Here’s a clue: The discontinued INRAD 500 kHz Collins filter for the 847, model #705, is the same for the 857. The 500 crystal filters from INRAD do not include CW for the 857. So, if the filter being offered is Collins on a Yaesu board, I’d bet you are in business.
I have two Collins CW filters that would fit, but they currently reside in my two 817’s.
Elliott, K6EL
Hi John (@K6YK )
It is “fun” to see how some threads expand and weave, so thanks for circling back on this. I think what I learnt reading the thread is;
a) It’s hard to find 857 filters
b) Should consider an after market audio filter such as the SOTABeams
c) Wide-open the 857 might work for example on 10m and on a quiet day
d) Maybe consider dragging the K2/100 out instead of the 857
Privately, Paul @G4IPB messaged me with an offer of a 500Hz once back in UK and operating as @M0SNA.
To @K6EL clarification, if your filter is a Collins on a Yaesu board I’d love to be the owner as I have two 857Ds to support my split life as W6PNG, here in Cal and M0SNA in the UK. I’ve long given up trying to predict what I will do at either destination and bring something to match and so a limited amount of basic duplication is accepted.
While I really like my Elecraft gear I was a Yaesu owner before acquiring Elecraft and still have a big admiration for the 867D which I think despite limitations is a great QRO SOTA rig.
Paul
At the risk of yet more weaving … I read a lot of topics on this reflector and often the expanding and weaving turn out to to be the most interesting part. Many topics ‘die’ young as contributions quickly run out of steam. The meanderings keep the topic alive and new readers often bring it back on topic.
I’m also a fan of ‘zombie threads’ [topics revived after a long period of dormancy] as they also lead to a lively discussion on a relevant subject for a new audience.
Hi Paul
From my experience of CW (very limited), and ears (I think very good for SSB, not so good when connected to my brain for CW), I’ll agree with @MM0FMF Andy that I found operating CW without a narrow filter in the 857 very challenging when there were adjacent signals. Installing a 300 Hz filter transformed that experience.
Best of luck!
Mark. M0NOM
As a result of following this thread I went back to the original reviews for the 857. One thing that I found was that the original FT-857 (none D) was apparently sold without the DSP unit that gave the narrow audio frequency filters. The DSP unit could be bought seperately, it was designated DSP-2. I find it amusing that one retailer is selling a second-hand FT-857 for exactly the same price as it cost brand new in 2003!
Since it was discontinued prices have soared on the 2nd hand market. It’s hard to argue with its’ shack-in-the-box capabilities but the FT-891 is arguably a much better rig from a signal processing perspective - I suspect HF CW would be much easier on one, maybe someone can comment who has compared the two.
I treasure my FT-857, it is such a solid and reliable rig.
Mark
My work colleague has a 2007 Land Rover Defender 90 Td5. It’s now worth twice what he paid for it in 2014. It’s in perfect condition and low miles only 125k. People still want them and they don’t make them new. The replacement is a fine vehicle but not quite such a working vehicle and they cost £60-90k new! So the price of old good ones is silly now.
The same with 857. It’s not the best radio or the worst. But there’s nothing else that does what the 857 does in one box and is easily portable. The 857 is competent at everything it does. And with nothing else on sale new, the values of well looked after 857s has shot up. The nearest competitor is the Icom IC706MkIIG. But they are more sensitive to supply voltage and have been out of production for longer.
It’s not so clear cut with the 817s as there are other QRP all mode radios on sale new. Such as the IC-705 and in HF only there are the Chinese radios as well. So 817 prices are not so “desire inflated”.
People do seem to think that because their radio was pricey when they bought it, it must still be valuable. But in reality you see people asking daft amounts for late 90s early 00s radios. Boxes filled with custom and unobtainable components. How much is a 25 year old laptop worth now in comparison to it’s new price?
And in case nobody had noticed as time flies along, even a current FT-891 has been on sale for 8 years now!
And since manufacturers tend to do a production run and warehouse the products while re-tooling for another product, a newly bought FT-891 may already be eight years old!
I prefer not to use CW filter on FT-857. The reason for this that some stations call at the edge of passband, and you will miss those stations if you will use narrow CW filter.
73! Oleh
KD7WPJ
It is true that you can buy late 20th century behemoths like the FT-920 or 950 for about the price of a new FT-891, and in some respects the 891 will out-perform them, and it is true that if you bought one of those old rigs you are gambling on their longevity - but they are magnificent pieces of furniture and I would love to have the experience of driving one!