Today I do a review of the venerable FT-450D HF and 6 meter radio. I believe it's still one of the best radios for the money with all the features that it has.
I got my FT-450AT (was never used until testing before the sale) from an estate ham in January. I have been using it in my shack and giving my other main HF rig a rest for most of the time. I have used it on most digimodes, SSB, and some receive CW (with the help of my computer ;o). It's very versatile. I sometimes miss the screen on my spectrum scope/waterfalls like on my other 2 radios but not as much as I thought I would. It has been easy to use and has a lot of features and I haven't utilized all of them yet. I have been very happy with my purchase. I couldn't have bought such a feature rich rig that's 100 watts with an antenna tuner for the price ($500) I paid for this gem. I'm going to wait for portable ops as I want this rig to last awhile. Very happy. 73 Mark K5MGK
Having just qualified in the UK I did a lot of research before I chose the 450D and I’m pleased I did as your informative video shows ~ it’s a great radio. Thanks for taking the time to post ~ it was useful. Cheers
Great informative video. thanks for taking the time to cover so many functions on the radio. You helped piqued my interest. Now, I am in the process of making a purchase. 😊
Great video. I just bought one of these and can't wait to use it. I love my 7300, but I wanted the 450D to take with me when I head out west this winter.
Just picked one up off eBay in as good as new condition here in the UK pretty much to the review given here on this video for £400 or just under $500,very happy with my purchase,thanks for the very informative video it's been much appreciated 👍🏻
Your welcome.... Congrats on finding a nice FT-450 in like new condition for a great price! Nice find. I've been having lots of fun using mine since I got it.
Really good video, Ed. I bought my 450D new several years ago, and use it more often than my FTdx3000. I'd never used the voice announcer or the dimmer. I use it mostly on SSB, but have made many FT8 contacts using a SignaLink USB. Typing this on a RPi 400, which I use to control the radio through WSJT-X and Flrig. 73 de Randy KI6DGU.
Thanks for posting, I have a 450D and will use it with a BB7V antenna, I don't have enough room on my property for a long wire or an antenna with ground radials. Although licensed since 1984 I have not long gotten back back into the hobby and am still very much in the learning curve, 73's de G1KEK
Hello and welcome back to the hobby! The 450 is perfect for getting back into radio with the internal antenna tuner and the antenna you're all set to get on the air. Have fun!
GREAT vid, also love the fact that you have a 7200, which is another great rig. ODD question, but since you have both rigs, I'm gonna ask... I know that the 450-d has a small 10sec voice recorder, nice for calling CQ over and over again. What about the 7200, does it have a similar voice recorder feature???
Hi Simon, that's great you guys appreciate the 450 across the pond. I watch so many youtube videos on radios and I never seem to see this one being used in the shack or in the field unless a pretty old video. I guess the newer radios take all the spotlight!
Not sure why they would discontinue the great radios of the past… but the recent discontinued radios are all because of the unavailability of micro chips. Between the factory fire in Japan and viral lockdowns Icom and Yaesu had chips missing so couldn’t continue production of the FT-450d and many others. The FT-818 was only out a relatively short time and had to be discontinued …DX1200 as well. ICOM IC-7100 and the Alinco DX-R8T again parts issues. The manufactures suffer and so do the operators who can’t find radios they want and or at inflated prices.
Yeah tough choice... I like ICOM and Yaesu .. I'd rather have mint condition 450 over the IC-718 new but yeah having a new radio is nice. The 718 is missing a lot though that the 450 has. Missing from the 718 is a tuner, no built in filter choices for cw and ssb, a 500hz cw filter and 1.8khz ssb filter would cost about $350, no digital DSP just audio, no TCXO for digital modes (optional), no voice announcer (optional), no 6 meters, and unlike Yaesu's 3 year warranties on new radios ICOM is just 1 year so after a year no warranty. The IC-718 is a cool radio though the way it looks, and the front mounted radio is nice.. also like the 450 the 718 has a large aluminum cast structure and built like a tank. Another weird thing about the 718 i never see advertized is that the 2 x 718's i bought new were factory open to full transmit on all the frequencies not modded by anyone. I never saw this feature advertized. Bottom line if you can live without all of these things on the 718 and don't plan to get filters and the other things it would probably be ok. Adding the tcxo, 1 filter, announcer, and tuner would add about $500 to the price.
@@hamradiocomms I broke down yesterday and ordered a, looks like new, still in the original box, FT-450D off the QRZ site. Should get it Monday. Everything you mention the FT-450D has over the IC-718 was a deciding factor. I already has a TS120s and I figure the IC-718 would to similar to it.
The Icom has a noisy receiver, all around the FT450D is a better radio. I owned them both, in fact have a brand NIB FT450D sitting here never touched. I have owned way too many HF radios. Good Luck!
ok i tryed the dim + f got 1-8 but still cant see the hiden icons unless you turn them on mine backen is all black with everything icons white i see you got a little bet of blue did they make two versions of the 450D or do i got to get in the hiding manu to fix a setting radio works great otherwise
I agree that the FT-891 has a great receiver, and agree also on the the DNR. I think the 891s DNR is one of the best I’ve ever heard on a radio under $1000.
