Radio selection: FT-818 vs IC-7100
Hi everyone, time for another “what radio is right for me” thread. I haven’t seen one compare these two: IC-7100 and an FT-818. Primarily looking at satellite work, but I’m also interested in HF digital (primarily FT8). I’ve already got an Arrow antenna, and a potatoFeng. Right now I use an SDR to receive, and CubicSDR works pretty well for that-I’ve gotten adept at moving the tuning while using the Armstrong method of Alt/Az locating. I haven’t tried transmitting, just because my HT has pretty poor transmit characteristics. So I feel I’m pretty good on the full duplex issue.
Cost isn’t an issue, with the current rebate on the IC-7100 they are close enough to not matter. And the accessories needed will balance out (for the Icom, tuner and power supply, for the Yaesu, tuner, and signalink-I have an adequate power supply).
For the short term (6 months or so) most of my satellite operating is going to be from a card table in the back yard, or portable. HF will be a little more permanent, so each radio will have to be disconnected, moved, and setup again for satellite stuff. That’s the paralysis—the FT will probably be easier to move, but the IC is more sensitive.
So I think my criteria is coming down to ergonomics of operating vs sensitivity and HF power. I use MacDoppler for tracking, and will probably rely on it for downlink shift on the radios, with my SDR as backup. Oh, I already do QRP CW on 20, so I’m not too nervous about power of the 818.
Thanks, Dan
Sent from my iPad. Fewer misspellings, more errors.
I've had a 7100 for about four years now and love it. The menus are easy to use and it has DSTAR which I enjoy. I'm just getting it setup with a SDRPlay as a RX to use it for portable satellite operation. I used it as my base for a few years and then bought a 9100. Now it's my primary mobile/portable radio. MTC has them on sale for labor day, after rebate $779.00 https://www.mtcradio.com/icom-ic-7100-160-10-meters-6m-2m-440-mhz-12-vdc-w-d...
Dave N2OA
On Thu, Aug 30, 2018 at 11:29 AM Daniel Holmes danielh@holmesonics.com wrote:
Hi everyone, time for another “what radio is right for me” thread. I haven’t seen one compare these two: IC-7100 and an FT-818. Primarily looking at satellite work, but I’m also interested in HF digital (primarily FT8). I’ve already got an Arrow antenna, and a potatoFeng. Right now I use an SDR to receive, and CubicSDR works pretty well for that-I’ve gotten adept at moving the tuning while using the Armstrong method of Alt/Az locating. I haven’t tried transmitting, just because my HT has pretty poor transmit characteristics. So I feel I’m pretty good on the full duplex issue.
Cost isn’t an issue, with the current rebate on the IC-7100 they are close enough to not matter. And the accessories needed will balance out (for the Icom, tuner and power supply, for the Yaesu, tuner, and signalink-I have an adequate power supply).
For the short term (6 months or so) most of my satellite operating is going to be from a card table in the back yard, or portable. HF will be a little more permanent, so each radio will have to be disconnected, moved, and setup again for satellite stuff. That’s the paralysis—the FT will probably be easier to move, but the IC is more sensitive.
So I think my criteria is coming down to ergonomics of operating vs sensitivity and HF power. I use MacDoppler for tracking, and will probably rely on it for downlink shift on the radios, with my SDR as backup. Oh, I already do QRP CW on 20, so I’m not too nervous about power of the 818.
Thanks, Dan
Sent from my iPad. Fewer misspellings, more errors. _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
While I own an IC7100 and am working on the setup to use it in the field with transponder satellites. I will say it is not really the best setup when compared to an 817/818. Not to mention the weight of the radio alone much less than including a battery too.
73, Don KB2YSI
On Thu, Aug 30, 2018, 14:33 Dave . kdcarlso@gmail.com wrote:
I've had a 7100 for about four years now and love it. The menus are easy to use and it has DSTAR which I enjoy. I'm just getting it setup with a SDRPlay as a RX to use it for portable satellite operation. I used it as my base for a few years and then bought a 9100. Now it's my primary mobile/portable radio. MTC has them on sale for labor day, after rebate $779.00
https://www.mtcradio.com/icom-ic-7100-160-10-meters-6m-2m-440-mhz-12-vdc-w-d...
Dave N2OA
On Thu, Aug 30, 2018 at 11:29 AM Daniel Holmes danielh@holmesonics.com wrote:
Hi everyone, time for another “what radio is right for me” thread. I haven’t seen one compare these two: IC-7100 and an FT-818. Primarily looking at satellite work, but I’m also interested in HF digital
(primarily
FT8). I’ve already got an Arrow antenna, and a potatoFeng. Right now I
use
an SDR to receive, and CubicSDR works pretty well for that-I’ve gotten adept at moving the tuning while using the Armstrong method of Alt/Az locating. I haven’t tried transmitting, just because my HT has pretty
poor
transmit characteristics. So I feel I’m pretty good on the full duplex issue.
Cost isn’t an issue, with the current rebate on the IC-7100 they are
close
enough to not matter. And the accessories needed will balance out (for
the
Icom, tuner and power supply, for the Yaesu, tuner, and signalink-I have
an
adequate power supply).
For the short term (6 months or so) most of my satellite operating is going to be from a card table in the back yard, or portable. HF will be a little more permanent, so each radio will have to be disconnected, moved, and setup again for satellite stuff. That’s the paralysis—the FT will probably be easier to move, but the IC is more sensitive.
So I think my criteria is coming down to ergonomics of operating vs sensitivity and HF power. I use MacDoppler for tracking, and will
probably
rely on it for downlink shift on the radios, with my SDR as backup. Oh, I already do QRP CW on 20, so I’m not too nervous about power of the 818.
Thanks, Dan
Sent from my iPad. Fewer misspellings, more errors. _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
Opinions
expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
program!
Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I went down to HRO today to play with both the FT and the IC. I liked the usage of the Icom better, although as you point out the Yaesu was much lighter.
However, there was one thing with the IC-7100 I couldn’t figure out—I got it setup into split mode VFOs, but couldn’t figure out how to tune VFO B on receive when I finished transmitting on VFO A. Anyone have any advice, or is it something that’s going to require using a computer? I’d like to use VOX to key the rig of possible, and then either use a computer or manually adjust VFO B for Doppler (none of the staff knew how to do what I was trying to accomplish).
I tried to do the same thing on the FT units, and that appeared to me more steps than is practical—almost requiring my SDR or a second FT. Or did I miss something there too?
Thanks, Dan
-- Sent from my iPhone. Please pardon any mispelings or errors.
On Aug 30, 2018, at 3:42 PM, Don KB2YSI kb2ysi@gmail.com wrote:
While I own an IC7100 and am working on the setup to use it in the field with transponder satellites. I will say it is not really the best setup when compared to an 817/818. Not to mention the weight of the radio alone much less than including a battery too.
73, Don KB2YSI
On Thu, Aug 30, 2018, 14:33 Dave . kdcarlso@gmail.com wrote:
I've had a 7100 for about four years now and love it. The menus are easy to use and it has DSTAR which I enjoy. I'm just getting it setup with a SDRPlay as a RX to use it for portable satellite operation. I used it as my base for a few years and then bought a 9100. Now it's my primary mobile/portable radio. MTC has them on sale for labor day, after rebate $779.00
https://www.mtcradio.com/icom-ic-7100-160-10-meters-6m-2m-440-mhz-12-vdc-w-d...
Dave N2OA
On Thu, Aug 30, 2018 at 11:29 AM Daniel Holmes danielh@holmesonics.com wrote:
Hi everyone, time for another “what radio is right for me” thread. I haven’t seen one compare these two: IC-7100 and an FT-818. Primarily looking at satellite work, but I’m also interested in HF digital
(primarily
FT8). I’ve already got an Arrow antenna, and a potatoFeng. Right now I
use
an SDR to receive, and CubicSDR works pretty well for that-I’ve gotten adept at moving the tuning while using the Armstrong method of Alt/Az locating. I haven’t tried transmitting, just because my HT has pretty
poor
transmit characteristics. So I feel I’m pretty good on the full duplex issue.
Cost isn’t an issue, with the current rebate on the IC-7100 they are
close
enough to not matter. And the accessories needed will balance out (for
the
Icom, tuner and power supply, for the Yaesu, tuner, and signalink-I have
an
adequate power supply).
For the short term (6 months or so) most of my satellite operating is going to be from a card table in the back yard, or portable. HF will be a little more permanent, so each radio will have to be disconnected, moved, and setup again for satellite stuff. That’s the paralysis—the FT will probably be easier to move, but the IC is more sensitive.
So I think my criteria is coming down to ergonomics of operating vs sensitivity and HF power. I use MacDoppler for tracking, and will
probably
rely on it for downlink shift on the radios, with my SDR as backup. Oh, I already do QRP CW on 20, so I’m not too nervous about power of the 818.
Thanks, Dan
Sent from my iPad. Fewer misspellings, more errors. _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
Opinions
expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
program!
Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (3)
-
Daniel Holmes -
Dave . -
Don KB2YSI