hello j, how about those two? The thing is, do you really want your first
radio to be so sophisticated that while enjoying the leading edge of
technology, you miss learning the basics? The radio is new and sweet,
perfect in every way....compared to what? If you dont have first hand
experience ironing out the problems and performance details on the
predecessors of these radios, how will you know what to compare it to?
Risking sounding like an ol' f..., I will state that new hams should try
older used ham gear from reputable sources to gain experience operating,
station setup, station ergonomics, grounding issues, antenna work, and build
a body of experience before leaping into the new stuff. Listen to the
various gear on the air with all the remarks made by various users.
I wont mention that this pertains mostly to hf radio gear, since vhf stuff
off the shelf seems relatively trouble free. If you rely on the eham. net
reviews, qst reviews and others, you are reading testimony from hams who've
resolved basic issues that were hard learned but sublimated to carry on with
the business at hand. I don't want ten tec or kenwood to lose a potential
sale on a new rig, but it will cut down on the incidence of catastrophic
failures due to inexperience. Or, in the case of some of these failures,
knowing when the faulty part, or a loose star washer was a likely cause. So,
read the reflector, listen to on air discussions, and play with older gear,
like ten tec stuff, cant go wrong there.
Incidentally I own an Omni D, Corsair, Scout, Omni VI+, Centurion,
the 238 tuner, and the 962 power supply. Love em all. Ive owned Kenwoods,
Yaesus, Icoms, Heathkits, and Drakes. Not all of them.
Still have a Heathkit rig and a Drake. I just bought an Atlas 350XL.
I am not an electronics professional, nor do I play one on TV. I get my
problems solved in common sense ways learned from alot of
hams who like me have been doing this for quite a while. That's the nice
thing about being a ham. 73 ben k8dit
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