Hello Philip
I use 2xFT-817 for portable SATs hunting with an arrow.

This is my setup:
Arrow antenna + mini circuits BPF filter to avoid desense
2 x FT-817 with side rails to fit them.
External LiPo battery 7000 mAh
Heil BM-17
Small old laptop with Linux mint running GPredict to control downlink Doppler.
That's all


73 de Rick EA4M

On Mon, Jul 26, 2021, 19:48 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

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