I'm trying to decide between the Icom IC-703 and Yaesu FT-817 for a
portable QRP rig. I would probably get the optional narrow CW filter,
which is available for each.

I have downloaded the user manuals for each but haven't been able to
find much information about their built-in keyers.

IC-703 has a setup menu that chooses between a regular keyer and a bug.
I assume that the regular keyer uses an iambic paddle, but it doesn't
elaborate on how it works when the paddle is squeezed. Does it have dot
and dash insertion? Does it have automatic character spacing?

The FT-817 has even less information about the keyer. How does it work
with an iambic paddle?

I would appreciate any insight into the keyers, as well as any general
comments comparing the two rigs.

73, Fred
K4DII

My opinion would be, will you be QRP all the time? If not the 703 would be your best bet. If it is, the 817. Check out the eham.net site for information,as wellas bth Yahoo newsgroups. Hope this helps. KE5LDO












[

In article ,
KE5LDO wrote:

My opinion would be, will you be QRP all the time? If not the 703 would
be your best bet. If it is, the 817. Check out the eham.net site for
information,as wellas bth Yahoo newsgroups. Hope this helps. KE5LDO

Per your suggestion, I read some of the reviews on each at eham.com. My
impression is that most people like whichever one they have. None of
the reviews I read said anything about how the keyers work.

Comments from people that have had both, lean towards the IC-703.
Comments were made about the 703 having a very good built-in tuner, and
the 817 being too tiny.

Dale, W4OP, suggested that I consider the Elecraft K2 with its
outstanding receiver and low current drain. Eham reviews are mostly
positive, but my eyesight may not permit me to built one from the kit.

A quick check of E-Bay finds several 817s for sale, but no 703s or
Elecrafts.

73,
Fred
K4DII

You can purchase the Elecraft 2, 3, or any of the others completely built, also. I suffer the same problems with poor eyesight. KE5LDO

"KE5LDO" wrote in message
...

You can purchase the Elecraft 2, 3, or any of the others completely
built, also. I suffer the same problems with poor eyesight. KE5LDO




--
KE5LDO

Unless things have changed ( I have built 2 of the K2's) Elecraft does not
offer it built. They do however have independent builders they list on their
WEBsite.
The K3 may be purchased built- of course it only involves non-soldering
assembly of boards and panels anyway.
Dale W4OP

In article ,
"Dale Parfitt" wrote:

"KE5LDO" wrote in message
...

You can purchase the Elecraft 2, 3, or any of the others completely
built, also. I suffer the same problems with poor eyesight. KE5LDO

--
KE5LDO

Unless things have changed ( I have built 2 of the K2's) Elecraft does not
offer it built. They do however have independent builders they list on their
WEBsite.
The K3 may be purchased built- of course it only involves non-soldering
assembly of boards and panels anyway.
Dale W4OP

Last year I built an Anatek "blue" ESR meter kit that is probably quite
simple compared to the K2. There were several times where I soldered
parts into the wrong holes! After correcting the mistakes, it
eventually was finished and works well.

If I went with the K2, I'd build it myself. It might take a while.

The one complaint I've read about the K2, was that it drifts noticeably.
The specs on the Elecraft web site and in the K2 owner's manual, are not
very clear. The manual does mention a 100 Hz warm-up drift, and an
accuracy of "+/- 30 Hz over a 500 kHz range (typ) when calibrated". The
calibration procedure seems a bit awkward.

The K3 kit would be a lot easier to assemble, and a TCXO option is
available. On the other hand, the price of a 10 Watt K3 is somewhat
high. With the ATU, TCXO and a roofing filter, the price is around
$2000. An IC-703 might run around $1000, an FT-817 around $870.

73,
Fred
K4DII

In article ,
Fred McKenzie wrote:

With the ATU, TCXO and a roofing filter, the (K3) price is around
$2000. An IC-703 might run around $1000, an FT-817 around $870.

For a comparable setup, the FT-817 would need something like an LDG Z817
20 Watt autotuner. This would bring the cost to around $1000.

A comparably equipped K2 kit might run around $1300.

73,
Fred
K4DII