Gigaparts used to be my favorite ham store--no longer. I made a purchase from them even though they weren't the lowest price because I like to be a loyal customer and also because I knew them to have good customer service. No longer. They are now acting like a desperate company about to go under.  
 
First, I ordered an FT-950 which, after waiting 4 weeks, it didn't come into stock as promised. (Had I purchased at TexasTowers, it would have come in and would have been cheaper!)  
 
Anyway, after waiting so long and them then telling me it would be probably several more weeks of waiting I decided to order an FT-450 and use the extra money to get an FTM-350R along with GPS unit.  
 
The very next day, those items went on sale for a total of $57 less! They absolutely refused to give me a break on the price. Even though the sale price actually brought the prices only down to the competition!  
 
I called and talked to the impotent "operations manager". I call him impotent because he had no authority to cut a deal. I even asked for just store credit and I'd make an immediate purchase of an HT. But he only offered me a $10 discount which made the HT still more expensive than the competition!  
 
So, yeah, they got an extra $57 out of me. And yeah, they lost a long time customer. And yeah, I'm going to give bad reviews wherever possible.  
 
Don't look at the old reviews when they used to be a good company. They've gone downhill and don't merit your business when there are cheaper and more customer friendly places just a mouse click away!

Hey Ronn!

You can check this website to get their number:

http://www.cesusa.com/support.htm

Unfortunately this manual isn't available online but you may have luck giving them a call.

Matt
AD5GX

I used to live in Oklahoma City. My first experience with TT was odering a 746 the Tuesday before Thanksgiving via standard shipping.

To my wife's consternation, the radio arrived in one day!  (Of course I had to play with it on Thanksgiving.)  Shipping from TT to anywhere on the I-35 corridor up to Oklhoma City is overnight by default!

I always used TT for that very reason--I got overnight shipping for absolutely no extra charge!

I am looking at making the switch to Apple.  But one question remains: is there adequate ham radio software for that platform?  Can you direct me to a website that will start me in a good direction researching this matter?

Thanks de AD5GX

Thanks for the advice on my previous post.  I decided to go with the AH-4 and initially a 102" whip.

Next question: Where can I find the best mount for the whip?  I'd like to mount it through my hitch receiver, or the ball mount.  I am planning to secure the tuner to the bumper so as to minimize the length of connection to the whip.  

I need to go this rout so as to not create a "permanent" installation.  Some parts, such as grounding straps will be permanently mounted to the vehicle and attached to the tuner and antenna as required.

I just need some leads on the best whip mount possible.

73!

Matt
AD5GX

Thanks for the info!  I'd like to do some on 40 (mostly for the relatively local ragchews) and higher, so I think the whip/tuner would work o.k.  I still have the chew it over with the XYL!  I think she would like the look of the whip over the look of the screwdriver.  

I think the benefit of starting with the whip is it is a relatively low cost of entry to mobile hamming.  If I really like it and want to get more on 40/80 I can upgrade to the screwdriver at a future Christmas.

And the AH-4 has secondary possibilities for portable uses as well.

I'm still not 100% decided but your input and the articles helped considerably.  I have 3 good days planned in the future dedicated to addressing vehicle noise issues!

All,
As I prepare to go mobile HF, I have chosen the rig: 706MarkIIG.  Now I come to the antenna.

I am deciding between an AH-4 tuned 102" whip or a Tarheel Automatically controlled screwdriver antenna.  The AH-4 combo will probably run around $300 whereas the Tarheel combo will get to $700+!

Can I reasonbly expect enough of a performance difference to warrant the extra cash?  I'm willing to spend it if it means I'll get enough extra enjoyment from the set up.

Thanks and 73s!

Matt, AD5GX

I echo that completely.  I have used several different mail order companies, and no one holds a candle to Gigaparts.  Their website is the best and their customer service is the best, they've won all of my future business as well!