Yaesu FT-817 vs 817ND- What's the Difference?

Ever wonder what the difference is between the Yaesu FT-817 and the 817ND? Watch this and find out.

[@RodMurray]

Just landed an 818ND off Kijiji, my first HF radio! Brand new, in the box, never used. A great deal! Watching everything I can to help me wade through the programming and operation challenges! Just discovered your older video above and checking it out. 73 VA3MZD

[@kd8opi]

A good video describing the differences. I bought my 817ND VERY lightly used over craigslist, local pick-up, and paid $200 less than retail at that time. Best deal ever. I did 5 minutes of price checking on eBay for sold 817's just now, and there seems to be little difference between sold 817's and 817 ND's - most selling for $400-500. When I bought mine used, I made sure to get an ND, almost new in box, with all original accessories. The thing is, brand new 817 ND's sell for $599 after rebates at HRO; so figure $630 with tax and free shipping - the best value in a QRP rig out there, nothing else does as much for so little. My recommendation is not to buy a used 817nd in perfect condition for more than $450, and only to buy an 817 for $315 or less (including shipping) . Any non-ND 817 is now over 12 years old at minimum, with worse finals that are more prone to blowing out; and do not merit a price more than 50% a new radio. These are great radios, but they are bought for and used outdoors (typically), sometimes in less than ideal conditions, and have been around a LONG time in ham radio years - so a greater potential for damage and wear than other used gear. A factory warranty is worth $100-150.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, it's appreciated.

[@gerritschildmeijer3712]

Outdoors On The Air nederlands

[@LYC54]

Excellent! Love my 817nd. Best radio I ever purchased. Thanks for your comparison.

[@davidj.wilcox6053]

Very good video Tracey. This was a topic of discussion last night at our radio club "project night". My friend just had to have Yaesu replace his finals ( FT 817) at a cost of $100 plus shipping. He blew them tuning (for too long a time period) into a poorly resonant antenna. Thank you for doing this video. Dave K8WPE

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you, Dr Dave! I'll be using non-resonant antennas this year for Field Day, so I'll need a tuner. I am going with a manual tuner, a small Kenwood I picked up off the used market and it shall be used carefully! Tracy VE3TWM

[@Fishermanfred1]

Tracy you do some of the best qrp videos on KZbin. I enjoy them all. I can't recall if you use antenna tuner a lot. but a review on tuners for qrp would be great. it is good to see long videos on qrp and not the one minute wonders that are on many channels. Thanks for all you do to help other hams Fred.

[@sulochanasatyan7228]

Mine is 15 years old, still great performance from the 817nd. Recently I made a contact with 9N1CA in Nepal sitting in Chennai India. 4 watts covering 1675kms in this awful band conditions. Mine is a keeper. 73 vu3mes.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Outstanding contact! 73 from VE3TWM.

[@warplanner8852]

Thanks for the clarification and the heads up on the finals. (Bottom line: treat ALL FT-817s with care; a new final amp/repair will lighten one's wallet considerably.) Also, I see a lot of me in you. You know, why have one of a particular rig when you can have two at twice the price? (Meant reverently and as a commentary on hams' addiction to toy acquisition.) 72 de k6whp

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Good comment with regard to the final, thank you William. I bought a second unit in order to have two for Field Day in case one went south on me. If you watch my 2015 CQ WW video you'll know what I mean (2 is one, 1 is none). Now that I have the second, they sure look nice together :) Thank you for watching, Brother.

[@g0fvt]

War Planner the PA board is super cheap and easy to replace, it takes a few minutes to set the bias current. My own FT817 is still on its’ original but I have repaired orher ones. My FT817 does self discharge the batteries, it is something I should address.

[@mikebavoso26]

Very well done and your presentation was excellent. I own both but did not know about the power drain problem. thank you

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you, Mike!

[@paulfallon181]

The ft817 is a great little radio,i like it so much its now my home station qrp and /p rig. I have added a switch to the leads going to the battery so i dont have to unplug it if i switch it off for a while,at home i just use a power pack.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Good tip! Thank you, Paul.

[@alanshaw6379]

Mystery solved.Thanks .Nicely explained.73s from Liverpool UK.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you, Alan!

[@1903A3shooter]

Just for fun tonight before seeing this vid I measured the current draw with rig Off. I had run down a battery pack of 3 18650's with the rig off and was wondering what happened, I measured a current draw of just under 3 mills. That seems like a very small draw and I think it is from the Microprocessor running as the power switch is a soft key so something has to be on all the time. Wonder what others think. Dave

[@marceloandrade-ideiasempra2638]

Great explanation many thanks

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

You're welcome!

[@OregonDX]

I got an 817 (maybe ND) for $10 at a yard sale today.. No power cable, so I cannot confirm get what model it really is. I just hope it works! But for the price it won’t be a big loss if it doesn’t..

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

What a deal! Have fun with that rig.

[@davidj.wilcox6053]

Tracey, Again, thanks for a very good video explaining the differences. I have had an ND model for many years with all the W4RT upgrades and love it even though I'm an avid Elecraft fan and have all the Elecraft toys but the K3. Dave K8WPE

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Sounds like you have the best of both worlds, nice gear!

[@James_Bowie]

I have seen another 817 video where the underside label clearly states FT-817ND, so it seems there may have been a changeover period where that was not the case.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Interesting, thank you for letting me know.

[@xodrinker]

bought a little 817, can't wait to get it in the mail.

[@aleneskikalashnikova4570]

It's a great information. Thank you.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

You're welcome, Aleneski. Thank you for watching!

[@scottjacko87]

These are awesome radios. I have one and love it! Now question... Where did you get your feet from? I bought my 817ND new and I am very happy with it.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Google "Palm Radio Peg Leg".

[@williamjordan6808]

hi,great video also great help,always good videos,73s from William,N.Ireland.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you, William!

[@PBGetson]

I just learned I have an FT-817ND. (I have the purple light option.)😁😁

[@efrainrodriguez8722]

Good evening, good video, please can you give us the parameters of the hidden menu of the FT-818 to compare with the menu of an FT-817, thanks HK3TKI

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Hi, I've never used the hidden menus on those rigs and never would. I'm not a technician and don't have the necessary equipment to ensure whatever I do in there wouldn't cause more harm than good.

[@tropenband]

Wow, my serial sticker shows "FT-817ND"

[@dustoff499]

You’ll be able to find one used if you don’t mind being taken advantage of. Cheaper to buy new.

[@paulsetter2989]

thanks for vid. I have a discharged 817 here just id'd as ND. Phew!

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

You're welcome! Have fun with that ND.

[@minnesotanature]

so are they worth the $500 for an ft817 ?

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

In my humble opinion, if you find one in good condition the answer is yes. If it comes with accessories (e.g. CW filter, carry case, etc.) for that price, even better. If you haven't operated HF Portable before, be prepared to have your Ham Radio hobby completely re-energized when you realize how enjoyable the experience is.

[@wadepatton2433]

"Worth" is completely subjective. We cannot know what your money is "worth" to you. HINT look at "sold listings" on eBay for an rough idea of what the MARKET shows they're worth. Separate out the highest (with accessories/unused) and the lowest (buggered/needs repair/shady seller) and figure on those in the middle-with "standard" extras. And then you're armed to make offers and "get a deal" if you then think it's "worthy" of your $. I'm going to throw out a guess here that you've not purchased one. BUT would love to hear if you have and if you think it was "worth" your $.

[@jeromegrzelak8236]

the rubber on the off on switch got lost wb6noa 817 has the same issue kg6mn

[@wv02m]

Thank you for the info. And I subed.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

You're welcome, and thank you!

[@spakkajack]

the 817 was prone to blow the finals using an external power supply if you did not fit the ferrite ring on the power cable when using the 70 cm band

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Interesting...I've never heard this before.

[@forgetyourlife]

So the difference is purple. Thanks.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Exactly. You're welcome.

[@MM0IMC]

I don't like the blue background display colour, it looks too much like a CB radio and is difficult to read!

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Absolutely agree with the readability comment. That really makes a difference in some portable situations. Thank you for watching!

[@AI4QT]

Agree. the purple display on the 817ND is pretty bad.

[@jjaldin5769]

What are your thoughts on buying the 817nd straight from Japan?

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

I don't have enough information to offer an opinion. You'd want to ensure you get the full warranty.

[@James_Bowie]

ND = No Drain 😀

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

I like that!!!

[@jeromegrzelak8236]

oh i did a camo on my 817 and 857

[@OctavMandru]

ND stands for Not Different, as far as I understand Jokes aside, I don't understand the cult following these radios still today. In 1996 I get it, but today with such quality issues I would stay away. Especially with the other contenders on the market offering much much more than just a SSB able tiny lovable brick with color backlight :)

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Quality issues? I've never experienced even a single problem with mine. As far as the cult, if you've never tried one, you're not likely to understand how much fun it is to make a contact with this wee beastie. But to each their own! Happy New Year :)

[@OctavMandru]

Sorry about my condescending comment. Yes, I understand the QRP concept well. I was looking for one 817nd or 818 on the used market but the prices are so high. Then I've seen some reviews and repairs on YT, so in the end I settled for something else. Happy New 2024 back to you! @@OutdoorsOnTheAir

[@jeremyloveslinux]

@@OctavMandruwhat did you end up going with?

[@OctavMandru]

IC-705. 2x the price new, 7x the fun imho. No buyers remorse@@jeremyloveslinux

[@nr3rful]

Im on my 3rd set of finals, now the radio is used for scanning only

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

I am sorry to hear that, my friend.

[@naomelgue]

because of the high swr use the atu of ldg 817 and it will work good

[@ASCIITerminal]

nr3rful - I have a theory that some 817s are more susceptible to blowing finals than others. My 817 is one of the very first and I have never had the problem. (Touch wood!)

[@davidlangford5383]

@@ASCIITerminal same here no problems at all fab rig

[@kampoeng4088]

Sent to indonesia mister

[@sparky42]

cool , tnx ... de ka3fad

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you for watching!