The real challenge is getting your hands on a Collin’s mechanical filter in 2024. I made a tutorial on how to make your own filter about a year ago and that method doesn’t really work anymore because you can’t find the bare filter to solder onto a PCB anymore.
I have had my FT-897 for decades and was thrilled to get an FT-817ND. I was so thrilled with the radios that I influenced my son to buy his FT-857 and FT-818ND. Sure wish I could find an 857 for an affordable price! Excellent video Sir!
I recently acquired a used FT-817. It's an amazing radio and I love using it. It came with the pegs and Windcamp battery which I would strongly recommend every FT-817 user upgrade to. I'll have to look at the DSP mod.
Excellent! Thanks for sharing this Michael! It seems, like there is strong, and growing, community of fans of this time-proven little radio! 73! Linas LY2H
100% agree with all your comments. I've owned the FT-817N from it's release and also have added many mods including the DSP, filters, Pegleg, etc. Unfortunately W4RT has gone out of business as they were a major force in the FT817 modification business. Thanks for your postings.
I have a FT818. I've installed a 300 HZ narrow filter, rails from portable zero and the windcamp 3 amp/hr battery. I also have the sotabeams external speech compressor for SSB work and a anderson power pole adapter on the power jack. All in all, this is a fun radio, sure it doesn't have all the latest things, but for going portable it's simply great. I don't have the courage to put one of the inside dsp boards - I'm afraid to break something. I would never forgive myself! 73 KB3JC
I have also the 300 Hz Collins filter so can comment on that. The sound with the 300 Hz filter is excellent - no ringing and no problem tuning around. I keep it engaged all the time. I have read somewhere that people who use digital modes prefer 500 Hz.@goinghomesomeday1
I recently purchased an FT817ND and FT818 on the used market. I am looking forward to learning how to use the radio. I am looking to use the radio when I go hiking. I will be purchasing a Collins mechanical filter if I can find one on the used market. Very informative video!
i have an 817nd i got used, multijog is glitchy, but it seems to recieve well, I like it. i have a cage on it and use an external battery with powerpoles
I got mine in 2017 with £45 off as the 818 was coming out. I watched with interest what mods you proposed. I use a bent piece of aluminium to raise the radio front. Cheap! And easily removed. For a c.w. filter I tried a single 455 kHz HC6U xtal, it worked so I soldered it into position. Signals do leap out of the noise. Obviously not like a proper filter but cheap! I also made a leather case for it and put an extra heatsink attached to the earth screw and used heatsink compound. G4GHB.
Thanks for sharing your mods Bill! Your One-crystal CW filter mod sounds very interesting! Would you consider to share more technical details on it? It could be attractive for many people , having in mind the current deficit ( and price) of original YF-122 series or Inrad filters. So far, I only knew about a filter-replacement idea reviewed in an excellent article by Thomas K4SWL in his Qrper.com blog. Please let us know if you have already an article on your mod published somewhere! 73! Linas LY2H
@@Linas_LY2H Hi Linas, It was an xtal I bought over 40 years ago and never did anything with it, I don't know if that frequency can be obtained now as I can't find any. I didn't like the price of the available filters. I put a short video on YT but I took it off as it wasn't very good and intended doing another. I'll have to remember how I did it. It always went to G4GHB Bushcraft first. There is a photo of it inside the 817 and a short article in Practical Wireless, December 2019. 73, G4GHB.
My dream came true 1 year ago, I bought the FT-817, but not completely - I can't buy an antenna tuner for it anywhere. It's a pity. After many years of politics, our city is back in Russia, amateur radio structures are very slowly being restored. I'm worried that my retirement time won't be enough for a new attempt at a call sign. Thanks! Good luck to you! 73! ex.RB5MTK Yurij
Great, thanks for watching! The FT-710 is a fantastic rig, one of my favorits, especially the price vs quality aspect :) And the FT-817/818 is still available at the ralies etc. Have fun! 73! Linas LY2H
Yes a very nice, versatile little rig! I should clarify though that I have the 818, as I'm not sure the earlier models also have the higher charging capacity capability for charging Eneloop cells internally. I was also lucky enough to snag a couple of the filters for it for CW and SSB from Japan. That, and I have the wincamp pterosaur face side guards and folding legs installed. 73
I always think Yaesu missed the ball by not making this like a brick. It could be held in the hand and used like an ht. An ht that transmits and receives on hf as well as the common sw bands for ht would be gold. If the designers did their homework they could make a detachable battery like an ht. Also, in brick form, the screen could be enlarged and used much better. The designers should really talk to hams.
I bought my FT-817ND new around 2005. I added the W4RT dual Collins filter board and BHI DSP back then. Recently I added the Windcamp battery and powerpole modifications. I think it's a great little radio, but as I am nearly 60 now, I have great difficulty reading the display. To be honest, QRP isn't fun for me. That may change as we approach the top of the solar cycle. I also have a Kenwood TS-2000 and FT-857D I bought new all at the same time. The Kenwood is my shack radio and I added armor to the FT-857D to make it a backpack radio. I can easily read the display on the 857 and is my preferred portable rig.
Thanks for your comment! The same is here with the eye-sight, so the reading glasses is my best friend! And the big magnifying glass on top of the reading glasses when I need to solder something smd ... Well , but, on the other hand, the letters on my big-screen iPhone are still some 2 times smaller than the signs on my tiny FT-817 display :) So, not much choice- either we use spectacles, or we get a surgery, or both :) In any way, we stick to the hobby, right? 73! Linas LY2H
Thanks, ačiū for watching! There is a variety of 45-50W amps on the market, they will pop-up if searched for. I, personnaly like the MiNiPA-50 and the MicroPA-50, these two are the ones I actually have :). The Mini was originally designed to use specifically with the FT-817, mainly because of possibillity to automatically follow the bands switch on the radio via the ACC cable. It's a nice tiny PA , fine for light use in SSB mode. For more havy CW use, it takes a heatsink mod. One if the ways hiw to do it is elsewhere on my channel. The MicroPA-50 ( and MicroPA-50+ since recently) is more sofisticated , full of protective features PA, also automatic band detection/switching based on RF sensor etc. With the latest firmware installed, it has got most of the bugs fixed and is my favorite at the moment. It goes nicely together with most other QRP rigs too, like KX2, IC-705 etc. I have yet to test it in a more harsh field conditions when the wx conditions get back to decent :). HTH, 73! Linas LY2H
I have the bhi dsp. It says that it can't be installed with the Collins filter installed??? I can see I'm going to have to revisit this... I believe that mine is the replacement for the model you have installed???
Thank you for this information! It seems to me it's a mechanical problem, not the electronics conflict, as the dsp unit is designed for the low-level audio path. I've just red this on their website: "Unlike the previous NEDP1061-KBD DSP nosie cancelling module, this new direct replacement will only fit in the front position of the Yaesu FT-817/818. If you have extra filters installed in your FT-817/818 then you cannot fit the NEDSP1901-KBD module inside your radio. In this case might consider the new compact NES10-2MK4 DSP noise cancelling speaker." Sounds a bit weird. I thought the replacement is of similar size to the old one. As I don't have the new unit myself, so it would be interesting to know what other fellows think about it, is there a trick still, probably, on how to fit it in? 73! Linas LY2H
Sadly, yes, as it comes for the new parts. Luckily, the second hand market is still vibrant, these things, or an entire radio fit with everything, still might be found starting in small flea-markets, ending in big events like Friedrichshafen Ham Radio Messe (starting next week BTW :)) 73! Linas LY2H
Still have a original 817 and still use it today. No mods, as if it came straight out of the box. Love it. Made my first DX contact on the 817. 73 from VK3 land.
Hands down, BHI DSP should have come standard on the 817, with or without ND. The difference that it makes in the receive is night and day; literally. No more turning off the receiver because it's too harsh on the ear. Now I just want to listen hours on end, and makes it feels like the board also allows for the receiver to pull in weaker signals. Second, Portable Zero stand for portable use. Next, an aftermarket rechargeable battery to replace the one that came from the factory. Last but not least, the Kranker Knob which used to be sold by W4RT which is no longer available. There's one on eBay as a knock off but not sure if anyone has used it or if it's any good compared to the original Kranker.
strange but yarsu loves to stop making some very good radios. that with a couple up grades…maybe these radios need to be brought back. a ht i would try to buy two more of them. a muty condition i would buy at least one more. and a pack style i would buy 3 or -4 of them. ( same unit at home, in my truck, in my jeep and in my rv.) then maybe some new would find there way into a emp box. never to even have the factory box opened. and be stored away for a event that i hope will not happen .
It's not great anymore? WTF says ? ! If you believe the crap posted on the internet Your perfectly good FT-450 is suddenly obsolete because the knobs don't light up !
Well, its a bit of a tough road to hoe to get the g90 on 2M or 70cm SSB.. So, while the G90 has a few nice features, its missing the features i bought the 817/818 's for. As it stands now, there are no "small" multimode VHF/UHF rigs that were in the price range of those radios when they were discontinued.
@@charlieoscar09 Could you please share brand name for Transverter which sufficient on transmit. BTW, G90 firmware is still buggy and that is why I sold it =)
@@charlieoscar09 Humm.. you can buy 2 transverters for under $200? thats good. I paid about $650 for my 817 when I got it new about the 2nd year they were out. Got a 2nd one as a repack (guess thats called B stock now) a few years later for $525. Still have them both. I use them for portable satellite communications. I think that they would still be selling well now, if not for the semiconductors no longer in production.
The real challenge is getting your hands on a Collin’s mechanical filter in 2024. I made a tutorial on how to make your own filter about a year ago and that method doesn’t really work anymore because you can’t find the bare filter to solder onto a PCB anymore.
It's a pitty, really!
I have had my FT-897 for decades and was thrilled to get an FT-817ND. I was so thrilled with the radios that I influenced my son to buy his FT-857 and FT-818ND. Sure wish I could find an 857 for an affordable price! Excellent video Sir!
I recently acquired a used FT-817. It's an amazing radio and I love using it. It came with the pegs and Windcamp battery which I would strongly recommend every FT-817 user upgrade to. I'll have to look at the DSP mod.
Excellent! Thanks for sharing this Michael! It seems, like there is strong, and growing, community of fans of this time-proven little radio! 73! Linas LY2H
100% agree with all your comments. I've owned the FT-817N from it's release and also have added many mods including the DSP, filters, Pegleg, etc. Unfortunately W4RT has gone out of business as they were a major force in the FT817 modification business. Thanks for your postings.
I agree with your suggestions, thank you for a fine video.
I own two of them but only wit the filter upgrade. Great little rig, Tnx for the video.
I wish they still made this radio!
I have a FT818. I've installed a 300 HZ narrow filter, rails from portable zero and the windcamp 3 amp/hr battery. I also have the sotabeams external speech compressor for SSB work and a anderson power pole adapter on the power jack. All in all, this is a fun radio, sure it doesn't have all the latest things, but for going portable it's simply great. I don't have the courage to put one of the inside dsp boards - I'm afraid to break something. I would never forgive myself! 73 KB3JC
I have also the 300 Hz Collins filter so can comment on that. The sound with the 300 Hz filter is excellent - no ringing and no problem tuning around. I keep it engaged all the time. I have read somewhere that people who use digital modes prefer 500 Hz.@goinghomesomeday1
I recently purchased an FT817ND and FT818 on the used market. I am looking forward to learning how to use the radio. I am looking to use the radio when I go hiking. I will be purchasing a Collins mechanical filter if I can find one on the used market. Very informative video!
@@rider275 Thanks for watching and have a nice and dx-full hiking! 72! Linas LY2H
i have an 817nd i got used, multijog is glitchy, but it seems to recieve well, I like it.
i have a cage on it and use an external battery with powerpoles
I've got Yaesu FT-818 transceiver. Thanks for a video.
You showed of us with FT-817s do with our radios. Nice and I think now I can get the wincamp batter that would help.
Thanks for watching! Yes, the new Lithium battery is a "must-do" thing. Good luck! 73! Linas LY2H
I got mine in 2017 with £45 off as the 818 was coming out. I watched with interest what mods you proposed.
I use a bent piece of aluminium to raise the radio front. Cheap! And easily removed.
For a c.w. filter I tried a single 455 kHz HC6U xtal, it worked so I soldered it into position. Signals do leap out of the noise. Obviously not like a proper filter but cheap!
I also made a leather case for it and put an extra heatsink attached to the earth screw and used heatsink compound.
G4GHB.
Thanks for sharing your mods Bill! Your One-crystal CW filter mod sounds very interesting! Would you consider to share more technical details on it? It could be attractive for many people , having in mind the current deficit ( and price) of original YF-122 series or Inrad filters. So far, I only knew about a filter-replacement idea reviewed in an excellent article by Thomas K4SWL in his Qrper.com blog. Please let us know if you have already an article on your mod published somewhere! 73! Linas LY2H
@@Linas_LY2H Hi Linas,
It was an xtal I bought over 40 years ago and never did anything with it, I don't know if that frequency can be obtained now as I can't find any. I didn't like the price of the available filters.
I put a short video on YT but I took it off as it wasn't very good and intended doing another. I'll have to remember how I did it. It always went to G4GHB Bushcraft first.
There is a photo of it inside the 817 and a short article in Practical Wireless, December 2019.
73, G4GHB.
@@bill-2018 Thanks for replying Bill. I'd love to see that video! I'll try to find the PW too. 73! Linas LY2H
@@Linas_LY2H Yes okay, I'll try to remember what I did to upload one again.
Very nice Video, Linas. 73 de Uncle Günter 💯🙋♂
My dream came true 1 year ago, I bought the FT-817, but not completely - I can't buy an antenna tuner for it anywhere. It's a pity. After many years of politics, our city is back in Russia, amateur radio structures are very slowly being restored. I'm worried that my retirement time won't be enough for a new attempt at a call sign. Thanks! Good luck to you!
73! ex.RB5MTK Yurij
There are numerous antenna tuners including auto tuners that are FT 817/18 compatible.
I came to ham radio as these were being discontinued. I would love to have one, but I’m going to prioritize buying a FT-710 first.
Great, thanks for watching! The FT-710 is a fantastic rig, one of my favorits, especially the price vs quality aspect :) And the FT-817/818 is still available at the ralies etc. Have fun! 73! Linas LY2H
Thank you! 🤝
For me, the MARS mod, Eneloop AA cells, and pulling out the green wire so I can charge them in the case.
Very nice, tailor-made mods! 73! Linas LY2H
Yes a very nice, versatile little rig! I should clarify though that I have the 818, as I'm not sure the earlier models also have the higher charging capacity capability for charging Eneloop cells internally. I was also lucky enough to snag a couple of the filters for it for CW and SSB from Japan. That, and I have the wincamp pterosaur face side guards and folding legs installed. 73
I always think Yaesu missed the ball by not making this like a brick. It could be held in the hand and used like an ht. An ht that transmits and receives on hf as well as the common sw bands for ht would be gold. If the designers did their homework they could make a detachable battery like an ht. Also, in brick form, the screen could be enlarged and used much better. The designers should really talk to hams.
@@hillbilly4christ638 let's hope, designers read the comments section and will come up with something new! 73! Linas LY2H
I bought my FT-817ND new around 2005. I added the W4RT dual Collins filter board and BHI DSP back then. Recently I added the Windcamp battery and powerpole modifications. I think it's a great little radio, but as I am nearly 60 now, I have great difficulty reading the display. To be honest, QRP isn't fun for me. That may change as we approach the top of the solar cycle. I also have a Kenwood TS-2000 and FT-857D I bought new all at the same time. The Kenwood is my shack radio and I added armor to the FT-857D to make it a backpack radio. I can easily read the display on the 857 and is my preferred portable rig.
Thanks for your comment! The same is here with the eye-sight, so the reading glasses is my best friend! And the big magnifying glass on top of the reading glasses when I need to solder something smd ... Well , but, on the other hand, the letters on my big-screen iPhone are still some 2 times smaller than the signs on my tiny FT-817 display :) So, not much choice- either we use spectacles, or we get a surgery, or both :) In any way, we stick to the hobby, right? 73! Linas LY2H
@@Linas_LY2H
Lol! I have a pair of reading glasses everywhere I park my ass! Although I'm not a big fan of QRP, I still love my FT817ND!
You can use an
CAT interface based remote control (like on a tablet or a laptop) to make the info shown on a bigger screen . It's less portable though
There's a menu setting for display character size.
@@joewoodchuck3824
Yes, but it displays less information
Linai, as always, excellent video. I have an FT-818, just need more skills in using it. Could you suggest an amplifier for it up to 50W? Ačiū 73
Thanks, ačiū for watching! There is a variety of 45-50W amps on the market, they will pop-up if searched for. I, personnaly like the MiNiPA-50 and the MicroPA-50, these two are the ones I actually have :). The Mini was originally designed to use specifically with the FT-817, mainly because of possibillity to automatically follow the bands switch on the radio via the ACC cable. It's a nice tiny PA , fine for light use in SSB mode. For more havy CW use, it takes a heatsink mod. One if the ways hiw to do it is elsewhere on my channel.
The MicroPA-50 ( and MicroPA-50+ since recently) is more sofisticated , full of protective features PA, also automatic band detection/switching based on RF sensor etc. With the latest firmware installed, it has got most of the bugs fixed and is my favorite at the moment. It goes nicely together with most other QRP rigs too, like KX2, IC-705 etc. I have yet to test it in a more harsh field conditions when the wx conditions get back to decent :). HTH, 73! Linas LY2H
The Hard Rock 50 is quite popular in North America, it's 50W (and 40W for 6m) on HF.
Thans for nice movie, I have FT818ND and its a great radio. 73 de sp9rl
Nice radio
I have the bhi dsp. It says that it can't be installed with the Collins filter installed??? I can see I'm going to have to revisit this... I believe that mine is the replacement for the model you have installed???
Thank you for this information! It seems to me it's a mechanical problem, not the electronics conflict, as the dsp unit is designed for the low-level audio path. I've just red this on their website:
"Unlike the previous NEDP1061-KBD DSP nosie cancelling module, this new direct replacement will only fit in the front position of the Yaesu FT-817/818. If you have extra filters installed in your FT-817/818 then you cannot fit the NEDSP1901-KBD module inside your radio. In this case might consider the new compact NES10-2MK4 DSP noise cancelling speaker."
Sounds a bit weird. I thought the replacement is of similar size to the old one. As I don't have the new unit myself, so it would be interesting to know what other fellows think about it, is there a trick still, probably, on how to fit it in? 73! Linas LY2H
god job
sadly you cant get the DSP or the filter anymore
Sadly, yes, as it comes for the new parts. Luckily, the second hand market is still vibrant, these things, or an entire radio fit with everything, still might be found starting in small flea-markets, ending in big events like Friedrichshafen Ham Radio Messe (starting next week BTW :)) 73! Linas LY2H
Still have a original 817 and still use it today. No mods, as if it came straight out of the box. Love it. Made my first DX contact on the 817. 73 from VK3 land.
Fantastic, thanks for sharing your experience! 72! Linas LY2H
Hands down, BHI DSP should have come standard on the 817, with or without ND. The difference that it makes in the receive is night and day; literally. No more turning off the receiver because it's too harsh on the ear. Now I just want to listen hours on end, and makes it feels like the board also allows for the receiver to pull in weaker signals. Second, Portable Zero stand for portable use. Next, an aftermarket rechargeable battery to replace the one that came from the factory. Last but not least, the Kranker Knob which used to be sold by W4RT which is no longer available. There's one on eBay as a knock off but not sure if anyone has used it or if it's any good compared to the original Kranker.
Cool set-up you've got! CU on the bands! 73! Linas LY2H
strange but yarsu loves to stop making some very good radios. that with a couple up grades…maybe these radios need to be brought back.
a ht i would try to buy two more of them.
a muty condition i would buy at least one more. and a pack style i would buy 3 or -4 of them. ( same unit at home, in my truck, in my jeep and in my rv.)
then maybe some new would find there way into a emp box. never to even have the factory box opened. and be stored away for a event that i hope will not happen .
I'm sure Yaesu is listening ! May be they will come up with something new, digital, small, good and cheap. Let's hope for this! 73! Linas LY2H
KX3
It's not great anymore? WTF says ? ! If you believe the crap posted on the internet Your perfectly good FT-450 is suddenly obsolete because the knobs don't light up !
The thing is the Xiegu G90 is a better radio and sounded the death knell for the 817-818
Well, its a bit of a tough road to hoe to get the g90 on 2M or 70cm SSB.. So, while the G90 has a few nice features, its missing the features i bought the 817/818 's for. As it stands now, there are no "small" multimode VHF/UHF rigs that were in the price range of those radios when they were discontinued.
@@arnoldgrubbs2005 Not really....For what you pay for the G90 you can get a Transverter for vhf-uhf and still have spare money.
@@charlieoscar09 Could you please share brand name for Transverter which sufficient on transmit.
BTW, G90 firmware is still buggy and that is why I sold it =)
I would rather have a 817 any day over a Xiegu.
@@charlieoscar09 Humm.. you can buy 2 transverters for under $200? thats good. I paid about $650 for my 817 when I got it new about the 2nd year they were out. Got a 2nd one as a repack (guess thats called B stock now) a few years later for $525. Still have them both. I use them for portable satellite communications. I think that they would still be selling well now, if not for the semiconductors no longer in production.