Great for sat work - like Patrick mentioned.
For portability, I have installed mine in an ice chest ... photos at ...
ttp://tinyurl.com/cooler-radios
Clint Bradford, K6LCS
Hi Everyone!
I don’t mean to be the odd guy on the block, but I do not like the 8800 for satellite work. I enjoy the full duplex function, and it is very easy to maneuver through the frequencies/bands using the mic, but I do not like the receive sensitivity. Every time I have tried to use it for satellite work I feel like I fight it the entire time trying to get a strong signal. I can’t exactly make a very accurate judgment on it either since I have only used it a few times. If others say it works well, I would have to go with the general consensus since I don't use it much. The 2 THG71As, and now the THD7A and 1 THG71A (yeah, I know the D7 is full duplex, but that is another story) are my regular satellite equipment.
73!
Zack KD8KSN
-----Original Message----- From: Clint Bradford Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 2:19 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Yaesu FT-8800
Great for sat work - like Patrick mentioned.
For portability, I have installed mine in an ice chest ... photos at ...
ttp://tinyurl.com/cooler-radios
Clint Bradford, K6LCS _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
The 8800 is sweet for everything else that I use it for - repeaters, x-band repeat (handy function!), simplex, you name it, but I never seemed to have good success using it for satellite work. Maybe I need to pull it out again and give it another try.
Like I said, I can’t make an accurate judgment on it since I have only used it a few times. I do know that in my experience the receive sensitivity of radios (of the same make/model) differ from radio to radio. I have 2 THG71As sitting on my desk that are proof of that. I have to use a certain one for receive because the other one doesn’t produce as good results.
Just my 2 cents.....
Zack KD8KSN
-----Original Message----- From: Clint Bradford Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 3:43 PM To: Zachary Beougher Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: Yaesu FT-8800
... I do not like the receive sensitivity ...
Hmmm ... I just didn't experience that. Does your '8800 work fine for local/repeater work?
Clint, K6LCS
I have an 8900 and have found the right side hears the birds a just a little better than the left.... Anyone else hear anything like that?
73, Joe kk0sd
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Zachary Beougher Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 2:51 PM To: Clint Bradford Cc: [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Yaesu FT-8800
The 8800 is sweet for everything else that I use it for - repeaters, x-band repeat (handy function!), simplex, you name it, but I never seemed to have good success using it for satellite work. Maybe I need to pull it out again and give it another try.
Like I said, I can’t make an accurate judgment on it since I have only used it a few times. I do know that in my experience the receive sensitivity of radios (of the same make/model) differ from radio to radio. I have 2 THG71As sitting on my desk that are proof of that. I have to use a certain one for receive because the other one doesn’t produce as good results.
Just my 2 cents.....
Zack KD8KSN
-----Original Message----- From: Clint Bradford Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 3:43 PM To: Zachary Beougher Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: Yaesu FT-8800
... I do not like the receive sensitivity ...
Hmmm ... I just didn't experience that. Does your '8800 work fine for local/repeater work?
Clint, K6LCS
_______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I have three of the FT-8800 mobiles. They work great for satellite. It is my FM radio for sat operation installed here at home. I've tried other dual band radios, but the FT-8800 is much preferred.
The downside is that I too have noticed that they lack sensitivity especially on 70cm. Yes, I measured it on a signal generator. They are more than 5 to 7 db down from other radios that I have. But they do have better intermod immunity that most radios.
I have used one of my FT-8800 units with a hand held Arrow antenna and short coax for club and class demos with good success.
Don't expect it to hear the weaker sats well, like SO-50, on the end of about 75' of coax on steerable beams on the roof. My solution for this at home was to place a SSB preamp at the antenna on the roof. With that setup I can hear SO-50 horizon to horizon. Without the preamp I have drop outs and signals are very weak at the horizon.
Ernie W8EH
On 1/12/2011 3:43 PM, Clint Bradford wrote:
... I do not like the receive sensitivity ...
Hmmm ... I just didn't experience that. Does your '8800 work fine for local/repeater work?
Clint, K6LCS
Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
2011/1/12 Ernie Howard [email protected]
I have three of the FT-8800 mobiles. They work great for satellite.
I have FT-8900 in my car (which is pretty much the same radio, except with 2 additional bands, 28 and 50 MHz). I am quite happy with the sensitivity of the radio, no problems hearing AO-51 and having few QSOs with suitable passes with Diamond NR770 mobile whip in the tailgate of my vehicle. Usually passes rising not higher than ~60 degs are quite good but the whip is not that good in higher elevations.
What I particularily like (besides the sat-capability) is that normally I am using the left side of the radio for monitoring the local repeaters while right side acts as an APRS transmitter (with TinyTrak attached).
What I don't like is the wobbly and fragile feeling of knobs of the radio.
The first FT-8900 I bought was DOA right out of the box, but after it got replaced with another one, the current unit has served few years flawlessly.
73 de Ari OH3KAV Tampere, Finland (grid: KP11)
Hi Zack!
I don’t mean to be the odd guy on the block, but I do not like the 8800 for satellite work. I enjoy the full duplex function, and it is very easy to maneuver through the frequencies/bands using the mic, but I do not like the receive sensitivity. Every time I have tried to use it for satellite work I feel like I fight it the entire time trying to get a strong signal. I can’t exactly make a very accurate judgment on it either since I have only used it a few times.
Don't apologize for posting an opinion. As you mentioned with your TH-G71As, there can be differences between two of the same model of radio.
I bought two FT-8800s a year or so ago. One is in Mexico with an Elk antenna I left down there, and the other one needs to have those knobs replaced. The 8800 is my backup to that IC-2820H I mentioned in an earlier post as my full-duplex FM satellite radio. The sensitivity could be a little better, but I'm happier with it than other radios like my DJ-G7T. I probably should send it off to Yaesu to get those knobs replaced, and then try it again on the FM birds.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/
If others say it works well, I would have to go with the general consensus since I don't use it much. The 2 THG71As, and now the THD7A and 1 THG71A (yeah, I know the D7 is full duplex, but that is another story) are my regular satellite equipment.
73!
Zack KD8KSN
-----Original Message----- From: Clint Bradford Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 2:19 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Yaesu FT-8800
Great for sat work - like Patrick mentioned.
For portability, I have installed mine in an ice chest ... photos at ...
ttp://tinyurl.com/cooler-radios
Clint Bradford, K6LCS _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (6)
-
Ari Kosonen -
Clint Bradford -
Ernie Howard -
Gary "Joe" Mayfield -
Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) -
Zachary Beougher