[Linux-ham] Which Xband Radio ?

[Wes Hardaker]

>>>>> On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:50:41 -0400, Greg Brown <gwbrown1 at gmail.com> said:

GB> That is the most complicated handset I've ever seen!
GB> Pretty cool though, I'll put it in the running with two positive reviews.

FYI, I have a FT-8800 which is one of the two newer x-bands from Yaesu.
I love the rig, although the construction quality seems a bit less than
the other Yaesus that I'm used to seeing (the knobs just "feel" a touch
more flimsy).

An important difference between the 8800 and the 8900 is that the 8900
has one memory bank for both sides of the radio, and the 8800 has
separate banks (which gives you a lot more flexibility).  So the 6m/10m
FM support in the 8900 isn't the only difference with the radio, just to
be warned.

If you do end up considering the 8800 or 8900, make *sure* you plan on
buying a cable and programming software because it would absolutely suck
to program by hand.  It wouldn't be bad if you just wanted to set
frequencies, but programming the tags is much worse than other radios
I've used in part because they don't start you on the letter "a" but
rather in some odd part of the international characters or something.
-- 
"In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap,
 and much more difficult to find."  -- Terry Pratchett