@MI5UTC I’m starting to think it is a matter of luck whether you get a type C2 or B2 …looks like you received a type C2.
Just realised I purchased from radioworld.co.uk rather than Nevada as I’d originally thought. Will be speaking with them on Monday…as noted above, it’s irritating that no UK sellers seem to be clear on exactly which version they sell.
Fixed, thanks.
The practicals, if they did no more than teach people how to affix SMA, N, BNC, PL259 to coax using solder and crimp connectors, would be viable. It’s the one bit of home construction it would be good to know that everyone can do properly.
If anyone has a ft818 that worked on all UK 60m bandlets out of the box (or equivalently, marked as type C2 on the box) it would be interesting and hugely appreciated if you could photograph the jumper links on the head unit PCB.
Although as noted above, the bandlets may well change over time, so opening the entire 60m band might be the way to go.
I remember opening up my first FT817 when the 7.100 - 7.200MHz extension became available, so when I got my NoV to join the “60m experiment” I didn’t need to do further mods to the rig. The details were on www.mods.dk, but I remember that there was a thread on the reflector a long time ago which gave instructions with photographs for the 817. I don’t have time to hunt it down as I’m about to give in to the dog bullying me for a walk!
Banned by law in several countries. The very early 817s could have things altered just from a hidden service menu until the FCC banned them. So solder-able jumpers was the agreed compromise.
There IS a service bulletin published by Yaesu on the jumper configurations for the FT817, it’s available on the web as a PDF (I have a copy).
Or just email Yaesu UK. I have always found them to be very helpful. If they do it for you then at least you know your warranty is good.
I’ve spoken with Yaesu UK and also the retailer. Both were helpful.
Yaesu confirmed that there are two types…C2 and B2.
C2=UK allocation for 60m
B2=European allocation for 60m
I’m informed that UK retailers should generally stock C2, but may end up with B2 depending on supply.
Changing the jumper settings transforms a B2 to a C2.
So if you want the UK version, when buying an FT818 specify C2.
All other recent Yaesu models can have the locality set via firmware.
Radioworld have offered to do the mod for free, with return postage also at no charge. I’d rather just do it myself, but I think I will send it back just to preserve my warranty (and to be sure the right links are set). I’m tempted to document the jumper settings before and after though.
I have to say though, that no UK retailer I have looked at explains which version they are selling…but many offer a wideband modification for £20 to £30…I wonder if that just means that select type C2 from the stock room!
I would say probably not. Widebanding gives you a general coverage transmitter, C2 probably gives you the eleven UK bandlets. I would go for widebanding myself, if buying again, so if Ofcom ever give us the international allocation further modification won’t be needed.
[pendant mode=on]
I know the term “Widebanding” is used but it is so, so wrong. The transmit or receive bandwidth of an 817 after Widebanding is the same as the bandwidth before.
The transmit frequency coverage or receiver frequency coverage or both is changed when these links or firmware mods are made.
It would be nice, as technically qualified people, if we could use a more correct term for this.
[pendant mode=off]
Unless you are hanging on (not banging on!) you mean pedant! 
Personally I know what you mean and I know the difference, but choose to use the term that is widely understood to mean that the band coverage has been widened.
Bloody autocorrect and me trying to do 3 things at once!
I agree with @MM0FMF. The reason I didn’t choose to pay for widebanding on purchase is because I assumed it just opened up Tx on everything from 1MHz to 15MHz and above.
That’s what you want 
The first wave of hams after WWII used war surplus gear that was not restricted to the ham bands. They proved trustworthy and did not use that gear outside the ham bands (except in well documented emergencies, see the East coast flood disaster of 1953 when hams took over the coastguard traffic when the coastguards were off the air!) Its a proud tradition: we can transmit outside our bands but we don’t, we are trustworthy. So my FT817ND and FT857D can transmit anywhere outside the ham bands, but never do. I see no problem in owning general coverage transmitters.
Hi Brian, my guess is governments and their regulatory authorities are not concerned about radio amateurs transmitting outside of their permitted bands but rather non-amateurs who might buy amateur transceivers for unlicensed illegal use elsewhere in the spectrum were they available sold ‘widebanded’ by the manufacturers.
Hi Matthew,
My 818 was bought from ML&S in August last year; it is a C2 model.
At the time of purchase, I paid a little extra to enable extended transmit outside of the usual bands, because I was under the impression the 60m TX was only facilitated by memory access, not VFO. Extd TX will also allow me to use it on 146-147MHz with my NoV.
I was advised by ML&S that because they carried out the modification (as an approved Yaesu supplier/service centre) the warranty remains valid. I’d be wary of modifying the radio myself, in case it affects the validity.
73,
Simon
