Ft-817nd

[Andy N1ORK]

Has anyone used the Yaseu FT-817ND? I was toying with the idea of getting one for portable QRP work during day trips, vacations away from regular ham gear and possibly cruises. Originally I just wanted a good SW reciever for listening away from the shack, but the good ones are almost as expensive as the 817. This way, I can always try som 2.5W CW or SSB. Also, what would be a decent, small, portable antenna to use with the 817? I've read a few comments on the MFJ-1899T and it looks promising. GigaParts has a good price on the 817 now and I'm thinking of taking advantage of it. Any comments or suggestions would be helpful.
73
Andy - n1ork

[W9WLS]

Andy: I have some limited experience with one as it belongs to a friend in Georgia, But , based on what I've seen of it the 817 is comparable to my 857 ( without the 100 watt PA of course).
Battery life doesn't seem to be too bad (but $$$ to replace if necessary).
I wouldn't mind having one , but cannot think of any good reason to justify it at the moment.

[K3NOQ/Mobile]

I had a SSB qso the other day with a fella backpacking on a mountain in Hawaii on 17 mtrs. Hiro was using a FT817 with a 7 AH battery and if I remember correctly, a dipole made from two hamsticks. It was a nice qso, we had a clear frequency and that helped. Quite a surprise as I was operating mobile near San Antonio Texas.

[Andy N1ORK]

Originally Posted by W9WLS

Andy: I have some limited experience with one as it belongs to a friend in Georgia, But , based on what I've seen of it the 817 is comparable to my 857 ( without the 100 watt PA of course).
Battery life doesn't seem to be too bad (but $$$ to replace if necessary).
I wouldn't mind having one , but cannot think of any good reason to justify it at the moment.

John W9WLS,
I also have an 857 for use up at camp in NH and an 847 for the home QTH. I wanted to get a good SWL RCVR, so I said why not the 817? It's self contained and I can use it for QRP when the urge gets me.

John K3NOQ/Mobile,
I have used my 20m 'Ham Stick' dipole with good success while camping. Granted it was with the 857 at 100w, but I was in the woods and not on top of a mountain.

I need to make my decision today before the sale and free shpping ends.

Thanks for the input!

[One Country Boy]

Let us know what you decided Andy.

[Andy N1ORK]

Originally Posted by One Country Boy

Let us know what you decided Andy.

Well, I ordered it. Should be here in 3 - 7 working days. Should be a lot of fun to try out on our next cruise or trip. Should only need the built in battery pack or a small 7ah sealed one with a solar trickle charger. Will give results later.
73
Andy - n1ork

[Andy N1ORK]

The 817 came in today and the batteries are charging for 7hrs. Hope to try it out with an antenna tomorrow.

[KE5ZRT]

Congratulations on the new rig. It is a neat radio in a small package. Very nice!