Thanks for all the suggestions so far (some in private email), especially in regards to the battery recommendations and the low pass filters (and ways to carry the rigs)

Just to give a little more info, I have been sporadically active on SO-50 since 2013 with an Arrow antenna and a D72 (but not in the past couple of years) and not using a filter. My last contact on a linear sat was 28 years ago on a DXpedition (LONNNNG story) on AO-13. I also have a perfectly working TS2000X, but due to circumstances have not been able to use it on the birds (and not even HF the past couple of years)

On Mon, Jul 26, 2021 at 1:45 PM Philip Jenkins <n4hf.philip@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi. I acquired my second FT-817ND this past weekend, and I have a couple of questions for those of you who are using 817/818s for portable satellite work.

1) Are you using the internal battery packs (whether NiCd or alkaline) OR an external battery(ies)? If the latter, do you advise using two separate batteries, or just one for both (using the included DC cable:E-DC-6)? (I've heard good things about Bioenna)

2) I'm probably going to use these rigs just for satellites, so are the SSB/CW filters worth getting? I see one difference between the 817 and 818 is that the latter includes a TCXO; is getting the TCXO unit for the 817(s) worth it? (Probably not going to use digital modes on the birds - except possibly telemetry)

Any suggestions - or pitfalls to work around - for using the 2 rigs like this?

Thanks

Philip N4HF