I know this post will not say anything that all of you '817 owners
don't already know, but I just can't resist --
I have been a QRPer for 20 years, ever since I built my HW-8 back
about 1980. My Michigan QRP Club membership number is M-98, just to
give you an idea. I've had my FT-817 for two days, and I just can't
get over this rig. The bands were kinda stinko for most of the
weekend, but on Sunday night things started to pick up. Within ten
minutes on 17 meter SSB at around 0400Z I worked two OKs and one ZL.
The OKs were running hundreds of watts to big antennas (one was an
eleven element LP). The ZL was running 100w to a vertical, and we
chatted for about ten minutes with good copy, 52 to 55. My antenna
is
an end-fed random wire, 250 feet long, about 15 feet high. I've
always known that QRP works, but this rig is amazing.
So far I've had contacts on 160, 17, 15 (mobile), and 6, and
performance has been outstanding.
Today I looked at my truck, fully outfitted with an HF vertical,
halos
for six and two, and a dual band 2m/70cm whip and thought "and they
all connect to one radio...".
73 and hope to work you all,
Bill, KR8L/7
