I'd forgotten about piexx.com. They still have the VS1 for $69.95.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Howard, W A 9 Y B W" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2011 2:30 PM
Subject: Re: Best Beginner HF Transceiver
> Steve,
>
> What speech board does the 440 use?
>
> If it's the VS-1, I believe I know a source for hundreds of them!!
>
> 73's
>
> Howard #3, W A 9 Y B W
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steve" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2011 11:32 AM
> Subject: Re: Best Beginner HF Transceiver
>
>
>>I would ste3er clear of the 440's, not because they were bad but you can't
>> easily find the speech boards for them any more, if memory serves.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Gerry Leary" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 9:49 PM
>> Subject: Re: Best Beginner HF Transceiver
>>
>>
>>> One radio that isn't bad is the old Kenwood TS440sat. It has direct
>>> frequency input, you can put a speech synthesizer in it and get
>>> Frequency
>>> and Mode, and a lot of the functions are directly accessible with out
>>> menus.
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Steve" <[log in to unmask]>
>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 11:49 AM
>>> Subject: Re: Best Beginner HF Transceiver
>>>
>>>
>>>> David,
>>>>
>>>> I haven't chimed in on this much yet. Obviously, everybody wants to
>>>> spend
>>>> as little as possible. Your message below gives me some guidance.
>>>>
>>>> As others have said, the best rigs in terms of accessibility are
>>>> Kenwood,
>>>> Icom, Eilcraft, and Yaesu pretty much in that order, although the older
>>>> Eilcraft did have an optional accessory to output readings in CW. The
>>>> newer
>>>> Kenwood 480 and 590 speak everything; the Kenwood Ts-2000 speaks almost
>>>> everything except for actual power output and mike levels, although the
>>>> knob
>>>> you use to adjust them has detents that beep at the high and low end.
>>>> For
>>>> example, on my rig, if I want about 60 watts drive for my linear amp, I
>>>> go
>>>> to max and then turn the detented multichannel knob back about 8
>>>> clicks.
>>>>
>>>> The TS-2000 is your best option for an all-in-one rig; it runs all
>>>> modes
>>>> on
>>>> 160 through 440, with the exception of the 220MHz band. There are
>>>> several
>>>> of us who can help with that rig. It has a sub-receiver that runs
>>>> VHF/UHF
>>>> FM so you can work HF and monitor your favorite repeater. It has the
>>>> capability to work satellite.
>>>>
>>>> Icom also makes rigs that run Hf and VHF, but not as comprehensive.
>>>> The
>>>> higher end rigs from Kenwood and Icom, like the TS-590, only run up
>>>> through
>>>> six meters 54MHz. Just about every new rig has built-in tuners, and
>>>> several
>>>> have built-in keyer.
>>>>
>>>> If you bought a lower-end rig, I think that sooner or later, you might
>>>> want
>>>> additional features like better filtering, noise reduction, and
>>>> selectivity.
>>>> You could save a few bucks if you bought something used that is in very
>>>> good
>>>> condition.
>>>>
>>>> Steve, K8SP
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "David thurmond" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 8:13 AM
>>>> Subject: Best Beginner HF Transceiver
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> All,
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks for your feedback regarding transceiver choices. I should have
>>>>> given a few more specifics. First off, I would prefer not to break
>>>>> the bank if possible. If I try to spend $2000 on a new rig, my stuff
>>>>> might end up out on the front lawn, and I might need to get an
>>>>> attorney. :) I would like to find a rig that might not necessarily be
>>>>> full of features in favor of one that is either accessible with speech
>>>>> or else is easy enough to operate without it for a totally blind ham.
>>>>>
>>>>> The Kenwood 480 is an awesome-sounding rig, but if I have to wait to
>>>>> save up to buy one, I might never get on the air. At the same time, I
>>>>> would hate to cheap out and buy something that is so basic that I will
>>>>> be tired of using it after six months and end up buying something else
>>>>> anyway.
>>>>>
>>>>> I am very interested in CW, and of course in DXing as well, so I am
>>>>> primarily interested in the HF bands, but if I could get something
>>>>> with VHF capabilities also for a little more money, I am certainly not
>>>>> going to turn it down.
>>>>>
>>>>> Operating with low power would be perfectly fine with me, as I am
>>>>> probably going to end up using some sort of stealth antenna due to the
>>>>> small size of my property and the fact that I'm right in the middle of
>>>>> a busy suburb. No need for a "big guns" sort of station with a
>>>>> 200-foot tower...I just want something modest with enough features to
>>>>> get me started without breaking the bank.
>>>>>
>>>>> The speech output options of the Kenwood and ICom rigs sound very
>>>>> attractive, as I don't want to run my rig exclusively through my
>>>>> laptop. But since I have not even been on the air yet, perhaps this
>>>>> is not really as important as I think it is. I certainly need to be
>>>>> sure I am not operating out-of-band, and I need to be able to know
>>>>> what kind of signal I am getting. Beyond that, I really do not have
>>>>> the experience to know what is important for me to operate, and what
>>>>> is really just an awesome feature that would be nice to have, but not
>>>>> critical.
>>>>>
>>>>> Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
>>>>>
>>>>> David Thurmond, KK4ADV
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