Anyone have a spare Yaesu FT-897D Main Dial Rotary Encoder?

My main dial failed and I don't want to risk sending my radio in to Yaesu this close to Field Day.

The part number I need is:

COPAL ROTARY ENCODER RES20D50-201-1G
Yaesu Part Number: Q9000709A

http://www.lakeerieislands.com/images/encoder.jpg

Thanks!

I got it- I had to really yank it.  The shaft must have been deformed or burred as you both described.

I got the encoder out and tried blasting it with compressed air to see if that would dislodge any dirt that might be preventing it and the main dial functions from working on my new FT-897D, to no avail.  I've read stories of Yaesu service quoting a minimum of 4 weeks turn-around time, and I don't want to take a chance missing Field Day.

I bought this radio new less than two months ago, put up an Alpha-Delta DX-LB Plus dipole, purchased an LDG AT-897 Plus tuner, and upgraded to General class last weekend at Dayton, and was finally able to make TWO contacts with it before the encoder failed.   I can operate it without the main dial via the mike, but I am really disappointed.  

I can obviously put a new encoder in myself now, but wonder if that will void the warranty. I have owned Yaesu products (2m & 440) for almost 20 years, but again, this really makes me upset.  

**** UPDATE****

It's called "F'ing YANK".

I got it...

------------------

I have had my FT-897D for two months and apparently the optical encoder on the main dial is dead (REALLY chapping my a__) .  I am TRYING AND TRYING to get the main dial knob off and cannot.  I HAVE REMOVED THE SET SCREW, but the knob won't come off- it IS loose, but won't come off for me to remove the encoder, so I can further troubleshoot and/or replace.

Is the knob "keyed"?  Any info would be appreciated.

I need help please...

Thanks...

73-

73Brahma

Hara had a total re-pave job- when I was about 10.  I remember. That's 40 years ago.  The Hamvention is probably one of the biggest events, if not the only annual event, that dump still has on its books.  It's DARA's event, but they don't have anywhere else to host it.  So they either find another place, or cancel it.  Kenwood, ICOM, Yaesu, and all the other emerging players probably would MUCH rather showcase their wares somewhere else.  Hara arena is an out and out embarrassment.  Sure, it's fun, and has been a tradition, but now it's also a tradition that showcases the entire market, in a dump.  The market will eventually seek other venues.  It will happen.

As for the people or organization that owns Hara, they are bleeding that place for all it's worth. 20,000+ people in three days at $25 a pop? Let alone concerts and whatever else?  Yeah, the Dayton economy might be in the toilet, but so are many other places, and I can't see people continuing to go to Hara it they are suddenly given another choice.

DARA is in a tough spot.  Kudos to them, but the market leaders need, and probably desperately want, to market their stuff in a better venue.

As for the flea market?  They can be set up anywhere.  Offsite, in multiple sites.  The inside vendors and major market leaders could have their setups in a smaller venue, with outlying flea market setups.  Someone at DARA needs to stand up to Hara and say "enough".

I enjoyed the Hamvention after having not being able to attend the last seven or eight years. I'll be fifty this year, and attended the Hamvention regularly since I was eight with my dad, so I noticed several things;

1.  Hara Arena holds a sentimental place I my memory for many reasons, but a fact is a fact, and the place needs razed.  That is not the responsibility of the Hamvention organizers, but it is their responsibility to hold Hamvention at a location that is remotely presentable- Hara Arena is NOT that place anymore.  The arena is the arena, it hasn't seemed to have changed, still filthy, dingy and antiquated, but the parking lot- its absolutely deplorable.  The condition alone of the Hara facility is, sadly, enough for any ham to take pause when thinking about attending, especially from any distance.  I live an hour away, and I'm rethinking ever attending again.

2.  I don't know when this started, but I was surprised that Yaesu wasn't positioned in the main hall.  Maybe it has to do with payment for that spot vs. the condition of the facility.

3. Again, in relation to #1 above, I was pleasantly surprised by the attendance.  It was a beautiful day, and anyone familiar with the hazards of hiking amongst glacier till-like conditions had a good time.  I am still amazed at outside vendors who anticipate a million people looking for one type of capacitor.  I cannot believe the sheer volume of items some vendors continue to bring, but it's not my packup problem.

In all, I had a good time.  I passed my General Class test (in an extremely seedy, filthy room in the bowels of the arena) and saw every square inch.  It is somewhat of a homecoming to go there, seeing the ghost of my dad and his passed buddies going "off for donuts" (probably brats and beer) "leaving me in charge" at the outside table, but the days of that particular venue should, and needs, to end.

73

I would agree to disagree.

I will be 50 this year, and I started going to Dayton with my dad when I was 8.  I probably have missed maybe 20 of them in my life since- if that.  Here is a proven strategy;

1. If you aren't selling outside, forget Fridays.  Most outside sellers aren't fully setup by Friday.  Inside exhibtors are, but aren't staffed fully, or are still getting their ducks in a row. NO ONE is NEAR ready to deal.
2. Saturday is when it happens!  Get there EARLY, preferably early enough to have breakfast in the Dayton area to unwind from your road trip, but get to Hara with enough time to park and be at the gate WHEN IT OPENS.  The crowds will be low, the traffic wil be low, and most ouside folks are ready to roll, and inside too.  But still, NO ONE will be ready to deal.
3. Start outside, and power walk the middle of the rows making notes of items of interest.  It's early, people aren't dealing, and you can formulate your plan for the interesting stuff.
4.  After that, head inside.  It's hard to power-walk inside, but later it will be MUCH worse.  Go to the smaller vndors first, then the big MFR's in the middle.
5. Time to go back outside, starting with the highest priorty items you saw.  Deal as necessary, but be willing to walk away.
6.  After that, it might be time to go to get a brat outside and /or a beer.  Historically, I think the "best" food has been outside, and less of a crowd.  MUCH less.  Better air too.
7. Hit the lowest priorty items you saw, worknig toward the highest priority, to give them time to get dejected about taking the stuff back home to the nagging wife and the over-flowing garage.
8. Repeat 5 through 7 above as necessary.

Notes:

1. Pray for good weather.  Rain dampens everything.  One of the funniest things I EVER saw at Dayton is someone had the bright idea to "leaflet" the outside areas by a Cessna.  The problem was they did it in the rain.  The "leaflets" stuck together on the way down in telephone book-sized clumps of leaflets and went crashing throgh tents, thumped cars and broke antenna masts with everyone running and screaming.  Also, there is no place to sit or hide outside in the rain, which makes the inside VERY crowded, almost to the point the air is fouled.
2.  Don't waste your time returning time and time again to outside sellers that choose to set up stuff to sell, then cover it and never return.  These people are idiots, and there are always more than a few.
3. Bring at least a small backpack or shoulder satchel to carry stuff.  Keep a small foldup handtruck in your car in case you find something really heavy that you can't pass up.  Don't be a hero and carry something all day- take it out to your car and return.
4.  Don't forget cash, and bring small bills only- It's easy to deal that way and hard for the seller to round up.
5. Don't mind th crowds- that's what makes Dayton an event- the above tis make it more manageable.

Jesus H. Christ.    

Hello-

I'm a new owner of a FT-897D and had one H__L of a problem with the "PMS" (DULY NAMED) Scan where upper and lower sets for five different band segments may be set for scanning.  After HOURS of experimentation and HOURS of reading solutions from others made completely illiterate by the constant head-pounding necessary to solve this obvious and glaring abnormality, I post my findings here that I finally discovered crudely communicated on the inane Yahoo group to which I REFUSE to post anything.  

I leave this for the betterment of humanity and Yaesu FT-897/D owners everywhere.  Further, I hope to corner any and all Yaesu representatives present at Dayton next month and give them my opinion of their programmers for this radio, which has been offered for nearly a decade.  This is not just a translation problem with the manual, it is completely lousy programming.

PMS Scan Work-Around

1. Set upper and lower limits for each segment to be scanned as in the manual and as a functioning human would suppose.
2. At this point, STOP READING THE MANUAL FURTHER regarding this subject.  Throw it across the room if necessary.
3. You will notice each limit for your segments are now in memory just like any other entry, notated by, as an example, "P1L" and "P1U".
4. Now, you ABSOLUTELY MUST set "Menu B "SKIP"" for each limit you set for each and every pair you entered. Just do it.  As an example, this will display a "dash" ("-") between the "M" and "P1L" as in "M-P1L" and "M-P1U".
5. If you want to do a regular Memory Scan, these pairs will be "SKIP"ped.  
6. If you want to do a "PMS" Scan, do the following;
A.) If you are in VFO, select the "V/M" key which puts you in "Memory".  If you are already in "Memory"- thats fine- stay there.
B.) Turn the "MEM/VFO" knob to the one of the limits of the pair you want to scan. Go to "Menu B "SKIP"" and un-"SKIP" it.
C.) Turn the "MEM/VFO" knob to the other one of the limits of the pair you want to scan. Go to "Menu B "SKIP"" and un-"SKIP" it.
D.) STAY right there at that limit.
E.) Go to "Menu F" and enable "PMS".
F.) Go to "Menu G" and enable "SCN" to start scanning the limits you set.

You will be scanning within the limits you set for that pair.  There is absolutely no other way to use this function reliably.

Enjoy your "PMS"....

73Brahma


  




















 

This was brand new, out of the box.  I only used it for maybe 5 hours when this problem occurred, and I could duplicate it every time.  Since I posted this, it hasn't done it again after being completely being powered off, and numerous time.  Maybe if the battery wasn't charged, the problem occurred because of that..  If there isn't a rechargeable battery in it, then I dont know, but it's working great now.

So I left the radio on over night, and it hasn't done it since, so I think I'm out of the woods.

Thanks-

73Brahma

I read around, thanks.  It's perfect for my purpose.

Thanks to all for the help.

73Brahma

Proper power down with front power switch, then builtin in power supply.

As an addendum, I don't know what the heck is going on, but after duplicationg it for HOURS today, it PRESENTLY is working correctly.  I was disgusted and had it completely powered down for an hour, came back and turned it on, and it works.

Thanks to all the good info and sanity checks here, my ATAS-120A is tuning immediately on 20, 15, and 10 meters.  It still can't handle 40 meters automatically, but probably would with several hundred more feet of tri-lead in the yard!  I've read that a lot of folks can't get that to tune, so I'm considering the a success.

What I did:

1. Removed my single .1 wave tri-lead counterpoise' for 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands laying on the ground..
2. Added twin 1/4 wave tri-lead counterpoise' for 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands laying on the ground.
3. Moved my ground from my Diamond mobile mount to the 239.
4. Lowered the antenna as low as it will go on the tripod.

Thanks!

73Brahma

 

I just purchased a Yaesu FT-897D less than a week ago.  I also bought the Yaesu programming software.  I have spent this entire day trouble shooting this issue, and would like to know if ANYONE else has experienced this, or ANYTHING LIKE THIS, because I cannot find anything on the Internet about it.

Without going into an exhaustive list of actions I have gone through to try to fix this, I will say I can duplicate it time and again.  

* So far, all I can find is that it involves the CTCSS tone squelch function, and it's use on two meter repeaters.  But since this is something in the firmware, who knows what else doesn't work correctly.
* The CTCSS tone squelch function DOES NOT OPERATE even though it SHOWS IT IS ON (TSQL), AFTER POWERING DOWN and back up from a fresh read from the Yaesu software of my configurations.
* This occurs on the same set of memories- others ARE NOT affected- it still works on them.
* a Full Factory Reset DOES NOT fix the problem- CTCSS DOES NOT WORK on certain frequencies unless I read my configurations back from the software.  In other words, I can't set it up manually from a reset.
* It stays working after reprogramming from my software until I power down, thus requiring another read session.
* It is transmitting and receiving, but the tone squelch DOES NOT WORK.

Your assistance is HIGHLY appreciated.

73Brahma

All good info, thanks.  I knew I was in for tradeoff's going with this antenna, I was just hoping to find a happy medium for the investment.  So, that being said, this was a pricey item, so I'm stuck with it.

What the goal was is to have a "mobile" DX setup as capable as possible.  "Mobile" meaning a "field day", battery-sustained setup.  The critera being;

1. Battery powered by design
2. Off-the shelf items
3. As compact or collapsible as possible
4. Minimal re-engineering
5. Rapid and ease of deployment

So I believe in the gear I've chosen, I just need to milk the capability I can out of it.