Yaesu 857 vs 897 (poll added)

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Yaesu 857 vs 897 (poll added)

Posted: 7/15/2008 4:33:40 PM EDT

I'm looking at picking up one of the two radios. Both seem to have the same features for the most part, with the 897 having an internal battery option.

Anyone have any experience with these? Is the 897 worth the extra cash? Is either one worth a pinch of crap? Initially, it'll be used mainly for base. But i may eventually stick it in the vehicle for a mobile rig. If i go with the 897, might try backpacking for giggles. But primarily it'll be for a base/mobile.

Posted: 7/15/2008 6:40:08 PM EDT

[#1]

well on the inside all of the electronics are the same qst did a reveiw of them side by side and the only thing different is the size eight and internal vs external battery.

That said... i have a 857 and im young and i dont have a problem with menus. They are apart of life that i except. I have no reason to ever need a bigger radio because i beleave that the 857 is 10-4 have
I have used the radio hiking and all I will say is it is 3 lb heaver(100watts) then the 817 and 4 lb lighter then the 897.

It’s a darn good radio

Posted: 7/15/2008 7:12:03 PM EDT

[#2]

Electronically they are both very smiler. I went with eh 897 because it could handle an internal power supply and could operate on internal batteries. 897 also has a much nicer milled aluminum case. I ~~don't think you can only remote mount the head on the 857 though~~ I stand corrected. If I was using it for a base I'd do a 897 if I was using it for a mobile application my choice would be 857.

my .02.

-LTC-

Edited for change in the facts.......

Posted: 7/15/2008 7:20:32 PM EDT

[#3]

I am a huge fan of the 857D.

But that is because I have that one.

Posted: 7/15/2008 7:21:46 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
I don't think you can only remote mount the head on the 857 though.
-LTC-

Yaesu lists the YSK-857 as an optional separation kit for both.

Posted: 7/15/2008 7:24:14 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I don't think you can only remote mount the head on the 857 though.
-LTC-

Yaesu lists the YSK-857 as an optional separation kit for both.

sure can, I have a seperation kit sitting under a stack of papers around here somewhere.

Posted: 7/15/2008 8:45:30 PM EDT

[#6]

I'm saving my pennies for an 857d as we speak.

Posted: 7/15/2008 9:52:27 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
I'm saving my pennies for an 857d as we speak.

Dont forget to add another hundred or so for a tuner.

Posted: 7/16/2008 1:53:20 AM EDT

[#8]

I went with the 857D. Now that I've realized mobile HF isn't going to happen for a variety of reasons, I wish I had gone with the 897D.

Since we now have the camp, I've discovered rigs that are good size for portable operations such as the TS-130 and FT-897D are easy to travel back and forth, but generally offer more buttons and knobs which helps to keep me out of the menu system. Not that the menu system on the 857 is an issue as the rig is very easy to use.

Posted: 7/16/2008 6:10:47 AM EDT

[#9]

I have both. IMO the 897 is a little better on reception, but either one is a very good radio. I used my 857 at Field Day and had around 30 contacts but the band wasn't the best that weekend. If you are going to use the radio as a base station, I would get the 897, and like mentioned before don't forget to buy a tuner no matter which radio you buy. Also, get the best antenna you can buy because remember that 90% of the setup is a good antenna.
Another suggestion is the mic. The stock mic that comes with the radios are not set up for using an IRLP link or phone patch, so you will need to get you another mic too. I have the Yaesu MH-48 mic on my radios and that works for me.

Posted: 7/16/2008 11:11:50 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
I went with the 857D. Now that I've realized mobile HF isn't going to happen for a variety of reasons, I wish I had gone with the 897D.

Dont feel one bit bad about your choice..

You are getting a great radio.

Posted: 7/16/2008 3:39:10 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I went with the 857D. Now that I've realized mobile HF isn't going to happen for a variety of reasons, I wish I had gone with the 897D.

Dont feel one bit bad about your choice..

You are getting a great radio.

I don't feel bad and will probably never get rid of the 857D. It really is a great rig and especially fun to operate at camp.

Posted: 7/16/2008 4:17:17 PM EDT

[#12]

Well, at this stage in the poll I'm a majority of one--one vote to none for 897.
Part of my reasoning is a "need" for 75/80 meters, which the 857 won't do.
The internal battery option is nice, too.

Posted: 7/16/2008 4:57:15 PM EDT

[#13]

I got my 897 today and I must say that I like it better than my 706mk2g.

It is awesome. Doesn't get hot, and the receiver is killer. Rag chew on 2 meter ssb?

Posted: 7/16/2008 5:16:04 PM EDT

[#14]

My 857 has 75/80M and 160M also. Strange your radio doesn't have those bands?

Posted: 7/16/2008 5:31:29 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
My 857 has 75/80M and 160M also. Strange your radio doesn't have those bands?

Well, I don't have one.
But.
Not sure what I was looking at that made me think the 857 didn't. A co-worker commented that his 817 didn't, but I see that it does, too; maybe he doesn't have the D model? Or something? Or he was talking about something else entirely...

I dunno, now I'm confused.
Well, that's not new, just because I called my blog the Clue Meter doesn't mean I don't need one myself, now and then.

Posted: 7/16/2008 6:29:39 PM EDT

[#16]

I have the 857d,,,, Now I just have to figure out how to use it.

Posted: 7/16/2008 7:02:03 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
I have the 857d,,,, Now I just have to figure out how to use it.

hook up antenna,

Turn it on...

switch over to 40M band, start spinning the funny looking knob...

The rest will come to you as you need it, keep your manual avail, and a band chart.

That is just how I started.

Posted: 7/16/2008 7:04:15 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Part of my reasoning is a "need" for 75/80 meters, which the 857 won't do.

first ... the FT857D and FT897D use EXACTLY the same logic and RF boards. ergo, the band operating capabilities of the two radios are exactly the same. only the external packaging, available onboard power, and user interface differ.

second ... there is no way Yaesu could sell an HF radio which didn't include 80m capability. if they tried the result would be that their engineering department would be fired and the product manager would be castrated.

third ... yaesu ft857 info page link / yaesu ft857d color brochure

ar-jedi

Posted: 7/16/2008 7:14:47 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I have the 857d,,,, Now I just have to figure out how to use it.

switch over to 40M band, start spinning the funny looking knob...

keep in mind that the 40m band is currently shared with international shortwave stations; at nighttime (in the USA) you will get tons of interference on 40m. if you want to listen to Croatian music or Radio Netherlands, simply wait until it's dark, switch your rig to AM, and tune around the 40m band. my advice for breaking a new HF radio/user is to try 20m/40m during the day -- but at night 80m is likely a more usable band unless you can find a quiet hole on 40m to sit in. at least that's the way it is here on the east coast.

also see the related entry in the tacked Ham Radio 101 thread -- it's on the second page, titled "so you got your first HF radio home -- now what?" or something along those lines.

ar-jedi

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_meters

The 20 meter amateur radio band is a portion of the shortwave radio spectrum, comprising frequencies stretching from 14.000 MHz to 14.350 MHz.[1] The 20 meter band was first made available to amateurs in the United States by the Third National Radio Conference[2] on October 10th, 1924.

The 20 meter band is widely considered among the best for DXing, and is one of the most popular (and crowded) during contests.[3] Several factors contribute to this, including the band's large size, the relatively small size of antennas tuned to it (especially as compared to antennas for 40 or 80 meters) and its good potential for daytime DX operation even in unfavorable propagation conditions.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40_meters

The 40 meters or 7 MHz band is a core amateur radio frequency band, spanning 7000 to 7300 kilohertz, allocated to radio amateurs in all countries worldwide. The 40 meter band was made available to amateurs in the United States by the Third National Radio Conference on October 10th, 1924. 40 meters is considered the most reliable all-season DX band, most useful for inter-continental communication at night. It is extremely useful for short to medium distance contacts from local contacts out to a range of 500–1500 km, depending on conditions, during the day. In higher latitudes, daytime inter-continental communication is also possible in winter, for example a good path often opens between Japan and northern Europe in the hours leading up to European midday from late November until late January, with a long path opening to the west coast of the United States and Canada after midday.

For many years the portion of the band from 7100-7300 kilohertz has been allocated to short wave broadcasters outside the Americas and not available to radio amateurs outside ITU Region 2. At the World Radio Conference WRC-03 in 2003 it was agreed that the broadcast stations would move out of the section 7100-7200 kiloherz on 29 March 2009 and that portion would become a worldwide exclusive amateur allocation afterwards. Discussions on releasing the remaining 100 kHz of the band to amateurs at a later date will continue in future conferences. Several European countries have now allowed amateur communication in the 7100-7200 kilohertz section on a shared non-interference basis as an interim measure.

Due to the 24 hour nature of the band, the wide variety of ranges that can be spanned with it, and its shared nature, it tends to be extremely crowded, and interference from other amateurs and broadcasters can be a serious limiting factor. In addition, amateurs in east and south-east Asia have suffered severe interference from illegal users in recent years.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_meters

The 80 meter or 3.5 MHz band is a core amateur radio frequency band, allocated frequencies from 3.5 to 4.0 MHz in IARU Region 2, and generally 3.5 to 3.8 or 3.9 MHz in Regions 1 and 3 respectively. The portion of the band used for voice communications is sometimes referred to as "75 meters". The 80 meter band was made available to amateurs in the United States by the Third National Radio Conference on October 10th, 1924. 80 meters is the most popular band for regional communications networks through the late afternoon and night time hours. It is usually reliable for short to medium distance contacts, with average distances ranging from local contacts within 200 miles/300 km out to a distance of 1,000 miles/1,600 km or more, depending on atmospheric and ionospheric conditions.

Posted: 7/16/2008 8:01:37 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

keep in mind that the 40m band is currently shared with international shortwave stations; at nighttime (in the USA) you will get tons of interference on 40m.

ar-jedi

Good point, I pretty much camp out on 80M at night time.

Posted: 7/17/2008 3:36:07 PM EDT

[#21]

I dont think my 66 ft dipole (once I get it up) will get me on 80m. Maybe I can get lucky on 6,10,20,40.

I need an Elmer. Any takers...lol

Posted: 7/18/2008 9:43:44 AM EDT

[#22]

I will admit to you that I am partial to the 897D.

I owned one for several years.

I had the bolt on PS and tuner and I loved it.

It's a great rig but so is the 857D.

857D is just a smaller package. Both are outstanding Transcievers.

slasher

Posted: 7/19/2008 1:40:45 PM EDT

[#23]

Found this local (well...local till i head home on monday)

"HF Station:
Yaesu FT857D 160 meter - 70 cm radio (Includes the CAT cable to link the radio to a computer)
LDG Z-11 Pro Automatic Tuner
Samlex SEC1223 power supply
$700 for the above. "

Thoughts? Sounds half decent to me. Sent an email asking if it's still available...

Posted: 7/20/2008 8:02:12 AM EDT

[#24]

Gonna take a look at that 857D at 1300. I'm still a little iffy on the menus, but it sounds like a decent package. I'd like th eability to run on batteries, but....for the added cost, im not sure if i'd really get my money out of it. Found an 897 local, but seller hasn't contacted me back in 5 days.

Posted: 7/20/2008 1:58:06 PM EDT

[#25]

Well... i got the 857. doing some playing with it now.

Another question....It's marked FT-857. There is no D prefix. Should there be? or did i get one of the pre-d's?

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:30:25 PM EDT

[#26]

I have no direct experience but I remembered this while shopping recently for the ft857d.. From Universal radio's website "the new D version adds the 60 meter ham band and includes the formerly optional DSP-2 Digital Signal Processing Unit."

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:55:43 PM EDT

[#27]

So far so good. I'm using a wire antenna just to receive, and it's working somewhat.

the CAT cable and Ham Radio Deluxe.....that's another story alltogether. Keep getting "frequency unreadable" errors.

EDIT: got HRD working.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Yaesu 857 vs 897 (poll added)

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