puts the 817 to shame
NikTheGeek
but I bet its not cheap!
--
My:d1Ck.isbig:eno.ugh%w1th0ut.y0U/spaMMErs.trY1ng:to.sEll%me-p1LLs!
Alun L. Palmer
news:2DSFk.66867$E41....@text.news.virginmedia.com:
> http://hf-ssb-transceiver.at-
communication.com/en/qmac/transceiver_hf90.
> html
It's been around about as long as the 817. Good for what it is, but it is
commercial, not ham, and has no V/UHF. AFAIK it has no VFO tuning mode,
and you need to pay extra for the field programmable model to even be
able to use it on the ham bands, unless you only make skeds with the same
old farts every Sunday, LOL! By all accounts the performance is excellent
and it is rugged, but usability on the ham bands is not its forte.
Operation just from memories is a bit of a tough limitation on the HF ham
bands. I don't recall that it was hyper expensive, but I still wouldn't
buy one. Maybe if you had an extreme environment, like desert, it might
make sense.
With my 817 I only need take ONE rig on any trip, both for HF and V/UHF.
Show me a portable rig that runs off internal batteries, has HF, 6m, 2m
amd 70cm and doesn't say Yaesu on the front panel - you can't because
there isn't one. IMHO the 897 is too big, and it's a Yaesu as well.
Chris Kirby
>NikTheGeek wrote
>> http://hf-ssb-transceiver.at-
>communication.com/en/qmac/transceiver_hf90.
>> html
>
>It's been around about as long as the 817. Good for what it is, but it is
>commercial, not ham, and has no V/UHF. AFAIK it has no VFO tuning mode,
>and you need to pay extra for the field programmable model to even be
>able to use it on the ham bands, unless you only make skeds with the same
Receiver spec (from web site): 0.25mV for 10 dB S+N/N !!!!
--
Chris
Jim.gm4dhj ...
"NikTheGeek" <NikTh...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:2DSFk.66867$E41....@text.news.virginmedia.com...
> http://hf-ssb-transceiver.at-communication.com/en/qmac/transceiver_hf90.html
>
> but I bet its not cheap!
>
Nick
"Alun L. Palmer" <elek...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9B2DCAFD4D1D...@85.214.90.236...
http://www.pd5dj.com/images/ft817.jpg
Stevie
"Jim.gm4dhj ..." <jim.g...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:ETZFk.19636$mg5....@newsfe20.ams2...
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder !
Brian Reay
> Show me a portable rig that runs off internal batteries, has HF, 6m, 2m
> amd 70cm and doesn't say Yaesu on the front panel - you can't because
> there isn't one. IMHO the 897 is too big, and it's a Yaesu as well.
The 817 is a great little radio. I generally take mine on trips and, while I
don't tend to use it to transmit on HF, I do enjoy having a listen around
with a random bit of wire out thrown out.
I used it /M in the US a couple of years back with a clip-on-the-window
antenna mount to hold an after-market 2m/70cm long "rubber duck". It worked
a treat. Mine is one of the slightly older ones you can "reprogramme" to be
a US model or a UK one with software- which is far better than having to cut
links etc.
I sometimes take it into school when I've a lot of free periods (during GCSE
and A level exams etc and my classes are on study leave) and have it on as
"background" when I'm doing paperwork etc. I keep meaning to install a
random wire antenna from my classroom to save having to blutack something up
all the time.
The battery life is a bit on the disappointing side.
--
73
Brian
www.g8osn.org.uk
Jim.gm4dhj ...
> Beauty is in the eye of the beholder !
>
>
>
>
NikTheGeek
> The 817 is a great little radio. I generally take mine on trips and,
>
It is, I have one. Any suggestions for replacement batteries though? I
found these that would fit, but I want even higher capacity if poss:
Nick
Jim.gm4dhj ...
> The battery life is a bit on the disappointing side.
>
you are not kidding ....that is why I flogged the battery and the charger on
EVILBAY ......
Brian Reay
"NikTheGeek" <NikTh...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:R01Gk.66981$E41....@text.news.virginmedia.com...
> Brian Reay wrote:
>> The 817 is a great little radio. I generally take mine on trips and, The
>> battery life is a bit on the disappointing side.
>
> It is, I have one. Any suggestions for replacement batteries though?
Looking at the battery pack, it looks like 8 AA cells. I think you can get
2800mAhr AA cells these days, which is double the standard 1400mAhr of the
supplied pack. If Tox is around, he tends to know the latest on cell
capacities.
I vaguely recall the 817 coming with a "dry cell" battery holder but, if it
did, I'm not sure where mine is. You could stick 8 2800mAhr cells in that
and see how it goes. You'd either have to modify something to charge them
insitu or remove them for charging.
--
73
Brian, G8OSN
www.g8osn.org.uk
Jim.gm4dhj ...
>>and it looks like shit .....
>
> ... so it must BE shit.
>
>
>
>
>
> And to think I might have stepped in it!!!"
>
> 73 de Wlat
only the japs can make consumer electronics look desirable ........
Jim.gm4dhj ...
<luc...@eternal-flames.gov> wrote in message
news:l2ehe4p704uhibcqn...@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 5 Oct 2008 11:50:38 +0100, "Jim.gm4dhj ..."
> <jim.g...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
>
>>like the hopping function though ........
>
>
> Nick.
thought you would know ..... what with your little visits to see her ... etc
.........
Jim.gm4dhj ...
<luc...@eternal-flames.gov> wrote in message
news:vrlhe4ldshuukc4q0...@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 5 Oct 2008 15:55:28 +0100, "Jim.gm4dhj ..."
> <jim.g...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
>>
>><luc...@eternal-flames.gov> wrote in message
>>news:l2ehe4p704uhibcqn...@4ax.com...
>>> On Sun, 5 Oct 2008 11:50:38 +0100, "Jim.gm4dhj ..."
>>> <jim.g...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>like the hopping function though ........
>>>
>>> Speaking of bunny boilers. How is Carol?
>>>
>>> Nick.
>>
>>thought you would know ..... what with your little visits to see her ...
>>etc
>
>
> I would have probably found an excuse to visit your office if I could
> have been bothered to find it.
Mmmmmm.......were the horns not a give-a-way ?
NikTheGeek
tray, or rather they did, but they were do tight that it was hard to get
them in to the radio and when I pushed them in, the case scraped off the
covering and they shorted and melted the battery tray. Having done my
research before hand, and knowing it was a possibility, I didn't have
the tray plugged in!
Second attempt was to make a battery pack, but my fine tipped iron (or
circuit boards) wasn't hot enough and that ended up being a disaster too!
Third attempt will be to buy a pack! :)
Brian Reay
>> I vaguely recall the 817 coming with a "dry cell" battery holder but, if
it
>> did, I'm not sure where mine is. You could stick 8 2800mAhr cells in that
>> and see how it goes. You'd either have to modify something to charge them
>> insitu or remove them for charging.
>>
>>
> Been there, tried that, with 2500 mah from Maplins. Didn't fit in the
> tray, or rather they did, but they were do tight that it was hard to get
> them in to the radio and when I pushed them in, the case scraped off the
> covering and they shorted and melted the battery tray. Having done my
> research before hand, and knowing it was a possibility, I didn't have the
> tray plugged in!
>
> Second attempt was to make a battery pack, but my fine tipped iron (or
> circuit boards) wasn't hot enough and that ended up being a disaster too!
I assume you mean you had problems soldering the tags on the cells?
I''ve made packs for Icoms and Kenwoods successfully but not tried for the
817.
May be a winter project.
NikTheGeek
> "NikTheGeek" <NikTh...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:E06Gk.67208$E41....@text.news.virginmedia.com...
> >> I vaguely recall the 817 coming with a "dry cell" battery holder but, if
> it
>>> did, I'm not sure where mine is. You could stick 8 2800mAhr cells in that
>>> and see how it goes. You'd either have to modify something to charge them
>>> insitu or remove them for charging.
>>>
>>>
>> Been there, tried that, with 2500 mah from Maplins. Didn't fit in the
>> tray, or rather they did, but they were do tight that it was hard to get
>> them in to the radio and when I pushed them in, the case scraped off the
>> covering and they shorted and melted the battery tray. Having done my
>> research before hand, and knowing it was a possibility, I didn't have the
>> tray plugged in!
>>
> Ok, if I try it I will be careful!
>
>> Second attempt was to make a battery pack, but my fine tipped iron (or
>> circuit boards) wasn't hot enough and that ended up being a disaster too!
>
> I assume you mean you had problems soldering the tags on the cells?
Not quite. I was too tight to buy tagged batteries at £3.99 each. So I
got normal 2500 ones for a tenner for 8. I'm sure soldering tagged
batteries would have been a doddle.
>
> I''ve made packs for Icoms and Kenwoods successfully but not tried for the
> 817.
> May be a winter project.
>
Stick 'em on ebay when you're done! :)
Trouble is, the ones in the link I provided are probably cheaper than
buying the cells individually unless someone has a source?? I'd prefer
2500's or higher...
Brian Reay
"NikTheGeek" <NikTh...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:v28Gk.67264$E41....@text.news.virginmedia.com...
>
> Not quite. I was too tight to buy tagged batteries at £3.99 each. So I got
> normal 2500 ones for a tenner for 8. I'm sure soldering tagged batteries
> would have been a doddle.
Typical radio amateur, short arms and deep pockets ;-)
>
> Trouble is, the ones in the link I provided are probably cheaper than
> buying the cells individually unless someone has a source?? I'd prefer
> 2500's or higher...
I normally get my cells from CPC, when they've a special offer on (I've got
short arms and deep pockets as well). However, I've not checked the latest
prices or capacity- the last ones I got were, I think, 1800mAhr at £1.20 or
so each (tagged). The cells aren't branded but I've used loads of them and
always found then good. The capacity is, as far as I can tell, as marked (ie
the equipment runs for the sort of time I'd expect +/-. I've re-celled
several radio packs and other items with them.
When I get a chance, I'll look into it and get back to you.
I did once use a nifty tool than an acquaintance had to join tagged cells (I
think he had it for model cars). It was a sort of riveting tool which
punched a sort of "flap" through the tags and folded it through the hole to
form a sort of crimped rivet. It seemed to work rather well but I've never
seen the tool advertised and he'd got his from somewhere vague (I think
someone in Japan).
Steve Terry
> Brian Reay wrote:
>> "NikTheGeek" <NikTh...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
>> news:E06Gk.67208$E41....@text.news.virginmedia.com...
> Not quite. I was too tight to buy tagged batteries at £3.99 each.
> So I got normal 2500 ones for a tenner for 8. I'm sure soldering
> tagged batteries would have been a doddle.
>
>
Steve Terry
Chris Kirby
>Been there, tried that, with 2500 mah from Maplins. Didn't fit in the
>tray, or rather they did, but they were do tight that it was hard to get
>them in to the radio
I too have found that high capacity NiMh AA batteries tend to be very
slightly larger in size than the lower capacity NiCads and Alkaline
batteries.
--
Chris
Alun L. Palmer
@newsfe23.ams2:
> http://www.pd5dj.com/images/ft817.jpg
I'm looking at mine and it says Yaesu above the display. So does the one in
the picture. I'm not sure I get what your point is?
Alun L. Palmer
news:R01Gk.66981$E41....@text.news.virginmedia.com:
> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230293215417
&ru=htt
> p%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.co.uk%3A80%2F
I use rechargeable AA cells. You can get them up to as much as 2500 mAh
now. It's a hassle changing and charging eight batteries, but I keep sets
of eight in Ziploc snack bags and I have a Radio Shack (Tandy) charger
that charges 8 AA cells in an hour and half out of the radio, which cost
me 32 dollars in the US, which would be about 16 pounds. I can get a set
of batteries for about 15-25 dollars, which would be about 7.50-12.50 in
real money, somewhere between 2300 and 2500 mAh. The last set I bought
cost me about 15 bucks for 2450 mAh and were Kodak. Unfortunately, I
expect it all costs more back home.
Of course, the radio draws 2A on Tx, which I agree is a bit high, so 2.5
Ah doesn't give you a vast amount of Tx time. If you spend 1/3 your time
on Tx it might give you 3 hours, and it dies suddenly, so I have to
scramble to switch over all those batteries.
73 de Alun, G8VUK, N3KIP
Alun L. Palmer
@news.albasani.net:
That's much cheaper than anything I can get in the US, which is a surprise.
Panasonic seem to be the best ones, and they cost me ten bucks (about a
fiver) for 4 cells. I just got Kodaks for slightly less, but I haven't used
those ones before.
Steve Terry
They sell in a week
When they have them in they also stock 2x packs of C (4Ah),
D (4.5Ah), 4x pack of AAA (900mAh) and single PP3 (200mAh)
All 1.99 quid a pack
Steve Terry