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Reviews For: Yaesu FT-817

Category: QRP Radios (5 watts or less)

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FT-817
Reviews: 297MSRP: 769
Description:
All band 160m thru 10m plus 6m, 2m and 70cm, all mode QRP rig with internal batteries. PL259 on rear, BNC on front.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.yaesu.com/amateur/ft817.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
002974.6
SV1JRF Rating: 2011-04-20
The great portable! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Just the most amazing portable radio. Imaging that you have a little larger handheld with everything on it. From HF to V and U. The only drawback is the battery which won't last for long and it only provides you with 2.5 watts. Just buy a 7.2Ah battery and you are done. You will need 2 days of constant operation to drain it.

Thank you very,
73 de SV1JRF
George
KE7EWI Rating: 2011-04-02
Great Radio!! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I once had a dog that loved to have his belly rubbed....His tongue would hang out..His rear legs would be movin...His eyes would roll back in his head...He was in heaven! That's how I feel when I am using the Yaesu FT-817. What great little rig!
PSK31 is my primary operating mode, which the 817 performs with little effort or complaint. When coupled to a Tokoy Hy-Power HL-45B linear amp, the two become a PKS31 "DREAM MACHINE". What a sweet combo.
My previous rig was a 746..but for my uses, the 817 shines like a diamond...buy one and have fun!!
Thanks for reading my brief.
SPARKS72 Rating: 2011-03-22
Ok, but not really worth it. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I owned this radio for about three years and finally just gave up on it and sold it a few years ago. The radio didn't have any internal failure (like some I've read about), but I just got sick of carrying around 3-4x more metal around with me in the form of an antenna than there was metal in the entire radio.

Works ok for 2m/440...not so much for 6m or any of the HF bands unless you have a lot of wire in the air. Sort of defeats the purpose of having such a small rig when you have to carry around pretty much NON-PORTABLE antennas wherever you want to use it. Pedestrian mobile on HF??? FORGET ABOUT IT -- AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN WITH THE 817! Not unless you like tripping over 30-50 feet of counterpoise wire...I don't, so I sold it and got something I can crank up to 100w when no one responds to my CQ and doesn't hear me answering them. :-)

Use it if you want...having a rig that tiny and then having to carry around a huge antenna to talk to anyone with it is like a really bad joke. Mine also suffered badly from front-end overload...got tired of dealing with it...
W5CEM Rating: 2010-12-07
A WINNER!!!!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is not a technical review...those abound! The FT817 is a must have radio in most shacks. Five watts is enuf to WORK THE WORLD if all the planets are aligned. But one rig that works 160 thru 440, as well as AM/FM receive and does it all very well is worth having. Throw it in the vehicle, use the cigarette lighter plug, mobile antenna, wire and tuner, whatever. Go where it is quiet and if you have a bit of patience you can work 'em. I used it and a hamstick to work VP5DX on five bands from local parks and picnic areas. YES, I like the radio and it does what for me what I need.
N0EVH Rating: 2010-08-13
Does just about everything in ham radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have used my 817 extensively for the past 7 years. It is not my go to radio. But, it is my go just about anywhere radio. Not as light weight nor easy on batteries as my trail HF radio, but it sure does everything in ham radio if staying under 5 watts is not a problem for you.

I checked my log to find that I have used it on all bands 160 through 432 except for 60 meters. Have worked CW, SSB, digital (many flavors) and FM. Worked most of the world and a few birds with the little thing.

Don't try to check into an 80 meter phone traffic net when mother nature is raising the noise floor! As the higher freq bands begin to dance again the rig will see more use, especially on 17 meters and above. I consider it a pretty gud value radio. If you are looking at your first HF rig you might want to start with it's big brother.

Have fun and 73's. John N0EVH
WA7RED Rating: 2010-07-03
Fun Rig!!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I think I was the third person in the city of Portland Oregon to own an '817 when they first came out. I wanted one as soon as I heard it was announced. I prepaid for the rig 3 mo before they were available. I have had more fun with this little rig than ANY other rig I've owned! This little rig has done it all, from FD to VHF qso parties. From mobile to camping it's been reliable and rugged. I use mine every night to listen to AM broadcast as well as check into nets. Would I buy another one, ABSOLUTELY! I would like the 60M feature on the ND.
W1LN Rating: 2010-07-03
Best QRP radio EVER Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
All I can say is WOW. My second contact ever using a 20m dipole 8 ft up off the ground was to Moldova on 5w ssb. This is 1000miles/watt! This was not just a lucky contact though. In the past few days of owning the radio I have worked 11 different countries with the same dipole. While the stations don't give me extremely strong reports, they say that I am easily readable.

For those who say that the internal battery needs replacing, I sat on the beach for 6 hours straight with out running out of juice.

If you are debating whether to get this radio, just go for it your won't regret the investment.

By the way, this radio goes perfectly with the elecraft t1.
WD0FIA Rating: 2010-03-25
Great little radio! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I am impressed! I have owned this radio for 3 months, and like it more every day!

VHF/UHF/HF all in a neat little package. The only thing I have added is a Z817 Tuner from LDG. I use it with a Opek HVU-300 antenna with great results. The battery pack is great for short excursions.
STAYVERTICAL Rating: 2010-03-14
Hams best friend Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Like so many other FT817 devotees', I am totally captivated by this little radio. It can fit in your coat pocket for goodness sake! It runs 160m to 70cm, all modes, and has taken me to the other side of the world with 5 watts on a dipole antenna.
I mostly run digital modes, and I can tell you it runs great on these modes. I have added the 500hz filter, mainly for digital modes, but only engage it in the most crowded conditions.

I have two FT897d transceivers, but mostly use the FT817ND for the fun factor. For base station use, I plug in a CT62 radio control cable into the accessory port and use ham radio deluxe to control the rig. Most functions are accessible from the PC screen and I frequently forget I am using a radio! It just sits behind the laptop like a modem!

Everything is done on the laptop screen. There is no noise, no fuss, just plug and play. I use an LDG Z100 plus autotuner running off batteries (they last a year), to complete the setup. This rig wont make you the biggest signal on the block, but you will get more thrill than the kilowatt stations ever get.
Remember, 5 watts is only 2 S units below 100 watts, and 4 S units below a kilowatt. If conditions are very poor, you may not get through, but in average/good conditions you will make the contact. However, with the FT817/ND a good low loss antenna is even more important,
as you don't want to lose those precious watts in losses.

The FT817 is a complete MF/HF/VHF/UHF all modes battery operated ham station you can fit in your coat pocket, need anything more be said?
And no, I will never sell mine.
N4MJG Rating: 2009-07-17
Awsome Rig !!!!!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This year i took my 817nd with me at my vacation took up with deep marine battery and a dipole ant.
wookes very well how i set it up !


73
Jackie
KG4ORX
WWW.KG4ORX.COM