Yaesu VX-6R
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| Frequency | 144-148 MHz, 222-225 MHz, 430-450 MHz |
| Bands | 2m, 1.25m, 70cm |
| TX power | 0.3 / 5 W (5W on 2m and 70cm; 1.5W on 1.25m (220 MHz). NO 6m TX on the standard US version (6m is receive-only).) |
| Modes | FM |
| Weight | 280 g (9.9 oz) |
| Connector | SMA-Female on the radio body - takes SMA-Male antennas |
| Year | 2005 |
| antenna | SMA-Female on the radio body - takes SMA-Male antennas |
| speaker mic | Yaesu proprietary (model dependent) |
| power req | rechargeable battery pack (model specific) |
Estimated (unverified): AMATEUR (ham) radio - FCC Technician-class license required to transmit; NOT GMRS, NOT license-free. Rugged SUBMERSIBLE TRI-BAND analog FM HT: 2m (144-148) / 1.25m (222-225) / 70cm (430-450). NO 6m TX on standard US version (6m receive only). Power 5W (2m/70cm), 1.5W (1.25m). SUBMERSIBLE to JIS7/IPX7 (1m/30min); magnesium case. Wide RX; 900 memories; optional SU-1 barometric sensor; CHIRP. Introduced 2005. At/near end-of-life as of 2026.
Yaesu's submersible tri-band HT. JIS7/IPX7 waterproof. 2m, 1.25m, and 70cm transmit (5W on 2m/70cm, 1.5W on 1.25m). Wideband receive from 504 kHz to 999 MHz. 900 memories and the EAI emergency system. Built to survive being dropped in water, mud, and snow.
5W maximum. No APRS. No digital modes. The waterproof design means a sealed battery compartment. Programming from the keypad is tedious. The tri-band coverage means 1.25m, which few repeaters use.
A rugged outdoor tri-band HT. The VX-6R goes where other radios die: waterproof (JIS7), rugged, and tri-band, popular with hikers, kayakers, and SAR teams. Yaesu has kept it in production for years because little else matches its environmental specs.
The Yaesu VX-6R is a rugged, submersible tri-band handheld, and getting its bands right matters: it transmits on 2 meters, 1.25 meters (220 MHz), and 70 centimeters, not 6 meters (the standard US version has no 6-meter transmit, only receive). It requires an FCC Technician-class license or higher to transmit; it is not a GMRS or license-free radio, and it is analog FM only.
Its defining feature is genuine waterproofing: it is sealed to the JIS7 (IPX7) standard, surviving submersion in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes, in a magnesium-alloy case. It puts out 5 watts on 2 meters and 70 centimeters but only 1.5 watts on 1.25 meters, has a wide receiver, and holds 900 memories. It is often described as the simpler "little brother" to the VX-7R.
Introduced in 2005, it has had an unusually long life, though it is now at or near the end of production. The water-resistant (non-submersible) tri-band before it is the VX-5R; the submersible quad-band with dual receive is the VX-7R.