Elecraft K4 vs Yaesu FTDX101D
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Elecraft K4 or Yaesu FTDX101D? I set both radios side by side: data from the manufacturers’ spec sheets and photos at the same scale. The Elecraft K4 comes out ahead: LAN / remote operation, weight and memory channels; the Yaesu FTDX101D: AM power, antenna tuner, SD card and current draw on transmit.
ElecraftK4
HF · 6 m100 Wtuner4.5 kg
YaesuFTDX101D
HF · 6 m100 Wtuner12.0 kg
Specs side by side
| ElecraftK4▲ 3 | YaesuFTDX101D▲ 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Bands and modes | ||
| Transmit bands | HF 1.8–29.7 MHz50–52 MHz | HF 1.8–29.7 MHz50–52 MHz |
| Receive range | 0.1–54 MHz | 0.03–75 MHz |
| Modes | SSBCWAMFMRTTYPSK | SSBCWAMFMRTTYPSK |
| Transmit power | ||
| HF | 100 W | 100 W |
| 50 MHz (6 m) | 100 W | 100 W |
| AM | no data | 25 W ▲ |
| Receiver | ||
| Construction | SDR, direct RF sampling; modular (upgradeable to K4D / K4HD) | hybrid: superhet with roofing filters + SDR for spectrum |
| Second receiver | dual receive on any bands (shared A/D converter; K4D: separate KRX4 receiver) | yes — two independent receivers MAIN/SUB |
| Spectrum and waterfall | dual spectrum + waterfall, mini-pan | dual spectrum scope + waterfall + 3DSS |
| Features | ||
| Antenna tuner | internal KAT4 option, up to SWR 10:1 (160 and 6 m: 5:1) | HF + 6 m, up to SWR 3:1 |
| Display | 7″ colour touchscreen; HDMI output | 7″ colour touchscreen; DVI-D output |
| LAN / remote operation | built-in LAN, remote operation without a PC (K4 ↔ K4, K4/0) | SCU-LAN10 option |
| USB | USB-B: CAT + audio, 3× USB-A (1 on the front) | USB-B: CAT + audio, 2× USB-A |
| SD card | — | |
| Antenna connectors | 1× SO-239 (3× with KAT4) + RX ANT, XVTR (BNC) | 3× SO-239 (ANT3 also RX-only) |
| Power and case | ||
| Power | 13.8 V DC, external power supply | 13.8 V DC, external power supply |
| Transmit current draw | 25 A | 23 A ▲ |
| Dimensions | 343 × 114 × 280 mmw × h × d | 420 × 130 × 322 mmwidth × height × depth |
| Weight | 4.5 kg ▲ | 12.0 kg |
| Other | ||
| Memory channels | 200 ▲ | 99 |
| Release | 2020 | 2019 |
Data: manufacturers’ spec sheets and manuals · as of 31.10.2026
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