How to pack an FT817 and ancils for hiking?

Well my sister started out left handed. But they beat the deviancy out of her in kindergarten and infants school in the late 50s so she was normal by the time she started junior school. :slight_smile: Such was the enlightened times we lived in back then. I can remember the teachers giving left handed kids are hard time when I was in short pants. If they tried that now they’d have the teachers up before the International Court of Justice in The Hague!

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Similar approach here. Using the padded case originally for a cordless drill.

Battery, Mic, 2m J-pole, Logbook, BNC to PL coax and 817 fit perfect and survived the past years without problems.
With a bit of Tetris I can squeeze the FT1 handheld in too. Did that for my flights to JA.

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My wife keeps trying to beat the deviancy out of me, but somehow every time she tries it just gets stronger :wink:

Apart from the usual childhood japes which carry on to today in grown ups I can’t remember anyone thinking I was odd for being left-handed, although some would say I had other oddness drowning that out!

Mark.

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Fortunately, FT817 function 19 [Normal / Reverse CW Paddle] takes care of that. My Palm Nano was pre-wired [by SOTAbeams] to suit the KX2 but thanks to this function, it works with the 817 too.
[BTW: I’m a leftie but taught myself to twin-paddle with my right hand]

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You need to stop enjoying it :wink:

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Hi Gordon

I put my station in one foot container and optional some parts in a second.

The first (4.7 l) contains all except the pole :wink:. If there is a usable tree or so no pole is needed.

Inside on the top you see the flag (!), the log, some paperwork and …


… thin foam below.


On the left side on the bottom the FT-817, above a short coax, a long coax, headphones and the 2 m antenna and pencils in the front. On the right side the microphone with compressor, two current balun, a bag with a 20 m long OCF dipole and three strings (40 m over all) and a weight to throw a string plus a small box for adaptors. The dipole is ok without ATU on 40 m, 20 m and 15 m.

The optional box (1.2 l) …


… contains the ATU ZM-4 and a “vertical”.

These boxes are nearly a perfect protection, mechanical and against water.

All fits well in my rucksack on the bottom.


The access is easy through the front “door”. There is enough remaining room in the rucksack for things needed during a long mountain hike or for more equipment (PA, accumulator) for a shorter hike.

73 Ludwig

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Welcome onboard, Gordon,

So do I.
My post in this thread shows the pictures of how I carry them:
Carrying an IC-705 - Equipment - SOTA Reflector

As Andy said, a plastic bag wrapping up everything is mandatory in case of rain.

Good luck and 73,

Guru

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I am naturally right handed, but many years ago taught myself to paddle with my left hand. Nowadays, if I try to send right handed I find it nigh on impossible !

73 Victor GI4ONL

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Not the same radio but shows my mindset towards packing portable.
Small Footprint QRP

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TL;DW

Are those Monitor Audio Gold 300 speakers ?

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No they are Synergy Black Label F-300 They are for listing to my Britney Spears records.

@MM0FMF

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I keep everything (LiFePo battery, Balun, Mic, Speech Compressor, Logbook, Pencil, Fuses, Multitool) in a yellow B&W Type 1000 Outdoor Case :wink:

This has the added benefit of serving as dry base (or, when raining as a dry shelter as you can put the radio inside). It’s a bit bulky though.

When on summit I’m not hesitating to set-up my trusted FT-817ND in all kind of perilous positions :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Cheers, Alex (OE5LXR)

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Hi Gordon,

a nice collection of useful ideas for you so far…

In the past I had a FT-817 and I built a plywood rack for it, so that I could operate without removing it from my backpack (I added connectors in the front side); it was useful in wet condition.

Details in this other thread:

And a spanish PDF with details downwards in my webpage:

Good luck with your solution
73 de Ignacio

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Hi Gordon,

I’ve an FT-817 without tuner.
Here is my solution with Renkforce GP-110 Hardcase

73, Mario DJ2MX

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Oh, a Bavarian SOTA-Flag, impressive. :wink:

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This is my carry box. Lighter than a Pellicase, a step up from Tupperware. £25 FROM Amazon. Would work with an 818.

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Now you are out of the Union you can go back to the old ways and claim indigenous British Tradition and then thumb your nose at the High Court.

I used to bat both left and right handed when playing cricket. I would switch as the bowler was well into his run. Had that beaten out of me.

Ron

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That’s the exact case I use for my 818 when out for SOTA. Perfect size for the radio, mic, and two LiPos.

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Free Britney!

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It was a challenge for me to pack FT-817, because casting has sharp edges on the back of radio. It made holes in close that I used to pack FT-817. I wish to have this discussion when I used FT-817. Sold it.

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