Saw this stuff on-line and thought it would be just the thing as I continue to drag my FT-817 out to different glaciers... Ordered, used PayPal, three days later, the box was at the house. I got a PayPal invoice and notice of shipping with tracking number. All very professional, some of the big boys could learn from this outfit. Took my 817 and installed the rack pieces. All very straight forward. I've spent most of my adult life putting the smoke and magic back into a wide variety of commo gear. Because of that, I always worry about non-OEM screws and racks. I pulled the top cover and put one side of the rack on to see how deep the supplied screws would fit. I could have saved myself the effort - they fit perfectly. I took a photo so you could see as well. I'm not paranoid, just real careful, you know? You can also see the top of rubber strip thoughtfully added to the rack pieces to keep the finish on your rig nice and gouge-free. Nice touch! The sides allow easy access to all controls, ports, etc, etc,. Good stuff., All of this fit in the Sherpa bag I picked up at the same time. Radio, full sized Z-11 tuner, mike and cable, power cords , interconnect coax – everything needed to start operation but the battery and antenna. Not shown is the 4:1 BALUN that goes with the tuner. I use a larger battery, and carry the antenna(s) in a separate bag to allow tailoring for the location where I will set up You saw this kind of setup on the -9200 trip report posted on another thread.. The top (opening) of the bag has a 'scree cuff' – a leftover term from my rock climbing days. Nothing will fall out – but please note, this bag isn't rain-proof – the bottom of the bag has a pair of holes, supported by grommets. Great for running a power cable to operate in the bag if that's what you want to do... Not so great for keeping water out. This bag will let me easily carry the radio & associated 'stuff' hands-free as it has an adjustable waist-belt plus a padded shoulder strap. Just fine for the weather I operate in. A good value at a decent price point. You may want to stop by your local REI or surplus store and look for something a bit different if you plan on packing your rig around in the rain. I carry my MFJ-9200 in a water-tight Pelican case, for example. If it's raining that hard, my fun meters pegs out pretty quickly... As my fiction characters often say – "I'm getting too old for this ...stuff." Sunny day ham, that's me! Bottom line: Solid, well made product at a decent price point. Made in the USofA if that matters to you. Mike and his crew over at Portable Zero are straight up folks, I have no problem recommending them if you need some gear for portable ops.
Agree with everything above. Stupid simple to install on the radio and excellent value to boot. Bag is not Maxpedition/high end but a reasonable deal for the price. whynot
