P13-2 of the user manual:
The SEND pin is both an input and output - can be used to either key the IC-705 or to switch an external amp or transverter.
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Oh wow, my copy of the manual specifically says that it is an input, no mention of an output (aside from the I/o label ) and it is on p 13-3 on mine.
Thank goodness the 705 has it! Looking at it now it should have been obvious!
Thanks,
Tom
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Hi Tom,
Yes the manual seems to have gone through several iterations - the only versioning I can see is a date on the last page. Indeed the Japanese ICOM website has a newer version than mine, the SEND/ALC jack has moved to P13-3 and now includes an example circuit of a relay buffer for keying amplifiers (and they have now added electrical params for the pin):
Sorry I realise this has gone off topic, but hope it is useful,
73, Jonathan
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Ok, reading this topic donāt see any serious problem for most of HF HAMs but only nostalgia and fond memories.
Only specific peoples who really need UHV and VHF CW and SSB might face RIGs problem. Any way, it is not the last radio.
For regular HF user, even Xiegu x5105 looks more interesting and functional comparing with FT-818ND (x5105 has DSP filters, ATU, good battery, swr analyzer, etc).
In other word, I strongly believe that FT-818ND is overrated: no narrow filter, no normal lipo/life battery, 0.4A current consumption, etc
Hope Yaesu will produce something new for portable HF QRP+ market.
Looking at popularity of Xiegu G106, X6100, TX500, ic705, G90 the market are not fulfilled =)
Did you read the whole thread?
Yes, it is.
I totally agree that ft-817 is legendary radio but a little bit outdated for HF now.
E.g. playing with both x5101 and ft-817 I cannot say that x5105 fills less robust than ft-817. But offer a way more for HF than FT818ND.
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Maybe you want to open a new thread on Chinese birdie generators? 
This oneās on serious portable radios discontinued.
Ahoi
Pom
Let me fix this: serious portable radios 10 years ago =)
FT-817, was truly portable for it time. FT-818 introduced +1W power and doubled current consamption from 200mA to 400mA from 1.5Ah internal battery.
Bellow my personal opinion related to only HF users and not interested in SSM, CW UHV and VHF.
Thus, for now what we have for FT-818
- No speech compressor
- No narrow filter for CW out of box (thanks sotabeams for diy ability)
- Useless internal battery
- Small display
- To few controls
- Weak power jack
This true only for x6100 and G106.
As owner of G90 in past I can say that it looks like a jetpack comparing with FT-818ND. BTW, I didnāt noticed any birdies but a little harsh noise due to AGC.
I see the only reason for FT-818/817 if you need TRX with UHV and VHF for SSB and CW (if you find a narrow filter
For regular HF users there are much more interesting TRXs which provide in ten times more than FT-818ND.
BTW, also Yaesu behavior is very strange. They produced TRX without ability to add narrow from factory or order it after rockwell collins stopped producing these filter years ago.
Thank to enthusiast who developed ideas about narrow filter for FT-817/818
Nope! Both the FT817 and the FT817ND manuals state 450mA on receive (260mA squetched) but for both radios I measured 390mA on receive using headphones. As for your other points the only one I concur with is the weak power jack. The display might be small (though I have no problems with it - how could they have fitted a larger one without redesigning the whole rig!) but two button pushes doubles the size of the frequency display. Too few buttons is the complaint of someone who has failed to master the menus, and the weak battery (900mAh in the original FT817) is adequate for an activation at 2.5 watts. I filled the battery box with 3000mAh nicads and had no complaints about battery life! As a phone operator I couldnāt care less about the lack of a narrow filter, and with its low power I have worked over a hundred countries on five continents on phone. Whatever its perceived inadequacies on CW it is still a perfectly good rig for phone operation and I am quite happy with mine.
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One question I have is āIf this item breaks will I be able to buy spare parts tomorrow? Next month? Next year? Ten years?ā
Today I ordered some spares for my #2 FT-817. This is a 2001 vintage set that did a lot of SOTA before an incident with a bad feeder saw off the PA and driver FET. It was fixed by a very nice gentleman but I bought another to tide me over.
My #1 817 is missing several case screws. Theyāre an odd size M2.6x5mm and for the cost, I ordered them from Yaesu UK rather than trying to save pennies and scouring eBay. But the main item I wanted was a new SEL rotary encoder as the one in #2 is intermittent. It goes up but not always down. Maybe it needs cleaning but I ordered new one. It will be sent from Yaesu maybe tonight but definitely tomorrow but when I receive it is down to UK Royal Mail which is a bit strike torn right now.
The encoder in my set is obsolete and its replacement has a different shaft. The super helpful guy at Yaesu had me check the serial number and he said I needed a new knob (63p) so one of those was ordered at the same time. The important point is I can still get parts for a 21 year old radio and the parts backup is aware of which extra parts I need if I fit the newer components.
Itās this level of support that I consider very important when buying any radioā¦ will there be parts available in years to come.
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For many raios and devices, which were built and sold in large numbers, there is a lot of information, documentation, modifications ā¦ which are communicated in groups of users in the www.
Often you can get hints about spare parts and sources where you can get it.
When I buy a device, I research the experience of others.
Iām always amazed at the wealth of knowledge thatās on offer hereā¦ and, as a rule, this is often a reason to buy.
73 Armin
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I found the technical manual with the schemtics on the internet, although I had to make sure I got the right one as things changed over time. The schematics have allowed me to repair it twice.
I bought my FT817 second hand - did the tehcnical manual come with the radio in the box?
My IC9700 came with a block diagram but no schematic (unless itās hidden away in another manual)
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Iāll save you the job - I canāt find an exact match anywhere. Plenty of M2.5, most are pan head/countersunk not the oval head and no black M2.6 to be found.
Yaesu said in the announcement that they will still be offering support. It canāt last forever though, especially when theyāve stopped making new ones because parts arenāt availableā¦
True. But many of us have experience of obtaining unique Yaesu only spare parts from Yaesu for their radios that were being sold over 40 years back. Likewise in 2017 I was able to get numerous knobs, plastic inserts, buttons, display bezels and case parts from Icom for one of their dual band FM mobile sets that had not been on sale for 25 years. The depth of support for the big manufacturers is impressive.
Itās that kind of service provision that adds value to a companyās products.
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Same here Chris.
10W from my 5-year-old KX2 is enough for HF CW and even for SSB (with speech compression) which I use occasionally on 80m, 60m and 40m. I use my 21-year-old FT817 now only for 2m and 6m SSB/CW [I have a 2m/70cm HT for FM]. My FT857 has been my shack rig for 17 years but Iām planning its first portable outing for 2m SSB dxāing. But weighing in at 2.5kg in bubblewrap and drybag, I shanāt be taking it up any 10-pointers.
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Ive owned my 817ND for over 10 years and while its not perfect, I also have to remember the 817 design is 20+ years old. It will be missed when it croaks. I also have a 705, and while the 817 is no 705, neither is the 705 an 817nD! Moving onā¦ Anybody seen the FTM500DR on the inside front cover of the March 23 QST? Yaesu - build an 817 replacement in THAT form factor with that kind of basic display info, a good receiver and good internal speaker, a good internal ATU, 10 watts out, and Im in.
73
Joe
WB7VTY
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