Yaesu FT-818

Finally, details surfaced about the Yaesu FT-817 replacement. We know it’s still a superheterodyne and covers 0.1 to 470MHz, but not much else. probably just a refresh of the FT-817 because some parts went obsolete.

I guess ETA will be early 2019.

I’m hoping for LiPo internal battery, a large screen and IF-DSP, at least.

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Usually this information appears around 1 April and this is already so fast…
I will believe what the price and the ready radio will be
73 de Mariusz sp9amh (FT817 user)

I thought the indignation of the reviewer that it wasn’t SDR based etc. was most entertaining.

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The FCC joining in an early April fool? :rofl:

Hm, no deep links allowed, it seems. Click on “details can be found on the FCC website” then click on “FCC ID on FCCgov” which directs you to the FCC documents.

Not sure what you mean Andy (@MM0FMF) , shouldn’t we want progress ? SDR has obvious advantages and Elecraft is putting them to good use with the KX3 (and then KX2) since 7 years ago, lauching a “new” radio in 2018 that wants to compete but is not SDR is ridiculous in my book. SDR simplifies hardware, significantly improves performance, brings many features etc.

Mariusz (@SP9AMH), this time it’s for real. FCC published test results and assigned an FCCID:

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It’s the faux indignation that is amusing. I’m fairly convinced that Yaesu have sufficient clue about their customers for such a radio, that this will sell enough. The suggestion it’s a facelift due to obsolete components etc. is reasonable. 817s must still be selling well enough that the costs in updating the model to this spec are justified such that the 818 replacement will sell.

I have no doubt Yaesu will have a variety of SDR internals in various stages of development and will roll out a fleet of new SDR based radios at some point. Most likely when the production and design costs of the current radios are suitable amortized and recovered.

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Razvan, I’m hoping for more than 5W output. SSB still exist.

Better yet, dsp driven speech processing. No increase in peak power but a 5x increase in effectiveness. If you load up a compact low power radio too much it becomes a power hungry heavy lump.

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This radio has been around for 20 years and they’re still struggling to work out how to improve it! Just goes to show you what an amazing radio it has been - a game changer, and the next game changer is still nowhere to be seen!

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Indeed. No indignation from my part but the announce of the new FT-818 by ML&S is a little bit… (you name it)…

“Big differences” to the old 817:

  • 6W with external power
  • New Ni-MH battery pack (SBR-32MH) - 9,6V/1900mAH
  • TCXO-9 included
  • 5 MHz band
  • 208 memories (200 in the 817 …)

The good stuff: Prices of the 817 start to decrease… (https://www.hamradio.co.uk/amateur-radio-mobile-radio-yaesu-mobile-radio/yaesu/yaesu-ft-817nd-mf-hf-vhf-uhf-transceiver-pd-2459.php)

Image from Martin Lynch & sons (https://www.hamradio.co.uk/amateur-radio-mobile-radio-yaesu-mobile-radio/yaesu/yaesu-ft-818-6w-hf-vhf-uhf-all-mode-portable-transceiver-pd-8595.php)
yaesu ft-818

73 de Pedro, CT1DBS

It’s mind boggling that Yaesu evidently didn’t add a speech processor (compressor) to the FT-818.

Barry N1EU

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from Pedros summary of the FT-818:

  • 208 memories (200 in the 817 …)

This alone would be reason enough to buy a new radio!
73 Heinz

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The real difference is just these 8 memories???
5 MHz in 817 works normally, I made hundreds QSO on 60m with 817
6W? No problem, you can modify the service menu to get 10 or more…
Battery 1.9Ah? You can buy 3Ah (or more)
TCXO? What’s the problem to buy with him?
It must be a joke …
vy 73 de Mariusz

Hi Barry,

My interpretation is that this minor upgrade was simply to replace no longer easily obtainable parts or ones where better / cheaper options were available without having to do any design changes.

Any major changes would probably have been what we would have got, had there been an FT-791 released.

You could call the FT-818 an FT-817ND mark II.

I think Yaesu realised they still have a good product in the FT-817 that still sells well, so why make any major changes.

73 Ed.

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From what I can tell. It looks like they couldn’t improve the ft817 for similar price point so they have re-released it. Not worth buying imho if you have a ft817 already.

Exactly Ed.

What competition is there for the 817?

KX2? Costs a lot more, does HF RX much better, doesn’t do VHF/UHF.

IC703? Long out of production.

Chinese stuff: Longevity? Build quality? Second hand value?

Altoids radios? Loads of designs to buy as kits or self supply and build. Appeals to different market place.

To my uneducated eye, there’s nothing in direct competition. Noticeable is the provision of NiCD battery and not Lithium. Yaesu want dealers and purchasers to be able to ship this radio in the post without major hassle.

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I’ll let you know Andy but I’m slowly starting to see the advantages of the X108G from Xiegu apart from just the extra power. The dispaly is easy to read and the receiver is better than the Ft-817s). Of course it doesn’t have VHF/UHF but I hardly ever use my 817 for that.

The FT-817, FT-817ND and FT-817ND Mark II (sorry FT-818) are good radios and probably have still a fairly long lifetime ahead of them.

What else would one use to drive a microwave transverter with ??

73 Ed.

Would 10 watts perhaps exceed the tolerances of other components in the FT-817? Or perhaps the emissions and IMD would no longer be to the stated specifications. That said, if it can be turned all the way up to 10 watts in the service menu, I would be seriously tempted to try 6; is that what has happened here…?
The rumour mill had it that Yaesu had run out of those annoyingly small LCD screens, hence the upgrade. I know the FT-817 is still a great radio, but those screens are a real pain for older hams who have bad eyesight. They made a good decision when they changed the screen for the FT-891, so they clearly appreciate the fact that it is an easy improvement to make. What this tells us is that the FT-817 is selling in sufficient quantities as to not need a major redesign.
de OE6FEG / M0FEU
Matt

Altoids radios? Where? Please tell!
I know about Rock mites, but I have a gazillion of those. FOXX is a bit novelty with it’s pixie style receiver. The Chinese Pixie is also not much more than novelty.

You got some hard figures for that?