I have just been adding a 60m leg to a linked dipole. I set up the dipole in my garden, powered up the ft818 and immediately heard a CQ call on 60m. On excitedly pressing the PTT, all I got was “tx error”
I assume 60m needs activating somehow on the ft818 then?
Google doesn’t seem to reveal any insight on how to do this…so I’d be grateful for any guidance please.
Ft818 was purchased in the autumn from a big UK supplier.
Thanks
Looking at the advert from this UK retailer (simply as its the first that Google brought up),
https://www.moonraker.eu/yaesu-ft-818-hf-vhf-uhf-transceiver
It says:
and later:
So, at least from this dealer in the “C2 version” the modification has been made - I would expect all UK dealers would have enabled the UK 60m “bandlets” at least - you don’t say what frequency you heard the station on and whether it was a UK or European station - you could have been receiving in part of the frequency range that you aren’t allowed to transmit in.
Alternatively - have you tested the extended dipole with an analyser before connecting the rig? If could be an SWR issue if the antenna isn’t resonant.
By the way, I’d recommend you print out the UK 60m band plan if you are just starting on 60m.
73 Ed.
UPDATE: See this post on this reflector:
OK, it’s an FT-817 but they are basically the same rig. - it sounds like your rig doesn’t allow transmit on the frequency you were receiving on - which I think is what you suspected?
Assuming it’s like an 817 remove the link from the PCB in the head to enable 0-30MHz TX
Thanks for the replies
It isn’t an SWR problem…that gives a different error, usually experienced when using the wrong antenna socket.
It was purchased from Radio World, and I had assumed from adverts that 60m was available from stock.
It was a UK station I was calling, and I was careful to also check I was fully within band when transmitting on USB.
When it’s working I do plan to make a laminated card with the bandlets listed.
From the Nevada Ad:
Features:
Now does 5MHz Band operation available, mean only if you have them enable it, rather than out of the box. Does it mean that the WRC15 band is enabled by default, but not all the extra frequency “bandlets” in the UK?
Unless you want to risk blowing the warranty, I’d give Nevada a call and ask them whether 60m should be working - it’s possibly an oversight on their side.
73 Ed.
I will give Radioworld a call on Monday.
Thanks for the replies, they have at least confirm ed I am not missing something obvious.
The band up/down buttons select 60m between 80m and 40m…so at least it is available for Rx.
Have you checked the memories? In the 817 that I got the UK channels were in a memory bank, perhaps the 818 is the same.
A Googling says the mod is the same for both. It’s going to take 10mins to remove the head and do the mod.
I’ve seen the ft817 mod…looks like it possibly is the same for 818. I note Martin Lynch offers a “wideband mod” at point of sale for £25, so presumably it doesn’t come as standard for units in the UK.
But annoying if you have to void the warranty for 60m though.
I suppose the 818 might know about the WRC-15 allocation, but IIRC, for my 817, the mod was an all-or-nothing affair. As the “all” allows transmission out of band (and not just in 60 metres), I can understand it not being a default, especially as the rig’s a pretty obvious choice for a foundation licencee.
ML&S charged me about £60 to modify my old [way past its warranty] FT857 for 60m. As yours is a recent purchase [from them I assume] I would try to sweet-talk them into doing it for £25 (if you pay for shipment both ways). Sounds like a bargain to get onto what is arguably one of the best HF bands. And yes, you don’t want to lose the warranty by doing it yourself.
Page 20 of the FT 818 Manual tells you to how to select channels in memory. No modification of the radio is needed. You have to scroll thru memories to find the channel you want to transmit on.
@KC3MX I did try the instructions on page 20 ( the manual says they apply to US…but I gave it a go). Nothing stored in the memory other than repeaters that I added myself.
I did the jumpers mod on my ft-817 it wasn’t too difficult. I don’t have any notes from doing the job but points to note.
Make sure that the ribbon cable is unlatched before pulling on it.
Don’t loose the screws, they are not a common size, M2.6 with an assortment of heads
You only have to deal with solder bridges, no sugar grain diodes !
I do find it annoying that the manufactures do not publish the mods or include it in the service manual. Why when designing radios do they use so many different screws ?
SMD soldering to add / remove configuration links is one of the few items I feel should have been in the Intermediate practical but isn’t.
Andrew G4VFL
A very sensible suggestion, one of the best I have heard for a long time.
But I doubt it would happen as there are moves to enable a single licence access to a licence. Apparently it’s because highly skilled people (with understanding of RF and electronics through their jobs etc.) are not prepared to take the 3 exam route. Sounds like bolloids to me, if you want access to the bands you do the exams. For people claiming professional knowledge, if you haven’t got the gumption to sit 3 trivial tests then you’re not that interested in getting on the air.
I think you mean “haven’t” Andy. Assuming you do, then I tend to agree.
I came through on the “Teachers’ Crash Course” (aimed at science teachers, but I snuck in as a maths teacher) and did the Full RAE in one go. I have since watched many people come through the 3-tier system (including my son) and kept thinking that might have suited me better.
The Crash Course was very good - but the three tier system (when you have a good trainer) is excellent, and I’m not convinced of the need or benefit of introducing a fast-track now.
Thanks for the reply Andrew
I’ve just brought the box down from the loft. The manufacturers sticker on the side of the box includes a line saying " type B2" …which fits with the small print from the descriptions listed above.
Somewhat annoying it’s type C2 that provides the UK bandlets for 60m. So I need to work out what jumper links transform to C2.
It’s a little irritating that most of the UK sellers have cut and pasted Yaesu’s blurb about the radio, but without commenting whether they are selling version C2 or B2.
Andrew’s comments on the lack of documentation is spot on…it is really very poor that this whole C2/B2 version is not properly described in the manual, and neither is there anything to describe the jumpers.
I suppose it’s too much to ask for manufacturers to use DIP switches in an accessible location (under a removable cover). I’m giving Yaesu the benefit of the doubt and will assume there must be some duristictions internationally that require radios to be sold only with legal bands activated, and for there to be no user documented method for enabling out-of-licence operation.
I got an FT818 from a main UK supplier just before Christmas. 60m is open on it as advertised. When clicking through the bands 5mhz is there and is not a few pre programmed memories. Mine is a C2 Version.
Last year’s syllabus revision seems to have done away with the Intermediate practicals. Of course, at present, the practical requirements have been waived, but it seems that while the Foundation ones should return in due course, the Intermediate ones are gone for good, and the “Direct to Full” syllabus has no practicals whatever. I know that I got a lot from the practical aspects of the three-tier exam system that I wasn’t expecting.
I also remember assisting at one Intermediate course where one candidate produced a kit with SMD components, and built it successfully. I think I probably learned more from that candidate than he learned from me…
That’s worth knowing for anyone else looking for a new FT-818. It’s clearly a significant difference between the 817 and 818, too.
Quite possibly. I remember a discussion else-Net about the complications involved in coping with band limits internationally. I gathered that a country by country table of band limits would be an ungainly beast, even if the limits in countries didn’t change so frequently…