It might be fun to have a pool on dimensions and weight, especially given that as near as I can tell the depth of the radio can’t be inferred from the size of the display in the pic, as height and width can.
I won’t complain without seeing one, and as a sometimes traveling satellite guy, I’d pay too much for that feature. ?
But I’m ?guessing maybe near a couple kilos with a fan and tuner and battery, and that’s quite a bit.
On Aug 23, 2024, at 1:39?PM, Ken N2VIP <ken@...> wrote:
?It's a 5 minute video of a man reading a web page describing a product he's never seen...
Thanks, but... it's like an unboxing video, except the podcaster doesn't have the radio in front of them to actually 'unbox'
I can predict the complaints already:
- power consumption (9 hours in 6 min transmit, 6 min receive, 48 min standby hours, so the battery is good for 1 hour (continuous) transmit, one hour receive, and seven hours squelched/muted standby?)
- active cooling availability hints strongly at overheating issues
- price - I think we're looking at a $1,500-$1,700 list price radio here... (comparable to IC-705 at $1,350)
This so-called "FT-817/818 replacement" really looks more like a low-power FT-991a with a battery pack & second receiver - all good, but not really a $700 FT-818 replacement.
We'll see how it plays out as we approach its "early 2025" release date.
Ken, N2VIP
On Aug 23, 2024, at 11:11, Bob AF9W <af9w@...> wrote:
It's a 5 minute video of a man reading a web page describing a product he's never seen...
Thanks, but... it's like an unboxing video, except the podcaster doesn't have the radio in front of them to actually 'unbox'
I can predict the complaints already:
- power consumption (9 hours in 6 min transmit, 6 min receive, 48 min standby hours, so the battery is good for 1 hour (continuous) transmit, one hour receive, and seven hours squelched/muted standby?)
- active cooling availability hints strongly at overheating issues
- price - I think we're looking at a $1,500-$1,700 list price radio here... (comparable to IC-705 at $1,350)
This so-called "FT-817/818 replacement" really looks more like a low-power FT-991a with a battery pack & second receiver - all good, but not really a $700 FT-818 replacement.
We'll see how it plays out as we approach its "early 2025" release date.
They sell a separate PTT button. If you give Warren a call he will add the PTT button and correctly wire out the headset for the 817, or any other radio you want. Nice guy.?
Not sure if anyone has posted this but G4JNT posted a suitable project for keypad entry for the FT-817 some time ago. Looks pretty straight forwards to build and might be worth a look?
A kind of preset project was also published in Radcom by G1EXG in September 2015
Not sure if anyone has posted this but G4JNT posted a suitable project for keypad entry for the FT-817 some time ago. Looks pretty straight forwards to build and might be worth a look?
A kind of preset project was also published in Radcom by G1EXG in September 2015
Not sure if anyone has posted this but G4JNT posted a suitable project for keypad entry for the FT-817 some time ago. Looks pretty straight forwards to build and might be worth a look?
A kind of preset project was also published in Radcom by G1EXG in September 2015
Not sure if anyone has posted this but G4JNT posted a suitable project for keypad entry for the FT-817 some time ago. Looks pretty straight forwards to build and might be worth a look?
A kind of preset project was also published in Radcom by G1EXG in September 2015
On Aug 15, 2024, at 21:47, Dave Martin <kc7nj73@...> wrote:
?
Thanks to everyone for ideas and suggestions.? I think I'll look for a portable receiver or maybe a transceiver and call it quits.? Thanks again.? Dave? K2ZU
Thanks to everyone for ideas and suggestions.? I think I'll look for a portable receiver or maybe a transceiver and call it quits.? Thanks again.? Dave? K2ZU
Not sure if anyone has posted this but G4JNT posted a suitable project for keypad entry for the FT-817 some time ago. Looks pretty straight forwards to build and might be worth a look?
A kind of preset project was also published in Radcom by G1EXG in September 2015
The FT817 mic socket can't be used to input frequency.
You could have a small adaptor connected to rear CAT port and powered from it and also plugged into the mic socket. It would need an MT8870 or similar DTMF decoder and a PIC. Then you could plug in a mic with a DTMF keypad and a switch/button on box would accept digits with perhaps * as decimal and # as enter/finish. Possibly the box could use a mic button or keyopad code and flash a red LED while digits entered and the FT817 will show success when # is pressed.
There are various mics with DTMF keypads.
It would be a simple project that could be assembled on stripboard. Any Atmel/PIC simple mpu with enough pins will do. The mpu pins can connect direct to CAT data pins.
Then also you'd have DTMF on the 817 for controlling repeaters and gateways. I've a mic off a dead Icom (someone stole display), but I don't know its connections.
I'm not sure who was originally looking for the direct entry keypad from bhi, however I do have one and would be willing to let it go under certain conditions.?
A frequency entry device that attaches to the rear of the FT-8x7 series radios is connected to, and communicating with the radio via CAT commands over a serial port.
A microphone that attaches to the front radio microphone jack communicates with the radio over the RJ45 connection and *likely* uses some special, non-CAT protocol/logic (if you could CAT control the radio over the mic connection I *suspect* that would have been noticed/documented by now).
It would take a sophisticated device to translate the protocol the microphone 'speaks' with the CAT commands the radio accepts via the rear connection (the MH59 mic has a dedicated chip that controls all button interactions, translating them into a form of serial data).
I *suspect* the FT-817/818 microphone jack on the radio is wired differently than on the FT-857/897 radios, and no external device can overcome that design issue. To confirm this, one would need to compare MH59 mic wiring diagram and then evaluate the mic connection of the FT-817 with that of the FT-857/897 radios. The three FT-8x7 radios share many, many similarities, but they are not identical, as easily proven by an examination of the physical board, the display circuitry, and the control (knobs/buttons) selection. (They are not the same radio
MH59 circuit diagram:?
It appears the microprocessor in the MH59 talks to and listens to the radio over pins 7 and 8 (the up/down button lines)
FT-817 service manual:?
FT-857 service manual:?
I tried to follow the two circuit diagrams for the two radios, and I couldn't make sense of them.
Interesting question, I hope the above can help a more knowledgeable reader figure out (and share) a definitive answer.
Ken, N2VIP
On Aug 15, 2024, at 03:58, Steve <g4vrr57@...> wrote:
Here's the thing, the MH59 outputs frequency as well as DTMF codes for the FT857 and FT897, so the codes from the keypad matrix are there. The BHI keypad (and I imagine all the other keypad solutions) access the FT81x's microprocessor via the rear panel port. They can't be different codes from those that? the mic generates? Really? The FT81x, FT857 and FT897 share many attributes and I suspect that these logic control signals are not an exception.
?
Following that reasoning, I bought a modular "Y" cable with a view to making a "break-out" for the MH59 mic lead. One socket going to two plugs. I thought maybe I could remove one of the modular plugs and solder on a rear panel port connector to the appropriate pins, or more likely splice a cut off cable to it and with a tail wind it might allow frequency input to the FT81x using the MH59.
A frequency entry device that attaches to the rear of the FT-8x7 series radios is connected to, and communicating with the radio via CAT commands over a serial port.
A microphone that attaches to the front radio microphone jack communicates with the radio over the RJ45 connection and *likely* uses some special, non-CAT protocol/logic (if you could CAT control the radio over the mic connection I *suspect* that would have been noticed/documented by now).
It would take a sophisticated device to translate the protocol the microphone 'speaks' with the CAT commands the radio accepts via the rear connection (the MH59 mic has a dedicated chip that controls all button interactions, translating them into a form of serial data).
I *suspect* the FT-817/818 microphone jack on the radio is wired differently than on the FT-857/897 radios, and no external device can overcome that design issue. To confirm this, one would need to compare MH59 mic wiring diagram and then evaluate the mic connection of the FT-817 with that of the FT-857/897 radios. The three FT-8x7 radios share many, many similarities, but they are not identical, as easily proven by an examination of the physical board, the display circuitry, and the control (knobs/buttons) selection. (They are not the same radio
MH59 circuit diagram:?
It appears the microprocessor in the MH59 talks to and listens to the radio over pins 7 and 8 (the up/down button lines)
FT-817 service manual:?
FT-857 service manual:?
I tried to follow the two circuit diagrams for the two radios, and I couldn't make sense of them.
Interesting question, I hope the above can help a more knowledgeable reader figure out (and share) a definitive answer.
On Aug 15, 2024, at 03:58, Steve <g4vrr57@...> wrote:
Here's the thing, the MH59 outputs frequency as well as DTMF codes for the FT857 and FT897, so the codes from the keypad matrix are there. The BHI keypad (and I imagine all the other keypad solutions) access the FT81x's microprocessor via the rear panel port. They can't be different codes from those that? the mic generates? Really? The FT81x, FT857 and FT897 share many attributes and I suspect that these logic control signals are not an exception.
?
Following that reasoning, I bought a modular "Y" cable with a view to making a "break-out" for the MH59 mic lead. One socket going to two plugs. I thought maybe I could remove one of the modular plugs and solder on a rear panel port connector to the appropriate pins, or more likely splice a cut off cable to it and with a tail wind it might allow frequency input to the FT81x using the MH59.
The IR remote control to CAT seems to be by KE8WO
Files.
It's for a Sony remote, but the source seems to be BASIC and the RC6 used by many IR remotes is well documented. I wrote SW to learn an RC6 remote on a PC via IR RX on RS232 handshake and transmitt IR using LED and 555 timer for 38 kHz turned on/off by HS pin. Then a Philips Photo/Portfolio CD could be used to control anything.
Then that info programmed in JAL for a standalone box with other features.
On Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 12:52 AM, Ken N2VIP wrote:
I understand you want a keyboard to enter freq in the field 'on-the-fly',
I did once start to make a handheld device with a 4 x 4 keypad, a small mono LCD text panel and buttons under it about 15 years ago. Then changed to graphics LCD. 18Fxxx PIC micro and programmed in JAL. It was powered from 817ND and used CAT commands. I may have started with an 18F4550 and then started to change to a 18F67J50.
I had to change the 4 x 4 to a 3 x 4 and add 4 tact switches to use the case
I simulated the display and program in VB6 on XP with real serial port to FT817 to test the CAT commands and structure.
I'd send all the files to anyone experienced with Eagle, JAL and PIC. Some example Eagle schematic/PCB and JAL programmes attached.
Cases, CPUs, PIC programmers etc available free if you pay shipping. I'm not going to take up JAL or other programming and Electronics again.
Surely someone still sells similar?
(BTW I think Duck Duck Go is now better than Google, for a given definition of better)
There used to be a BHI Radio Mate, but I never bought one because the keypad was the horrible flat kind.
Someone also put a microcontroler and IR rx with CAT interface in a box so a TV remote could be used. Photo added.
I did recently try an Android CAT control App which requires an OTG adaptor and suitable serial / USB etc to CAT port. I have a custom mini-DIN to serial DB9 RS232 (SMD TTL to RS232 in the DB9 case, maybe a MAX232) + jack (analogue band voltage for the Auto ATU) and also direct CAT - USB adaptor for FT817 and compatible. I forget which I tried as I also have a USB - DB9 RS232 adaptor that works with the DB9 adaptor