Yaesu FT-736R on eBay

[RennMan]

Found this unit this morning, and thought you all would like a look at it as well...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250087785124&fromMakeTrack=true

I have no idea if this is a good or bad value, nor do I know what the majority of controls are for, but man, it looks sweet!

[clint]

The 736 was the best all mode VHF/UHF radio ever made. It uses optional plug in band units and can work 2 meter, 440, 220, 6 meter, and 1.2 GHz. It will accept any three band units at a time. These typically go on ebay for over $1000.00 and they VERY rarely come up for sale because anyone who has ones hangs on to it. They were extremely popular for satellite and EME. I would love to have one. Maybe you can al pool your money and buy it for me. The problem today is getting the band modules.

[ezzpete]

check out the guys other auctions

[clint]

Yeah, I did. Looks like he's mainly a Drake or Collins house

[Chesslike]

Wow, that is an impressive looking piece of equipment. Would that make an appropriate wedding gift?

[RobertW]

The 736 was the best all mode VHF/UHF radio ever made. It uses optional plug in band units and can work 2 meter, 440, 220, 6 meter, and 1.2 GHz. It will accept any three band units at a time. These typically go on ebay for over $1000.00 and they VERY rarely come up for sale because anyone who has ones hangs on to it. They were extremely popular for satellite and EME. I would love to have one. Maybe you can al pool your money and buy it for me. The problem today is getting the band modules.

I thought you told us that multiband radios were NOT the way to go but to buy separate radios for each band...

[KWBoy]

Ive been convinced that multi bands are the way to go I have been looking at the Kenwood THF6A. Yes I'm going against Clint's suggestion 

[RennMan]

This particular unit already has a 2 meter and a 440 module installed.  So, that means one more "slot" available?  I wonder how one would use it to access the other bands thar are available to a newly minted General user (assuming we pass the test)?

[clint]

Oh...all these things to coment on.

Bob: Why yes. What a lovely thought. We would love to receive that from you and Esther.

Robert W: Yes but. For mobiles and HTs I stand by the idea of multiple radios. Radios like this one allow you transmit on one band (up link) and receive on another (down link) for satellite communication. These are multimode radios. Your HT or mobile are FM only. This radio lets you do AM and SSB on the VHF/UHF bands. One area of HAM radio that is popular is called weak signal VHF/UHF. You use a radio like this on SSB and talk simplex trying to hit as many grids as possible.

RennMan: This radio does not offer anything that a tech can't use. All the available band modules were in the technician part of the spectrum.

The problem with this radio today, is that band modules are as rare as an honest word from a politician.
I would want to put in the 220 band unit and there little to no chance of finding one.

BTW, this is only a 25 watt radio. your modern mobile that costs under $200. is a 50 to 70 watt radio.

[RennMan]

Kinda what I thought, about the utility of this particular unit, against the HTs we already are recommended/own.

Still, it opens up a window on what else is out there, and what the options are.  I'm not about to buy another radio until I pass General (hopefully on Saturday) and only then with much research and recommendations considered.

Thanks Clint!

[Toolman]

This is a great all mode base station radio. We have a couple of them in our Ham shack here at work. It was this radio that got me interested in working the Sat's. Clint is correct about the module's, finding one will be difficult. But who cares, for Sat opporation 2mtr. and 440 SSB is what you need. Because of it's low power output, most owners would use a TCI amplifier any way. This radio also interfaces with the Yaesu AZ-EL rotor for SAT operation. The software controls the radio tuning for Doppler, and moves the antennas for AZ-EL as the bird flies over....very cool. We used this set up for our Sarex contact with the ISS at our local High School. Moon bounce is another popular mode this radio is good for. I give this radio a two thumbs up for anyone interested in operating all mode VHF-UHF.

I opted for the Kenwood TS-790 for my all mode operations because of it's higher power output and superior audio quality. With a good Yagi you can work hundreds of miles on SSB. I use to chat regularly with a guy in Sacramento on 440 SSB and another one in San Diego on 2mtrs. SSB. While the TS-790 has higher power output, I ended up purchasing two 200 watt amplifiers for each band anyway.

 If you ever come across the ICOM mono band all mode radio's, I can highly reccommend them as well. Not being an Icom fan myself, but those radios were an exception. The 2mtr. rig was 100 watts as well as the 440. I think the 220 was 50 watts and the 1.2 was 25 watts.

 It's too bad the WSWSS, Western States Weak Signal Society has disbanded. It was a good group with a weekly net on 2mtrs. SSB and moving to 440 SSB after. People from all over the So. Cal area would check in and round table after. I had one of their Moon Bounce operators come to our club meeting and give a talk and demonstration.

 It's too bad some very nice radio's have gone away. Another good buy for HF work is the old Kenwood TS-940. If you find one of those for under a "K" pick it up. I'm keeping my TS-850 for Hi-Fi SSB.

Who ever gets the 736 is a lucky Ham.

73,
WB6K

[RennMan]

Ive been convinced that multi bands are the way to go I have been looking at the Kenwood THF6A. Yes I'm going against Clint's suggestion 

Just looked this up on the Ham Radio Outlet website.  This unit sells for $329.95.

Just for comparison, I looked up my two HTs.  The Vertex/Yaesu VX-150 (2M) is $117.95. The Alinco DJ-296 (220MHz) is $169.95.

I know Clint isn't a big fan of HRO, prefering AES.  AES prices for the same units are as follows:

TH-F6A    $329.99
VX-150    $117.95
DJ-296    $149.99

Food for thought.  You could get the 2M and 220 radios, plus accessories, for the cost of the single radio itself.

I thought I wanted a multiband radio.  I got convinced otherwise, and I'm glad I went with the radios I have.  Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Peace

[KWBoy]

Ive been convinced that multi bands are the way to go I have been looking at the Kenwood THF6A. Yes I'm going against Clint's suggestion 

Just looked this up on the Ham Radio Outlet website.  This unit sells for $329.95.

Just for comparison, I looked up my two HTs.  The Vertex/Yaesu VX-150 (2M) is $117.95. The Alinco DJ-296 (220MHz) is $169.95.

I know Clint isn't a big fan of HRO, prefering AES.  AES prices for the same units are as follows:

TH-F6A    $329.99
VX-150    $117.95
DJ-296    $149.99

Food for thought.  You could get the 2M and 220 radios, plus accessories, for the cost of the single radio itself.

I thought I wanted a multiband radio.  I got convinced otherwise, and I'm glad I went with the radios I have.  Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Peace

But I have been told by a very good source that Alinco radios are POS  ... Also who in there right mind wants to carry 2 or 3 radios at a time when you can get one small compact radio that has all 3 bands at a full 5 watts.   Parents have credit cards for a reason 

[kew]

Also who in there right mind wants to carry 2 or 3 radios at a time when you can get one small compact radio that has all 3 bands at a full 5 watts.  

Somebody looking to start a war

[Wrightwood]

Ok... It's my turn to speak up on this topic since we have both the individual HT's and the Tri-Band.

It really depends on what you are using the radio(s) for.
If your backpacking or want to take one radio on the trip down the hill  and cover three bands then the Kenwood Tri Band is the ticket.

If you want the versatility of two great toughly built radios then go with the Vertex 150 and the Alinco DJ-296.

RennMan I don't think it's fair to compare the Kenwood THF6A to buying a  Vertex 150 & Alinco DJ-296 as you're missing the 440 band that's included in the Kenwood. That's the 440 band that San Bernardino County ECS uses for their repeater sitting on Frost Peak.

If you're a backpacker then you'll like having everything in one radio and the Kenwood Tri band might be the choice. If you're a person who is limited on a budget and likes the dependability of some well made radios then go for the Vertex & Alinco HT's.

Personally I really like the features of the Vertex 150 and not that excited with the Alinco DJ-296. The DJ-296 has too many features that require extra keystrokes. You can't change the volume or squelch without hitting another button first and seems to be a real pain. I'm currently using one of our VX 150 as a base station and very pleased with it.

I can't say enough about the Kenwood Tri band as far as versatility goes. If you're going down the hill and don't have mobile radios installed in your vehicle then it's the radio to have. Preprogrammed with all 2 meter, 220, 440 local repeaters and some simplex frequencies it gives you the ultimate in versatility in a hand held.

Different strokes for different folks!

Ive been convinced that multi bands are the way to go I have been looking at the Kenwood THF6A. Yes I'm going against Clint's suggestion 

Just looked this up on the Ham Radio Outlet website.  This unit sells for $329.95.

Just for comparison, I looked up my two HTs.  The Vertex/Yaesu VX-150 (2M) is $117.95. The Alinco DJ-296 (220MHz) is $169.95.

I know Clint isn't a big fan of HRO, prefering AES.  AES prices for the same units are as follows:

TH-F6A    $329.99
VX-150    $117.95
DJ-296    $149.99

Food for thought.  You could get the 2M and 220 radios, plus accessories, for the cost of the single radio itself.

I thought I wanted a multiband radio.  I got convinced otherwise, and I'm glad I went with the radios I have.  Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Peace

[kew]

In evaluating the way I expect to be using a radio I have come to the conclusion that I would have very little, if any, need for the 220 band. That being said, I would like some opinions of the "Yaesu FT-60R" 2M - 440 Hand held.

[Toolman]

In evaluating the way I expect to be using a radio I have come to the conclusion that I would have very little, if any, need for the 220 band. That being said, I would like some opinions of the "Yaesu FT-60R" 2M - 440 Hand held.

 Ok,
We have two of them and built like a tank. It has a good receiver with wide coverage/receive which can come in handy for monitoring out of Ham band frq's. The size is about perfect and comfortable to carry on the belt. The belt clip holds the belt better than the Kenwood but just slightly. I've had the Kenwood slip off my belt while hiking.The alpha numeric feature is nice and easy to program. Speaking of programing. This is one radio that I could program without opening the instruction book. We also have four of the older FT-51' and a FT-50 so I'm pretty familiar with Yaesu's program features. The price has come down also. When I bought ours, they were $215 and I think they are down to $195 now. which is a bargain for a good dual band HT. The hand held speaker mic is a toy compared to the robust speaker mic of the FT-51 and are not interchangeable. That's the only flaw I can find with the radio, and it's not radio related, but accessory related. I like Ht's that have docking style chargers which this radio has. Charging is quick and you're good to go fairly fast out of the box with a non charged battery. Two things I would like to see change for this radio is the capability to monitor both bands simultaneously and one more alpha numeric character. Those are very small gripes but at the price, you certainly get what you paid for. If a true dual band simultaneous monitoring HT is what your looking for, then the Kenwood TH-D7A is what I would recommend. It's market price is $325 for that extra feature. After using this radio in field on many occasions, I can highly recommend this as a good dual band HT.


 The Kenwood Tri-band is an excellent radio also and easy to program. We have a couple of those as well, but if you're not needing the 220 band then you can't go wrong with the FT-60.

73,
WB6K

[RennMan]

RennMan I don't think it's fair to compare the Kenwood THF6A to buying a  Vertex 150 & Alinco DJ-296 as you're missing the 440 band that's included in the Kenwood. That's the 440 band that San Bernardino County ECS uses for their repeater sitting on Frost Peak.

You are, of course, correct.  I neglected to include the 440 band in my comparisons, something I thought about after I had hit the "send" button!

Also, I haven't had that much time with the Alinco, mostly using the VX-150, so I haven't yet run into the issues raised here.

On another note, the VX-150 fired up this morning, and still had the "home" frequency of the Table Mountain repeater, even though the battery pack had been removed for over 4 months.  I was pretty impressed about that!

I'll start charging the 220, and see if that one works as well.

73's all

[Chesslike]

Found this unit this morning, and thought you all would like a look at it as well...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250087785124&fromMakeTrack=true

I have no idea if this is a good or bad value, nor do I know what the majority of controls are for, but man, it looks sweet!

Still only $577 with less than an hour to go. Do you think their will be a bidding frenzy near the end of the auction?

[KWBoy]

It only has 20 min to go and is still at $577