Ok, in a QSO now WITHOUT the offset. Looks like with the 891 the key is to have your data mode set to "others", NOT "PSK". That was the one setting I had different from yours. So, for all reading here -- make sure to set menu 8, items 2,3,and4 to 1500, and set item 1 to others. This would seem to be the solution... So, for a recap, and easy reading for someone looking for the same answers I was: Go to menu 08 in your FT891 Item 01 in Menu 08 should be set to "others". I had mine set to "psk" and this would seem to have been the cause of the offset. It turns out that "psk" is for the internal psk modem in the 891. Any other data use should be set to "others" -- this includes if you are using varac and even if you are usig psk of some kind via a sound card. Again, set this item to "others".. Item 02 in menu 08 affects how the rx audio is sent into the receving device (sound card in our case). Set this to 1500 to get the rx data to line up correctly on the waterfall. This was the cause for that part of the problem. Again, set this item to 1500 Item 3 and 4 also need to be at 1500 for varac / vara hf to be happy. Not sure why, but it works. Hope this helps someone! Thanks to all who helped me figure this out!!!

Ok, I found at least a temp fix (by more or less brute force, but at least it works).. I went in to the settings, rig control and vara config (in the varac app) and put 1500 in the offset box... Now it autotunes (via flrig) 1.5khz above where it thinks it is going AND the rx is right in the middle of the red lines... Not a pretty fix, but it works just fine... Thanks for all the help!

Soooo.. That didn't last... Now vara hf is 1.5 khz low... Any ideas?

Ok, so changing 08-02 to 1500 fixed RX -- however I now do not seem to be able to tx.. Can you pls provide your settings for the entire 08 section? Thanks!

Yes -- 8-02 WAS set to 1000. Somehow setting it to 1500 has aligned the data stream with the brackets. Will try for a qso and post results thanks!!!

And here is a very nice graphic of this very strange problem... I took the liberty of narrowing down my rx band pass to 500hz, which SHOULD in theory clip anything outside of the 500hz vara hf is listening to inside the red bars. As you can see, VARA HF is actually listening about 1khz higher... Now the challenge is to figure out why...

Sure, but like I said above, the original problem is solved -- cause is a frequency mismatch. Somehow VARA HF is working 1Khz low -- both tx and rx -- see my screenshot with both VarAC and FLrig showing. VARAC -- and thus VARA HF -- think I'm at 14.105, but I'm actually at 14.106.... Any ideas what would cause this?

Ok, so the mismatch is absolutely CONFIRMED. And its BOTH tx AND rx If I tune 1khz up, I can successfully have not just rx, but a full QSO.. BUT, I have to roll my vfo up 1khz every time VarAC does a QSY. For example, calling freq is 14.105, I have to roll to 14.106.... Slot 15 is 14.108.750, I have to tune to 14.109.750 to make it work... Seems like VARA HF is working 1khz low.. Not sure how to correct this.. Any help is appreciated...

Ok, so update.. There would seem to be an RX freq mismatch..... I manually jogged my vfo back and forth a little -- and when I hit 14.106 (1Khz ABOVE the intended 14.105) I suddenly started receiving beacons... Looks like everything is off by 1khz... My radio is usually dead on, usually within a few hertz -- any guesses what is going on here? And more importantly, how do I make the software compensate for this? Thanks!!!

No problem, here ya go...