Hi, after 5 years of SOTA’ing on 2m FM, I am now putting together portable kit for HF.
Can somebody point me in the right direction for modding the 817ND to allow TX on 5Mhz. I have tried WidebanderV4 by M0BMN, but doesn’t seem to work, not sure if is because I have the ND version. Worked ok for my 857.
73’s
Allan
MM1BJP
In reply to MM1BJP:
Hi Allan
Recent ones need a hardware mod. due to apparent “issues” between the FCC and Yaesu.
www.mods.dk has it if someone else here doesn’t have the details.
My 706 needed one and although I got the info. for it, I wasn’t confident with removing very small SMT type components so an emporium did it for £20 while I waited… or rather played with the radios on display.
Good luck…
73 Marc G0AZS
Hi Allan
I wanted to use my FT817nd on 5megs and also tried the software options. No luck. It has to be a hard modification. Like Marc I wasn’t confident and didn’t want to ruin my warranty so I got the supplier to do the modification. It wasn’t particularly expensive and it works well.
Q GW3BV
In reply to MM1BJP:
Hi Allan,
Please find VIA EMAIL complete with attached WORD doc, the hardware-mod info you require for the FT817ND.
I did this mod myself after info gathering exercise from Mods.dk, M0JDK (John, who also did his own) and a Yaesu UK workshop technician. It is no big deal if you’re careful. The photos on page 2 were taken by me, pre-mod & post-mod. The notes in blue show how my rig (a 1 year old ND) differs from the Mods.dk website dismantling instructions (probably based on an earlier rig which is not an ND). The later ND’s are easier because you don’t need to tough the BNC nut.
I did my own IC706 Mk2G too but broke and had to repair a very tiny PCB track, so be careful. The 817 is not as hard to do as the 706 though.
Hope it’s a success. I assume you have the licence NOV. For operating protocols on 5 MHz, you could do worse that to consult John GW4BVE. It’s a case of keeping the SOTA good name but you probably know all that already!
Hope it mods OK,
73, John G4YSS.
In reply to G4YSS:
Hi Allan
I did the hard mod myself on my 857 which is very similar to the 817 mod.
The secret is to be careful and take your time. You will need a good eye and a steady hand but it’s easy enough.
Good luck.
73 Mike GW0DSP
Many thanks to everyone for the info. I have modded radio as described and seems to be working ok. Away to program all my settings back in…hi.
Hopefully speak to you soon on HF, just finalising my SOTA kit for HF.
Thanks
73’s
Allan
MM1BJP
In reply to MM1BJP:
It’ll be good to have another GM active on HF. You’ll have a good number of chasers for those hills Allan if your results are anything like mine. Hopefully you’ll be testing the gear tomorrow and we might be able to have an S2S. WX reports look OK, cloud base excepted, for around Loch Tay area so that’s where I’ll be tomorrow. Just not too sure which summit or summits yet!
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to G4YSS:
Hi,
Having recentky passed the advanced and got the NOV. I’d like to modify my 817nd for 5mhz. Do you still have this info available. Its so old I can no longer find it on mods.dk
Regards Paul (M0TVU) aka 2E0CVU
In reply to 2E0CVU:
Don’t know whether this is of any help?
73 Graham G4FUJ
In reply to 2E0CVU:
Hi Paul,
I have found ur email address. I will send you something today or tomorrow,
(Roy SSH - thanks for alerting this.)
HNY & 73, John.
Link above from Graham G4FUJ may well be of help too - I haven’t seen it or investigated. Might provide crosscheck.
18:40; Required info - procedure & photos - off to you via email, Good luck, 73, John.
Heres a photo I took of a friends FT-817 after I done the mod.
Looking at the photo, it was originally
: | | | | : : : :
and now
| | | | : : : : :
So, unsolder the 5th from left and solder the 1st from left. Use a small soldering iron and some small desolder braid.
Once done, hold V/M and F whilst powering on to fully reset the radio.
Good luck! John.
In reply to MM1BJP:
One important thing to note:
The mods people are telling you about are not a 5MHz Tx mod! They are a wideband mod, after the mod is done the rig will Tx anywhere there is no longer any band edge protection so you need to be much more careful before pressing the PTT.
Colin G8TMV