ham operators - What should I buy?

Realtor MA

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Help me spend some money. I just sold off some equipment I picked up in trade a while ago. Now I have cash burning a hole in my pocket. Of course this money is ear marked for radio equipment.
I want to improve my vhf/uhf setup and I want to be able to work the satellites from my base station. I already picked up an elevation rotator which will be going up soon.
I was considering the Kenwood TS-2000 but I've heard that they have some 'birdie' issues on the 70cm downlink frequencies. Cost about $1100
Then I was looking at the Yaesu Ft-847 which I can probably get for about $1k. This would also make a decent backup HF radio.
Then I thought maybe I should get the Ft-736 because it's cheaper and it will be dedicated to vhf/uhf. Cost about $700.
Then I saw the icom ic-821h which looks really nice but I don't know a lot about it.

Anybody have any thoughts, experiences etc???
 
Why not an FT-857? Then you can go mobile. Tx is only 50W on 2M and 20W on 70cm, but I've had no trouble working the low earth orbit guys on 5W with my HT.
 
Why not an FT-857? Then you can go mobile. Tx is only 50W on 2M and 20W on 70cm, but I've had no trouble working the low earth orbit guys on 5W with my HT.

Yes, I thought about those. The 857 and 897 don't have full duplexing which I think is a cool feature which I'm told comes in useful for SSB satellite comms.
 
Ah, good point about the full duplexing! It must be nice to hear yourself so you know how your signal sounds. And for EME, wouldn't it be cool to hear your CQ 3 seconds delayed!
 
I ended up with the Icom 821h. I've been running it the last couple of days. So far so good. FM, SSB and CW, full duplex, satellite mode etc. Great little radio that was manufactured in the 90's.
Now I need to build circularly polarized antennas :)
 
I ended up with the Icom 821h. I've been running it the last couple of days. So far so good. FM, SSB and CW, full duplex, satellite mode etc. Great little radio that was manufactured in the 90's.
Now I need to build circularly polarized antennas :)


Damnit, we need to get to talking again...I haven't spent much time in front of the rigs in awile.
 
Damnit, we need to get to talking again...I haven't spent much time in front of the rigs in awile.
Ditto. The last time I did any serious talking was around July 4th for that 13 Colonies special event. But, I figure as the weather cools down the Ham activities heat up. I'm looking forward to the sound of static with some hot rum & cider in the basement this winter.
 
Cpher and Cockpitbob
I"m ready. I hit the gloucester repeater with the new radio last night with about 3 watts. I had forgotten I had turned the power down :)
We know we can go simplex on 2m so let's do it.
 
From Waltham. Not a really long way butfairly low power I have a beam with 10db gain.
 
I hit the gloucester repeater with the new radio last night with about 3 watts.
Really?!! You're in Waltham, aren't you? I'm in Topsfield (with a hill blocking my view) and only Rx about S-5 from the Gloucester repeater and need to keep the power at 25W or more. What are you using for an antenna????
 
I'm up for some simplex tonight, but it would have to be after 9:00.

OK. I'll be in front of the radio around 9:00 YOu want to monitor the 146.520 calling frequency and then switch from there? Cpher. Be there. Don't go missing.
 
OK, I'll be on 146.520. Realtor & C-phr are close, but I'm pretty north. I can hit the Waltham repeater so I guess I should be able to work you guys on simplex.
 
I'll try to be there at 9. But we just bought some new hospitals...and I just got home from work. And I have to be back in Taunton early in the morning...so I do make it, I won't be on very long because I'm freaking hungry and tired...and haven't had more than about 5 or hours of sleep since last week...and working 12-18 hour days are making me very tired.


IF someone is up and on the radio around 6-6:30 am tomorrow, I'm up for trying to hit the Bridgewater and Taunton Repeaters...
 
Don't fret, by the time I got home, helped the kids with homework, ate something...it was 9:30, I was wiped and I went to bed.

If someone wants to talk this morning, I'll have the radio on in my truck until I get to Taunton. Also, we can't get NES there...so I won't be able to check this until I get home tonight.
 
So there I was by my radio. Calling for any NES forum members and nobody responded. Lonely times for me. OH well. I worked some 20 meter dx while I waited.
 
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