Thanks for the great advice OM, but since I am now in my late 50's.. small
does not seem to be that much of an option, the pc interface sounds
interesting tho..
And yes a great sky hook can overcome some limits on the radio end, but with
all the QRM I read about, it sounds like I will be looking for one with
great filters and DSP capability,

"John Ferrell" wrote in message
...
Before you commit to that budget level be sure to look at some of the
high end choices. I bought a Yaesu FT301D in 1978 and felt it was
unbeatable for my purposes for over 20 years. I had some problem that
I was looking for help with on the Internet and someone told me I owed
it to myself to look at a modern rig. After I did my homework I
settled on a TenTec Pegasus (no longer available). It was ideal for
me. It takes up zero desk space because it uses a PC for all
input/output. With the optional built in tuner and a multitude of
filters, I find the operation everything I could wish for. The newer
Tentecs seem to have the same features but also a front panel control.
Early on I needed to call them (Tentec) and found them very
accessible.

Considering that I paid about $800 for the Yaesu in 1978 (a new Ford
Mustang was $4500 that year) I figure the $1200 or so that I put into
this rig to be a great deal.

The other vendors have some really neat stuff as well. If I were still
spending a lot of time on the road, I would want the Yaesu FT-857D
mobile. 160 - 70cm in such a tiny package is mind boggling to me. You
can buy it from http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/1857.html
for $699 at this time.

Your satisfaction with any rig will be greatly influenced by the
antenna you use. Back in the 70's Cushcraft had a reputation for being
"cheap". I liked their products then and I like them now. I have an
A3S beam with the 40m add on and seldom bother to extend the crank up
(electric winch) above the 25 foot level. Being that low does have an
adverse effect on the SWR but the automatic tuner does a good job of
hiding that from me.

Things have never been better in the world of Amateur Radio!

On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 18:05:05 -0400, "Dee Flint"
wrote:


"JET" lifehelth at comcast dot net wrote in message
...
After helping sell the mobile units for a friend of mine that is a SK, I
am thinking of getting back into the hobby again.
What are some suggestions for a base rig, used under $800.. I have had
Kenwood and Yaesu in the past, but have not kept up with everything. I
have seen Kenwood 930/40 on ebay but seem to remember problems with
those
units.. So I am open to listen.
TIA
73's
N5XIE


There are now some absolutely wonderful mobile rigs for around and under
$800 brand new. They can also be used for base rigs. Check out the Yaesu
857D and the Kenwood TS-480.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE