All Mode Base Transceiver for under $800

[Peter Walker]

I'm looking for an All Mode Base Transceiver for $800 or less. I have bid on eBay for 3 or 4 different Yaesu FT 897 D's and have been out bid on every single one. At this point I'm quite frustrated. I know that I can buy a 857 D for less than the price I'm looking for but I'm just worried it won't have in it what the 897 D has. Does anyone know of any similar or comparable radios for the price I have to spend? I want a radio that will work all the bands in all the modes.

 

[RatsoW8]

I'm looking for an All Mode Base Transceiver for $800 or less. I have bid on eBay for 3 or 4 different Yaesu FT 897 D's and have been out bid on every single one. At this point I'm quite frustrated. I know that I can buy a 857 D for less than the price I'm looking for but I'm just worried it won't have in it what the 897 D has. Does anyone know of any similar or comparable radios for the price I have to spend? I want a radio that will work all the bands in all the modes.

Have you compared the specs and features of the 897D vs the 857D? I've owned a couple 857D's and they are a really nice rig. HF, 2m and 440 bands, DSP, detachable face to run mobile, etc. What else do you want it to do? If it were my first rig and I wanted to buy new under $800 I would buy the 857D.

 

[Wire Weasel]

Here's a better radio in my opinion. Try for a used Icom 746

Good luck

 

[TonyV225]

The 857D is an outstanding rig my wife has one and Im buying another., The 857 and 897 are basically the same radio otherthan the 857 is the "mobile" and the 897 is the "Base/field day" version with QRP battery addon.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

The 857D is an outstanding rig my wife has one and Im buying another., The 857 and 897 are basically the same radio otherthan the 857 is the "mobile" and the 897 is the "Base/field day" version with QRP battery addon.

Yep, exact same radios in a different package. Same RF board, same microprocessor board etc, etc, etc. Functionally and performance wise they are identical.

 

[Peter Walker]

I think the 857 D is what I'm going to go with. I will be spending everything I have on the radio so I'm not sure what I'm going to do for an antenna.

 

[RatsoW8]

We were born to build dipoles. Build it and they will call.

 

[Qwazyone]

We were born to build dipoles. Build it and they will call.

So true. I used a 857D with a homemade dipole in the attic and made psk31 contacts in Japan, Russia, Ireland and all over the US only running 25 watts. Get a programming(CAT) cable and Ham Radio Deluxe makes it a little simpler to use