The QRPer Board

I would like to know more about the Windcamp battery pack for the Yaesu FT-817. The stock battery in my FT-817 did not have enough power to be useful, except for short periods of listening. How long does the Windcamp pack last under normal use? Is it sufficient for a 3-hour POTA activation? Is it worth then investment ($70-ish on eBay and $110-ish on Amazon) versus a stand-alone LiFePo4 battery pack?
Thanks.

Mike, KL7MJ

BLUF: It works well enough to sit out somewhere for awhile and make some contacts. May or may not be the best "value" depending on what your criteria are and what is important for you. I would recommend the Windcamp battery for any FT-817/818 owner, even if you have other external batteries you normally use.

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I have one in mine and it works pretty good. I can't answer your question about it lasting for 3+ hours of operating but in the times I've used for I've never had it die on me. Unfortunately, I don't have any notes on how long I used it for. It's been awhile since I've had the FT-817 out to a park so I might do that sometime soon and see how long it actually lasts for.

I've been happy with it and if I were setting up another FT-817 I would get one again. The one I got came with the battery, the battery door, and a stand to put the radio on during use. I've used the stand a few times and it seems like a pretty good product but I got a collapsible one somewhere along the way that I tend to use more often. There is an On/Off switch and charging port for the Windcamp battery on the hatch door that it comes with that I leave in the Off position when not in use to help protect the radio. It might not be necessary, but certainly isn't hurting anything.

Value vs a stand-alone battery pack? I do like the Bioenno batteries and have a few of them as well. From a convenience standpoint, I would say the Windcamp is far better because it actually goes inside the radio and is 1 less thing to carry and less things to hook-up and plug in and creates a smoother flow for setting up and packing up your station. From the stand point of Ah/$ and how long you can operate for what you spend, the Bioenno is going to give more operating time for your dollar just based on how large of battery you can get for the same money or how much you would save purchasing the same capacity (although if you don't already have a charger that can factor in too). The other nice thing about the LiFePo4 battery is the versatility of using it with other radios and equipment, with the Windcamp you're pretty much locking yourself in to using it only with the FT-817.

As a side note, I would recommend one of the 3-D printed PowerPole connector converters for your FT-817 if you plan to use a stand-alone battery to protect the tiny power connector on the back of that radio from repeated plugging and unplugging.

Thanks, it sounds like a good investment. I'm going to add it to my shopping list!

Mike, KL7MJ