Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 — I’m listening to the latest addition to my shack — a Yaesu FT-817.
This little jewel was the one I picked up on eBay for a bargain-basement price, and I’ll have to say that it is one amazing little rig. What a LOT of radio in a small package! Right now I’m listening to guys on 75 meters, and the receiver sounds great, even with the little internal speaker.
I’m already plotting accessories for the rig — including the CW filter and a interface cable for my SignaLink USB interface. I’m also looking at a higher-capacity internal battery and a new vinyl case.
One of the things that I’ve had to get accustomed to is the small display; glasses sure help, and viewing the rig head-on. Learning the menu system and how to navigate the various options has taken some time; fortunately I have the manual on pdf loaded on my iPhone, which keeps it close at hand.
In A/B testing on 10 meters, I felt that the 817 actually seemed to be more sensitive than my FT-2000. Afterward I realized that I didn’t check to see where the preamp options were set on both rigs, so that may have skewed my informal by-ear tests. There’s much left for me to learn about the 817, but I can already see how versatile a rig it could be, particularly to travel.
It goes without saying that I’m finding this little rig a great addition to the shack. I’m learning more about it as time goes by — and kicking myself for not getting one sooner.