[1000mp] Pro III -- FT1000MP comparison

[W4ZW]

> 
> Id be willing to bet most arent used on CW, just a guess...

This is the key difference IMHO.  


I've had nearly every radio in the ICOM/Kenwood/Yaesu line except for the
latest Pro III/7800 series of ICOM and the FTdx-9000 of Yaesu.
Unfortunately I have very little experience with Ten Tec.  

 I wrote once before about my experiences with the "contest radios" from
these lines.  Here's my 2 cents:


I have also owned/operated just about every radio/transceiver made since the
50's.  I currently run two  FT-1000MP's/ a FT-1000D w/599ZX
DSP/TS-950SDX/SM230  and several other smaller transceivers
(TS-50/TS-570SG/ICOM's/Yaesu's etc at different QTH's).  As for the ICOM's,
the DSP works quite well for SSB but the CW reception falls short  of either
the FT-1000MP or the FT-1000D with the outboard 500ZX DSP unit to my old CW
ears.  Too much hiss and echo for good CW copy for my ears. My ears are the
best "ESP"  I've ever used.    I also thought the construction of the ICOM's
was a bit  on the chintzy side for what they cost.  Do a direct comparison
with either the FT-1000MP or the Kenwood and you'll see what I mean.  Both
the 775DSP and the 756 Pro II were excellent SSB rigs though, some of the
best I've ever used!  I also had a Kenwood TS-870S and it had good ears if
IMD didn't bother you, but I'm a ham and not a SWL and I quickly disposed of
it.  It couldn't begin to compare to the FT-1000xx series.  My  ICOM 781 was
also a  great radio but I think a current comparison to the ICOM/YAESU top
models would show it to be outdated as well.  I thought the ICOM 775DSP was
a truly great SSB rig but a very poor CW rig.  Since I'm a CW guy, I sold
both the 775DSP's I had.  I also sold my ICOM 756 Pro II since my personal
preference was the FT-1000MP, again for CW. 

In the past, I had always preferred Kenwood based on the 830/930 series
until the TS-940 came out.  That's when I switched to Yaesu, a YAESU FT-890,
and FT-990, and then the FT-1000D, and then the FT-1000MP when it came
along.  My personal favorite is still the FT-1000D with the mods and the
outboard DSP.  Truly great RX and TX.  I've  also had ICOM 735, IC-736
(great self-contained rig), IC-781, and then the 775DSP's.

Today's rigs are really modern marvels of design, complexity, and
versatility coupled with excellent reliability.  There is really very little
difference between the FT-1000xx's and the ICOM 756 Pro's and the difference
lies in the users individual tastes and applications.  Like many CW ops, I
prefer the sound and "feel" of the Yaesu.  But for my money, the dated
Kenwood TS-950SDX deserves a place in there as well. 

Compared to my first home brew 6AG7/6L6  rig and regenerative receiver, any
of the rigs today are absolutely unbelievable  magic!

Now my all-time favorite rig line up  was my ancient Hallicrafters
SX-115/HT-32B/HT-33B I had about 40 years ago.  I liked that set-up better
than my Collins S-line which I later had.  I also had the Drake line at one
time which was also excellent. 

But like computers, they have  all been  lost in the technology race and
today's rigs are light years ahead of them.  And like computers, many of the
older radios are still superb values that work very well.

The march of technology is simply amazing!

My 2 cents.


Jon Hamlet,  W4ZW
 
Casey Key Island, Florida
"A little piece of paradise in the Gulf of Mexico"