Hi Jacob,
Congrats from me also.
I would say that if it's a question of using an FT-857D that you already
have for HF contesting, do it.
The operational deficiencies of this radio have been noted by others better
than I could, but there is possibly some skill-building potential in a radio
that's not great, particularly since the most important filter you'll ever
use is the one between your ears. Give it a tough workout and it will learn
the skills well.
If it's a question of buying an FT857D vs. something else, I think there are
any number of alternative radios at or about the (new) FT857 price point
that would do you better. In this area, I'd look at (used) TS-850SAT,
IC-765, FT-990 (at a good price, an FT1000MP might not be a huge stretch).
Other good alternatives include a K2/100, an Omni VI or IC-761.
Even something such as an IC-751, FT-920 or TS-940SAT are worthy contenders.
I think, however, the No.1 value story in contesting radios today is a used
IC-756PRO. About $1k to $1.3k, great RX, excellent IF-DSP and very
contester-friendly user interface. The distinction between IC-756 and
IC-756PRO is huge (entirely different RF architecture). The distinction
between the IC-756PRO and PRO-II and PRO-III are harder to quantify,
particularly given the price jumps.
73, kelly
ve4xt
----- Original Message -----
From: "George Harlem W1EBI" <w1ebi@lightband.com>
To: "'Jacob Tennant'" <k8jwt@adelphia.net>; <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 8:44 PM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] FT-857D for contesting???
> Congratulations on earning your General, Jacob! If you have done some
> VHF contesting in the past and want to try out your new band privileges
> in some HF contests, of course you can use the FT-857. Is it the ideal
> radio for HF contesting? Probably not, but if you have one or have
> access to one, the important thing is to get your feet wet in some
> contests and HAVE FUN! If you're able to upgrade your station down the
> road, there are many other radios that would be great for HF contesting,
> but first work to upgrade your on-the-air skills and knowledge of the HF
> bands. So when do we hear K8JWT in a contest?
>
> 73, George W1EBI
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com
> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jacob Tennant
> Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 4:33 PM
> To: cq-contest@contesting.com
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] FT-857D for contesting???
>
> After reading along with the thread on the FT-840 vs. IC-718, I was
> wondering about the thoughts on using the FT-857D for contesting? I
> have
> used one for VHF contestsat a friends station and it seemed to work good
> but
> never used it on HF as I just passed my General exam last night.
>
> Jacob Tennant - K8JWT/AG
>
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>
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