SURVEY RESULTS: What HF Radios do AmRRON Operators Use?
The following results are from a survey ran via the AmRRON Mobile Team App, asking participants the
make and model of their primary, daily use HF transceivers, as well as their secondary/backup HF rigs,
if they have one.
Finally, we asked how important they thought High Frequency (HF) capabilities are in grid-down emergency communications.
The response was not surprising.
209 Participants
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Top Ten list, overall, most commonly used (as either primary and backup)
HF transceivers:
Make/Model # of rigs
- Icom IC-7300 49
- Yaesu FT-857D 49
- Yaesu FT-891 29
- Yaesu FT-991A 20
- Icom IC-7100 18
- Icom IC-7200 17
- Kenwood TS-2000 17
- Icom 706 (incl MKIIG) 14
- Xiegu G90 12
- Yaesu FT-817D 12
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Question 1.
What is your PRIMARY High Frequency (HF) transceiver?
We only listed the top nine rigs in the chart above because there were four transceivers which tied
for tenth place, as you can see in the full list below.
Make/Model # of Rigs Primary Intended Use
- Icom 7300 41 Base
- Yaesu FT-857D 22 Mobile
- Kenwood TS-2000 17 Base
- Yaesu FT-991A 16 Base
- Icom 7200 13 Base
- Icom IC-7100 12 Base/Mobile
- Yaesu FT-891 12 Mobile
- Icom 706MKIIG 8 Mobile
- Xiegu G90 6 Portable QRP (low power)
- Elecraft KX-3 4 Portable QRP(low power)
- Icom 7610 4
- Icom 718 4
- Icom 746 4
- Icom 7610 4
- Kenwood TS-590SG 3
- Kenwood TS-890 3
- Yaesu FT-817ND 3
- Yaesu FT-890 3
- Yaesu FT-DX1200 3
- Xiegu G90 6
- Yaesu FT-897D 6
- Icom 706 (incl MKIIG) 5
- Icom IC-7000 4
- Icom IC-7200 4
- Yaesu FT-100D 4
- Yaesu FT-450 4
- Yaesu FT-991A 4
- Alinco DX-SR8T 2
- Icom 705 2
- Kenwood TS-480HX 2
- Xiegu X5105 2
- Yaesu FTDX-101 2
- Yaesu FT-890 2
- Alinco DX70 1
- Elecraft K2 1
- Elecraft KX2 1
- Flex Radio 6500 1
- Flex Radio 6700 1
- Icom 751A 1
- Icom 756 1
- Icom 7410 1
- Icom 7600 1
- Kenwood TS-50 1
- PreppComm DMX-40A 1
- Yaesu FT-100D 1
- Yaesu 459D 1
- Yaesu FT-900 1
Receive Only:
Collins R-390A 1
CountyComms GP-5 1
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Question 2: If you have a secondary/backup HF rig, what is it?
SECONDARY/BACKUP HF RIGS
Some respondents indicated more than one backup HF rig. For example, several indicated a secondary Mobile
or Base rig, plus a field portable backup. Some Indicated two backups — one being used and/or accessible on the shelf, with another (third) stored and protected in a faraday box/container.
Multiple respondents indicated no secondary/backup HF rigs, or receive-only capability as backup.
Make/Model
- Yaesu FT-857D 27
- Yaesu FT-891 17
- Yaesu FT-817D 12
- Icom IC-7300 8
- Icom 705 7
- Elecraft KX2 6
- Icom IC-7100 6
- Xiegu G90 6
- Yaesu FT-897D 6
- Icom 706 (incl MKIIG) 5
- Icom IC-7000 4
- Icom IC-7200 4
- Yaesu FT-100D 4
- Yaesu FT-450 4
- Yaesu FT-991A 4
- Kenwood TS-480 3
- Kenwood TS-2000 3
- TenTec Eagle 599 3
- Xiegu X-108G 3
- Discovery TX-500 2
- Elecraft KX3 2
- Icom IC-718 2
- Icom IC-746 2
- Kenwood TS-50 2
- Kenwood TS-440 2
- Swan 350 (350C) 2
- Yaesu FT-818 2
- AmRRON DMX-40A 1
- Comms Radio CTX-10 1
- Icom 703 1
- Icom 707 1
- Icom 751 1
- Kenwood TS-120S 1
- Yaesu FT-405 1
- Yaesu FT-200D 1
- Yaesu FT-891D 1
- Yaesu FT-920 1
- Yaesu FT-950 1
- Yaesu FT-990 1
- Yaesu FTDX-3000 1
Receive Only:
County Comms GP5 3
RTL-SDR style Dongle 3
Tecsun PL-880 2
Collins R-392 1
Hallicrafters SX-120 1
Tecsun PL-660 1
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Yaesu FT-950 base, backup Yaesu FT-897D
I was surprised not to see any EMP hardened rigs like the Collins KWM-2 or S-line twins or similar tube type ( not just finals) rigs. I know they are very heavy and power-hungry but a small 800 W generator would feed them. Just a thought for a 2nd backup.
Numbers 6 and 20 are the same rig. It’s that way with several of the radios it’s just how people wrote in the model number that is different. That said good list. Surprised that many people use the icom 7300 radio. I’ve heard it’s not that great on receiving and can be blanketed out by close by loud stations pretty easily. I guess people like it cause it’s cheap and an sdr.
Good eye! I thought that might happen (doubling up). I corrected it so the 7100 was removed from Line 20. Line 6 is accurate when adding all the 7100 + IC-7100 rigs.
I mentioned my primary rig as an FT-900 and my backup rig as a Swan 350 in the survey but neither rig made the list. I think these lists are incomplete.
Same I had a ft 950 as my backup and it’s not up there.
Thanks guys! I went through and added three different rigs that were missed. There were 209 entries and I thought I might overlook a couple, as the list had to be manually analyzed.
I was not a member when this came out but my one and only HF radio is the Lab 599 TX-500. I know people don’t recommend a QRP rig for their first HF radio but I’ve been having a great time with it our in the mountains. Its been working great for me doing SOTA activations and camping. Im thinking it will become a bit more popular around this group of people.
Welcome aboard. It’s true, generally a new ham getting into HF ‘should’ start with a full power rig. However, you’re doing what you love and you’re gaining valuable experience working QRP, which will likely make you a better operator in the long run.
Also the linear amplifier they make for those will have you running all the power you’ll need for the regularly scheduled AmRRON nets. https://qrznow.com/pa500-ultra-compact-rf-amplifier-with-tuner/
I identified three rigs that were overlooked, including the Swan 350 (and there were actually two of those). So far as I can tell, four were overlooked.
Very new ham here; currently have only a HT, Yaesu VX-6R, and am looking to get into HF.
I must look closely at the ICOM IC-7300 now–it is so dominant it just can’t be ignored.
But I was surprised at poor showing for Elecraft. It is made in USA! As such, I’d been expecting it to feature more prominently–yet it is only mentioned 4 times in the “backup” list.
Admittedly, other than Elecracft and MFJ (who have only a few single-band, single-mode transceivers in their product line) and a few QRP kit makers, there is relatively little being made in USA, so the pickings are slim…
All of my stuff is designed to be grab-and- go if needed. Even my base station radio(Yaesu FT-857D) is still very rucksack portable, and of course, all-band capable. An IC-7300 isn’t going to meet that requirement.
EMCOMM is the name of the game when the chips are down. It’s great to have the death star ham shack with all the wigets, big power, and bigger antennas, as long as you can still duplicate your capabilities to a successful degree in the field, where it counts, in any conditions.
I hope folks can get out and operate portable more often than ARRL field day and T-REX. It will pay off in the end.
What’s out there in an HF rig that is actually portable rugged enough for outdoors in lousy, cold, rainy, weather? The SOTA people lean towards Elecraft and FT-817/818 which surprises me–unless they only do their SOTA stuff in nice weather? Neither of those are really rugged, though they are light. In terms of ruggedness, the CommRadio CTX-10 (made in USA!) which is rugged, but not waterproof. I think only the LAB599 TX-500 is actually waterproof. Anyone know of anything else?
The FT-897D is very rugged and can run 20W from the dual internal batteries that allows one to charge while operating from the other. It puts out 100W with a 13.8V supply and is my primary field radio. My backup field radio is a KX3. If I had to choose another rugged radio it would be the IC-7200.
Hello, Sorry I missed the survey deadline,.
Primary HF Radio: Barrett 2050 w/ Barrett-911 Rmt Autotuner
Secondary: Q-Mac HF-90