FT-817 Porta Base

Everyone who owns one of these neat little rigs is aware of the problem viewing the small screen the have. If you lay them flat the display is almost impossible to read.
The Porta Base was a brain child of mine while on a camping trip. I went through several designs looking for the right height angle and material.

After several attempts I finally came up with this very simple yet functional design for elevating the front of the Rig. It is made from 22ga sheet metal, has a small vertical lip at the rear to keep the 817 from sliding backwards due to a heavy hand on the knobs. I added a padded top to help protect the bottom of the rig from being scratched. I sold these on eBay for awhile to see if there were other QRP'ers who would be interest in them. The results was amazing.

Photos of the Porta Base

The pictures really don't do the little gadget justice. The base shown in these photos is the very first which was built several years ago.

Modifying the Porta Base

I have received several emails through the years from customers who have modified the Porta Base.

The most popular mod is adding a AA battery rack on the bottom of the base of added power back up when using the rig portable. I did this myself on my personal porta base and it is quite handy.
One fellow built an antenna tuner on the bottom with the controls protruding through the front. From the looks of the pictures he sent, it was quite an undertaking !

Want to buy one ?

We sell these on our QSL website as we have the capabilities to handle Visa and Master Card there as well as Paypal if you wish. You can find them at http://cheapqsls.com/ft817pb.htm. They sell for 16.95 plus shipping. The cost of sheet metal these days has kept me from making more. We have sold them all over the world. It truly is a very handy accessory for the FT-817. I offer a 10 day money back (less shipping) guarantee you will like it.

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