> Some Yaesu FT736R rigs have been
> improved with a Mutek front end mod, which basically replaces several boards
> in the radio, but these are relatively expensive and rare.
I have been using the FT736R for 144, 222 and 432 work for a few years now.
While a common complaint is that they are deaf, I must say that a large part
of this is just that the front end gain is pretty low. The noise figures
don't seem to be too bad. I now have preamps on the tower for 144 and 432,
and will for 222 as well. There is an increase in the S/N ratio using the
preamp, but it isn't much more than the coax loss.
In other words, if you crank the AF gain on a 736R, it isn't as bad of a RX
as it sounds initially when you look at the s-meter.
> My favorite VHF/UHF setups have been Kenwood TS-850SATs with Downeast
> Microwave
> transverters. You might also consider an Elecraft K2 plus Elecraft XV
> transverters. You'd have to build it, but you could get on your first VHF/UHF
> band for ~$1000 and add bands ($350 each) as you need them, and have one of
> the best ham receivers ever made. You wouldn't be ready for this September,
> though.
These are great choices and I would use DEMI as my next choice. However,
even with them, on frequencies above 100 MHz, I would argue that you would
want a preamp at the antenna eventually in order to crank every db out of
your system - therefore, it becomes a wash with the 736R.
So far, my 736R has been very reliable - and I would dare say that just by
the number of cables necessary necessary to hook up transverters, you will
have plenty of issues.
Tree
|