[CQ-Contest] FT-920 - IC-718

[David Pruett]

At 02:49 AM 7/20/2005, KE5CTY Bob wrote:
>Has anyone used the FT-920 or IC-718 for contesting? I just heard they are
>as good as the FT-1000 series rigs for contesting and am curious as to just
>how true this is.

My experience has been that it's not true at all.  I own six FT-1000Ds and 
two FT-1000MPs and have used MarkV and Fields at stations I've visited.

We were down at WP2Z for CQ WPX SSB in 2004 where they have two 
FT-920s.  One radio even had optional INRAD filters and switching.  The 
other two ops were FT-1000MP owners and we all agreed the 920s were 
distinctly inferior to FT-1000s of any model.  The receivers were 
particularly annoying - it was difficult to get them to sound right and 
their lack of cascaded filters proved a major shortcoming in periods of 
high contest QRM (which, where you're in the Carribbean on a 900' mountain 
with water shots to everywhere essentially means all of the time).

With used FT-1000MPs going for around $1000, the savings for a used FT-920 
is not worth the receive performance sacriface.

Dave/K8CC