I think you're going to have to look at a "full-size" rig rather than a
compact one if you want a dedicated button for every function. AFAIK,
all the small ones intended for mobile use have multiple functions
assigned to most of the buttons, often with deeply nested menus.

You could look at the ads for the current full-size rigs, narrow down
your list of possibles based on features and price, then look at reviews
in the magazines and on eham.net.

I have an Icom IC-706MkIIG myself now, but that's a compact with nested
menus. Some of my fellow club members are Icom enthusiasts, some are
Kenwood enthusiasts (esp. for the TS-2000), and I know one who has had a
bunch of different Yaesu models. I've had a couple of Yaesus too, but
that was a long time ago.

"Perce"
(aka Alan NV8A -- long-ago VK4AFE)


On 04/22/06 08:46 pm wrote:

I'm a long time SWL but don't know much practical stuff about Amateur
Radio other than what I've learnt reading the Australian Foundation
Licence Manual (which was pretty straightforward).

My semi-retired father has been interested in Amateur Radio for some
time, but hesitant to take the plunge, so last year I bought him an
Icom R75 receiver and big sloper antenna to whet his appetite. He has
been using this set-up for a while now, and has gradually learnt how to

operate the Icom, but his grasp of radio theory, and of technology
generally, is pretty poor. He passed the Australian Foundation Licence
tests, but only just, and his grasp of such concepts as SSB is no more
than "try pressing the button and see if it sounds any better".
However, he is an eminently practical man, and will have no trouble
constructing and erecting antennas etc. He has a large block of land in
a low noise country area, with a shed for a base station.

Now that he has his Foundation Licence, I'm looking at what transceiver
might be appropriate for him, and here is where I seek your
suggestions. My criteria are as follows:
- New rather than second hand
- Ease of use essential
- Knobs and single-function buttons important
- Multi-function buttons not attractive
- Computer-style hierarchical menus a no-no
- Large and easy-to-read display useful
- Portability, compact size and battery operation not important
- HF essential, 2m useful but not essential
- Computer control of no benefit
- Advanced features (eg notch filters) which require more than a
button press or knob twirl of little benefit

The Icom IC-718 has a similar physical front panel layout to the R75
which he is already used to, which is a slight advantage, but I'm
open to your suggestions as to what transceivers I should be
considering.