Arrrrg. Make it stop!!!

One of the beguiling things about the ham radio community is this overriding religiosity regarding radio preferences. I find it hard to understand.

I like cool radios of all vintages. But this never ending quest for ultimate bragging rights is beguiling and amusing.

For a while it was the Flex radio. Then the icom 7300. Then Elecraft. Now it's the new icom 7610 or whatever the new model is.

It's like chasing vapor. Most of these fanboys cannot take advantage of the full capabilities of the radio they replaced let alone a 3 to 4 thousand dollar rig.

Ok. I've vented and feel better.

I agree. But if you insult Icom, I'll sic the Holy Office on your ass, heretic.

—Da Pope

The answer to your question is Yaesu 90x or Kenwood TS-820S. Maybe a Drake TR7 or TR5. Cubic Astro 103.

Long live the low-receiver-noise analog sets of the late 70s/early 80s. :yes:

kenwood baby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czmb6tEwFE8

You'll find it every hobby slash endeavor. Guy I knew started making knives. He had to have every new tool and forge until he had blades everywhere, then one day he just stopped. Knew a guy, same guy, that took up guitar. Got a new guitar every month, some swaps, new amps etc etc. Then one day he just stopped. Knew this guy, same guy, smoked cigars but had to have the strongest cigar available on the market AND HE INHALED THEM. Knew another guy (nope, still the same guy) who quite smoking, took up vaping but had to have the biggest mod available. He started buying machine shop tools and started making devices ... then one day he just stopped.

Seriously, other than not liking Yaesu's menu system very much, I'm pretty agnostic when it comes to platform. And I never used even half the capabilities of my IC-746PRO.

I'm very anti-touch screen on ham radios, but other than that, meh.

About to pull the trigger on the KX3, so, yeah...

http://www.tentecwiki.org/lib/exe/fe...=570_01_78.jpg

The first ham radio I ever used was a Scout.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by K6BSO

I agree. But if you insult Icom, I'll sic the Holy Office on your ass, heretic.

—Da Pope

---

You commed?

I have had many radios over the years. Oldest: 1923 Kennedy 311 one tube reg. and up to my Yaesu ft-100d. I could find no diff between a Collins 75-a4 and my Icom 720a on receive. Even my National NC 100X/HRO 60 and 500 were not any better. You did need to know how to use them right but they worked as well as any. Transmitter? CE-100V with the 600L works as well as my Hallicrafters HT-32a and 33 set-up.

Had a Flex Maestro, didn't like it. Went back to my Swan's and FT-101EE

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by N8YX

The answer to your question is Yaesu 90x or Kenwood TS-820S. Maybe a Drake TR7 or TR5. Cubic Astro 103.

Long live the low-receiver-noise analog sets of the late 70s/early 80s. :yes:

---

Ten Tec Corsair or Corsair II.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by W3WN

Ten Tec Corsair or Corsair II.

---

These too. My only gripe with the rig is the audio-derived AGC but a Passband board from an Omni V or Paragon will fix that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KG4CGC

You'll find it every hobby slash endeavor. Guy I knew started making knives. He had to have every new tool and forge until he had blades everywhere, then one day he just stopped. Knew a guy, same guy, that took up guitar. Got a new guitar every month, some swaps, new amps etc etc. Then one day he just stopped. Knew this guy, same guy, smoked cigars but had to have the strongest cigar available on the market AND HE INHALED THEM. Knew another guy (nope, still the same guy) who quite smoking, took up vaping but had to have the biggest mod available. He started buying machine shop tools and started making devices ... then one day he just stopped.

---

Uh, yeah.....

I know that guy. I think I met him once.

And here I thought we were referring to the noises in my head....

Speaking of SDRs, one just showed up on my doorstep.

ihavenoideawhati'mdoing.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WX7P

Uh, yeah.....

I know that guy. I think I met him once.

---

You met Ed Whitson?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KG4CGC

You met Ed Whitson?

---

Don't get into fights with my manager.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AA1OH

I have had many radios over the years. Oldest: 1923 Kennedy 311 one tube reg.

---

Cool. I have a single tube Crosley Pup running a UX-201A, from around the same year.

http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...34/739/fa5.jpg

Oooo, cool. FET regen, 'cause FET's are cool, like tubes.

http://www.kitradio.co.uk/page10.htm

http://swling.com/blog/wp-content/up...eiver-kit1.jpg

Daaaaang!

What was neat about the Colins Kennedy 311 is that it has a "SW" position on the band switch. Earliest I ever found on a commercial rig.

https://www.radiolaguy.com/images/pr...nnedy311-1.jpg

I am an equal opportunity abuser. I have radios from the Big 3, Ten Tec, Heathkit, and currently three different Chinese manufacturers. I tend to prefer ICOMs for HF, Kenwoods or Yaesus for VHF/UHF, and Chinese for handhelds. But, I've had big HF rigs from several makers. The Kenwoods are very nice, but in the past, everything was an add-on accessory, while ICOM included it in the base radio. I had considerable reliability problems with the last big Yaesu I owned, and have been gunshy ever since. I've also had a couple real dogs from ICOM, so it's not fair to judge all of them on one poor example. I have a Yaesu FT-817ND that I really like, too.

My near-ancient IC-746 continues to operate as it has for me for the last 20 years, since I bought it used. My new IC-7410 is not used that often yet, but it will be the primary radio eventually.