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

[KE5CTY Bob]

After all the scary things I have read about the 746/756 series, rigs I am
almost afraid to get one unless I have the money to send it to Icom and pay
for the repair. When something as basic, but as necessary  as a display is a
major problem for a manufacturer it makes you wonder.

That is why I am basing my evaluations on the guys who have been in the
middle of the front line for a while and have the scores to prove out their
purchases as being successful.

I have also read many articles lately it seems (and posts, even on the Icom
list) where alot of people seem to get one new and then have to send it back
to Icom or are asking others about problems they are having with them and
what to do about it. Seems like Icom is taking the Microsoft approach, make
it sell it and then fix it.

Although they seem to get repaired ok after being sent to Icom, it seems to
cost alot to get it back and takes a while for turn around.

Then you hear about guys who have had them for years without a clitch. Makes
you wonder which are the isolated cases and which are not. Almost like
shooting dice. One the other hand the "preferred" rigs seem to be free of
this syndrome and appear more stable.

TNX,
Bob
KE5CTY (old calls WB5ZQU - WY5L)
http://www.qsl.net/ke5cty/
Code may be dying but the pioneering spirit that put the code there in
the first place is still going strong.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Geiger" <ne0p at lcisp.com>
To: "Bill Coleman" <aa4lr at arrl.net>; "KE5CTY Bob" <rtnmi at sbcglobal.net>
Cc: "'David Thompson'" <thompson at mindspring.com>; "'CQ Contest'"
<cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2005 9:06 AM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] FT-920 - IC-718


> And the dead years had the 756PRO series.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bill Coleman" <aa4lr at arrl.net>
> To: "KE5CTY Bob" <rtnmi at sbcglobal.net>
> Cc: "'David Thompson'" <thompson at mindspring.com>; "'CQ Contest'"
> <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2005 2:37 AM
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] FT-920 - IC-718
>
>
> >
> > On Jul 21, 2005, at 7:17 PM, KE5CTY Bob wrote:
> >
> > > According to the manufacture dates and the demand (preferred radios) -
> > > there has been no *practical* noticeable change in equipment (change
> > > worth having from a practical - operational standpoint) for almost 9
> > > YEARS only smoke and mirrors (cosmetics) with the *most* preferred rig
> > > being almost 10 years old in technology according to manufacture
> > > output:
> > >
> > > Kenwood; TS-830S HF Transceiver;Manfact'd approx May 1981
> > > Kenwood; TS-850S 160-10 Meter Transceiver;Manfact'd approx Jul 1991
> > > ICOM; IC-728 MF/HF Transceiver;Manfact'd approx Feb 1993
> > > Yaesu; FT-1000MP MF/HF Transceiver;Manfact'd approx Apr 1996
> > > Yaesu; FT-920 MF/HF/6 Meter Transceiver;Manfact'd approx Oct 1997
> > >
> > > (((The Dead Years)))
> > >
> > > ???? 2005 ????
> >
> > I think this depiction is inaccurate. The so-called "dead years" have
> > a number of innovative rigs introduced:
> >
> > Elecraft K2 and K2/100
> > TenTec Orion
> > IC-7800
> > FT-7900DX
> >
> > And even that misses the FT-1000 variants that have been introduced,
> > with substantial upgrades to the basic rig:
> > FT-1000MP Mk V
> > FT-1000MP Mk V Field
> >
> >
> >
> > Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
> > Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
> >              -- Wilbur Wright, 1901
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > CQ-Contest mailing list
> > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >
>