CROSSBAND REPEATER REVIEW

I WAS HOOKED. I WOULD LEAVE THE 732 AT HOME. I WAS ABLE TO EXPAND THE RANGE OF MY HT BY USING CROSSBAND.  

THE KENWOOD 732 MANUAL EXPLAINED THE EASY TO USE CROSSBAND FEATURE IN DEPTH AND WHEN AWAY FROM HOME,  I WAS ABLE TO USE MY HOME STATION TO CONTACT REPEATERS THAT THE HT JUST COULD NOT REACH BY ITSELF.

UPDATE DECEMBER 2002

I PASSED MY GENERAL TEST AND WAS READY TO BUY A HF RIG.

I HAD CALLED AND TALKED TO 6 OR 7 DEALERS AND THE RADIOS THEY RECOMMEND TO ME WERE IN MOST CASES RADIOS THAT WERE ON SALE AND IN SOME CASES I WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE INABILITY OF SOME OF THEM TO ANSWER WHAT I THOUGHT WERE QUESTION THAT THEY SHOULD KNOW.

I HAD MY MOTHER CALL AND TALK TO SOME OF THE SAME SALES PEOPLE AND SAY SHE WAS BUYING ME A RADIO AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT. IN MOST CASE THEY RECOMMEND A WHAT THEY CALLED A STARTER RADIO THAT I COULD GET MY FEET WET WITH HF RADIO AND LATER, UPGRADE TO A MORE FULL FEATURE RADIO OR BUY ADD ON ACCESSORIES LIKE A DSP UNIT OR ANTENNA TUNER OR OTHER ACCESSORIES. 

JIM, N0UQZ HAD BEEN RECOVERING FROM A SEVER CASE OF THE FLU AND HAD NOW RECOVERED. I CALLED HIM AND ASKED HIM OVER TO THE HOUSE TO HELP ME IN MY DECISION MAKING FOR A NEW RADIO. JIM EXPLAINED ALL 3 OF THE POPULAR BRANDS TO ME AND A LITTLE ABOUT EACH MODEL. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I LEARNED WAS NOT TO BUY A STARTER RADIO. HE ASKED ME IF I HAD EVER HEARD THIS MODEL OR THAT MODEL ON THE AIR EVER WHEN I WAS AT OTHER HAM FRIENDS DOING HF. I HAD TO ADMIT I DID NOT BELIEVE I HAD EVER HEARD ONE OF THEM ON THE AIR. HE ALSO EXPLAINED THAT SOME OF THE MODELS COULD HAVE VERY LITTLE UPGRADING DONE TO THEM, AND THAT THE UPGRADE WOULD GET THE PRICE UP TO WHERE I COULD SPEND A LITTLE MORE NOW AND GET MUCH MORE IN FEATURES THAT I COULD ENJOY NOW AND AND IN THE FUTURE. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT SOME OF THE RADIOS DID NOT OFFER FACTORY SOFTWARE, AND I HAD SOFTWARE THAT I ENJOYED USING WITH MY OTHER RADIOS SO I WANTED A RADIO THAT THE FACTORY HAD SOFTWARE FOR.

THEN HE HIT ME WITH THE BIG QUESTION!   HOW MUCH MONEY DID I WANT TO SPEND?

AFTER WE COVERED ALL THE MODELS,  I WANTED THE KENWOOD 2000 WITH ALL ITS FEATURES I HAD COME TO LOVE AND USE DAILY IN MY OTHER KENWOOD'S. OUCH! WHEN WE LOOKED UP THE PRICE IN MY FAVORITE HAM CATALOG I  REALIZED THAT IF I WANTED TO GET ON HF NOW I MUST RE EVALUATE MY IMMEDIATE AND NEAR FUTURE NEEDS. JIM EXPLAINED TO ME THAT SINCE I ALREADY HAD A DUALBANDER THAT I COULD USE THE CURRENT POWER SUPPLY I HAD.  BY THE WAY WHEN I PURCHASED MY POWER SUPPLY I WAS GOING TO BUY A SECOND RADIO SHACK 10 AMP AND JIM EXPLAINED TO ME FOR JUST A FEW DOLLARS MORE I COULD GET A 23 AMP POWER SUPPLY THAT WOULD HANDLE MOST OF THE HIGHER POWER REQUIREMENTS OF A HF RIG IN THE FUTURE SO I WOULD NOT NEED TO BUY A BIGGER POWER SUPPLY WHEN THAT TIME CAME. JIM EXPLAINED THE THE 23 AMP POWER SUPPLY WOULD HANDLE THE HF RIG AND THE DUALBANDER AT THE SAME TIME AS I WOULD ONLY BE KEYING UP ONE RADIO AT A TIME AND I WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO VHF/UHF WHILE I WAS TALKING ON THE HF RIG. THANK YOU JIM FOR ALL YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS!

JIM RECOMMENDED THE KENWOOD 570 SG OVER THE 570S, AS THE SG ALSO WOULD DO 6 METERS AND JIM EXPLAINED THAT WHEN 6 METERS OPENS UP THAT I WOULD GET THAT ADDITIONAL ENJOYMENT THAT 6 METERS OFFERS. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE KENWOOD 570 SG  WITH IT'S BUILT IN ANTENNA TUNER WOULD EVEN PROBABLY TUNE THE SWR ON THE 10 TO 80 METER ANTENNA I HAD DECIDED ON SO THAT THE PURCHASE OF A SEPARATE 6 METER ANTENNA WOULD NOT REQUIRED.

JIM WAS RIGHT! THE KENWOOD 570 SG  WAS PRICED IN MY BUDGET AND PROVIDED ME WITH BUILT IN DSP, ANTENNA TUNER, AM, FM, TONES, SWR METER, ADDITION OF 6 METER BAND, BROADCAST BAND, A SECOND ANTENNA CONNECTOR, FREE FACTORY SOFTWARE AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. THANK YOU AGAIN JIM FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION, I JUST COULD NOT BE MORE PLEASED.  SEE MY HOME PAGE WITH PHOTO OF THE NEW KENWOOD 570 SG AND MY KENWOOD V7A AND THE SAMLEX 1223 POWER SUPPLY.

SEE THE ULTIMATE KENWOOD REMOTE CONTROLLER  Kenwood Sky Command System

KENWOOD RADIO'S AND ACCESSORY REVIEWS