If you are a new ham, or are looking to upgrade your current ham radio transceiver, check out my tips for making sure you don't get burned if you choose to buy a used rig.
One tip I would like to mention which is in line with researching used ham gear. Learn about the history of a particular model and find out if that particular model has been problematic due to a design issue. Sometimes these issues are common across a large number of the same radio model, and the manufacturer doesn't always cover the cost of expensive repairs. I'm guessing they probably don't unless every single unit had the same problem which affected the performance of the radio. 73 KD5YOU
One good mid-way option is to buy used transceivers from dealers. They usualy have a minimal warranty and the salesman will probably have a good knowledge of the features and condition.
I thought the Icon IC-7300 would drive down the price of older Icon rigs. Boy I was wrong! I have been searching for a Icon IC-756 pro 2 or pro 3 and either these rigs are way better than I thought or people think they are sitting on a lot of gold. Most of the rigs I have seen owners want $850 and up for them. Kind of pricey when I have seen new IC -7300 going for $1200 and sometimes a rebate as well.
Give it time, maybe a year or two. I'm seeing the prices of quality used gear coming down here in Canada. Currently, there is a 756 Pro on the used marketplace for under $1,000 CAD. In the recent past, it was very uncommon to see anything but one with an issue for anywhere near that price. And don't forget, we all have an active to part to play in the transformation. Refuse to even consider paying too high a price for an older rig, and the sellers will either have to reduce prices or pull the rig off the market.
Good info Tracy, I am in the market for a new radio after 30 years away from the hobby and considering a so called shack in a box transceiver ie an FT857d but dont know if new is a good bet and so many second hand ones around not knowing if they have problems regards Keith G4WHF
I have been looking for one of these as well for mobile use. I have heard the receive quality is not as good as comparable Icon and Kenwoods, but the 100 watt HF output and size are a big plus. I have a FT-817 That is tiny but lacks the transmit power that I am looking for. And the FT-897 is a little bigger than practical for carrying on my motorcycle.
Over the years, I have owned both an 857 and 2 897's. There are essentially the same radio in different packaging. For my purposes, they are good reliable rigs. They draw much less receive power than many HF-only transceivers making them a good fit for portable operation.
Tracy, I sharply but respectfully disagree regarding eBay. There are guarantees and protections offered that can be leveraged to the buyer's advantage if careful. In contrast, I find the eham offerings are way too high in price and the descriptions and pictures dismally inadequate. I would not recommend any radio that was not sold with a return condition unless you know what you are looking for. Other than that, a great video! 71/72 de k6whp dit dit
