Many thanks to a number of readers who’ve pointed out that some of their favorite ham radio retailers have now received their final batch of Yaesu FT-818NDs.
I’ll post a list of retailers below (in alphabetical order) who are showing stock at time of posting (Feb 16, 2023):
- DX Engineering: $699.95
- GigaParts: $699.95
- Ham Radio Outlet: $799.95
- Martin Lynch & Sons: £624.95
- MTC: $825
- Nevada Radio: £520.79
- R & L Electronics: $644.89
- Radioworld: $949.99 CDN
- Waters and Stanton: £520.79
- WIMO: 699.00 €
Should you bite the bullet?
If you’ve been considering a new-in-box, fully warranted FT-818ND, it might be worth purchasing one of these units.
As I mentioned in previous posts, I would certainly not panic-buy an FT-818ND because there are so many tens of thousands of these in the wild I think there are deals to be found on the used market. I do suspect there may be a temporary increase in prices on the used market, but in a few months they’ll go back down.
Other retailers with inventory?
Am I missing a retailer in the list above? Please comment with a link and I’ll add them.
Good Morning,
Hey, you Forget Canadian Neighbors ??
https://www.radioworld.ca/ya-ft818
Sale ends February 28.- And the price is: 949.99$ CAD!!!!!!
Add shipping, plus 9.75% tax Québec, & 5% federal tax. plus shipping.
The price alone 949,99$ CAD, équal this morning at: 708.69 USD.
Do not forget it is the last retailer in all Canada!!!
72 Mike VE2TH
Doh! Merci, Mike!
I’ve just added Radioworld.ca to the list! 🙂
Not sure how I could have skipped over them!
More interesting than the FT-818ND is the economic psychology at work (primarily by HRO). Scarcity = increased desire:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarcity_(social_psychology)
Agreed.
In fact, I simply wouldn’t pay that amount for an FT-818.
This, of all radios, is not one to fall into the scarcity hole that allows retailers to pump up the price. There are simply thousands upon thousands of FT-817 and 818s out there. The used prices have been stable save for those folks trying to sell theirs off saying, “they don’t make these anymore” and charging new prices. 🙂
I’ve a friend who very recently purchased a like-new FT-818 for $475. Came will all of the stock trimmings, too!
Just like HRO’s price on the Lab599 Discovery jumped from $899 to $1299 overnight, as soon as Russia invaded Ukraine. That kind of pricing policy makes me not want to shop at HRO.
Agreed! It is EXACTLY the reason I won’t purchase from them. I support small companies like R&L and ChattRadio.com every chance I get. Always great folks to deal with and as we can see by the prices listed here, they’re not trying to take advantage of Hams.
I have enjoyed this hobby for more than six decades and have never been associated with an amateur radio distributor. Price gouging says a lot about a company’s integrity and what they think about its customers. R&L’s keeping its always discounted price illustrates their integrity and loyalty to its customers.
Yaesu is not with the ball on having a good, low current field radio in their offerings. The FT-891 does not qualify, regardless of how well it performs. Kenwood has no field radios at all. So far, Icom, Xiegu, and Lab599 appear to be the only major manufacturers that offer radios with low power, low current draw specifications. I’m not counting the other small radios that are out there, of course, just the “major” ones. The next question is whether or not Yaesu has a replacement in development for QRP folks.
Oops, forgot Elecraft. Sorry.
Oops. Forgot Elecraft.
Hopefully, Yaesu is paying attention to current trends in ham radio. Scanning the bands shows significant, daily worldwide activity with portable stations involved in SOTA, POTA, etc. In my opinion, it seems to have renewed a lot of ham’s interest in operating. It certainly did it for me…
Mike W5RST
Nice list, thanks for sharing
It would be an interesting betting pool – or drinking game – watching what retailers run out of stock and when they do it.
Looks like there is no purchase link on GigaParts any more.
My FT-818ND has just arrived from HRO, managed to order a unit at $699.95 just before the price hike.
Supply and demand in action.
HRO are currently showing healthy stock levels at their VA outlet.
R&L doesn’t actually have any to sell apparently. My order this morning was cancelled by R&L.
No biggie. I can keep my money to try and snag an MTR-4B.
R&L is my local ham shop (35 miles away) and I have noticed that they will often list out-of-stock items at lower prices. They list the Chameleon 17′ telescoping whip for $60.95 while it’s $70 everywhere else. I’m guessing this is their way of gaming the search engines or maybe trying to cause buyers to hold off buying from another retailer at a higher price. Then when they are back in stock, capture those orders from cheap-but-patient hams.
So interesting.
Yes supply and demand proves its theory again.
As I am not purchasing a new one, or a used one, I like to watch all the hype or non-hype.
I’ve used HRO in the past, as most of us probably have, and most likely I will use them again in the future, though will research before I purchase.
And to finish my little thing here, I was blessed to have been gifted an almost new FT 818ND recently, so am happy I do not have to make a decision to use the funds, I really do not have, which helps keep my XYL smiling.
73
Fr Richard
wb8yxf
This weekend is our local HamFest and I am posting sor sale my FT817 (nonD I bought new in 2004) with LDG Z817 tuner in a PVC frame with AC supply and battery for $600. It also has the Collins CW 300 Hz filter.
I love the fT817, but I now have a IC705 and X6100, just too many QRP rigs.
73, ron, n9ee
Interesting, HRO now shows stock available at multiple locations as opposed to only VA earlier (which is selling out, looks like).
Stay tuned . . .
A whole bunch of the HRO outlets now seem to have healthy stock levels of the FT-818ND.
Be interesting to see how fast they go out the door, I suspect in short order…
Question: Does Yaesu have filters for those last 818’s? Just curious.
If they had filters they might cost more than the radios 🙂
Speaking of which, I’m only seeing GigaParts and Wimo as out of stock. In comparison to when the initial discontinuation announcement came, and they flew off the shelves, no one is biting at these markedly elevated prices.
I don’t think so, but when I bought my FT-818ND I also ordered the collins 300 Hz filter.
It was back order, and got it one month later. I was very lucky. !!
OH!! for the benefit of all readers, please take time to read this;
https://www.myqrplife.com/blog-1/2021/6/26/ft-817-and-ft-818-cw-filter
Good luck to all,
72 Mike VE2TH ( 60 YEARS OF QRP FUN, THIS YEAR)
I’ve enjoyed your recent appearances on Ham Radio Workbench, and for your FT-818, you were talking about adding rails, a 500Hz Collins filter, a circuit board for the filter from Poland, and a Windcamp battery, etc. I wonder if you could post links to some of those good sources for accessories? Thanks & 73
Hi, Ken,
The rails I like are made by Portable Zero: https://portablezero.com/yaesu817.html
Regarding the filter, here’s the article with links and instructions.
And I purchased my Windcamp battery from here: https://ebay.us/dvhdbX
Hope this helps and glad you enjoyed the show!
Cheers,
Thomas
I wasn’t going to buy one of these, but I happened across one used for $300 *with* the 300Hz CW filter included. I couldn’t pass that up.
i bet yaesu has made a bunch more of them. as this radio is a hot item right now.