Which SSB Transceiver?

[Andrew_B]

I am looking to but an SSB transceiver capable of sending e-mail and am thinking of an Icom M700 which you can but new for 700 pounds plus tuner.
Has anyone else got this model and if so how does it perform.
Also any advice or recommendations from SSB users would be much appreciated.
Does anyone have an SSB transceiver for sale?


Many thanks

 

[Roberto]

On hfradio.com there are some interesting comments on the radio you mention vs other models

 

[snowleopard]

icom tend to muck about with software specs without telling anyone. met a guy with the same kit as me (710 ssb) but bought a few months later. they had decided to make the 150 user channels non-programmable so he was stuck with preset frequencies, very few being any use. he was really hacked off. since then they have reinstated the programmability.

so make sure you get what you expect.

i gather the new icom which replaces mine has vhf and dsc built in for the same price.

 

[HaraldS]

As far as I can tell they always sold two versions of the 710 in the US, and only version 2 was open to program whatever you like into the user channels. V2 was slightly more expensive and also had this two-tone alarm. I got V2 of the 710 RT which has a remote head and allows to send on any frequency and with any type of modulation. The RT is not produced anymore is what I understand. But the standard one still seems to be available.

Reading the spec, it seems that the new 802 is not open to transmitt on any frequency, but has bands opened and those seem to exclude most of the interesting HAM frequencies. So it's maybe a step back.



<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.taniwani.de>http://www.taniwani.de</A>

 

[Tradewinds]

If its the old M700 rather than the 710. I've had one for years & its been very good. Its big & rather ugly but doesn't have the pre-programmed channels which suits me fine. Didn't use it for emails, so can't help there but I used it for weatherfax as well as voice and it performed admirably, as did the AT-120 tuner.

 

[PaulJ]

Andrew, have a look on eBay..... Unlike the Boating section, they haven't yet mucked about with the Radio section and there is a dedicated section for Ham Radio in which there are usually several ssb transceivers for sale.... some at very reasonable prices.

 

[Guest]

Post deleted by danfoley

 

[AndrewB]

There are some specialist weather services for which TX can be very useful. 'Herb' for example - is he still operating?

I'd agree though that the money is better spent on a really good RX rather than a bargain-basement TX. My Lowe HF150 has given excellent service over 10 years and is capable of picking up US weather stations from this side of the pond.

 

[snowleopard]

Herb is alive and well

He routed us across the atlantic this summer, along with about 150 others!