Reminder - Dayton Hamvention

This is a reminder that the Dayton Hamvention is this coming weekend.  Dayton is in Ohio, USA 🇺🇸.

As far as I know, it is the biggest amateur radio gathering on the planet. It particularly attracts visitors in the USA, but is also a meeting place for overseas visitors too.

It is often the place where new products are announced. I am still waiting for the FT817 true successor, although I fear it is now too late!

See https://hamvention.org

FT-817/818 replacement?

Since before the peak of the last solar cycle (24), I have been speculating about Yaesu launching a replacement to the flagship FT-817/818 series. As most know, these are QRP, all band, all mode, portables. The same basic rig has been around since about the year 2000. Worldwide, it has been very successful.

The Facebook FT-818 user group and QRPer website talk about the FT-818 being discontinued.  Yaesu has all the things it needs to do a good replacement.: an SDR RX architecture, DSP technology, LiIon battery packs, and auto ATU design, speech processing etc..  They could even use the same case!!  It needs to be a market disruptor with unique selling points. The IC-705 has no auto ATU or 2m and 70cm bands. Could they consider a "killer" app that really makes people want one? It is also not a real handheld.  My puzzlement is why has a replacement not appeared already? 

There is a great danger of Yaesu missing the boat (yet again) as sunspots decline. This, as a QRPer, at the right price and spec, is the one rig I might consider for a trade-in.  At the right price and spec, this could be Yaesu's saviour, but they need to launch very soon.

Does anyone have any inside knowledge? Spec, launch date, etc..

UPDATE 2055z:  No inputs yet from anyone.

UPDATE 2110z: I took look at the Yaesu Japan website. All they could manage was the 2011 catalogue!! Does not fill one with confidence. If they want to make profits, you would think they would have a 2023 catalogue at least! Come on Yaesu - wake up!!

See https://qrper.com/2023/01/if-yaesu-designed-an-ft-818-replacement-what-would-you-like-to-see/

FT817 and successors

For over 40 years, I have been a great fan of Yaesu. In the past they were at the forefront of innovation in amateur radio.  Like many, I have been waiting for a real replacement to the FT817/818 family. The FT818 was a bitter disappointment as it still lacked most of the features people had hoped for. They still make some good products like the FT-710 which is SDR based.

My own view is that Yaesu has lost direction in the amateur radio market. Against many competitors they now look second best reacting to the market rather than being out front. Arguably the FT-991A and the FT-710 were reactions to the ICOM IC-7300. This is so sad as Yaesu definitely could lead the market. 

After many years, they seem to have lost the battle for the QRP market. ICOM introduced the IC-705 and the Chinese are appearing with some serious kit.

It is my view, hopefully wrong, that Yaesu will leave the amateur radio market before 2027. They will realise they can no longer make profits and go.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commhercial-rigs/yaesu-ft817nd

In 2010 (yes 2010!!) I produced a wish list and Photoshop mock-up of what I was expecting for a possible replacement. Instead we got the real FT818, which was a total letdown.  What I was expecting in 2010 still largely holds, plus an SDR RX architecture. 

Sadly, I cannot see this ever coming.  Who would launch a new QRP portable after a sunspot maximum? We shall call this now the FT819, although I suspect this is now pipe-dreaming! 

Yaesu - very last chance!

These are the features expected:

• All mode 472 kHz to 1296 MHz with 5 MHz, 40 MHz, and 70 MHz.
• 5W RF (2W 1296 MHz).
• 3.5AHr LiPo battery (fast charging).
• Random wire auto ATU.
• SDR RX architecture.
• Full colour OLED display.
• RF speech processor.
• Digital ready.
• DSP noise reduction.

New Yaesu HF QRP Transceiver?

Does anyone have any idea if Yaesu is planning to launch a new HF QRP radio as a proper replacement for the FT817?  The FT818 is a joke.

One has been overdue for many, many years and I fear they have lost their chance. They now have an SDR platform and surely could do this. 

With the right features and form, it could still be a winner. I would certainly consider one. As time progresses, they are facing yet more competition from ICOM, Elecraft and various Chinese offerings.

This is their very last chance!! If one is not forthcoming very soon, I fear it is curtains for Yaesu in the Amateur Radio Service.

UPDATE 1314z:   I think Yaesu has blown it (yet again). Initial reports from Hamvention suggest nothing. If they had anything at all (even a non working mock-up) they would have shown it. I give them 3 years in the Amateur Radio Service market before they are out, possibly less at this rate. I am a great Yaesu fan, but in recent years their marketing has been unbelievably poor. If I was in charge, the entire marketing department for amateur radio would have been sacked as totally incompetent.

The Yaesu FT81x transceivers

Yaesu has announced the ending of production of the FT818 transceiver claiming parts shortage as their reason. 

When the FT818 was launched, like many, I was completely under-whelmed. What a complete failure!! 

The FT818 offered none of the things people had expected and that would have been very easy to do. Instead, they opened the market to others and gave us the impression of a company that had totally lost its way. 

In my view they have one last chance in 2023. Based on their muddled performance in 2022 I am not too hopeful. If they are after profits, they have surely lost their chances already. Compared with, say, 10 years ago there are far more competitors.  At one time they ruled the QRP market and were leaders not followers.

In my time I have owned many Yaesu transceivers. I was a Yaesu fan. 

It would not surprise me at all if Yaesu left the amateur radio market within 5 years.

Yaesu FT818

This was introduced some years ago, mainly to address component obsolescence with the FT817.  I have owned 2 FT817s over many years and these were good, solid QRP transceivers. In my case they have been used from 136kHz to 432MHz, in some cases with homebrew transverters. I have never, ever regretted having them.

When the FT818 came out I was extremely disappointed. It seemed that Yaesu had lost its way and ignored the huge worldwide market for a better, modern, product. They could have used the same mechanics and just changed the battery and guts. Instead, they introduced basically the very same product. Such a wasted chance.

In my view, they have one last chance. We are on the way up to the next solar peak and the world is expecting a replacement for a product that is about 20 years old.

Yaesu is well capable of designing a worthy successor to the FT817, so get on with it!

Yaesu  -  wake up!!!

What Yaesu SHOULD have done with the FT818

When their replacement for the FT817ND was announced most people groaned that they could miss out on such an opportunity. 

Way back in 2010 I suggested a possible successor. They did something that, in my view, was totally pathetic and underwhelming totally "missing the boat" and doing the minimum to overcome supply issues and nothing to make it a decent step forward.

The photo shows what many of us were hoping for 11 years ago!!

Since then they have had some fine SDR transceivers, but no attempt to get into the QRP portable market leaving many people to wonder if they have lost their way or have no money or are considering leaving the market. 

My message is simple - Yaesu wake up!!

FT817

The FT817/818 has appeared in a few guises, but Yaesu has totally "missed the boat" with regard to a really competitive replacement. 

It is still a decent radio, covering all the HF bands, 6m, 2m and 70cm with all modes. It may be used at home or out portable, but some quite small changes could transform it. 

My feelings are that Yaesu has lost its way and become, at best, a follower rather than a leader. I have owned several Yaesu radios since the 1970s. I really hope they "get on their game" soon.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/yaesu-ft817nd

FT817, FT817ND and FT818

When the FT818 appeared I was disappointed. The FT817 has been popular for many years and the FT817ND and FT818 seem to have built on that reputation.

In truth the FT818 just got rid of difficult to source parts and offered customers little new. Had they added a few extras they would have sold thousands. It would appear ICOM's IC-705 will do this instead. In my view, Yaesu has lost its focus and could leave the amateur market. ICOM seems more likely to survive.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ft817

Blown finals?

Here I have two FT817s. The first was bought (I think) in 2001. I was wondering why I was getting no reports of my 2.5W FT8 CQs on 6m, so I checked the power out - nothing. On the other FT817 (an ND) bought about 3 years ago - plenty. So, after about 17 years, my first failure! I guess the finals have gone. This old FT817 is mainly used on RX, so the PAs probably won't be mended in a hurry. After all this time I can hardly complain. The FT817 is a great radio.

A REAL FT818???

It seems there may be a real FT818 coming to replace the FT817.

I have no facts, so this could all be wrong. From what this hints at, I am underwhelmed. The replacement should have been launched in 2013 (latest) and not on the way down to the biggest lull in solar activity in a very long time. Any replacement will have to have some real killer features.

Unless this is a real success, I could see Yaesu go out of business. As a Yaesu fan since the 1970s I hope I'm wrong. In recent years though they have been timid followers rather than leaders in my view. Others may see things differently, but look at the FT991A, hastily launched to try to win business back from the ICOM IC7300.

See http://qrpblog.com/2018/02/yaesu-ft-818-details-leaked-ft-817nd-replacement/

FT817 and FT817ND

These little rigs from Yaesu have basically remained unchanged since 2000. They cover all bands from 160m-70cm (not 4m or 1.25m), all modes, 5W. With transverters, mine have been used from VLF upwards on all available bands. They work well, but I was surprised Yaesu did not do an upgrade in time for the last sunspot peak. Also, I was surprised they had no real competitors. These days there are a few SDR radios around, but the FT817 reigns supreme.

With mine I have worked the world including some great handheld DX. For base station use I recommend the Z817 auto-ATU. I tried the Elecraft auto ATU but prefer the Z817. I am very happy with the FT817, although the early ones had PA failures with low voltage. This was fixed (I think) in the FT817ND.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ft817 .

Old FT817

Looking through some old photo albums, I spotted me with an FT817 in the garden dated 2001. This means I first bought the FT817 at least 16 years ago. I was probably working OX (Greenland) at the time, with 2.5W and a telescopic whip on SSB. It seems amazing that it has been around all that time with effectively no competition.

Another thing that struck me was how young and thin we looked back then!

2m WSPR

Yesterday evening was quite successful with spots exchanged with several stations on 2m WSPR. G8OFA (189km) was the best DX.

I am thinking of buying a Chinese TCXO for the FT817. Reports of these are good and it should give frequency accuracy and stability to 432MHz. At less than £10 shipped, one can hardly go wrong. It should be good for digital modes with the FT817.

Not buying.....for now

With BREXIT, Japanese goods, and USA goods, priced in USA dollars should be some 10% more expensive to import into the UK. I expect dealers will absorb some of this, but maybe not all. This could mean some prices go up later this year or next.

I was thinking about investing in a new rig like the ICOM IC7300 but the offered cash price was too great, so I shall stick with my present rigs for now. The FT817 has served me well and has enabled me to work some impressive QRP DX over the years. I like the rigs I own and don't need a new radio. We are always bombarded with adverts trying to persuade us to buy consumer goods and we have to ask ourselves can we, should we, resist?

Our whole society is based on buying "things" we don't really need that wear out quite soon. In the end this is not sustainable in a world with a growing population and limited resources.

New rig - not at the moment

I was going to invest in an IC7300, but, for the moment, I have decided not to bother. The FT817 serves me well and I am not that interested in running more power. If the price drops a lot I might think again.  The FT817 certainly serves my needs on 10m and 6m JT65 even on the middle power setting. I also have a transverter for 630m (see my design in the latest QST). I also have a stand-alone 500mW WSPR beacon for 10m.

SOTABEAMS filters for FT-817

See http://www.sotabeams.co.uk/ssb-cw-filter-module-for-the-ft-817/ .

I admit that I first spotted this on the Southgate News website.   Looks like a useful add-on for the FT817, although installing looks more complicated than I expected.

Dayton Hamvention 2016 and the FT817

Well, if there is to be a replacement for the FT817 we are likely to hear about it this weekend at Dayton. This is the biggest amateur event in the world.

There was a rumour about this last year. If there is no announcement then I think Yaesu will have missed the boat for ever and they will not bother to replace it. I for one will be looking with interest.

What amazes me is that none of the other Japanese manufacturers has tried to beat the Yaesu FT817. ICOM?

New rigs?

At the moment I am happy with the rigs I have, so I can wait to replace rigs.

At the moment the IC7300 looks a favourite over the FT991, but a decent FT817 replacement at the right price might fit the bill. All decisions on future investments are predicated on the price being right. I want dealers to make a fair margin, but I do not like being ripped off.  On the IC7300, dealers are making a mint out of early adopters who want the rig at any price. Later, the IC7300 price will drop.

I am awaiting Dayton to see if Yaesu really does replace the workhorse FT817. I have my doubts. As you know, 5-10W is quite enough for me.

FT817 replacement announcement?

If the rumours are to be believed, this month we may get an announcement at Dayton on a replacement to the FT817. Of course, it is entirely possible we will not!

In my view, Yaesu have "missed the boat" and should have launched such a product on the approach to the sunspot maximum rather than on the downward slope.Yaesu certainly need some "must have" features if they are to be as successful as with the FT817.