Yaesu FT-818 -- The FT-817ND Replacement Available Soon

I’d like to think that maybe this is Yaesu’s way to buy themselves some time while they work on a truely redesigned QRP rig. The 818 was an easy way out to stay in the QRP game while continuing to get every last mile out of the highly successful FT-817 series.

If anything good has come out of the release of the FT-818 it’s a thread like this that shows the hope that everyone has for Yaesu to follow up the FT-817/FT-818 with a modernized version of these radios.

I think in a reasonable period of time we’ll see that from Yaesu. With very basic QRP radios like the uBitx available for $109 flying off the shelf, Yaesu has a tough road ahead to design and sell an $800 radio, especially one that they expect to stay in their lineup as long as the FT-817 has.

 

Wow a Whole 6 Watts 1 watt more. Yaesu needs a Ham making Ham Radios.

 

Where are you getting this information from?

The FT-817 uses a Mitsubishi RD07MVS1 MOSFET.

They are not obsolete and are current production.

Even the supply situation is clearly indicated on the Mitsubishi website:

http://www.mitsubishielectric.com/s...DER=/product/highfrequency/siliconrf/discrete

 

Why not spend a few more dollars and buy the 857D and just turn down the power...

 

Good idea but for some minimalists, it would not be the same. Many 'packers want all those frequencies in one little box along with an antenna and some batteries. If they want to stuff it all in a big lunch box or backpack, the 817-type radio makes more sense. There are many radios of this kind out there both from abroad and from here. More pros and cons...

Personally, I'd prefer the 857D. However, I remember a fellow ham who had that or a similar radio several years ago and the HF frequencies worked but the finals for the upper freqs went belly-up and he said replacements (he even looked for similar equivalents) would have cost more than a used radio of the same type. He found a buyer who didn't want/need the upper freqs. Don't remember if it was the 857, though.

 

Did you ever see the 857d current draw specifications while receiving?

FT-817nd = 300 milliamps
FT-857d = 1 Amp

 

I bought an FT-2000D almost 11 years ago and still use it daily, been very good rig.. does all I want. I sure wouldn't sell it for any HF rig available today.

 

Yep, they missed the boat by a mile. I'd have been interested in a more 'maker-friendly' radio, with a direct connector for transverters, one for an IF tap, maybe a CAT connection that allowed you to attach a Raspberry Pi (or equivalent) and a 7 0r 8 inch touch screen (& possibly an SDR dongle) to allow for touch screen rig control AND some degree of spectrum display AND possibly running digital modes, all portable if desired. Heck, they could have put in a sound-card chip and a USB connector.

 

If Yaesu dealers run out of 817s and only list the 818s, I think the market price of good used 817s will go up. Not selling mine.

 

Thank you! You beat me to the post.

With resect to QRP radios so many people make comments about buying a 100 watt radio and turning the power down but never take into consideration the current draw, especially on receive. For true portable operations, a radio with low current draw is critical for extended operation unless you want to carry a large power source.

Also, if you are operating QRP in a contest, I've seen many rules that state that your radio must not be capable of transmitting over some certain wattage. Working true QRP in that type of a contest is not possible with 100 watt radio if you're going to follow the rules.

 

Stop making sense!!

 

Worth repeating.

73,
Al

 

Shrug. From what I thought I read up thread somewhere. Thanks for the information.

 

https://www.gigaparts.com/yaesu-ft-818-transceiver.html Gigaparts.com $849.00. https://www.gigaparts.com/yaesu-ft-857d.html $849.95 for FT-857. For $0.95 you can get 100 watts instead of 6 watts.

 

Sure, at more than three times the receive current draw, among other things.

They serve different purposes.