Hi All, I am looking for a TCXO-9 for my FT-857D (used original TCXO-9, not a third party copy). If you have one for sale please let me know. 73s Matt

Hi, i have a problem with my ft-857 (Non D Version): The radio powers up normal, but all buttons, except of the power button, aren't working. Encoders do work fine, i can change frequency, background light works, ... What i've tried so far (with no luck): - Tried a different front panel - Tried a different cable between panel and body - Checked the 8V power rail on the connector (was ok) I checked the schematics and noticed, that the communication between front panel and main unit is some kind of bus and since encoder and VFO control etc. are working fine, i think that this bus also works. The power button is a single pin on the connector and doesn't communicate over that bus. My guess is, that there is some kind of corrupted data in memory. Since the button don't work, i can't do any resets. Is it possible to reset the memory over CAT or a Jumper on the mainboard? Has anyone else had this problem? Any other ideas? Thank you in advance for your input! 73 de Andi, OE3ANC

Does anyone know where I can find a specific schematic for USB-Serial/CW-Key Interface for FT-857? I would like to send Morse code from PC via USB-Serial RTS/DTR. Thanks in advance. // HIRO, JJ1FXF

Hello All, I had my rig stolen on 10/14. I was packing up from operating in front of my condo and had to run to the potty before I got everything put away. Two twenty something year old white guys rode by on bicycles while I was inside and one of them turned around and grabbed my packpack with radio Serial 6J140409. The radio is very clean with all the bells and whistles. It has TXCO, Collins SSB and 500hz CW filters. On the outside I MH-59A8J condensor mic w/DTMF keypad, PortableZero siderails, 12Ah Bioenno battery, PortableZero FT-857D battery box, Digirig Mobile, GPS dongle, Chameleon EMCOM III portable antenna, LDG ProII autotuner, associated cables and connectors. N4VEP Video of radio go-kit: https://youtu.be/nShDYlZGKlc?si=1RT7Xp2qBPLZlXY_ Video of theft: https://youtu.be/L1eq29_o6gg?si=0G6Zgoz7pKz6TX9S https://youtu.be/Nce1mkXF4_g?si=e1NmUEP9s78-eOqC https://youtu.be/IjHCEsUtPqA?si=Gj0h-QKngByHYtj6 https://youtu.be/X0nZLQxRrFQ?si=ZUpyWdJmjXqQTTYA https://youtu.be/vmv99n-csak?si=cWRl6LgLMyQPDpp8 https://youtu.be/Wk_ZaZYgnKw?si=p8NTRdncg9hgdExK

The main unit of the radio should be able to provide 10 watts. Check this by building a cable with the proper connectors to attach to your watt meter. Cables with the inter-radio connectors can be salvaged from defunct radios. RD07MVS1 is avalible from, but not currently listed at RF parts for $6.85 each. This is a drop in replacment for the earlier generation 2SK2975 part as well. Remove the main unit from the radio. Clean off the heat sink compound from the copper heat spreader. The heat spreader is soldered to the transistors, the only way to remove the transistors is to first remove the heat spreader. Do this with a small butane torch. Over a non flamable object such as a ceramic tile, Tilt the board to about a 45 degree angle so the spreader is on the bottom side. With the torch heat the heat spreader until the solder melts and it falls off the board. Spread the heat around the copper slug by moving the flame around the surface of it. Once the slug falls off the transistors can be removed. The best way to accomplish this is with by using a hot air re-work station. Other methods can damage the board. Note the orientation of the transistors before removing them. Blow hot air around the transistor and pull it up with tweezers once the solder melts. Wick away the excess solder and set down the replacement transistors. Add solder to one edge first to position each transitor correctly. Finish soldering the leads. If nessacary use the hot air to 'float' the transistor on solder and position it with the tweezers. From the underside of the board apply a small dab of solder to the dies of the transistors through the holes in the PCB. Place the heat spreader back in position and apply the torch while holding the main unit level. Heat evenly until the spreader 'sinks' into place. Apply replacement thermal compound to the heat spreader and replace the main unit into the radio. Set bias current. Tune the radio to 1.8MHz CW, make sure nothing is inserted in the Key jack. Remove the jumper closest to the transistors, J1004 and flip S1001 to the opposite poosistion. Place a current meter across the J1004 posts. Turn VR1001 and VR1002 fully counter clockwise. Key the radio with the mic and adjust VR1001 for 100mA reading. Adjust VR1002 for 200mA reading. Replace J1004 and flip S1001. Verify at least 10W out of the board. Perform power output alignment as outlined in the service manual.

On 40 mts. when I go to TX all my house hold inverter get shifted to inverter mode suspecting some RF leak on 40 mts. Kindly suggest where I should start to look for a leak. Is it RF band pass filter or any thing else. This happens only on 40 mts. Request suggestions with regards Unni VU2TE

I have tried by inserting torroidal beads at all suspected places and still no success. Unni VU2TE

Recently bought a bluetooth rig control dongle through E Bay. Could not get it configured. Please help. VU2TE Unni

I do understand that FT857 CAT has LIMITED sets of commands. I have run into "external CAT display" hardware. IMHO - for using tiny iPhone display it seems overpriced. What interests me - I noticed "scan ' display on one of the pictures. Looks as not a "standard" CAT command, but I may be wrong. So the question of the day - did anybody actually reverse engineered the factory standard CAT commands and in the process "discovered" some of not published commands? Cheers

Hi, Has anybody else experienced a sudden loss of CW when using a straight key (Menu 26 set to ELEKEY) ? I was up on the local hilltop when my key suddenly just stopped working. Strangely, when Menu 26 is set to MICKEY, the Up and Down buttons on the mic both produce the correct results (dits and dahs respectively). I use a stereo 3.5mm jack plug and have 4.85V on the tip of the plug to body, and 5.02V on the ring of the plug to body. If I swap over from a straight key to a paddle, one side of my paddle produces dah's quite happily, the other side produces nothing. Thoughts ? Best 73, Stay Safe, Andy GW0JLX IO72qb

I have an older FT-857D that has worked very well since I got it the beginning of this century. In the past few weeks it has started to switch from the memory mode to what ever VFO I last used in VFO mode. Example if I used MEM 003 when I turned it off and had last used VFO A on 50.125 earlier, when I turn off the radio either by the power off button or remove DC (relay connected to ignition with delay timer and surge protection) the radio when powered up again will be on VFO A 50.125 and not on MEM 003 where I left it. At first this was happening when it was off for 2 or 3 days or so then over night and now today about 15 minutes off. I have replaced the Control Head because of the zebra stripes in the LCD about a year ago and the microphone a few months ago (could not find a microphone cord for that mic). Any ideas as to what it might be? I suspect the memory in the CPU is going out from too many write cycles over the years.

On 2023.09.17 22:57, Thadius Pigman - K2AMF wrote: snip > Speaking of the TCXO unit .. the other day someone asked if I could > do some SSB on VHF so I did that and found my transmission was a few > KC away from the rest of the group. My 857 has always been rock solid > (I only use it indoors) but it caused me to investigate a new TCXO and > it looks like it is inexpensive, not difficult to install and actually > fixes something. > > 73, Neil Hullo Neil, I'm pretty certain a TCXO will give one frequency _stability_ (aka dampen or eliminate frequency _drift) vs giving one a calibrated dial. I work VHF+ contests a fair bit, a so called Weak Signal op. I also hosted a 50 MHz activity for a couple of years which included USB work. My FT-857D was my first rig to cover 50, 144, and 432 MHz and was used a week ago in the ARRL Sept. VHF Contest on 144 and 432 MHz. I've noted the same issue you're describing and have never bothered to sit down and calibrate the dial. I might, however not during a contest! I've created few opportunities in between those. I work portable/mobile so would need add'l in-the-car time. So, two things from that -- Zero Beat, Zero Beat, Zero Beat. What I told our local lads, repeatedly. Also during a 'test I'll leave one VFO on 144.2 and the other on 432.1 MHz and toggle them. I might stick the adjusted freqs in memory. Maybe. We might also calibrate the dial. I also picked up an FT-736 last wknd, which is a rather extreme approach to evolution of the shack. <grin> So I don't think a TCXO will do that calibration for us, or make much difference at 144 or 432 MHz, let alone 50 MHz. Do I wish frequency stability? Sure, however I believe it's more likely to affect my ops more at 1296 MHz and up. Have noticeable drift? Try a TCXO. "Off" frequency? Calibrate, whether the dial or the operation. Cheers, John PS Before I hit Send I went off to have a look about. A few searches in https://DuckDuckGo.com/ turned up, and as well as other very interesting stuff, this: http://www.ko4bb.com/getsimple/index.php?id=what-is-a-tcxo-and-why-would-i-wantneed-one 73 -- J. D. Erskine VE7MHI VA7OTC CN88hk VA7RCN

I can't find my detachable faceplate/head. Are they available?

Sorry In Posting In This Group,Yes I do Have a FT-857D As Well as an FT-100. Not Sure IF Someone still Reads FT-100 Group Messages Since I do Not See ANY in that Group. Now The Problem that Some One in the FT-857 Group can Possibly Help. My Original Hand Held TT MH-36B6js Microphone Recently Developed "Sound Distortion" Complaints. Internet "Vendors" Advertised the availability of MH-36B6js Replacement BUT SHIP A MH-48 Which Is NOT a Working Replacement. Another Local FT-100D owner let me Test The FT-100D with His and The Radio is 100%. I am Looking For a Schematic and Or The Repair manual (if One Ever Existed) of the for the MH-36B6js Hand TT Microphone That is Specific to the FT-100D that Works ALL Of the Functions. The RADIO is still 100% I I sure Would Like To Keep It Still In Operation. Many Thanks, Best Regards. Steve AB2ET/4

Somehow I hit a setting and made the frequency larger on the display. This eliminated the display settings of usb lsb cw etc. Can anyone tell me how to put it back to normal. I can't find it in the manual. Larry N8CWU