Shortwave radio help?

[Rastus]

I had a Frog 7 for years. I only traded it away when I updated my license to Extra and got a Yeasu DX 3000. The Frog was an excellent radio and have a big following.

I have the FTDX 3000 and I "likes" it a lot.  One day I'll force myself into the Extra test....

<snip>
So what would be the next HR rig?  If it's ICOM I'm a little confused as to what's available.  I'm not going top end multi-multi-thousand.  Basic rig.  7300 seems to be the mid-line desk top rig.  718 the lower cost option.  But what about the 7100 with separate front panel?  Is there a Yeasu or Kenwood champion out there that can convince me to change brands? 

Yaesu FTDX-10 is supposed to be really hot and goes for $1,500 on sale which is roughly comparable to the ICOM IC-7300MK2.  I don't seen anything economically priced on the Kenwood front in that range.  For a Kenwood you jump up to $2k with the Kenwood TS-590SG. 

I think of the ICOM 7100 as a mobile unit (at $1,200) and is much like like the later Yaesu FT-991A model.  For $100 bucks more you get a much better display on the FT-991A plus an internal antenna tuner which helps out quite a bit for me.  Both do UHF/VHF.  I love the FT-991A which is a good performance upgrade from the FT-857d (which is hiding in a box somewhere around here).  Comparing the FT991A to the FTDX 3000 on HF, the 3000 is a noticeably better unit but it is discontinued.  However, if you want one to do it all I would go with the FT-991A.

I'm going to say that if I was primarily interested in HF and otherwise had VHF/UHF covered I would go with the FTDX-10 which is supposed to eclipse the discontinued FTDX 3000 which Jim and I have. 

Just my 2 soon to be extinct cents.

[Rastus]

I got to thinking that my ICOM 706 is getting quite old, so I looked it up.  Purchased from HRO March 1997 for $1,295 which was a fortune at the time... still is come to think of it.  Almost 29 years old.     Maybe it's time to be thinking about the next purchase?   <snip>

Any updates Alf?  Icom IC-7300 on sale for $999.95 at DX Engineering.   https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/ico-ic-7300?rrec=true  But that is because the IDC-7300 MKII is out and is selling @ $1,499.95.

[alfsauve]

I saw that about the 7300, and think I'd rather have the MKII version.  My IC706MKII is holding out just fine for the time being, so I probably by the time I purchase anew radio it'll be the 7300 MK IX or something or other.  Waiting on some pleasant weather to put up my 5 band dipole.

[Rastus]

If your 706 is holding up I would wait until the "new price" drops and there is a little feedback on performance.

G5RV?

[alfsauve]

GR5V?  No.     It's a Par End-Fedz 5 band resonantly tuned antenna with an end fed balum.  That way I can hang one end on the tower and move the other end around for different coverage.  Got it through DX Engineering

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/pez-ef-8010-jrkw#overview

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[Rastus]

I never thought about getting an end fed and moving it to take advantage of the directivity.                                       

[alfsauve]

So much easier to change direction and feed when the one end, the feed point is stationary.

[Rastus]

So much easier to change direction and feed when the one end, the feed point is stationary.

Indeed.

Which reminds me, I have the wire here for a Beverage antenna.  I'm going to run it towards New Orleans so I can pick up WWL 870 AM...Saturday morning Outdoors show at 5 AM.  It's probably gonna have to be sometime in March though when it warms up.