CatSnoutSoup
NES Member
It is my birthday today and I have been setting aside some dough to treat myself to a couple of presents this year.
First on my list was a new dual band rig 2m/70cm with a display my aging eyes could easily read, I have been using my Yaesu HT (FT1DR) for a while now. I decided on an FTM-100DR so as to stick with Yaesu Fusion digital if for no other reason than I have that aforementioned HT.
I am going to say that detachable control heads have been around for well over 20 years now, and this is the first rig I have had with one. Pretty neat to have the control head separated and sitting right below my monitor in the center of my desk.
My operating is almost exclusively HF via CW -- I really do not operate VHF/UHF that often but I do use the rig to monitor repeaters and as a public service band scanner. So I did not need GPS, APRS, WIRES, but hey the radio was $302 at Ham Radio Outlet yesterday so why not. My wife and I took the casual route across RT119/113/111 to Salem NH to pick one up.
First impression is that I like it well enough and it seems a good value. Receiver has good sensitivity, although squelch tails are a bit fat when a signal ends. The display is bright and easy to read. The GPS is impressively able to get a relatively accurate location despite being indoors 5' from the front windows. Speaker tone is just a bit muddy, not terrible but I might try an external just the same.
But I did say I was buying myself a "couple" presents. Cannot use this one on the ham bands but I have been lusting after it for a while now and I finally ordered one on Friday...
Sig Sauer Emperor Scorpion 1911
:emoji_tiger:
First on my list was a new dual band rig 2m/70cm with a display my aging eyes could easily read, I have been using my Yaesu HT (FT1DR) for a while now. I decided on an FTM-100DR so as to stick with Yaesu Fusion digital if for no other reason than I have that aforementioned HT.
I am going to say that detachable control heads have been around for well over 20 years now, and this is the first rig I have had with one. Pretty neat to have the control head separated and sitting right below my monitor in the center of my desk.
My operating is almost exclusively HF via CW -- I really do not operate VHF/UHF that often but I do use the rig to monitor repeaters and as a public service band scanner. So I did not need GPS, APRS, WIRES, but hey the radio was $302 at Ham Radio Outlet yesterday so why not. My wife and I took the casual route across RT119/113/111 to Salem NH to pick one up.
First impression is that I like it well enough and it seems a good value. Receiver has good sensitivity, although squelch tails are a bit fat when a signal ends. The display is bright and easy to read. The GPS is impressively able to get a relatively accurate location despite being indoors 5' from the front windows. Speaker tone is just a bit muddy, not terrible but I might try an external just the same.
But I did say I was buying myself a "couple" presents. Cannot use this one on the ham bands but I have been lusting after it for a while now and I finally ordered one on Friday...
Sig Sauer Emperor Scorpion 1911
:emoji_tiger:
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