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
|