Yaesu FT-818ND Maiden POTA Activation

[@n7jrr]

Now you know the love that is had for the FT 817/818 radio. I have used TenTennas, K6ARK, BuddieStick and ham stick antennas with this radio and the performance has always been great. It does digital, pairs great with the DigiRig. It's full mode all the way up to 70cm. Portable satellite operators use two 817/818s for full duplex on FM and SSB. Yes, now you know the love of the radio, welcome to the 817/818.

[@K6ARK]

I wish you could have heard me echo, out loud, "to be fair." The Yaesu FT. -817 ND was my first HF rig, and those little QRP rigs pull the special place in my heart. I do truly believe that they have very good transmit audio modulation which helps make them more readable even with QRP power levels. For SSB, the add-on filters are not nearly as critical. And for portable operation, DSP simply isn't necessary. Congrats on the new rig, and I'm glad that antenna is working well for you.

[@n7jrr]

"To be fair" -- Letterkenny style...

[@K6ARK]

@@n7jrr nailed it 😆

[@dovetomarc]

Mike, love your video on the 818. I have way too many radios and yet the 818 remains one of my all time favorites. There was nothing like it when it came out and there really hasn't been a direct competitor in that for factor for 20 years. Quick story. I met Peter Schutz at a conference. He was the CEO of Porsche and rescued the company which was heading down hill in the 80's. He told me when he took over the engineers recommended killing off the 911. They said it ran its course. He did his own research with customers, racing teams etc. He believed it was an iconic form factor and challenged the engineers to make the 911 work. EVOLVE THE CAR rather than kill it. They did and in so doing also saved the company. Whether it's a 1965 911 or a 2022 911 you know it's a 911 but they are vastly different performers. IMHO Yaesu has a great opportunity to do the same with the FT-818. Don't try to come up with an expensive 705 killer (I own a 705 too) but rather EVOLVE the 818 to a more modern radio in the same rugged form factor. It's a rugged, reliable radio in a great form factor and many are sad to see it retired. Sorry for the long note. 73, Paul

[@brandonporter4227]

I have an 817 I bought used a few months ago right before I passed my tech exam. Got it from a guy in the local club. One of the other guys in the club tried to talk me out of it. I blew his mind when he found out I made a couple 2000+ mile contacts on QRP for my first QSO's during a DX contest weekend. A good antenna and good conditions make all the difference.

[@Radio48]

I love the 818 I bought another on the day they announced the discontinuation just to have as a backup . Great rigs and alot less weight to be lugging around.

[@rodgermckeon]

I almost made an impulse buy when I heard the announcement... Now I'm wishing I'd followed my instincts! Great video Mike, thanks!

[@the1chainsawguy]

It was fun watching you have a good time with my radio. It works well.

[@N2YTA]

I just picked up an 818 a couple of months ago, I'm really having fun with it. Thanks for the video.

[@ppgs08]

The 818 is a great little radio, but the fun you had operating it is one of the best things we got on ham radio. Congratulations de PU2OIP!

[@hammathguy3995]

Back in the day I used to strap my 817 to the handlebars of my bicycle. That was a ton of fun.

[@KX4UL]

Good stuff, Mike! I love my FT-817nd. These little gems have been somewhat forgotten with all the new QRP rigs hitting the market. Glad you got an FT-818 and are having some fun with it...73!

[@kennethblackwell1137]

Nice...the old 818 still keeps on ticking. I have one and have worked some good distance....even on the bottom pwr setting. Of course a good antenna does help.

[@ivandubinsky1857]

I've been singing the praises of the FT-817ND for years. Glad to see you've discovered how good they are, too. Like you, I ordered the '818 when I heard they were being discontinued. I managed to get the very last one from RadioWorld, up here in Canada. It's sitting in its box, as yet unopened, as my '817ND is still in tip top shape. I'm thinking of shipping the '817 off to my brother, though, so I can give the new '818 the love it deserves. I have a 300 Hz CW filter I bought years ago to install in it. Ivan VE7IVN

[@ralphnunn3]

I agree with your assessment about the power cord. I did the same thing - I cut the power cord in half, and put power poles on both sides. It definitely works for me. Good choice getting the FT-818nd. I absolutely love mine! BTW, 6 watts - no indicator; 5 watts - 2 bars; 2.5 watts - 1 bar. DE K7RLN

[@JonathanKayne]

Something to add is that if you install the windcamp power pole adapter the radio will always think it's got external power connected. There is a resistor across the terminal that gets disconnected when a cable is plugged in.

[@ralphnunn3]

Just tonight - From Utah to Puerto Rico on 5 WATTS! Long live the Yaesu FT-818nd!!!

[@hamradiotube]

Really?? That's good to know.

[@JonathanKayne]

@@hamradiotube yep. I don't know how that affects current draw but you can see this if you have the backlight set to turn off after a delay. On external power it stays on so whenever I hook up the cable that happens. Also if you have the internal battery installed it will apparently deplete within a few days. That's why those windcamp batteries are useful since they have a cutoff switch.

[@prepperdan]

My brand new 818 comes in tomorrow from MTC Radio! Now i gotta get my license

[@twohandsandaradio]

Wait until you start getting over the pond with that little thing. It never disappoints.

[@stephanhersey1186]

I use a ATU-100 with my FT-891 and it works great. Having the readout for SWR and Watts out is nice. The ATU-10 is just the baby brother to the 100. Enjoyed the video. Just push the tune button and start transmitting and you are off to the races. 73, Steve, k7ofg.

[@SuperCapsfan101]

Mike, great video! I bought my 817 shortly after they came out and I never looked back. I use it in the (stationary) mobile with Shark hamsticks, with great results. Keep up the good work; while your work is serious, you don’t take yourself too seriously, humor is a great touch. As the original K2ORS said, “Excesior!” (He also said, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!) 73, Mike K3CXG

[@Transmissions]

You scored the king of 10!

[@loughkb]

As one who has replaced their 817 finals once and finals for someone else, don't ever do a tune cycle at full power. When the tuner ratchets through looking for a match, it goes through horrible mis-matches several times a second and you can pop your finals. My Z11-pro tuner can tune at half a watt, so I drop my 817 down all the way to do the tune and protect the finals. Once tuned, crank her back up.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

"He learned me the way." I need to put this quote as a reference on my resumé! 😆

[@DaveW6OOD]

For a second there, I thought you were going to activate on CW. When you are ready for that, you should do it in the 818. That’s braver than the 705 but I’ll bet more satisfying. I almost got one for a couple weeks before they announced the end of production. I am already QRP heavy, so I got the ft-710 instead. Still wish I had one.

[@Hamdalorian]

Hey Mike, definitely get yourself some portable zero side rails for it. I've get them on mine and they're a life saver

[@tobyticehurst]

This has got me hyped, Iv pre-ordered one from the last batch coming into the UK but doesn't arrive until the end of the month. Cant wait after seeing this!

[@hamradiotube]

Awesome! I’m pretty impressed so far.

[@alvarogaitan2529]

Nice radio jaison congrats 👏

[@dgafkucky]

now you know how we ft-817 /818 owners feel .. have fun

[@KT2Oh]

That short sleeve January POTA making me jealous from NY

[@radioactive8772]

Love the 817/8 just picked up one now I have 3. Wish I had your weather. 73

[@MrStanwyck]

Mike- I just ran across your channel. I’m impressed with some of the distant contacts you were getting with 5w out of the 818. I got my General a few months ago and I’m looking for a lightweight HF rig to do Potas and Sotas.

[@hamradiotube]

Thanks for watching. The 818 is certainly a good radio for that. They just became discontinued but you should be able to find them on the used market. Depending on your budget and how much weight you feel like hiking up a mountain, the Icom IC-705 is a fantastic radio. Definitely my favorite QRP Radio. The Xiegu X5105 is another great one. The Xiegu 6100 is another one. I didn't really like it, in fact I gave it a pretty poor review but there are guys who like it. I would say be very cautious of that radio though. Elecraft KX2 or KX3 would be another good option. All of these radios are small, light weight, and have an internal battery, which I would think would be pretty important for SOTA. POTA I find folks more willing to carry a bit of weight as you're generally not going that far compared to a SOTA. I also like the Xiegu G90, but it is a bit heavier and doesn't have an internal battery. If you want to go really light weight you can check out the Mountain Topper radios, but they are CW only. Hope that helps and thanks again for watching. Oh, and congrats on the General!! 73

[@TheSpitfiregoggles]

Nice video Mike, and it very much reflects the experience I've had with my 817nd. I can't see me replacing the 817nd any time soon, it's just too all-round useful. Looked at the 705 but I don't think it offers enough for the extra money. A popular accessory for the 817/818 is a little speech processor that goes between the mic and the rig, well worth having. The power connector....I fitted a Power Pole adapter on my 817nd but subsequently removed it, partly because the internal battery was self-discharging with it fitted, also because the original little barrel connector also fits my FT-70D and FT-60 and Yaesu sell a power lead with a cigarette lighter plug that I can use for all three radios. All the best, keep up the good work! 73, Simon G0CIQ

[@Mike-yq7ce]

I have one for my portable rig and have had successful POTA's with it using a Emcomm III antenna. Will soon be using a EFHW using a TennTennas 49:1 based off of your videos on it. I have been pleased with the performance of the FT-818ND so far

[@daveycrockett9447]

TenTenna rocks!!!! About the cheapest and most bang for buck EFHW you can get!!!

[@hamradiotube]

I own more TennTennas than one man should be allowed. Fantastic antennas.

[@kn4zaa912]

I bought one to work linear birds along with an sdr. My 991a was a little much for portable. I wasn't going to buy it as a one trick pony so I turned the power on the 991a down to check out a little qrp and I was hooked. I love that little rig. I've hunted you with it. I live near the coast in Fl. I've had qso's on that rig 6w and an end fed from Nova Scotia to Puerto Rico on the east coast. Pretty much all of the central US on 20m and Portland Or. on 10m. Some DX, Slovak Republic, Austria, Poland, Spain, Canary Islands, Netherlands and Norway. (have to love when 10 and 15 are open). Down side is crowded bands with no filter. Enjoy that little jewel. 73 de KN4ZAA

[@milwman1958]

Hope they bring out a killer replacement for the 818 Scott KF0HRF

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

The 817/818 strikes again! Awesome job, Mike. 73 from VE3TWM.

[@hamradiotube]

Lol, I thought you might like this one.

[@RodMurray]

No blinking on 6w! The symbol goes blank at 6, 3 lines at 5, etc. It’s indeed a great radio and the only one I know. Combined with a great antenna, it’s a POTA killer. 73! VA3MZD

[@hamradiotube]

No, it definitely blinks too. Not sure when or where but it blinks when it's 6 watts and 5 watts. Sometimes it is blank though.

[@RodMurray]

@@hamradiotube On the 817 perhaps but full 6W on the 818 when running on 13.8 volts there is just a dash, barely visible, according to the manual.

[@JonathanKayne]

I also bought an 818 the moment it was announced to be discontinued. I plan on using it for CW, so I am currently waiting on a PCB to arrive from Poland so I can build a 450Hz Collins filter module for it. Once I get that installed I will take it on it's maiden voyage, hopefully on a summit! So the reason why the power indicator isn't blinking is that if you have external power (or even have the cable plugged in) the 3 bars indicate full power. (Either that or zero, I don't remember)

[@hamradiotube]

Yeah they really made it overly complicated to know what power you were using. If there's a bad way to design a menu, Yaesu's gonna find it.

[@JonathanKayne]

@@hamradiotube honestly the power output is the only part that I find confusing. The menu system is pretty straightforward since it's alphabetized.

[@neubert500]

My FT-817ND is one of my favorite radios, along with my FT-897. If I can find an FT-858, my Collection will be complete! Screw Yeesu for dropping this series of veritable shacks in a box!

[@Mr.Modulation.StatenIslandMic]

Yeasu baby .. good vid Mike

[@landonmiller6943]

Waiting for my FT818ND to arrive from HRO's last batch on order...

[@DonzLockz]

Smashing in the QSO's on your new toy... and a nice antenna too.👍

[@dustinhasselbach6378]

Nice video! To tune it, go to am or fm mode, key mic, tune tuner, go back to mode of choice and make contacts! I've had one for a long time now and worked many pota activations with it. Great radio. 73 AA8NN

[@Siskiyous6]

I just installed the Wincamp battery. I think the 818 is a keeper.

[@m7trsradio]

Hi Mike great activation and great news with the 818 I love my 817. I am yet to get a battery, solar charger and panel for mine. Fab radios I've had mine about 6 months. Also using my other account no so might do a video. Motters M7TRS 73 👍🏻

[@alvarogaitan2529]

Another fantastic video steve73

[@daveycrockett9447]

Lucky you - now for those of us that dont have one - expect for the scalpers to come out in full force and sell them for more than retail... guaranteed it will happen.

[@hamradiotube]

Nah, I wouldn't expect that. There's ~20 years of sales behind that radio. There's too many out there.

[@nr3rful]

Search eBay for the TB box for the 817/818. Great compact set up.

[@VE7QH]

Welcome to the fan club! Be careful, you may not be able to run 100W again😂 72!

[@hamradiotube]

This is by no means my first qrp radio. I think it’s my 5th actually.

[@Steve-GM0HUU]

👍Good going. If you had x3 solid bars on the power indicator, I think you were running on just 2.5W out.

[@Andrew-dg7qm]

Fun vid and glad you got one. I just missed out I have the same tuner and can’t get it to work. All vids I’ve seen are w/ 703 and use a slightly diff. process / chord

[@FrankTheTank]

#TeamReplay for the WIN

[@mabo4848]

i absolutley recommend you the compressor microphone ! you will get the full power out and better understandig with weak signal !

[@KLCKLC-vi6fd]

Mike get yourself a whizz loop V2 antenna from DX Engineering the thing is a very small wire loop and works like gangbusters from inside the house or on the picnic table in the back yard, mine works very well 73!

[@2m0rot]

I've not heard Todd this year on 28.425 from across the pond 😆

[@jozefbezan2501]

Danke für das tolle Video.73,von Jozef.Wien.Österreich.😊😊😊

[@coblecam]

Always get the Nifty manual for any new (to you) radio ;) - 73!

[@pasjeihobby]

Mad Lad 🤣 Legendary radio.

[@aa3konthego]

Your OK with the power plug until the jack breaks off of the 817/8's main board. The PowerPole adapter is cheap insurance. And the power display is confusing. For a while I thought I was running 5 W and I was really running 2.5 W. No indicator is full power.

[@hamradiotube]

Is that a thing that happens??

[@aa3konthego]

@@hamradiotube Yes. The jack is not strain reliefed to the back chasis like most other rigs. I added the SOTABeams PowerPole adapter.

[@alvarogaitan2529]

fantastic radio enjoy

[@HumanTimeMachine]

What is the cw paddle in the video ? Where can I buy one? Thanks

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

KC4TVZ! Wow, he was working dual operator?

[@K5QBF]

Great video Mike.

[@hamradiotube]

Thanks Shane!

[@HamRadioDX]

I had a couple of FT-817's. They were good for what they were at the time. Great video Mike!

[@ke8duvke8duv28]

Hey Mike, when you point out antenna being used and even show on video could you please let us know the orientation n/s/e/w? I like to try to figure out the signal reports/locations to get a bead on propagation. Thanks and keep up the good work, also stop having so much fun dammit! us in ohio/michigan area are not at "the end of winter" yet. lol

[@Aimsport-video]

Wow, excellent!

[@joeblow8593]

Nice going

[@anthonycostello7167]

The best thing you could do to them is buy the Collins Filters or even a BHI DSP unit . Happy Hunting

[@joekrepps]

They're really great little radios! I run a 817ND as a mobile rig for about 6 years, no filters. Crap mag mount antenna didn't help but a few DX jewels out there. I might. add an audio DSP filter, like the SOTA Beam unit. Already replaced the original Yaesu battery with a WindCamp 3000mAh...because I wore out the original. What other portable rig does 160m-440MHz? I just can't justify spending a dime on any other QRP rig. Haven fun, thanks & 73! WB3CFN

[@m_a_s6069]

FT 817/818 will be missed. And since they are in short supply, at least get some kind of rails for it. Even the Windcamp feet will project beyond the knobs.

[@Scout75PortableRadio]

GET TO DA CHOPPA! Glad you're liking the little 818. It's a fun rig. I would be interested to see your thoughts after hiking with it, compared to hiking with your IC-705. Keep up the great stuff! My personal experience so far between my 705 and 818 is there is some big differences on how they carry. Even though they're both compact rugged all band all mode QRP radios, they are really hard to directly compare. Both excel for slightly difference reasons. ....if that makes any sense.

[@tangle70]

@15:10 they are all over POTA. I bet that couple has 1,000,000 contacts.

[@codm2thumbs620]

Did you ever figure out how to get 6 watts out?

[@joshmyer9]

2:45 The only part of operating an 817 missing from this snippet is "why do the damned menus disappear so freaking fast?!" 😅 (I love my 817, but the menus kill me every time.)

[@jerryKB2GCG]

Can you do a video showing how you get the antenna into the tree and more importantly, how you get it out of the tree!

[@thuff3207]

I use a throw bag with a line to pull the antenna up. Then untie the end and pull the wire, it will come down.

[@hamradiotube]

Like this one? Easiest EFHW Antenna Deployment Ever kzbin.info/www/bejne/rH7XfH56abucmKc

[@thuff3207]

@@hamradiotube I use the Packtenna random wire. It works well with my KX2 and upto 100w.

[@TheLjh73]

Hey Mike. I need to know how you did the spot yo self thing. You did @spot....Just not sure what you type in and where you do it. Is it a message app or on POTA somewhere?

[@EdwardVanNatta]

I am looking for more information on this. How can one and much run

[@hamradiotube]

Huh?????

[@pascalf5pnp310]

i have the same, ft 818 for activations.... tiny and funny trx !!!

[@hp7093]

Was looking to buy one until I found out there are no more ce filters left

[@landonmiller6943]

At QRPer there's a low-cost work around solution for this.

[@stevegriffin9552]

Good evening like it looks like you were having fun with the 818 radio. I guess you’re going to use a little bit more often. It did sound good. WD5ENH Steve

[@guyhornbeck8940]

How does the Yaesu FT-818 compare with the Xiegu G-90?

[@dlabyer]

I missed the frequency of your activation Mike. Anyone?

[@hamradiotube]

20 meters

[@GreyGhost-r4z]

Are there POTA 2M SSB activations ?

[@hamradiotube]

There can be if you want. I've never done one but that would be very cool if conditions were right.

[@shawnthompson520]

Good video. Mike ,would I be ok with the g 90 for a first hf rig.Budget is tight, why I'm leaning towards it. Sorry of subject for the video.

[@ivandubinsky1857]

I have a G90. You won't go wrong if you decide to get one. Ivan VE7IVN

[@shawnthompson520]

@@ivandubinsky1857 Thanks, I pulled the trigger on one last night ,got the fan stand and green card thing too.

[@hamradiotube]

Oh no, don't get the G90, it's terrible! Lol just kidding. It's actually a really great radio. I love mine and I'm sure you'll love yours too.

[@lousadventures2111]

Great antenna but I'm really not good on putting it together..😪

[@pieterdutoit9642]

yip some guys got to many $$$ nice hope and sound you do enjoy,73

[@Mo_feezy]

check out the sotabeams speech compressor for this if you decide to keep it, really helps you get out on this radio. 73

[@radioguy19510]

What logging program do you use?

[@hamradiotube]

hamrs.app

[@jamescstanley5018]

Great video Mike! Question for ya. How would you react to a radio you REALLY liked?? 73 Jim M7BXT

[@hamradiotube]

Good question!

[@donnymazon8516]

Hey Mike can you tell if they stopped making the 891 or is just 818?

[@hamradiotube]

Just the 818 and FTM400

[@donnymazon8516]

@@hamradiotube that's what I thought thanks mike

[@pascalf5pnp310]

a cw paddle MIKE ???? i hope you will use it to activate in cw , right ???? ha ha ha ha !!! that s a good news !!

[@hamradiotube]

Lol, I wouldn't hold your breath.

[@mikegianfrancesco9431]

HRO sold me used ft857d many years ago and charged me for new radio when I got the radio frequency were in memory banks they basically told me I was lying

[@hamradiotube]

That's terrible. I paid less for mine because it was "Refurbished by Yaesu". Clearly it was not but it's in perfect shape so no complaints.

[@daveycrockett9447]

Just curious - what retailer did you manage to buy it from?

[@hamradiotube]

Gigaparts

[@Andrew-yx7sf]

What band were you on ?

[@hamradiotube]

20

[@lousadventures2111]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 chopper coming to get you? perfect activation mike 73s de n3lou

[@BurtonChristmasLites]

Get the Windcamp battery Mike. You'll thank yourself later. Robert KD4YDC

[@KOAOutdoors]

Dam you ! I was going to buy that one and when I clicked on it the next day it was gone, gone, gone...😒

[@jampskan5690]

nice shirt

[@hamradiotube]

Thanks!

[@EdwardGriffin]

I like that you like it, but if you want torture, try using it when there are a lot of powerful stations close together. Say for instance the Winter or summer Field Days or any phone contest of importance. That's when those things that the 817/818 lack will wear on you. In the meantime, get the mic compressor. You will be glad you did.

[@hamradiotube]

I don't need field day. I have POTA. Every day is field day. But you're not wrong. Getting QRM'd is something you just have to deal with sometimes when QRP. Sometimes other stations simply can't hear you. Field day would really suck with the 818 though as there are no filters at all to narrow your bandwidth.

[@anthonycostello7167]

Loving my FT817nd with the PAC 12 antenna I would love to see you do a review on this antenna with the FT818 Mike Best 73's Anthony VK4GTX

[@503Nick]

81hate? Really 😂

[@graeyson1]

It is a an interesting video, but..... He speaks too fast for me to copy him if I were listening for POTA