I agree, it is a great portable rig! I use mine for over a decade now. Even since I got my KX2 (which is incredible small, built-in tuner an battery) my FT-817ND is still in use. Digital PSK31 and JS8Call are working great on that rig. 73, Stephan, DF6PA
Hi Tracy, seven years on this is still a very useful and relevant video and I thank you for it. I have just bought an FT818ND, which is pretty much the same animal and found your comments both relevant to it and useful. I'll be using if similar activities to you and am looking forward to getting out and about with it. Best 73.
Your videos are very helpful. I decided to purchase an 817 based on your review which was the most detailed and "real world" I could find. I run the 857 in the truck so I expect the learning curve will be pretty flat.
Good morning Tracy. Kind of a slow morning on the HF bands, so here I am doing my next favourite thing...........watching (re watching) amateur radio related TH-cam videos! I've owned my FT-817 and FT-817ND for 10 years now. I sold the 817ND once when I only owned one of the two versions and within a day of selling it, had great seller remorse. (it was quickly replaced) My FT-817s have been to heck and back again and have never once let me down. They're not perfect, but nothing in life is perfect. The fun factor associated with these little rigs is very hard to match. I've used this rig for 2 meter SSB operation with my 2 meter yagi, prior to losing my tower and antennas in an ice storm in 2016. The 817 worked splendid for vhf ssb. I currently have two of these rigs, an Elecraft KX3, three different MFJ Cubs I built, a Norcal 40A, a Youkits HB1B, two TenTec QRP rigs I built and an FT-857D that I sneak out portable as well. The FT-817 and 817ND will always have a home here in my shack. They are WONDERFUL rigs, for all the reasons you and many others have described. 72 de Brent
Thank you for your comments, Brent! That must have been quite an ice storm to bring down a tower, my condolences. Your collection of rigs is very impressive. 72 from Tracy.
A few years back I used a 10m Radio Shack mobile, gell cell batteries and an inverted V, at 5 watts on field day. Made some fantastic QRP contacts and made some awesome points for the club for QRP Battery...Always wanted an FT817, could not afford one so opted for the FT840...Great video, tnx and 73!
Great video. Your comments on other reviews were spot on and made a great deal of sense. As much as I travel and do not know where I will end up next, looks like a very good option and with a simple resonant dipole, I can imagine having a great deal of fun and lots of contacts. Thanks for a nice video.
The select knob on mine is solid, no wobble. It's probably fixable, a Google search will probably direct you to the information you need. One of the things I like about the 817 is that it's popular enough that there is a ton of information available on the internet. Thanks for the video!
Just found your video, I’ve been on the fence about buying this unit. I love your review, it’s got to be the most informative out there. Thank you for some excellent points you brought up. I’ve decided to get one. Thank you again.
Thanks Tracy for this thoughtful review. Your comments on resonant vs. tuner-assisted antennas with this rig are especially pertinent. BTW I bought a 40-20-15-10 HyEndFed antenna a few months ago based largely on your related videos, and I am totally happy. I have a very compromised antenna situation and the HyEndFed works great with *no* RF in the shack. Great antenna. 73, Mike K6MKP
I've had my FT-817nd for almost 2 years now and I love it.QRP is so much and done right really from what I have seen is not that hard to make contacts.A good antenna,coax,and mic is all that's needed.Take mine with me when I go for bike rides on my recumbent and when I stop at the parks to take a break I set it up for a bit.My Heil Pro Micro Single Side Headsets, 50' rg-8x and my buddipole or my normal dipole and I have a blast :D
I like your frankness on this video. And your responses to objections to the radio were pretty good. I do so hope you like the radio and that you have not blown out your finals. You have a new fan. 73 de N2LRB
N2LRB Thank you for the kind words, Jose. With a little bit of care and resonant antennas I think my finals will be fine. I won't be selling the 817 anytime soon. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Still great information after all this time. Agree with all your point about this radio, and don't believe there is another radio on the market that is in the same league in terms of size and ability. Was disappointed when Yaesu discontinued it without a replacement, as I wanted to add one to my gear collection. Thankfully I have just picked up a near new FT-817ND that had only been used a couple of times and then sat on a shelf unused. Like you I am an avid outdoors person and a Scout leader. To have such a capable All Band, All mode radio I can put in my hiking pack and take with me will add both fun and peace of mind when off the grid. Thanks again for the effort you put into your videos. Ben - VK3VAX
Hi Tracy, I enjoy your videos, plenty insightful. I own the old Ten Tec 556 Argo QRP rig with a manual tuner and a pair of halfsquare antennas, I'm the "halfsquare guy" having used them for 3k,-+m+0 years, 20 as a ham. Field day QRP is a blast, and I'm happy to see you're sharing that same \feeling with the world. The 817's display is too small for my eyes to read, otherwise I might own one. Keep up the great videos. 73
Well, it's been 6 years since this video was posted, so Tracy might've not known at the time that besides the 60m band and longer battery span, it also came with different finals that no longer drain the batteries when it is off and maybe, they no longer blow their finals when using automatic tuners. Great video. 73 PY5WHO.
Really great insights. I agree with your points. Didn't know about the blown finals thing. Sounds like something to investigate further as you say. Thanks Chris
Tracy thank you so much for the video I've been a ham radio operator now going on 32 years I was away from ham radio for a while and came back in September of last year 2019 may apartment building is not what you'd say wired for ham radio so I can't get a regular HF rig so I did research own the ft-818 After watching your video and others on the FT - 817 I have made up my mind I'm going to go ahead and pick up the FT - 818 Thanks again 73 from kb7azz
My favorite rig overall. A great receiver very good sensitivity. I have worked Europe, Japan and South America on 20 meters with a portable vertical antenna. It is easy to take with you. I use a Li battery 6ah. Hard to find used ones.
Nicely done Tracy. I think you will enjoy the radio. I agree with your assessment. This radio was designed for a specific purpose and it does well in that regard. Keep the antennas resonant for maximum results. 73, VE3EBY.
Good review. My pro's/cons not addressed in video Pros: -A pretty good general coverage receiver with AM/FM, SW, VHF/UHF. -Well built, I think your knob issue is a one-of, and may be easily fixed. -A sold performer on HF/VHF/UHF for what it is. Very good for local repeaters or as a "portable base" VHF/UHF radio. -Price. At $619, I will disagree with you that its too expensive. No other radio does what this can do at this price point. It is actually the lowest priced HF/VHF/UHF rig out there. The drawback is you get 5 watts out, but its QRP. The Elecraft KX3, the new qrp darling, costs $1000, and that is for HF only, not including 2M. Its probably a better radio though. Cons: -They should have included a cleat or bracket that would swing down and angle the radio up at you while operating. -It is a battery hog compared to other QRP rigs. I think it draws in the 100's of mA on receive. Then again a lot of other qrp rigs are minimalist approaches. Again the KX3 is probably better, but 2x the cost. -One filter, and its wide. If you like CW, you need to pony up around $100 for a suitable CW filter to operate. -Noise/DSP; well guess what - used in the field with a simple vertical antenna its gonna be noisy. The real issue is that the radio has no DSP built in; which has been common on transceivers for 10 years now. Its also noisy because people don't know how to operate it, see aside below. Asides: -Noise: people tend to leave the gain wide open on this rig and dont adjust the AGC. There are youtube videos out there that show this, but the best way to operate this radio is to actually USE the gain control and turn it down a bit while the AGC is on. You stop the pumping and get a very nice signal on receive. -Age: The only reason why this radio is still out there is because at its low price point it remains the least expensive QRP HF/VHF/UHF option. It has A LOT of fans out there, and a lot of 3rd party equipment built specifically for it - Elecraft for example make a match-boxeded sized antenna tuner for the 817, and its brilliant. Still, buying one new today means you are investing in a product that is 15 years old. That has pluses and minuses, +'s = you know its been around a while, probably becasue its good, -'s= You could buy one today and in 6 months Yaesu will announce a replacement with DSP or even SDR features.
A buddy and I did field day last year with two 817s. He was SSB and I did CW. My battery lasted for the whole time I was there. I did the hunt and pounce to stretch my battery. I used a laptop lion battery for power. As a SSB rig, I'd say you'll be very happy with it. Vk3ye does PM with his. He has quite a few good videos on TH-cam. Best of luck to you Tracy, Chuck/aa0na
***** Thank you for watching and the feedback, Chuck. I wonder what the capacity was of the batteries the two of you used during last years Field Day and how many contacts were made? I've seen Peter's pedestrian mobile videos. Unlike the examples I refer to in my video, VK3YE does it right. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
my friend used a battery similar to the one in your video. i used a Voltaic Systems V72 Universal Laptop Battery i.e. 20Ah. i've since switched to a Poweradd™ Pilot Pro 32000mAh Monster Capacity Multi-Voltage. the voltaic caused me several problems due to the automatic power saving feature i.e. shutting off and not powering back on. the Poweradd can be switched on/off and more battery life made it a perfect pair with my kx-3. the connections are identical on both batteries making it an easy swap in my radio pack. i also use anderson powerpoles as part of this setup. we made about 54 casual contacts for field day. i used a straight key, which i ended up hating by the end of it. i have much nicer one now. pileups on ssb or cw where hard to crack, best to hunt and pounce for the lone cq.
Thanks for this video, I just order my 817nd and worrying that i made the wrong decision however i don't know what other decision i could make, I seems like with all the research i have done, while i don't feel 100% warm and fuzzy about it, i feel better about it then any of the other options. I hope I like it.
If you pair the 817ND up with a good antenna, you'll make contacts. If the 817 isn't for you, sell it and try something else. Lord knows I've done a lot of that with various rigs over the years. Stop worrying and just have fun :)
Thanks Tracy, nice overview of the rig. I am thinking about getting this to operate in the local park near me and appreciate your thoughtful review. 73
I know this is an older vid but I just received a 817nd today I bought from a guy online. I’m mostly a CW opr, and the one I got has a cw filter installed. I’ll be using it on POTA operations. So thx for the vid
I still prefer the YouKits TJ5A. It's now an 8 band rig with 20w out on SSB and 10w on CW. Comes with 4400mah internal battery and can easily be upgraded to 6800 mah by use of Eastshine 18650 cells (at least that was what I used). Receiver is quiet and on par with the 817. Size is a bit larger but still well within the purpose of camping/outdoor rig. Receive time is measured in days not hours. Typical use I get 12+ hours of battery time. While it does lack some of the features of the 817, I don't need most of what it's lacking anyway. hihi One major plus IMO, is that it's $300.00+ less that the 817. I know I'll get backlash for this post but there's my 2 cents worth. 73's
Ben Morris Hi Ben, I actually purchased my batteries from a local shop. Go to Amazon and search for 12V 7Ah SLA and you'll be on the right track. Thank you for watching!.
I'm wondering if all these 'its menu driven', 'display is too small' haters have the same complaints with their $600-$800 HTs? HTs that ONLY do U/VHF, NO HF at all...for the same price as the FT-817. Any modern SMALL transceiver has to be menu driven, there's simply NO SPACE to put dedicated buttons. And if anyone has ever opened up a CB you'll know how much room is WASTED in the chassis...and they aren't menu driven because they don't have MORE features then can fit on the face place (SSB CB isn't any different). The 817 is PACKED with circuits and features....many, that once set...almost NEVER get touched again, as you mentioned. Some people just seem to want the impossible. Long battery life (really? out of $1000 (and its still MENU driven to some degree) and you're going to have to PAY for the optional microphone ($40) AND the rechargeble battery module (that's another $70), 2 meter option is an additional $260 (factory installed, which is already PART of the FT-817)....so by the time you get a KX3 close to what the FT-817 has built in...kiss about $1400 g'bye (not in kit form, you don't build an FT-817, so I'm comparing factory built). That's about $600 MORE then the FT-817...AND you CAN'T get UHF for the KX3 (they haven't even mentioned the possibiltiy, they've run out of room inside the chassis for another module). Nearly everything in RF is a trade off, you want one thing you have give up another....be it MORE power = bigger equipment, dedicated buttons = bigger rig, internal power source = more weight, more of everything = a thinner wallet (MORE $$$$)...and when it comes down to it, the radio is just a tool for a specific job, to get you heard. And the FT-817, with some luck, good propagation, good antenna....does THAT...something the 'haters' fail to address in their complaints (if they do, its because they're QRP haters, period). The reality is, if y'all remember back to getting licenced...you're NOT supposed to be using ALL the power you can, you're only supposed to be using as much power as NEEDED for the job at hand (so if 5W is all you need...100W is too much). And remember, ARMIES have functioned on QRP!!! Many field radios were
Great video! Thanks for sharing! Two comments: 1. Regarding battery life....checkout portable zero and let us know what you think. 2. Regarding small display....checkout 817 Companion for android on the Play Store! Let me know what you think of those products. I intend on purchasing tge 817ND this week!
Hi David, thank you for watching! Portable Zero has some interesting products, I especially like the tactical carrier though I don't have one. The 817 Companion looks very impressive. Enjoy your new 817ND.
got mine 2006 still going strong. solar panel 12ah sealed battery no worries, except the weather. noise cancelling external speaker does the trick. m3urz
this is probably the most helpful video I have seen on the 817/817nd radio thank you as I have been considering this one for portability over the road truck driving... gotta find a good portable antenea to use
I kinda decided I might actually get the 857 to take on the road but am still gonna get an 817ND to tote camping.... maybe get lucky and chat a spell some day
Your impressions of the 817 are helpful Tracy, thinking it's time to add another small rig to the collection and the 817 is close to the top of the list. 73 DE KJ7NR
+Steve Pitts Very glad I could help, thank you for watching, Steve! Maybe you'd consider posting a video of yourself operating portable? 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Very informative and honest video, I found the voice to be fine and very clear. Covered all the complaints well and was unbiased. Thank you for making this video and keep up the good work. Can I let you and your viewers know about another you tube channel that a guy uses one of these rigs and gets great results. I don't know the person personally but think it is a good channel. if you type in VK3YE you will see some good results with this rig.
In the video, you say that you are an Icom guy. Why did you chosse the Yaesu 817 over the old Icom IC-703 QRP rig, which has 10 watts, filters, and an internal tuner. I have been researching both and am wondering if you considered the Icom and what the deciding factor was for you in choosing the Yaesu.
+Sean Cowdrey Hi Sean, thank you for watching and for asking the question. I have nothing against the 703 and would definitely like to try one out someday. The 817 is smaller and lighter than the 703. When you're hiking, bulk and weight are critical factors. Additionally, I think tuners are overrated for field work; simply use resonant antennas which will work better anyway. Modern commercially available end-fed resonant antennas are compact, easy to deploy and effective. Keep it simple. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
New sub I have the original 817. I currently use it for WSPR but in the past have worked the world with it. I use an ATU and my finals have been fine. However they did blow. I had been using the radio at 500mW on internal battery. I did not use the radio for a few weeks. When I pulled it out again the internal batteries were flat and when I replaced them with an external SLA I found no power out. It was still under warranty and fixed by Yaesu who said that if the batteries dip below the recommended voltage the set can self oscillate to destruction. The current finals are 14 years old and still working fine. Not much radio on my channel, more about the locations I go :-) 73 MM0XDB Dave - Desmond is the motorhome :-)
Thank you for your comments, Dave. Good luck with your TH-cam channel! 73 Tracy VE3TWM. PS I wish I could talk my wife into getting a motorhome, looks like you are getting the most out of life with yours :)
I beleive they make some nobs a little wobbly for mobile or portable rigs so there is less chance of them being broken when being handled on the go. A little built in 'give' if you will
+DENMONKEY Thank you for the comment. I've heard from other 817 users that their rigs do not have the "wobbly knob feature". I'm leaning toward believing the knob is not supposed to wobble as mine does. To be truthful the knob works just fine and in no way impairs operation.
I''m not always very good at predicting the future (and I don't have insider info), so take this with a large grain of salt: no, I do not think Yaesu will bring out a new QRP rig in the near future. I hope I'm wrong!
I have severe limitations at my home QTH for HF operation. I do have a simple set up but would like to go portable when the UK weather allows. The 817 looks just the ticket and your review has sold me on getting one. I was toying with the idea of a 857 but this little QRP rig really does carry the advantage. Many Thanks and very enjoyable. Gary M6KVK
Really enjoyed this video. I have an FT-857D. Very good radio however not the best for QRP work. I am now very serious about the 817! As you stated a little expensive but think it's time to start saving for one. Thanks again for this video. W0TLN
I have had great work doing qrp with this radio, If i can hear them, for the most part they can hear me. I am in newton iowa and have made QSOs in Costa Rica, Anchorage Alaska, and was just Rag chewing with 2 fellows yesterday in idaho and colorado for about 30 minutes with no issue. And the band have been garbage lately so it seems to be doing great. For the most part doing 1000 - 1500 miles SSB phone is pretty easy to do on this radio. I think you would enjoy the 817, i went with it because it will be easy to run of solar, i was leaning toward the 857, but desided to go with the 817nd and the only regret is no dsp, but for $150 thats easily fixed
The 857 has found favour as a higher powered alternative to the 817. It's built on the same platform and as such is a good transceiver. Just bear in mind the tradeoff for the higher power output is a much bigger battery when doing portable ops.
Thanks for video. I have had an FT817ND for many years. I back off the RF gain a bit to reduce gain, along with IPO. It's as standard, except I did a small mod to the microphone, to give a wee bit more clarity & punch, & also the dry battery holder, & fitted high capacity nimh batteries, this allows me to charge them in situ. Best regards. 73 de Pete GI0FZT.
For all intents and purposes, the rigs are identical in performance. The 818 uses newer components that may be available longer than some parts in the 817/817ND.
Good break down of the relevant points. I went with 857 for a little more power, using 3.8 kilo sla 12Ahr. Won't be too long before Elon Musk gives us nice and cheap lithium packs so we can have featherweight batteries for backpacking. Happy DX from UK
Tracy....walking around with a 20 meter whip works very well. I do it a lot, but it does require a ground wire attached to the chassis. But definitely not impossible. You don't have to throw dipoles all over the woods to use this rig. I have seen guys ride bicycles and communicate with the 817. If your only using the rig in your shack, or throwing antennas in trees, you should try other options...Scratch your head and think again my friend...Pedestrian mobile works just fine. .
+KB2CWN Thank you for your feedback. I am open to new ways of thinking about things, including pedestrian HF portable. I'd be interested in seeing you working it on video, any chance of posting a few? 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
+twmckim Actually Tracy, if you look through my videos I do have one on there with the 817 dangling around my neck using an MFJ 20 meter telescopic whip attached to the front. They work very well and I use them often. Although I am only standing in my back yard, I can easily walk around with that configuration also.
I am a total radio newbie and have only been researching for a couple of days on what a good mobile radio would be. I have a chance to pick one of these up for $200, but I don't have a HAM license or anything. "I am a Prepper-Lite" and am wanting to start working on COMMs. Is this strictly a HAM radio?Can I connect it to hand helds for when hunting and hiking?Will it receive police, safety, and air?Please and Thank You for any feedback!!
+ib scooter70 Hi, thank you for watching! $200 is an extremely good deal for an 817. I'd suggest you proceed with extreme caution; be certain the rig is not stolen and in good working order. I'd also suggest you try to get your ham license. Ham radio is a fun hobby that can last a lifetime, and getting your license is much easier than it used to be. The radio is designed to transmit on most of the popular ham bands and nowhere else on the radio spectrum. If the people you are connecting with are hams and have ham hand-helds, you'll be able to communicate with them. The receive coverage of the 817 is broad, but you'll have to check the frequencies of your local services to determine if you can receive them with this rig. Hope this helps you.
Thx. Yeah, this a legit seller that is liquidating MANY radios. Also gonna try and pick up his Kenwood TS-2000.I think I will try to get my license after the holidays. It seems like a fun and interesting community. And obviously, it is worthwhile for SHTF situations, and I live on a coast. I don't yet know what 73, means. But, 73! lol
Regarding the Background noise, simply turn the IPO 'ON!' It somewhat inverse logic, but its true-it substantially quiets the receiver without harming the sensitivity.
How do you do Tracy, Arnold VE7FLY, out here in Beautiful BC. Enjoyed your words on FT-817. I have owned one for the past four years as well as an FT-450 for the last year and find the 450 not nearly as nice to operate. The 450 is cheaply built and I agree with you on the price of the 817, it is expensive BUT it has quality and a lot of modes.I only do CW and it really does a job there. I did a lot of experimenting with wire OCF dipoles and gave the little rig some rough rides through High SWR and in the process blew the finals twice. Actually you blow the protecting resister and capacitor ($35 at the Yaesu shop in LA). Excellent service and price, ground transport was more expensive than the repair but it took almost a month. By the way, The OCF is a great multi band antenna but should be used with the MFJ mini tuner as there always seems to be one band that requires one. If interested in that, just look at my QRZ page and my email address is there also. Good write up, CW and FT-817 forever.
Always been interested in the 817 and other QRP rigs. Just now getting around to looking for one. I'm a phone operator/CW hack. The plan is to run only CW on HF and yet have the convenience of phone for VHF/UHF local contacts (and HF if every necessary). Excellent video with great audio (a true rarity on yt), never thought I'd hear Wayne Dyer quoted in a ham video! 73 de W1ADE (subbed)
Thank you, Wade! I like your plan, get an FT-817 and you'll have what you need. Now I have to figure out how to get an Eckhart Tolle quote into one of my upcoming videos. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
I really enjoyed this video and I agree with all your comments - many thanks. I have always dismissed the FT-817 as being little more than a toy. That is until I bought one. I've only had it two days and I'm already hooked. Have already had several QSOs all over Australia on 5 watts - and it's a big country! Can't wait to get out into the field. The FT-817 is currently on special in Oz for AUD $699. It's a steal at that price. 73 VK3PAT
Thank you, Chris! I felt exactly the same way about the 817 before buying mine. Now I know better. Congratulations on your success, now go get some DX. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Thanks Tracey. Guess what, I worked VK9ANZAC on Norfolk Island in the Pacific today on 20 metres. He was on 10 watts and I was on 5 - distance 1,454 miles. Then I worked K6SCA in California (7,980 miles) signal report 54. All on a half wave dipole 30 feet above the ground. I'm using an 8000mAh 11.1v LIPO battery. The FT-817 seems to be very happy on it. 73 from Chris VK3PAT
CK, a blown final is a transmitter final amplifier with a transistor or transistors that have been destroyed by "misadventure" - usually by transmitting into an antenna with a bad impedance match or no antenna at all. Most amateur radio transceivers will feature a limiting circuit that cuts back on the power to the "final" if the VSWR is too high. Sadly, the FY-817 seems to be prone to blowing finals if you are not careful. Welcome to amateur radio, by the way. 72/73, Bill, k6whp dit.. dit
+ckreitlein Welcome to the world of Amateur Radio, it's good to have you in our ranks! Bill's answer is excellent. The bottom line is to be very careful with any new antenna installation to ensure the system is performing as it should or you could damage your radio, your antenna or both.
VarietyBacon Actually, it is an IC-740, the predecessor to the 751. Watch my 740 videos to learn a little more about this great old rig. I'd like to try a 751 one day, I've heard a lot of good things about it.
the deal with the finals is not an issue with automatic tuner is it a issue with the PA board. the PA board is not switched with the 817. when you turn it off you are turning off the front end but the PA stays powered. if left on a shelf for a long period of time the batter will drain to a point that for some reason the PA will self oscillate and without an antenna in line boom go the finals. the nd does not have the issue. the nd from what I have herd stands for new design . the PA board is different. you can't even get the old board any more. if you order a replacement board from yaesu they will send you and nd board.
+waldan1701 Thank you for the information. I can attest the rig will drain a battery plugged into the external power port (and will do likewise with the internal battery too) even when the rig is turned off. Thank you for watching and 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Another great video Tracy although I am having difficulty hearing with my audio set to maximum. I have both the the FT857D and the FT817ND. I discovered that the FT857D is difficult to power down to 5 watts on HF so I purchased the FT817ND so I can work around 3mw. The incremental turner knob on your rig is loose. Mine is tight fitted. You may to have Yaesu send you a replacement knob. 72 Tracy de Terry KB8AMZ
+Terry Morris Hi Terry, thank you for the compliment and the feedback. As far as my audio goes on this video, in this video I was not speaking loudly enough. I'll work on improving my volume in future videos. 3 mw, as in 3/1000's of a watt?? That's incredible and such an operation would make a great topic for a TH-cam video. 72 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Thank you for this review. There is so much hate for this radio lately, even more so for it's successor, the 818ND. While i agree that there are some downsides, this is still the best little qrp rig around, and all the downsides can be easily overcome, as you have perfectly demonstrated, if people weren't such butthurt whiny little brats. There is a quote by Seth Godin that says:"The less people know, the more they yell". It often comes to my mind when i log on to qrz.com forums or any other ham radio hangount on the interwebs for that matter. Truly only a handful of humans ever do grow up. The rest are just jaded juveniles, full of bitternes and bile. Louis CK once said: "The whole world is made of people who didn’t kill themselves today" and i find it to be horrifyingly true.
You and I could have a long conversation about this topic. In general I agree with you, however I have learned there are still a lot of really good people out there.
I sold the rig before I tried to fix it (purchased another 817 to take its place). I was upfront with the buyer and he knew how to make it right so no bad karma.
When using HP what antenna and tuner you using QRP. What battery pack,what you use. My wad 40 meter. I myself ike Qrp Is it makes it more challenging because the power out in your limited on antenna when you portable. Works great here to house with a good diet Pole but I was lying to use it all badd I was taking about it in enfed.just looking .thank for you time de KQ4CDPaul
Hi Paul. No offence intended but I didn't understand all of your comment. - I don't use a tuner with the 817. I prefer to use resonant antennas with that rig. - I use an internal Windcamp 3000 mAh internal pack with my 817. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
@@OutdoorsOnTheAir thank you my typing is the greatest at times. Need to look before sending. Like my cw hi hi. Been off the air for some time. These newer technology models is mind bending. Sorry if I sound off the wall with my comments 73 KQ4CDPaul
Great video.......You were spot on with your review,just because you cant operate something or your fingers are to big and you have bad eyes......DONT BLAME THE PRODUCT....This is a QRP compact radio.....That should click in most Ham operator's head before they buy..KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING and its LIMITATIONS....this is NOT a $5,000.00 radio full of filters,hundreds of watts of transmit power.There is nothing perfect in the world...not even a QRP transmitter...
Great review. I'm a new HAM and am wondering what direction I'll go when get into HF. I have HOA restrictions which will limit my antenna choices and QRP with a mag loop might be a viable alternative. 73 KM4UQU
Hi Mike, thank you for the kind words. There are multiple choices for operators with restrictions. I am a big fan of the end fed wire antennas made by HyEndFed and others. They have an extremely low visual impact, are relatively easy to install and you'll work a surprising number of stations with them. Good luck whichever way you go. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Nice and honest impressions. Mine (also the non nd version) has the same with the select nob but that's cause how its hold in place by the front and not full connected to the switch and encoder. This is actually a good thing as it prevents it to get stress of moment on the soldering joints making it last. The final's problem that is some what solved on the ND version is caused my a fuse that is maybe a tat to sensitive. Easy to fix though if it happens. Now the only thing I don't like, the type of power plug they used. It plug used is barley suited for 3 amps and is just a tat flimsy. They had better used the form often used on computer hard drives and such that are a lot more robust as the one used is just easily damaged when not in use. That just my 2 cent's though PS the non ND is easily made to work continuously from 1.5 to 32MHz but I don't know how the laws like that over there. 73
eken eken Hello and thank you very much for the good information! I definitely agree about the power connector and take great care when inserting and removing the plug. 73 and thank you for watching from Tracy VE3TWM.
+berkmanyt Thank you Walt, much appreciated. I'm already planning next years Field Day with the 817 and the HyEndFed. But first, the 2015 CQ WW SSB Contest. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Personally I believe the ICOM-706 MKII G is a much better choice because it's just a little bigger but it does 5W as well as 100W and you still have VHF and UHF.
Thank you for sharing your opinion. I've actually owned two 706's over the years. The only knock against them is the high current drain on receive which reduces battery life significantly.
Yes is very expensive , just do like i did i bought one used for 450.00 dollars with a extra battery and case. But for the money you can get the big brother 857D and you can used like i do ,i used in my mobile if your going to the woods put it in a go box or a backpack and there you are why buy a radio with only 5 watts QRP get the 857D and used like a qrp on 5 ,10 watts.This 857D it could be a base, QRP radio or mobile .The 857D is the only radio that put 100 watts using a battey pack the ic 7000 ic 7100 the ts 480sat only put 65 watts using a battery pack. but i got my used and i love it my 2 cents 73'
FT857 is nice rig, but when talking about QRP or portable rig the FT857 offers no more than any large 100W rig except the FT857 is smaller. Power wise same draw and will require large battery.
Mine is around one month+ old, so my first impressions are still fresh. Also have had and used regularly an FT857d that's now around 18 months old. I think both of these are overpriced. That said, I still bought them! So apparently not so overpriced to stop me buying! And it lacks the simple pulldown bail stand the 857d has - why? Why no bracket? For this price we should definitely have a bracket! The 857 has bail AND bracket - yet we get - neither, with the little brother. It's just illogical. To me it seems like an incomplete product when you have to start to seek out ways to prop it to let the screen be visible and let controls become accessible like those of other radios. You mention the wobbly "select" control. Mine too. But so is the 857's similar. Only - the 857's one began to "skip" frequencies. So went back under warranty when around 6-8 weeks old. The fix took five weeks! Then after perhaps a month or two - started doing it again. Have since heard this is very common with the model. So now figure I have to live with it. So if there's a common component here between models - expect that skipping to come along at some point. Re small controls and fascia acreage - for me, that front BNC connector is the worst single aspect of rig design I've ever seen. With an antenna or adaptor engaged there, the select control becomes a trial of patience to use. Also, there's a relay inside that's permanently live to keep the rear SO239 in use - and the relay seems to be prone to malfunctions if left too long in that situation - so periodically I'm engaging/disengaging mine so hopefully mine won't malfunction. The other gripe for me is that tiny unaccountably-sunken menu-access button. No easy straight finger press here, it's an arm-in-the-air non instinctive route to using it for me. Going by YT exposure I suspect for most users, it's used mostly as a very portable QRP HF radio. I've yet to see a vid of anyone using one from the shoulder strap, or indeed without a prop of some sort - sometimes with the well known acceccory PegLegs fitted. Which latter is a neat idea and one I've seen on several examples of the rig, I might yet get it for myself. Meantime I've settled on trialling a simple bean-bag as a support for it, which allows some up/down manoeuvring to get the view angle right. Also tried a cheap wire stand made for viewing a tablet that I saw in use, but it's not great and seems likely to mark the underside of the rig. As a trial I've used the crudest-possible stripped-coax dipole with matcher and from inside my house (antenna stretched from the hall to the bedroom's curtain rail as a trial) I've had contacts to Cyprus, Germany, Sweden, Bulgaria, Canary Islands and others. As yet haven't managed a decent outdoor portable-antenna session yet but that's not far away. I'll be using a car battery I've also used on the 857d so no shortage of Ah there. Thanks for the vids Tracey, hope to see more?
Hi Ian! Thank you very much for the comments and information. You might want to check out VK3YE's channel, I believe he has some videos where he uses the rig in the carry case while pedestrian portable. Great job with your inside setup, just wait til you get a decent antenna up and in the clear. As for the videos, I do plan on making more :)
If it would have li-pol battery with 6 W (taking into account 818nd specs) on internal it would be a great rig, especially with 10-25 W possibility on external battery for THAT price it is in fact impossible to find the rig capable of doing HF/VHF/UHF with SSB capability on VHF/UHF only the output is lower than with my handheld Yaesu :( specialized VHF/UHF trx don't have SSB (even CW) capability, so this one is the only possibility
If you really want to maximize everything you can get from your FT-817 please check out two videos from USNERDOC's channel. Tactical Transceiver Bag - AMP3 TTB. Or the FT-817 Radio Bag. These are the best accessories to get maximum use out of your radio. -73
Love your review. You think like I do. It is what it is. I love mine. It's not my only radio, but it's one of my favorites. Camping, picnics, lunch hour at work, anywhere, everywhere, even the parking lot at a wedding. I was bored.
i have 1 of the first imported models the selector knob went bad after several hundred thousand twirls the 10w pep on ssb only in hidden menu is great--radio does not get warm mic connector is going- a new eithernet connector fixes that and only color 3 works blue and red are gone have newr version does all 16 60 meter freqs not m-0 thru m5 which miss the 2.3 khz offset saw open vco mod on youtube its not clear enough to try so i dance with what i brung happy dx...first contact was on 20m sloper tuned to 60m canary islands 5.330.5 good review added my experiences---great rig...got chinese 50w amp with cat connection works ok (beware many copies of these amps are total junk seen um in our 900 mhx club) i use RM legal 300watt amp much better but 300$ vs 75$ and needs 35 amp supply...will get RM 600 watts when i hit the #'s lolololo the rubber duck antennas are all but worthless---have had both 6m versions stolen at field day..lololo
i want to get an Yaesu FT-817 but i do not care for the UHF/VHF IMO it would have been nice to just have the FT-817 as an HF/6m with a good auto tuner built in it.. now that would be the cats meow..
The 817 is an unbelievable rig! I had one for several years and just had a blast with it. QRP really is underrated and very rewarding.
I agree, it is a great portable rig! I use mine for over a decade now. Even since I got my KX2 (which is incredible small, built-in tuner an battery) my FT-817ND is still in use. Digital PSK31 and JS8Call are working great on that rig. 73, Stephan, DF6PA
Hi Tracy, seven years on this is still a very useful and relevant video and I thank you for it. I have just bought an FT818ND, which is pretty much the same animal and found your comments both relevant to it and useful. I'll be using if similar activities to you and am looking forward to getting out and about with it. Best 73.
Your videos are very helpful. I decided to purchase an 817 based on your review which was the most detailed and "real world" I could find. I run the 857 in the truck so I expect the learning curve will be pretty flat.
Thank you, Timothy! Good luck with your new 817.
Good morning Tracy. Kind of a slow morning on the HF bands, so here I am doing my next favourite thing...........watching (re watching) amateur radio related TH-cam videos! I've owned my FT-817 and FT-817ND for 10 years now. I sold the 817ND once when I only owned one of the two versions and within a day of selling it, had great seller remorse. (it was quickly replaced) My FT-817s have been to heck and back again and have never once let me down. They're not perfect, but nothing in life is perfect. The fun factor associated with these little rigs is very hard to match. I've used this rig for 2 meter SSB operation with my 2 meter yagi, prior to losing my tower and antennas in an ice storm in 2016. The 817 worked splendid for vhf ssb. I currently have two of these rigs, an Elecraft KX3, three different MFJ Cubs I built, a Norcal 40A, a Youkits HB1B, two TenTec QRP rigs I built and an FT-857D that I sneak out portable as well. The FT-817 and 817ND will always have a home here in my shack. They are WONDERFUL rigs, for all the reasons you and many others have described.
72 de Brent
Thank you for your comments, Brent! That must have been quite an ice storm to bring down a tower, my condolences. Your collection of rigs is very impressive. 72 from Tracy.
Thanks Tracy. Ice buildup and strong winds off the lake are a deadly combo. I was very lucky that more damage wasn't done :( 73 Brent
A few years back I used a 10m Radio Shack mobile, gell cell batteries and an inverted V, at 5 watts on field day. Made some fantastic QRP contacts and made some awesome points for the club for QRP Battery...Always wanted an FT817, could not afford one so opted for the FT840...Great video, tnx and 73!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Tony! 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Great video. Thank you for your calm detailed analysis and would love you to post more impressions and usage of the radio. Keep up the videos .
Ben Morris Thank you Ben. The genie is out of the bottle now that I have the 817 so I fully intend to share future adventures. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Great comments. i feel mostly the same on the issues raised. I've had my 817 for many years, and I hope to keep using it for many years.
Thank you for watching and for your comment, Jim!
Great video. Your comments on other reviews were spot on and made a great deal of sense. As much as I travel and do not know where I will end up next, looks like a very good option and with a simple resonant dipole, I can imagine having a great deal of fun and lots of contacts. Thanks for a nice video.
+Dennis Caldwell Thank you very much Dennis! Good luck with your travels.
The select knob on mine is solid, no wobble. It's probably fixable, a Google search will probably direct you to the information you need. One of the things I like about the 817 is that it's popular enough that there is a ton of information available on the internet. Thanks for the video!
+Carl Obermeier Thank you for the tip, Carl, and thank you for watching!
Just found your video, I’ve been on the fence about buying this unit. I love your review, it’s got to be the most informative out there. Thank you for some excellent points you brought up. I’ve decided to get one. Thank you again.
Thank you for your comment, I really appreciate it! Let me know how it goes with your new 817.
Great video Tracy, thanks for posting. You are a great communicator and you have inspired my enthusiasm for this rig. Subscribed!
Thank you!
Thanks Tracy for this thoughtful review. Your comments on resonant vs. tuner-assisted antennas with this rig are especially pertinent.
BTW I bought a 40-20-15-10 HyEndFed antenna a few months ago based largely on your related videos, and I am totally happy. I have a very compromised antenna situation and the HyEndFed works great with *no* RF in the shack. Great antenna.
73,
Mike K6MKP
+Michael Peterson Thank you Mike! I'm really happy to hear it's working well for you. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
I've had my FT-817nd for almost 2 years now and I love it.QRP is so much and done right really from what I have seen is not that hard to make contacts.A good antenna,coax,and mic is all that's needed.Take mine with me when I go for bike rides on my recumbent and when I stop at the parks to take a break I set it up for a bit.My Heil Pro Micro Single Side Headsets, 50' rg-8x and my buddipole or my normal dipole and I have a blast :D
bentrider1972 sounds great Bentrider! How about shooting and posting a video showing us one of your excursions?
I like your frankness on this video. And your responses to objections to the radio were pretty good. I do so hope you like the radio and that you have not blown out your finals. You have a new fan. 73 de N2LRB
N2LRB Thank you for the kind words, Jose. With a little bit of care and resonant antennas I think my finals will be fine. I won't be selling the 817 anytime soon. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Still great information after all this time. Agree with all your point about this radio, and don't believe there is another radio on the market that is in the same league in terms of size and ability. Was disappointed when Yaesu discontinued it without a replacement, as I wanted to add one to my gear collection. Thankfully I have just picked up a near new FT-817ND that had only been used a couple of times and then sat on a shelf unused. Like you I am an avid outdoors person and a Scout leader. To have such a capable All Band, All mode radio I can put in my hiking pack and take with me will add both fun and peace of mind when off the grid. Thanks again for the effort you put into your videos. Ben - VK3VAX
Thank you for your service to the community being a Scout leader!
Hi Tracy, I enjoy your videos, plenty insightful. I own the old Ten Tec 556 Argo QRP rig with a manual tuner and a pair of halfsquare antennas, I'm the "halfsquare guy" having used them for 3k,-+m+0 years, 20 as a ham. Field day QRP is a blast, and I'm happy to see you're sharing that same \feeling with the world. The 817's display is too small for my eyes to read, otherwise I might own one. Keep up the great videos. 73
Thank you, Mike! I couldn't agree with you more in regard to Field Day and QRP. Enjoy that Argo!
Well, it's been 6 years since this video was posted, so Tracy might've not known at the time that besides the 60m band and longer battery span, it also came with different finals that no longer drain the batteries when it is off and maybe, they no longer blow their finals when using automatic tuners. Great video. 73 PY5WHO.
That's a good, sane, level-headed review and commentary.
Thank you!
Really great insights. I agree with your points. Didn't know about the blown finals thing. Sounds like something to investigate further as you say.
Thanks
Chris
+chris blue Thank you Chris!
Tracy thank you so much for the video I've been a ham radio operator now going on 32 years I was away from ham radio for a while and came back in September of last year 2019 may apartment building is not what you'd say wired for ham radio so I can't get a regular HF rig so I did research own the ft-818 After watching your video and others on the FT - 817 I have made up my mind I'm going to go ahead and pick up the FT - 818 Thanks again 73 from kb7azz
Thank you, Phillip! Have fun with that new rig. 73 from VE3TWM.
I enjoyed your review and look forward to watching you enjoy QRP.
My favorite rig overall. A great receiver very good sensitivity. I have worked Europe, Japan and South America on 20 meters with a portable vertical antenna. It is easy to take with you. I use a Li battery 6ah. Hard to find used ones.
Thank you for your comment!
Nicely done Tracy. I think you will enjoy the radio. I agree with your assessment. This radio was designed for a specific purpose and it does well in that regard. Keep the antennas resonant for maximum results. 73, VE3EBY.
Paul Stuart Thank you Paul! I hope you are keeping well these days. 73 from Tracy.
Good review.
My pro's/cons not addressed in video
Pros:
-A pretty good general coverage receiver with AM/FM, SW, VHF/UHF.
-Well built, I think your knob issue is a one-of, and may be easily fixed.
-A sold performer on HF/VHF/UHF for what it is. Very good for local repeaters or as a "portable base" VHF/UHF radio.
-Price. At $619, I will disagree with you that its too expensive. No other radio does what this can do at this price point. It is actually the lowest priced HF/VHF/UHF rig out there. The drawback is you get 5 watts out, but its QRP. The Elecraft KX3, the new qrp darling, costs $1000, and that is for HF only, not including 2M. Its probably a better radio though.
Cons:
-They should have included a cleat or bracket that would swing down and angle the radio up at you while operating.
-It is a battery hog compared to other QRP rigs. I think it draws in the 100's of mA on receive. Then again a lot of other qrp rigs are minimalist approaches. Again the KX3 is probably better, but 2x the cost.
-One filter, and its wide. If you like CW, you need to pony up around $100 for a suitable CW filter to operate.
-Noise/DSP; well guess what - used in the field with a simple vertical antenna its gonna be noisy. The real issue is that the radio has no DSP built in; which has been common on transceivers for 10 years now. Its also noisy because people don't know how to operate it, see aside below.
Asides:
-Noise: people tend to leave the gain wide open on this rig and dont adjust the AGC. There are youtube videos out there that show this, but the best way to operate this radio is to actually USE the gain control and turn it down a bit while the AGC is on. You stop the pumping and get a very nice signal on receive.
-Age: The only reason why this radio is still out there is because at its low price point it remains the least expensive QRP HF/VHF/UHF option. It has A LOT of fans out there, and a lot of 3rd party equipment built specifically for it - Elecraft for example make a match-boxeded sized antenna tuner for the 817, and its brilliant. Still, buying one new today means you are investing in a product that is 15 years old. That has pluses and minuses, +'s = you know its been around a while, probably becasue its good, -'s= You could buy one today and in 6 months Yaesu will announce a replacement with DSP or even SDR features.
+kd8opi Thank you very much for watching and for the excellent comments about the rig! Can't add much to that. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Great video Tracy. I posted this to Reddit and a Facebook Ham group - hopefully you'll get a boost in your numbers.
The Radio Hobbyist Greatings from /r/Amateurradio. :)
de WU2F
The Radio Hobbyist Thank you very much Rick, I really appreciate it! 73 from Tracy.
A buddy and I did field day last year with two 817s. He was SSB and I did CW. My battery lasted for the whole time I was there. I did the hunt and pounce to stretch my battery. I used a laptop lion battery for power.
As a SSB rig, I'd say you'll be very happy with it. Vk3ye does PM with his. He has quite a few good videos on TH-cam.
Best of luck to you Tracy,
Chuck/aa0na
***** Thank you for watching and the feedback, Chuck. I wonder what the capacity was of the batteries the two of you used during last years Field Day and how many contacts were made? I've seen Peter's pedestrian mobile videos. Unlike the examples I refer to in my video, VK3YE does it right. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
my friend used a battery similar to the one in your video. i used a Voltaic Systems V72 Universal Laptop Battery i.e. 20Ah.
i've since switched to a Poweradd™ Pilot Pro 32000mAh Monster Capacity Multi-Voltage. the voltaic caused me several problems due to the automatic power saving feature i.e. shutting off and not powering back on.
the Poweradd can be switched on/off and more battery life made it a perfect pair with my kx-3. the connections are identical on both batteries making it an easy swap in my radio pack. i also use anderson powerpoles as part of this setup.
we made about 54 casual contacts for field day. i used a straight key, which i ended up hating by the end of it. i have much nicer one now. pileups on ssb or cw where hard to crack, best to hunt and pounce for the lone cq.
***** Thanks for the tips, Charles! Good luck this Field Day.
Have you looked at the radar group on Google +?
these are now going for £435 here in the uk ....great value in my opinion ...getting mine tomorrow mark M6KDV
+mark pulling Hi Mark, my guess is you are really going to like your new rig.
Thanks for this video, I just order my 817nd and worrying that i made the wrong decision however i don't know what other decision i could make, I seems like with all the research i have done, while i don't feel 100% warm and fuzzy about it, i feel better about it then any of the other options. I hope I like it.
If you pair the 817ND up with a good antenna, you'll make contacts. If the 817 isn't for you, sell it and try something else. Lord knows I've done a lot of that with various rigs over the years. Stop worrying and just have fun :)
I do confirm that FT817 is a great rig. Great video! Good observations!
Thank you!
Thanks Tracy, nice overview of the rig. I am thinking about getting this to operate in the local park near me and appreciate your thoughtful review. 73
pcomp Thank you! You didn't ask, but my advice is just do it. Life is too short not to try new things. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Thanks and all the best, keep up the great content... I'll be checking in with your channel regularly now.
I know this is an older vid but I just received a 817nd today I bought from a guy online. I’m mostly a CW opr, and the one I got has a cw filter installed. I’ll be using it on POTA operations. So thx for the vid
Great video. I am thinking of getting this rig. Already have the 857d in my truck.
Robert Fernandez Thank you Robert! If you like the 857, you'll enjoy the 817. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Nice video. Got mine today and going into the field tomorrow .
Thank you and congratulations! Let me know how things go with your new rig.
I still prefer the YouKits TJ5A. It's now an 8 band rig with 20w out on SSB and 10w on CW. Comes with 4400mah internal battery and can easily be upgraded to 6800 mah by use of Eastshine 18650 cells (at least that was what I used). Receiver is quiet and on par with the 817. Size is a bit larger but still well within the purpose of camping/outdoor rig. Receive time is measured in days not hours. Typical use I get 12+ hours of battery time. While it does lack some of the features of the 817, I don't need most of what it's lacking anyway. hihi One major plus IMO, is that it's $300.00+ less that the 817. I know I'll get backlash for this post but there's my 2 cents worth. 73's
Interesting points that make the TJ5A worth considering, thank you for your comment. 73!
youkids with your youkits lol.. cheap shit
Can you list an Amazon link for the extra battery lead acid 3.5h SLA battery ?
Ben Morris Hi Ben, I actually purchased my batteries from a local shop. Go to Amazon and search for 12V 7Ah SLA and you'll be on the right track. Thank you for watching!.
I'm wondering if all these 'its menu driven', 'display is too small' haters have the same complaints with their $600-$800 HTs? HTs that ONLY do U/VHF, NO HF at all...for the same price as the FT-817. Any modern SMALL transceiver has to be menu driven, there's simply NO SPACE to put dedicated buttons. And if anyone has ever opened up a CB you'll know how much room is WASTED in the chassis...and they aren't menu driven because they don't have MORE features then can fit on the face place (SSB CB isn't any different). The 817 is PACKED with circuits and features....many, that once set...almost NEVER get touched again, as you mentioned.
Some people just seem to want the impossible. Long battery life (really? out of $1000 (and its still MENU driven to some degree) and you're going to have to PAY for the optional microphone ($40) AND the rechargeble battery module (that's another $70), 2 meter option is an additional $260 (factory installed, which is already PART of the FT-817)....so by the time you get a KX3 close to what the FT-817 has built in...kiss about $1400 g'bye (not in kit form, you don't build an FT-817, so I'm comparing factory built). That's about $600 MORE then the FT-817...AND you CAN'T get UHF for the KX3 (they haven't even mentioned the possibiltiy, they've run out of room inside the chassis for another module).
Nearly everything in RF is a trade off, you want one thing you have give up another....be it MORE power = bigger equipment, dedicated buttons = bigger rig, internal power source = more weight, more of everything = a thinner wallet (MORE $$$$)...and when it comes down to it, the radio is just a tool for a specific job, to get you heard. And the FT-817, with some luck, good propagation, good antenna....does THAT...something the 'haters' fail to address in their complaints (if they do, its because they're QRP haters, period). The reality is, if y'all remember back to getting licenced...you're NOT supposed to be using ALL the power you can, you're only supposed to be using as much power as NEEDED for the job at hand (so if 5W is all you need...100W is too much). And remember, ARMIES have functioned on QRP!!! Many field radios were
Agree 1000%
Great video! Thanks for sharing! Two comments: 1. Regarding battery life....checkout portable zero and let us know what you think. 2. Regarding small display....checkout 817 Companion for android on the Play Store! Let me know what you think of those products. I intend on purchasing tge 817ND this week!
Hi David, thank you for watching! Portable Zero has some interesting products, I especially like the tactical carrier though I don't have one. The 817 Companion looks very impressive. Enjoy your new 817ND.
got mine 2006 still going strong. solar panel 12ah sealed battery no worries, except the weather. noise cancelling external speaker does the trick. m3urz
this is probably the most helpful video I have seen on the 817/817nd radio thank you as I have been considering this one for portability over the road truck driving... gotta find a good portable antenea to use
Thank you, Glen! Getting an 817 will add a lot of enjoyment to your hobby. Just make sure you get a good antenna for it.
I kinda decided I might actually get the 857 to take on the road but am still gonna get an 817ND to tote camping.... maybe get lucky and chat a spell some day
Your impressions of the 817 are helpful Tracy, thinking it's time to add another small rig to the collection and the 817 is close to the top of the list. 73 DE KJ7NR
+Steve Pitts Very glad I could help, thank you for watching, Steve! Maybe you'd consider posting a video of yourself operating portable? 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
I think the loose knob is age and wear related... I've got a 5 year old FT-817ND and have used it portable and in the shack without issue. ;)
Thank you for the feedback!
Very informative and honest video, I found the voice to be
fine and very clear. Covered all the complaints well and was unbiased. Thank
you for making this video and keep up the good work. Can I let you and your
viewers know about another you tube channel that a guy uses one of these rigs
and gets great results. I don't know the person personally but think it is a
good channel. if you type in VK3YE you will see some good results with this rig.
Thank you, Argento!
In the video, you say that you are an Icom guy. Why did you chosse the Yaesu 817 over the old Icom IC-703 QRP rig, which has 10 watts, filters, and an internal tuner. I have been researching both and am wondering if you considered the Icom and what the deciding factor was for you in choosing the Yaesu.
+Sean Cowdrey Hi Sean, thank you for watching and for asking the question. I have nothing against the 703 and would definitely like to try one out someday. The 817 is smaller and lighter than the 703. When you're hiking, bulk and weight are critical factors. Additionally, I think tuners are overrated for field work; simply use resonant antennas which will work better anyway. Modern commercially available end-fed resonant antennas are compact, easy to deploy and effective. Keep it simple. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
New sub I have the original 817. I currently use it for WSPR but in the past have worked the world with it. I use an ATU and my finals have been fine. However they did blow. I had been using the radio at 500mW on internal battery. I did not use the radio for a few weeks. When I pulled it out again the internal batteries were flat and when I replaced them with an external SLA I found no power out. It was still under warranty and fixed by Yaesu who said that if the batteries dip below the recommended voltage the set can self oscillate to destruction. The current finals are 14 years old and still working fine. Not much radio on my channel, more about the locations I go :-) 73 MM0XDB Dave - Desmond is the motorhome :-)
Thank you for your comments, Dave. Good luck with your TH-cam channel! 73 Tracy VE3TWM. PS I wish I could talk my wife into getting a motorhome, looks like you are getting the most out of life with yours :)
I beleive they make some nobs a little wobbly for mobile or portable rigs so there is less chance of them being broken when being handled on the go.
A little built in 'give' if you will
+DENMONKEY Thank you for the comment. I've heard from other 817 users that their rigs do not have the "wobbly knob feature". I'm leaning toward believing the knob is not supposed to wobble as mine does. To be truthful the knob works just fine and in no way impairs operation.
I find my icoms 208 and 808 both had the same thing. I've not had any issues with dials working.
Tracy do you think Yeasu will bring a new QRP rig soon?
I''m not always very good at predicting the future (and I don't have insider info), so take this with a large grain of salt: no, I do not think Yaesu will bring out a new QRP rig in the near future. I hope I'm wrong!
I have a new FT818 and I'm currently charging the battery, 9 hours out of the box. Waiting on a set of rails from Portable Zero.
I have severe limitations at my home QTH for HF operation. I do have a simple set up but would like to go portable when the UK weather allows. The 817 looks just the ticket and your review has sold me on getting one. I was toying with the idea of a 857 but this little QRP rig really does carry the advantage. Many Thanks and very enjoyable. Gary M6KVK
You're welcome, Gary! Thank you for watching and I hope you get that 817. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Really enjoyed this video. I have an FT-857D. Very good radio however not the best for QRP work. I am now very serious about the 817! As you stated a little expensive but think it's time to start saving for one. Thanks again for this video. W0TLN
You're welcome, thank you for watching and leaving a comment. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
I have had great work doing qrp with this radio, If i can hear them, for the most part they can hear me. I am in newton iowa and have made QSOs in Costa Rica, Anchorage Alaska, and was just Rag chewing with 2 fellows yesterday in idaho and colorado for about 30 minutes with no issue. And the band have been garbage lately so it seems to be doing great. For the most part doing 1000 - 1500 miles SSB phone is pretty easy to do on this radio. I think you would enjoy the 817, i went with it because it will be easy to run of solar, i was leaning toward the 857, but desided to go with the 817nd and the only regret is no dsp, but for $150 thats easily fixed
What do you think about the 857? I am considering both and like the added power of the 857.
The 857 has found favour as a higher powered alternative to the 817. It's built on the same platform and as such is a good transceiver. Just bear in mind the tradeoff for the higher power output is a much bigger battery when doing portable ops.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR AWESOME REVIEW.
Ray in Dallas)
Thank you, and you're welcome Ray!
Thanks for video. I have had an FT817ND for many years. I back off the RF gain a bit to reduce gain, along with IPO. It's as standard, except I did a small mod to the microphone, to give a wee bit more clarity & punch, & also the dry battery holder, & fitted high capacity nimh batteries, this allows me to charge them in situ. Best regards. 73 de Pete GI0FZT.
Hi Pete, thank you for your comment! Sounds like you're getting the most out of your 817. 73 from VE3TWM.
Tracy, what do you think about the 818nd compared to your 817
For all intents and purposes, the rigs are identical in performance. The 818 uses newer components that may be available longer than some parts in the 817/817ND.
Good break down of the relevant points.
I went with 857 for a little more power, using 3.8 kilo sla 12Ahr.
Won't be too long before Elon Musk gives us nice and cheap lithium packs so we can have featherweight batteries for backpacking.
Happy DX from UK
NoName Thank you. Won't that be nice...hurry up Elon!
Tracy....walking around with a 20 meter whip works very well. I do it a lot, but it does require a ground wire attached to the chassis. But definitely not impossible. You don't have to throw dipoles all over the woods to use this rig. I have seen guys ride bicycles and communicate with the 817. If your only using the rig in your shack, or throwing antennas in trees, you should try other options...Scratch your head and think again my friend...Pedestrian mobile works just fine. .
+KB2CWN Thank you for your feedback. I am open to new ways of thinking about things, including pedestrian HF portable. I'd be interested in seeing you working it on video, any chance of posting a few? 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
+twmckim Actually Tracy, if you look through my videos I do have one on there with the 817 dangling around my neck using an MFJ 20 meter telescopic whip attached to the front. They work very well and I use them often. Although I am only standing in my back yard, I can easily walk around with that configuration also.
I am a total radio newbie and have only been researching for a couple of days on what a good mobile radio would be. I have a chance to pick one of these up for $200, but I don't have a HAM license or anything. "I am a Prepper-Lite" and am wanting to start working on COMMs. Is this strictly a HAM radio?Can I connect it to hand helds for when hunting and hiking?Will it receive police, safety, and air?Please and Thank You for any feedback!!
+ib scooter70 Hi, thank you for watching! $200 is an extremely good deal for an 817. I'd suggest you proceed with extreme caution; be certain the rig is not stolen and in good working order. I'd also suggest you try to get your ham license. Ham radio is a fun hobby that can last a lifetime, and getting your license is much easier than it used to be. The radio is designed to transmit on most of the popular ham bands and nowhere else on the radio spectrum. If the people you are connecting with are hams and have ham hand-helds, you'll be able to communicate with them. The receive coverage of the 817 is broad, but you'll have to check the frequencies of your local services to determine if you can receive them with this rig. Hope this helps you.
Thx. Yeah, this a legit seller that is liquidating MANY radios. Also gonna try and pick up his Kenwood TS-2000.I think I will try to get my license after the holidays. It seems like a fun and interesting community. And obviously, it is worthwhile for SHTF situations, and I live on a coast. I don't yet know what 73, means. But, 73! lol
Regarding the Background noise, simply turn the IPO 'ON!' It somewhat inverse logic, but its true-it substantially quiets the receiver without harming the sensitivity.
Great tip, Bruce!
How do you do Tracy, Arnold VE7FLY, out here in Beautiful BC. Enjoyed your words on FT-817. I have owned one for the past four years as well as an FT-450 for the last year and find the 450 not nearly as nice to operate. The 450 is cheaply built and I agree with you on the price of the 817, it is expensive BUT it has quality and a lot of modes.I only do CW and it really does a job there. I did a lot of experimenting with wire OCF dipoles and gave the little rig some rough rides through High SWR and in the process blew the finals twice. Actually you blow the protecting resister and capacitor ($35 at the Yaesu shop in LA). Excellent service and price, ground transport was more expensive than the repair but it took almost a month. By the way, The OCF is a great multi band antenna but should be used with the MFJ mini tuner as there always seems to be one band that requires one. If interested in that, just look at my QRZ page and my email address is there also. Good write up, CW and FT-817 forever.
Hi Arnold, thank you for watching and for the additional information!
Great honest review
Glynn H Thank you Glynn!
Always been interested in the 817 and other QRP rigs. Just now getting around to looking for one. I'm a phone operator/CW hack. The plan is to run only CW on HF and yet have the convenience of phone for VHF/UHF local contacts (and HF if every necessary). Excellent video with great audio (a true rarity on yt), never thought I'd hear Wayne Dyer quoted in a ham video! 73 de W1ADE (subbed)
Thank you, Wade! I like your plan, get an FT-817 and you'll have what you need. Now I have to figure out how to get an Eckhart Tolle quote into one of my upcoming videos. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
My FT-817ND is 8 years old and doesn't have loose knobs...
good for you, here's a chocolate medal !
I really enjoyed this video and I agree with all your comments - many thanks. I have always dismissed the FT-817 as being little more than a toy. That is until I bought one. I've only had it two days and I'm already hooked. Have already had several QSOs all over Australia on 5 watts - and it's a big country! Can't wait to get out into the field. The FT-817 is currently on special in Oz for AUD $699. It's a steal at that price. 73 VK3PAT
Thank you, Chris! I felt exactly the same way about the 817 before buying mine. Now I know better. Congratulations on your success, now go get some DX. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Thanks Tracey. Guess what, I worked VK9ANZAC on Norfolk Island in the Pacific today on 20 metres. He was on 10 watts and I was on 5 - distance 1,454 miles. Then I worked K6SCA in California (7,980 miles) signal report 54. All on a half wave dipole 30 feet above the ground. I'm using an 8000mAh 11.1v LIPO battery. The FT-817 seems to be very happy on it. 73 from Chris VK3PAT
That's amazing, Chris! And to think you are just getting started with your FT-817. Thank you for sharing your results.
tracy I love my 817 I use it all the time outdoors
I used to own one PETER WHALEN nice little rig!
PETER WHALEN Glad to hear that, Peter. Any chance you'll post a video showing us some of the fun you're having with your 817? 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
I am new to ham radio. You mention a criticism... "blown finals" What is "blown finals"?
CK, a blown final is a transmitter final amplifier with a transistor or transistors that have been destroyed by "misadventure" - usually by transmitting into an antenna with a bad impedance match or no antenna at all. Most amateur radio transceivers will feature a limiting circuit that cuts back on the power to the "final" if the VSWR is too high.
Sadly, the FY-817 seems to be prone to blowing finals if you are not careful.
Welcome to amateur radio, by the way.
72/73,
Bill, k6whp
dit.. dit
+William Phinizy Well put, thank you Bill!
+ckreitlein Welcome to the world of Amateur Radio, it's good to have you in our ranks! Bill's answer is excellent. The bottom line is to be very careful with any new antenna installation to ensure the system is performing as it should or you could damage your radio, your antenna or both.
I also use the SEL knob when tuning.. knobs on mine aren't loose.
+George Smith Thank you for watching and for the feedback, George! 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Great first impression thank you.
Thank you, Colin!
5:43 is that an old ic 751 in the background? I have 2 of them and they still work as incredibly great rigs. Thanks for sharing this video!
VarietyBacon Actually, it is an IC-740, the predecessor to the 751. Watch my 740 videos to learn a little more about this great old rig. I'd like to try a 751 one day, I've heard a lot of good things about it.
the deal with the finals is not an issue with automatic tuner is it a issue with the PA board. the PA board is not switched with the 817. when you turn it off you are turning off the front end but the PA stays powered. if left on a shelf for a long period of time the batter will drain to a point that for some reason the PA will self oscillate and without an antenna in line boom go the finals. the nd does not have the issue. the nd from what I have herd stands for new design . the PA board is different. you can't even get the old board any more. if you order a replacement board from yaesu they will send you and nd board.
+waldan1701 Thank you for the information. I can attest the rig will drain a battery plugged into the external power port (and will do likewise with the internal battery too) even when the rig is turned off. Thank you for watching and 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Very nice fact based review.... Thx
+Jeff Cameron Thank you Jeff!
Thanks Tracey. I've been thing about getting one. de kc8jtg.
Another great video Tracy although I am having difficulty hearing with my audio set to maximum. I have both the the FT857D and the FT817ND. I discovered that the FT857D is difficult to power down to 5 watts on HF so I purchased the FT817ND so I can work around 3mw. The incremental turner knob on your rig is loose. Mine is tight fitted. You may to have Yaesu send you a replacement knob.
72 Tracy de Terry KB8AMZ
+Terry Morris Hi Terry, thank you for the compliment and the feedback. As far as my audio goes on this video, in this video I was not speaking loudly enough. I'll work on improving my volume in future videos. 3 mw, as in 3/1000's of a watt?? That's incredible and such an operation would make a great topic for a TH-cam video. 72 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Thank you for this review. There is so much hate for this radio lately, even more so for it's successor, the 818ND. While i agree that there are some downsides, this is still the best little qrp rig around, and all the downsides can be easily overcome, as you have perfectly demonstrated, if people weren't such butthurt whiny little brats.
There is a quote by Seth Godin that says:"The less people know, the more they yell". It often comes to my mind when i log on to qrz.com forums or any other ham radio hangount on the interwebs for that matter. Truly only a handful of humans ever do grow up. The rest are just jaded juveniles, full of bitternes and bile. Louis CK once said: "The whole world is made of people who didn’t kill themselves today" and i find it to be horrifyingly true.
You and I could have a long conversation about this topic. In general I agree with you, however I have learned there are still a lot of really good people out there.
Did you figure a way to tighten up that knob?
I sold the rig before I tried to fix it (purchased another 817 to take its place). I was upfront with the buyer and he knew how to make it right so no bad karma.
I love my ft-817
i dont care
@@RobBob555 OK each to there own. so what do you use.
When using HP what antenna and tuner you using QRP. What battery pack,what you use. My wad 40 meter. I myself ike Qrp Is it makes it more challenging because the power out in your limited on antenna when you portable. Works great here to house with a good diet Pole but I was lying to use it all badd I was taking about it in enfed.just looking .thank for you time
de KQ4CDPaul
Hi Paul. No offence intended but I didn't understand all of your comment.
- I don't use a tuner with the 817. I prefer to use resonant antennas with that rig.
- I use an internal Windcamp 3000 mAh internal pack with my 817.
73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
@@OutdoorsOnTheAir thank you my typing is the greatest at times. Need to look before sending. Like my cw hi hi. Been off the air for some time. These newer technology models is mind bending. Sorry if I sound off the wall with my comments
73 KQ4CDPaul
Great video.......You were spot on with your review,just because you cant operate something or your fingers are to big and you have bad eyes......DONT BLAME THE PRODUCT....This is a QRP compact radio.....That should click in most Ham operator's head before they buy..KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING and its LIMITATIONS....this is NOT a $5,000.00 radio full of filters,hundreds of watts of transmit power.There is nothing perfect in the world...not even a QRP transmitter...
+THOMAS OWEN Well said. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Thomas. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Great review. I'm a new HAM and am wondering what direction I'll go when get into HF. I have HOA restrictions which will limit my antenna choices and QRP with a mag loop might be a viable alternative. 73 KM4UQU
Hi Mike, thank you for the kind words. There are multiple choices for operators with restrictions. I am a big fan of the end fed wire antennas made by HyEndFed and others. They have an extremely low visual impact, are relatively easy to install and you'll work a surprising number of stations with them. Good luck whichever way you go. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Nice and honest impressions.
Mine (also the non nd version) has the same with the select nob but that's cause how its hold in place by the front and not full connected to the switch and encoder. This is actually a good thing as it prevents it to get stress of moment on the soldering joints making it last.
The final's problem that is some what solved on the ND version is caused my a fuse that is maybe a tat to sensitive. Easy to fix though if it happens.
Now the only thing I don't like, the type of power plug they used. It plug used is barley suited for 3 amps and is just a tat flimsy. They had better used the form often used on computer hard drives and such that are a lot more robust as the one used is just easily damaged when not in use.
That just my 2 cent's though
PS the non ND is easily made to work continuously from 1.5 to 32MHz but I don't know how the laws like that over there.
73
eken eken Hello and thank you very much for the good information! I definitely agree about the power connector and take great care when inserting and removing the plug. 73 and thank you for watching from Tracy VE3TWM.
great video very informative
Thank you, Alan!
GREAT review……I'm looking forward to checking out your field day adventure. Thank you walt K2CXP NY
+berkmanyt Thank you Walt, much appreciated. I'm already planning next years Field Day with the 817 and the HyEndFed. But first, the 2015 CQ WW SSB Contest. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
Try an improved G5RV antenna it folds down reallysmall i have had great resuilts with it with the 897 and the 857d
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Personally I believe the ICOM-706 MKII G is a much better choice because it's just a little bigger but it does 5W as well as 100W
and you still have VHF and UHF.
Thank you for sharing your opinion. I've actually owned two 706's over the years. The only knock against them is the high current drain on receive which reduces battery life significantly.
a super antenna can be mounted to a back pak I use mine or my chameleon mpas
True. I am curious...how successful have you been with that compromise antenna?
nice video my friend good information from yaesu ft 817d thanks 73 and good dx very nice radio
+Alvaro Gaitan Thank you Alvaro! 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
On the battery front; A 9 Amp Bioenno LiFePO4 battery weighs half of the 3 Amp SLA, and you'll get GOBS of runtime!
One of those is on my wish list.
Yes is very expensive , just do like i did i bought one used for 450.00 dollars with a extra battery and case. But for the money you can get the big brother 857D and you can used like i do ,i used in my mobile if your going to the woods put it in a go box or a backpack and there you are why buy a radio with only 5 watts QRP get the 857D and used like a qrp on 5 ,10 watts.This 857D it could be a base, QRP radio or mobile .The 857D is the only radio that put 100 watts using a battey pack the ic 7000 ic 7100 the ts 480sat only put 65 watts using a battery pack. but i got my used and i love it my 2 cents 73'
FT857 is nice rig, but when talking about QRP or portable rig the FT857 offers no more than any large 100W rig except the FT857 is smaller. Power wise same draw and will require large battery.
Good Honest Video. Excellent.
+Allan Thompson Thank you very much, Allan!
Mine is around one month+ old, so my first impressions are still fresh. Also have had and used regularly an FT857d that's now around 18 months old.
I think both of these are overpriced. That said, I still bought them! So apparently not so overpriced to stop me buying! And it lacks the simple pulldown bail stand the 857d has - why? Why no bracket? For this price we should definitely have a bracket! The 857 has bail AND bracket - yet we get - neither, with the little brother. It's just illogical. To me it seems like an incomplete product when you have to start to seek out ways to prop it to let the screen be visible and let controls become accessible like those of other radios.
You mention the wobbly "select" control. Mine too. But so is the 857's similar. Only - the 857's one began to "skip" frequencies. So went back under warranty when around 6-8 weeks old. The fix took five weeks! Then after perhaps a month or two - started doing it again. Have since heard this is very common with the model. So now figure I have to live with it. So if there's a common component here between models - expect that skipping to come along at some point.
Re small controls and fascia acreage - for me, that front BNC connector is the worst single aspect of rig design I've ever seen. With an antenna or adaptor engaged there, the select control becomes a trial of patience to use. Also, there's a relay inside that's permanently live to keep the rear SO239 in use - and the relay seems to be prone to malfunctions if left too long in that situation - so periodically I'm engaging/disengaging mine so hopefully mine won't malfunction.
The other gripe for me is that tiny unaccountably-sunken menu-access button. No easy straight finger press here, it's an arm-in-the-air non instinctive route to using it for me.
Going by YT exposure I suspect for most users, it's used mostly as a very portable QRP HF radio. I've yet to see a vid of anyone using one from the shoulder strap, or indeed without a prop of some sort - sometimes with the well known acceccory PegLegs fitted. Which latter is a neat idea and one I've seen on several examples of the rig, I might yet get it for myself. Meantime I've settled on trialling a simple bean-bag as a support for it, which allows some up/down manoeuvring to get the view angle right. Also tried a cheap wire stand made for viewing a tablet that I saw in use, but it's not great and seems likely to mark the underside of the rig.
As a trial I've used the crudest-possible stripped-coax dipole with matcher and from inside my house (antenna stretched from the hall to the bedroom's curtain rail as a trial) I've had contacts to Cyprus, Germany, Sweden, Bulgaria, Canary Islands and others. As yet haven't managed a decent outdoor portable-antenna session yet but that's not far away. I'll be using a car battery I've also used on the 857d so no shortage of Ah there.
Thanks for the vids Tracey, hope to see more?
Hi Ian! Thank you very much for the comments and information. You might want to check out VK3YE's channel, I believe he has some videos where he uses the rig in the carry case while pedestrian portable. Great job with your inside setup, just wait til you get a decent antenna up and in the clear.
As for the videos, I do plan on making more :)
If it would have li-pol battery with 6 W (taking into account 818nd specs) on internal it would be a great rig, especially with 10-25 W possibility on external battery
for THAT price it is in fact impossible to find the rig capable of doing HF/VHF/UHF with SSB capability on VHF/UHF
only the output is lower than with my handheld Yaesu :(
specialized VHF/UHF trx don't have SSB (even CW) capability, so this one is the only possibility
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Good video. Thanks.
+escabrosa1 You're welcome, thank you for the compliment.
If you really want to maximize everything you can get from your FT-817 please check out two videos from USNERDOC's channel. Tactical Transceiver Bag - AMP3 TTB. Or the FT-817 Radio Bag. These are the best accessories to get maximum use out of your radio. -73
nice rig
Love your review. You think like I do. It is what it is. I love mine. It's not my only radio, but it's one of my favorites. Camping, picnics, lunch hour at work, anywhere, everywhere, even the parking lot at a wedding. I was bored.
+ChrisTheWelderAZ Thank you Chris! You put it all into a few words, well done. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.
i have 1 of the first imported models the selector knob went bad after several hundred thousand twirls
the 10w pep on ssb only in hidden menu is great--radio does not get warm
mic connector is going- a new eithernet connector fixes that
and only color 3 works blue and red are gone
have newr version does all 16 60 meter freqs not m-0 thru m5 which miss the 2.3 khz offset
saw open vco mod on youtube its not clear enough to try so i dance with what i brung
happy dx...first contact was on 20m sloper tuned to 60m canary islands 5.330.5
good review added my experiences---great rig...got chinese 50w amp with cat connection works ok (beware many copies of these amps are total junk seen um in our 900 mhx club) i use RM legal 300watt amp much better but 300$ vs 75$ and needs 35 amp supply...will get RM 600 watts when i hit the #'s lolololo
the rubber duck antennas are all but worthless---have had both 6m versions stolen at field day..lololo
+david zdrojewski Thank you for your comments, David! There is some good information in there. A 300 watt amp on an 817? Now that is interesting.
Brilliant! I hope you make more videos. Less gung-ho gibberish = good quality videos! Many thanks!
Thank you!
i want to get an Yaesu FT-817 but i do not care for the UHF/VHF IMO it would have been nice to just have the FT-817 as an HF/6m with a good auto tuner built in it.. now that would be the cats meow..
The Icom 703 came in that configuration. It's bigger but a very nice unit if you can find a gently used one on the resale market.
"Flea Powered Rig"-LOL!
but can still get to the other side of the world under good conditions.
I have one and it is great love qrp ssb psk31
that bird in the background...