof — and the price is paid in menus, a small screen, and the absence of an internal tuner and USB audio.
Key takeaways The value-per-watt king. ~$650 buys 100 W, a strong receiver with effective DSP and noise blanker, and a detachable head — the POTA/field-ops darling that doubles as a budget base. The trades: no internal tuner, no USB soundcard (FT8 needs an interface), 100+ menus behind a small mono display, audible fan. Still in production while the FT-991A bows out. Part 97 license to transmit; none to listen. Rankings: best ham radio base stations.
Overview
Yaesu sells the FT-891 as a mobile; hams overwhelmingly use it as a compact base and field radio, which is why it belongs on a base-station list. Since 2016 it has been the default recommendation for “most radio for the least money”: a triple-conversion superheterodyne (69.45 MHz first IF, 3 kHz roofing filter) with 32-bit IF DSP whose real-world receive performance — strong dynamic range, an effective noise blanker and DSP noise reduction — embarrasses radios costing more. Notably, it’s the survivor of Yaesu’s 2026 lineup shake-up: still in production with no discontinuation indications, while the FT-991A ends its run.
What you give up is comfort. The monochrome dot-matrix display is cramped for base use and its spectrum sweep is basic. Settings live in more than a hundred menus — “menu hell” is the accepted term — which is fine once configured and maddening while configuring. There’s no internal tuner (budget for an FC-50 or LDG), no built-in USB soundcard, the fan is audible, and some owners report TX pop/relay clicks. None of that stops it being the best pure radio under $1,000.
License note: transmitting needs an FCC amateur license (Part 97 — Technician minimum; most HF phone comes with General). Listening needs none.
Bands, modes & power
- TX: 160–6 m, 100 W, SSB, CW, AM, FM.
- Receiver: triple-conversion superhet, 3 kHz roofing filter, 32-bit DSP — noticeably good for the class.
- Display: small monochrome dot-matrix with a basic spectrum sweep; detachable head for mobile/field mounting.
- Tuner: none — external FC-50/LDG or resonant antennas.
- I/O: USB CAT (control only — no USB audio; digital modes need an SCU-17 or third-party interface). 13.8 V DC at ~23 A: a real 25 A supply or a serious battery.
What owners praise and gripe about
Praise: full power in a tiny box, the receiver, the toughness — this is the rig that lives in backpacks and truck cabs and keeps working. It’s a POTA-era phenomenon: cheap enough to risk outdoors, good enough to win pileups from a picnic table. Gripes: the menus, the screen, the missing tuner and USB audio, the fan. The pattern is consistent — everything wrong with it is ergonomic, everything right with it is RF.
Price-wise it’s a moving target in a good way: recent US street runs $639.95–699.95 (EU ~€725) and Yaesu’s frequent rebates regularly shave more off. Budget realistically, though — the out-the-door cost of an FT-891 station includes a tuner (~$100–200 unless your antennas are resonant), a digital-modes interface if you want FT8, and a 25 A supply. Even fully kitted it undercuts everything above it on this list, which is exactly why it stays recommended year after year.
Programming & software
CHIRP lists FT-891 support for memory programming, and RT Systems’ ADMS-13 covers it commercially — more useful here than on most HF rigs since field operators lean on memories. CAT over USB drives WSJT-X, N1MM, and loggers; remember audio needs the external interface. Firmware updates arrive via USB.
GopherTrunk alternative
GopherTrunk is receive-only — it can’t transmit, so it won’t replace an FT-891. It’s the $30 reconnaissance step: an RTL-SDR running free GopherTrunk monitors your local repeaters and digital traffic and records and logs everything, telling you what’s worth chasing before you buy a transceiver, a tuner, and a power supply. It also keeps listening at home while your FT-891 is in the field. Hardware picks: best SDR for GopherTrunk; HF-specific listening: best HF SDR.
Who it’s for
- Buy the FT-891 if you want the most transmit-and-receive capability per dollar in the hobby and you’ll tolerate menus and buy a tuner — first HF radio, field rig, or budget base. View on Amazon →
- Buy the Xiegu G90 (~$450) instead if a wide-range internal tuner and lower battery draw matter more than 100 W.
- Spend up to the IC-7300 for the touchscreen waterfall, internal tuner, and one-cable digital modes in a true base package. Rankings: best ham radio base stations.
Sources
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Yaesu FT-891 — DX Engineering product/spec page — on the 160–6 m coverage, 100 W output, triple-conversion receiver with 3 kHz roofing filter and 32-bit IF DSP, detachable front panel, and current street price. (Yaesu’s own site uses session-style URLs that don’t cite cleanly.) ↩
Frequently asked questions
Is the Yaesu FT-891 good as a base station?
Yes — it’s marketed as a mobile but hugely used as a compact base and field radio, and it earns a spot on our base-station list. You give up an internal tuner, USB audio, and screen real estate; you keep a full 100 W and a receiver that measures noticeably well for the class.
Does the FT-891 have a built-in antenna tuner?
No. Pair it with Yaesu’s FC-50 or an LDG autotuner, or use resonant antennas. That’s the biggest practical difference versus the Xiegu G90, whose wide-range internal tuner is its party trick — the FT-891 answers with five times the power.
Can the FT-891 do FT8?
Yes, with an external audio interface. USB provides CAT control only — there’s no built-in soundcard — so digital modes need Yaesu’s SCU-17 or a third-party interface. Once cabled, 100 W of FT8 works fine (most operators run less).
FT-891 or Xiegu G90 — which should I buy?
FT-891 if you want 100 W and the better receiver for about $200 more, and you have (or will buy) a tuner. G90 if your antennas are compromised wires, your battery is small, or $450 is the budget. Both are POTA legends; the 891 wins on radio, the G90 on convenience per dollar.
Do I need a license to use the FT-891?
Transmitting requires an FCC amateur license (Part 97 — Technician minimum, General for most HF phone). Listening requires none — and a ~$30 RTL-SDR with free GopherTrunk will let you hear your local bands before you buy anything.