| Installing SOTA Beams Anderson Powerpole Adapter onto Yaesu FT-818ND |
FT-818 with Powerpole Adapter
Since my HF ops will be on the move, I wanted to ensure the power plug remained reliably connected to the FT-818ND--and the stock barrel plug Yaesu ships with the radio leaves a lot to be desired. Also, I wanted to be able to operate the radio from (and quickly switch between) a variety of power sources, including bench A/C power (I use the Pyramid 2.5 amp 13.8 volt DC converter), any vehicle or standard cigarette lighter plug using this adapter, or any batteries with Anderson Powerpoles connected. I also put Powerpoles on the A/C brick that came with the radio, and I have a cable with Powerpoles on one end and standard alligator clips on the other, in case I need to run it off a car battery or some other power source. Lots of options!
I always use this Anderson fused jumper when using unregulated power sources.
The answer is the SOTA Beams Anderson Powerpole Adapter! Super simple installation, makes the power connection much more solid than the OEM barrel plug, and makes it super simple to switch between power supplies.
There seem to be two small drawbacks to this product. First, inserting the barrel plug bypasses the radio's internal battery. (This adapter has a barrel plug, but you can't see it when installed.) So if you want to use the internal battery in the field, you'd have to take out the little screw to remove the adapter. Working with small parts in the field is not ideal.
Second, according to the adapter's manufacturer, the FT-818's battery circuitry "draws about 4mA from the internal battery when an external power plug is attached to the radio, the radio is powered off, and the external source is not powered. This current will drain the internal battery in less than a week....This applies to any plug, even the original one supplied with the radio." This can be mitigated by unplugging the battery after charging (which does NOT require removing the Powerpole adapter), or just by keeping the battery on a trickle charger.
You'll also notice the BNC Dust Cap on the front BNC antenna connector and the plastic UHF cover on the back to protect the connectors from dust and impacts when the radio is in my pack.
Be sure to check out the Portable Zero 817 Escort Rails Installation Video, too!
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