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1-10 of 23 messages
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FT-817 a good choice?
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by KC9JJW on April 20, 2007
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I am going for my General soon. I am looking for my first HF rig. My situation in the near future will likely not lead me to having a full size rig. I also think I would like to have one that is able to use mobile as I am on the road 4 days a week. I have been thinking of purchasing a used FT-817 that I saw for sale from a reputable dealer for $399. I know I would be limiting myself to 5w max with this unit. I would like to hear everyone's comments about it that has one.
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RE: FT-817 a good choice?
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by N4KZ on April 20, 2007
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The FT817 is a nice little do-everything rig. I've had two of them. But you will find operating mobile with just 5 watts at this time of the solar cycle to be frustating. Contacts can be made mobile -- I've done it -- but it was difficult. A small amp would help a lot but I think a better choice would be a small 100 watt mobile rig; e.g. Yaesu FT857 or a similar Icom or Alinco.
I sold my last FT817 to buy a FT857D -- just a little bigger than the 817 but with more features (DSP, bigger LCD screen) and with more power output.
I like low-power operation but think folks ought to get a little on-air operating experience under their belts before tackling the challenges of QRP.
73 and GL,
N4KZ
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RE: FT-817 a good choice?
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by W8ZNX on April 21, 2007
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Hello 9JJW
the FT-817 is a fun little rig
but
i must agree with N4KZ
take it from a old time op
that loves running qrp cw
qrp is not the way to start on hf
starting on hf
100 watts mobile
is going to hard enought
there will be times
you will wish you had
more than 100 watts
PLEASE
get a 100 watt rig
plenty of time later on
to start running qrp
yours truly
Mac w8znx
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RE: FT-817 a good choice?
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by WW5AA on April 21, 2007
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I also agree, get a 100W radio...as said at this point in the solar cycle you will get frustrated very quickly. You will need really good antennas to make QRP work on a base station. A mobile at 5 watts, even with an outstanding installation will not be fun for a couple of years.
73, de Lindy
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RE: FT-817 a good choice?
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by KC8HXO on April 21, 2007
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DO NOT buy an FT-817 for mobile. I am not saying it won't make some fun contacts, as it surely will. It will also NOT make many more. Get a 100W rig to start your mobile career. I would recommend an Alinco DX-70. Simple to operate while mobile, and fairly indestructible. Just my opinion, and very well worth exactly what you paid here for it!!
GO GET THAT UPGRADE!!!!!
73-
Greg, KC8HXO
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RE: FT-817 a good choice?
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by W5ESE on April 23, 2007
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I agree with the advice to start with a
100 watt rig for your main rig, particularly
if you're principally planning to operate
SSB.
For a QRP rig, consider building one of the
small CW kits, like a Wildeness Radio SST or
Small Wonder Labs SW+. They're fun and less
than a hundred bucks.
73
Scott
W5ESE
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RE: FT-817 a good choice?
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by W3JJH on April 23, 2007
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While I don't think that you have to have a 100 W radio for starters, I woudn't recommend an 817 for a first rig either. I have a pair of them that I use a portable rigs, but I rarely use them at home. Why?
First, the receiver performance is only so-so. It's equal to or better than most cheap QRP kits, but not very good. When I operate QRP from home, I use my Argonaut V with the power dialed back. It has a much better receiver.
Second, the Argonaut also has marvelous QSK. I find CW operation with the 817 almost painful by comparison.
Therefore, I suggest that you look for a used Argonaut V--or any other TenTec rig that you can afford. If you're going to buy a used rig, I strongly suggest that you buy from a local ham who will let you test drive the radio at his shack and who can help you get started using it.
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RE: FT-817 a good choice?
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by KPS on April 24, 2007
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I just got my general too, since I passed elements 2 and 3 I don't have my callsign yet.
I'm in that what radio to get phase too. Like the others have said, I think 100watts is smarter choice.
I wanted something I can day hike with using battery, so I'm thinking the FT-897D might be nice. I've read a lot of mixed reviews about it, but I think with the two internal batteries running at 5 watts when I want to play QRP will give me a good days worth of power.
Having the option to bring the radio home, put it on AC and crank out 100watts is nice also.
The FT-857D is the same circuits less the TXCO so if you don't care about using it on battery power or initially plan on using digital modes, the 857 is nice.
I've looked at the Icoms also, IC-703+ mainly, but it doesn't have 2m/70cm coverage and so if I wanted to talk on local repeaters I would have to get something else, maybe a handheld.
It's a really hard choice and nothing really screams out at me, I've looked into having a K2 built, I've looked at the Ten-Tec's, everything is a compromise of something else, so unless you are sure of how you want to use your radio(base, mobile, portable), I would think about that first. I want something for portable and something for base and don't have enough money to blow on two radios, so I feel like I got to make the right choice the first time around.
The 817 would be nice for camping, there's a nice fat battery for it on w4RT plus the other options so if your goal is camp, that would probably be a good choice, if you don't care about 2m/70cm and want to camp, the IC-703+ might be a better choice since it's a bit better on the power use.
Let us know what you choose, would help out people like me still trying to figure it out.
-C
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RE: FT-817 a good choice?
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by VA7CPC on April 25, 2007
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FWIW --
I agree with all the early posts -- the low power of the FT-817, running through an inefficient mobile antenna, will be very frustrating on HF.
I had excellent results on HF using an FT-817 _portable_, with a 31' fiberglass pole tied to picnic benches or guyed on a beach. But that's not something you mount on the car for your morning commute!
The FT-817 _does_ have enough power to work repeaters on 2m, though. So you could set up a mobile VHF antenna to work the local repeaters while driving, and a dipole (or full-height vertical, or loop) at home for HF QRP.
Given the price difference, and power difference, between FT-817 and FT-857, I'd opt for the FT-857 _unless_ low weight and low power consumption was important. In that situation -- e.g., when travelling by plane or hiking -- the FT-817 comes into its own.
Charles
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RE: FT-817 a good choice?
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by KC0SHZ on April 26, 2007
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I have recently bought and began using my FT-817. I used it for VHF and it worked nicely. The thing I liked was it ran off my solar panel at 5 watts. So I get full power when out and about.
The VHF use was nice. The HF receive on my slinky was really good, though I could barely transmit on it. (That was a function of the slinky.) I have another antenna to try for HF. I brought the radio over to my Elmer's place and we tried it on his base antenna. It worked nicely. We had some audio issues that were related to the distance between my mouth and the microphone (too far away).
It is my first HF rig. I went QRP first, as these rigs seem the most interesting to me. I really want to set a mile-per-watt record and then try to beat that. (who knows, I might get one that means something to someone else, HI, HI) Also, QSO parties and contests give multipliers to QRP and mobile stations.
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