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Recommend me a battery pack

 

My first /P session didn't go too well. I set up on a hillside overlooking the sea in North Devon with a JPC-12 vertical antenna. On 40m I coud hear plenty of stations around the UK, France and Germany. My CQ calls went unanswered and after an hour of monitoring QSOs around the country my NiMH battery had dropped from 10.2V to 7.6V and the radio switched off.

This was partly due to me using the loudspeaker, but clearly I need a better battery.

Is there a higher capacity battery pack that will fit in the compartment so I can still use the leather case?

Also any recommendations for a good set of portable headphones?

Mike G8GYW
 






I have carried the 817 up a bunch of SOTA summits. I have been using a 11.1 volt rc car battery. I attached velcro to the radio, and to my batteries. One battery in the picture is swollen and done for.




73,
Mark
N0MTN?


On Sat, Oct 8, 2022 at 3:08 PM, Mike
<mail@...> wrote:
My first /P session didn't go too well. I set up on a hillside overlooking the sea in North Devon with a JPC-12 vertical antenna. On 40m I coud hear plenty of stations around the UK, France and Germany. My CQ calls went unanswered and after an hour of monitoring QSOs around the country my NiMH battery had dropped from 10.2V to 7.6V and the radio switched off.

This was partly due to me using the loudspeaker, but clearly I need a better battery.

Is there a higher capacity battery pack that will fit in the compartment so I can still use the leather case?

Also any recommendations for a good set of portable headphones?

Mike G8GYW

 

I installed the Windcamp battery in another 817 a few years ago. It fits into the battery compartment. That radio is not working for other reasons so I can't really remember how well I liked it. I like my external battery solution. The radio I am cuurently using has a noise reducing unit in the battery compartment, instead of holding a battery.



Mark
N0MTN?


On Sat, Oct 8, 2022 at 3:08 PM, Mike
<mail@...> wrote:
My first /P session didn't go too well. I set up on a hillside overlooking the sea in North Devon with a JPC-12 vertical antenna. On 40m I coud hear plenty of stations around the UK, France and Germany. My CQ calls went unanswered and after an hour of monitoring QSOs around the country my NiMH battery had dropped from 10.2V to 7.6V and the radio switched off.

This was partly due to me using the loudspeaker, but clearly I need a better battery.

Is there a higher capacity battery pack that will fit in the compartment so I can still use the leather case?

Also any recommendations for a good set of portable headphones?

Mike G8GYW

Marek Szuba
 

On 2022-10-08 22:08, Mike wrote:

Is there a higher capacity battery pack that will fit in the compartment so I
can still use the leather case?
I really wouldn't bother. You won't get much more capacity out of NiMH
within the size constraints of the battery compartment, and the FT-817ND
does not support lithium batteries.

My own solution has been to get an external 4-cell (i.e. 13.2 V) Li-Fe
battery and connect it to the rear DC socket. Although this type of
battery is bulkier than Li-Po ones of the same capacity in the same
voltage range (i.e. the 11.1V ones mentioned by N0MTN, which are
3-cell), Li-Fe packs have got a flatter discharge curve - and a 4.2 Ah
pack of this sort, which lasts for *quite* a while with the FT-817 even
at 5W TX power, can still be quite comfortably attached to the rear of
the transceiver or the bottom of the leather case.

--
MS
 

The windcamp battery is designed to fit that bill. The 817's previous owner fitted it instead the original battery. Does a long way in Rx and about two hours, perhaps more, on TX at full power.

Also you can buy a small external 7ah/h lipo and using both you shouldn't worry about power for the whole day

El s¨¢b., 8 oct. 2022 23:08, Mike <mail@...> escribi¨®:
My first /P session didn't go too well. I set up on a hillside overlooking the sea in North Devon with a JPC-12 vertical antenna. On 40m I coud hear plenty of stations around the UK, France and Germany. My CQ calls went unanswered and after an hour of monitoring QSOs around the country my NiMH battery had dropped from 10.2V to 7.6V and the radio switched off.

This was partly due to me using the loudspeaker, but clearly I need a better battery.

Is there a higher capacity battery pack that will fit in the compartment so I can still use the leather case?

Also any recommendations for a good set of portable headphones?

Mike G8GYW

 


...after an hour of monitoring ... my NiMH battery had dropped from 10.2V to 7.6V and the radio switched off.
This was partly due to me using the loudspeaker, but clearly I need a better battery.

Is there a higher capacity battery pack that will fit in the compartment so I can still use the leather case?
Hi Mike, You probably need new batteries. If it switches off after 1hr RX it has 500mAh capacity.
Quoting the ?:
"However, battery life is limited to 5 years or less"

Black Panasonic Eneloops or Energizer HR6 are ~2650mAh, and do give 5 hours RX. This is twice the as-new capacity of the original Yaesu battery, and more than enough for an activation.
My Eneloop pack actually tests on the battery tester at >2500mAh after more than a year and plenty of use.
It's easy enough to make a new pack.
Aliexpress 2500mAh NiMH's test at 2000mAh - respectable for the price. Be sure to buy LSD (low self discharge) type only.

NiMH are the low-grief choice.

I do use lithiums because I'm a weight weeny, but none of my lithiums test to rated capacity, and the protection and balancing and in-radio charging is a faff to put it mildly.

https://data.energizer.com/pdfs/nickelmetalhydride_appman.pdf
 

Thanks everyone, that's given me plenty to think about.

Mike G8GYW
 

Mike,

as others already said your battery looks to be in bad conditions and need to be replaced. Anyway do not expect so much from this batt even if its new. It is lasting quickly. The external battery is good choice for these portables.?

My son is using seal lead acid 12V/5Ah type which is not so big with acceptable weight and cost 10-12USD. Simple technology, no special charger needed.?

Just tip and hint¡­

73 - Petr, OK1RP
 

Bioenno
John ve3ips

--
John VE3IPS
Radio is a Lifestyle not a Hobby
Oprah added the ARRL Handbook to her list

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