if you had to choose...

[mr_fx]

well I am a little low on cash... ummmm... the ex wife found a way to screw me over again

I miss HF, I need it HF again

SOOOOOOO... If you had to choose between a Yaesu 101e in good cosmetic shape and EXCELLENT electrical condition for $250 from a friend

OR

A heath kit Marauder HX-10 in perfect cosmetic shape and excellent electrical condition for $150 from a local

OR

a Yeasu FT-757GX that 'does not transmit, but receives just fine' for $200 OBO (local seller), this would be a possible project

 

[Wiseguy]

Door # 1

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

And borrow one from a good friend. No sticky fingers

 

[Shockwave]

The 101E may be the best choice if the 757 is not a simple fix. The only issue with the 101E is that replacing the 6JS6C tube finals is quickly becoming not economical.

The Marauder is just a transmitter and would need a receiver to go with it. Unless you're particularly fond of boat anchor equipment, this is a real pain to operate. Tuning a tube transmitter and then spotting the receive VFO to the same frequency is more work that running a transceiver.

Lets look at this 757 a little more. Unless someone was messing around inside the radio, this is a hard rig to blow up the transmitter on. It has ALC and SWR protection. The first thing to check is the push button switch on the back that says "linear". If the switch is in the wrong position the rig will not TX.

 

[Mudfoot]

I'd say a little diagnostic probing of the 757 would be my first route.

 

[kd-5-bgt]

The 101 ...good solid old radio that is built like a tank and if not hacked on will live a long time....oh yea and an outboard tuner

 

[Moleculo]

If you think you can revive the 757 for not much scratch, that might not be a bad way to go.

 

[MudDuck442]

I'm with Moleculo on the 757, but CHECK IT FIRST. See if its something simple like others have mentioned, the switch on the back. Maybe put it in TX mode and tap on it a bit to check for a loose connection or solder joint, easy fixes. I am not sure what is within the scope of your repair abilities and what is not (I mean no offense by this) but I would hate to see you spend money on something that would end up being a project forever and sitting on a shelf due to cost to repair after just buying it.

If that isn't available, then I would go with the FT-101, and hey there's nothing wrong with a little older rig. It would work and they are fun to operate!

Of course, if I may be as so bold to mention, perhaps with the whole ex-wife thing you should be thinking about operating on microwave instead of HF. I think technically this would make more sense. Just have her hold the array when transmitting and it might "fix" whatever is going on upstairs. We have a lot that we are still learning about science and as everyone knows, the hobby is all about learning.