[KB6NU] FT-818 not a hoax
 

KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

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FT-818 not a hoax

Posted: 25 Feb 2018 01:11 PM PST
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Theres been some buzz in amateur radio circles recently about a new radio
by Yaesu thats supposed to replace the venerable FT-817. News of the FT-818
seems to have been first leaked by the QRPblog. The post noted, What we
know so far is that is covers 0.1 to 470MHz, it is still a superheterodyne
receiver, comes with a BNC connector and it’s battery operated. Although
the specs say “tri-band�, FCC reports coverage over 4 bands: 0.01-30MHz,
50-54MHz, 76-154MHz and 420-470MHz.
A photo of the new FT-818, cadged from the Ham Radio Outlet website.

People were getting excited about this radio because the FT-817 has been in
production a long time, and many of them were hoping that the new model
would include some fancy new SDR technology. Unfortunately, that does not
see to be the case. Ed, DD8LP, one of my colleagues on the ICQPodcast
reports that this is instead a minor update to replace obsolescent parts.

The update does include a few new features that do improve the radio. These
include:



Increased power output 6W(SSB, CW, FM) 2.0W(AM Carrier)
Improved frequency stability ±0.5 ppm : Built-in TCXO-9
Larger battery capacity : 9.6V/1,900mAh (SBR-32)




These radios are a lot more popular than I thought, and even though its
only a product update, not an entire redesign, Im sure that a lot of hams
will be happy to see that this product line will be continued.Â* Apparently,
they are the radio of choice for many SOTA activators, and many microwave
enthusiasts use them with transverters when operating microwave
frequencies. As a small, anecdotal example of how popular they are, we
polled the panelists on the most recent episode of the ICQPodcast, and of
the four of us, I was the only one that did not own an FT-817.

Its actually making me think twice about NOT owning one. What kind of fun
am I missing by not having one?

Ham Radio Outlet, and presumably other Yaesu dealers, are now accepting
orders for the FT-818. HROs price is $850, and shipments are scheduled to
begin in March. Perhaps Ill pick one up or maybe look for the 817s that
will undoubtedly be put on the market as some hams with an FT-817 purchase
an FT-818.

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