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[VHFcontesting] RE: Best contesting rig

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Subject: [VHFcontesting] RE: Best contesting rig
From: tds59@voyager.net (Thom)
Date: Thu Jun 19 16:44:27 2003
John, I don't know if you or any of the reflectors want me to post this here
for all to read; showing you and all the kind of cojones I have, I'm sending
this and letting things fall where they may...to wit:

-----Original Message-----
From: yaesu-admin@mailman.qth.net [mailto:yaesu-admin@mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of John Geiger
Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2002 3:03 PM
To: cq-contest@contesting.com; vhfcontesting@contesting.com;
contest@mailman.qth.net
Cc: yaesu@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Yaesu] Best contesting rig


I am preparing to write my monthly Contesting Column
for our local newsletter.  This month I am going to
write about what to look for in picking out the best
contesting rig.  I would like opinions and feed back
from reflector members about the best contesting rig:

((OK, yer on...here we go:))


1. Under $600
These are, more often than not, the used rigs -- and right here you can find
some WILD bargains! On what? Try rigs ranging from the early models of the
Icom 706 to Kenwood's TS50 (maybe the best mobile rig for contestors, save
for the Yaesu FT-100d OR their new FT-897) to the older Yaesu FT747 (which
Heathkit, in its final days, sold as the 1400) and FT757.  A tip on the 757:
Get the GXII line, as the earlier models had problems with reed relays and
the optical encoder for the frequency counter, as I recall.  Comments on
those were very nasty in the old days of the BBSes I used to hang out at.

Almost forgot a great starter rig:  The Ten Tec Corsair.  For other great
introductory rigs (NOT for serious contesting because of all the fiddling
you have to do, which takes up time, but to get your feet wet nevertheless)
you can't go wrong with the Kenwood TS520/530/820/830 tube lines, the Yaesu
FT-101 series, some of which have legendary receivers, and the early Ten Tec
Omnis! Great radios for the newbie to use and make mistakes on; you gotta
get the fish hooked with the right bait, of course.

Avoid the now-deceased names (Hallicrafters, Hammarlund, National, Heathkit
et al) unless you want to have fun tracking down parts.  Same with Drake,
although you can find some excellent radios (and amps) on the cheap in that
line these days...and (this is gonna get my rock and roll carcass fried) the
Ten Tec Scout, which was a nice idea with its individual band modules but is
a sheer pain in the rump to keep organized on the fly, especially when you
are contesting line a maniac...unless you want to do single bands.


2. From $600 to $1000
The Yaesu FT840 and the Icom 718 are two new rigs worth checking out, but
keep in mind you can find even Kenwood TS-850s (perhaps the best non TenTec
receiver ever made), Yaesu FT990s, FT900s (a great mobile OR base rig, but
get the Collins filters if you can) and even FT920s (!!), Icom 735s (one of
the most underrated rigs ever, perhaps the one that started the mini-box rig
style that led to such units as the FT840 and Kenwood TS-450 and 690 models)
and early 746s, and the Ten Tec Delta II at this price level.  Two other
rigs from Icom worth watching for:  The 737, which is a great entry rig and
can sometimes be had for the cheap, and the 738, which was one of the first
(along with the Kenwood 690) to pop 6 meters in the mix.  For Kenwood, watch
for the TS930, which some CW ops swear by, and the TS940 which - along with
the Yaesu FT990 and the Icom 765 - were the last of the "Cadillac
monobanders", as in high quality rigs without a subtransceiver (such as
those found in the Icom 775 and the Yaesu FT-1000d).

Also to consider:  The Ten Tec Pegasus, if you want to breed your computer
to the rig.  A very good and facile combo, suggest you get the Logic V
logging program to make it a fully useful weapon (evil grin).

A major caveat on the Kenwoods:  There have been discussions on the
reflectors for those models as to some gunk Kenwood used on some of the
boards in the rig to improve conductivity, or so the excuse went. If this
stuff is in the rig and goes bad, it is sheer hell to remove completely; you
can get cigarette smoke out easier than this crap!

Pass on the first incarnation of the Ten Tec Deltas, which had some relay
problems (and parts - especially the little lights - are heck to find for
that model).  Also think hard on the older Icoms such as the 751 because of
the mechanical relays they used. And be wary of the Yaesu FT-890, which came
out to some harsh criticism for its CW handling if you plan to run on that
mode often.

More on the Icom line to be aware of in the next secton.

One aspect not covered:  QRP rigs.  The best: Ten Tec Argosy and Argonauts,
no matter the price, 'nuff said. Sorry, Yaesu FT-817, although for
backpacking style work you cannot be beat - at least until the 897 takes
hold!


3. From $1000 to $1500
A very interesting caveat on Icoms from a fellow contester who specializes
in RTTY, and let me see if there is anyone out there who wants to challenge
him: "With Icom, you feel like you are a constant beta tester," he said to
me one evening as we were discussing rigs before I purchased my first new
one (a Yaesu FT-920 that I am starting to outgrow). "No sooner do they
release a rig, like the 706 as an example, then they come out with the II
that has more features and then they come out with another, the IIg. And
they've done the same with the 746" and the 756, since he and I discussed
the situation.  Note that Icom does NOT retrofit their earlier models with
any of the improvements/new features, so feel free to grind your teeth when
the newer ones hit the pipe.

With that in mind, watch the hamfests for the Ten Tec Omni Vs and VIs that
will likely hit the tables thanks to the Orions and Jupiters (more on those
in a moment), the early Icom 756s and (a surprise) Kenwood 950s! But get the
950s with the built in DSP if you can. Also coming up in this price range
are good used Yaesu FT-1000MPs, so keep a close watch.

Pass on the Yaesu FT-767, which was a good idea for its time but is becoming
harder to get parts and work for, especially on those "band modules", which
a good friend of mine termed as nothing more than frequency transverters
that were not made all that well...also look askance at the Icom 761, which
had a bit of a bad legal history because of one of its capabilities.
Besides, that rig had a suspect receiver; the one you REALLY want to snatch
when you get the chance is the 765, one of the best rigs Icom *ever* made!

As for the Ten Tec Jupiter:  WELL worth the price new, and a suprising rig
for its cost in terms of what it can do!  The company offers a video you can
buy to watch and help you decide on the rig (they'll take that off the price
tag if you get the rig), and for $10 it's a good buy.  But consider a
different power supply; switching-based models just don't cut it for me.


4. Over $1500
Ten Tec Orion, and that's even BEFORE it hits the market. No other company
has made powerful and clean receivers as consistently as the Tennessee
Tuxedos, and the early word on this weapon is that it's a killer!

As for rigs out there now, chase down the Yaesu FT-1000D and FT-1000MP Mark
V, Kenwood TS-2000 and Icom 775 (be prepared to be overwhelmed with all the
buttons and knobs on that wicked little ninja)...but keep a wary eye on the
Icom 781.  Although it is a solid rig in its own right, take note the big
screen display is getting harder and harder to come by if you need a
replacement. Also be cautious of the JRC line; although their 245 model is a
stunner of a radio, as is their 1000 amplifier, service in times of trouble
is a valid concern.


5. At ANY price....
* Avoid ANYTHING involving the letters M-F-J (which should be spoken only
with the thumb between the first two fingers of the hand)!  To paraphrase a
very nasty comment from the old BBS days that even I cannot refute to this
day, the fact they're located in Starkville, Mississippi should be all the
reason you need...

Personal experience:  1998 CQ WPX SSB, /P @ qth of KB8YGP (now AB8HN). John
had his antennas fed into an MFJ switch box.  About 90 mins into contest, I
smelled what I thought was maple syrup being cooked - and then saw smoke
from the switch box. Cover off; transformer inside was heating up and
getting ready to flame!  YIKE!

Have used other MFJ labeled gear of dubious soldering, overall construction
and capability; it's tough to describe what they make as reliable, this side
of the libel laws.  Needless to say, I step away from their sales flacks at
hamfests so as to avoid potential shouting matches and outright
fistfights...and I refuse to even buy their clocks!

* If you plan to do mainly CW contesting, you cannot go wrong with anything
from Ten Tec, ESPECIALLY the OMNI VI.

* If you plan to do mainly RTTY and other digital modes, get a Kenwood
TS-850 as a backup radio - and if you have one of these already, treat it as
the gun you will have pried from your cold dead hands first.  As for a
primary rig, go with one that is computer compatible, given the plethora of
great RTTY/digital programs (such as the free MMTTY program) now available.

* If your main concern about a rig is getting it serviced in times of
trouble/breakdown, you WILL  NEVER go wrong with anything from Ten Tec.  As
for all others, you pays your money and you takes your chances...at least
with the manufacturers, long a sore point on ANY reflector.  One person to
give a big high five to among repair shops:  Clif Holland of AVVID in Texas.
His comments on the Kenwood reflector alone are worth the effort of
subscribing.

* One mandatory option, no matter the rig:  Get INRAD filters, 'nuff said!!

* Another mandatory option:  QST reviews, enough said!

* Yet another:  If you use a computer, there is no such thing as one that is
too powerful, has too much memory, too much hard drive space and too big a
monitor.  Also, there is yet no one program out there that can do
everything, but there are a number that can do some things or one thing
excellent.  No matter what, if you feel you have a need and there is not a
program out there that can do it, ask someone who is offering a program if
they will put that function in or even write one that can handle it.  You'd
be surprised how many programmers are easy to get along with, especially
those putting out freeware -- after all, they might learn something new
doing what you ask of them!  (This is worth a column in itself, John)

One last tip:  When you do choose a rig and get set to put your contest
station together, get TWO of the same rig if you can!  You'd be surprised
how quick your score and abilities will go up when you have two of the same
weapons at your disposal...and by all means look for rigs that are computer
compatible; you don't have time in a contest to be flipping through paper,
and computers are the best tool to come along for that branch of Amateur
Radio since the Yagi!

Thanks/73s John NE0P

Yer welcome/Thom  N8DXR


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