Is it time for a “Shack Makeover”???

Above Yaesu FT 847

I’ve been thinking about some new toys for the shack….  My direction in the hobby has changed over the last few years and perhaps its time to act my age???  No not really…  but it is getting harder to head out in the boonies to play and their are some other details that come to mind so heres the thought…

Above Yaesu FT 897 with Yaesu FC 40 Auto Tuner

If I was to  sell off the FT847, FT897/FC40 combo and the  FT 857.  The prices to be determined yet,  but I’m pretty sure that if I was to sell all 3 I would be able to pick up a brand new K3 or TS590 without having to open the bank account.  The worst of the three rigs is in “Good” shape and the others are working up towards “Excellent”…  All of them I would concider fully functional, they all work but they have been used..

Above Yaesu FT 857

Liz has given this her stamp of approval and even said it we have to open the bank book so be it…  The biggest issue right now is that I worked so goshdarn hard to get those rigs I kinda hate to sell them.  A lot of scrimping and saving and even more horsetrading got those rigs into my shack and they have all served me quite well over the last few years… 

But right now its a bit of overkill to have a HF (FT857)  mobile I don’t use (and if the Ontario Goverment has their way can’t use) and a Portable Rig (FT897)  I don’t use because I also have a FT817 and as I have mentioned many times the 5ah battery for the 817 is much lighter than the 30ah battery for the FT897 which makes the pack much easier to carry

The thought is there but I’m not sure…  What would you recommend for a HF rig that has all the current bells and whistles…  A Flex???, a FT2000???, a K3???  Whats the best toy…

73bob

Did I say its good to be back on the air

I think I might of had the shakes… Kinda like the DT’s… But I survived with few if any side effects…

Right now Don’s tuner is working great and I am watching the “on line”  swap nets as well as the “on air” ones for a new to me tuner…   Right now I am trying to decide between a used fancier one or a new one with no “bells or whistles”.  The price range seems to be close for either…  Right now the major contenders are the Yaesu FC20 (nade for the FT847)

Or one of the LDG Autotuners.  One is made specifically for Yaesu and the other works on all radios simular to the Z100 (now discontinued)

or

Both tuners have the same great tuning range (better than the FC20) and the LDG  YT100will work with my FT897 or FT847 (“Tune button” on Radio) so its tempting…  The FC20 has two inputs (switchable) compared to the one for the YT100. 

DECISIONS…. DECISIONS…..

73bob

Taking a backwards step

Well after much work and many nasty words I was able to swap out the FT847 for the FT897.

The LDG auto tuner with the 4:1 balun has been exchanged for the FC40 auto coupler and I was unable to get the Timewave ANC4 to function with the set up so….

My noise level is higher…  I have turned the W3EDP into an inverted L with a 20m radial and a very folded 80m radial and I have lost 160m and 40m…

I was not able to get the FC40 to talk to the FT847 although it did before… so I am thinking there could be more than meets the eye as far as the “Flash and Boom” goes…

I am going to have to first of all test the tuner (as the reset on the LDG did not do anything) and then after that get the 847 checked out to see if it still talks and listens to the Yaesu line of Tuners…  It was designed to work with a FC20 and it should work with the FC30 as it used to work with the FC40.

In the meantime I am taking my blood pressure meds and trying to grin and bear it… I have been dabbling in different radio modes since 1972 and have had my Amateur Ticket since 1992 and this is the first time I have had what might be a lightning related problem…  Can’t really b!tch about it can I???

Still experimenting and hopefully will get back on the air soon with a working solution to my problems that does not break the bank…

73bob

Changing some equipment

Well today I got confirmation that my FT 857 along with a uhf/vhf antenna and a hf antenna (both mobile magmounts) has officially sold.  The payment should be arriving shortly and then I can look for new toys…

This radio had been a very solid performer and been in 3 of my vehicles with the last one being my Ford Pickup truck that finally went the way of the scrap pile just about a year ago.  Since then not having a vehicle has not really affected me in a bad way and if anything has made the budget that much happier.  So after a year of the radio and antennas sitting on a shelf in the shack I decided it was time to sell…  The one nice thing about keeping your gear in good condition is that it moves really quickly.  I did not really even list it for sale…  Once I decided to sell it I mentioned it to one amateur and he tried it for a couple of days and then told me its sold.  I take a man at his word so later this week I get the cash and the deal is completed…

The rig beside being an excellent mobile rig has also served me well at the Bate Island DXPedition, the Foymount VHF DXPedition, the Champlain Trail Special Event Station and a couple of Portable Operations which included the ARES Ontario Net and several Ontario Phone Nets.  It will now continue on with its traditions of public service as the amateur who has bought it is very civic minded and participates in a great number of public service events.  I know VA3JME is getting a good radio and will have lots of fun with his new toy…

The sale other than freeing up some shelf space and bringing a lump to my wallet does not change much as I no longer operate mobile and I still have my “Portable station (FT817)” and my “Transportable station (FT897)” and of course my “Home station (FT847)”.  The need of keeping a full mobile station on the shelf just incase I wanted to put it in a rental car no longer made sense to me.

Now the big question is whats the new toy going to be????

73bob