I'll get one of these. I charged the stock battery for 6 hrs using the internal charger. The following day I switched on the radio, ... nothing! External PSU wouldn't start it either. I must have blown that fuse you mentioned. I hope its just that and nothing more serious. It doesn't draw any residual current at all off the psu. The Windcamp system might save me a lot of grief in the future if I manage to get my 817ND fixed.
No, it still uses the Yaesu’s on board battery meter and will show when its running low. I can’t quite remember much else as I’ve now sold that radio on. Many thanks for watching, best 73’
I suspect there is no circuitry inside the battery to protect against running too low so the normal rules apply. My guess is LiPo batteries should never be discharged below 3.0V/cell, or it may permanently damage them. Ideally you never want to go below 3.2v per cell to maintain a healthy battery. So in the case of the Windcamp you have 3 x 3.2 Volts = 9.6 Volts. This is absolute minimum. To be safe don’t go below 10V. Note: 2.9v per cell and lower will cause permanent damage. I think this is correct and any comments welcome if not so.
Hi Mike great video👍🏻 I’ve just purchased a ft-817nd myself and was a bit worried about the battery not performing to well, how are you finding this battery and how it performing out in the field?
Hi Andy, thank you. Appreciate it. I've used the windcamp battery now for a while and it's been one of the best investments in the 817 I've made. When I've gone out portable before having this, I used to lug around a small sealed battery or an external power pack. But with this is much lighter in my backpack and lasts a really good while. Also it only takes 2-3 hours to charge it's simply fantastic. The other investment I made was the wonderwand widebander antenna system, it gives you three options for a portable antenna, a telescopic antenna (supplied), a banana plug then gives the option to use a long wire or magloop type antenna. You won't be disappointed with the windcamp battery at all. 73'
That's great to hear Mike I think it could be next on my purchase list, I also bought the wonderwand widebander MKii so it's great to know you're getting good use out of it, I'm new to amateur radio and am hopefully gonna be starting my foundation soon there is a club locally to me so that's a bonus, I've heard good things about these radios and it will be a great accompaniment to me on my travels in the outdoors. All the best mate 73's👍
Can you charge it and AND use the radio at the same time? The stock battery requires the radio to be off to charge unless one has the radio connected to a 12V charging source and not the battery charger wall wart.
Can you still use the AC power jack in the back of the radio while this battery is installed and connected? Could you also use an external battery while this battery is installed and connected? If you did either of those would you want to turn the battery switch Off while using the alternate power source? Thank you.
With the windcamp battery you'll have an AC power lead and plug, plug that into the wall as normal and switch the battery pack to off and charge as normal. You can also run the radio from a power supply or in a car with the supplied power lead that came with the 817 from new. Just make sure the battery pack is switch to off in both circumstances.
@@OntheMicwithMike thank you for your time Mike and coming back to me ! will need to get one of these :) www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WINDCAMP-WLB-817S-3000mAh-LIPO-Battery-for-Yaesu-FT-817-FT-818-Charger-Hatch/313025581401?hash=item48e1c75159:g:a2kAAOSwa29eabrK
@@OntheMicwithMike is this were you got it from Mike just worried if i buy it t won't be for the uk market ! sorry being a pain ! but thanks for your help !
@@OntheMicwithMikeThanks Mike appreciate your time ill get one and let you know how i get on will definitely watch your vid to fit it ! again thanks for posting great help !
for such a good radio (ft817), yaesu could have stepped up and improved so much so easily in the ft818. maybe if they get there heads out of the dark place they are in now. bring out a IMPROVED ft819? 4000? maybe 5000 mah battery lifepo4 chemistry with a better charging time. better input electrical connection. leave the choice of tuner to the open market. better speech processor in the mike. two filter mounts. or better yet installed at the factory. maybe better output. (10W). but for qrp low power is where it's at. but then this unit was meant to be a light backpacker radio. not so heavy it would be forgotten at home. over a light handy walky unit.
I'll get one of these. I charged the stock battery for 6 hrs using the internal charger. The following day I switched on the radio, ... nothing! External PSU wouldn't start it either. I must have blown that fuse you mentioned. I hope its just that and nothing more serious. It doesn't draw any residual current at all off the psu. The Windcamp system might save me a lot of grief in the future if I manage to get my 817ND fixed.
Excellent video very informative that battery is a good idea.
Does Windcamp tell you at what voltage level you should stop using the battery and re-charge it? Thanks for a great video!
No, it still uses the Yaesu’s on board battery meter and will show when its running low. I can’t quite remember much else as I’ve now sold that radio on. Many thanks for watching, best 73’
I suspect there is no circuitry inside the battery to protect against running too low so the normal rules apply. My guess is LiPo batteries should never be discharged below 3.0V/cell, or it may permanently damage them. Ideally you never want to go below 3.2v per cell to maintain a healthy battery. So in the case of the Windcamp you have 3 x 3.2 Volts = 9.6 Volts. This is absolute minimum. To be safe don’t go below 10V.
Note: 2.9v per cell and lower will cause permanent damage. I think this is correct and any comments welcome if not so.
Hi Mike great video👍🏻 I’ve just purchased a ft-817nd myself and was a bit worried about the battery not performing to well, how are you finding this battery and how it performing out in the field?
Hi Andy, thank you. Appreciate it. I've used the windcamp battery now for a while and it's been one of the best investments in the 817 I've made. When I've gone out portable before having this, I used to lug around a small sealed battery or an external power pack. But with this is much lighter in my backpack and lasts a really good while. Also it only takes 2-3 hours to charge it's simply fantastic. The other investment I made was the wonderwand widebander antenna system, it gives you three options for a portable antenna, a telescopic antenna (supplied), a banana plug then gives the option to use a long wire or magloop type antenna.
You won't be disappointed with the windcamp battery at all. 73'
That's great to hear Mike I think it could be next on my purchase list, I also bought the wonderwand widebander MKii so it's great to know you're getting good use out of it, I'm new to amateur radio and am hopefully gonna be starting my foundation soon there is a club locally to me so that's a bonus, I've heard good things about these radios and it will be a great accompaniment to me on my travels in the outdoors.
All the best mate 73's👍
Very useful! 73 Mike
Thanks Tim :) 73 mate.
Can you charge it and AND use the radio at the same time? The stock battery requires the radio to be off to charge unless one has the radio connected to a 12V charging source and not the battery charger wall wart.
I’ve sold on the Yaesu quite recently but from what I can recall, no you can’t use the radio while the windcamp battery is charging.
Cool setup
Дякую! Дуже гарно, навіть питань нема.
You dont need to release the screw. the slider ist enough.
Can you still use the AC power jack in the back of the radio while this battery is installed and connected? Could you also use an external battery while this battery is installed and connected? If you did either of those would you want to turn the battery switch Off while using the alternate power source? Thank you.
As long as the windcamp battery is switched off, yes you can use an external power source with it.
How can you tell when the battery is charged and how long does it take
I can't quite remember. This is an old video and I've no longer got the radio or the battery pack anymore.
The supplied charger has a red l.e.d. for charging and green for fully charged
Many thanks for this useful video.
thanks nice review 73 from kb2uew
Can this battery be charged with a solar panel?
I’d very much doubt it. It takes 4 hrs to charge with AC as it is.
@On The Mic with Mike ok Thanks I would like to get one that I could recharge by solar if I needed to
How do you plug it into our mains ? from charger ! thanks for the video too - Nye
With the windcamp battery you'll have an AC power lead and plug, plug that into the wall as normal and switch the battery pack to off and charge as normal. You can also run the radio from a power supply or in a car with the supplied power lead that came with the 817 from new. Just make sure the battery pack is switch to off in both circumstances.
@@OntheMicwithMike thank you for your time Mike and coming back to me ! will need to get one of these :)
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WINDCAMP-WLB-817S-3000mAh-LIPO-Battery-for-Yaesu-FT-817-FT-818-Charger-Hatch/313025581401?hash=item48e1c75159:g:a2kAAOSwa29eabrK
@@OntheMicwithMike is this were you got it from Mike just worried if i buy it t won't be for the uk market ! sorry being a pain ! but thanks for your help !
@@superflynye no bother at all. Yes I got mine from China. As long as you pay via PayPal you're covered so no worries :)
@@OntheMicwithMikeThanks Mike appreciate your time ill get one and let you know how i get on will definitely watch your vid to fit it ! again thanks for posting great help !
How much is the Battery Capacity?
3000mAh 👍🏻
for such a good radio (ft817), yaesu could have stepped up and improved so much so easily in the ft818. maybe if they get there heads out of the dark place they are in now. bring out a IMPROVED ft819?
4000? maybe 5000 mah battery lifepo4 chemistry with a better charging time.
better input electrical connection.
leave the choice of tuner to the open market.
better speech processor in the mike.
two filter mounts. or better yet installed at the factory.
maybe better output. (10W). but for qrp low power is where it's at.
but then this unit was meant to be a light backpacker radio. not so heavy it would be forgotten at home. over a light handy walky unit.
Can you reccomend a company in China to order from as all of the one's i have looked at have bad feedback, regards John 26 CT 1582.
Ordered mine from eBay user: jewedding (99.3% positive feedback).
Full tracking from China to UK throughout.
Hope that helps, 73'
And don't forget to save those plastic boxes!!!!! You just never know what you might find use for them......
Very handy actually they are :)