At the moment the running order, ignoring wSDR designs, is:
- Elecraft KX3 - best RX, expensive with all options in the UK. n ternal auto-ATU option
- Ten-Tec Argonaut VI - excellent RX and ideal base station but no 5,24 or 50MHz coverage.Expensive.
- Yaesu FT817ND - excellent base/portable unit up to 432MHz,but RX not as good as KX3 or Argonaut VI. 13-14 year old design.
- Icom IC703 - excellent base transceiver,but no longer available new. Internal auto-ATU.
Overall, the FT817ND represents best value for money all things considered,
in my view. It may be an old design but I can buy 2 FT817ND with plenty of change for the price of the KX3. And I get a better design for home station digital (WSPR) use with botj 144 + 432MHz bands. Even adding a Z817 or T1 auto-ATU to the price of the FT817ND units there is still change when compared with the fully loaded KX3.
Reviews on
www.eham.net are similar for all radios listed.
Your forgetting the X1M. Now available in the UK £279.96, checkout Moonrakers website stock seems limited?: http://www.moonraker.eu/popular-products/x1m-platinum-5-band-qrp-80-10m-hf-transceiver
ReplyDelete73 G1KQH
It's true the KX3 is not cheap price wise that is but I do have one and am very happy with it. I really like the support and constant updates that are offered by Elecraft.
ReplyDeleteMike
Roger - How well does the 817 RX perform on LF / 2200 m? Deaf or useable without a preamp?
ReplyDeleteSteve / VE7SL
PS .....super to see you back! 73
For a fairer price comparison you should add the cost of an exterhal ATU such as the Elecraft T1 to the price of the 817.
ReplyDeleteJulian, G4ILO
And also a CW filter to the '817. I don't know about the UK, but in the US, when optioned equally, the difference is more like 20 to 25% - and for that you get much better ergonomics in addition to the better performance of the KX3. I had both the KX3 and FT817ND side by side and there was really no comparison. I'm not saying that the '817 is a bad radio - it's not. But the KX3 is *much* better, and when calculating (performance + ergonomics)/price, the result is the KX3 has more bang for the buck (or "value")...even if it takes more bucks! IMO.
ReplyDelete73 de Lee, AA4GA