Specifications

SEL KNOB
The SEL knob seems to have some play in it. Is this normal?
YES. In general, this knob has a slight amount of play in it. Remember that it is both a
push button and rotary switch.
12/09/01
SERIAL NUMBER
How do you interpret the FT-817's serial number?
Yaesu uses the same serial number scheme for all of their ham gear. The serial number
has the form YMLLNNN where Y = the last digit of the year of manufacture, M is a letter
representing the month of manufacture with "C" = January, "D" = February, and so on, the
lot number is representated by the two digit LL (00 - 99), and NNNN (0001-9999) is the
unit number within lot LL. As an example, 0N070145 means December 2000, lot 7, unit
145. The lot number is not linked to the year & month, i.e., LL does not reset to 00 each
year. Service bulletins refer to lot numbers.
SPEAKER
My speaker is not centered over the grill holes. Should I fix this mistake made by
Yaesu?
NO. It is not a mistake. This is a "trick" used to improve the frequency response of the
speaker for better sound.
SPURIOUS SIGNALS
Have any spurious signals been observed?
YES. WB6CKT was the first to report a spurious signal at 7240 kHz (17 Dec 2000).
KC3VO reported that this "birdie" can be greatly reduced by adding a third harmonic trap
to the reference oscillator output. This spurious signal can be heard without any antenna
attached to the FT-817. Others have reported spurious signals in the VFH/UHF bands. No
fix from Yaesu has been announced as of yet.
22/03/01
SQUELCH & RF GAIN
The SQL/RF control is fully clockwise and I hear no sounds at all from the rig.
What's wrong?
Likely nothing is wrong with the FT-817. First, it should be noted that the default
configuration of the US version of the FT-817 is different than the other export versions.
This control can be set to either control the squelch or the RF gain (via Menu #45). The
default for the US version is RF GAIN. Maximum gain is when the control is fully
clockwise. When in the squelch mode, the control knob fully counterclockwise opens the
squelch. The RF gain is always set for maximum sensitivity in this setting. If the control
knob is fully clockwise and the LED just above the Main Dial is not glowing green, it is
likely you are in the Squelch mode. See pages 20 and 67 in the manual for more detail.
SSB FILTER
What are the settings for the SSB filter?
After the SSB filter is installed, set Menu #38 to SSB. Press and hold the F button to exit
the Menu. See also TOPIC - FILTERS.