I was very impressed with the new FT-100 that I saw a Dayton. I have
just put an Icom 706 MKII in my mobile. The FT-100 is actually a bit
smaller, not quite as high as the 706, and does 70 CM in addition to 2
meters. It's sure nice to have another band. My current set up has two
radios - the Icom 706 and an Icom 2710 but later in the year it may have
only one - the FT-100.
The most important feature for me is the bright display of the FT-100.
Most of the time I am wearing polarized glasses when I am mobiling. With
the 706 I have to move my head slightly to line up with the display to
get full brightness. I donned my sun glasses at the Yaesu booth in
Dayton and had no problem viewing the FT-100 display from any angle. It
was always brighter than the 706.
The one small negative with the FT-100 is that the microphone plugs into
the body of the rig rather than the detachable front panel. This may
mean that you will have to run a remote microphone cable to the guts of
the radio if you mount the box in a trunk or under the back seat as I do.
It's not a major problem but it does mean you will have to purchase an
additional cable and snake it to the remote unit.
Frank Fallon - N2FF -
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