Back up HF

[KCJ9091]

DX-SR8T or IC-718?

[WD4ELG]

Do you mean back up as in back-up secondary rig?  Why not invest that money on your antenna system instead?  $500 will go a long way.  Might even get you a directional antenna for the higher bands or a nice vertical for the lower ones (or maybe both!)

[ONAIR]

I agree, a good antenna is of major importance.  As far as the rigs go I have owned both, and the 718 is the superior of the two.

[KCJ9091]

It has been a difficult struggle to fit four 160m rhombics on the 3.3 acres And the rotor box for the 3-30 LP got jammed up by the 70+ wind gust yesterday. 

The simple answer to your concerns is I'm looking for something to put in the Travel trailer/under the canopy in the pits during race weekends/or on the picnic table for field day and to use for the weather nets while the primary is safely disconnected from the outside world.

[VE3PP]

It has been a difficult struggle to fit four 160m rhombics on the 3.3 acres And the rotor box for the 3-30 LP got jammed up by the 70+ wind gust yesterday. 

The simple answer to your concerns is I'm looking for something to put in the Travel trailer/under the canopy in the pits during race weekends/or on the picnic table for field day and to use for the weather nets while the primary is safely disconnected from the outside world.

I can not comment on the other radio but I can comment on the Icom 718. Simplicity at its finest. For a pack and go rig I think it would be just fine. I owned and operated mine for 4 years and never had any problems and it served the purpose. Sure it is not a $3000 radio with all the bells and whistles but it gets the job done. Read the reviews here and see what others say about it. I was quite happy with mine, sold it because I bought an Icom 7000. The 7000 did a better job on some local noise I had at the time.

[AF5CC]

I would go with the Alinco. The specs on both look about the same.  The Alinco has narrow CW and SSB filters as standard.  That is a $175 option on the Icom 718, and you have to go thru the work of actually installing it, which involved removing some circuit boards and soldering.  For some reason Icom didn't use the drop in filter method like they do on their other rigs.  You can only install 1 filter in the 718 unless you want to buy an aftermarket dual filter board from W4RT.  Added up the costs of filters, plus the board, plus the initial price difference makes the 718 cost twice as much as the Alinco to be equipped the same.

I have never understood the cult following the 718 has.  There are much better rigs out there that give you 6m as well, like the Yaesu FT450.

John AF5CC