[CQ-Contest] FTDX 3000 as a contest radio?

[Kelly Taylor]

Charly makes a really good point: the technical analysis aside (K9YC and others have very solid reasoning and research behind their opinions), it seems in radio and in life, if you love something, you can't comprehend why others wouldn't, and if you hate something, you can't comprehend why others would like it. 

73, kelly, ve4xt 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 19, 2017, at 21:09, Charles Harpole <hs0zcw at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Radios and prices
> TS-590SG  $1400
> IC-7300      1250
> FT-1200      1100
> FT-3000      1800
> FT-5000MP ltd  3840.+scope
> K3 loaded    5500+-
> 
> By Universal Radio prices, the Sherwood list would have you a TS-590SG and
> you just do without the extras the $400 more bought on the FT-3000.  Both
> are ok for contesting in a normal ham environment.
> 
> Ham radio prejudices are very fickle.  When the FT-1000MP was sold, it was
> "the rig to have".... it is still around and still "that good."  Now it is
> the K3.
> 
> I say buy what you can afford AND LIKE.  Ignore prejudices and enjoy what
> pleases you.  An ordinary ham, like me, cant hear phase noise nor a big %
> of other stuff.
> 
> Charly
> 
> Note that Universal Radio has no price listed for the FT-5000 nor 9000. --
> does this mean a new model on the horizon? See HRO.
> 
> 
>> On Thu, Oct 19, 2017 at 11:46 AM, Bill Mader <billamader at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Good question Dave,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I had the opportunity to bring my K3 to a local FD site where an IC-7600
>> was
>> the "primary" radio, used exclusively for SSB and PSK-31.  I ran CW
>> exclusively on the K3 with a short stint on SSB with the 7600 during a very
>> long op change.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I had some minor desense on the K3 from the 7600 and continued operating.
>> The 7600's receiver completely crashed if I keyed up on the same band, but
>> in the CW sub-band.  This is with the original K3 synthesizer which I have
>> yet to replace.  BTW, I kicked the other radio's butt in QSO's/hour, even
>> though there were about eight ops on that radio.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I experience similar symptoms at another station with the same radios.
>> We'll use the K-Line as the primary rig the last weekend of this month and
>> the 7600 for finding mults.  The K-Line integration makes band changes so
>> much easier!
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> If you want to run more than one radio at-a-time or have a neighbor who
>> also
>> contests, I would be very concerned about dynamic range and look closely at
>> Rob Sherwood's receiver performance tests prior to plunking down my
>> hard-earned cash.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I bought my first K3 after I witnessed several of them and a K2 operate
>> together at FD.  We frequently had three K3's on 20m (SSB, CW, and GOTA)
>> with no problems among them.  Antennas separation was about 700 ft.
>> After
>> someone kicked off one SSB K3 power supply and the battery rand down to 10
>> VDC, the CW guys complained about "hash" which a switched on supply
>> "squelched."  And, the K3 is much improved now with the new synthesizer!
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Yes, I frequently drink Elecraft Kool-Aid and own a bunch of their gear.
>> Still, it's performance that matters most to me and the K3 has proven to
>> come out on top in multi-multi environments.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I compared the IC-7300 and K3 in one of my HF University presentations at
>> the Duke City Hamfest this past August.  While a fine radio for the price,
>> there is no performance comparison.  Elecraft haters (there are some whom I
>> know) would disagree, of course.  And, if one amortizes the radio's cost
>> over ten years, the annual difference in cost is well worth the improved
>> performance, IMHO.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 73, Bill, K8TE
>> 
>> Faith, Family, Radio-Life is Good!
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Message: 8
>> 
>> Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2017 15:14:59 -0700
>> 
>> From: David Gilbert <xdavid at cis-broadband.com>
>> 
>> To: cq-contest at contesting.com
>> 
>> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] FTDX 3000 as a contest radio?
>> 
>> Message-ID: <0600986e-f566-133f-8170-f4b82881df27 at cis-broadband.com>
>> 
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> How in the world did you ever get the idea that dynamic range wasn't
>> important for contesting?? I'm truly curious.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Dave?? AB7E
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On 10/17/2017 6:01 PM, Keith Dutson wrote:
>>> 
>>> I think the actual contesters do not really care what is posted on
>> 
>>> this reflector.  Postings seem to follow popularity, which often is
>> 
>>> biased by numbers such as dynamic range, that have little to do with
>> contesting.
>> 
>>> These numbers are not important to contesting, just bragging rights.
>> 
>>> 
>> 
>>> 73, Keith NM5G
>> 
>> 
>> 
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>> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Charly, HS0ZCW
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