Need opinions on my first HF rig

[old goat 321]

I thought it would be easy to pick out my first rig but i am wrong. I would like to keep the cost for a radio at around a grand or used and less. Im newly licensed and really dont know squat. I almost pulled the trigger on a used Yaesu 1200. $650. Leaving some room for antennas, tuners and such. Which i know will be more. Also i like the Yaesu 3000. All the rave is for the IC7300. That i would buy new. And im pushing the edge with looking at used IC 7600. But isnt the 7600 getting a bit old? We have no stores around here to check radios out. All i have is you guys to kind of steer me away from a mistake. So, just some opinions, all will be welcomed.

 

[NightThumper]

Seriously you can’t go wrong with the IC-7300. The Yaesu 1200 and 3000 are very good radios as well. IC-7300 gets the nod.

 

[old goat 321]

Im leaning between the 7300 and the 3000. Thanks

 

[NightThumper]

I own the IC-7300 and the IC-7610. Most of the time I don’t need the features of the 7610 but they are handy. Several friends have the FT-3000 and love them. Both radios sound good on the air as well. Eham.net gives them both a 4.7 out of 5 rating. Here’s a link comparing the two radios. https://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php?topic=113659.0

 

[w9cll]

Icom 718 and take the rest of the money and roll that into the antennas. The 7300 is a great rig but if your just starting out you won't use 90% of what the 7300 offers. Right now its a learning experience, you are better off to get the antenna right and save on the rig.

 

[543_Dallas]

I have a 1200. Its a nice radio but I wish I would have paid more and got the 3000 for the better receiver. My first rig was a kenwood ts440 and the 1200 was a big step up. Lots of people like the 7300. All I can say about them is that they sound good.

Antennas for HF are dirt cheap if you have something to hang a dipole off of. Beware the plug and play whiz bang all band miracle antennas that "work great."

 

[NightThumper]

The IC-718 I believe was introduced in 2000 and is still in production today making it one of the longest running radios in production. It’s a great radio no doubt. If buying new the IC-718 would be almost $400 less than the IC-7300 and almost $800 less than the FT-3000. You can never go wrong with a good antenna, unfortunately some locations don’t yield themselves to high gain antennas and dipoles or verticals are the only option.

 

[old goat 321]

I own the IC-7300 and the IC-7610. Most of the time I don’t need the features of the 7610 but they are handy. Several friends have the FT-3000 and love them. Both radios sound good on the air as well. Eham.net gives them both a 7.5 rating. Here’s a link comparing the two radios. https://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php?topic=113659.0

Intetesting read. Seems the 7300 and the 3000 are close in performance but different animals. I like the heafty base like looks of the 3000 but like the bling on the 7300.

 

[old goat 321]

I have a 1200. Its a nice radio but I wish I would have paid more and got the 3000 for the better receiver. My first rig was a kenwood ts440 and the 1200 was a big step up. Lots of people like the 7300. All I can say about them is that they sound good.

Antennas for HF are dirt cheap if you have something to hang a dipole off of. Beware the plug and play whiz bang all band miracle antennas that "work great."

I have a 40 foot tower ready to go up. I cleaned, inspected and painted it over the winter. Also have plenty of room to run a wire. I was looking at the My Antenna 80/10. On the tower i was thinking about a yagi with my a99 on top for 11 meter.

 

[oldtymer]

Bling is nice to have but a good basic radio will perform as well as your antennas
allow.
Take your time & do a lot of research before you spend any money. You will be glad
in the long run.

 

[old goat 321]

Icom 718 and take the rest of the money and roll that into the antennas. The 7300 is a great rig but if your just starting out you won't use 90% of what the 7300 offers. Right now its a learning experience, you are better off to get the antenna right and save on the rig.

Thank you w9cll. Thats exactly what i was thinking when i was looking at the used 1200 for $650. I had mentioned before im newly licensed and dont know squat. But i do know the antenna and coax make the radio not the other way around. I have to take a look at the 718. Thank you.

 

[BJ radionut]

Go with the FTdx3000...own for about 5 years. Noise reduction/Contour Tuning/variable bandwidth tuning...All superior...The 1200 is close...scope NOT real time without optional board and Dual conversion receiver vs Triple in the 3000.
However either would serve you well.
All the Best
Gary

 

[unit_399]

Old Goat -

Before you buy anything, take a look at your location. Location means everything when it comes to being able to communicate well on amateur or cb radio. When I moved to Georgia from Southern California, the house I bought was in a valley between two mountains. No matter what I did I could not get out worth a damn. If you are in a decent location, maximize your antenna setup and go from there. There is no perfect radio. Some are easier to work with than others, but most rigs from the major manufacturers will do a good job if everything else in your setup is 100%.

- 399

 

[old goat 321]

Old Goat -

Before you buy anything, take a look at your location. Location means everything when it comes to being able to communicate well on amateur or cb radio. When I moved to Georgia from Southern California, the house I bought was in a valley between two mountains. No matter what I did I could not get out worth a damn. If you are in a decent location, maximize your antenna setup and go from there. There is no perfect radio. Some are easier to work with than others, but most rigs from the major manufacturers will do a good job if everything else in your setup is 100%.

- 399

Hey capo. My location isnt too bad. Maybe 1450 in elevation. About 10 miles west is a mountain chain thats maybe 1500 ft in elevation. That mountain chain runs for many many miles north and south. I talk to a few people in those mountains on 38lsb.

 

[543_Dallas]

I was looking at the My Antenna 80/10.

That's actually one of the whiz bang antennas I was thinking of.