Simply put, forget Yaesu and go for a Kenwood! The VGS1 for an 
additional $50 or $60, plugged into the circuitboard will speak 
all kind of functions.  Jim WA6EKS

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Ryan <[log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Date sent: Fri, 10 Jul 2015 22:31:20 -0230
Subject: Re Yaesu FT-897D

Scott:

Although a greate and flexable radio, there is no speech and you 
can't add
it physically via internal board etc.
You would only get speech through a PC running either ham radio 
delux or
any other loging program that would proagat the frequency, band 
and mode
fields etc.
Also, this radio has a group of buttons which bring up a list of 
items then
you use the select knob to adjust things.  Very complex.
The only Yaesu rig that has speech to my knowledge is the FT-450D 
and Yaesu
doesn't plan on adding speech to anything else any time soon.
So you could either spring for that 1, a Yaesu rig that has lots 
of buttons
like the FT-950 and up or look for an excellent condition FT-847 
which did
have speech back in the day.

73:
Mike DE VO1AX


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