FT-818

[OH5LID]

http://kd8big.blogspot.com/2012/04/yaesu-ft-818.html

1st cheap all band rig?

[PA5DD]

Seems it's a Photoshop rig:

http://ve3wdm.blogspot.com/2012/02/yaes ... ction.html

[M0XTA]

Whoever made that up in the first place made alot of amateurs be hopeful but it was a G3 who had fun with playing with photoshop.........i was really joyful and excited when i saw the specs and stuff....when i saw that it was made up, my excitment came crashing down....

So i'm not happy.

[EI3GYB]

Whoever did not notice that the rig was a fake needs his/her eyes examined...

[GM4FVM]

M0XTA - congratulations on the new call. Well done.

I looked at that a few days ago and yes I saw it was photoshop, but still it set me thinking.

I have an FT-817 and what I reckon we need is an FT-917 (a complete rework) and not an FT-818 (a colour screen and a lithium battery). I really rate the 817 - in a limited role. No DSP, no lithium battery, awkward menus, lousy filter, no speech processor ... but then it is really handy. I wouldn't be without it, but it could be so much better.

I find it impossible to imagine how anyone could get 4 m out of the current architecture. A complete shift of IF would seem to be needed. So a total redesign would be needed to add that. A good rig then? Maybe, but why would they offer us RF DSP in a cheap rig when they can get us to pay loads more for an all-singing one. So, it would probably be stripped of features, and we are back to square one.

So, a cruel sort of joke really. I have heard that a revision of the FT 817/857/897 lineup is on its way. The 817 has slipped badly behind the field. But I suspect that whatever it is, it will not look anything like an 817 with a photo-shopped display.

I can imagine it better without thinking about that awful photo. Should have gone to Specsavers...

Jim
GM4FVM