| Author |
Message |
    
707
| | Posted on Sunday, June 16, 2002 - 5:35 pm: | 
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For those who might be toying with the idea of an FT817:
Great radio. Amazing radio for its size. Thats the problem. The size and the fact that normal functions are buried in menus. This thing is not really portable like an HT, but fits somewhere in that uncomfortable realm somewhere between a HT and a Mobile.
I did not do the 11m conversion, mainly because after seeing the TX performance on the rest of the bands, I realized that best case scenario, I'd have a radio that puts out 5w on ssb, and it DOES get hot at full 5w out..
It DOES make a killer portable communications receiver and might be good as a second rig for satellite or band monitoring, maybe as a duplex HF or satellite receiver. The CAT control software out there makes it into a BIG radio, functionally, but there you go...you have to hook it to the computer, and figure out how to get rid of the CPU noises that crop up.
Unless you just want a toy, suitable only for shoulder-sling operation, go for something like the FT100D.
The 817 on a 1-10 index, price vs value:
Receiver-8
Transmitter-10 (within it's limitations)
Portable useability-10
Mobile useability-7
base useability-6
Sorry, no hyper-technical review, because those are available all over the web. Just my opinion. |
phybre666
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 18, 2002 - 2:09 pm: |
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Or buy a KL203 or something like it, hook it up to the 817, and have a nice QRO rig, with the option of QRP.
Just my $0.02. |
bruce
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 19, 2002 - 4:53 am: |
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707 the SMALL radios like the 817 and my alinco pack a lot of proformance for the buck into a small box but your right they get HOT and transmitter failures are common and its a wise thing to do to run these radios at low or mid power and cool them with a fan. Its the price we pay for being able to say WOW LOOK HOW SMALL IT IS ! |
Copperfan
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 19, 2002 - 7:42 am: |
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OR look at the all NEW Yaesu FT897: It is I believe a replacement for the FT100D and a upgrade of the FT 817, Just my opinion. But it says 20 watts on battery power? I would think that would just SUCK DOWN the battery?????
American hams got their first look at the new Yaesu FT-897 at the Dayton Hamvention, May 2002. It is the world's first multi-mode high-power base/mobile transceiver designed to fitted with internal batteries (optional) for portable use. The coverage is HF 160 to 10 meters plus 50/144/430 MHz VHF/UHF. Receive is 0.1-56, 76-108, 118-164 and 420-470 MHz. It is ideal for home, vacation, emergency, rescue, DX-pedition or VHF/UHF rover operation. 7.9x3.2x10.3 inches (200x80x263 mm). |
bruce
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 19, 2002 - 6:51 pm: |
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copperfan Im drooling but the wife still said NO |
Sandbagger106
Member
Username: Sandbagger106
Post Number: 89
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2006 - 10:18 am: |
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Having owned a ND version for 2 plus years I can say that as a QRP portable rig it's great, used as intended. I operate all bands from where ever I am, just on a random wire and a small tuner. It's not a base rig, but a portable all band all mode and with that in mind you can't go wrong. 5 watts is more than enough power when the band is good, and when it is not good, 100 watts still won't do it. sb106 |
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