Yaesu FT817ND Portable All Band, All Mode QRP Low Power Ham Radio Transceiver

Everything I expected & more. Very happy with it.

Best I've used for Qrp on hf out in the field/please.

I have been a radio Ham for more than twenty five years and in that time I have owned many transceivers .I have used many configurations of antenna from verticals to long wire and beams and used output power of up to 500 watts.I have worked the world using SSB and CW.Out of all the radios I have used and enjoyed none have given me more pleasure of this little beauty.With just its five watts and some simple antennas,like the wonder loop or Yaesu's s Atas antenna I have made some unbelievable contacts around the world using SSB and CW.QRP is like fishing for big fish on light tackle.when you get a bite its so much more fun.

Small, really small. This can be a pain if you don't have good mobility in your hands or bad vision....The menu system is similar to the FT897 so you can spend much time belting around the options to set it up.Can be set up for wide band transmit which is really useful if you need a low power signal generator. Great for setting up home made equipment and whips.It is great for finding interference as a simple antenna will allow short range direction finding.About 30 minutes or so on internal batteries.The RX section is good from HF upwards, but not so hot on LF without a good antenna.A great bit of kit for monitoring but the FT450 is a better size for base station operation.The power o/p is low so unless you want to be QRP, you will buy a linear amp and possibly an ATU.Took it on holiday and it was great on a simple dipole...Enjoyable to useFinally, be careful with some of the prices/sellers, I have seen this model at a very good price, but ask a question and the item is no longer for sale.... Interesting.....