The best radio you have ever owned?

[VK2XQ]

I had a Yaesu FRG-7 too from new, but quickly up graded to the FRG-7700 and purchased the VHF transverters for the set. Another great set I had since new for SWLing was the Drake SSR-1, nice basic comms receiver, had it for many years before selling it off. Realistic DX-160 was another popular comms rxer from this era too, never had one but many people bought them.

We have so much on offer now with all the bells and whistles that we never even dreamed of in the 1970's and 80's. My FT-2000D has so many options, many of which I will probably never use but have paid for. My we have come a long way, no computers in the old days until the Commodore series started, let alone dream about hooking up a computer to the radio these days and LOTW, E-QSL and heaps of other adjuncts...

[VK2FAK]

Hi all...

Oh I have seen many good radio's mentioned on here, but till now, not the FT-707.

Still have this radio, still use this radio and has never missed a beat....no flashy bells and whistles just as I like it....

John

[VK2TS]

First Receiver – A Kenwood 9R59DS. This was a valve (That’s right valve) HF Receiver with a BFO and Bandspread,. Didn’t I have some fun with this unit! It only took me a day or two to discover the Ham bands. I learnt a lot about antennas.

First Transceiver – A converted PLL02A based AM SSB Ex CB on 10Metres. I modified and tuned that up at the age of 16 in 1978. I worked the world with that baby and just 10watts into an Armstrong rotated 3element homebrew yagi.

FT101ZD – This was the WARC band unit and I purchase it brand new from Dick Smith Wollongong when I ran the store back in the Eighties. Excellent performer but a tad drifty when cold.

FT757GX2 – Bought it brand new from DSE.Worked well and i didn’t have any issues like others.

FT767GX – This was ahead of the other by about 10Years. It was all mode HF, 6M, 2M and 70CM’s in the one box. I should never had sold it. Remember this was around in the Eighties!

FT77 – I bought this for the car along with a Yaesu Base and whips for various bands. It worked very well.

TS520 – I bought this due to nostalgia and sold it for double the price a few months later. It was understandably very drifty and lacked features.

FT101E – Same deal bought it for Nostalgia and then flogged it off as it developed a Upper Sideband fault and I couldn’t be bothered to try and fix it.

FT1500 – Yaesu 2Metre Transceiver. The radio was very small but would burn your hand if you transmitted on the higher power levels for any length of time. I sold this before the final Transistors/Module failed.

AWA M8 – This is a modified commercial 50Watt Transceiver that now works on 2Metres FM. Has a frond end that is very sensitive and the selectivity is as solid as a brick dunny. It’s a pity the Big three cant achieve a similar result.

Yaesu FT2800M – 2Metre FM Transceiver. Works well but with the SO239 being buried inside the heatsink is a real pain the a***. I still have this unit.

Yaesu FT7800R – Excellent radio and am just working up the courage to install it into my VE SS Commodore.

Kenwood TR751A – All mode 2Metre Transceiver. This bit me with the 2Metre DX bug. One very hot little receiver. I still own this baby and they are still a popular radio to sell for those in the know.

IC761A – Now this was a great HF Transceiver and looked great with the optional rack handles. Bought it off a guy who wasn’t licensed and used it only as a receiver!

IC756Pro2 – It was good but had noticeable receiver noise and a weird common fault that made the transmitter take off into some antenna impedences on 6Metres.

IC7600 – Man have they come along way. No need for optional filters, bandscope adaptors or roofing filters as all is built in. I always get great audio reports as with all Icoms (Except for the IC7000 which has the ringing TX audio issue common with all until the microphone mod is done)

IC910H – 2m/70cm all mode transceiver. Works well but the receiver is not as hot or quiet as it could be and the radio is a tier backwards in the technology side.

It’s a real pity Icom don’t update the Icom IC910H to include a bandscope, variable filters and a voice keyer. When they do the IC910H will be for sale.

Anyway that’s a trip down memory lane. I dare say there would be another 6 radios I have forgotten

Cheers
Tony
VK2TS

[VK3DU]

I got my first callsign in 1966 (VK3ZXO) and operated a variety of home-brew crystal locked AM gear on the VHF/UHF bands. I passed the Morse in 1975 and my first Transceiver was a Yaesu "black-faced" FT200 powered from a home-brew supply built with TV set transformers. I got the rig from Fred Bail who was the Yaesu Agent for Australia. He ran the business from a tin shed at the back of his house here in suburban Box Hill. A great rig but a bit deaf on 10M. I also home-brewed an external VFO and worked over 250 Countries. I also home-brewed transverters for VHF. My current Yaesu rig is the FT100D. I think this is a very under-appreciated rig today. The FT100 had a lot of problems but I think most of these were corrected in the later "D" version. Taking into account the advances in technology after the FT200, I would rate the FT100D as the best I have owned.

73 Peter VK3DU

[VK3QI]

I would have to agree with you Peter.

The FT100 and FT100D are excellent rigs for what they can do.

Transmit on all bands from 160mx to 70cm
Receive from below the broadcast band to up around 970Mhz

The FT100 did have a couple of issues (RF Feedback) and (overheating on vHF/UHF TX) but both easily fixed.

I have two rigs: FT100 but with all the options to make it an FT100D which has sat in my vehicle(s) continuously since 1999 and hasn't missed a beat in all that time - 300,000 kms plus with qsos on all bands from 160mx to 70cm

The second, an FT100D has been on 4 IOTA expeditions and made at least 12,000 qsos on CW where it has brilliant operating facilities including an excepggtional DSP peaking filter.

The down size is that you need little fingers, but the upside is the ability to run the control head independently.

interestingly, very few FT100 rigs come on the secondhand market and when they do, command excellent prices compared with the latest small multiband/multimode rigs.

Cheers

Peter VK3QI

[VK5ACY]

I started playing 2m in the mid seventies at 16 years old (after passing the 'Regs' self-taught as VK5ZWP)with a great ICOM IC-202 driving a self-made amplifier using a 2N5590 (over !) driving a 2N5591 (both devices crudely diode-biased into AB1) for about 30W out. This basic setup drove into a converted Ch5A TV antenna on the tower of Myrna VK5YW (tower built by (deceased) Norm, VK5NM) at Warradale in the Adelaide SW where my station was set up.

I worked a few stations in VK3, VK6BE and VK6WG, and other notables such as Gordon VK2ZAB (now VK3EJ) ,and ZL1BHX in Kaitia ZL via sporadic E around 1989.

My 'mentor' was (sadly, recently-deceased) Mitch VK5ZHM (later VK5AZM) with whom I attended Brighton High School. Mitch taught me much, but made me 'work it out'- "try different values and see if it gets better or worse !" ..and "that's not how you do it, here's a better way !" I really miss old Mitch whose funeral was attended by a vast throng of friends and Amateur Radio friends..

Later the IC-202 was replaced with a used but still very good ICOM IC-251A (later donated to, and still used by VK5AAQ) which drove a converted airband (TCA ?) amplifier with 2 X QQV06As in a great big grey case for around 150W of SSB out...never exactly measured ! I think this PA came already modified from Roger VK5NY with RX-TX changeover relays and AB bias, and still survives in the collection of Andy VK5AAQ.

In the early eighties I had a 52MHz (also great) ICOM IC-502 with which I worked JAs with 3W on the 502's internal whip. I then assembled a (DSE-kit) 100W Bipolar amplifier and made the (poor) purchase of an ICOM IC-505. The IC-505 had a problem with bad IF leakage past its crystal filter and was not a good radio until donated to Andy VK5AAQ who fixed the problem...he is/was always a better tech then me as I am entirely self-taught...

I then lived on Kangaroo Island for nearly 30 years and had my station set up in a few locations on the Island.

I ran a (clunky !) but useable ICOM IC-720A with wire antennas as VK5ACY after passing the CW exam in 1987(entirely self-taught and without ever having had a contact - even across a table with a buzzer - I amaze myself at times !)

At this time I used a fairly good 2m multimode mobile ICOM IC-290H driving a (DSE-kit) 100W PA but modified for 'transistor bias' - this still makes the DSE-kit PA a very good amplifier which will make a fairly clean 150W SSB with the PA transistor base-bias 'stiffened' with a transistor current supply. My antenna was then an excellent 12 element DL6WU with a 6m boom of aluminium tubing which I walked from 'Hills' at Edwardstown to Brighton (quite a walk across main roads) where the boom was drilled with the help of my old dad. The Yagi was assembled there and then roped to the roof of my smelly old Holden HQ for the ferry trip (after dark !) to Kangaroo Island. I worked Italy via EME with this crude setup ! - oh yeah, with a great VK5 WIA ESC 2m Preamp...not even in a case...

Later on KI I bought a used ICOM IC-751A which was an absolutely excellent rig, modified later with an after-market (Piexx) RAM board after I allowed the back-up battery to die....I was the sole HF operator on KI - OC-139 - and made thousands of contacts for the IOTA program, using both wires and a multi-band vertical through an SB-200 PA.

For 6m at this time I had a used but perfectly functional ICOM IC-551D via a 5 element HB Yagi and made many contacts on 52..

About 6 years ago I had an accident in which I lost my right hand, have learned to live and drive this way and moved here to Bowhill on the Murray - around 90km East of Adelaide. This old farmhouse sits on a hilltop in the middle of paddocks 2km from the highway, no neighbours for 8km, a brilliant take-off to the E and SE, and absolutely ZERO NOISE even on 160m....it's an excellent location aside from the 100km/h+ winds at times ! ...but...it gets to -5C in winter and 46+C in summer..

I went back to Kangaroo Island about 3 years ago with an angle-grinder and returned with my little 10m tower..with the help of John VK5AJL (I made him get an Amateur ticket - along with Damien VK5FCOL who just needed a bit of a push) which is now planted outside the shack window to reduce my VHF/UHF feeder lengths.

Peter VK5PJ built 2 X excellent 13 element YU7EF Yagis - one for each of us - and this was installed on my little tower along with an ATN 8 element 'broadband' 6m Yagi which sort-of works. John VK5AJL drives from Adelaide to help me with my tower work - the (tilt-over)tower is winched down with a chain block as used to lift truck engines..a slow, laborious process...shared by VK5PJ and VK5AJL. . An electric winch is in the works for solo operations.

I had a bit of money from the sale of my KI house so bought the - wonderful, amazing - ICOM IC-7600 with which I have worked 50MHz stations unreadable on other receivers. This rig continues to amaze me with its RX DSP.

I use an excellent ICOM IC-7000 on 144MHz now - again hearing some weak stations only due to its RX DSP - into the 13el YU7EF but assisted by a very good HENRY 2002A PA incorporating the magic little 3CX800A7....I get heard well with this PA 'coasting' at 400W PEP on the BIRD 43 with after-market PEP adaptor..

Just recently VK5AJL again 'dropped' my tower and installed my 70cm Yagi - it was an ATN 'wideband' Yagi but I pulled it to bits and converted it to a DL6WU with 17 elements, using the excellent PC program modified by John VK5DJ. This DL6WU Yagi really works well, allowing me to hear the VK3RGL 70cm Beacon most of the time at a distance of 540km. Feeders are short 14m of LDF4-50A.

Last week I completed my 70cm PA, a project actually started about 10 years ago ! It uses 2 pairs of MRF650 Bipolar transistors combined via the 'Simple 432MHz Combiner' about which a thread exists on this forum. With the 30-odd Watts of drive from the IC-7000 (or my 'pretty good' ICOM IC-820H) I see a healthy 220 Watts of SSB or carrier, the amplifier stuck in a nice box with its (again VK5 WIA ESC) CF300 MESFET preamp and 500W MEANWELL SMPS. I took a gamble, put it together and 'whistled it up'...hoping the SMPS didn't 'talk up' with all the RF inside the case and over-volt the MRF650 16.5VDC max Vce...it didn't ! Also in the case is a (W6PQL) 70cm Low Pass Filter with twin directional couplers driving a (W6PQL) bar-graph display for Forward/Reverse Power indication.

I worked Lou, VK3ALB at 579km on 432.1MHz just before I screwed the lid down at 2200 local time after a marathon 12 hours completing this PA.

There's also a very good ICOM IC-746 here on HF/6m standby, which rather rudely for its worth, gets used only as a 2m FM talk-back link to VK5PJ and other keen, local VHF/UHF blokes, via a vertical collinear 'thing' at the top of the little tower..

There will be other rigs forgotten, including some really crappy handhelds...bought but seldom used...

So, there you go - not just rigs but a bloody great bio-essay - typed with one left-handed index finger - everyone should have a go !

Thanks and apologies for reading this far.

Bill VK5ACY
PF95sb.

[VK4XA]

Hmmmmm, the best radio I have ever owned, that a hard question to answer.
In my short life as an amateur I have had:
1 x Yaesu FT757GXII
1 x Alinco DR590T
2 x Yaesu FT847
1 x Yaesu FT7800
1 x Yaesu FT897D
1 x Yaesu FT857D
1 x Kenwood TS480SAT
1 x Elecraft K-Line
1 x Alinco DX70TH

Now, out of all those I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the second of the FT847's was the best radio I have ever had.
(My first 847 was not stable and had the one way serial port, it was a pretty early one)

The second best would have to be the Elecraft K3.
The best mobile radio I've had is without a doubt the Kenwood TS480SAT.
(Though I now have the DX70TH for that function as it is a smaller radio which fits better under the dash of my camper-van)

To be honest I think that if I was purely interested in HF then the Elecraft K3 would be at the very top of my list but I actually don't like operating on HF, 6M and up does it for me and whilst my K3 was loaded up with all options but the second receiver I didn't think it was as good on 6 and 2M as the FT847 was. (Even with the K3's PR6 external preamp for 6M)
Right now I am on the market for a new radio, 6M coverage is a must, 2m coverage would be nice.
I'll update this thread when I decide on what to get.

73 de,

[VK4DU]

What a great thread!

Keep it coming.

Really takes me back.

[VK2ZG]

Well short and sweet from me would have to be my current radio its a Kenwood TS-950SDX, thou in saying i cant complain to much about any of my radio's of past they include the TS-440S/AT, TS-450S/AT, Icom IC-706M2G.

[VK3RX]

In my teens as an SWL, my first commercial receiver was a Realistic DX-150A I bought from my first few pay cheques out of school in Adelaide in 1971, from Farmer’s Radio. I think either Mitch 5ZHM or Mark 5ZVQ worked there at the time. The DX-150A was an improvement over a few bakelite shortwave radios that I’d added a BFO to, and used up till then.

I also picked up a Hallicrafters SX-something from ACE Radio in Sydney (who used to advertise in EA) which covered from around 27MHz to around 200MHZ. Due to it's weight, it caused my bench to sag. I used to listen to 2m repeaters, 2 & 6m SSB and locals running AM on 53.1

I used the DX150A for a couple of years, then moved it on for a Trio 9R59DS. A great receiver in most ways, but the drift bugged me and a few mods improved things, but I decided to move back to solid state for a Kenwood QR-666, which performance-wise was a step backwards. I then bought a Yaesu FRG-7, a great receiver. Later receivers were the FRG-7000, an Icom IC-R71A, JRC NRD-535 and NRD-515, an Icom R9000 and a few commercial models.

My first transceiver was a Yaesu FT301 purchased from DSE when I moved across to Melbourne in 1978. A mate had a Trio TS-520 (I think), which drifted in the opposite direction from my FT301 so as a contact progressed, we got further apart in frequency. I gradually built the series up to include the matching ATU, monitorscope and the FRG-7000 which looked nice all lined up.

I then moved the lot on for a Yaesu FT107 (again from DSE) with the matching ATU, external VFO and speaker. These kept me going for a few years, and were then replaced by a Kenwood TS-440 series (an autotuner: luxury), and later the TS450 and TS-870. Next was an Icom IC-775DSP which is a really nice radio, and I kept it for over 10 years. That was only replaced a couple of years ago by an IC-7700, which so far is my all-time solid state favourite.

In the past I’ve had a Drake C-line and Collins S-line, and currently a Collins 51J-4, R390A and KWM-2A lineup, which are also favourites in their special way

[VK5KV]

Would have to be a Collins KWM2A RE, I had a complete station with 312B5 RE external VFO/Phone Patch/Watt meter, 30L1 RE amp, 75S1 winged receiver, just had enough of tuning up from band to band...

[VK2XQ]

Remember in the heady days of valve radio equipment people used to rave on about the Collins "S Line" series, they were big ticket items in the states at the time...

[VK5PO]

Where do I Start???
Maybe with the first ever brand new purchase??? I think it cost me $918 ?? That was a Yaesu FT707, In the ARA mag, it was called the "wayfarer"!! It would have been more 30 years ago!!! scarey HiHi.....(1982 i reckon?)
I also later, Purchased the FP707, and a FC707 tuner....... Not my favorite rig though.... Fond memories.... Back when DSE was the store for me....Living 400km from Adelaide, when I visited, a trip to DSE was the highlight!!!

National (not JA, but the DIFFERENT USA company) NCX-5 HF radio... Wow, the dial display was made out of 35mm "film".
It was an impressive and nice radio to look at. Anyway, I always had some problems trying to keep it on air!!!

GONSET G76? Rescued from a shed in Mildura!!!Cant quite remember model # exactly, the VFO was terribly drifty, but I used it as a RX mostly...I have never even seen any other GONSET since... USA built radio I think it was. I heard XE and XF4 on 6m with this old girl!!

FT200, SIX at one stage..... I just love these ol' boat anchors.... Deaf as a post on 10m, but I modded one with every possible mod...I still have that radio, however, the others have been sold, pulled apart or thrown out. As a VALVE rig, this ol' 200 will always hold pride of place. I still have the ZL FT200 CLUB bible!!! I eventually settled with using this radio on the 80m DX window as my primary radio. Over time, 284 countries have been worked on that band. I even made an external "speech proc." for it, and gave it a thrashing... ahhh the memories.

TS120V, My Mobile TRX, (30w) as VK5NJF, I had a hell of a lot of fun with this rig.... Lots of CW qso's on 15m from my HJ Kingswood "mobile" shack! Not my favorite radio though.

TS530S (two of these over time) Big rigs, seemed to go ok, but did not stand out for me.


Another FT707, This one was a piece of junk, dry joints a plenty.... lots of niggly problems... Eventually sold off!

FT101, Like the TS530s's above, did not really stand out as a radio.

FT 101E with a FTV650b, This combination stands out a little bit, probably because of 6m capability with the ext. transverter.
I had lots of fun on 6m with it, but by today's high standards, it was nothing flash at all... not my favorite radio either!

TS120S Good 100w mobile radio, small too! probably the smallest 100w HF rig when it first hit the marketplace. It worked faultlessly, and was a good, bit simple performer. the TS120V, above, and the S served me well

FT-ONE One brand new, other two 2nd hand, one was stuffed, as it was used for comms on a tuna boat... good for spares.
The FT ONE was an EXCELLENT CW radio, the filters were like NOTHING I had used before... Lovely on air reports were common place on SSB. Not my favorite rig though.

FT680r??? My 1st single band six metre rig, as above with the ft 101e/FT650b

KDK FM2025??? Red LED R/out.... 1st 2m rig... very cludgy to use, something sticks in my mind about trying to get frequencies that ended in 5, eg Local repeater was on 146.825... Cant quite remember!!!

FT212RH A very good 2m FM radio. I worked LOTS of stations all over SE VK and VK6 on simplex with this radio.
It was a permanent fixture in my HJ Kingswood, and I made a 5 el "fold away" yagi, and had a 15' extendable aluminium pole that lived in the boot. I used to go to SEDAN HILL east of the Barossa Valley, and work 2m stations, sometimes all night long! Boy it was fun. The rig would have to have been my favorite mono band 2m rig.

IC475H 70cm All mode rig....Worked well
IC275H 2m all mode rig, nice sensitive radio, had lots of fun with this rig!
IC575H This one was sent down to Antarctica so VK0IX had a six metre rig. I still VIVIDLY remember working him from CASEY station with it! The adrenalin, VK0IX, Antarctica on cw.... it does not get much better than that!!!!!

TM-D700a Still have this APRS radio, DEAF now on 70cm.

IC706 Could not believe just how small these radios were....I think I bought it at Ballarat, brand new. It went with me to VK6, VK3,VK4,VK2 and even VK8. Worked 100s of stations whilst mobile with it. I sold it to upgrade to the MK2 G

IC706MKIIg 2m stopped working, RF got back into front end if I remember rightly. I got it repaired, and sold it to get an

IC7000 First used when on Norfolk Is. VI9NI, FB little radio. Got to rank amongst the best "smallest" all round useful rig any ham could wish to own. I have owned two, but sold one, and the other has had no on air time as yet. I will be taking it to VE7 in the middle of 2013. I took my newly purchased IC7000 to Lord Howe Is, and work nearly 3k of rtty q's. Very nice radios in a portable situation, but great in the shack too!




IC 746Pro Very good radio, had a few little problems with it, but a few simple mods soon made it a very reliable transceiver. I do like this radio, I need to use it much more than I currently do.

IC746 Did not have it for too long, but it worked well without any problems

IC756ProII This radio is covered in dust, I just have not switched it on since I bought the IC7700 home!

IC7700 OK, THE IC7700 is by far the BEST radio I have ever owned... it oozes quality, the band scope on the 7 inch display is so darn handy too! big bucks for big performance.

IC2400 Fantastic 2/70 duo-bander radio... Wished I did not sell it actually......

IC2410 Remote head 2/70 radio, Probably the 1st Icom radio I owned with a rather flimsy construction. It was not a "solid" built radio like all the ICOMS made before it. Unfortunately the remote cable got severed when one off the kids drsgged it out of the car.... needless to say..... lots of SMOKE emanated from what turned out to be a total write-off!

IC208H... Crappily built radio...the vol/sq. pots are loose, it suffers from pager overload STILL... who still has a darn pager?
Seldom switched on, but is here if I want to work someone locally.


I will not list the RX's nor the multitude of H/Helds owned over the years!!!

I wish to add a note mentioning some of the SK hams I had the pleasure to meet, and enjoy the company of too. Reminiscing about all the radios I have had over time, made me think a lot about those mates that are now SK.
These guys had some nice gear, VK5MS had a DX'ers HONEYMOON shack...

VK3DZM
Vale Don Shand, One of the true gentlemen that was on AR. Don's 75m DX window station was the best in VK., But more importantly, Don was one of the nicest guys on air.

VK5AZM
RIP Mitch Hamilton, "whatta guy"!! we had so much fun mate, Like VK5ACY, I miss you too!!
Mitch is now in "sample mode".

VK5VC
This charismatic fellow, David Bird.... A funny guy, always made me laugh, and I wish he was still here. RIP "birdy"
He loved all the valve gear, when he did his apprenticeship in radio trades, Valves were still widely used.

VK5MS
Stuart Millowick, One of the finest hams in VK, and his DXCC count proved his prowess. Stuart never sought accolades, and as a broadcast engineer had by far the BEST AR station around. All those Drakes, and monoband amplifiers for each band.
Then there were the 7 100ft "towers" he had on his property. Just a gentleman, I always loved going to see him when in Mt. Gambier. AR today is just not the same without you Stuart. VALE my friend VIKTOR KEELO FIVE M-MIKE S-SUGAR

VK6AS
Bill Hockley. This fellow was a fantastic guy, his 40m 3 el. yagi at Esperance made him really well known around the world. When I stayed with Bill for a time, I can still vividly remember boxes and boxes of brand new Icom gear...clocks, radios ..like lots of radios, just strewn around the sandy ground in one of his sheds... He was an Icom dealer in Kalgoorlie, and I was in despair seeing all these BRAND new "still in their unopened" boxes not being used. When I was about to leave Bills qth, and head on back to VK5, he said "wait", got sumtin for ya"... He gave me an Icom clock of which I still have.

Those were the days alright!
After taking many hours writing this, I hope you enjoyed reading it

73, John