Lately, I have been talking with some of the guys about the ready-to-run HF radios available on the market. It has been interesting since there are some players in the recent years. Plus, we are in the era of really large price ranges. The medium class radios are now approaching the $2,500-$3,000 range. Whereas, the top of the line radios are more than double the amount. You can an entry class radio for $500 or an IC746 brand new for $1200-$1400.

I have been telling the guys that is pays to shop around. You also have to consider the general marketplace and the path of particular vendors. Will Yaesu still be here in five years? I think that it is highly in danger of evaporating. The same thing could happen to Kenwood. Have you seen a new HF radio from them in the past five years? You really have to look at the prices and consider the viability of the system over its lifespan.

One of the fellows on the Quincy machine just got a new Ten-Tec. He was telling me about how quiet it is. It has less background noise. You don’t hear so much static and it can pick up the signals. He has been telling me about the 756PROIII requires the use of the pre-amp. In effect he uses the pre-amp ALL of the time in the Icom. Think about this when you are reading the numbers from a review. You should also think about the AGC. You want a good AGC circuit and information regarding the AGC in the review. Many of the reviews frequently run the numbers with the AGC off.

You also want to shy away from mobile rigs for a fixed station. You can afford the space for decent sized fixed station. You want to have as many controls on the front panel. You also want a good heat sink.

N1EY