Name: FT-817 FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Contents
1. BIRDIE BLINKING ICON POWER How do I estimate the operating time for the batteries What is the minimum operating voltage for the FT 817 using the internal batteries Who the heck are the Bills anyway Have any spurious signals been observed What does the blinking power icon mean For an approximate estimate of the operating time for a battery pack the following may be used This assumes that the battery pack is full Itx 1800 mA transmit at 5 W Irx 380 mA CP 1600 mAh battery capacity Ttx 0 5 hr transmitting time Trx 07 04 01 receiving time and gt multiplication The relationship between these parameters is CP Ttx Itx Trx Irx This equation is then solved for Trx For the example values Trx 1 br 50 min Also see TOPIC CURRENT DRAIN The FT 817 is set to terminate operation to turn itself off went the indicated voltage is 7 2 V This is the full discharge voltage of both NiCd and NiMH batteries 8 cells times 0 9 V per 12 06 01 cell 7 2 V If you wait a few minutes the battery pack will recover slightly showing 8 V or so and will run the radio for another minutes or so See TOPIC GO BILLS 14 04 01 See TOPIC SPURIOUS SIGNALS NOTE Yeasu now has a fix for the birdie that significantly reduces the level The unit should be returned to 13 01 02 R Yaesu for this fix After Lot 32 the main circuit board was modified to properly correct t2. It is a coax style connector having dimensions of 4 0 x 1 7 mm One source is Radio Shack and the part number is 274 1532 WARNING The power connector is not the most durable connector seen so be 30 03 02 R careful not to try to force on the wrong size connector An exact replacement for the Yaesu supplied connector is Philmore No TC240 6 Ft DC Power Cord file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 19 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 CONNECTORS MOLEX FOR INTERNAL BATTERY CURRENT DRAIN CW OPERATING TECHNIQUES CW FILTER CW OPERATION Is there a source for the completed Molex connector with pigtails that mates with the internal battery connector What is the approximate current drain of the FT 817 Is there a guide that will help me to improve my CW operating skills What are the settings for the CW filter How can QRM be reduced when working CW NO 10 06 04 R Source is K9QI appearing in The QRP Quarterly April 2001 The following values are for when the external 13 8 V power supply is used RX fully active 380 mA RX with backlight off 348 mA RX with backlight off and squelched 07 04 01 audio 338 mA note that Yaesu manual states 250 mA TX CW 5 W 1 92 A TX CW 2 5 W 1 62 A TX CW 1W 1 17 A TX CW 0 5 W 1 05 A TX SSB with 2 tones 5 W PEP 1 26A YES An excellent resource is A Beginner s Guide to Making CW Contacts
3. another is to modify your ALC circuit but be very careful should you decide to go this route A further way is to use a special microphone element such as the Heil HC 5 And perhaps the final way is to use a file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 50 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM 08 04 01 18 06 01 16 04 01 07 04 01 FT817 TALK POWER TCXO TCXO 9 Can I increase my talk power and what does talk power mean The TX and RX frequency are not the same as the frequency displayed How can I adjust it Do I really need the TCXO 9 for normal use of the FT 817 combination of these techniques So what is talk power Simple put it is the ratio 30 03 02 of peak to average power sort of like the crest factor It is desired to have this ratio as low as possible WHILE still maintaining adequate articulation of your speech The typical voice can have peaks that are 12 14 dB greater than the average Some of the preceeding methods modify the power spectrum of the voice while others dynamically transform the signal amplitude By careful optimization it is possible to raise the talk power from the 12 dB range to the a few dB range This is almost like having linear Note that you are using more energy from your batteries since the average output power has increased relative to the normal FT 817 See TOPIC REFERENCE OSCILLATOR 23 09 01 NO The TCXO 9 provides even more
4. key momentarily then rotate the SEL knob as needed until Operating Function Row 2 MW MC TAG appears on the display 2 Press the A MW key momentarily then rotate the SEL knob to select the memory channel to be deleted 3 Press the B MC key momentarily The frequency display field will go blank 4 Wait about three seconds the data will now be masked and will not be available for operation 5 To restore the masked frequency data repeat the above steps However if you store new frequency information on a channel containing masked data the masked data will be over written and lost 6 Memory Channel 1 is used for Priority operation and frequency information may only be over written not masked on this channel YES SM6LKM found an undocumented way to enter text tags for memory channels without having to access the Menu Menu 35 MEM TAG The procedure is as follows 1 Make sure MW MC TAG is selected for the A B C softkeys Function Row 2 2 If the menu is visible momentarily press F to get rid of it 3 Press V M then select the file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 32 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 Is there a convenient way for entering the text for Memory Tags without leaving the memory mode MEMORY TAG Can the Up Down buttons on the microphone be used to select the optional SSB or CW filter MENU 38 Can the Up Down buttons
5. using a program like ADMS Is the information in the FT 817 Operating Manual regarding CAT System Programming correct WARNING Messing around with this aspect of the FT 817 can lead to an unusable radio BEWARE KA7OEI has sniffed around inside the FT 817 and has been able to map a significant portion of the memory You can find this information at http www ussc com turner ft817_meow html YES RT Systems now offers a programmer for the FT 817 It is available directly from RT Systems at www cloningsoftware com or 1 678 354 3500 Tues Wed and Thurs 5 30 9 00 PM www w4rt com and several other vendors Also see TOPIC CAT CONTROL SOFTWARE NO There are several misprints 1 In the Opcode Command Chart under Operating Mode P1 PKT should read P1 OC PKT 2 In the Opcode Command Chart under Read RX Status Note 3 should read Note 4 3 In the Opcode Command Chart under Read TX Status Note 4 should read Note 3 4 Under Note 3 RX should read TX 5 Under Note 4 TX should read RX 08 06 01 03 06 01 R 29 03 01 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 41 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 PSK31 PSK31 The manual states on page 39 that the FT 817 can operate in the PSK31 mode What is PSK31 Where can I find out more about obtaining PSK31 software PSK31 is a new digital mode designed by Peter G3PLX PSK31 is
6. CK CK k SEARCHING HOW DO I LOCATE SOMETHING IN THE FAQs Where can I find the connector for the ACC socket on the radio YAHOO Groups provides a nice search function to help you locate specific information Just above this table the database format not the Printable Report Form and to the right side of the page you will find This Table Enter your request in the data input window next to it All table entries containing this data request will be returned If you use the Printable Report form then use the standard Windows 21 06 02 R search Find technique Use Ctrl F to have the Find Window pop up This will find each occurrence of whatever text you enter If you are using the pdf form you may be able to search it or not depending upon your system FOR THE PDF VERSION IN THE FILES AREA To locate a word use the search function provided in the Acrobat Reader It is an 8 pin mini DIN They were used for serial cables on older Macintosh computers You might try looking for a straight through serial cable at a Macintosh dealer or other computer store cut it in half and you get 2 cables for the radio Also check Universal Radio http www rffun com W4RT Electronics http www w4rt com and GigaParts http www gigaparts com as additional sources See the FILES section of the group website for schematics of the RS 232C to TTL interface for CAT use or purchase a CT 62 14 06 02 R fi
7. POWER IF CONTROL IF CONTROL IF SHIFT CONTROL Is there a hidden menu What does the power icon mean when it is blinking or is blank off Is there a variable IF width control Can the IF be shifted Can the IF Shift control be used in the PSK mode charge NOTE The red wires positive leads are connected together in parallel and in a like manner the black wires negative leads are connected in parallel This is required because the Molex connector used is rated at 1 A per pin and the FT 817 is specified at a maximum current draw of 2 A YES See TOPIC CALIBRATION MENU 07 04 01 See TOPIC POWER OUTPUT 12 06 01 NO However you can see some adjacent frequency interference reduction by using the IF shift control with the frequency control This creates a makeshift narrow filter that can help some when working CW and you don t have the optional CW filter YES Use it to move an interfering signal out of the passband See the manual for instructions to operate the IF shift control YES It is generally necessary to use this control when the CW filter NAR ON is used See TOPIC PSK31 17 02 01 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 27 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 What is the IPO and when should it be used Is there a direct entry The radio doesn t respond to changing the dial or other frequency control keys What s wrong IPO KEYP
8. Quarterly in 2001 A reprint is available to view at http w4rt com obf QQ Oct 01 Filter Review pdf Although the original Yaesu ad for the FT 817 on the inside rear cover of QST clearly states that the optional filters are 10 pole Collins filters the CW filter is actually a 7 pole filter Yaesu has determined that the ad was in error and has corrected future ad copy The correction first appeared in the April 2001 issue of QST The Collins part number of the filter is 526 8686 030 The specifications that Yaesu supplied with the filter are as follows Center Freq 455 kHz Selectivity 6 60 dB 500Hz 2 0 kHz Poles 7 poles and Dim 56x9x14 mm The shape factor is a 4 BW 60 dB BW 6 dB How does the filter work in practice Simply put if you work CW then this filter makes CW enjoyable with this rig A good article on this subject appeared in QRP Quarterly in 2001 A reprint is available to view at http w4rt com obf QQ Oct 01 Filter 26 11 01 R file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 23 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 FILTER FILTER SSB Can the CW filter be used for DIG modes especially for PSK31 Does the optional Yaesu SSB filter Y 122S provide any meaningful improvement Review pdf YES See TOPIC PSK31 17 02 01 YES The stock filter is a ceramic filter that rolls off somewhat either side of about the center of the passband and has modes
9. Yaesu Parts Department YES In the US contact Parts Department Manuals Parts 8 am 4 pm PST 714 827 Can I obtain a spare 7600 Phone 714 827 8100 MANUALS Operator s Manual for the FAX Email 21 0602 R FT 817 yaesuparts vxstdusa com Price is 6 74 plus UPS shipping Hint Phone orders work well YES This manual contains alignment instructions and more in depth technical information about the FT 817 In the US contact Parts Department Manuals Parts 8 am 4 pm PST 714 827 7600 Phone 714 827 8100 FAX Email yaesuparts vxstdusa com Cost is 14 29 plus UPS shipping See ordering information for Operator s Manual YES Hugh McCully VE3AYR has prepared an excellent 160 page pocket size book called The Pack It Reference for the Yaesu FT Ee ERE ee 817 that sells for 12 95 plus MANUALS REFERENCE 3 50 S H See either 1 www3 20 12 04 R manual for the FT 817 sympatico ca januscs or 2 www w4rt com for ordering information As the famous TV advertisement says well paraphrased a bit Don t leave home without it Pack It Can I obtain the Technical MANUALS Service Manual for the FT 817 15 03 01 R file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 30 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 N7RR has produced the Vade Mecum comprising two laminated cards One is about 7 x10 and the other is about 4 x3 1 2 The larger card is divided into four sec
10. power supply and can create noise in the rig This particular power supply from Radio Shack has a mixed history Some works just fine and others are noisy You might take your rig to the store and try out different ones until you fine a quiet one YES International Power Sources offers the Model CUP36 12 1 switching power supply It is rated at 13 5 V 4 2 4 A 32 W continuous duty The CUP36 12 1 is provided in a non vented 94V 0 rated polyphenylene oxide case only 4 3 x 2 x 0 8 Included is a Strain relieved six foot output cable with standard barrel type connectors Full power operation from 0 to 40 C allows use in virtually any inside environment Universal Input allows input voltages of 90 264V AC without the need to configure the supply with jumpers switches or straps Input to output isolation is 3000VAC for safety agency requirements Approvals have been received from UL CSA and TUV as well as it meets EMI limits per FCC and CISPR Output voltage accuracy is better than 2 at full line load and temperature range Fully file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 38 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 POWER SUPPLY available that can be used over a wide input voltage range loaded 100 burn in greatly 04 09 01 R enhances reliability Protection is provided for overvoltage short circuit and input surge More information can be found at http www intlpower com series
11. talk power One way to adjust these parameters is to use an averaging true rms voltmeter to obtain the maximum average signal Also see http w4rt com obf QQ Oct 07 04 01 14 05 02 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 15 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 Does Yaesu offer a CARRYING CASE carrying case for the FT 817 Where can I find a carrying case for the FT 817 the tuner power supply and other items CARRYING CASE 01 Filter Review pdf You can also adjust Menu 53 and 54 for improving RX audio match YES It is a vinyl carrying case part number CSC83 and costs 24 03 01 approximately 25 The right carrying case for you likely depends upon how you are planning to use your rig and what additional items need to be carried FT 817 users have reported finding interesting cases at Office Depot Best Buy All Electronics Mountain Ops Communications and other such companies The ideal or universal case has not been identified yet 10 APR 2001 CSE 10 is sold out and no longer available W4WB recently received the All Electronics Model CSE 10 padded shoulder carrying case with inside dimensions of 16 x 6 x 2 5 inches for 5 See http www allelectronics com cgi bin category cgi category search amp item CSE 10 amp type store The FT 817 Z 11 microphone CUP36 12 1 power supply 4 1 balun batteries for the Z 11 and interconnecting coax cables f
12. 4 01 CWR mode You can do the same thing with the FT 817 s internal iambic keyer for practice In this case turn ON the KYR flag plug your iambic paddles into the 817 s key jack on the rear and leave the BK IN 28 04 01 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 18 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 CONNECTORS CONNECTORS CONNECTORS CONNECTORS Any recommendations for inexpensive yet functional interconnecting connectors for the power supplies sources Where can I find the plug that fits the DATA socket on the FT 817 Where can I find the connector for the internal battery pack Where can I get a DC power connector for the FT 817 flag OFF If you re in CW or CWR mode you ll get the sidetone KQ6AX describes a standardized modular system based on using 2 Wire Trailer Plug Connectors See http www qsl net kq6xa connect She provides a wealth of photographs ideas and good common sense advise on things to do and NOT to do to protect your equipment and power sources W4JZ observes that the needed plug is the same as the one commonly used on a Mouse and many keyboards DGISMD identified the connectors as Molex parts The female housing is part 51021 0500 5 pole and the 5 each female terminals are part 50058 8100 The male connector housing is part 51047 0500 and the corresponding pins are 50125 8000 One source is Digi Key 26 01 01 28 01 01
13. AD keypad available for the FT 817 LOCK IPO stands for Intercept Point Optimization A detailed explaination of the IPO is beyond the scope of these FAQ however it can be considered as a means to bypass the receiver preamp to improve the signal overload performance of the receiver See page 15 19 in the 77th edition of the ARRL Handbook or similar book to understand more about this parameter In general atmospheric noise dominates the HF bands and is much greater than the receiver noise Improved performance can often be realized by turning ON the IPO under such conditions or when you experience strong signals If the band is quiet you may benefit by turning the preamp back ON by turning the IPO OFF The feature is not available on 2 m and 70 cm bands YES See http john hansen net keypad htm for detail information about the Millennium QSYer Keypad It is likely that the LOCK feature has been turned ON Look on the right hand side of the display and see if a symbol of a key is shown If so you may turn it OFF by pressing the front panel LOCK Key There are several levels of LOCK that can be selected through the menu 19 04 02 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 28 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 My system is locked up LOCKED UP SYSTEM Nothing seems to work What should I try Where can I find a copy of MANUALS the FT 817 Operating Manual on line Where ca
14. F gain is always set for maximum sensitivity in this setting If the control knob is fully clockwise and the LED just above the Main Dial is not glowing green it is likely you are in the Squelch mode See file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 49 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 SSB FILTER SSB FILTER STORING MEMORY CHANNEL DATA TO A VFO SWR What are the settings for the SSB filter Does the SSB filter really provide any meaningful performance improvement How can a memory channel be copied to one of the VFOs What do the SWR meter bars mean pages 20 and 67 in the manual for more detail After the SSB filter is installed set Menu 38 to SSB Press and hold the F button to exit the Menu See also TOPIC FILTERS See TOPIC FILTER SSB See TOPIC MEMORY CHANNEL TO VFO The Operating Manual does not indicate the calibration of the SWR meter KD6JUI presents in FT817 Message 2990 his extensive measurements of SWR vs band vs power level Validity not confirmed but most useful YES You can increase your talk power in several ways The simplest is to learn to speak clearly and to properly project your voice Another way is to use the optional Collins SSB filter available from Yaesu WART Electronics or INRAD Tests indicate this increases talk power by about 2 dB The third way is to use a good speech compressor see TOPIC SPEECH COMPRESSOR Yet
15. FMN MODE also FMN is the narrow FM mode having a maximum deviation of 2 5 kHz This mode is activated by turning NAR ON Operating Function Row 7 Key C when in the FM mode The display will show FMN In the US there is no specific FCC Rule that limits the bandwidth used for phone modes however Rule 97 101 a does require that the amateur follow good engineering and operating practices It is common practice to use the narrow mode on 10 m FM for example Tnx to GOEHX for noting the FMN YES Tnx to Peter VK2IT Use the SoftJump zip program contained in the files sections of this group You can find it at http groups yahoo com group FT817 files softjump zip You will need a CAT cable and a computer to do the mod Use the code F8 BF rather than 00 00 For the U S version the pattern is OOXXXOOOO where X is shorted solder ball and O is open If your unit has been modified and you are attempting to recover the factory configuration you must perform the following reset after the solder ball configuration is restored Reset 1 Turn OFF the FT 817 power 2 Press and hold the F and the V M buttons and turn the FT 817 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 25 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM 15 04 01 15 04 01 24 08 03 08 04 01 FT817 What is a pico fuse and FUSE what size is appropriate to use with the battery pack GO BILLS Who hg heck are the Bills anywa
16. FT 817 however since their amplifiers can not be sold in the USA under FCC Rule 97 315 and 97 317 the amplifiers have to be acquired directly or by some other means The model HL 50B is the most popular See http www qsl net ku4qd thp qpamps html and http www thp co jp for more information Other external RF amps are available but extreme caution should be used since they are frequently harmonic rich or have other problems If you see a R on the right end of the second line of the display the the rear connector has been selected Otherwise the front antenna connector has been selected NO Each band HF as a group 50 144 adn 440 MHz can have either antenna connection assigned to it Use Menu Item 07 ANTENNA If you change bands and it seems like the antenna is no longer connected then check to see which antenna connection is active When the REAR ANTENNA CONNECTOR is selected the R icon will appear on the display see page 15 in Operating Manual file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 5 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM 14 06 02 R 26 03 01 R FT817 My BNC connectors will not completely seat Can ANTENNA CONNECTOR this be fixed without returning the unit to Yaesu How do I produce a ANTENNA TUNER carrier for tuning my YES W2PW suggests that you first take off the front panel it s surprisingly easy after the top and bottom covers are off it simply pop
17. FT817 YAHOO Groups Name FT 817 FAQ Frequently Asked Questions Table Description Moderator Barry W4WB Contact w4wb arrl net TOPIC QUESTION X OK CK OK OK Ok OK Ok OK x GENERAL INFORMATION mK aK a a RR RE ast Update 20 December 000 2004 ANSWER DATE Please submit any data to be included in the FAQs comments or corrections to w4wb arrl net Kindly submit both a question and an answer with a suggested topic Your submission may be incorporated into either a new entry or an exisitng entry in the FAQs Better viewing can be realized by clicking on Printable Report above Should you desire to have a printed copy of the FAQ use the print function on your browser However it has been noticed that in order to have all the material printed the landscape paper orientation should be selected Also only the Explorer Browser appears to print correctly Netscape does not A copy of the FAQ in the Adobe pdf format is maintained in the Files area of the FT817 Group It is updated frequently but the most current version is in the FT817 Group Database ke NOTICE The information contained in this FAQ is believed to be accurate however reader beware and use this information solely at your own risk and liability file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 1 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 00 ACC DIN PLUG K OOK OK Ok
18. LONE CODE PRACTICE What software is available to operate the FT 817 via the CAT port Can the memories be managed with this software Can the FT 817 be used for Civil Air Patrol applications What is the CLONE speed for the FT 817 Can it be adjusted The manual for the FT 817 explains how to use the radio for cw sending off the air using a straight key Can this feature be used with an iambic keyer as well YES Several programs will soon be announced G4HFQ just announced that FTBasic has been enhanced to provide management of the 200 memories in the FT 817 The first Beta release is available at 21 04 01 http www bob freeth dial pipex com polarplot download shtml Look for FTB144B7EX EXE You must already have a full package version of FTBasic installed NO for HF and NO for VHF UHF at one time it was approved with the TXCO 9 installed but no longer See 16 03 03 https ntc cap af mil comm equipment HF_Detail cfm rec_id 125 for more detail G4HFQ reports that the clone speed for the FT 817 is fixed internally at 9600 N 8 2 It can not be adjusted W4RK comments that I use a Logi Key iambic keyer with my FT 817 when I m in the hamshack and not in the field Just plug in the keyer output cable to the FT 817 key jack turn off the KYR flag and you re done If you want to practice also turn off the BK IN flag and you get the rig s sidetone but no RF You ll need to be in CW or 11 0
19. TTERIES with power amplifiers coax switches etc Is there an interface for the FT 817 that provides a band output for interfacing with power amplifiers coax switches etc Do I really have to cut the green wire How can I protect the FT 817 from reversing polarity whenI hook up the battery computer and makes logging programs like TR Log and CT really shine if the program supports the FT 817 protocol The amplifier remote interface provides complete band switching and transmit receive sequencing control for Yaesu solid state power amplifiers change the band on the FT 817 and the amplifier follows automatically See http www k6xx com ft8 17 ft817 html See TOPIC AUTOMATIC BAND SELECT Se W2PW observes that anyone concerned about restoring the unit for alkalines should not perhaps CUT the green wire but rather take a safety pin or the like and poke into the connector to release the clip that holds the pin or socket connection in the white plug or socket body Slide out the wire with the tiny connection intact tape it out of the way and you can reseat it when desired See TOPIC POWER SUPPLY file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 9 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 BATTERIES Is there a NiMH batery pack that fits into the FT 817 YES 1 W4RT Electronics offers the One Plug Power OPP that contains a 2300 mAh battery pack presently the l
20. To 24 03 01 Know About Q Signals at http www c zone net wa6dfg qsigs htm R Where can I find a listing Comtenals of the Q Signals Effective QRM suppression when working CW can be often achieved by using a combination of the IF Shift CW CWR mode selection NAR AGC recovery time constant selection and the Clarifier The 18 04 01 R CW CWR mode selection switches between USB and LSB carrier injection and is frequently an overlooked but powerful tool to move the QRM source out of the passband QRP is the designation for low power communications and comes from the Q signal meaning to reduce power Today QRP is universally used What does the term QRP to denote amateur mean communications utilizing under 5 W RF output The term QRPp denotes milliwatt power levels The FT 817 qualifies as a QRP rig and when operated at the 0 5 W power level as a QRPp rig How can QRM be reduced QRM SUPPRESION ON CW when working CW QRP file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 44 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 QRP Are there any QRP clubs ae but what does 72 mean REFERENCE MANUAL Is there a reference manual for the FT 817 The TX and RX frequency REFERENCE OSCILLATOR not the same as the frequency displayed How can I adjust it How may I control remote REMOTE COAX SWITCH coax switches with the FT 817 How may I control remote REMOTE INTERFACE equipment wit
21. Z 11 specifications state that it covers 160 m through 10 m however the Z 11 may or may not work on 6 m depending upon what the SWR of the antenna is with respect to that caused by the insertion of the tuner itself The Z 11 actually increases the system SWR on 6 m if you insert it in line with a 6 m antenna having low SWR at the selected operating frequency Since the antenna s SWR is lower than that 01 04 01 associated with the tuner the tuner cannot do anything to improve the situation In the case of a non resonant antenna with its SWR being higher than that of the Z 11 the Z 11 will tune and reduce the system SWR However if the SWR is so bad that the output power of the transmitter is reduced below the amount needed for the Z 11 to tune then no improvement will be realized YES K6XX has designed an interface box for the Yaesu FT 817 that includes a band output port a computer serial interface and a remote interface for the FL 7000 and Quadra solid state power amplifiers The band output port drives things like relay switched bandpass filters BPF DuneStar 600 or ICE 419 for example remote coax switches etc and does not the FT 817 that provides a require a computer The serial band output for interfacing interface allows rig control via 04 09 01 R file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 8 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 SELECT BAND SELECT BATTERIES BA
22. a simple modification to change the coverage MOLEX What is MOLEX Is there a training aid to MORSE CODE help me learn Morse code or to improve my skill Can I do anything about improving the performance of the noise blanker in the FT 817 NOISE BLANKER NO Some changes can be made by selection of solder balls but it really requires changing the CPU GL MOLEX or Molex is the name of a company that manufactures connectors used to connect the internal battery to the FT 817 See TOPIC CONNECTORS and TOPIC CONNECTORS MOLEX FOR INTERNAL BATTERY YES There are many aids but there is a very nice FREE program for learning morse code written by Gary The Morseman Bold ZL1AN Gary is very well known in New Zealand for is commitment to supporting learning the code It is great for the beginner and 11 04 2002 those that want to obtain higher speeds It provides a good Windows interface See http www nzart org nz nzart exam morse html Another FREE program is provided by G4FON See http www qsl net g4fon CW 20Trainer htm YES See Clint s KA7OEI efforts on this topic at http www ussc com turner ft817_mods html blanker The modification requires adequate skill 02 04 01 26 04 02 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 35 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 NVIS What is NVIS Is the length of the power POWER CORD cord of importance Can the RF pow
23. a solder ball modification was made it appears that the repeater shift is lost when I QSY Any fix Is it possible to extend the receive and transmit coverage of the FT 817 YES MOAWS removed the Yaesu microphone insert modified the TONE switch on the back and connected the HC 4 and HC 5 inserts instead of the discrete components Then with a flick of the switch you have either HC 4 or HC 5 insert 10 06 01 R ready to use For information on this modification see his web site http www cybatek fsnet co uk mOaws FT817 mic mod html The photographs and discussion should help you accomplish this modification easily DL6OBU suggests that the FT 817 will remember the duplex setting if ARS Menu 1 and 2 is set to OFF 25 04 01 YES The coverage is controlled in general by the selection of the solder ball jumpers See the message board and use the search function to learn what others believe they have discovered It seems that different lots of the FT 817 behave somewhat differently 24 08 03 Once the information for modications can been sorted out one or more modification files will be placed in the Files Sections See also FREQUENCY BAND MODIFICATION for a software alternative file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 34 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 My FT 817 is the Japanese market version It doesn t have the MODIFICATIONS coverage I need for my area Is there
24. argest capacity of any FT 817 packs It replaces the supplied battery tray and battery cover door The unit is fully fused electrically and thermally and can be charged using the internal charger or fast charged using an external charger such as the W4RT One FAST Charger The new door has a hole in it for plugging in a cable for fast charging you don t have to open the door to fast charge See www w4rt com 2 Radio Shack has a 9 6 volt 1600 mAh battery pack NiMH designed for radio controlled vehicles The number is 23 331 and it fits perfectly into the battery compartment of the FT 817 Price is 25 3 Maha Energy www mahaenergy com will offers the MH FNB 72 NiMH battery pack specifically for the FT 817 The MH FNB 72 provides 1700 mAh at 9 6 V It also includes a special charging cable that will allow the pack to be directly pluged into the 20 12 04 R Molex connector on the MH C888 charger the MH C777 should work also It does require the battery door to be opened and unpluged from the radio for the fast charge Price is 60 Also see TOPIC CONNECTORS to find source for connectors to the FT 817 Ed A transition cable can be file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 10 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 BATTERIES Can NiMH batteries be used How much current is Pee drawn by the FT 817 Do the NiMH batteries BATTERIES NiMH need to be fully drain before recharging
25. based on the RTTY mode of operation and useful for live keyboard to keyboard QSO that works at 31 25 baud It uses varicode character coding that performs well at 50 wpm PSK31 is easy to use and monitor and gives very good copy under poor or weak signal conditions and is thus suitable for QRP Software is available for free for many platforms including Windows c with SoundBlaster type soundcard PSK31 utilizes advanced DSP techniques to generate a narrow band filter with a bandwidth of just 31 Hz Although the PSK31 software includes digital filters it often can be helpful to use the CW filter to minimize the AGC pumping of strong nearby stations PSK31 stations typically run less than 30 W and worldwide communications are easily achieved using this mode See the PSK31 Official Home Page at http aintel bi chu es psk31 html This page also contains a wealth of information to help you become involved in PSK31 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 42 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 Do I need a TNC PSK31 terminal node controller to operate PSK31 Where can I find the plug for the DATA socket on PSK31 the FT 817 so that I can operate PSK31 and other digital modes Can the CW filter be used PSK31 in the PSK31 modes If so when should it be used NO You just need a computer with a good sound card of the SoundBlaster type The FT 817 can be hooked directly to the so
26. by Jack Wagoner 11 04 01 WB8FSV See http www netwalk com fsv CW guide htm After the CW filter is installed set Menu 38 to CW No change is noise heard will occur If you switch Menu 38 to SSB the noise heard will change Be sure you set Menu 38 to CW Press and hold the F button to exit the Menu To use the CW 08 04 01 filter press the NAR button button C on row 7 of the operating functions The CW filter is toggled by this button You can use the CW filter in CW CWR and DIG modes See also TOPIC FILTERS See TOPIC QRM SUPPRESION ON CW 07 04 01 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 20 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 DIN PLUG FOR ACC JACK DIRECT FREQUENCY INPUT KEYPAD FACTORY CALIBRATION FAST STEP TUNING FCC RULES FERRITE BEAD FILTER Where can I find the connector for the ACC socket on the radio Can the frequency be directly entered into the FT 817 without using an external computer Where is the factory calibration data located How do I turn ON or OFF the Fast Step Tuning mode Can I find the FCC Part 97 Rules on the Web Where can I obtain the ferrite bead for the power cord to mitigate the RF pickup on 440 MHz How do I install the optional filters See TOPIC ACC DIN PLUG 22 04 02 YES See TOPIC KEYPAD 19 04 02 See TOPIC CALIBRATION MENU On the supplied MH 31ABJ microphone there is a FST key located bet
27. cup36 html that includes a link to a pdf version of the complete specification sheet Ed My lab and operational measurements of this power supply have validated the specifications It works great with my FT 817 See TOPIC CONNECTORS or POWER SUPPLY for information about the correct power plug to install NOTE It is reported that Morse Express Miles Technologies http www morsex com Universal Radio http www universal radio com catalog hamps 0565 html and ForeSight Electronics http www fse power com html ips_tabletops html and 800 253 0490 are now selling the CUP36 12 1 It is noted that the FT 817 does not have 100 protection for that time when Mr Murphy of Murphy s Law fame helps you to place the negative wire from the FT 817 on the positive side of the battery and the positive on the negative side Examination of the circuit diagram indicates that there will be some smoke if this happens Remember that whenever something loses its smoke it s dead An inexpensive way to protect the FT 817 from this file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 39 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 How can I protect my FT 817 from power supply Where can I obtain the ferrite bead for the power supply cord to mitigate the RF pickup on 440 MHz POWER SUPPLY problems POWER SUPPLY POWER SUPPLY power plug POWER SUPPLY Can I use Yaesu s E DC 5 cord Where can I get anothe
28. egarding previously owned equipment is tough The warranty applies ONLY to the original purchaser If you buy a rig still in the unopened box from someone that recently bought it you will have no warranty The warranty card is not the proof it is the bill of sale from an authorized Yaesu Dealer The name and address need to match that of the person sending in the equipment or be able to explain you moved at least Of course you may recognize a way to handle this file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 52 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 difficulty but that can have problems too You should consider that even fresh Yaesu gear being sold by a purchaser rather than a store should have less value simply because the warranty is gone file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 53 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM
29. er output POWER OUTPUT be adjusted to any value under 500 mW NVIS stands for Near Vertical Incidence Scattering and is a system concept to provide HF operation over a range of 300 400 miles about the station For an example antenna see http www vcars org CARL NVIS html Perhaps The resistance of each leg of the Yaesu supplied power cord is about 0 033 Ohm foot The total resistance of the power cord is 2 6 ft 0 033 Ohm foot 0 4 Ohm The voltage drop due to the power cord when transmitting at 5 W about 2 A is therefore 0 8 V and the power dissipation is 1 6 W Consequently you should attempt to keep your power cord short when running off of an external battery If you are using an AC power supply the importance is less 21 06 02 13 04 01 NO You must select from 5 2 5 1 0 5 watts To attain intermediate RF outputs including less than 0 5 W you might consider using an QRP 11 04 01 R type attenuator Unless the attenuator is rigged with a bypass on receive the received signal will also be attenuated file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 36 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 Is the RF output really Pee er 5 2 5 1 0 5 W How can I tell the current POWER OUTPUT power output setting or what does the icon mean Can the power level be set POWER OUTPUT differently for each band HF 50 144 430 YES it appears to be that based upon a limited samp
30. essary as well as are the proper tools Both units provide file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 48 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 SPURIOUS SIGNALS SQUELCH amp RF GAIN Have any spurious signals been observed The SQL RE control is fully clockwise and I hear no sounds at all from the rig What s wrong good performance but have different audio characteristics YES WB6CKT was the first to report a spurious signal at 7240 kHz 17 Dec 2000 KC3VO reported that this birdie can be greatly reduced by adding a third harmonic trap to the reference oscillator output This spurious signal can be heard without any antenna attached to the FT 817 Others have 13 01 02 R reported spurious signals in the VFH UHF bands Yeasu now has a fix for the birdie that significantly reduces the level The unit should be returned to Yaesu for this fix After Lot 32 the main circuit board was modified to properly correct the problem No birdie is now heard Likely nothing is wrong with the FT 817 First it should be noted that the default configuration of the US version of the FT 817 is different than the other export versions This control can be set to either control the squelch or the RF gain via Menu 45 The default for the US version is RF GAIN Maximum gain is when the control is fully clockwise When in the squelch mode the control knob fully counterclockwise opens the squelch The R
31. h the FT 817 RESET I know what 73 means How do I reset my FT 817 when all else fails YES There are a number of QRP clubs Many serve a local area or region The oldest is likely the QRP Amateur Radio Club International or QRP ARCI www qrparci org The quarterly magazine is excellent and is included in the modest 15 annual membership dues 72 and 73 mean the same thing 72 was brought into use years ago by QRPers to say best regards when they were QRP YES See TOPIC MANUALS 07 04 01 See Yaesu FT 817 Technical Manual You may be able to adjust it by tuning TC5001 located on the TCXO KG6CYN was told by Yaesu Service that the reference oscillator for the DDS was off frequency To fix this C5001 22 04 02 R 27pF located on the REF UNIT board next to the crystal had to be changed to a 15pF cap and TC5001 had to be adjusted In some rare cases the reference crystal will have to be replaced by Yaesu See TOPIC AUTOMATIC BAND SELECT eo See TOPIC AUTOMATIC BAND SELECT SO See TOPIC LOCKED UP 22 10 02 SYSTEM file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 45 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 REVERSE POLARITY PROTECTION RF GAIN amp SQUELCH RTTY S METER S METER Does the FT 817 have reverse polarity protection The SQL RF control is fully clockwise and I hear no sounds at all from the rig What s wrong I have a TNC that I ha
32. he problem No birdie is now heard See TOPIC POWER OUTPUT 12 06 01 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 14 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 CALIBRATION MENU CARRIER POINT Does the FT 817 contain a Hidden Menu If so what is its purpose Does the FT 817 have adjustments that will improve the TX audio match to my voice YES BEWARE W ARNING This is the factory calibration area The data stored in here is NOT recovered when you do any reset it is unit specific DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING unless you know exactly what you are doing There are 76 menu items You should WRITE DOWN everything displayed for all 76 menu items when you first enter this area Put this information in a safe place Access is obtained by first turning the power off Next turn the power back on while holding down the A B and C buttons at the same time You should hear a diddle diddle diddle sound You are now in the Hidden Menu area The SEL knob allows you to move between menu items The Main Dial adjusts the parameter in the menu item To exit press and hold the F button HEED THE WARNING PLEASE YES Set Menu 52 to ON Next adjust the TX carrier point for LSB using Menu 56 and Menu 57 for the TX USB carrier point Have someone monitor you or listen on another radio to obtain the best audio quality With the option SSB filter you can realize about 0 5 dB increase in
33. it fine in this case 10 04 01 R file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 16 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 CAT CAT CAT How do I connect the FT 817 and my computer together Is it possible to make my own CAT cable for the FT 817 Can I program the FT 817 using the CAT interface Use the Yaesu CT 62 cable It includes the electronics to perform the level translations between the FT 817 and teh serial port of the computer Alternatively DL3DAZ suggest that you can make one and refers to http krasnodar online ru hamradio images yaesucat gif He has tried it and the cable worked fine even at 38400 Baud Transistors can be any NPN type that can handle 20mA and 15V He put the circuit into a DB9 case using SMD resistors from a defective harddisk PCB WARNING Any mistake leading to excess voltage connected to the FT 817 may cause damage So be careful YES VE3CVG has posted a file in the FT817 Files Section click on Files to the left that contains a schematic of his version of a CAT cable suggested by DL3DAZ see TOPIC CAT Rick warns that you use this information at your own risk File reference is http groups yahoo com group FT817 files 817cat gif 30 01 01 See TOPIC PROGRAMMING 22 5 01 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 17 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 CAT CONTROL SOFTWARE CIVIL AIR PATROL C
34. ker for better sound 12 09 01 25 03 01 24 08 03 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 47 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 SPEECH COMPRESSOR Is there a speech compressor for the FT 817 YES Presently there are two commercial speech compressors for the FT 817 The first is manufactured by W4RT Electronics www w4rt com and is called the One BIG Punch OBP It can be mounted inside the MH 31 microphone that comes with the FT 817 or it can be installed within the FT 817 case The MH 31 microphone element is used the Heil HC 4 element can also be used with excellent results The OBP utilizes an Analog Devices chip to produce AF compression over the normal voice range and strong compression limiting not clipping for the highest level inputs and strong downwards expansion for the low end inputs noise gating This unit does not clip the 20 06 02 R signal Installation can be made by the user or by the company The second solution is called the DF4ZS RF Clipper http www jwm de afu index0 htm and is offered in NA by Tony VE3TNW bravhart cogeco ca This unit incorporates its own microphone element and utilizes the RF clipping approach presented by Sabin in QST July 1967 The audio is compressed placed on a 455 kHz carrier peak clipped brought back to AF and filtered This is also an user installed unit Neither is difficult to install but some skill is nec
35. le Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 2 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 AGC ALIGNMENT ALIGNMENT Does it really matter to what mode I set the AGC How do you enter the alignment menu Where can I find information about how to align the FT 817 CAT interface cable from your Yaesu dealer Also see www w4rt com for the male female cable pairs To enhance your operating experience you should select the proper mode for the AGC With put into the AUTO mode the FT 817 will automatically select the AGCslow setting for the voice modes and the AGCfast setting for the CW and DIG modes In some situations 18 04 01 R it may be neccessary to turn the AGCoff for fastest response however unexpected behavior can occur Note that when operating PSK or CW under strong signal condition S 9 AGCslow will likely give better performance With the FT 817 turned OFF press the A B and C keys at the same time and turn the power ON When you enter the first time you should record each and every value before changing anything BEWARE See TOPIC MANUALS file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 3 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 AMPLIFIER AMPLIFIER AMPLIFIER Can an amplifier be used with the FT 817 Is it OK to buy an external RF linear from an amateur radio dealer even though the manufacturer can not sell them in the USA Ca
36. le the RF output is very close to the stated value with the exception of 2 m On 2 m all of the outputs were notably higher If you are planning to work QRP distance tests miles watt or other such activity where knowing the real RF power output is important then you should consider obtaining a QRP wattmeter See page 28 in the Operator s Manual There are two situations to consider viz when operating from an external power source or the internal battery pack In both cases when the power output icon shows 1 bar it indicates 500 mW 2 bars indicates 1 W and 3 bars indicates 2 5 W When using the internal battery pack a flashing 3 bar icon indicates 5 W When using an external power source the icon is OFF or not visible for the 5 W setting NO Although the Operating Manual bottom of page 28 states that one can set the power level differently foreach band 02 04 01 HF 50 144 430 it does not seem to be the case Yaesu has been notified of this issue 05 03 01 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 37 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 POWER SUPPLY Is there a light weight power supply that can be used with the FT 817 Is a very light weight and compact power supply YES there are a number of them One relatively inexpensive small and light weight power for the FT 817 is the Radio Shack part number 22 503 Regular price is 50 Beware that this is a switching
37. made to minimize the amount of wear and tear on the FT 817 internal power connector One approach is to replace the rather large connector on the RS battery pack with a Molex plug 03 06 2024 with 3 A pico fuses in each leg see TOPIC FUSE Next make the transition cable using a Molex receptacle 03 06 1022 and the little female Molex connector that mates with the FT 817 This can be taken from the Yaesu supplied battery holder or a new Molex connector The ears on the larger Molex connector need to be cut off The wires dress nicely and the fit is fine The terminals are 02 06 1103 for the female and 02 06 2103 for the male YES Despite Yaesu s statement to the contrary you CAN fill the AA holder with NiCd or NiMh AA cells They can be charged at about 18mA trickle and 180mA which is about right for 10 or more hours However you 01 04 01 R are cautioned to install a fuse at the battery pack Try a 2 5 or 3 A picofuse which has leads and is tiny Also make sure the cut green wire is insulated from ground Beware your warranty The approximate values are 380 mA on RX and 1 8 A on TX DANAO NO These batteries do not suffer the memory effect Also 01 04 01 see other TOPIC BATTERIES NiMH file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 11 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 BATTERIES CHARGING TIME ESTIMATION How is the charging time estimated when using the internal FT 817 charge
38. n I find out MANUALS something about how to align the FT 817 Several people have reported that proper operation was restored by unplugging the microphone cable from the FT 817 and then replugging it one or two times Why this worked is not presently known Other things to try are to 1 be sure the LOCK function is turned off 2 turn power off and remove all power sources disconnect battery too for 30 seconds and restore power and 3 perform the system reset s given in the Operating Manual plus perhaps with the unit off press and hold F V M buttons while turning the power back on 10 04 01 See http gullfoss2 fcc gov cgi bin ws exe prod oet forms reports Search_Form hts mode Edit amp form Exhibits amp application_id 98753 amp fcc_id K66FT 817 It is the version that Yaesu provided the FCC during the certification process It is not as complete as the current manuals but may serve your purpose Also see the Files section of this FT 817 eGroup See http gullfoss2 fcc gov cgi bin ws exe prod oet forms reports Search_Form hts mode Edit amp form Exhibits amp application_id 98753 amp fec_id K66FT 817 An alignment document is included in this set of files Also see the Files section of this FT 817 eGroup Note that this is not the Technical Manual that should become available soon from file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 29 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817
39. n I use a linear amplifier legally USA amateurs with the FT 817 Can I build my own apmlifier for the FT 817 YES You can reach Tokyo Hy Power by e mail fax or postal mail Either Nobuki Wakabayashi or Lucy Nakashima handle most if not all of the English language correspondence You can reach 18 18 2004 THP at TOKYO HY POWER LABS INC 1 1 HATANAKA 3 CHOME NIIZA SAITAMA 352 0012 JAPAN Phone 81 48 48 1 1211 Fax 81 48 479 6949 E mail info thp co jp YES It is also legal for the dealer to buy and sell the amplifier from a licensed amateur radio operator under FCC Rule 97 315 US hams can purchase whatever they desire because they are also required to meet a number of other regulations regarding emission standards Read the FCC Rules YES but you are not allowed under FCC Rule 97 315 to construct the amplifier from a kit You can build your own amp legally One example is the excellent amplifier project by KSOOR See www hfprojects com 14 06 02 R file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 4 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 Are external RF amplifiers ASM EIEI sold for the FT 817 How can I tell if the front ANTENNA CONNECTOR or rear antenna connector has been selected When the front or rear antenna connector has ANTENNA CONNECTOR been selected does that selection apply to all bands YES The Tokyo Hy Power amplifiers have been reported to work with the
40. on the microphone be used to select the optional SSB or CW filter MIC UP DOWN BUTTONS memory channel with lt SEL gt 4 Press A MW twice the memory number top left starts to flash the text tag is shown and a cursor is visible under the first character 5 Enter the text 19 07 01 with lt SEL gt and lt DIAL gt in the usual manner 6 Press and hold A MW for a second BEEP BEEP and the text is now entered 7 Rotate lt SEL gt to the next memory channel to be edited and then GO TO Step 4 above and repeat the process until you have completed the Memory Tagging Contrary to the documented method of entering memory text tags this method has an inactivity timeout of about 5 6 seconds the memory number stops flashing and the display returns to its previous state NO On page 59 on the FT 817 manual under Menu 38 it states that you can accomplish this control This is a misprint and a likely copy of a portion of the text from Menu 36 NO On page 59 on the FT 817 manual under Menu 38 it states that you can accomplish this control This is a misprint and a likely copy of a portion of the text from Menu 36 13 01 02 13 01 02 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 33 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 MICROPHONE MODIFICATION MODIFICATIONS MODIFICATIONS Can the FT 817 Yaesu microphone be modified to use the Heil HC 4 and HC 5 inserts When
41. r An estimate of charging time for the NiMH batteries assuming nominally discharged 0 9 V per cell or 7 2 V total is as follows Tchg charging time Ichg charging current and F 1 5 to 1 8 factor due to charging efficiency lt 1 The relationship between these parameters is Tchg F CP Ichg Example 1 6 1600 mAh 190 mA 13 hr 30 min The charging current varies with the voltage of the external DC supply ZLIBK KB2TQxX and others have measured the charge current vs external voltage to be 190 mA for 13 8 V 180 mA for 13 0 V 160 mA for 12 5 V and 100 mA for 12 0 V The internal charger provides the nominal charging current during the time the charger is turned on The charging current reduces somewhat as the cells approach full capacity When the charger is off and the external power supply is connected the charger provides trickle charging current of appropriately 14 to 18 mA The minimum current to affect charging is 60 mA ref Energizer engineering data sheet The min max overcharge currents are 60 110 mA You should avoid overcharging your batteries For a fully discharged set of 1600 mAh batteries 7 2 V the charge time could vary within the range of 13 15 hours Two 8 hours cycles would likely work Although a 6 hour cycle and an 8 hour cycle would 24 04 01 R file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 12 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 Do NiMH batte
42. r type of operator error and from overvoltage glitches is to place a 2 5 A fuse in line with the positive wire and install a Zener diode such as 1N4745 or RS 276 564 across the power leads The fuse goes between the diode and the power source external battery or power supply The cathode should be connected to the POSITIVE wire and the anode to the NEGATIVE wire Be sure to test this setup BEFORE you plug the power cable into the FT 817 If the measured voltage at the power source and the output of the power cable are not the same you need to replace the diode with a good one Reverse the leads and verify that the fuse blows Sadly first smoke cause by unprotected lead reversal was recently reported on eHam com Thanks to W4JZ and W3PM for their input Contact Yaesu Parts Department and request this part from them It is a no cost item See TOPIC 05 03 01 MANUALS for contact information 10 02 01 You can find it at many electronic supply stores It is a coax style plug having dimensions of 4 0 x 1 7 mm Radio Shack has them as part number 274 1532 NO It has been shown to have an unacceptable voltage drop 05 02 01 R file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 40 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 PROGRAMMING PROGRAMMING PROGRAMMING Where can I find information about how to program the FT 817 other than what is in the manual Can I program the FT 817
43. ries need Les Ede o tL to be conditioned How well do NiMH batteries maintain their voltage under FT 817 discharge rates BATTERIES NiMH What is the hold time or BATTERIES NiMH shelf life of NIMH batteries be preferred The trickle charging will not harm the NiMH batteries even if fully charged Caution the maximum momentary 1 second discharge current can exceed 15 A YES Even though NiMH batteries don t suffer from the memory effect new NiMH batteries should be fully cycles at least 3 times before general recharging Thereafter you should perform a conditioning cycle every 10 charges to ensure top performance from your battery In general they will hold the 1 2 V value until about 80 90 discharged Actual performance 01 04 01 varies by battery brand and discharge rate 01 04 01 It depends upon the storage temperature Assuming that the batteries were properly conditioned and fully cahrged when stored it should be reasonable to expect after a month of storage time a charge retention of 70 85 at room 06 06 01 R temperature and 30 40 at 40 deg C 113 deg F If the batteries are cooled the retention time is significantly increased At room temperature the capacity decreases about 1 per day file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 13 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 BATTERIES OPERATING TIME ESTIMATE BATTERY OPERATION CUT OFF BILLS
44. ry It mounts on the rear of the FT 817 and is operationally transparent to the FT 817 By pressing a single button the unit determines the status of the FT 817 commands it to produce a carrier and returns the FT 817 to its prior settings upon release of the button If used with an updated LDG Electronics Z 11 QRP Autotuner the tuning process becomes highly automated Simply pressing the Tune Button on the Z 11 results in the completed tuning process being accomplished See www w4rt com or major amateur radio dealers in the US or Waters amp Stanton www wsplc com in the UK NO You either use an antenna that matches the 50 ohm unbalanced input of the FT 817 or use an external antenna tuner such as the LDG Z 11 http www ldgelectronics com z 11 html or the EMTCH ZM 2 ATU http www emtech steadynet com zmdesc htm The Z 11 is a fully automatic tuner that requires power however it 25 03 01 R has latching relays so that power is conserved A pair of 9 V NiCad batteries in series will provide hundreds of tunings The ZM 2 is a manually tuned unit They cover 10 80 m with the Z 11 also covering 160 m Both are good units Price of the file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 7 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 ANTENNA TUNER AUTOMATIC BAND Will the Z 11 antenna tuner work with the FT 817 on 6 m Is there an interface for Z 11 is several times that of the ZM 2 The
45. s off Next take a reamer tool that looks like a cone with teeth and make the hole that the BNC fits through a little wider Use a BNC plug as a test fit to make sure the plug s lower ring fits through just snugly When you replace the front panel you will find those recalcitrant BNCs go on nicely as they bottom out INTO the panel as they seat Note that you do not have to remove the BNC from the inner panel It depends upon what mode you are using If you are operating AM or PM then you can just key the microphone and tune given that you don t modulate the carrier If you are operating CW with a straight key then you just have to hold down the key For other modes it becomes more complicated If you are using the built in keyer then you have to turn off the keyer press the dit paddle while tuning and then turn on the keyer again If in USB you will need to change modes to AM or the like key the microphone while tuning and change the mode back to USB The only mode that can safely be used to produce a legal carrier throughout the amateur bands is PKT The number of actions needed to be taken during tuning typically ranges from 5 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 6 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM 03 06 01 FT817 ANTENNA TUNER system Does the FT 817 include an internal antenna tuner to 11 Recently W4RT Electronics introduced One Touch Tune as a FT 817 accesso
46. stable operation of the FT 817 however it is not needed for PSK31 or other typical modes with the F 817 For use in non amateur applications suchas CAP and 22 04 02 MARS it may allow the FT 817 to be utilized This Group is limited to only amateur radio applications and does not discuss non amateur applications file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 51 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 How do I generate the TUNING carrier for tuning with the FT 817 What is the TX carrier TX CARRIER POINT point used for in the FT 817 Can the FT 817 be USB PORT connected to the USB port on a computer If I purchase a FT 817 from someone during the WARRANTY warranty period the rig is still covered by the Yaesu warranty isn t it See TOPIC ANTENNA TUNER 03 06 01 See TOPIC CARRIER POINT 14 05 02 YES if you use a USB to Serial converter One such device is the UC 232A USB Converter which provides an easy solution for adding an additional Com Port to a Windows or Macintosh computer having a Universal Serial Bus port The RS 232 connection is the standard 9 pin D Type male 09 06 02 connector The unit is powered from the USB connection so no external power supply is necessary Gary N3JPU has used this device with the Yaesu CT 62 cable that connect the FT 817 to a serial port For more information see http www usb port com uc232 html NO The warranty policy Yaesu has r
47. t com and INRAD http www qth com inrad ft 817 htm are the only commercial sources at present All three use Collins Mechanical Filters but not the same ones The filters offered by Yaesu and W4RT Electronics are identical except that the W4RT Electronics termination has been optimized for their boards W4RT Electronics is the only source offering a dual Collins Filter option for the FT 817 It replaces the stock ceramic filter with the 10 pole Collins Mechanical filter and includes either the 7 pole 500 Hz or 8 pole 300 Hz Collins Mechanical filter for CW Note that the Yaesu CW filter is 500 Hz 6 db with a shape factor of 4and 26 11 02 R the INRAD CW filter is 600 Hz 6 dB with a shape factor of 2 5 INRAD also offers a 340 Hz CW filter 6 dB having a shape factor of 2 5 Shape factor BW 60 dB BW 6 dB For the SSB filter INRAD offers two choices with one identical to the Yaesu YF 122S 11 12 01 R file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 22 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 FILTER What are the characteristics of the optional CW filter for the FT 817 Do I need one and the other provides about 250 Hz more bandwith Another option is to build your own K6XX prepared a quality presentation on how to make your own optional filter using available Collins mechanical filters See http www k6xx ft817 817cwf pdf A good article on this subject appeared in QRP
48. tions viz Basic Controls Operating Menu Customizing Menu and Where can I find simple Power Saving Settings The reference cards to quickly smaller card covers the locate the feature or Operating Menu and 03 06 01 command I need to use Customizing Menu in an with my FT 817 abbreviated form Price is 6 plus 1 S H in the US and 3 S H outside the US The Vade Mecum meaning roughly something to take with you can be obtained from either 1 Kairos Research 853 Alder St Blaine WA 98320 8030 USA or 2 www w4rt com ZL2IH discovered that to copy a memory channel to one of the VFO s you may use the following procedure 1 Put the Operating Functions to Row 1 A B A B SPL 2 Turn to memory channel of choice via V M button 3 When displaying memory channel press hold A B button until display changes to the VFO mode and 4 This will write the memory channel to the VFO not displayed i e you will have to press the A B button to access the other VFO and your newly transferred memory channel contents MANUALS REFERENCE CARDS How can a memory channel be copied to one of the VFOs MEMORY CHANNEL TO VFO 16 04 01 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 31 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 MEMORY CHANNELS Can I mask soft erasure memory channels YES K7JA provided the procedure for masking soft erasure memory channels in the FT 817 1 Press the F
49. tly wide skirts The optional Yaesu SSB filter is a 10 pole mechanical filter by Collins Its bandwidth is 2 3 kHz and its frequency response is very flat with rather sharp skirts Measurement of average RF output talk power was about 2 dB greater than that observed when using the stock filter On the air performance reports consistently are that the signal is a couple of dBs stronger and that the audio sounds cleaner or more articulate On receive the difference between the filters is not very great However if the FT 817 has a good quality external speaker attached the difference in hearing is noticable improved It should be noted that PSK31 performance is improved on both transmit and receive since the spectrum is now flat rather than being rolled off to either side A good article on this subject appeared in QRP Quarterly in 2001 A reprint is available to view at http w4rt com obf QQ Oct 01 Filter Review pdf 09 06 02 R file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 24 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 FM MODE FMN MODE FREQUENCY BAND MODIFICATION FREQUENCY RANGE FACTORY What is the maximum deviation in the FM mode What is FMN Can I perform a software modification to my radio that will allow 60 m operation What is the solder ball configuration for the factory designated frequency ranges The maximum deviation in the FM mode is 5 kHz See TOPIC
50. tm 46 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM FT817 S METER SEL KNOB SERIAL INTERFACE SERIAL NUMBER SLASH ZERO SPEAKER What is a S unit The SEL knob seems to have some play in it Is this normal How do I make a serial interface for the FT 817 How do you interpret the FT 817 s serial number How do I make a slash zero symbol My speaker is not centered over the grill holes Should I fix this mistake made by Yaesu The S unit is defined to be a 6 dB change in the signal strength S 9 is typically defined to be 50 microvolts at the antenna input YES In general this knob has a slight amount of play in it Remember that it is both a push button and rotary switch See TOPIC AUTOMATIC BAND SELECT Yaesu uses the same serial number scheme for all of their ham gear The serial number has the form YMLLNNN where Y the last digit of the year of manufacture M is a letter representing the month of manufacture with C January D February and so on the lot number is representated by the two digit LL 00 99 and NNNN 0001 9999 is the unit number within lot LL As an example 0N070145 means December 2000 lot 7 unit 145 The lot number is not linked to the year amp month i e LL does not reset to 00 each year Service bulletins refer to lot numbers Try alt 0216 This works for most systems NO It is not a mistake This is a trick used to improve the frequency response of the spea
51. und card with excellent results Follow the instructions in the FT 817 Manual You may need to adjust the output of the sound card and the DIG MIC of the FT 817 to achieve a high quality PSK31 signal Transmit control can be manual by taking the PTT line from the DATA plug to ground For perhaps more enjoyable operation you may find it desirable to build a simple interface or to purchase something like the popular RigBlaster from West Mountain Radio http www westmountainradio com RIGblaster htm or the RASCAL PSK31 kit Model FTMDIN from BUX CommCo http www packetradio com psk31 htm See TOPICS CONNECTORS YES The CW filter can be used as an effective tool in mitigating undesired signals when operating in the PSK31 modes When you have NAR set ON you will see the signals displayed on the waterfall display be limited to about 500 Hz filter bandwidth and all others signal are essentially eliminated However the spectral position of the CW file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 43 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 48 PM 13 04 01 R 17 02 01 FT817 filter passband is determined initially by the CW setup in Menu Consequently you may have to move the CW filter passband center frequency to the desired signal by using the IF shift control See manual for control operation You may likely find it interesting to look at the comprehensive listing of More Than You Ever Wanted
52. ve used for RTTY with my other rig Do I have to lug that around to operate RTTY when portable My S meter just quit working What s wrong Is the calibration of the S meter accurate Early units don t G8IFF notes that Lots 17 29 have a fuse and diode on a small carrier board in place of D1084 Fuse is 3 15A Lots 32 onward have a 3 15A fuse fitted between D1084 and the battery connector 05 12 02 See TOPIC SQUELCH amp RF GAIN NO If you have a computer with a soundcard see comments under PSK31 you can use one of several software realizations of RTTY operation For example TrueTTY works well and also includes a PSK31 mode see www dxsoft com Most likely you have turned your AGC to OFF In this mode the S meter will not work since it monitors the AGC voltage You can reset it by pressing the Function Key and going to Operating Function Row 8 and toggling key B to select auto fast or slow Based upon the evaluation of one unit the S meter appears to provide a reasonably good representation of signal strength Over all bands it was within a S unit except on 2 m It should be noted that the difference in S 31 05 01 units dramatically decreases for lower S unit values The signal difference between S 2 and S 3 is less than 2 dB 1 3 of a S unit Consequently use care when interpreting low signal levels with the S meter file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 h
53. ween the DWN and UP keys When the Fast Step Tuning is ON an icon of a running man is displayed in the lower right of the display 09 0701 Pressing the FST key toggles this mode When ON the VFO tuning rate increases by a factor of 10 steps are 100 Hz rather than 10 Hz The FM steps double YES KB8PYM identified http www access gpo gov nara cft waisidx_01 47cfr97_01 html as a resouce 07 04 01 18 04 02 See TOPIC POWER SUPPLIES 05 03 01 The procedure is explained in the manual however AD6A has prepared an excellent web page that provides detailed installation instructions and photographs for the CW filter See http www cooltechstuff com FT817_CWfilterinstall html NOTE When you install the filter you should be able to see the writing on the filter It doesn t work upside down 28 01 01 R file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 21 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 Can I install both the optional SSB and CW filters at the same time in my FT 817 FILTER What sources are available FILTER for obtaining the optional filters YES amp NO W4RT Electronics www w4rt com offers a mod that allows you to us both filters You must send them your 817 for the mod If you don t use their mod then you must select one Both the CW and SSB filters improve the operation capability of the FT 817 and are highly desirable Yaesu W4RT Electronics http www w4r
54. y GREEN WIRE What is the purpose of the green wire modification power ON A pico fuse is a small fuse that can be used in the battery leads to protect the battery and the radio from damage should a short circuit occur A 3 A fuse is suggested The FT 817 draws 2 A during high power transmissions A 3 A pico fuse is rated to blow at 3 A in 4 hours and at 6 A in 5 seconds 08 04 01 In a recent test by W4WB and N4BK a sample 3 A pico fuse blew at 5 1 A in just about a second or so Pico fuses may be found in many electronic supply stores One source is All Electronics Corp www allelectronics com See also TOPIC BATTERIES The FT817 Moderator Pres Waterman W2PW has created this FAQ Look at http www buffalobills com for the answer See also TOPIC BATTERIES The cable from the FT 817 to the FBA 28 battery holder contains five wires one of which is green two that are black and two that are red The green wire needs to be connected to the FBA 28 when alkaline batteries are being used Should you desire to put NiCd or NiMH cells in the FBA 28 battery holder then disconnect the green wire When the FT 817 is powered from a 13 8V power supply the FT 817 will 16 06 01 R charge the batteries for the time set in the BATT CHG menu option and then drop to trickle 14 04 01 file Cl Documents 20and 20Settings Barry My 20Documents W4WB FT817 htm 26 of 53 8 27 2006 7 23 47 PM FT817 HIDDEN MENU ICON
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