Yaesu: FT-817nd replacement new FT-818

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vagrant

vagrant

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I guess that is one way to get rid of the overstock of TCXO's, remove the "option" aspect and make it part of the package with a markup. (I do use one in my 817ND)

An extra watt? I wonder how many people will be told, "your power meter is reading low". hahahaha
Seriously though an extra watt but only with external power. 10 watts with external power would have been nice, but the heat would have needed a fan or a case re-design...blah blah blah. They should have left power as-is instead of making it a laughing point.

As to the 1.9 Ah battery, I get that now with eight regular Eneloop AA in the tray. If I want to really jazz it up I can put 2.8 Ah AA batteries ( that are probably only 2.4 Ah ) for about $12.

So...you can purchase a new 817ND and add the TCXO and eight 2.8 Ah batteries for $805, or spend $849 for the 818. Hmm...that should have been the price $818.

I would not mess with the AA's unless just for listening time while you re-charge a Bioenno LiFePO4 in whatever Ah flavor suits your portable needs.

I quite like my 817ND and it is reasonably efficient on power draw, but Yaesu could and should have done a few more things for the 818, in particular open the receive up to get NOAA and a 2800 mAh internal battery. They definitely should have included the MH-36E8J DMTF hand mic.
 
prcguy

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Many new radio designs are going direct conversion SDR, what is Yaesu thinking of except for trying to sell off some old surplus parts? 817 was a great little radio and ahead of its time when it came out, but it appears most of the radio keeps its 17yr old design.

Why didn't Yaesu upgrade its battery power to something modern like Lithium 18650s? Why didn't they add a built in auto antenna tuner?

Meanwhile companies like Elecraft are taking the small portable QRP radio to heights that exceed the performance of multi thousand $$ base station rigs.
prcguy

vagrant said:
I guess that is one way to get rid of the overstock of TCXO's, remove the "option" aspect and make it part of the package with a markup. (I do use one in my 817ND)

An extra watt? I wonder how many people will be told, "your power meter is reading low". hahahaha
Seriously though an extra watt but only with external power. 10 watts with external power would have been nice, but the heat would have needed a fan or a case re-design...blah blah blah. They should have left power as-is instead of making it a laughing point.

As to the 1.9 Ah battery, I get that now with eight regular Eneloop AA in the tray. If I want to really jazz it up I can put 2.8 Ah AA batteries ( that are probably only 2.4 Ah ) for about $12.

So...you can purchase a new 817ND and add the TCXO and eight 2.8 Ah batteries for $805, or spend $849 for the 818. Hmm...that should have been the price $818.

I would not mess with the AA's unless just for listening time while you re-charge a Bioenno LiFePO4 in whatever Ah flavor suits your portable needs.

I quite like my 817ND and it is reasonably efficient on power draw, but Yaesu could and should have done a few more things for the 818, in particular open the receive up to get NOAA and a 2800 mAh internal battery. They definitely should have included the MH-36E8J DMTF hand mic.
Click to expand...
 
vagrant

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prcguy said:
Many new radio designs are going direct conversion SDR, what is Yaesu thinking of except for trying to sell off some old surplus parts? 817 was a great little radio and ahead of its time when it came out, but it appears most of the radio keeps its 17yr old design.

Why didn't Yaesu upgrade its battery power to something modern like Lithium 18650s? Why didn't they add a built in auto antenna tuner?

Meanwhile companies like Elecraft are taking the small portable QRP radio to heights that exceed the performance of multi thousand $$ base station rigs.
prcguy
Click to expand...
Hey! Do not start throwing out truth and facts when Yaesu is trying to sell off old parts. :)

For me, the 817 is a unique tool I using during the ARRL VHF/UHF contest. From the dual antenna ports to the low power draw, at least lower than my 897D. As I already have the 817, there are times it sees use for just listening to a variety of stuff and working some digital mode. This "new version" is a drunken salary man's idea from the last afterwork meeting at the local izakaya.

As for Elecraft, the KX2 is greater than the KX3 for my needs. For $1k one can have the internal tuner and a mic. As we are still heading for the solar low, it would be about five years before I consider adding the KX2. For now I'm having fun with VHF and up with what I have.
 
prcguy

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I bought an 817 within the first month they came out, which was during the peak of a sunspot cycle. It was great timing and I had a lot of fun with it because there was nothing else like it. Then conditions worsened and I ended up dragging a THP HL-50B amp and supplemental battery power everywhere with the 817. I then got a Yaesu FT-857 which was 100w in a slightly larger package with similar rx current draw and never used the 817 again.

Then I got the Elecraft KX3 bug and later the KX2, what a huge improvement in performance and ease of use with long lasting internal power, built in antenna tuners and big rig features. The 10 to 15w available from these rigs plus the really effective compression and transmit eq leaves the FT-817 in the dust on HF.

I usually carry a VHF/UHF handheld while portable so those bands on the 817 never benefited me much and my KX3 has a high performance all mode 2m module anyway. I think if Yaesu actually designed a new QRP radio with modern features they could take a good share of that market back but they failed again.
prcguy

vagrant said:
Hey! Do not start throwing out truth and facts when Yaesu is trying to sell off old parts. :)

For me, the 817 is a unique tool I using during the ARRL VHF/UHF contest. From the dual antenna ports to the low power draw, at least lower than my 897D. As I already have the 817, there are times it sees use for just listening to a variety of stuff and working some digital mode. This "new version" is a drunken salary man's idea from the last afterwork meeting at the local izakaya.

As for Elecraft, the KX2 is greater than the KX3 for my needs. For $1k one can have the internal tuner and a mic. As we are still heading for the solar low, it would be about five years before I consider adding the KX2. For now I'm having fun with VHF and up with what I have.
Click to expand...
 
vagrant

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prcguy said:
I think if Yaesu actually designed a new QRP radio with modern features they could take a good share of that market back but they failed again.
prcguy
Click to expand...
Elecraft is tough to beat with their QRP offerings. Still, supply and demand is a factor. Clearly people are buying new instead of picking up a used 817. If I did not particularly enjoy Single Op Portable in the VHF/UHF contest I would own a KX2. Some upcoming international travel will probably find a KX2 in my bag, instead of waiting for the upswing of the solar minimum.

[Slightly off topic]
SDR has indeed changed things up. I prefer it built into the radio with the buttons/knobs on the front for adjustments versus a dedicated computer. The 7610 delivers many of my wants/needs where the 7300 does not. The 590SG with a decent SDR connected to the RX out is a way to have fun and an inexpensive solution to the 7610.

One company who has been quiet of late is Kenwood. I expect we will see an HF SDR offering from them soon. Perhaps something in price between the 590SG and 990. We may find out one way or the other on August 25th (JARL Ham Fair).
 
gdsteele

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NOAA

Does anyone know how to get the 817 to receive the NOAA freqs? It would certainly save me from selling the 817 and getting the 818. That is all I thought was missing.

Voice squelch? Just change the RF gain know to squelch. Or am I missing something?
 
prcguy

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Voice squelch responds to human speech and ignores hiss, static crashes, etc. Radios with voice or "syllabic squelch" can sit quite all day and open on the weakest voice signal. Once you've used it nothing else will do.

The syllabic squelch circuitry will have several narrow band audio filters and detectors with at least one in the lower voice range and one in the upper hiss type noise range. Better versions will have more than one filter in the voice range. Presense of voice range and absence of hiss due to receiver quiteting will open the squelch.
prcguy

gdsteele said:
Does anyone know how to get the 817 to receive the NOAA freqs? It would certainly save me from selling the 817 and getting the 818. That is all I thought was missing.

Voice squelch? Just change the RF gain know to squelch. Or am I missing something?
Click to expand...
 
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