Does anyone know if there are frequency adjustments in the “hidden” menus for the 8*7 family? There are a number of unlabeled items in the menu but I don’t think any of the labeled items shift the frequency.
I remember somewhere about 1970 Tom G3BA (SK) was the first in the Midlands to show up on 2m with SSB, in those days we were all on AM on 2m, and while our receivers were quite adequate for AM they were useless for SSB. It was not just that the BFO injection was too low so we had to back off the RF gain, the radios were hopelessly unstable for SSB, so we had to listen to his overs with one hand on the BFO to counter the drifting. Many of those that followed him were using homebrew phasing exciters and the stability of some of them left a lot to be desired! Nobody cared, though, it was new and exciting, and only a decade or so after the open hostility between the “Ancient Moders” and the “Donald Duck Brigade” as SSB appeared on the HF bands.
3 Likes
This!
2 Likes
You were very slightly off with me yesterday too, my dial was 144.310.12
I did try using the RIT function on the radio, but due to the positioning and ergonomics or where I have the radio, I ended up catching the main tuning dial more than once which obviously made the issue worse. It wasnt really an issue to me though, but being a strong signal helped with the clarity of the audio anyway.
Doesnt the IC-705 have GPS, which should lock the frequency? Or is it an option?
I have an old FT-290 which last time I tried it was a full 3khz off which is great fun as you chase someone up and down the band with it. Yes I should fix it, but it would still get used as much as it does now (which is not at all).
Ian
Happy days!
Looking in my old paper logbook, my first 2m SSB QSO was on 12/07/73 with local op Don G3UQH (SK) who had an entirely home brew solid state rig based on a DL6HA design, and was an inspiration in many ways. I was using a Trio TS510 HF transceiver and home brew transverter. First QSO with Tom G3BA on 2m SSB 15/09/73. I still have his old 6 ele 4m Yagi, but that’s another story.
1 Like
3 Likes
Variation between the displayed ‘dial’ and the actual tx frequencies in a 10–25-year-old FT817 is mainly due to aging of the reference oscillator, thermal instability of components, and the optional high-stability TCXO unit not being installed [Did anyone buy one?].
In very early 817s – like mine - crystal oscillators and IF transformers especially can shift over time, leading to significant, temperature-dependent frequency inaccuracies, especially on 2m and 70cm.
The PA gets hot regardless of the ambient temperature on summit and the heat will transfer quickly to the rest of the rig especially if the rig (with its heatsink) is inside a rain-protecting bag.
Even if there were ‘hidden’ menus – without the optional TCXO – it’s likely the tx frequency will drift from the new setting during the activation.
IMO the ‘solution’ is to make the SDR-only generation of operators aware that this is normal, and to read their rig’s UM how best to use the RIT, i.e. NOT to keep moving their SSB tx frequency to match the other station (which in turn, would make the other op having to tweak his RIT again).
Newcomers to VHF/UHF SSB/CW will discover it’s all part of the fun and the challenge (lowercase ‘c’) of non Just-press-the-PTT FM style of 2m/70cm operating.
2 Likes
Ahh, yes it does have GPS, I will to check it has a GPS lock, when I am out tomorrow.
I use Bluetooth headphones and just reading the IC705 manual, it does say that some Bluetooth devices can effect the GPS signal.
Edit: after a bit more research, apparently the IC705 doesn’t use GPS to lock frequency
1 Like
yes, I have one in my 817. Also after-market versions were available on the usual websites until recently anyway. But even though it is more stable, it still drifts a bit and has to be set to an average frequency after warming up a bit. the 817 gets very hot in the sun, so you just don’t expect it to be right on frequency. This is where having stable and accurate beacon signals helps a lot. we have a beacon in vk1 but its modulation is a hodge podge of various modes and I don’t know how stable the 1 wpm callsign fsk is anyway. The alternative that I use is to check the receiver against the local dxers who are using reference oscillators locked to GPS, several are. Then, knowing the rig is say 300 hz high on 2m means it is 900 hz high on 432. mental calculations are good for you on cold hilltops… it all comes down to being familiar with the equipment you use and knowing what approach to take when someone is “off frequency” - is it you or them or both of you? add to that the tendency of many ops to tune so voices are high pitched.
73
Andrew vk1da
4 Likes
Just an update, keeping my IC705 wrapped in a fleece, has vastly improved the frequency drift. The transceiver is now also noticeably warm when packing away, instead of feeling cold.
3 Likes
I’ll be putting on G/SP-014 for the Challenge within the next 30 minutes. Point your beams just east of Preston!
1 Like
And btw congrats to Michael @OE5HKT for reaching 1.000.000+
7 Likes
And also congrats to Thomas @DF7TR for reaching 1.000.000+ chaser points
6 Likes
Great to see that we both completed the first million points today, still during the first month of the challenge!
One of us freezing for most of his points 
Congratulations!
Many thanks to all activators. I already made some amazing QSOs on 2m during the last weeks that I will remember for long and I am really looking forward to the rest of the year 
4 Likes
Some impressive scores being made and good to see the extra activity on SSB with IO83 being the place to be (in England at least).
Would be insteresting to see the split between 2m and 70cm at some point. It seems that 2m is getting the most of the attention, but I only know from my own experience and not if it is replicated elsewhere.
1 Like
That’s not surprising given the way the Challenge points work. Having worked 2m SSB (or CW) you get no extra points inviting those same chasers to work you on 70cm. A pity if you want to encourage and increase activity for all four combinations.
Contrast that with the 2026 WOTA 2m/70cm SSB/CW points scheme where you get 1 point per band / mode combination (i.e. up to 4 points) per summit (chasers don’t need to be unique).
SOTA rewards (the activator) on number of QSOs and their distances times number of summits versus diversity of bands and modes per summit for WOTA. Both approaches have pros and cons.
1 Like
Great stuff. I hope Comreg, Ofcom and equivalents worldwide are thinking “what’s all this activity on 2m and 70cm? Darn! Just when we were about to announce their closure after the AM/MW/LW switch off! How dare they foil our plans!” 
4 Likes
I just managed to qualify G/WB-005 on 2m SSB today, with four contacts, and one reserve contact on 2m FM. At that point, the SWR on my ladder line JPole flicked up to infinity and everything stopped. A quick visual inspection didn’t reveal the cause, and it was too cold and wet to investigate in detail.
Thanks to @MW7MWZ, @G4HQB, @GW1OFA, @M3PKR and @2E0IIV. Apologies to anyone waiting their turn to call.
Quite a popular summit, even in this murk, but I had cleared the kit off the topograph before anyone else arrived.
Looking forward to the next one :o)
7 Likes
You were out a little early for me today (I had to wait for a Sainsbury’s delivery and for the weather to improve before I could get out). I don’t know if we would have made it but I hope we get chance during the year.
G/NP-028 looked a little bit like your photos. There wasn’t that much snow - just a dusting - but the visibility was the same.
3 Likes
noting this thread has 99 posts, it’s appropriate for me to post #100.
The 2m/70cm challenge has boosted activity on those bands in the Canberra area. On a recent activation of Mt Stromlo I found a problem occurred on 432 where the ft817 power output meter indicated full output without any audio input to the mike. suspecting an RF feedback issue I made several changes to the setup including output power level and disconnecting the speech compressor normally in the mike lead. None of those changes removed the problem and it even occurred on cw and AM mode. Having included a home made dummy load on a BNC plug in my kit I tried that and found it also occurred there. to cut a long story short I ended up on 2m with the dummy load plugged into the front panel antenna socket. Then I heard Al vk1rx about 10-12 km away on another summit and I gave him a call, sure enough we completed an S2S contact using 4 x 220 ohm resistors as an antenna. A few days later I was operating the same gear in my backyard and made a contact with Andrew VK1AD on Black Mt, a similar distance.
So I suggest a subset of the challenge this year is to make contacts at good distances using a dummy load. There would be extra points for S2S contacts or for using the lowest power level from the 817, normally 0.5w. Entries via mail to my PO box, cash donations at the contestant’s whim.
73 Andrew vk1da
PS. decided eventually this apparent instability problem was due to the relay contacts on the antenna selector relay, the problem only occurred with the front connector and those contacts are the normally closed set. Exercising the Front/Rear relay using deep menu #7 seemed to clean the contacts as the problem stopped happening. The relay cleaning function in the 857 and 897(?) is not in the early model 817. the instability is presumably due to the contacts having enough resistance to increase the impedance of the antenna, especially on 432 mhz, thus putting the amplifier into unknown territory with a high impedance load. Whenever this happened I dropped the PTT to avoid damaging the final amplifier. So far that is working. It still seems to output 5w on that setting.
3 Likes