Also known as: FT-991A, FT991A
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The Yaesu FT-991A is the last true shack-in-a-box: HF through 70 cm — 160 through 6 meters at 100 W, 2 m and 70 cm at 50 W — with every analog mode plus native C4FM System Fusion digital voice and WIRES-X, in a single compact radio with a touchscreen and a built-in tuner.1 Yaesu discontinued it in May 2026 after a nine-year run; dealers still have new stock around $1,370–1,400, and no current-production radio replaces what it does.
Key takeaways Best features for the price in best ham radio base stations — unmatched band/mode coverage per dollar: HF + 6 m + 2 m + 70 cm, all modes, plus C4FM Fusion. Discontinued May 2026, sell-through stock remains — a genuine last-call buy. The trades: an average (non-SDR) receiver, a slow sweeping scope, menu-heavy UI, no full duplex for satellites. ~$1,370–1,400 new while it lasts. Part 97 license to transmit; none to listen — scout your local repeaters first with a $30 RTL-SDR + GopherTrunk.
Overview
For nine years the FT-991A answered a question no other single radio did: “what if I want HF DX and my local repeaters and digital voice, with one antenna jack per side and one power cable?” It transmits from 160 m to 70 cm, does SSB/CW/AM/FM everywhere that makes sense, and speaks C4FM Fusion natively — which made it the default “only radio” for small shacks, apartments, and field setups.
Now the honest part. Yaesu discontinued the FT-991A in May 2026 (reported by simonthewizard on May 20). This is sell-through, not vaporware: R&L had it at $1,369.95 and DX Engineering at $1,399.95 in August 2026. We keep it as our “best features for the price” pick while that stock lasts, because its coverage-per-dollar is still unmatched — but know you’re buying a discontinued radio, and used prices (~$900–1,100) will be the story from here.
Technically it’s a triple-conversion superheterodyne with a 3 kHz roofing filter and 32-bit IF DSP — a competent conventional design, not an SDR. The 3.5-inch touchscreen’s sweeping spectrum scope is genuinely useful but slow next to the fluid waterfalls on the IC-7300 and FTDX10, and by Sherwood-table standards the receiver is average for the price. You’re paying for breadth, not receiver figures.
Bands, modes & systems
- HF + 6 m: 100 W, all modes, with the built-in ATU (note its narrow ~3:1 matching range — resonant-ish antennas only).
- 2 m + 70 cm: 50 W, FM and all-mode — repeaters, simplex, and SSB/CW weak-signal VHF work.
- C4FM System Fusion digital voice with WIRES-X linking. No DMR, no D-STAR.
- Satellites: possible with workarounds, but a single receiver and no full duplex means you can’t hear your downlink while transmitting.
- I/O: USB CAT + audio for one-cable digital modes; 13.8 V DC at ~23 A.
What owners praise and gripe about
Praise: the coverage, obviously; solid transmit audio; a body compact enough to take to the field. Gripes are consistent and worth knowing: the menu-heavy UI, the narrow internal tuner range, fan noise on digital modes, and the receiver being merely good in an era when similar money buys direct-sampling. None of these killed its popularity, because nothing else does its job.
The discontinuation sharpens the used-market question too. Used FT-991As run $900–1,100, and with production ended that supply is what the “one radio for everything” niche will live on — so a new unit at $1,370 with a three-year warranty is arguably the better deal than a used one at $1,000, a calculus that flips for most radios. If Fusion doesn’t matter to you and repeaters are an afterthought, though, don’t pay the coverage premium at all: the money goes further on a dedicated HF rig.
Programming & software
The VHF/UHF side gives it real memory-programming needs, and it’s covered: CHIRP supports the FT-991/991A memory map, along with RT Systems and Yaesu’s ADMS software. CAT over USB drives WSJT-X and loggers, and the built-in USB audio codec means FT8 needs no external interface.
GopherTrunk alternative
GopherTrunk receives — it can’t transmit — so it doesn’t replace an FT-991A. Use it to decide whether you need one. A ~$30 RTL-SDR running free GopherTrunk monitors your local 2 m/70 cm repeaters and digital traffic (including modes the FT-991A doesn’t decode, like DMR) and records and logs every transmission — so before spending $1,400 on last-call stock you’ll know exactly what’s active in your area. See best SDR for GopherTrunk to pick the dongle.
Who it’s for
- Buy the FT-991A if you want one radio for everything — HF, repeaters, and Fusion — and buy it now, while new sell-through stock exists. View on Amazon →
- Buy the IC-7300 if you’re really an HF operator — better receiver, better scope, less money — and add a cheap FM mobile for repeaters later.
- Buy the FT-891 (~$650) if “compact 100 W HF” was the part you wanted and VHF/UHF wasn’t. Compare them all: best ham radio base stations.
Sources
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Yaesu FT-991A — DX Engineering product/spec page — on the HF/6 m/2 m/70 cm coverage, output power, C4FM System Fusion with WIRES-X, triple-conversion receiver with 32-bit IF DSP, touchscreen scope, and internal ATU. (Yaesu’s own site uses session-style URLs that don’t cite cleanly; the May 2026 discontinuation was reported by simonthewizard.com.) ↩
Frequently asked questions
Is the Yaesu FT-991A discontinued?
Yes — its discontinuation was reported in May 2026 after a roughly nine-year run. Major dealers still sell new sell-through stock around $1,370–1,400 as of August 2026, so it’s a last-call buy: nothing else currently sold new covers HF through 70 cm, all modes plus C4FM Fusion, in one box.
Should I still buy the FT-991A in 2026?
If you want one radio for HF DX, local FM repeaters, and C4FM digital, yes — buy while dealer stock lasts, because no in-production radio replaces it. If you only operate HF, an IC-7300 gives you a better receiver and scope for less money.
Does the FT-991A do C4FM System Fusion and DMR?
It does C4FM System Fusion natively, including WIRES-X. It does not do DMR or D-STAR — no radio in this class decodes every digital voice mode. For monitoring DMR alongside everything else, a ~$30 RTL-SDR running free GopherTrunk covers it.
Can the FT-991A work satellites?
With workarounds. It covers 2 m and 70 cm all-mode, which is the right hardware, but it has a single receiver and no full duplex — so you can’t hear your own downlink while transmitting. Casual FM birds are workable; serious satellite operators want a full-duplex setup.
Do I need a license to use the FT-991A?
Transmitting on any ham band requires an FCC amateur license (Part 97 — Technician class minimum; Technician alone already unlocks its 2 m/70 cm sides). Listening requires no license at all.