FT 817 CW Collins filter insertion

This is the video report of connection of Collins  CW filter in my FT 817, with some comments (click on the images for enlarge).

I ordered the low cost series filter and in few days I've the device at my location at the half the cost of official CW filter...

Carefully remove the AF loudspeaker connection in order to open the upper cover of the transceiver

Locate the filter place aside the Murata SSB filter, near the front panel

The 300 Hz BW Collins Filter from Rockwell Collins, central pin is the GND connection

Use short pieces of wire connecting the filter to plugs. The upper one is the signal-pin, the lowers are the GND-connections

Then close the upper cover of transceiver: it's ready to be in the shack again

Finally you have to set the 38 step in the main menu of the FT 817 (OP FILTER) and set the CW filter ON; then you have to put for every band the NAR setting in the F menu, so when you will use the CW mode, you will use the CW  narrow filter: that's all: good DX!

PERFORMANCE

I did not make specific test for measure the filter performance, but I made a rough check:

connected a Marconi RF Generator  signal aside the antenna connection of the FT817 while I was listening an S3 beacon signal on the 10 MHz band, resultas are

Tuning the RF gen.aside the filter center frequency there is some weak ripple signal, but there is a 0.75 dB in band declared ripple by Rockwell Collins. The insertion loss seems to be the same as SSB, in fact between CW and SSB reception there is no audible difference difference.

Now in CW mode the rig is really more selective and the noise is really less, so the FT817 now is also a CW usable Rig!

For info and contacts: click in this Rockwell-Collins link

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