I went to the various MOD sites and almost all of the sites say
that you should remove from the row of 9 SMD jumpers on the main boad:

1001
1002

Leave jumper 1006 in place

Place jumpers on:

1007
1008
1009

leave blank:
1001
1002
1003
1004
1005


OK here is the strange part.

My FT-857D has no jumper 1006, only jumpers 1001 and 1002.

In my searches across the web for information, one fellow said that he
removed jumpers 1001 and 1002, and the radio locked up, and he had to
send it back to Yaesu for expensive repairs. He said they told him
that the later radios were changed so they could not be modded, which
sounds like baloney to me, how would MARS operators use them?

My reason for wanting the mod is that the 60 M frequencies are
pre-programmed in the USA versions, and as you probably know the
frequencies have changed. I wrote to Yaesu to ask them if they would
be coming out with a way to update the 60 meter changes, and they said
no plans to make this available. So much for Yaesu support. This
really got my goat as several of my old timer buddies will be working
on the new QRG's and I have no way to use the Yaesu rig to make
contact.

OK, after a long winded explain, here is the question. Has anyone out
there done a successful MARS mod on the FT-857D with just the two
jumpers, and if so, can you steer me in the right direction, as I
don't want to end up having to face an expensive repair. I have
searched probably over 100 sites, most go back to the same sites, and
yet to have found any instructions for the version of the radio here.

Thanks for any help on making the changes. I tried to just go to
those frequences and when you hit the MIC key you get TRANSMIT ERROR
on the display.... Bummer....

73,

Jim

On Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:51:38 -0600, Jim wrote:

I went to the various MOD sites and almost all of the sites say
that you should remove from the row of 9 SMD jumpers on the main boad:

1001
1002

Leave jumper 1006 in place

Place jumpers on:

1007
1008
1009

leave blank:
1001
1002
1003
1004
1005


OK here is the strange part.

My FT-857D has no jumper 1006, only jumpers 1001 and 1002.

In my searches across the web for information, one fellow said that he
removed jumpers 1001 and 1002, and the radio locked up, and he had to
send it back to Yaesu for expensive repairs. He said they told him
that the later radios were changed so they could not be modded, which
sounds like baloney to me, how would MARS operators use them?

My reason for wanting the mod is that the 60 M frequencies are
pre-programmed in the USA versions, and as you probably know the
frequencies have changed. I wrote to Yaesu to ask them if they would
be coming out with a way to update the 60 meter changes, and they said
no plans to make this available. So much for Yaesu support. This
really got my goat as several of my old timer buddies will be working
on the new QRG's and I have no way to use the Yaesu rig to make
contact.

OK, after a long winded explain, here is the question. Has anyone out
there done a successful MARS mod on the FT-857D with just the two
jumpers, and if so, can you steer me in the right direction, as I
don't want to end up having to face an expensive repair. I have
searched probably over 100 sites, most go back to the same sites, and
yet to have found any instructions for the version of the radio here.

Thanks for any help on making the changes. I tried to just go to
those frequences and when you hit the MIC key you get TRANSMIT ERROR
on the display.... Bummer....

73,

Jim



Call Yaesu. Have your serial number handy.