FT-5000

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FT-5000

Locherbob
It surely looks like it will be a nice radio some day if you like a big
bruiser with loads of knobs. I don't. Yaesu has a design philosophy of
"when in doubt, add a knob". But that's OK. I don't plan to buy one.

I would cheerfully bet a significant sum of money that the radio will
not be available at the very earliest before July of next year, and more
likely 2011. So why is it being advertised now? It is an attempt to stop
the K3 parade - to freeze sales. The term in the software industry is
"Vaporware" and for our European brethren, "Vapourware". And it serves
the same purpose.

Yaesu did the same for the FT-9000 - it was announced and advertised a
year or more in advance of delivery in order to slow down the Icom 7800.
(And I bet the FT-9000 will now quietly go away. The 7800 is eating the
9000's lunch, and dealers hate the 9000 order policies.)

On the other hand Yaesu was shipping FT-2000's very shortly after it was
announced. Why the difference? The FT1000 was selling well and Yaesu did
not want to cannibalize sales of the FT-1000 until stock was pretty well
depleted and the FT2000 was ready. They pulled off the transition rather
neatly.

I think it a very safe assumption to say that the photos of the FT5000
are of one very expensively hand-built prototype that is an empty box
inside the panels, that there are lab models of the radio that do pretty
much meet specs, and a furious design effort going on to deliver the
promises. I predict that the radio WILL be shown at Dayton - inside a
screwed together acrylic box.

Actually it is a pretty simple choice - you can wait for a box of
promises or buy a proven radio today.

73 de Bob Locher W9KNI



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Re: FT-5000

n7ws


--- On Mon, 11/23/09, Bob Locher <[hidden email]> wrote:

Actually it is a pretty simple choice - you can wait for a box of
promises or buy a proven radio today.

I seem to remember Elecraft taking orders and shipping a year later.  I know I waited a year, until delivery times were down to a month, before I placed an order.




     
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Re: FT-5000

Locherbob
No doubt true - but the radio WAS shipping within a few months and was
not vaporware.

Wes Stewart wrote:

>
>
> --- On *Mon, 11/23/09, Bob Locher /<[hidden email]>/* wrote:
>
>
>     Actually it is a pretty simple choice - you can wait for a box of
>     promises or buy a proven radio today.
>
> I seem to remember Elecraft taking orders and shipping a year later.  
> I know I waited a year, until delivery times were down to a month,
> before I placed an order.
>
>
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Re: FT-5000

Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ
Administrator
Guys - Let's turn down the FT-5000 discussion volume a bit and try to
limit it to key features, performance etc. (once we learn more details.
) we're always interested in what our competition is doing, si if you
learn something new, please feel free to post here.

We appreciate the positive feedback on our products, service and owner
interaction, but let's try to avoid going overboard arguing back and
forth. Its probably causing severe email overload for most list readers. ;-)

73, Eric  WA6HHQ
List moderator
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Re: FT-5000

David Gilbert
In reply to this post by Locherbob

Plus, if I remember correctly, taking pre-orders for the K3 allowed
Elecraft to accept partial deposits, which would have been an important
source of capitalization for a small company ... rather than being
merely a marketing ploy designed to subvert competition.

And yes, Elecraft continues to pre-announce other new products, but for
the purpose of soliciting customer feedback that often results in
changes before the product actually hits the channel.  I sincerely doubt
that a written petition with 500 signatures delivered by couriers
carrying AK-47's would cause Yaesu to change anything on the FTDX-5000MP
at this point.

73,
Dave   AB7E


Bob Locher wrote:

> No doubt true - but the radio WAS shipping within a few months and was
> not vaporware.
>
> Wes Stewart wrote:
>  
>> --- On *Mon, 11/23/09, Bob Locher /<[hidden email]>/* wrote:
>>
>>
>>     Actually it is a pretty simple choice - you can wait for a box of
>>     promises or buy a proven radio today.
>>
>> I seem to remember Elecraft taking orders and shipping a year later.  
>> I know I waited a year, until delivery times were down to a month,
>> before I placed an order.
>>
>>
>>    
> ______________________________________________________________
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>
>  
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Re: FT-5000

Julius Fazekas n2wn
In reply to this post by Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ
One thing I see that looks appealing is the four position antenna selection. It's unclear whether this is standard or an option.

Wondered what prompted them to add this?

73,
Julius
n2wn
Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html

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http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2        #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366
Elecraft K3/100
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Re: FT-5000

K9BF
The antenna switch is a good idea but not for me. Many hams will run a linear which will require the antenna switch to be placed after the amplifier. But if one had a seperate antenna for 6, the antenna switch would be handie.

I am really looking forward to checking out the 5000. I have a FT1000MP MV that is about 10 years old. The FT2000 is not enough of an upgrade from the Mark V for me and the FT9000 is to expensive. I am guessing the price tag on the new 5000 will be somewhere near $5000. I might be able to get my wife to go along at that price. Has anyone have a better idea of the cost?

Ben K9BF
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Re: FT-5000

Bill W4ZV
K9BF wrote
I am guessing the price tag on the new 5000 will be somewhere near $5000. I might be able to get my wife to go along at that price. Has anyone have a better idea of the cost?
Only 1.5 times the cost of a better performing K3/KRX3.  The 5000's Sub RX front end will be very inferior to that in the K3, and true diversity will not be possible without a beat offset.  JMHO...time (maybe lots of it) will tell.

73,  Bill
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Re: FT-5000

lstavenhagen
Well I dunno. From looking at the specs on the website, I can't see that the FT-5000 is going to offer anything over and above what you can get with the K3, really. At least nothing off the top of my head that would justify the extra cost.

The only feature I see appearing on more rigs that I'd say Elecraft might want to look into is the 200W final amp. This is nice because, IMO,
- it reduces the need to go kilowatt with an outboard amp. True it's only a doubling of the typical 100W output, but you can go for quite a while longer without having to invest in a KW.
- more headroom for high-duty cycle modes like the digital modes. I.e. you can go 100% duty-cycle at higher power levels than with a 100W final.
- very very cushy duty on the final when you are driving an amplifier, particularly one of the older dual 3-500Z amps which can require quite a bit of drive to get to full power. You can run that higher drive level into it all day long without having to be flat out or close to it like you sometimes are with a 100W final into one of the "boat anchors".

It's probably a relatively low investment in R&D and parts, etc., for Elecraft to implement too (tho maybe the size might be a problem in the K3?).

That'd be my suggestion as far as a good bang/buck investment Elecraft could make.

The claimed IP3 performance of the 5000 is pretty good indeed, but I'll believe it when I see it. Like I said a lot of these boxes are still trying to match the K2 as far as performance hi hi.

73,
LS
W5QD

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Re: FT-5000

ha4zd
In reply to this post by Bill W4ZV
Price is on Texastowers.com.

István

Bill W4ZV wrote:

> K9BF wrote:
>  
>> I am guessing the price tag on the new 5000 will be somewhere near $5000.
>> I might be able to get my wife to go along at that price. Has anyone have
>> a better idea of the cost?
>>
>>    
>
> Only 1.5 times the cost of a better performing K3/KRX3.  The 5000's Sub RX
> front end will be very inferior to that in the K3, and true diversity will
> not be possible without a beat offset.  JMHO...time (maybe lots of it) will
> tell.
>
> 73,  Bill
>
>  



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Re: FT-5000

lstavenhagen
In reply to this post by Locherbob
Oh and BTW,

I wouldn't make too much of the "vaporware" thing. Producing a rig of the performance and quality level of the K3 isn't an easy or cheap undertaking for anybody. If it were, everyone would be doing it and they'd all be being delivered the next day after the announcement of their release and be selling for 10 bucks hi hi.

Like in the SW world, it's a really hard thing to do to deliver something high quality for an acceptable price. So I'm neither surprised nor dismayed by delays and such in new products from really anyone including Yeasu and Elecraft. Just the nature of the beast hi.

73,
LS
W5QD
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Re: FT-5000

Phil LaMarche-2
In reply to this post by lstavenhagen

I would certainly send my K3 to Elecraft for the 200 watt upgrade.  I'm
using a IC-775DSP from a friend while my K3 is back to the factory for the 2
meter mod and what a difference in signal reports.  I have a 70 ft tower
next to a lake and if I had 200 watts, I wouldn't need a linear.  I'm
breaking pile ups with first or second call.  100 watts takes a little
longer. Honestly, I was shocked.  Using the K3 to drive my AL80B, I only use
500 watts max and that is a waste of money.

Phil


Philip LaMarche
 
LaMarche Enterprises, Inc
 
727-944-3226
727-937-8834 Fax
727-510-5038 Cell
 
www.w9dvm.com
 
K3 #1605
 
CCA 98-00827
CRA 1701
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of lstavenhagen
Sent: Friday, February 26, 2010 11:00 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] FT-5000


Well I dunno. From looking at the specs on the website, I can't see that the
FT-5000 is going to offer anything over and above what you can get with the
K3, really. At least nothing off the top of my head that would justify the
extra cost.

The only feature I see appearing on more rigs that I'd say Elecraft might
want to look into is the 200W final amp. This is nice because, IMO,
- it reduces the need to go kilowatt with an outboard amp. True it's only a
doubling of the typical 100W output, but you can go for quite a while longer
without having to invest in a KW.
- more headroom for high-duty cycle modes like the digital modes. I.e. you
can go 100% duty-cycle at higher power levels than with a 100W final.
- very very cushy duty on the final when you are driving an amplifier,
particularly one of the older dual 3-500Z amps which can require quite a bit
of drive to get to full power. You can run that higher drive level into it
all day long without having to be flat out or close to it like you sometimes
are with a 100W final into one of the "boat anchors".

It's probably a relatively low investment in R&D and parts, etc., for
Elecraft to implement too (tho maybe the size might be a problem in the
K3?).

That'd be my suggestion as far as a good bang/buck investment Elecraft could
make.

The claimed IP3 performance of the 5000 is pretty good indeed, but I'll
believe it when I see it. Like I said a lot of these boxes are still trying
to match the K2 as far as performance hi hi.

73,
LS
W5QD


--
View this message in context:
http://n2.nabble.com/FT-5000-tp4052723p4639973.html
Sent from the [HAM] mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: FT-5000

David Christ
In reply to this post by lstavenhagen
These are two quite different animals with different design
objectives.  The FT-5000 weighs 46 pounds and runs on household AC.
The K3 weighs 8 pounds and runs off 12 VDC.  And here we bump into
reality when it comes to 200W.  Getting 200 W out of 12 V finals
would be a real trick if you want a clean signal. Each rig fits its
own segment of the market, and part of the market would be happy with
either.  I doubt that Elecraft needs to loose much sleep over the
FT-5000.

David K0LUM

At 7:59 AM -0800 2/26/10, lstavenhagen wrote:

>Well I dunno. From looking at the specs on the website, I can't see that the
>FT-5000 is going to offer anything over and above what you can get with the
>K3, really. At least nothing off the top of my head that would justify the
>extra cost.
>
>The only feature I see appearing on more rigs that I'd say Elecraft might
>want to look into is the 200W final amp. This is nice because, IMO,
>- it reduces the need to go kilowatt with an outboard amp. True it's only a
>doubling of the typical 100W output, but you can go for quite a while longer
>without having to invest in a KW.
>- more headroom for high-duty cycle modes like the digital modes. I.e. you
>can go 100% duty-cycle at higher power levels than with a 100W final.
>- very very cushy duty on the final when you are driving an amplifier,
>particularly one of the older dual 3-500Z amps which can require quite a bit
>of drive to get to full power. You can run that higher drive level into it
>all day long without having to be flat out or close to it like you sometimes
>are with a 100W final into one of the "boat anchors".
>
>It's probably a relatively low investment in R&D and parts, etc., for
>Elecraft to implement too (tho maybe the size might be a problem in the
>K3?).
>
>That'd be my suggestion as far as a good bang/buck investment Elecraft could
>make.
>
>The claimed IP3 performance of the 5000 is pretty good indeed, but I'll
>believe it when I see it. Like I said a lot of these boxes are still trying
>to match the K2 as far as performance hi hi.
>
>73,
>LS
>W5QD
>
>
>--
>View this message in context:
>http://n2.nabble.com/FT-5000-tp4052723p4639973.html
>Sent from the [HAM] mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>______________________________________________________________
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>Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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>Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
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>Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

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Re: FT-5000

n7ws
In reply to this post by Phil LaMarche-2
Probably not to your ham neighbors who have fewer IMD products to suffer.

If Elecraft, or anyone else, offers 200W without going to 28-50V FET finals, I'm not interested.

--- On Fri, 2/26/10, Phil LaMarche <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Using the K3 to
> drive my AL80B, I only use
> 500 watts max and that is a waste of money.
>
> Phil



     
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Re: FT-5000

Bob - W0GI
In reply to this post by Locherbob
It looks like the price will be between $5500 and $6300.

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0355.html

In that it has a 9mHz first IF with a 300Hz roofing filter available, it looks like it will be a very good radio.

That said, I don't see why we would compare it to the K3. It's a big heavy radio, with a lot of knobs.  Some people like big radios with lots of knobs. I still like my Mark-V for SSB and even CW when the bands aren't crowded. But the K3 blocking is so superior to the Mark-V, that for pile-ups it is king.

Like the Mark-V, the FT5000 will have a lot of convenience features. As I figure out the K3 programmers reference, I will be adding things I want, like IF/Shift/NR presets through macros for the K3. I think that is fun, others just want buttons on the radio, and don't want to mess with macros.

Performance wise, the K3 is on top, but it is also a very technical radio. Some items like AGC and NR have a lot of configuration available. I think that's a good thing, but others just want to push a button, and will settle for a good compromise.

I don't have any pressing desire for an FT-5000, but I could buy a used one a few years from now to replace the Mark-V, once the bugs are worked out, and it doesn't cost a lot of extra money.

That said, the K3 will be in my shack for a long time. It does everything I need very well. The Mark-V is just a toy I still like to operate, but it doesn't do anything better then the K3, other then 200w, but that isn't a big factor. It just has lots of buttons, and some convenience. :>)

I personaly think a comparison is apples and oranges. Small portable radio with low current draw vs big, heavy radio that requires an AC power supply.

 
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Re: FT-5000

Nick - VE3EY
In reply to this post by lstavenhagen
It is nice for Yaesu to finally do something that Ten-Tec and Elecraft have
been doing for years.  Though they want twice the amount of money for that
big nice radio.  I don't know nothing about how the R&D investment works and
how they come up with the pricing, but in my opinion, at this stage this
still makes them technology followers - not the leaders.

Even their QST add clearly indicates that: "The answer"

When K3 got announced it was a quantum leap ahead of my existing MKV which
was a good radio (filled with Inrad filters) for its time.  Investing a
'few' extra grand in addition to what I got for my MKV was worth for me
given the additional value K3 brought home.

Now looking at FTDX5000, some specs look great and I would love to have a
nice looking radio such as this one, but for me the cost does not justify
it.

I still think Yaesu will sell lots of those.

Perhaps it would have been a different story if this was a direct sampling
radio..

73,  Nick
ve3ey



On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 11:44 AM, David Christ <[hidden email]> wrote:

> These are two quite different animals with different design
> objectives.  The FT-5000 weighs 46 pounds and runs on household AC.
> The K3 weighs 8 pounds and runs off 12 VDC.  And here we bump into
> reality when it comes to 200W.  Getting 200 W out of 12 V finals
> would be a real trick if you want a clean signal. Each rig fits its
> own segment of the market, and part of the market would be happy with
> either.  I doubt that Elecraft needs to loose much sleep over the
> FT-5000.
>
> David K0LUM
>
> At 7:59 AM -0800 2/26/10, lstavenhagen wrote:
> >Well I dunno. From looking at the specs on the website, I can't see that
> the
> >FT-5000 is going to offer anything over and above what you can get with
> the
> >K3, really. At least nothing off the top of my head that would justify the
> >extra cost.
> >
> >The only feature I see appearing on more rigs that I'd say Elecraft might
> >want to look into is the 200W final amp. This is nice because, IMO,
> >- it reduces the need to go kilowatt with an outboard amp. True it's only
> a
> >doubling of the typical 100W output, but you can go for quite a while
> longer
> >without having to invest in a KW.
> >- more headroom for high-duty cycle modes like the digital modes. I.e. you
> >can go 100% duty-cycle at higher power levels than with a 100W final.
> >- very very cushy duty on the final when you are driving an amplifier,
> >particularly one of the older dual 3-500Z amps which can require quite a
> bit
> >of drive to get to full power. You can run that higher drive level into it
> >all day long without having to be flat out or close to it like you
> sometimes
> >are with a 100W final into one of the "boat anchors".
> >
> >It's probably a relatively low investment in R&D and parts, etc., for
> >Elecraft to implement too (tho maybe the size might be a problem in the
> >K3?).
> >
> >That'd be my suggestion as far as a good bang/buck investment Elecraft
> could
> >make.
> >
> >The claimed IP3 performance of the 5000 is pretty good indeed, but I'll
> >believe it when I see it. Like I said a lot of these boxes are still
> trying
> >to match the K2 as far as performance hi hi.
> >
> >73,
> >LS
> >W5QD
> >
> >
> >--
> >View this message in context:
> >http://n2.nabble.com/FT-5000-tp4052723p4639973.html
> >Sent from the [HAM] mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> >______________________________________________________________
> >Elecraft mailing list
> >Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> >Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> >Post: mailto:[hidden email]
> >
> >This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> >Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
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Re: FT-5000

AD4C2009
In reply to this post by Bob - W0GI
The FTDX-5000 will never be a better radio that our K3's but indeed is a very promising receiver because of the adittion of new real roofing filters for 15, 6  and 3Khz as standard installation at the first IF instead of the poor performance MCF (monolitic ceramic filter) that they have been using at the FT950 and FT-2000,it look like finally Yaesu has given a step forward in receivers design to improve performance.
 
AD4C
 


"For a refined ham it is compulsory to own a k3"

--- On Fri, 2/26/10, Bob - W0GI <[hidden email]> wrote:


From: Bob - W0GI <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] FT-5000
To: [hidden email]
Date: Friday, February 26, 2010, 5:03 PM



It looks like the price will be between $5500 and $6300.

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0355.html

In that it has a 9mHz first IF with a 300Hz roofing filter available, it
looks like it will be a very good radio.

That said, I don't see why we would compare it to the K3. It's a big heavy
radio, with a lot of knobs.  Some people like big radios with lots of knobs.
I still like my Mark-V for SSB and even CW when the bands aren't crowded.
But the K3 blocking is so superior to the Mark-V, that for pile-ups it is
king.

Like the Mark-V, the FT5000 will have a lot of convenience features. As I
figure out the K3 programmers reference, I will be adding things I want,
like IF/Shift/NR presets through macros for the K3. I think that is fun,
others just want buttons on the radio, and don't want to mess with macros.

Performance wise, the K3 is on top, but it is also a very technical radio.
Some items like AGC and NR have a lot of configuration available. I think
that's a good thing, but others just want to push a button, and will settle
for a good compromise.

I don't have any pressing desire for an FT-5000, but I could buy a used one
a few years from now to replace the Mark-V, once the bugs are worked out,
and it doesn't cost a lot of extra money.

That said, the K3 will be in my shack for a long time. It does everything I
need very well. The Mark-V is just a toy I still like to operate, but it
doesn't do anything better then the K3, other then 200w, but that isn't a
big factor. It just has lots of buttons, and some convenience. :>)

I personaly think a comparison is apples and oranges. Small portable radio
with low current draw vs big, heavy radio that requires an AC power supply.


--
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Re: FT-5000

lstavenhagen
In reply to this post by Nick - VE3EY
I've always been a no-frills type when it comes to rigs, so it's hard for me to see the appeal of the fancier features of the rigs from the Big Three. So it's hard for me to come up with things they offer that Elecraft doesn't that would appeal to me to make me choose theirs rather than Elecraft.

But it strikes me as mostly creature-comforts that make the big rigs appealing rather than just good basic performance. I don't think there's a rig out there that exceeds the performance of the K3's RX period at the current time? Much less for only about 2 grand.

It's probably things like computer interfaces - SDR capabilities - and support for all the various digital modes etc., that maybe Wayne and Eric might have the most concern about with the competition.

As for me, even my K2 is a stunning upgrade in RX performance over everything I've tried from other manufacturers and I even built the little guy myself as my very first electronic anything kit. Wound the toroids myself too. And it still works better for me than anything else I've tried to date....

So the K3 I can only imagine what it'd be like to have a rig of that caliber.

So as far as making any useful suggestions I'm unfortunately out of ideas at the moment...

LS
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Re: FT-5000

alorona
In reply to this post by Locherbob
> But it strikes me as mostly creature-comforts that make the big rigs
> appealing rather than just good basic performance.

The other night I was talking to a ham in Nevada who is an accomplished DXer and contester, who was really "trying to like" the K3 but just couldn't get over the "plain looks" of it. He'd seen one in person but wasn't impressed by the "boxy box". His head told him that the K3 was a better rig, but his heart is still with the FT-1e6 type of radio.

I told him straight out he wouldn't be happy with a K3. Because a lot of guys are seduced by the cute, sculptured body of the Japanese rigs that looks like they just poured plastic and metal into a Jello mold of nooks and crannies. They can't resist eye candy like lots of blue lights, gobs of silk-screening makeup and asymmetrical pink buttons.

Any 50-something will tell a younger man contemplating marriage that looks aren't everything. What really counts is inside that "box", and whether she can withstand the rigors of raising a family over the long haul. But, alas, some men are suckers for a pretty face and a bubbly personality, even with all of its intractable flaws underneath.
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Re: FT-5000

n7ws
In reply to this post by AD4C2009
I realize this is already OT and making any critical comments about K3s is dangerous in this forum, but how can you say this?

Are there some published data on the FT5000 somewhere that prove this?  I don't know anything about Yaesus, the last one I owned was labeled Henry Tempo One (FT200) and I'm not here to defend them but until data are available, who knows?

But if one wants to guess, it's practically guaranteed that the transmit IMD performance will be far superior in the FT.  If that's the case and we want to use that as a criteria (I think we should) then it can be argued that the FT2000 is "better" than the K3.

If you can insert a mono plug into the audio output jack on the FT without blowing the amplifier chip, does that make *it* better?

How about if it has fewer internal birdies?  What if it's not deaf on 10 and 6 meters?

Personally, I'm reasonably happy with my K3 and I'm not interested in the FT5000 (although the new Kenwood tease might be a different story) but the K3 still has warts.  And it appears that it's *done* at least for now, as I suspect the P3 has all of the focus these days.

Wes  N7WS

--- On Fri, 2/26/10, Hector Padron <[hidden email]> wrote:

> The FTDX-5000 will never be a better
> radio that our K3's...[snip]


     
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