| KD5KC |
Rating:  |
2009-12-15 | |
| It's a keeper! |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
Question: How did Yaesu pack so much fun into such a small package?
I have been using the FT-817ND for nearly a year now. I have not had this much fun in 10 years. It literally brought me back to HF.
I did get all the W4RT additions installed. The OBP Speech Processor was added, along with the OBF dual filter board. This is said to increase talk power by as much as 7 dB. This is important with only 5 watts out. Friends who know my voice well say the speech processor and Collins SSB filter combo really sound like me. It wasn't that way when I first opened the box.
CW is nice too. It isn't my favorite mode, although this little radio lends itself to CW well enough for my tastes.
Field Day 2009 saw me doing a 1B Battery/Solar operation in my garden. I was rained out twice, took a 4-hour nap, still worked 168 stations including Alaska and Hawaii, about 10% of that was CW, finishing in the upper half of the class.
I suppose there are some gripes - someone can always find something they wish was done differently. But pound for pound, I don't think there is a radio out there that can do all this on one small package.
Overall - it is one of the nicest little radios I have ever used. I can take it everywhere, try that with my IC-781. Mountaintop V/UHF contests will be fun - can't wait to try one. |
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| G8XDD |
Rating: |
2009-11-24 | |
| Great! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Wow, what a versatile radio, had mine for a few years now, mainly for SOTA portable and occasional use on vhf/uhf in shack. Did the s/ware mod to enable 60m work all over the UK on 5watts on 60m whilst out on the hills.I also use it for psk31 on 80m 40m 30m and 20m. I have changed lots of radios around since coming back into the hobby 6 years ago, but this one stays!! |
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| KF5BUB |
Rating: |
2009-11-19 | |
| Excellent QRP rig !! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I recently purchased this rig, as I go backpacking and camping a lot. Hook this up to my portable vertical antenna, and I'm in business. From the sierra peaks, not too far from home, I have made many CW contacts. I love this rig! Do yourself a big favor and get into QRP CW operation. One of the best features of this rig is that it doubles as a 2-meter mobile while I am on the road. Well done Yaesu!!! |
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| K5RIX |
Rating: |
2009-11-07 | |
| Great Starting Point |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This is a fantastic box! It'd be a 5 except:
No QSK, and relay T/R switching is noisy
Horrible battery compartment cover design/implementation
Supplied manual is difficult to comprehend/confusing/weird
That said, this is a fantastic rig. Fortunately, W4RT offers solutions for the battery compartment gripe, and Hugh McCully (VE3AYR) offers a comprehendible (and useable) manual. Unfortunately, the CW T/R switching isn't fixable for those operators who prefer QSK and silent diode T/R switching.
The receiver is really good, and all the necessary stuff is available via the menus. The flexibility of such a package as the '817 almost goes without saying. With the aftermarket manual mentioned above, it's pretty easy to find how to perform operations one is likely to forget if not used often. Optional IF filters are available from Yaesu and W4RT, and maybe others. The W4RT filters are identical to the Yaesu filters, but cost 2/3 as much. Even with the rather tiny internal speaker, the receiver audio is pretty decent and very intelligible. NOAA weather channels are not available on this receiver without modification.
I have had many good QSO's with my '817 on CW and SSB and FM. I traded an old Corsair II for it a little over a year ago. The '817 is truly remarkable, offering performance way beyond its physical dimensions. I have installed the 500 Hz Collins mechanical filter and the 2700 mAh W4RT battery. Also, I purchased the BHi Radio Mate keyboard accessory for my '817. Curiously, the Yaesu manual text specifies a three-conductor plug for a straight key, while the illustration in the same manual shows a two-conductor 3.5mm plug. The text is correct.
The '817 is an amazingly good radio that could be a lot better for CW ops. |
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| MOTOR486 |
Rating: |
2009-10-17 | |
| Awesome!! 1300 miles SSB on 5 watts. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I got my 817 from Texas Towers one week ago for $559. I purchased it primarily for CW QRP work and local VHF/UHF use. What I didn't expect to use it for was SSB, nor did I plan on writing a review.
Today I was listening to a station from Iowa working the Iowa QSO party, 20 meters. On a whim I decided to try the 817 to contact the station. The operator came back with a 5/8 report. Almost 1300 miles, SSB on 5 watts???? I almost fell out of my chair. My antenna is just a home brew inv. V dipole up only 25 feet behind my house, so I knew it wasn't because of a special beam or anything else.
I give this rig a big "thumbs up!!"
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| N2UGB |
Rating: |
2009-10-10 | |
| Great low-profile tcvr |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Is it a super-duper wiz-bang, big-box transceiver with lots of buttons to fool with and 200 watts output? No!. What it is, is a very good 5-watt, all mode QRP rig. Doesn't take up a lot of room, so you can't impress visitors, and it disappears in a photo QSL-card. But with a decent antenna, sometimes not so decent antenna (mine is a non-portable Buddistick), a cw filter, and the right propagation you can work DX. Last month I had my first upstate NY to Nigeria cw QSO. Right now it is my only rig and will always be my principal transceiver. Looks darn good sitting on my old Timewave filter |
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| K4LJA |
Rating: |
2009-10-10 | |
| Programming the radio |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Oops. Forgot to mention. I use the G4HFQ software to program my FT-817 for ham satellites, repeaters and some cw HF locations. It makes life so much easier. K4LJA in Monroe, Louisiana
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Earlier 5-star review posted by K4LJA on 2009-10-10
It's a great radio. To my knowledge -- the FT-817ND was never promoted, nor advertised as a primary station. It does what it was designed to do and does it quite well. I run mine on a small gel cell for ham satellite work and it takes a long time to deplete the battery. I installed the 500 Hz filter and use it extensively on cw. Each to their own -- of course -- but for me ... it's a great little addition to my ham station. Thanks folks -- K4LJA -- Monroe, Louisiana |
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| KC9PBI |
Rating:  |
2009-10-09 | |
| DO NOT GET THIS LEMON |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Menu is practically impossible, terrible battery life for QRP rig, requires expensive amplifier for any sort of phone usage. Not recommended for primary station unless you have a really good antenna. |
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| KI4KSY |
Rating: |
2009-10-03 | |
| You need a reason to get it. like backpacking... |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I have always liked to read good things about qrp so I thought I would go ahead and say a few good things about it.
From down here in Florida I have made 11 contacts today(Saturday) using my 817 I got on Friday. The best part is that I have not even been trying. I am using the 817 with a G5RV on 20 meters about 35’ up in a tree. I think I saw somewhere that the g5rv has some gain on 20 meters, however, I don’t recall. My total time on the air today is about 45 min. Some people may not think it is an accomplishment but for me it will do just fine. Back to the radio…
Pros :
small+++
rugged look
vary portable
it is just the all around cool radio.
Cons:
I wish the f key was where the clarifier button is.
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|
| W0GI |
Rating: |
2009-09-25 | |
| Good + W4RT = GREAT |
Time Owned: N.A. |
I bought this rig (pre-ND) many years ago in November of 2001 from HRO. Back then it was $769, but the $100 coupon got it down to $669. Now the ND is $600 and you get the NiMH pack included. I paid $59 for a 1700 MAH pack back in 2001.
I used it a little out camping, but it was a bit frustrating, so it sat on the shelf for a long time. Two years ago, I fired it up, and found the drivers and finals were gone. I ignored it until a month ago when I got the QRP bug.
After some research, I found that QRP is ok, but that using the 9 foot top loaded verticals is not going to work as well as a long wire. I figured I would get a K2, but while that rig is nice, it gets pretty expensive when you start adding options.
So I ordered the new (ND) finals board, and replaced the 2SK2973 drivers with RD01MUS1 mosfets. $43 for the board, and $3.50 for the drivers. I also swapped the coax leads on the final board input as suggested to prevent oscillation.
My Idea was to sell it, and get a K2. Then after playing around with it, and figuring that I won't have anymore problems with transmitt, I started to wonder if I should keep it.
So after some thought, I decided to dump some money and install a W4RT OBF with a SSB and 300hz CW filter, and the BHI DSP unit. They arrived today, and so far, I am really enjoying the improvement. I am doing an A/B with the Mark-V on 20, the little 817 is pretty impressive.
The FT-817 receiver is hot, and the DSP is really good considering the low price.
Lot's of people talk about overload, but you should hit IPO (preamp off), and it is much better. You don't need the preamp 98% of the time.
I still would like a K2, but I think this rig with the good filters and DSP will do great up in the mountains.
I am enjoying this little rig for the first time.
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