At a radio club junk auction a year ago, I bought an Icom IC260 all mode 2 meter rig circa 1980 for a whole $5.00. I then spent another $5.00 on a DC power cord. I just talked with a station in Waterproof LA, and another in St. Francisville, LA on SSB using that radio and my 2 meter/440 vertical. One station was about 70 miles away, the other about 125 miles. Both of them had strong local sounding signals. Not bad for ten watts and a total investment of $10. One of those guys asked if this contact was going to be like that first hot air balloon ride. The first one is free, the second cost a chunk of change when you go out and buy your own balloon. I don't know about that, but the first 2 meter SSB contact was fun, even though the radio isn't exactly blind friendly. Mike Duke, K5XU American Council of Blind Radio Amateurs