[VHFcontesting] rig recommendations for portable operation

[Greg Chartrand]

            I  would NOT recommend a FT 857 or 897 for contesting. Both have a problem with 6 meters that ultimately ends up with a trip for repair associated with the final amp stage. This problem has been around for years, starts with an oscillation and ends up with low output or blown finals.

Repaired radios seem to work just fine, I never heard of one to fail twice but yeasu chooses not to fix it at the factory.

Mine has been repaired and I'm happy with it but I would not recommend it particularly for contesting.

Greg




From: 
            
                kb7dqh at donobi.net
                         
                        
                        
                        
        
        
            To:         
        
            "Tad Danley" <tdanley at verizon.net>        
        
            Cc:         
        
            ffma at yahoogroups.com, "VHF contesting list" <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>                        
                        
Obviously space is not a consideration if you were looking at a TS 2000:-)
The FT 857D is the smallest package of the three, and would no doubt run
cooler than the Icom 7000.

Only thing I don't like about the Icom 7000 is the way Icom laid out the
menu system.

  Three or more times the price of the FT 857, but the RF performance
should be better with the IF DSP its got.

Really quiet RF deck, even without DSP NR cut in, if you hear noise, its
OUTSIDE the radio!!!  The IF DSP noise reduction, when overly applied,
will remove weak signals along with the noise, but this was with one of
the early units!  This may have been corrected in later ones.  Sensitivity
is great, only use a REALLY GOOD, Low-noise preamp with this rig...

The early units had an issue with the driver transistor oscillating and
subsequent self-destruction. Newer units have been "fixed"... Only an
issue if buying used...

If cost is an issue, the '857 is nearly as good as the '7000, and almost
anything is better than a TS 2000... Yes, the TS2000 likely will hold
frequency better than any of the three... but that's about it.

Eric
KB7DQH