[SixClub] New ( to me ) Radio !!

[donroden at hiwaay.net]

I have been up all night playing with a new radio.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a friend's shack and he had just bought a new
FT-200D  ( a radio that I have been looking at for some time )  and I  
will have to say the FT-2000D is SOME BIG RADIO !!  I really like the  
layout of all the big control knobs.  We were doing some soundcard  
modes on the lowbands,and just for kicks, we substituted his "old"  
TS-2000.  All of a suden, we were copying OLIVIA signals that couldn't  
be seen on the waterfall...   A quick changeover to the FT and no  
copy. Back to the TS and there the signals were there again , printing  
out 90% ( readable with an error every 7 to 8 characters.  Back to the  
FT and we tried several settings, but what we decided was that the FT  
has more internal noise than the TS and was masking the soundcard's  
ability to copy sigmals below the noise level.  At this point, I will  
tell you that The TS-2000 had been modified with lower noise diodes  
somewhere in the IF chain.

Never-the-less, I tried to buy the TS-2000 right there on the spot,  
but no deal
was made.

My friend did give me the operation manual on the TS-2000 , and one  
thing really caught my eye..... crossband repeat out of one box.....

Listen on 50.150 or 125  ( or scan ) while repeating the SSB out on 2  
meter FM.
(  CTCSS and security code to prevent unwanted signals keying up the  
low band )

Now, I can clip on a walkie talkie and work outside the house and be  
able to know if the band is heating up on six or work 75 meter nets  
from the car.

Is this great or what ? !!!

I live on a small rise and I'm thinking I may get enough coverage to  
work a 5 mile radius from the home QTH  ( which includes work and most  
everywhere I go ).

Any how, I bought a used TS-2000 off of e-bay for under $1100 for a  
savings of a couple of THOUSAND.... I still covet the FT , and someday  
when Yaesu fixes all the problems and puts out a FT200D mkII, I may  
talk the better half into letting me buy the FT , but I think this  
TS-2000 is going to be a keeper.

Don WA4NPL