[NLRS] question of transverters vs radios

[Gerald]

On Mon, 2006-01-09 at 17:02 -0600, Chris Elmquist wrote:
> 
> 
> My $.02 is that the FT736 with associated modules is no longer a
> state-of-the-art radio.  I find that sensitivity on 222, 432 and 1296
> is very poor and must be augmented with external preamps to be even
> really useful.  So now you are talking about more stuff on the outside
> to be switched, integrated, etc.
> 
> You also face the issue of increasing rarity of repair parts for
> these older radios so investing heavily in options for them might not
> be the best economic decision (but like that ever mattered for
> ham radio hobby decisions :-)  )
> 
> I think you can do much better today with transverters and a really good
> IF radio whether it is something like an SDR1000 or Orion or similar.
> 
> Chris NØJCF
> 
Actually the 736 not having many surface mount parts in the RF section
may be the last of the radios easily repaired. Though all parts more
than a couple years old are getting rare, whether surface mount or
through hole.

I believe the receiver modules can be helped and I have already improved
my 220 module. I hope to submit data on the performance before and after
for the other bands for this year's CSVHF conference with details on how
to make the mods. The main part needed for each band is a MAV-11 MMIC.
Start shopping.

-- 
73, Jerry, K0CQ
Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer
All content copyright, Dr. Gerald N. Johnson