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Reviews For: Vertex VX-1700 HF Transceiver

Category: Transmitters: non-amateur adaptable for ham use

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Review Summary For : Vertex VX-1700 HF Transceiver
Reviews: 11MSRP: 990
Description:
100 watt HF Transceiver with optional ALE-1 card
Product is in production
More Info:
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00114.7
GW0JLX Rating: 2010-08-25
Not Too Bad ! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I got my hands on one of these a while back, but without the ALE card fitted, and I took it out in my landrover for a series of evaluation tests with a Taheel screwdriver and four 35' groundplanes. The rig needs a 12v DC supply at 22A or so for full power.

The radio has 200 memories available for programming in up to 5 banks, each bank can have up to the remaining balance (so if you set bank A to 100 channels, there are 100 left to share out as you please).

Each memory channel can be programmed in terms of frequency, mode and any 'clarifier' offset, right across the whole of the HF band from 1.5 MHz to 30 MHz. Or the operator can elect to use the VFO direct and frequencies can be set using either the direct keypad entry or the rotary dial (steps can be 1kHz, 100Hz or 10Hz).

Under 4 Mhz, output is up to 125 watts PEP SSB, and from 4 MHz to 30 MHz, 100 watts.

Operational modes are SSB (USB or LSB), CW, J2B and AM (lower carrier level).

I used the radio on SSB mostly and some CW, and was very impressed with it all.

I found the combo of rig and antenna impressive, working a 4X station and receiveing a 57 report from my landrover one day on 20m with ease. Audio quality was reported as commendable.

I did not have the ALE-1 card fitted during this period, and it was not until August 2010 that I got an ALE card fitted and then started discovering the problems surrounding a lack of interoperability with MIL-STD-188-141B / green radios. The VX-1700 to VX-1700 ALE works, as the ALE card was implemented at the behest of some obscure Japenese agency for this type of ALE comms, and inter-op with Harris 5800 radios for example was not considered (and, according to other sources, will not be either).

To date, I have achieved linking with PCALE on 80m here in the UK and am conducting a series of tests on 20m, 17m and 15m to see what else I can make it link with.

Radio 4/5
ALE 3/5

Will update this report as progress is made.

Best 73
Andy
GØJLX