The Yaesu FT-857d is arguably one of the most versatile small package radios you can have. Many have used and loved this radio from preppers to shack users to portable field day enthusiasts.
No matter what part of the hobby you enjoy, this radio can easily accommodate them all. Sadly, the 857d was discontinued a while back. I would say, even more sad was the FT-897d which was the radio I had my very first HF contact on in a friend's back yard. It was actually on the Maritime Mobile Service Net on 14.300. Good times. The 857d being UHF/VHF/HF pretty much covered all of your bases. But did it do it well? In my opinion, shack in the box radios can do a lot of things, but not necessarily any of them well. With my 857d, anyway, I found that operating on 2m/70cm left a lot to be desired and I seemed to have issues getting out especially on 70cm. This could be an issue with the radio itself, granted. I've never tested it or anything like that, and haven't because I primarily only bought the radio for portable HF work. That said, this is still a very solid radio and any issues could have been specific to my particular radio.
The FT-857d can still be had at a decent price used if you look hard enough. That also being said, if you are looking for a small, portable HF rig for Parks On The Air or other portable use, and aren't interested in having 2m/70cm, the FT-891 is surely the way to go. I've been looking at them myself here lately.
Please enjoy this video where I take my FT-857d out for a POTA activation. Keep in mind, this was the first HF radio I ever purchased and I got it brand new. I haven't used this radio or even turned it on in about two years (around the time I got my IC-7300...coincidence?) Let's see how it does!
The best paracord for antennas in trees I've ever seen:
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Weaver Throw Line Bag:
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Weaver Throw Weight:
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0:00 - A Simpler Opening
0:36 - The Usual
0:53 - Found A Good Place
4:06 - Setup Hyper-lapse
4:41 - That Amazing Paracord....
7:15 - The LEFS 8010 Is In The Air!
9:19 - SWR Check
10:52 - Experiment Flashback....
12:00 - The Yaesu FT-857d
13:44 - And Now, On With The Show
15:19 - KJ7RPL OR
16:30 - AC7SV WA
17:04 - KJ5FTP TX
17:33 - W9JH AZ
18:25 - WR4O GA
18:55 - KA6NPD CA
19:21 - W4KRN VA
19:59 - VE7CV BC CA
20:32 - KI5DAD TX
21:46 - KK7PUH OR
23:38 - WW7CR WA
24:25 - W0CGC TN
25:29 - QRT/Outro
26:33 - A Lunar Standstill???
28:57 - 73!
30:23 - QSO Map
#hamradio #yaesu #parksontheair #hamradioantenna #pota #amateurradio