Icom Ad in QST

[NQ6U]

How abut that Icom pull-out in the current QST? Talk about ham porn. I tallied up the total MSRP of the radios shown and it came out to $31,000; roughly half of that number was the price of the IC-7800 alone.

Is there anyone here on the Island who would pay that much for a radio even if they could? Not me.

[ad4mg]

Not me. I find my IC-775DSP quite capable. I would love to spend $31,000 on towers and antennas, however!

[N2NH]

If I were gonna spend bonzo bucks on a station, I'd probably go Yaesu, Ten-Tec and Software Defined Radio. But 5 figures seems to be a lot for a radio.

Better used for a Log Periodic or Yagi on a tower IMHO. There are the QRO guys, then there are the QRP guys. Oddly, the low powered guys seem to do as well as the big guns.

Hmmm... I think when I win the lottery, I'll go dumpster diving for boat anchors to drag back to my mansion...

[NQ6U]

Not me. I find my IC-775DSP quite capable. I would love to spend $31,000 on towers and antennas, however!

Same here--it's the metal that you put in the air that really makes the difference, not the radio.

[KG4CGC]

For that kind of coin I would build a station from the ground up including the room. 30'x30' with indoor plumbing and climate control.

[W3WN]

The funny thing is, when you shove away the marketing hype and the expensive bells and whistles that sound great and look great but don't actually improve anything... these radios in and of themselves are rarely worth significantly more than the former top-of-the-line rig they replaced.

A few years back, a friend of mine went through the gauntlet of the FT-1000 series rigs. Now there were some serious (to him) problems that were slowly corrected... but in terms of basic performance, I never saw a significant difference between them when I operated his station.

I would wager that if you could stage an apples-to-apples comparison, a "mediocre" or older radio on a top notch antenna system would beat out a "world class contest" radio on average antennas.

So why does ICOM push the big (expensive) rigs? Look at who, for the most part, is buying and using them. The so-called elite class of hams... the ones with the money to spend. It's more bragging rights.

...yes, equipment does wear out and needs replaced. Even the best radios need maintenance and won't last forever. But how often to these guys hold onto the same equipment for more than a few years anyway?

[KJ3N]

Hmmm... I think when I win the lottery, I'll go dumpster diving for boat anchors to drag back to my mansion...

OK...... Pat. ;) :lol:

[NQ6U]

For that kind of coin I would build a station from the ground up including the room. 30'x30' with indoor plumbing and climate control.

900 square feet? Really? Damn, my entire house is only 1200 square feet! Not that I wouldn't like a little more room than I have now (about 25 square feet) but I don't know what I'd do with a shack that large.

[KG4CGC]

900 square feet? Really? Damn, my entire house is only 1200 square feet! Not that I wouldn't like a little more room than I have now (about 25 square feet) but I don't know know what I'd do with a shack that large.
Sleep in it for one thing.

[N2CHX]

Sleep in it for one thing.

I've got 3,000 square feet and that doesn't include the basement. :D

[PA5COR]

In the time of over 33 years being licensed i bought one main radio new.(exept for some new dual band radio's for in the van)
That was my first Yaesu FT 847 with the added Collins filters, 6 K guilders then when it just came out.
I had a 2nd hand TS 430 line, Yaesu FT 757GX2, Uniden 20 20 all 2nd hand bought in that time.

I rather spend time and money on building my own antenna's and feed lines.
What i work now i can work with the top of the line transceivers, so why spend that kind of money?
I made bundles in the time when i worked 70 - 80 hours a week as pipe fitter/welder so money then was no problem.

I Don't need to brag, i want a radio that works, like the FT 847, after 12 years and some maintenance i only replaced the on/off switch as only fault, and that radio is used 12 - 16 hours a day.
I even got a spare FT 847 from the last batch in 2005, new , unused, as spare.
And the FT 100 ( non D) with added AM Xfilter.
After modifying it that one works as it should, good for holidays and mobile.

Improving your antenna farm delivers cheaper and more satisfaction, in both receive and transmit.
No need for a wall of audio processing gear, just an old MD1 from yaesu mike, and the EQplus.
Getting unsolicited good audio reports of people asking what kind of audio processing racks i use... :roll:

The best investment is in your antenna farm, and learn to listen, the best filters are inside your ears.
Learn about propagation, ON4UN low band dxing, ARRL anttenna books, ARRL handbooks, ( i prefer and have the older ones).
RSGB books DUBUS for our European friends for VHF and up where i spend a few decades.
I don't mind if someone buys the expensive rigs, if you can AND want them, more power to you.
But don't expect that splashing down 10 K + magically brings you DX, that is a misconception.

[ki4itv]

Sleep in it for one thing.

I believe the term is dog house. Any man in a long term relationship should have one.
Mine is only 10 x16 and it's still not big enough for the both of us. :lol:

[KC2UGV]

For 30K, I'd plunk down about $400-$1000 on the radio, and the rest would go towards LMR-400 cable and a nice, big tower. I think I can get a decent tower/antenna for $25K or so (Figuring 5K for the cable runs).

[N8YX]

If I was going to lay out some serious radio coin...it would be spent on a loaded K3, SDU, KPA-500 and a set of transverters. Maybe the internal 2M version but most likely the XV144 external unit.

I'm seriously considering selling most of my "vintage" gear and doing just that.

[W1GUH]

Where do diminishing returns really start kicking-in with radios? I guess a vague price range for HF transceivers is $1000 - $30k? At what point are getting, basically, nothing for the extra money? I'm not sure I could come up with a technical reason why the <$1000 radio will be any different from a big bucks radio, at least when operation is casual. I suppose if one is an avid and rabid DX'er or contester some of the bells and whistles can be a big help. I guess. Maybe.

More bucks aren't going to buy you better sensitivity or basic selectivity. I see all those fancy "roofing filters" and software controllable filtering, but what do these mean to regular operation? Maybe if you're operating in an environment with very strong signals that find their way into a radio some of that would be helpful. ???

[PA5COR]

The bands here can be rather full, more density on a given surface, lots of strong broadcast stations near the ham bands etc.
Seems lots of people forgot to use the attenuator switch, and reduce RF gain which in the modern transceivers is very high anyway.

Roofing filters came after the I.F. went from 9 MHz to 40 or higher MHz... and the prices went through the roof.
Lower frequency filters can be made a lot cheaper as the K3 development and the "new" Yaesu transceivers following suit to a design decades old.

I build my first SSB/CW AM rig using the 9 MHz I.F, good old SBL1 ring mixer design, just a bit amplification before the mixer, more after the filters.
That meant that the main amplification was done AFTER the filters and a clean signal was present.
Real selective front end filters helped too, bit of a pain to adjust them each frequency change, but it kept the front end from overloading of the strong commercial stations and added some selection.

oh well....:roll:

[ad4mg]

OK...... Pat Willie. ;) :lol:
Altered for accuracy.

[kf0rt]

I'd put the $30K in my retirement fund. Once retired, I'd be happy with a HR-10B and a homebrew 50C5 and a dipole. :)

[KJ3N]

More bucks aren't going to buy you better sensitivity or basic selectivity.

You're half right. No, you won't get more sensitivity. Yes, you will get better selectivity.


I see all those fancy "roofing filters" and software controllable filtering, but what do these mean to regular operation? Maybe if you're operating in an environment with very strong signals that find their way into a radio some of that would be helpful. ???

In contest situations or the crowded General phone portion of 75m, you might want that extra selectivity when someone parks their butt within 2Khz of you.

If, however, you've got plenty of space around you, you may not need to worry about it.

[K8PG]

Good day all,

Iam not a Top of the Line type of person,I dont have that kind of cash to blow anyways.I like the Mid rage gear,for $30,000 the best place
I think would be a nice tower and 4-7 band yagi with all the feedlines. I started out with an old DX100 and 5 -40 Novice band xstls you can
work 15mtr cw on the 2nd harmonic,my rcvr was a Hallicrafters SX110 and Ivees.I moved up to a FT101ex than a SB 102,TS520 I gave the 520
to a ham in need when I upgraded to the TS830s I used the 830s till 2003,sold that and got a FT990 a great rig still have it but now I have the
FT2k which is a very nice xcvr,I work 99% QRQ cw bk-in rag chewing and DXing. A good tower and antenna system are expensive also. I got
around $ 17,000 in the tower,antenna,rotor,feedlines,mast, concreate,shipping and backhoe excaviting,I saved for 10 long yrs to get this system.
I am quite pleased with the results.Sure be nice to go on an Exotic Dxpedition to Katmandu or where-ever like some do.All we need is a Fat bank
account-That sure would be The Cats Ass and some.With my antenna system I dont think Iam a Big Gun-some of these amatures have equipment
and antennas that cost more than my home and land-contesters mainly-USD to BURN.

Paul -K8PG

[W1GUH]

Good day all,

Iam not a Top of the Line type of person,I dont have that kind of cash to blow anyways.I like the Mid rage gear,for $30,000 the best place
I think would be a nice tower and 4-7 band yagi with all the feedlines. I started out with an old DX100 and 5 -40 Novice band xstls you can
work 15mtr cw on the 2nd harmonic,my rcvr was a Hallicrafters SX110 and Ivees.I moved up to a FT101ex than a SB 102,TS520 I gave the 520
to a ham in need when I upgraded to the TS830s I used the 830s till 2003,sold that and got a FT990 a great rig still have it but now I have the
FT2k which is a very nice xcvr,I work 99% QRQ cw bk-in rag chewing and DXing. A good tower and antenna system are expensive also. I got
around $ 17,000 in the tower,antenna,rotor,feedlines,mast, concreate,shipping and backhoe excaviting,I saved for 10 long yrs to get this system.
I am quite pleased with the results.Sure be nice to go on an Exotic Dxpedition to Katmandu or where-ever like some do.All we need is a Fat bank
account-That sure would be The Cats Ass and some.With my antenna system I dont think Iam a Big Gun-some of these amatures have equipment
and antennas that cost more than my home and land-contesters mainly-USD to BURN.

Paul -K8PG

Tnanks....I quoted it because it bears repeating. Yep - the antenna is the best "bang for the buck".