[K3PZN-List] The Icom 706
Andy Leeds
[email protected]
Tue, 01 Oct 2002 23:09:01 -0700
I got a call this evening and he did in fact get the FT-817, but during
the conversation I woke up and it dawned on me that the original post
here was talking about was the new FT-897 - AES didn't have any of them
on hand at Orlando on Sat so I didn't get to play with that model. In
any case I wanted to clarify what radio I was talking about. The 897
looks interesting but the tower, beams, roror, and service monitor blew
the radio budget for a while so I'm not going to look that hard...
Andy
Al Bisasky wrote:
>Jim, Andy, et al,
>
>Yeah, I sort of found this out the hard way. I was in a QSO with Clint
>while he was using his'706. It sounded great once he turned down the mic
>gain to "1". I'm pleased with mine. It fits the reasons for which I
>purchsed it: HF/VHF/UHF for mobile, VHF/UHF for the shack, and as a backup
>for the "Ole Gray Mare" (Kenwood '830). The thing is certainly versatile
>and does everything adequately. You have top keep in mind that it is a
>compromise from the ground up and if one is looking for a contest or DX'ers
>grade radio, you need to look elsewhere and spend many more Yankee
>Greenbacks.
>
>I find it's only real faults to be the AF DSP and the rather mediocre 1.9KHz
>SSB filter.
>
>Good discussion. I would be nice to hold a "show and tell" at a club
>meeting of the various rigs for the benefit of the newer amateurs who are
>looking for one. Oh, darn! I had an idea and opened my mouth about it.
>Forgot I said anything. Never mind. Go back to what you were doing.
>
>73,
>
>Al, K3ZE
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "James Nitzberg" <[email protected]>
>To: <[email protected]>
>Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2002 7:31 PM
>Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] The Icom 706
>
>
>
>
>>Hi Andy;
>>
>>Interesting observation on the 706 Audio. The 706 has
>>very good audio, on both FM and SSB - provided you set
>>the mic gain fairly low. I keep my mic gain at 4 for
>>SSB, and a 1 (that's right, almost OFF) on FM. Any
>>higher and I overdrive the radio. I'm pretty careful
>>to turn it down to 1 when I go back to FM. Would be
>>nice to see in a 706 Mark III a feature that memorized
>>audio setting with mode.
>>
>>I can't say enough good things about the 706. I've
>>used it as a base radio, a mobile radio, a short wave
>>receiver, a vacation/portable station rig while
>>camping, I've baked it in the sun, froze it in the
>>cold and it (usually) works great. It's a lot of
>>radio per dollar.
>>
>>73,
>>
>>Jim Nitzberg WX3B
>>
>>
>>--- [email protected] wrote:
>>
>>
>>>The 706's are rather popular around here - much more
>>>so than the other
>>>offerings. The new Yaesu rig is a QRP portable rig,
>>>I was at AES on Sat. and was
>>>looking at one with a friend who is a scout leader
>>>and wants a portable HF/VHF
>>>rig. It looked nice and we worked a few contacts
>>>with it and were generaly
>>>impressed. They did make the compromise on the side
>>>of portability vs power out
>>>and features - personaly I'd have a hard time
>>>reading the display in a car.
>>>
>>>The one problem I have with the 706 is that many
>>>people seem to get the mic gain
>>>messed up - they crank it up when operating on 20m
>>>phone then switch up to the
>>>repeater and overdeviate to the point the repeater
>>>drops them since it can't
>>>decode the PL in the distorted audio (or the DTMF
>>>mute kicks in and mutes them).
>>>The part about this that bothers me is every time
>>>this happens they seem to call
>>>me and tell me one of the repeaters is broken....
>>>
>>>Andy
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>How are you coming with selecting a mobile rig?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>There are a few Icom 706's
>>>
>>>
>>>>and Yaesu FT-100's around that club members own
>>>>
>>>>
>>>and I'm sure that they would
>>>
>>>
>>>>give you have the 50 cent tour. (I have a '706
>>>>
>>>>
>>>that you can see). Yaesu has
>>>
>>>
>>>>a new base/mobile/portable rig that looks
>>>>
>>>>
>>>interesting. I think it's the
>>>
>>>
>>>>FT-897(?). Works 160m to 70cm. It has optional
>>>>
>>>>
>>>built-in PS, battery and
>>>
>>>
>>>>antenna tuner.
>>>>
>>>>
>>-----------------------------------------------------BREAK----------------
>>
>>
>---------------------------------
>
>
>>>Mext CCARC Meeting Monday, October 14, 7:30 PM at
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>>>
>>>
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>---------------------------------
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>
>>Mext CCARC Meeting Monday, October 14, 7:30 PM at the Fire Training
>>
>>
>Center.
>
>
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>
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>Mext CCARC Meeting Monday, October 14, 7:30 PM at the Fire Training Center.
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