On Aug 29, 2006, at 1:18 PM, JT Croteau wrote:
> I may save up for something a bit closer to the $800 range as it looks
> like nice TS-940SAT's can be had for for $750ish. I am also
> considering a TS-570 flavor as these seem to be quite rugged and used
> on small DXpeditions frequently.
A lot of the early DSP IF rigs like the TS-870/570 and the IC-775
have less than stellar performance with large adjacent signals.
> However, one of you is also tempting me with a really nicely
> configured TS-820 station for a great price.
You don't want an old TS-820/520 rig. As nostalgic as they are, the
820/520 have tube finals, and do not support the WARC bands. The
830/530 do, but again have tube finals. Not really the kind of thing
you want for contesting which may involve lots of quick band changes.
> Surprisingly, most of you appear to be recommending Kenwood rigs.
Kenwood was the gold standard for many years. The TS-930 was one of
the best rigs in its class. The 940 lost some performance edge to
phase noise problems, but it had computer control. The TS-850 is
probably one of your best used equipment buys out there. Kenwood
seemed to lose their edge with the TS-950, and now are completely out
of it with the TS-2000.
> Although there have been some nice Yaesu and Icom suggestions.
The FT-1000/FT-1000MP seemed to be the contester's choice for many
years. If you can find one used for $800, then it would be a better
buy than the TS-850. The Icom IC-761 / 765 are also great contest
rigs, similar to the 850.
There's lots of older, middle-line rigs that can be found for $800 or
less. The Kenwood 570, 450, 440, 430, 140, 130; Yaesu 757; Icom 747,
751. I'm probably missing some other good stuff in the Yaesu and Icom
lines. These probably aren't the best choice for contesting, but you
can make just about any modern rig do.
> I myself have always been a Ten-Tec person first, Yaesu second, and
> Kenwood third.
If you want to build your own rig, the Elecraft K2 can't be beat.
It's a kit, and you can get the basic rig for $600. Then you can add
modules as you can afford them. Depending on what you add, you'll end
up with a rig nearly as capable as one of the higher-end rigs.
I love my K2/100, although I've spent nearly $1500 on it, although
not all at once.
Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
-- Wilbur Wright, 1901
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