The FT-50R is a portable ham radio made by Yaesu. It has a MIL-STD 810 rating, Digital Coded Squelch (DCS), and transmit and receive coverage on the 2 meter and 70 centimeter amateur radio bands. It has 112 memory channels, 100 regular and a couple of "special" channels like a home channel and scanning ranges. It has a 4 character alphanumeric display in addition to a standard VFO display, and has all the standard features of a commercial handheld radio, including CTCSS, Automatic Power Off, Receive Battery Saver and a rear mounted clam shell battery. The standard unit is 2.2" wide by 3.9" high and 1.2" deep and weighs 11.5 oz without a battery pack.

I've owned my FT-50R for over three years now and have been constantly impressed by the durability and high performance under some pretty bad conditions including heavy rain and snows, and being dropped from decent heights onto not-so-soft surfaces. I've seen it through four battery packs (at 300 charges each) and a refurbishing, and it's still my favorite two-way radio to use for just about any emergency or recreational situation.

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