Ellen Rugowski wrote:
> Hi Everybody,
>
> On Thursday, I will be geting a nice, big, fat profit sharing bonus at work.
> It'll be for several hundred dollars, and possibly as much as $1300. Soooo,
> I'm looking to enhance my 2m, and get back my 432 capability. With that in
> mind, I'm looking for the first time in 9 years, to purchase a multi-mode,
> multi-band rig (no, I don't want transverters if I can help it - my space is
> at a premium, and I don't feel like having to screw around with umpteen
> cables). I'm looking to get my hands on at least a dual band, 2m & 432 rig.
> Expandability via a 1296 module like I used to have in my FT-736R back in the
> 90s would be nice, but isn't absolutely necessary. What do the esteemed
> members of this list recommend? The FT-736R like I used to use years ago, or
> something else?
Ellen,
Glad to see you coming back to the high ground (frequency wise)!
I would throw an odd-ball, but hopefully good comment out there that
isn't directly an answer to your question, but it'll lead there...
Antennas, antennas, antennas.
We ALL know that the people that WIN contests at VHF+ have incredible
antenna systems. Most run all nature of old, new,
whatever-they-can-get-their-hands-on rigs to drive transverters, or rigs
that can go to the bands directly, or whatever they can find. But they
ALL have incredible antenna systems.
Make sure some of your budget goes into the antenna system! A nice 100W
SSB rig at VHF is useless into a wet noodle, right?
That said, I see folks using a LOT of FT-736R's that contest seriously,
and they all have bricks or bigger amps, pre-amps on receive and great
antenna systems.
I see the same from folks who win who have other newer rigs. Pre-amps
on receive, amplifiers, etc.
And then there's a lot of folks who are "also-rans" who have PLENTY of
fun (don't get me wrong) with their brand new rigs... into antennas that
just don't have any gain.
(For me, as a Rover station, and one who never seems to get around to
putting up the tower at home -- it's the perennial problem -- how much
antenna to drag around with me as I wander around.)
It really seems to me that as long as the rig is sound and working
correctly, the real answer to your question is: "Whatever gets you on
the band the cheapest that's reliable, so you can spend some
money/time/effort on the antennas, feedline, pre-amps, sequencer, yadda
yadda yadda." Your station is an RF system, and it's only as good as
its weakest element (pun intended).
Another thought -- a small but dedicated bunch of very successful folks
do focus on their rigs as they upgrade their stations, and use *HF* rigs
with transverters at 28 MHz. They get the HF rigs with NICE IF-centric
filters, scopes, etc... and then employ them for use with great quality
transverters.
So... keep all of the above in mind as you spend your "crazy money"
there... if an antenna upgrade would get you lots of dB for your bucks
versus buying a brand-new whiz-bang rig... you know what will get you
heard, and it will also allow you to hear the weak ones!
Nate WY0X
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