Davichko5650

I can see it now, it'd be the equivalent of the old "Are you gonna buy that magazine sir, or just stand here in the store and read it?"

DXE has it $300 off right now, only $5,999.95!!!

Relaxing way to send some RF out. I use two-way radio all day at work so I tend to favor digital modes when at home during the week. FT8/4 for just seeing who is out there, rare DX or DXpeditons, and good propagation indicator, for rag chews I tend to run VarAC, PSK31 or JS8. RTTY has always been a favorite mode, but not much of it out there other than for contests...

mouse and dvi monitor added, here's the current shack set up -

Like our Sat Nite NCS, his French Bulldog's name is Toast, so he always calls him KT0AST, and adds a couple arf' arf's for him. Dunno what he'd do if somebody grabbed that as a vanity call...

Liking it very much! Took a bit of playing with the Mic settings to dial in the transmit audio on Phone, but getting good reports on that now. Very easy to configure for the digital modes I use (PSK, VarAC, JS8, etc. etc.). Like the waterfall, 3DSS display and the Oscilloscope display. Using the touch screen took a little learning curve for this knobs n dials kinda guy, but that was a fun one, and still working on that a bit. On the SW Bands, really has great RX audio, that also took some adjusting to dial in to my liking. AESS is a bit of a gimmick, but the SP40 speaker does sound better than the one on the rig, and really shines when listening to AM broadcast and SW bands. Only dislike is trying to use 60m band on digital, as there's a bit of changing settings on the programs to get it to work. My FT-450D is MARS modded from the dealer, so 60m is wide open to use there. So far, so good!

I scan while mobile, but mostly hear the FRS users around me. I have never actually heard anyone on the local repeaters calling out a radio check, but I would respond were I to hear one. 4 locals I talk to a few times a week on CH 19, 2 of whom are also Amateurs, but I spend the bulk of my time on HF for that, and they being Tech's I can only get them on 10m as they don't do CW...

Spouse opted for Lobster & King Crab instead - boooooo. Well, since I picked up the FT-710, I figured I'd get her what she wanted!

I have seen the number 1 issue vetched about, hey, get those fingers on a diet, LOL. I experience issue 2 on the 710 as well, but not a big problem. Once I have most things set up, number 3 also hasn't been much of an issue on the 710. Adding the mouse and the DVI monitor will help on those.

Very much liking it. Took a bit of tweaking to get the Mic audio sounding good, but was fun doing it. Easy set up for CAT control for digital modes with the built in soundcard. Have mouse and DVI monitor coming to hook up next. Not going to get rid of the FT-450 it replaces, that'll be a backup and one I can take out in the field for portable ops. But can't go wrong with any of the others there. Have used the 7300. "The People's Radio" and was very impressed with it. Haven't tried a Ftdx10, but it's Yaesu, so gots to be good!

Got the FT-710 a week ago Saturday...

More geared towards Broadcast Radio, but we'll take what we can get and be on the air when we can! 13 February is a date proclaimed by UNESCO to celebrate radio broadcast, improve international cooperation among radio broadcasters and encourage decision-makers to create and provide access to information through radio, including community radios.

Agree! I can count on half of one hand the number of times I've used the repeaters in my area. I got into GMRS in 2017 (cue the "I've been a H.A.M. for (years") and at the time was not active as an Amateur Operator, although licensed. I got it for using in Northern MN where, at the time, there was zero cell phone coverage. Used to talk from Cabin to boat and back, to talk mobile to cabin and around the resort area. Current usage is that, as well as on off road trips, solo or group, around the house (beats yelling) and with a small group of friends in the neighborhood to chat on occasion on simplex. On the amateur side of radio, got back into that in 2020 and about 99% of activity there is on HF, and most of that on digital modes. Talk all day at work on two-ways, so like to chat via keyboards to those random strangers Randy warned us all about! If you're getting into GMRS as a "gateway" or "Ham Lite", it's not really where it's at. OTOH, not my place to tell people what to do, so those that do, it's their choice.

I can see Randy writing in "Nunya" on the form!

I seem to find a lot of veterans with radio backgrounds, like myself, on the ham bands! I was a Voice Intercept Operator (98G) Arabic with Secondary MOS's as 05H and 05C for Morse and RTTY, as well as having the K3 designator indicating I was an ECM operator as well in the ASA/INSCOM back in the mid-late 70's. I was already a radio hobbyist in the AM broadcast DX and SWL world. Most my instructors for the radio stuff in the Army were Hams, and bugged all of us to get our tickets. Didn't get mine until 1992 as a No-Code Tech. Upgraded to Tech+ with the 5 wpm CW test in 1996. Was off the air for about 15 years what with Life intervening, but got back into it in October 2020 getting my General and then my Extra in Jan. of 2022. Got into GMRS in 2017 for comms up north where there is no or spotty Cell or internet service. Was WQUR589, but forgot to renew, so now I'm WRJG283 in that service.