Yaesu FT-897D Transceiver - need feedback please

have you ever had a traffic infringement?

Mike how does that work?

Codan tell me I can use my Codan on amateur bands if I have an amateur license.

Surely the issue is the correct licensing, not the radio itself.

If you join VKS-737 and so are authorised to used its frequencies, I would have thought it doesn't matter what type of radio you use.

I haven't looked at ACMA's site or the legislation, so very happy to be corrected on this curious, and frequently posted, issue.

cheers

Ben

Ben

You can use any transceiver on Amateur bands - even home built ones - it's up to the user to make sure that it operates correctly. That's why Amateurs have to pass a technical licence - so they know what to do to avoid interference to other services.

Outside the amateur bands, you can only use transceivers that are approved for THAT band. Amateur band transceivers are not approved for use on ANY other band.

This was covered extensively by me some years ago. Now in the archives.
It basically boils down to amateur tranceivers not being as tightly specced as commercial ones which are built to a standard and not a price.

Mike is absolutely right. For some inexplicable reason you are not permitted to use modified amateur equipment with an Outpost Licence or with clubs like VKS737.

This is depite the fact that the RF signal emanating from the modified Yaesu radio is indistinguishable from the legal Codan/Barrett etc.

The analogy with registered/unregistered cars is drawing a very long bow. For a start, using a modified Yaesu is not likely to cause injury to other HF users.

I have a Codan NGT. I carry a modified Yaesu for backup. If the balloon goes up I'm not going to be too fussed about its legality or otherwise.

If someone can explain these rules to me I would be very attentive.

"If you join VKS-737 and so are authorised to used its frequencies, I would have thought it doesn't matter what type of radio you use."

The "conditions of use" applying to all VKS737 users are similar for all non-amateur bands - INCLUDING the CB band.


"All equipment used for communication on the VKS-737 Network shall comply with ACMA Radiocommunications (MF and HF equipment – Land Mobile Services) Standard 2003 (as amended) made under subsection 162 (1) of the Radiocommunications Act No. 174 of 1992 and Australian / New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4770:2000 (The use of Amateur Radio Equipment is prohibited)
No subscriber shall operate any Fixed Base".

The only radios which currently meet the ACMA requirements are from Codan, Barrett, QMAC or Icom.

"This is depite the fact that the RF signal emanating from the modified Yaesu radio is indistinguishable from the legal Codan/Barrett etc."

What soret of tests are you basing this assumption on , Bob ?
Spectrum analysis during modulation etc ?

"I have a Codan NGT. I carry a modified Yaesu for backup. If the balloon goes up I'm not going to be too fussed about its legality or otherwise. "
Agreed. In an emergecy it doesn't matter what you use to gain attention.
But that's assuming that the Yeasu is still operational after surviving the temperature and vibration extremes that we regularly put commercial gear through.
It's a bit like camper trailers. You CAN take an on road one off road....or you can buy one made specially to take offroad.

Footloose

I'd be very surprised if the signal coming from a modern communications transceiver was in anyway inferior to one of the prescribed units. After all, in terms of spurious transmissions, harmonics etc they would have to comply with the same strict requirements.

Yet an old crystal controlled Codan is OK?

The amateur/commercial differentiation applies to the operator, not the equipment.

When things don't seem logical, I tend to smell a rat. My suspicion is that there is some link between ACMA and the prescribed manufacturers, otherwise why would we buy fiendishly expensive Codans/Barretts etc when we could buy mass produced and cheaper Yaesu/Icom/Kenwoods.

I may be wrong, but that would be unusual :-)

Bob

"The analogy with registered/unregistered cars is drawing a very long bow. For a start, using a modified Yaesu is not likely to cause injury to other HF users. "

If an illegal transmission caused interference that stopped an ambulance reaching you or caused a plane you were on to crash, I think you would change your view.

Bob, no they don't have to conform to the same requirements. In fact on the amateur bands I can transmit using anything at all, and as long as I'm a licensed operator and not interfering with anyone outside of the amateur bands, then that's OK.
Originally the commercial radios were built to a specification, they had "type approval". The amateur ones wern't built to that standard, and as far as I know, only the Icom IFC7000 has been type approved for use within the commercial services.

There goes your conspiricy theory.

These radios are relatively expensive, but they last longer than most of the vehicle that they are in.

And they are relatively easy to find parts and support for because of the dealer networks. Unlike amateur gear.

The Yeasu might or might not survive the trip. I'm pretty sure the commercial stuff will.

Quite frankly I rekkon my life is worth more than the difference in price between a Yeasu and a Barrett or Codan.

Mike and Footloose

You are starting to sound a bit over dramatic:

"If an illegal transmission caused interference that stopped an ambulance reaching you or caused a plane you were on to crash, I think you would change your view. "

"Quite frankly I rekkon my life is worth more than the difference in price between a Yeasu and a Barrett or Codan."

Frankly, if you believe that manufacturers like Yaesu/Icom/Kenwood can get away with flogging rubbish to amateurs you are kidding yourselves. By their very nature, amateurs are more discerning consumers of electronics than the average punter using an HF radio about which they know nothing. The are many thousands of amateurs in Australia- where do they buy there gear?

The Yaesu has survived the trips on the attached map - but I guess it could fail at any time.

Nothing you have said dispels my suspicions about this "closed shop".

Bob

Sorry, forgot to attach mapImage Could Not Be Found

Just asking, but does the Yaesu FT-897D have a selcall that is capable of "waking up" the VKS-737 network bases around the country? Or, in fact, any other HF newtork bases.

Can it put in an emergency selcall to the RFDS?

Both these are pretty important in my view......





.

Bob, I wore out three Kenwoods doing the same sort of trips. But that was a long time ago, before I discovered that things didn't have to be like that.
By the way, most Codans are bought by tender through the UN and other Govt agencies. And they are a hell of a lot more demanding than what I am as a ham of 40 years standing.
Does the yeasu have the essential call facilities ? How accurate is the reference oscillators over mil temp ranges? What about IMD and spurious etc ? Have a look on a spec analyzer at both side by side and you'll be amazed...unless ham gear got better over the past two years.


Oh and by the way, put enough bells and whistles on it and you can sell any number to many hams.
Just look at the price of base mics...and how they've become so expensive since the intro of the foundation license and ask why is it so ?
Most amateur gear is all about perception and not substance. Unless you pay a lot of money for decent gear.
Collins used to make good stuff.
So did Drake.
Alinco make good stuff....but the perception is often different.



But different horses for different courses I guess.

Coding of the Selcal signals is complex and unique to Australia.

That's why there are few manufacturers of VKS737-capable transceivers and why NO amateur transceivers have Selcal capability.

its only illegal if you get caught..... isnt it?...:))))

"its only illegal if you get caught..... isnt it?...:)))) "


I think a more realistic assessment is -

- Interference from your transmitter may drastically impact other peoples lives.

- Using an illegal transceiver will only affect you - if you get caught.

A certificate is still required for Marine VHF and HF and for Airband radios

No qualifications are needed to talk on Outpost Radio (RFDS), VKS737 etc.

VKS737 do ask for transceiver details, but there's nothing stopping you joining before you've bought a transceiver.

right thanks for Mike

In answer to my own question:

1 Remove the 8 screws affixing the top panel of the transceiver and gently lift it off.

2 Carefully remove the small 2-pin speaker plug from the left rear corner of the transceiver interior, then remove the heavier 6-pin plug from the connector inside the right side of the transceiver.
This can be removed by pushing on the tab to release the connector.

3 Locate the nine jumpers. These are located about 2" from the front edge of the main unit and about 3/4" from the left edge. You now have a choice of 2 different mods:

For 144/430MHZ TX expansion only, remove the jumper at JP1002, leaving the other jumpers alone. For the complete expansion per the above listing, place jumpers at JP1007/1008/1009, and remove the jumpers at
JP1001/1002/1003/1004/1005(leave the jumper at JP1006 in place). Note the unusual sequence for the numbering. With the front of the rig facing forward, from the front of the rig to the back, the numbers of
the jumpers are as follows: 1003,1002,1001,1006,1005,1004,1009,1008, 1007.

Result of radio should look like below after FULL mod was done:

----BACK OF RADIO------
1007 - Jumper
1008 - Jumper
1009 - Jumper
1004 - Blank
1005 - Blank
1006 - Jumper
1001 - Blank
1002 - Blank
1003 - Blank
----FRONT OF RADIO-----

4 Replace the top panel

5 With the transceiver off, press and hold the [F] and [V/M] keys; while holding them in, turn the radio on. Modification is now complete.

6 The radio is now complely reset to all the original factory settings except that it now is able to transmit 1.8-56 MHz, 137-164
MHz, and 420-470 MHz. You will need to reprogram all the menu operations and memory channels

Bob

thanks for that Bob,
I have been reading lots about the different units and the Yaesu
looks like the way to go at this stage. I am due for my standard license exam in july and I find the Yaesu the best compromise at this stage. I am mainly using the VKS737 frequencies to communicate with other people in the group who do not have a ham licence and am just not willing to pay lots of $$ for some commercial unit I do not need. I am not interested in selcall or other functions.

thanks
gmd

Mickey

You are right. I could, if I were stupid, transmit with the Yaesu at 100W from 1.5 MHz to 30 MHz. But then I could shoot a rifle down the main street. Or drive my car through town at 200 kph.

The Codan NGT is vastly more complex that the Yaesu FT747. You need a computer running Codan NSP (NGT System Programmer) to add channels etc Luckily it is freely available on the web, because you can't get it through Codan. Current version is 4.11 Using that I think I could achieve the same sort of coverage as the Yaesu, but not being entirely stupid, I haven't tried it.

On the other hand, the Yaesu has a dial on the front, a mode and a memory button and thats it. The hack that unlocks it for extended coverage is simple and requires minimal expertise to implement.

I don't use Selcall. Others do and it really makes audio quite difficult at times.

Bob