[Elecraft] OT: QST's review of the Yaesu FTDX5000MP

[Wes Stewart]

Well, since I already took the XYL on a 2-week Alaskan cruise in August, I guess I'm good to go for the FT5000 :-)

But I won't.  I know I'm in the minority here, but if they took the second receiver out and lowered the cost accordingly, it would have more appeal.  I appreciate the TX IMD, except that keying waveform and resulting spectrum sucks.  I could do without the panadapter since the SDR-IQ as I use on the K3 suits my needs. The FT5000 size is more my cup of tea though.

I'm old enough to remember when the first new car I bought (also a Pontiac) stickered at $1,800, so $6K for a radio sounds like a lot of dough. But that was before the $100 bill became the new twenty and it was then half a year's salary. 

To put things in perspective, I paid $2,200 for my TS-870 over 10 years ago and I still have it, and I wouldn't sell it for less than half that.  So on a cost per year basis, it's not much.  I don't play golf, so I'm entitled to at least one other indulgence. 

Regards,

Wes Stewart, N7WS


--- On Mon, 11/15/10, KW4H <kw4h at arrl.net> wrote:

> Not to be deliberately crass, but I
> have absolutely no use for a $6,000+
> radio -- contesting or not.  Like most hams, this is a
> hobby I do for fun,
> and spending that kind of money on a transceiver is
> virtually unthinkable.
> For the price of that rig, I could buy some new living room
> furniture and
> take the XYL on a two week Caribbean cruise.
> 
> 73!
> 
> Steve, KW4H