I agree. I sold my FT-817ND many years ago, and regretted it. So now I bought a FT-818, and it will be with me rest of my life for sure. It's something with this radio; well built as a tank, all bands an modes available, that makes it so great.
I worked a station over 3000 miles into Alaska from Texas on Russian satellite RS-44, and a station at 7,400 miles away in New Zealand from Texas on the 15m band. All on 5 watts. This rig is the Swiss Army knife of Ham Radio.
I’ve had my FT-817 close to 14 years now. It has been on as many field day events, and countless hiking and camping trips. It has stood up to extreme heat and cold, rain and snow. And in all of this it has never let me down... Once one gets familiar with the menus, the 817 is extremely easy to operate... The only thing I dislike about the rig is that ridiculously small screen. Other than that, is a great radio... I like the FT-817 so much, I recently bought the FT-818.
Thank you for putting this video out there. I was a late comer to amateur radio, but picked up the FT-818ND 18 months back for all the reasons you covered. I’ve been getting a bit of criticism on my channel for not jumping ship and moving to the IC-705. I have no intention yet. The 817/818 is built like a tank, simple to operate, and perfect for my SOTA activations. Keep up the great work. You have a new sub. 73 de KT1RUN
I've had my FT 817nd since 2006, it was my first transceiver! After all these years it still works as it should, as you say, there is no other qrp set built as solidly as the 817 and I love it.
Exactly right. Running tuners on QRP radios like this is a similar gripe of mine. Resonate antennas are perfect for the 817/818. I wish I could get my money back for the Z817 tuner. It’s been used once.
It's a modern day classic..nothing comes close. I worked Australia from the east coast of England with a wire vertical on 20 meters some years ago with this radio..astonishing! Qrp can be frustrating at times but total magic when it all comes together. 👍👍 Nice video sir 😀
I've had a FT-817 and I sold it... I missed having the little rig that just can be tossed into a rucksack or backpack. I then bought an FT-817nd had it a few years - thought I'd outgrown it because I had several mobile transceivers that had all of the comforts of DSP and "bells and whistles" and after a long time I sold the 'ND' and lo and behold I missed that wonderful little rig that I can sit with on a park bench a picnic table or on the sofa and open up the world on radio. so this past spring my wife bought me an FT-818nd.... you can count on me keeping this one ( that goes for my XYL too) ;) ;) :) these little rigs are fantastic and yeah they have a wide front end, but they get the job done. cheers and 73
Certainly it is still a good value today. All I use currently is an FT-818 for home or portable use and it's done quite well for me. When they're on sale (sometimes under $600 USD) it's an all out bargain. There are better performers these days but you're going to have to spend double the money to get all the capability these have in just one portable box.
I am a very proud owner of an 817. The only other radio that I think holds water to it is the G90, and for me I made the right choice. I only use resonant antennas because I feel like that is the best way to ensure antenna efficiency, and I actually don’t have another VHF radio. I am looking into getting a filter like the laserbeam-817, but I was really shocked with the receiver ability to start. The thing really is tuned to pick up weak signals, which is great for QRP stuff. And the SWR readout is great for most cases. It can be easy to just check the bar chart at two places on the band and then cut my antenna in the field.
Thank you! A friend has one of these FT 817s and I have always admired it and he brings it on every field day, except in 2020. It works every time and gets as many contacts as some of the 100watt rig guys. He has a home assembled Ammo Box with batteries inside that run about 1.2KW at 12 VDC. It runs the radio for 8 or more hours with moderate use! Cool indeed.
817ND with BHI DSP is one of the most understated, underrated QRP in the second hand market, bar none. The versatility of this little gem are appreciated by hams world wide! Couple it with a Tokyo HyPower 45B amp (out of production) and you have a formidable HF rig that is about the size of a hard cover book.
One of my first contacts with my 817 was to Venezuela from Texas, USA on 5 watts. It is a champ if you have a good antenna. Thanks for the video and you have a new subscriber. 73! de KE5ES
I've been using my 817nd for some years now. It's my main radio. My every day radio. I have another small portable more powerful radio but the 817nd is THE radio for me,
I bought the 818 shortly after it came out, my first qrp rig. I operate CW, haven’t tried a voice contact yet. But I LOVE it! I love the way it looks too and I know it has a great track record and the price value is fantastic. My one complaint is the harsh side tone with headphones. Oh yes, I also got the 300 filter, that is something Yaesu should have done. I’m sure the 705 is great, but I think many may get buyers remorse. That price!
I got the 300Hz/2.3kHz filter and TXCO for my FT-817ND. A 500Hz filter would have been the better choice but it was my first HF radio. I got the BHI DSP filter from W4RT and the W4RT compressor mic. The mic and the 300Hz filter are two items that weren't optimal for me.
Totally agree with the comments in this video I bought an 817 when they came out and really regret selling it to a friend, he is still using it nearly 20 years on in all sorts of hostile locations!
I just bought a used unit from a friend who could no longer operate it. I used it on HF for the first time during the recent winter field day and was quite pleased with it performance. This rig is a keeper!
Thank you very much for the video. I have been wanting to pull the trigger on this radio for a while but have been nervous after hearing so many tell me it anything less than 100W is a waste of time and money
Hello friend! in 2021, the 818, must have C4FM and a little more big color screen (like the FT-5), think this radio has the VX-5 screen! a little upgrade will be good!!! I'm wainting this upgrade to buy it again, I've had two of the 817 models... li-ion battery compatible with the FT-5 for example! a hug from Barcelona!
I’m considering getting this rig. You can grow into to it as your skills get stronger. Seems to be a assortment of hardware for this rig to take you in direction of interest. It’s form factor lends itself to all stages of one’s life with only a few add ons.
I've had my 817 for 15 years. I only operate backpack portable with it. I am very hard on gear. I've dropped it so many times that the paint is all worn off of it. It still operates fine.
Hello neighbor. Adding up the cost of the accessories, it no longer seems like good value. The filter alone puts the price over the top. JS8/FT8 ... add audio interface to the price. Want to do some weak signal work, add dsp to the price. The NiMH batteries are ok but quickly drained by the high current consumption. One option is a G90 with budget HT for VHF/UHF. I loved this radio for 20 years. By todays standards, it begins to look like a money pit. Ok if we already have one. Not a good investment if buying new. 73 Julian oh8stn
Hello, thank you for your video on this little fantastic Transumer. I just purchased one used yesterday and I’m very excited to start using it. I noticed in your video you had a what appeared to be an external Anderson power pole adapter kit and I’ve been trying to source it on the Internet, i’ve been unable to find anything like it would you be able to provide a link? I would greatly appreciate it it would definitely work with my mobile applications as all my radios have Anderson power pole connectors already. 73’s KJ7AVQ
The whole family of FT-817, FT-857, & FT-897 are excellent portable radios. Furthermore, the available filters for those radios are more than adequate for portable operation where QRM is less of a problem. The D and ND models with DSP do reasonably well in modestly RF noisy environment. It my experience as good as an IC-7300. The newer radios shine in RF noisy environments. It my opinion that the FT-857D is the best radio for portable operation ever made to date. It has all the features necessary for 5W to 100W. Couple it with an 80m-10m EFHW antenna and it is unstoppable!
My 817nd is 15 years young and a keeper. The 4 watts thriller is a totally different game, not for all the hams. I recently made an SSB contact with 9n1CA sitting in Chennai India with 4 watts. The antenna is the single most important part of any QRP set up. 73
@@BennyCFD thanks for your comment. I did end up getting an FT818 and have been thoroughly enjoying it. I use it for a 2 meter net I do in the mornings and in the better weather I take it outside on my balcony for HF.
I own both IC-705 and FT-818. Apart from the study metallic casing that FT-818 has, it also seems to have a much better RF front end than IC-705. This is especially obvious for AM DX, when the signal is weak and the band is noisy. The lack of DSP NR is the only drawback.
Only one filter can be fitted at a time however there was an after-market board ('one board filter'?) that could accommodate and switch between both; I don't know if this is still available. If you operate both SSB voice and CW then I'd recommend the CW filter. In my opinion the CW filter is essential whereas the SSB is just nice to have. I hope that helps and thanks for the comment :)
during our morning nets I been known to drop my power to just 5 watts, its to show how you can still get through, my rig is the ic-718, my 817nd broke sometime back and is on the way to the shop for repair...I want to work some at 5 watts again??
@@oh3spnfinland718 our nets looks for check in's and usually ask for qrp first. They want stations at a max of 10 watts. I lowered mine many times to 1-6 watts on my station. The first time I used the 817nd I worked some in Japan and Indonesia. On the 718 I was on 20m FT8 and ran the rig at just 5 watts, worked a station 3 days in a row from Carribean from my station in Manila Philippines.
In the original FT817 you are correct. Even so that issue was rare from my research .The FT817ND and FT818 have had that issue rectified. FT81x is a fantastic “tank like” field radio...when paired with a good antenna!
And the conditions that's the most important part of any radio contact not just power yes it helps but as you've said there's not much difference in dB .
The biggest disadvantage of this radio is missing narrow filter for CW. The filters are no more in production for 817/818 and used cost as half of tranciever. If yeasu solve this problem 817/817 will the greatest tranciever without a doubt.
817/818 ya half price than a KX2 or IC-705, I agree is half performance but for Sota activities, p.e, It is enought if you install a filter. I owned a 817ND and without filter in CW It is a crazy sounds box. If you add another 160 euros for CW filter, the total ammount id not a half price of Kx2 o 705, then...perhaps It is not a good choice... Anyway, I sold my 817ND and It is probably that will buy another (818), because the other options are more expensive and for Sota IS enought. Regards , Jon EA3BV
I am buying a new FT-818ND as we speak. I was looking at the Icom 705 but decided to go with Yaesu. Can't wait to receive it and go crazy with SOTA/POTA activations asap :) 73 de 9A3DBX
Bad move! Just Kidding! The FT818 is a fabulous radio. I had a IC705 for a short time. As a SOTA “aficionado” the 705 was very cool but up on a summit in inclement conditions I was still bringing my FT818. It does all I need it to do...make 4 QSOs! If weather was perfect always the 705 would still be in my lineup. (Too much money to risk to the elements)
Why would anybody buy an 817/818 when you can buy a used 857d. Almost the same size QRP to full power (100w) and it does practically the same thing. Why buy less when you can buy more.
Yaesu should have put a lithium battery into the 818, high priced electronics like that all have, its i think not right yaesu kept it to nimh and so obsolete. imagine you would buy a samsung galaxy s10 and it would have nimh instead lithium, what all the people would say... The 818 is missing a powerupdate, they should have made it 20watt HF, that would have made a huge difference. Some people could almost understand me with my 817nd portable on a hiltop, with 20watt i could have made the DX-QSO which i missed with the 5watt. the transmitt bandwidth is a bit narrow, why not a wider tx filter in the 818 ?? the optional wider filters are i think active only in the receiver section. These improvements were overdue and would have made the 818 a winner, instead they kept the 818 to the same ol' like the 817nd. that one more watt in the 818 is meaningless on hf same as the making the same radio and only changing the numbers from 817 to 818. i sold my 817nd, because the receiver sounds odd compared to the clarity of my old icom, its not only the bandwidth, the AF response seems not right, something is not right with the AF response 817nd, its not much pleasure to listen to it for long. i guess they didnt fix that in the 818, when they didnt improve anything else about it either. If you have only the 817 you wouldnt notice this i guess, but compared to a good receiver like an old icom, you would quickly hear the difference, same as i did.
Buenas noches, tengo un FT-817ND, me gustaría poder subirle a 6 watios, puede por favor regalarme los parámetros ocultos de su FT-818, puede hacer un video y enseñarlos lentamente para copiarlos, muchas gracias. HK3TKI
It would be really interesting to see what could be done in this form factor today. I know we have the Elecraft's and IC705s but I don't feel any of these really replace the 807, although great options in their own right. Thanks for the comment!
![The Wall Song ร้องข้ามกำแพง | EP.215 | พาเวล นเรศ - พูห์ กฤติน | 17 ต.ค. 67 [1/5]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IUzrjuf60P4/mqdefault.jpg)
I agree. I sold my FT-817ND many years ago, and regretted it. So now I bought a FT-818, and it will be with me rest of my life for sure. It's something with this radio; well built as a tank, all bands an modes available, that makes it so great.
I worked a station over 3000 miles into Alaska from Texas on Russian satellite RS-44, and a station at 7,400 miles away in New Zealand from Texas on the 15m band. All on 5 watts.
This rig is the Swiss Army knife of Ham Radio.
Вы очень хорошо написали, спасибо 73
I’ve had my FT-817 close to 14 years now.
It has been on as many field day events, and countless hiking and camping trips.
It has stood up to extreme heat and cold, rain and snow. And in all of this it has never let me down... Once one gets familiar with the menus, the 817 is extremely easy to operate... The only thing I dislike about the rig is that ridiculously small screen. Other than that, is a great radio... I like the FT-817 so much, I recently bought the FT-818.
Thank you for putting this video out there. I was a late comer to amateur radio, but picked up the FT-818ND 18 months back for all the reasons you covered. I’ve been getting a bit of criticism on my channel for not jumping ship and moving to the IC-705. I have no intention yet. The 817/818 is built like a tank, simple to operate, and perfect for my SOTA activations. Keep up the great work. You have a new sub. 73 de KT1RUN
One reason I won't go for the Icom 705 is it's twice as expensive as the '817/818. I can live without the fancy waterfall display.
I've had my FT 817nd since 2006, it was my first transceiver! After all these years it still works as it should, as you say, there is no other qrp set built as solidly as the 817 and I love it.
Nice video! I love how some people operate QRP without even realizing it by using a 100W transceiver with an inefficient antenna.
Exactly right. Running tuners on QRP radios like this is a similar gripe of mine. Resonate antennas are perfect for the 817/818. I wish I could get my money back for the Z817 tuner. It’s been used once.
It's a modern day classic..nothing comes close. I worked Australia from the east coast of England with a wire vertical on 20 meters some years ago with this radio..astonishing! Qrp can be frustrating at times but total magic when it all comes together. 👍👍 Nice video sir 😀
I've had a FT-817 and I sold it... I missed having the little rig that just can be tossed into a rucksack or backpack. I then bought an FT-817nd had it a few years - thought I'd outgrown it because I had several mobile transceivers that had all of the comforts of DSP and "bells and whistles" and after a long time I sold the 'ND' and lo and behold I missed that wonderful little rig that I can sit with on a park bench a picnic table or on the sofa and open up the world on radio. so this past spring my wife bought me an FT-818nd.... you can count on me keeping this one ( that goes for my XYL too) ;) ;) :) these little rigs are fantastic and yeah they have a wide front end, but they get the job done. cheers and 73
Find a good used 857D. It's much better than an 817. Both Yaesu machines QRP to full power and almost the same size.
Certainly it is still a good value today. All I use currently is an FT-818 for home or portable use and it's done quite well for me. When they're on sale (sometimes under $600 USD) it's an all out bargain. There are better performers these days but you're going to have to spend double the money to get all the capability these have in just one portable box.
I am a very proud owner of an 817. The only other radio that I think holds water to it is the G90, and for me I made the right choice. I only use resonant antennas because I feel like that is the best way to ensure antenna efficiency, and I actually don’t have another VHF radio. I am looking into getting a filter like the laserbeam-817, but I was really shocked with the receiver ability to start. The thing really is tuned to pick up weak signals, which is great for QRP stuff. And the SWR readout is great for most cases. It can be easy to just check the bar chart at two places on the band and then cut my antenna in the field.
Thank you! A friend has one of these FT 817s and I have always admired it and he brings it on every field day, except in 2020. It works every time and gets as many contacts as some of the 100watt rig guys. He has a home assembled Ammo Box with batteries inside that run about 1.2KW at 12 VDC. It runs the radio for 8 or more hours with moderate use! Cool indeed.
I have the 817. It is so versatile, portable, and performs remarkably well. I will keep it, thank you.
817ND with BHI DSP is one of the most understated, underrated QRP in the second hand market, bar none. The versatility of this little gem are appreciated by hams world wide! Couple it with a Tokyo HyPower 45B amp (out of production) and you have a formidable HF rig that is about the size of a hard cover book.
One of my first contacts with my 817 was to Venezuela from Texas, USA on 5 watts. It is a champ if you have a good antenna. Thanks for the video and you have a new subscriber. 73! de KE5ES
This radio is very cable of DX with the right antenna. I made a 5,550 mile contact to France yesterday on 5 watts on my 818.
I've been using my 817nd for some years now. It's my main radio. My every day radio. I have another small portable more powerful radio but the 817nd is THE radio for me,
Great Review. Have a 817, 817 ND, and 818. A workhorse.
I bought the 818 shortly after it came out, my first qrp rig. I operate CW, haven’t tried a voice contact yet. But I LOVE it! I love the way it looks too and I know it has a great track record and the price value is fantastic.
My one complaint is the harsh side tone with headphones. Oh yes, I also got the 300 filter, that is something Yaesu should have done.
I’m sure the 705 is great, but I think many may get buyers remorse. That price!
I got the 300Hz/2.3kHz filter and TXCO for my FT-817ND. A 500Hz filter would have been the better choice but it was my first HF radio. I got the BHI DSP filter from W4RT and the W4RT compressor mic. The mic and the 300Hz filter are two items that weren't optimal for me.
I agree with you. I use resonant antennas and have no trouble making contacts with my 817ND.
I have the ft817nd lovely QRP radio as it's my first HF rig and have had some good contacts on 5 watts using a G5RV and mobile whip.
Totally agree with the comments in this video I bought an 817 when they came out and really regret selling it to a friend, he is still using it nearly 20 years on in all sorts of hostile locations!
Overseas and such?
I just bought a used unit from a friend who could no longer operate it. I used it on HF for the first time during the recent winter field day and was quite pleased with it performance. This rig is a keeper!
I got one a few years ago and have had many successful POTA activations with it. All about simplicity in the field! Great rig! 73 de K2CJB
I bought an 817 back in 2009 best little rig ever. 👍
Thank you very much for the video. I have been wanting to pull the trigger on this radio for a while but have been nervous after hearing so many tell me it anything less than 100W is a waste of time and money
Hello friend!
in 2021, the 818, must have C4FM and a little more big color screen (like the FT-5), think this radio has the VX-5 screen!
a little upgrade will be good!!! I'm wainting this upgrade to buy it again, I've had two of the 817 models...
li-ion battery compatible with the FT-5 for example!
a hug from Barcelona!
Thank you Sir! I still LOVE my FT-817ND
I’m considering getting this rig. You can grow into to it as your skills get stronger. Seems to be a assortment of hardware for this rig to take you in direction of interest. It’s form factor lends itself to all stages of one’s life with only a few add ons.
I love my '817 and will never part with it. As mentioned in the video, efficient antennas are the key to succesful low power contacts.
...so FT-817 vs. an FT-991a -- which one would you choose???
Besides the basic radio FT818ND, what else is needed to efficiently operate?
I've had my 817 for 15 years. I only operate backpack portable with it. I am very hard on gear. I've dropped it so many times that the paint is all worn off of it. It still operates fine.
Hello neighbor.
Adding up the cost of the accessories, it no longer seems like good value. The filter alone puts the price over the top. JS8/FT8 ... add audio interface to the price. Want to do some weak signal work, add dsp to the price. The NiMH batteries are ok but quickly drained by the high current consumption.
One option is a G90 with budget HT for VHF/UHF. I loved this radio for 20 years. By todays standards, it begins to look like a money pit. Ok if we already have one. Not a good investment if buying new.
73
Julian oh8stn
Just found your channel and subscribed!!! Great video!!!
Hello, thank you for your video on this little fantastic Transumer. I just purchased one used yesterday and I’m very excited to start using it. I noticed in your video you had a what appeared to be an external Anderson power pole adapter kit and I’ve been trying to source it on the Internet, i’ve been unable to find anything like it would you be able to provide a link? I would greatly appreciate it it would definitely work with my mobile applications as all my radios have Anderson power pole connectors already. 73’s KJ7AVQ
After buying those mods wouldn’t that put you into the price range of a different radio that comes with those features?
Where the HECK can I find FILTERS for this radio ?? Is Yaesu Still Making them ? What are my aftermarket options ?
The whole family of FT-817, FT-857, & FT-897 are excellent portable radios. Furthermore, the available filters for those radios are more than adequate for portable operation where QRM is less of a problem. The D and ND models with DSP do reasonably well in modestly RF noisy environment. It my experience as good as an IC-7300.
The newer radios shine in RF noisy environments.
It my opinion that the FT-857D is the best radio for portable operation ever made to date. It has all the features necessary for 5W to 100W. Couple it with an 80m-10m EFHW antenna and it is unstoppable!
My 817nd is 15 years young and a keeper. The 4 watts thriller is a totally different game, not for all the hams. I recently made an SSB contact with 9n1CA sitting in Chennai India with 4 watts. The antenna is the single most important part of any QRP set up. 73
Thanks for the video and your thoughts. I currently have an ICOM 703 and contemplating switching to the 818 just for a change. Any thoughts?
Why not get a good used 857D. Almost the same size, QRP to 100W. HF, VHF, UHF all mode. IF you have a IC-703 get an IC-706Mkiig
@@BennyCFD thanks for your comment. I did end up getting an FT818 and have been thoroughly enjoying it. I use it for a 2 meter net I do in the mornings and in the better weather I take it outside on my balcony for HF.
It is nice when a radio has adjustable power, got a lil radio, but irritating to fathom tuning an antenna with it at full power it is capable of.
Thanks for the video. Good stuff. Comment for the algorithm.
YES
Love this little rig
Wish i got mine a long time ago,instead of dragging a bigger heavier radio around. Cant beat them,73
Try and buy one used cheap, not gonna happen. If you add the sotabeams mic compressor its more like 30 watts with the added punch on ssb
Absolutely agree: FY817/8 it's an all terrain Ham Radio
Yup with resonant inv.v. on 20m worked Ullyanovsk to East and Florida (5/5) to West! Those were 2 for the Log!!
Is there any way to expand the RX to around 480mhz from 470mhz?
Not perfekt, but fucking near to it. May not for highspeed contest, but all in 1 in the bag. Nice. i like it.
Good evening, good video, please can you give us the parameters of the hidden menu of the FT-818 to compare with the menu of an FT-817, thanks HK3TKI
I love my FT-818. 👍
I own both IC-705 and FT-818. Apart from the study metallic casing that FT-818 has, it also seems to have a much better RF front end than IC-705. This is especially obvious for AM DX, when the signal is weak and the band is noisy. The lack of DSP NR is the only drawback.
If I want to operate both SSB and CW - do I have to swap the filters all the time?
Only one filter can be fitted at a time however there was an after-market board ('one board filter'?) that could accommodate and switch between both; I don't know if this is still available. If you operate both SSB voice and CW then I'd recommend the CW filter. In my opinion the CW filter is essential whereas the SSB is just nice to have. I hope that helps and thanks for the comment :)
Love my FT817 use it lots for portable testing antennas and stuff. vk5cz..
Never selling my 817..still a shack in a box!!!
during our morning nets I been known to drop my power to just 5 watts, its to show how you can still get through, my rig is the ic-718, my 817nd broke sometime back and is on the way to the shop for repair...I want to work some at 5 watts again??
I used to do exactly this - it's great to demonstrate this in practice. Thanks for the comment :)
@@oh3spnfinland718 our nets looks for check in's and usually ask for qrp first. They want stations at a max of 10 watts. I lowered mine many times to 1-6 watts on my station. The first time I used the 817nd I worked some in Japan and Indonesia. On the 718 I was on 20m FT8 and ran the rig at just 5 watts, worked a station 3 days in a row from Carribean from my station in Manila Philippines.
Great radios! 🏆
Awesome ,..Yes Agree 73 de YC2VOC
Great radio!
The one thing you left out was the price point. For the money, you'd be hard pressed to find another radio of similar quality and features.
I've heard you have to take the battery out when not using it or the finals blow as the battery dies
In the original FT817 you are correct. Even so that issue was rare from my research .The FT817ND and FT818 have had that issue rectified. FT81x is a fantastic “tank like” field radio...when paired with a good antenna!
And the conditions that's the most important part of any radio contact not just power yes it helps but as you've said there's not much difference in dB .
The biggest disadvantage of this radio is missing narrow filter for CW. The filters are no more in production for 817/818 and used cost as half of tranciever.
If yeasu solve this problem 817/817 will the greatest tranciever without a doubt.
At least it's still a quite expensive transceiver, even used.
Awesome review thanks Great video thanks 73 from kb2uew
isnt better a g90??
Without a doubt.
Great video 73 from VE3BDE
2001/2002 they cam slowly on the market
817/818 ya half price than a KX2 or IC-705, I agree is half performance but for Sota activities, p.e, It is enought if you install a filter. I owned a 817ND and without filter in CW It is a crazy sounds box. If you add another 160 euros for CW filter, the total ammount id not a half price of Kx2 o 705, then...perhaps It is not a good choice...
Anyway, I sold my 817ND and It is probably that will buy another (818), because the other options are more expensive and for Sota IS enought.
Regards , Jon EA3BV
I am buying a new FT-818ND as we speak. I was looking at the Icom 705 but decided to go with Yaesu. Can't wait to receive it and go crazy with SOTA/POTA activations asap :)
73 de 9A3DBX
Bad move!
Just Kidding! The FT818 is a fabulous radio. I had a IC705 for a short time. As a SOTA “aficionado” the 705 was very cool but up on a summit in inclement conditions I was still bringing my FT818. It does all I need it to do...make 4 QSOs!
If weather was perfect always the 705 would still be in my lineup. (Too much money to risk to the elements)
Why would anybody buy an 817/818 when you can buy a used 857d. Almost the same size QRP to full power (100w) and it does practically the same thing. Why buy less when you can buy more.
big like from yo9doc i have a 817 nd untill from 2019
These things start at $550 and over $1000!
The biggest downside for me with the 817 is the screen. Not the size of screen as much as the dull display.
Yaesu should have put a lithium battery into the 818, high priced electronics like that all have, its i think not right yaesu kept it to nimh and so obsolete. imagine you would buy a samsung galaxy s10 and it would have nimh instead lithium, what all the people would say...
The 818 is missing a powerupdate, they should have made it 20watt HF, that would have made a huge difference. Some people could almost understand me with my 817nd portable on a hiltop, with 20watt i could have made the DX-QSO which i missed with the 5watt.
the transmitt bandwidth is a bit narrow, why not a wider tx filter in the 818 ?? the optional wider filters are i think active only in the receiver section.
These improvements were overdue and would have made the 818 a winner, instead they kept the 818 to the same ol' like the 817nd. that one more watt in the 818 is meaningless on hf same as the making the same radio and only changing the numbers from 817 to 818.
i sold my 817nd, because the receiver sounds odd compared to the clarity of my old icom, its not only the bandwidth, the AF response seems not right, something is not right with the AF response 817nd, its not much pleasure to listen to it for long. i guess they didnt fix that in the 818, when they didnt improve anything else about it either. If you have only the 817 you wouldnt notice this i guess, but compared to a good receiver like an old icom, you would quickly hear the difference, same as i did.
Well the radio is discontinued.
Buenas noches, tengo un FT-817ND, me gustaría poder subirle a 6 watios, puede por favor regalarme los parámetros ocultos de su FT-818, puede hacer un video y enseñarlos lentamente para copiarlos, muchas gracias. HK3TKI
why wouldnt it still be good....RF is RF
Front end and IF filters have nothing to do with each other
ft-817 yes, ft-818 not so much.
But NO Build in ATU!
The simple answer, no. There so much Yaesu can do to make this better.
It would be really interesting to see what could be done in this form factor today. I know we have the Elecraft's and IC705s but I don't feel any of these really replace the 807, although great options in their own right. Thanks for the comment!
I have a 817ND. What a dog crap radio. Do not recommend at all. Too many quirks for it to be usable. It astounds me how many people buy them.