Yaesu FTA-850L Color Bluetooth NAV/COM Aviation Transceiver

It is very good and reliable transceiver. Good quality.

So this is not going to be like a normal review. I have a previous Yaesu handheld which I found quite satisfactory. The major drawback, if you can call it that, is that using it in a all-power out backup radio situation would require screwing in an adapter, removing the headset from its airplane jacks, and plugging into the handheld. That is a lot to do while handflying in the dark with a power fail. The bluetooth ability was the key. I tested it and, on my Bose headset it connected on powering up the handheld without any need to press anything (after pairing it) and that is what I wanted. I ended up getting a higher end unit than I initially thought, because I was intrigued by the gps/vor/loc/ils functionality. I tried that on an actual approach, a gps approach, and I looked at the unit on the way down. It was suprisingly accurate, within one dot of lateral and vertical. I actually expected more mismatch just because of the difference between gps and ILS signals. I used it with a phone mount I have in the aircraft. I put the belt clip on, and used that to secure it on the phone mount, but it would have worked without it as well. Bottom line, is, this unit is everything aircraft had before moving map GPS came around, placed into a single battery operated box. Its like a single, hand held survival system for an aircraft. The not so good features? The display definitely bites it. It washes out easily in sunlight (yes, not the kind of weather you are going to need it in in emergencies). It paired with my Bose, but not my earbuds, a bad sign (it didn't even see them). If you do use it in an emergency, you are going to need some fancy footwork, since it cannot do an ILS and talk on the radio at the same time. Its a single channel device. You would need to tell the tower you are going off channel. Finally, no, it is not a legal replacement for ILS. But then a full power fail is an emergency, and you can use it in an emergency. I have an Ipad as well, but that is not going to give a glideslope. Again, its really a marvel what this technology has achieved. I think it is worth the money.

I have bought multiple radios from different brands before, and this one seems to be the best one. I use it for general aviation, and it gets the job done right. There are lots of cool functions and the Bluetooth works perfectly with my BOSE headsets. The battery life is great, and lasts multiple flights. The navigation features work well and you can almost shoot approaches with it. (Do NOT do it as it is NOT legal unless during emergencies. I only tried it when I was a passenger.) Overall, great value for the money!

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

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.

Excellent radio for the air bands, with clear audio and reasonable transmit power/clarity.

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.

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.

Élève pilote je n’ai pas pu tester les fonctionnalités avancées de positionnement par exemple. Mon avis est donc limité à la grande qualité et solidité de cette radio, la clarté du son, la connectivité géniale avec les casque bluetooth (A20 dans mon cas). J’adore l’idée d’instruments de secours en cas d’urgence, c’est pourquoi je voulais cette radio. Bons vols à tous !

Habe inzwischen alle Funktionen getestet und bin sehr zufrieden. Ich persönlich hätte noch Texteingabe per Tasten (wie auf alten Handys) programmiert, geht aber auch so per Drehknopf einigermaßen schnell.

Top comme radio de secours à bord d’un avion

The radio comes in a full package including everything needed: A lithium battery and a regular battery version A charging station A belt clip An adaptor to plug the aviation headset A cable to connect it to the PC and allows easy programming or editing of the frequencies memorized The device is very intuitive to use, and it's possible to select 8.33 KHz or 25 KHz. The VOR mode works perfectly in flight, and it is possible to tube the radial to select with the ring. The ILS also worked during a landing at Zurich Airport. I would not rely on it for IFR navigation but it can be an excellent back up solution in case navigation instruments are not working or not present. Definitely recommend it

O rádio nunca apanhou nenhuma frequencia, não sei o que se passa eu sei que já passaram 6 meses mas nunca consegui ouvir nada diz sempre que a frequência está ocupada Gostava de saber o que se passa com isto????