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Re: Frequency programming keypad

 

Thanks to all for the information.? I did look on the internet and found several keypads.? None of these devices are being made now.? I think I'll look into one of the kinda cheap Chinese import radios with direct frequency input if I can find one.? I'm really only interested in a receiver.? It's a shame to get rid of the 817 but the new sdr radios offer so many more features than the Yaesu.? Progress, I guess.? Thanks again.? Dave


On Tue, 13 Aug 2024 at 22:33, Clyde Lambert via <clyde.lambert=[email protected]> wrote:
Hello All,
I Just did a Google? search for "Keypad for FT-817" and found 4 of them, each different from the other. So there are some available.
Just do the same search as I did.
All you have to do to find almost anything, first do a Google search!
Clyde KC7BJE?


Re: Frequency programming keypad

 

Hello All,
I Just did a Google? search for "Keypad for FT-817" and found 4 of them, each different from the other. So there are some available.
Just do the same search as I did.
All you have to do to find almost anything, first do a Google search!
Clyde KC7BJE?


Re: Frequency programming keypad

 

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I don’t know if they are even still available but have a look at the Millenium QSYer.

?

73….Eric VK2VE.

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Dave Martin
Sent: Wednesday, August 14, 2024 5:20 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [ft817] Frequency programming keypad

?

Does anyone make a keypad for 817?? I think bhi did at one time but it's not shown on their website now.? Dave


Virus-free.


Re: Frequency programming keypad

 

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FYI, our SideKar Decoder Edition interfaces with the 817 / 818 and allows you to change frequency and mode from a wireless keyboard.

Plus you can send 20 user-defined CW messages (80 characters each) and log 1000 QSOs, with ADIF file export.? Since it's talking to the 817 / 818, it auto-populates the freq and mode, plus the date and time (has its own real-time clock).?

It'll decode CW and allow you to send CW from the keyboard, from stored messages, or a paddle, with the keyer speed and mode controlled from the keyboard.?

The full manual is online should you care to check it out.?
https://www.qrpworks.com/manuals.html

73,?
Shel KF0UR?
QRPworks.com


Re: Self destruct finals

 

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About $40 USD

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of ZL2ALW via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2024 7:35 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [ft817] Self destruct finals

?

Hi Peter, and all. I found this

as it is in Europe it could fix your problem.

Regards

Andrew Barnett

ZL2ALW


Re: Frequency programming keypad

 

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It should be fairly trivial to take a keypad and a micro-controller (RPi Pico?) and have it read the keypad and shoot the proper command to a radio over a serial port connected to a radio's cat port...


Ken, N2VIP

On Aug 13, 2024, at 16:51, Scott McDonald via groups.io <Ka9p@...> wrote:

?Dave,

Your note reminded me that I have box on the shelf that appears to have 4 vintage ?assembled Universal QSYers and one unassembled kit. ?If that model seems like something you’d use feel free to ping me direct.

?I used to use them on my pair of original 817s to set up satellite freqs when the boxes were novel but haven’t used them in years.

72 Scott ka9p


Make something good happen!

On Aug 13, 2024, at 2:30?PM, Dave Martin <kc7nj73@...> wrote:

?
Does anyone make a keypad for 817?? I think bhi did at one time but it's not shown on their website now.? Dave


Re: Self destruct finals

 

Hi Peter, and all. I found this
as it is in Europe it could fix your problem.
Regards
Andrew Barnett
ZL2ALW


Re: Frequency programming keypad

Scott McDonald
 

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Dave,

Your note reminded me that I have box on the shelf that appears to have 4 vintage ?assembled Universal QSYers and one unassembled kit. ?If that model seems like something you’d use feel free to ping me direct.

?I used to use them on my pair of original 817s to set up satellite freqs when the boxes were novel but haven’t used them in years.

72 Scott ka9p


Make something good happen!

On Aug 13, 2024, at 2:30?PM, Dave Martin <kc7nj73@...> wrote:

?
Does anyone make a keypad for 817?? I think bhi did at one time but it's not shown on their website now.? Dave


Re: Blown final club? I think I have a membership

 

Average Ham does not mean much these days.? Most repair of Ham gear is not that hi-tech.? Yaesu hires high school drop outs to do it.
?
And replacing the FT817 PA finals on the is not that difficult.? If think so no you should not be inside the radio.
?
Once when my finals blew, I did order and install the PA board.? But when the finals died so did the driver transistors on the main board. SMTs, easy job to replace once got the parts.? Do need the right tools, mainly a very small pencil iron and small solder, not 035".? I have just such an iron I use for SMT with 0.050 pins.
?
73, ron, n9ee


Re: Frequency programming keypad

 

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What is the app? Assume it's Pocket RxTx

?

How does the app control the radio? Wired or wireless? Looks like the idea is to use a cat cable & usb OTG adapter

I think the OP was looking for something to use in the field to punch in frequencies, as if the radio had a keyboard on the front of it, this is a bit more than that...

Ken, N2VIP

On Aug 13, 2024, at 15:13, davebb123456 <davidbrowne76@...> wrote:

You could always use a android phone/tablet
Ptxrx lite app,free of charge,
Dave


Re: Frequency programming keypad

 

You could always use a android phone/tablet
Ptxrx lite app,free of charge,
Dave

On Tue, 13 Aug 2024, 20:59 Peter Burnett via , <g4bll.peter=[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Dave
BHI no longer manufacture that unit it was called a “Radiomate”
I have one but it is not working properly, no beeps. I bought it on eBay and I have seen another one come up recently.?
G4BLL
P Burnett

On 13 Aug 2024, at 20:30, Dave Martin <kc7nj73@...> wrote:

?
Does anyone make a keypad for 817?? I think bhi did at one time but it's not shown on their website now.? Dave

--
Peter Burnett G4BLL


Re: Frequency programming keypad

 

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Hi Dave
BHI no longer manufacture that unit it was called a “Radiomate”
I have one but it is not working properly, no beeps. I bought it on eBay and I have seen another one come up recently.?
G4BLL
P Burnett

On 13 Aug 2024, at 20:30, Dave Martin <kc7nj73@...> wrote:

?
Does anyone make a keypad for 817?? I think bhi did at one time but it's not shown on their website now.? Dave

--
Peter Burnett G4BLL


Re: Frequency programming keypad

 

I'm interested as well. Years ago there was a small company called Stone Mountain Engineering making them and I have to say that they're a wonderful device. A friend told me a long time ago it could be done with an eprom. Maybe there's another way now.

Joe N1KHB?


On Tue, Aug 13, 2024 at 3:30 PM, Dave Martin
<kc7nj73@...> wrote:
Does anyone make a keypad for 817?? I think bhi did at one time but it's not shown on their website now.? Dave


Frequency programming keypad

 

Does anyone make a keypad for 817?? I think bhi did at one time but it's not shown on their website now.? Dave


Re: Blown final club? I think I have a membership

 

The FT817/818 charge circuit would not really cause issues if "overcharging". The radio is built for NiCD / NiMH cells and the charging regime is 14 hours times 0.1C, so 14 hours times 10% of the capacity of the cells. The "fourteen times 10%" is to make up for losses in the charge / discharge process; "ten times 10%" would charge the cells but the process has losses. Hence 14 hours.

However, NiCD cells no longer exist (environment!), and NiMH cells have grown in technology. I think the original packs had a capacity of roughly 700 mAH, so a charge current of 70 mA. Today's cells are often closer to 3000 mAH, and hence a 70mA charge current won't charge the cell in 14 hours, you need much more than that.
?
With a low charge current like this, "overcharging" won't affect the cells unless you do it continuously. The cells will dissipate the energy they can't store. They get warm, but not hot. The amount of energy is not very high.
?
The charge circuit is just a current source. If you look at the schematic, it is Q1103 with R1435 defining the charge current and Q1101 enabling the circuit.
There is a second charge circuit, Q1105 and R1436 with Q1102 enabling. This is a trickle-charge as NiCD/NiMH are known to self-discharge.
The "green wire" disables both charging circuits (charge and trickle) which is just as well because trying to charge alkalines is likely to cause them to leak.
I have changed R1435 to match my cells; you will need to revise yourself if you want to do this, and please mind the dissipation and max Ic for Q1101 and Q1103; I have not blown my finals but I *have* blown the charging circuitry at some time.

To add, the FT817/818 doesn't charge 14 hours, but selectable 6-8-10 hours. The result is that even a 10-hour cycle won't get close to charging them modern high-capacity NiMH cells and two cycles won't hurt the cells. We're not talking "ultra-speed 30 minute fill charge", the battery chemistry is 30 years older.


Re: Self destruct finals

 

On Tue, Aug 13, 2024 at 01:01 PM, Peter Burnett wrote:
This has only served to convince me that my old 817 receiver will remain just that.
I am pretty sure if you call Yaesu UK they will be able to sell you a FT818 output module that will fit your FT817 and it won't mortgage your house. The techs are pretty nice to work with.


Re: Self destruct finals

 

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Thanks for highlighting the full extent of what’s involved here Geert. I watched a video on UT which covered the physical aspects of replacing the finals but didn’t go in to the re-setting necessary. This has only served to convince me that my old 817 receiver will remain just that.?
Cheers
73
Peter
P Burnett

On 13 Aug 2024, at 11:32, Geert Jan de Groot via groups.io <pe1hzg@...> wrote:

?
EDIT: I forgot to include the casing of these devices. Here it is.

<Screenshot 2024-08-13 at 12.23.48.png>

--
Peter Burnett G4BLL


Re: Self destruct finals

 

EDIT: I forgot to include the casing of these devices. Here it is.


Re: Self destruct finals

 

On Mon, Aug 12, 2024 at 09:42 PM, Ron Wright wrote:
What is the part number for the transistor in the FT817/8's PA.? I'd like to get some.
You may want to reflect on this one. For one, there have been a number of PA module revisions because the semiconductor devices have changed (the old device is out of production). Unfortunately, the different devices need different matching and hence the matching circuit changed between different revisions of the PA PCB. So, you can't just swap between different devices because the circuit needs to change.
?
At the very least, if you want to order spare semiconductor devices, you must check the module you have to check the devices your module has.
?
And there is a second issue. The devices consist of a ceramic substrate with two edge contacts (gate and drain) and a big contact in the middle, that serves as source, as well as heat sink. The source is connected to the assembly to remove the heat as well as provide a good ground contact. Replacing the devices is a non trivial exercise, not to mention the small 0204 devices in the vicinity that fly away if you use hot air (don't ask how I know).
So, replacing the semiconductor itself is non trivial. You probably want to swap the module.

And there is another issue. I am pretty sure that, after replacement, you will need to adjust the BIAS settings and adjust the gain of the full TX chain - you need to do this for replacing the devices and certainly when replacing the PA module.

All in all, it is not as easy as replacing a 2N2222, it is more involved.
?
Geert Jan


Re: Self destruct finals

 

G4BLL,

What is the part number for the transistor in the FT817/8's PA.? I'd like to get some.

I like dealing with Digi-Key for they do sell what they list, actual manufacture's parts.

73, ron, n9ee/r

Ron Wright, N9EE/R
Hernando Co ARES EC
Spring Hill, Florida also n9ee55@...


On Monday, August 12, 2024 at 01:27:39 PM EDT, Ken N2VIP <ken@...> wrote:


Peter,

Pretty much everything you've said is correct, I think you've got a good handle on the situation, BUT I want to point out that our discussions so far have been about Yaesu America, your distributor may have stock in repair boards and may even still be repairing FT-817s. I'd encourage you to contact Yaesu near you and enquirer- you may get lucky and your FT-817 may get a reprieve and get a new set of finals!

Good luck,

Ken, N2VIP

On Aug 12, 2024, at 11:57?AM, Peter Burnett via groups.io <g4bll.peter@...> wrote:

?
Thanks for your input Ron.?
There has been a lot of useful stuff posted on this issue, some of it confusing (to me) and some contradictory.?
I wanted to ensure that my 818 was in no immediate danger but should I invest in some replacement output transistors as insurance for the future. This would appear to be a sensible course of action. However, one contributor quite rightly pointed out that there are a lot of inferior Chinese copies flooding the market place. Another contributor suggested a source of supply where it was reasonably certain they would be genuine. Hmm!
The second conundrum is it going to be worthwhile to try and get my old 817 back up and running on tx, or just be content to use it as rx only. Is it really going to be a practical proposition anyway?
The general consensus is that the 818 board can be “shoehorned” into the elderly 817s, but there aren’t any available and Yaesu can’t advise a delivery date or are not interested ( my interpretation). Another suggestion was to find a company/person willing to produce a short run copy, buy the output transistors and populate the rest of the board as required. I don’t mind admitting this is a non starter for me unless I can find someone in the UK to do the job for me. It is starting to sound like an expensive exercise.?
I think the sensible thing at this stage is to sit tight, see if, in fact, the 818 boards become available from Yaesu and someone does succeed in grafting it into a dead 817.?
Hope my interpretation reflects the current state of play.?
G4BLL
P Burnett

On 12 Aug 2024, at 01:13, Ron Wright via groups.io <lt_wright_flg@...> wrote:

?
The problem was not the internal battery running down to 0 volts, but rather like running down to around 5V or some low voltage.? The PA in the 817 and 818 are wired directly to the power input or internal battery all the time and are not switched with the ON/OFF switch.? Most rigs are wired this way.

What would happen at the low out of spec voltage the PA would start to self oscillate on it's own and kill itself.? I am sure this happen to my FT817 when I had stored it with rechargeable batteries, after 6 months turned the rig on and the PA was dead.?

When replacing the PA it was advised to reverse the input and output RF coax connections to help prevent this.

But I had understood Yaesu in their new redesign f the PA in the mid to late life of the 817 supposedly corrected the oscillation issue, but I also understand Yaesu never admitted it happening.? There were some who took variable power supplies and did verify the PA would self oscillate on it's own.

73, ron, n9ee/r

Ron Wright, N9EE/R
Hernando Co ARES EC
Spring Hill, Florida also n9ee55@...


On Sunday, August 11, 2024 at 03:30:06 PM EDT, Peter Burnett via groups.io <g4bll.peter@...> wrote:


Thanks Ken.?
P Burnett

On 11 Aug 2024, at 20:14, Ken N2VIP <ken@...> wrote:

?
The self-destruct finals feature is unique to the original, non-nd, FT-817. Your FT-818 should be fine, but I'd suggest pulling batteries out of the unit if you plan on storing it for an extended period, similar to almost any battery-powered device.

Ken, N2VIP

On Aug 11, 2024, at 13:57, Peter Burnett via groups.io <g4bll.peter@...> wrote:

?
I have an 817 (ser. No; 1D) no rf output and an 818 ( ser. no; 8J) still healthy.?
Do I understand correctly that my 818 will not self destruct if I forget to charge it and the internal battery runs down to zero volts?
Peter G4BLL

?
--
Peter Burnett G4BLL

--
Peter Burnett G4BLL

--
Peter Burnett G4BLL