argonaut v
Submitted by billy daye on June 26, 2007 - 22:25.
General Discussion
Hi-Im looking to but a qrp rig,and am leaning towards the argonaut v.I also am considering the 703.I have to say that I am drawn to american made,although that will not be the only consideration.I also like the idea of 20 watts.Is there anyone out there that has the argov and can tell me what they think of it.This will be my first rig,and I am looking to stay qrp.Thanks-Billy-kb2wgb
Argo V
Submitted by billy daye on July 1, 2007 - 10:24.
Billy Daye -KB2WGB Hi Bruce-Thanks for the reply.I have been hashing this over for the last month, and after reviewing all that I could on the subject,I have gone ahead and ordered the Argo V.I also have ordered the Z11 pro (at) to go with it.As a starting ant.I have ordered the perth plus and tri-pod.It is all very confusing when you are first starting out and help such as yours is always appreciated.I live in Lubec Maine on the road to quody light house.It is the Easternmost point in the United States.There are three Ham op. on this road..One tech.,myself a gen.,and a third person I have not met yet as he is only a part time resident.At the moment I am the Easten most hf operator in the U.S. and probably one of the least knowledgeable.I hope I can change that soon.Thanks for your help. 72/73 Billy KB2WGB
Argo V
Hi Billy.
I see no one has replied to you yet on this. Hopefully you will hear from someone who has the Argo V. I have never owned an Argo, but they are very highly regarded. I am sure it would make a fine 'first rig' that you won't quickly outgrow.
Just to play devil's advocate here- In making your decision, try to decide what is important to you. For instance- how/ where do you intend to operate? If you are going to be primarily operating from a home station, then size, weight and power consumption are of less concern.
I don't know what the Argo needs for current on RX. I suspect it may need more power than the 703 on RX, and certainly when transmiting full power. What kind of antenna(s) do you expect to use? The 703 has an internal antenna tuner, the Argo does not.
On the other hand, there have been those that have had problems with the 703- at least one club member has had to send the radio back several times for repair, due to blown driver transistors. However, for everyone who has had a problem, I am sure there are many who have not.
As a parting thought, I give you this. I enjoy building and using my equipment. Have you considered the Elecraft K2? This is a VERY capable rig, designed with the QRPer in mind. I have a QRP version (up to 10 watts) With internal battery and antenna tuner and all the trimmings. I love it. Fully decked-out, it will cost you more than the Argo. But, I thoroughly enjoy mine. I have bought, built and sold many QRP rigs. I expect the K2 will change hands when they read my will.
72/73, Bruce N1RX