You DO NOT NEED one NOW.Check out K1MAN & his 24 hour a day 7 day a week BROADCAST on 14.275.00.He has NOT had a VALID HAM RADIO LICENSE since his EXPIRED 10/17/05 yet he continues to IGNORE the "POWERLESS FCC"! IF they had ANY POWER he would have REMOVED him a LONG time ago & he knows they have ZERO MONEY,ZERO CONCERNS about him & ZERO POWER to put him off the air.They gave us EXCUSE after EXCUSE about having ZERO control over the Canadian BOZO because he lives in Canada & now the TRUTH comes out when an American station BROADCASTS(which is ILLEGAL)& is on the air with an EXPIRED license for over 4 years! Laura & the FCC keeps giving fines to 11 meter stations but the HAM BANDS are OFF THE HOOK & "NOTHING" is being or has been done!I understand K1MAN has SEVERAL stations on several other bands 24/7 as well but FORTUNATELY I have NOT heard ANY of them.I'm SURE the CURRENT SO CALLED LEADERSHIP has their eyes on SELLING away as much of the radio spectrum as possible INCLUDING the HAM BANDS so HANG ON TO YOUR HAT BOYS & GIRLS.

CLAYTON
W4KVW

Just an FYI.Have a local ham friend who tried EVERY "DUAL BAND" antenna at a dealers table at Dayton(Diamonds included)& was SUPRISED that the BEST of them all in test after test was the JETSTREAM RH771.He
liked it so much he told a bunch of us locals & we ALL have them now.I must say it does work BETTER on ALL of my HT's than the stock rubber ducks with NOT one stock duck coming even close.He has the model with the SMA connector & I have the BNC.The model # is a something different on the SMA but EASY enough to figure out when you search their website.I like my friends LOVE this antenna for BOTH 2 meters & 440 mhz usage.Get you one for LESS than a Diamond.

73,
CLAYTON
W4KVW

I also have a Signalink USB & it sends & receives CW just fine using Ham Radio Deluxe DM780 program which is FREE! Hope this is a help?

Clayton
W4KVW

I "HAD" a Yaesu 857D & it was the WORST radio I have EVER owned or operated.ALWAYS had an S-6 on noise on 6 meters in my shack & tried my 756 PROII & ICOM 746PRO & BOTH had ZERO noise! I tried running it mobile as well but the NOISE was even worse on ALL bands.It is basically the same rig as the 897D.Check the feedback on BOTH rigs here on eham & you'll see follks either LOVE them or HATE them BOTH!My ICOM 7000,ICOM 706 MII,& ICOM 706 were ALL quieter & the ORIGINAL 706 did NOT have DSP filtering?

Clayton
W4KVW

Replace it with an LED & NEVER replace it again!

CLAYTON
W4KVW

Same thing with a rubber plug for my ICOM T8A speaker microphone holes.FAST shipping & ZERO shipping charge!
Why EVERY RADIO I own is an "ICOM".GREAT gear,tech support,service,& parts department.ICOM RULES!

Clayton
W4KVW

"PLEASE" NOOOOOOOOOOO!

W4KVW

Upgrading is NOW so SIMPLE that many 8 to 10 year olds are doing it with little problem.If you decide NOT too do so then you can BLAME "ONLY YOURSELF"!The NO TEST ham ticket is still a few years away but I'm sure it's coming!

Clayton
W4KVW

Check ebay listing 120453873164 which is a BP-160 battery that is listed as fitting the T21 HT.

Clayton
W4KVW

I used a program called "CODE QUICK" & passed the code test with STRAIGHT COPY after just 8 evenings of study at 2 hours each evening.Dr.Wheeler(Mr.Code Quick)uses sound alikes for each character & it worked for me & FAST! }:>) If I can do it ANYBODY can!!!!!!

CLAYTON
W4KVW

I have my SECOND ICOM 746 PRO along with my ICOM 756 PROII in my shack.I traded the first 746 PRO for an ICOM 7000 for my pickup truck & missed it so much in my shack that I sold it back to the ham I traded with & bought my second 746 PRO.I think it is just as good a rig as my 756 PROII but I PREFER the display on the 756 PROII with the REAL TIME spectrum scope.I have also owned an original 746 which I also enjoyed VERY much.ICOM tech support is A++++++++++++ as well in my opinion.

Clayton
W4KVW
ICOM "ONLY" USER!!!!!

I think the PSK signal is EASIER for WEAK signals but I am NOT an EXPERT just from my limited use of both modes.

Clayton
W4KVW

ICOM 746 PRO,100 watt s on ALL bands from 160-2 meters & a GREAT radio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CLAYTON
W4KVW

Well I am a VERY HAPPY user & owner of a MOSLEY TA-53M & it was NOT designed for great Front to back but it kicks BUTT on the front end in a pileup.I have never had or used a SteppIR nor would I be interested in one because of the lightning storms here in North Florida.Those motors are NOT cheap nor is my tower & antenna mans labor charges so that rules out the extra moving parts.I hear lots of SteppIRs on the air & the owners BRAG all the time about how great they are.For what they cost the BETTER BE GREAT! I love it when they POOR MOUTH my MOSLEY but can NOT explain how MOSLEY has been in the antenna business almost 70 YEARS with their TRAP antennas that others say work POORLY.If they work so POORLY how have they continued to sell so MANY for almost 70 years? For my money I'd buy ANOTHER "MOSLEY" & keep TRAPPING that DX!  KICKING BUTTS in the pileups! }:>) If you speak with the folks at SteppIR ask them how MOSLLEY is still around & see what line of BS they lay on you so you'll buy their antenna.My last MOSLEY(TA-33JR)was over 20 years old when I gave it to another local ham who has had it another 5 years & it still plays like NEW!MOSLEY is a NO MOVING PARTS DX BUSTER!Get you one!

CLAYTON
W4KVW

Even for SHORT runs I use 213 when I have it.EVERY litte bit of SAVED signal helps!

Clayton
W4KVW