| Hf rig recommendations? | |
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Ged2E0GRD
Posts : 19 Join date : 2011-12-31 Age : 58 Location : South Shields
| Subject: Hf rig recommendations? Sun Feb 05, 2012 10:30 pm | |
| Got a budget of about £500 (give or take) to spend on an HF rig to replace my old TS430s. Looking at base/mobile radios, mainly interested in HF only rigs, but looking at HF/VHF/UHF rigs also. Trying to avoid fleabay though!!
Any recommendations welcome! | |
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Daryn 2E0DKD Admin
Posts : 526 Join date : 2011-12-07 Location : South Shields, Tyne and Wear, UK
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Mon Feb 06, 2012 5:26 am | |
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Ged2E0GRD
Posts : 19 Join date : 2011-12-31 Age : 58 Location : South Shields
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:48 pm | |
| Thanks for those recommendations Daryn. The 847 looks the biz, but dealers are wanting around £800 with a year's warranty!! (Have noticed that ebay do warranties now, so might still be an option) I have been looking at the following:- Icom ic 706 Mk2 (as you suggested) Icom ic718 (brand new entry level) Yaesu ft 450 AT Kenwood TS 570 Cheers! | |
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John 2E0SCM
Posts : 177 Join date : 2012-01-03 Age : 64 Location : Westsleekburn Northumberland
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Tue Feb 07, 2012 3:50 am | |
| You can also look on these 2 sites for sales of used ham and cb equipment I was also looking for a FT847 hard to come by so Bought a Kenwood TS2000E which has the same bands as the 847 and also picked up a Yaesu Ft1000MP Just looking for a antenna now for HF and thats me sorted but garden space limited 33 ft for a G5RV so may have to opt for a vertical most wide banded ones are just a huge dummy load take a lot of power away unless I can pick up a half G5RV and do a L configuration which some dont like http://www.junksale.co.uk/http://www.hamradiodeals.co.uk/forums/index.php | |
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Daryn 2E0DKD Admin
Posts : 526 Join date : 2011-12-07 Location : South Shields, Tyne and Wear, UK
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:11 am | |
| Its a pitty as there was a yaesu 897 for sale on here a couple of days ago | |
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Daryn 2E0DKD Admin
Posts : 526 Join date : 2011-12-07 Location : South Shields, Tyne and Wear, UK
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:13 am | |
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John 2E0SCM
Posts : 177 Join date : 2012-01-03 Age : 64 Location : Westsleekburn Northumberland
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:20 am | |
| Think its gone daryn he bought my Ft100 sure he said he sold it | |
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Daryn 2E0DKD Admin
Posts : 526 Join date : 2011-12-07 Location : South Shields, Tyne and Wear, UK
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:47 am | |
| Ohhhhhhhhh ok Ill contact him and find out cheers matey | |
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Ged2E0GRD
Posts : 19 Join date : 2011-12-31 Age : 58 Location : South Shields
| Subject: New rig on its way! Wed Feb 08, 2012 11:14 am | |
| Thanks for all your help and recommendations fellas, after much delibaration I have took the plunge and ordered a Yaesu FT450 AT, second hand. There were many other rigs I would have loved to have, such as the 847 but this radio was in my price range from a dealer with a warranty. (My missus insisted on me having some sort of guarantee with a radio this time around). When the radio arrives I will post some pics and info etc about it. Many thanks and 73's!! http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0450.htmlhttp://www.rigpix.com/yaesu/ft450.htm | |
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Daryn 2E0DKD Admin
Posts : 526 Join date : 2011-12-07 Location : South Shields, Tyne and Wear, UK
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Wed Feb 08, 2012 11:49 am | |
| Nice one buddy, just been looking at the reviews and they look real good. Piece of mind buying with a warranty. Check out the reviews Im sure you have done the right thing............ http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/6583 | |
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Ged2E0GRD
Posts : 19 Join date : 2011-12-31 Age : 58 Location : South Shields
| Subject: Yaeu FT450 Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:53 am | |
| Well had the FT450 (bought used) for a few weeks now, and have to say its been absolutely fine, very pleased with it, apart from the internal atu had been changed from its default value to 'tune' non resonant antennas, which is not recommended as it effectively changes the swr calibration settings to fool the radio into thinking that the swr is lower than it really is. Not good. I have since changed that back to the factory default, and it still manages to tune a few bands with my G5RV jr ok, the rest I use a manual ATU. Had very pleasing TX audio reports so far, and the RX on it is also excellent. It has an amazing amount of features for such a small rig, one of them being excellent DSP filtering, but I tend not to overuse it. However, the roofing filter, which is found in many top shelf radios can't be turned off,(which isnt a bad thing actually imo). The AGC on it is also very good indeed. Full TX capability as well=bonus!!!! Can't really fault it so far! Thanks to all at NEARS forum for their advice. Will post some pix soon. | |
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Daryn 2E0DKD Admin
Posts : 526 Join date : 2011-12-07 Location : South Shields, Tyne and Wear, UK
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:49 am | |
| Look forward to the pics and glad your happy with the radio, tell us about the antenna your using for it and what contacts you have made upto now.
As for this bit ..............apart from the internal atu had been changed from its default value to 'tune' non resonant antennas, which is not recommended as it effectively changes the swr calibration settings to fool the radio into thinking that the swr is lower than it really is. is that not what a ATU is for, even though I have my ticket Im still very much learning as well, but I know my ATU in the car tunes a cb antenna which is non resonant for 20 and 40metres. If it was resonant would we need the ATU ? look forward to some answers from other members on this one. | |
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John 2E0SCM
Posts : 177 Join date : 2012-01-03 Age : 64 Location : Westsleekburn Northumberland
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:29 pm | |
| Ive got new pics to send later today of my new set up hopefully 4 weeks time ill be able to use it | |
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kevin2e0ksw
Posts : 111 Join date : 2011-12-07
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Tue Feb 21, 2012 6:26 pm | |
| change the seting back for non resonant antennas all atu,s fool the rig thats what they do it just means you can experimant with more antennas you made a good choice of radio they great | |
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Ged2E0GRD
Posts : 19 Join date : 2011-12-31 Age : 58 Location : South Shields
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:20 pm | |
| - Daryn 2E0DKD wrote:
- Look forward to the pics and glad your happy with the radio, tell us about the antenna your using for it and what contacts you have made upto now.
As for this bit ..............apart from the internal atu had been changed from its default value to 'tune' non resonant antennas, which is not recommended as it effectively changes the swr calibration settings to fool the radio into thinking that the swr is lower than it really is. is that not what a ATU is for, even though I have my ticket Im still very much learning as well, but I know my ATU in the car tunes a cb antenna which is non resonant for 20 and 40metres. If it was resonant would we need the ATU ? look forward to some answers from other members on this one. Hi Daryn, I should have worded that bit better. Yes of course the atu does fool the radio into thinking it has a match with non resonant antennas when correctly adjusted, but when the mod has been done on this radio, as was mine, all it does is provide a false match. So it tunes up and shows and SWR of 1:1, but in actual fact the SWR is probably way higher. I've read loads about this mod, and it is one that is not recommended as it obviously gives a false reading. Hope that explains things a bit better. Cheers. | |
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Ged2E0GRD
Posts : 19 Join date : 2011-12-31 Age : 58 Location : South Shields
| Subject: Re: Hf rig recommendations? Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:34 pm | |
| P.s antenna is a half size g5rv sloping from roof apex down to about 12' fed with about 100ft of RG213. The internal atu tunes up on 40, 20, 15, 11, 10. Which aint bad! Had contacts nationwide as far as Wales on several nets on 40m with 5/7-9 reports. Also, Switzerland to a portable station, Croatia, Moscow, Norway on 20m. All with excellent audio reports. Cheers. | |
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