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Reviews For: SOMMERKAMP FT-220

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Base/Mobile (non hand-held)

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Review Summary For : SOMMERKAMP FT-220
Reviews: 1MSRP:
Description:
2m SSB/CW/FM 10W base transceiver, mid '70s vintage (a YAESU FT-220 product)
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0014
PA0FRI Rating: 2009-05-10
Old goodie Time Owned: more than 12 months.
A Yaesu FT220 was around 1974 on the market. It is a 2 m, 10 W, FM, CW, LSB and USB transceiver with built 100-234 VAC (or 13.8 V external) power supply. A Swiss importer Sommerkamp in Europe distributed the 25 × 12.5 × 29.5 cm (w × h × d) 8.5 kg “heavy” box as SOMMERKAMP FT-220. Facilities such as VOX, RIT, RF gain control, CW monitor NOISE Blankers, repeater shift, 1750 Hz tone, etc. are present. The transceiver is built with a separate PCB’s that can be easily removed by connectors and four screws.
This beautiful set has a VFO from 8 to 8.5 MHz and using a premixer system, the incoming signal is converted to an IF of 10.7 MHz. The range of 144 to 146 MHz is in four steps from 500 kHz implemented. Programming of 16 fixed channels is possible with 4 crystals (optional). For SSB, a 10.7 MHz crystal filter (300 - 2700 Hz ± 3dB) is used. For FM a 10.7 MHz (10F30A) crystal filter (XF301) and a conversion to 455 kHz followed by a 455 kHz (CFM455D) ceramic filter (CF301) of Murata. Last two filters are too wide for the current 12.5 kHz channel raster. The scale drive is still good old-fashioned run with 8 gears and a drum. The frequency reading of the linear (drum) scale is surprisingly good. An accuracy of ± 500 Hz is possible. Scale marking is with an internal 100 kHz calibrator creating harmonics on the 2 m band. The internal VFO appears to be more stable than the 100 kHz marking oscillator due to the wrong place of the unit in the cabinet.
Too bad that the repeater shift differs from that in practice. By pressing RPT the reception frequency shift 600 kHz up while the scale stays on the input frequency.
For the Dutch readers see mods: http://www.xs4all.nl/~pa0fri/Mods/FT220/ft220.htm