Favorite QRP rigs

[N8YX]

I'll start:

TS-130V (modified filter setup), TS-660. Kissing cousins in appearance. FT-726R w/ HF module - 15, 12, 10M FM/SSB/CW. IC-703+. I have a few others but 95+% of my QRP work is done with these. One of my 703s can be mounted on one of my motorcycles.

 

[sp5it]

My first and only QRP rig: IC-705. Brilliant technology.
Only thing that annoys me is connecting speakerphone. Why no regular mic socket?
Mike

 

[WECSOG]

Ten-Tec Argonaut
Ten-Tec Scout
Heathkit HW-8 (x2)
FT-817 (early)
Georgia Sierra
NE4040

That last one (4040) I've had an incredible amount of fun with over the past almost 30 years.
I've had a lot of fun with various other QRP rigs over the years too, including a Kenwood TS-700A 2M all mode rig that I modified to reduce its power to 5W (from its original 10-12W). I used to have a weekly sked with a fellow 2M SSB enthusiast about 150 miles away. Pretty decent for 5W into an old 10el Cushcraft at less than 20 feet. My buddy was running an FT-736 into a single 13B2 at maybe 50 feet, so also not a super station.

 

[W4KVW]

LOVE my ICOM 703+ & it does everything I want or need from a QRP HF/6 meter radio.

W4KVW

 

[SuperLid]

Tuna-Tin 2, Heathkit HW-7, Sardine Sender, dixie cup and string.

 

[928bolo]

I like the Elecraft KX2 for CW. Small and self-contained.
Icom IC-705 for everything else.

 

[BJ radionut]

My Fav...FTDX3000D matched w/ DRAKE L4B

 

[dave457]

Ts 450

 

[Lost Ram]

Never owned a QRP rig. Figured the ones I liked could be turned down to 5-ish watts anyhow. My FT857D was small enough to take camping and hardly bigger then a QRP rig that interested me.

 

[doffo]

Never owned a QRP rig. Figured the ones I liked could be turned down to 5-ish watts anyhow. My FT857D was small enough to take camping and hardly bigger then a QRP rig that interested me.

Good radio! Apparently after some time the display can go bad on them, but like where pixels go missing or lines are going through it. Probably not much of an issue if you keep your radio inside VS leaving the radio in a mobile setup on many hot days/extreme cold.

 

[Lost Ram]

Good radio! Apparently after some time the display can go bad on them, but like where pixels go missing or lines are going through it. Probably not much of an issue if you keep your radio inside VS leaving the radio in a mobile setup on many hot days/extreme cold.

Mine was mobile and developed that issue but in a spot that was not critical. One of the locals wanted it really bad and paid me to much money for it, I didnt really want to sell but when he hit the $950 dollar amount I let it go and got the FT991. What an upgrade, so glad I sold it after that, I then sent it to Yaesu after the FT991A came out to get it up graded to the "A".

 

[AudioShockwav]

Apparently after some time the display can go bad on them, but like where pixels go missing or lines are going through it. Probably not much of an issue if you keep your radio inside VS leaving the radio in a mobile setup on many hot days/extreme cold.

My 897 is starting to show signs of the fault now after years of dragging it around to camping sites.
It's held up for a long time and seen some abuse, it was out on a bench one spring at Bass Lake California and we had a afternoon thunderstorm roll through.
I literally had to pour water out of the case when we got back to camp....
I keep meaning to order the external display but I have not done it yet.
It's still my favorite all in one portable radio.
The ability to run the internal battery pack or 12 volt makes it versatile.


73
Jeff

 

[Lost Ram]

My 897 is starting to show signs of the fault now after years of dragging it around to camping sites.
It's held up for a long time and seen some abuse, it was out on a bench one spring at Bass Lake California and we had a afternoon thunderstorm roll through.
I literally had to pour water out of the case when we got back to camp....
I keep meaning to order the external display but I have not done it yet.
It's still my favorite all in one portable radio.
The ability to run the internal battery pack or 12 volt makes it versatile.


73
Jeff

I liked my FT897, it had the LDG tuner bolted to the side of it that was awesome, I held onto that longer then the FT857. The FT897 became the camp rig after I got the FT991. Eventually sold the 897, at that point I had two FT991A's. Camping with a scope was a really big advantage, yes, the 857 and 897 had a rudimentary scope but I never used them really. We always camped for two weeks around the 4th of July and I always worked the 13 colonies event, the 991 was a huge advantage with the scope. I never brought my rigs in the early days of our camping in tents. Once we got our first camper I brought it every time. Our second camper had an outdoor kitchen type deal with a pop up door so this was the perfect spot for my Ham gear. Our latest Fifth wheel has solar panels so it keeps two large batteries charged and the refrigerator running along with a few 120V outlets so I have used its solar powered 120V outlet for radio stuff when the power at the campground has been out.

 

[AudioShockwav]

The scope is at most crude and configured poorly unfortunately.
That feature could have been much better with a programming tweak but.....
It's old by today's standards but still serves me well, it got me a contact in South Korea last summer on a homemade dipole about 10' off the ground on the battery, old girl still works.

73
Jeff

 

[Lost Ram]

I love to take some coax, ladder line, wire (Normally pre cut multi band lengths), and a couple current baluns and make my own doublets or dipoles as you talk about. Those far off contacts with the camp gear are Kewl!!