You can get the 450 with a built in ATU but it is only to make an already resonant antenna´s work across the entire band.
So depending on what antenna´s you are planning to use, you might need a external tuner aswell.

I don´t think you can´t go wrong with either one of the radio´s. That said, make sure you spend an equal amount of $ on your antenna system.

Good luck.

Maarten
PD2R

How about one of these beautiful tuners: http://www.lltuners.nl/

But you mentioned earlier that you can't wait very long so it probably isn't an option.

Thanks guys, you have really been a great help.
Your remarks put things in perspective.
It's much appreciated.

73, Maarten
PD2R
(Friend Sven, PD1SVM)

A friend of mine is the proud owner of a TS 440SAT. He want´s to improve the reception of his rig by installing a Inrad filter.
According to www.qth.com/inrad there are several filters for that TRX. He´s looking for the 2100 Hz SSB filter but which one gives the rig the most improvement?
There are two 2100 Hz filter for 455 KHz (different shape factor) and one for the 8830 KHz stage.
I would say that the filters for the 455 KHz stage are the best because they are in the first stage.
Am I right?
Who can help us out?

Spiderbeam sells great 12 meter long fiberglass poles. They are extra strong at the overlap. I use the poles to put up dipoles (only up to the 10 meter point) and verticals. For the verticals I use some length of wire tied to the pole with tape ore ty-raps. I also made a base plat to connect the radials and the coax too.
It works supper, especially over salt water.

I´d go for the strong poles, not the fishing poles. I have seen quiet a few of these poles break under the load of a dipole. On the other had, for verticals they are just fine.

It sounds like you have already made up your mind.

Just to put in my 2 cents, I was thinking of the same set up as well but I decided I wanted the biggest bang for my buck so I will be filling in a order form for the Elecraft K3.
It may not be as pretty as the Yaesu transceivers but it will beat them any day.
For EURO 2000,- you won´t have the second receiver right away but you will be able to add it later.

Veel succes!

73, Maarten
PD2R

I like rag chewing but I like contesting even more.
I don´t like people shouting on air trying to make a point. The same goes for people that use capital letters to make their point, it´s the same as shouting in my opinion.
I agree that some contesters should be more considerate to other hams needs. But what about the thousands of contester that already do?
Don´t judge al contesters because some of them misbehave.

73, Maarten
PD2R

Maybe this is something to consider?

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/174

In Holland we only have 2 classes, Full and Novice. I am a Novice class license holder but Novices do have HF privileges, namely the 10 m band, 20 m up to 14.250 and 40 m up to 7.100. For me it was great to get on HF but the only experience I had was on CB.
I hoped to learn more from the Novice class study books but to my great surprise there was no chapter about operating practice to be found, not even a single word!?
Fortunately I had a very experienced Elmer who helped me out a lot. I also joint a contest group with some very experienced contesters and DX expeditioners.

I think that the tests should include some testing of the operating practice and not just the technical stuff. Being able to copy a couple off WPM off code can´t hurt either.
New HAM´s should also take it upon themselves to study some operating practice before getting on air. I for one would feel incredibly stupid calling the DX station on his or her TX frequency when he or she is working split.

I keep reading about the 2000, the 950 and even the 9000. No one has mentioned the 450.
I was led to believe that the 450 was based on the same technique?
I do not have the technical skills to fully understand what every author is writing about but I do understand that Yaesu is having big problems with their new rigs.
Thinking off purchasing a FT 450, reading this tread makes me wonder. Or is the 450 a different story?
It is too bad that Ten Tec´s are hard to come by here in Holland. I would sell my FT 990 and ad the money for my planned FT 450, go for the Jupiter and (for the time being) do without a back up rig.

Billy,

If you have to buy a new analyzer you might want to check the following website: http://www.scarc.org.au/
Go to "Projects" and you will find a kit to built your own analyzer and you will be able to spend even more money on your kids, I believe money well spend ;-)
I do not own one of these myself but I know a some Dutch HAMs who have built these analyzer and are pleased with the result.

73, Maarten
 
       

Hi Jason,

I’m a member of PI4COM which is a big gun station, by Dutch standards that is ;-) It is a lot of fun to do some contesting whit a group using the big amp’s , the big mono band beams and the big modern rigs. But I have also participated in the Worked All Europe contest last year from a holiday location in Denmark whit a simple setup, a FT 990 running 100 W into a windom at 30 ft. In stead of the original mike I used a Heill Pro Set plus for the reasons a previous poster stated.
I had a lot of fun working the big North American stations at the and of the contest. In the last couple of hours the big stations tend the rotated there beams a bit more to see if they can find any stations they haven’t  worked jet. At that point it will be much easier to work them because they are listening for you.
I think it’s best to use your station as it is and don’t spend more money on equipment. You can learn a lot and eventually become a better operator because it is not the amp that will make the difference but the operator.
If you do want to spend money, spend it on antennas because they will improve your station more than a $ 1000,- rig or amp. Get your antennas up as high as possible but of course you already know that.
Maybe there is a contest station near by where you can learn the ropes of a Elmer where you can participate in a contest or two, that’s how I got started.
Good luck and have fun!

Many Thanks to all, you have been very help full.

I have decided to keep the FT 990 for a wile. Maybe next year I will buy a second hand FT 450 to play with in the field.
FT 950 is a little bit to expensive at this moment, you can get one for about 1700 Euros which comes down to just over $ 2400,-.

The first reply I got really changed my mind and it is very true. The grass on the other side of the fence is always greener. Thanks Allen for pointing that out ;-)

I never knew that I could hook up the 990 to DC, I will look into that. Still, the 990 is a big rig to take into the field but it is nice to know that it is possible.

A little generator from Honda would do the trick but such a generator costs about as much as a FT 450…

The Jupiter from Ten Tec is interesting but it is hard to get one here in Holland. They are expensive too.

Again, thank you for your input. I’ll keep on playing with the 990 for the moment and hope to work you on the bands!

73, Maarten
PD2R

And how would that work on 40?

Hello fellow HAM´s

I own a Yaesu FT 990 but it doesn’t do everything I want a rig to do. I have the AC version so I can’t really use it on field days unless I use a generator. Unfortunately I have the 1.2 version so I can’t use it with the optional CAT interface, you need the 1.3 version.

I recently had the opportunity to take a closer look at the FT 450 from Yaesu and I really like that rig. It is compact which is great for field activities and you don’t need a separate CAT interface so you can hook it right up to the computer. It also had some bells and whistles to play with and for me that is part of the fun of playing radio.

The problem is that in order to buy that rig I have to sell the FT 990.
My question is; will I regret selling the 990 to buy the 450?

I know that the 990 has a better receiver than the 450 but how much better is it?

I also like to do some contesting and on the 990 every knob or button has it own function which comes in handy. On the other hand, playing with the 450 I found the menu structure easy to use.

I am not really bothered by the small VFO knob on the 450 although I do think it should have been a bit bigger.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the 990 but I feel it has some limitations. I’m sure that the FT 450 has it’s limitations as well but I am not sure if I got all the pros and cons figured out.

I am not asking you to make the decision for me because that is my decision and mine alone, but what else should I take into account before I Deeside?

73, Maarten
PD2R