Commercial HF Equipment

[DisasterGuy]

Does anyone have info on currently available mobile commercial HF equipment? I had an order in for some Icom F8101 units to replace some older Harris RF3200 units and just got word that they are no longer available. I believe the Micom was killed several years ago.

Requirements include ALE, whip antenna with tuner, audio accessory interface, pastor modem interface.

 

[mmckenna]

We briefly looked at Barrett HF gear for a bit. Never bought any, but they are usually at the trade shows. Seems like they've been around for a while.

 

[Thunderknight]

Codan HF.

 

[prcguy]

I think it was a Codan radio at a local EOC here that was rendered completely useless from a nearby AM radio station. Its receiver is a piece of junk where hammy radios on the same antenna worked fine.

Codan HF.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

ICOM is another possible vendor. They have other models.

 

[redbeard]

... pastor modem interface.

Brother Stair died, trying to fill the void?

 

[redbeard]

The demo on YT is pretty impressive. 4050_HF_SDR - Barrett Communications

 

[DisasterGuy]

Thanks guys, I will reach out to Barrett. Per my Icom dealer, Icom advised they have no replacement for the F8101 (their other HF models are amateur and/or not Part 90).

 

[popnokick]

Motorola Micom2 and Micom3 radios appear to still be current models (per Motorola website). They are used currently by CAP.

 

[littona]

Thanks guys, I will reach out to Barrett. Per my Icom dealer, Icom advised they have no replacement for the F8101 (their other HF models are amateur and/or not Part 90).

I'd love to know what the ballpark price is for those...

 

[TampaTyron]

Micom, Codan, Barret, and Vertex/Standard. I deployed some vertex standard HF in North Africa a few years ago. Not sure if the ALE has been updated, but at the time we could not do mutual aid with Harris/Codan/Barret/Micom radios (although all of those radios could talk to each other). Surprise to see the Icon discontinued. TT

 

[TampaTyron]

Vertex killed their HF. I have used Kenwood TK-90 before, but they were a pain to get here in the US (around 2010 timeframe). Great radio though. I have a call into my Icom buddy to see if they actually stopped making it, are on some soft of manufacturing delay, or if the dealer is making it up. TT

 

[prcguy]

A basic Micom II used to be in the $5k range new.

I'd love to know what the ballpark price is for those...

 

[DisasterGuy]

The F8101 was quoted around $3750 with tuner.

I have a request for quote on the Barrett now.

 

[merlin]

My travels, I found the Barrett very hard to beat. Issue is getting a top line model means another mortgage on your house.
Back early 80s I bought a Barrett 550 + antenna coupler + 12' mobile whip. Used, that was $1100.
Looking to the mate Pa, 250 watt, that was another $2200.

 

[wcu02mpa]

Vertex killed their HF. I have used Kenwood TK-90 before, but they were a pain to get here in the US (around 2010 timeframe). Great radio though. I have a call into my Icom buddy to see if they actually stopped making it, are on some soft of manufacturing delay, or if the dealer is making it up. TT

I have tried numerous ways to get a TK-90; even know two Kenwood dealers that could not help. I would love to have one. Anyone on here know a way to get one let me know. For my base I have a Kenwood TKM-707 Marine HF and it is awesome. It does HAM just fine. I will not part with it. It does the full spectrum at 150W peak.

 

[TampaTyron]

For the TK-90 (in 2010ish timeframe as a Kenwood dealer), we had to start with Corporate Kenwood in GA. Next, we had to sign export affidavits that the radios were for export outside of the US. Then, we had to wait a while for the radios to be built and imported (from Japan?). I am unsure if that is same process now that they are JVC Kenwood. There have always been extremely helpful people at KENWOOD in both sales and technical (not an issue saying that even though I work for a large competitor). TT

 

[KD8GUA]

The Motorola Micom line was discontinued back in October 2020 due to sagging sales of the Micom Z. Motorola has no plans to offer a replacement HF solution.

Civil Air Patrol has signed a contract with Barrett for desktop and mobile versions of the 4050 SDR-HF.

Of course, all of the mobile installations will require a new antennas since the WIMA/ATA-125 solution that CAP uses is only designed to work with the proprietary Motorola power/tuner interrupt cycle fed vid the RF cable. The Barrett radios utilize tuner control via an accessory port, so I'm hoping to snag some WIMA tuners when CAP sends them to auction/disposition.

 

[vagrant]

It may have been a Codan you observed, but a friend has a Codan 2110 manpack and has no AM broadcast issues. I was with him on two different occasions at different sites a few years back. AM transmitters were less than a mile away at one spot, and under two at another. I was using a Yaesu 897D and various antennas. He was using the supplied vertical that connects at the face. We were alternating and working 10 and 20 meters during the day. We even compared receive of other amateur stations and WWV. I mainly noticed a difference with an antenna I had configured for NVIS versus his vertical which seems normal. I am sure we tried other bands as well with just the Codan along with Canada’s CHU frequencies, I could not hear an increased noise floor, nor broadcast audio from the nearby stations.

What antenna were they using at the EOC? I’ll check with my buddy to see if he’s had any AM RFI. I have a feeling he would have told me of any issues, especially due to the cost of the Codan.

I think it was a Codan radio at a local EOC here that was rendered completely useless from a nearby AM radio station. Its receiver is a piece of junk where hammy radios on the same antenna worked fine.

 

[prcguy]

One of the antennas was a 90ft B&W T2FD and the radio was fairly useless without a good high pass filter.

It may have been a Codan you observed, but a friend has a Codan 2110 manpack and has no AM broadcast issues. I was with him on two different occasions at different sites a few years back. AM transmitters were less than a mile away at one spot, and under two at another. I was using a Yaesu 897D and various antennas. He was using the supplied vertical that connects at the face. We were alternating and working 10 and 20 meters during the day. We even compared receive of other amateur stations and WWV. I mainly noticed a difference with an antenna I had configured for NVIS versus his vertical which seems normal. I am sure we tried other bands as well with just the Codan along with Canada’s CHU frequencies, I could not hear an increased noise floor, nor broadcast audio from the nearby stations.

What antenna were they using at the EOC? I’ll check with my buddy to see if he’s had any AM RFI. I have a feeling he would have told me of any issues, especially due to the cost of the Codan.