Guest Post: Scott also names his radios

Many thanks to Scott (KK4Z) who shares the following post from his blog KK4Z.com:


Naming Radios

by Scott (KK4Z)

Men in general, have a habit of naming things. All sorts of things, cars, body parts, you name it, we will cast our own nickname on it. I thought I would share some of the names I have given my radios. Typically, I don’t just throw a name on something. I am around it for a while, before I decide what I am going to call it. My poor dogs, when I first get them, I go through a plethora of names until I find one that fits. My latest dog, a boxer mix from the pound was named Hawkeye by them. I got him home. I had to get to know him.

He ended up being Andy but likes to be called pup-pup. Maybe his last owners called him that. He’s still very much a pup but is going to be a great dog.

I will start with my main radio which is an Icom IC-7610. It is my workhorse radio. It is probably the best radio I have ever owned. I have worked the world on it and it does everything I need it to do. I call it Zeus, the king of all my other radios. I believe there is not a radio out there that can do anything that Zeus cannot do. Any improvements over Zeus would be marginal.

Next up is another Icom, the IC-7300. I’ve had this radio the longest. It is simply called Peter, after the Apostle Peter. This radio is my rock. It can do everything my other radios can do. Not as well, but if I could only have one radio, the IC-7300 would be it. I’ve used it as a base, I take it to the field, run it off of batteries, voice, digital, CW, it does it all.

The last Icom in my stable is my IC-705 whom I call Jack. Jack with the AH-705 can do it all. Jack is short for Jack-of-all-trades. It does everything quite well. Because the user interface is similar to my other Icoms, it is easy to use. I think Icom has some of the best ergonomics out there for modern radios.

The next radio on the list is my Lab599, TX-500. This is a fun radio with a simple interface in a small package. What sets this radio apart is it is weatherproof. I have taken out on cold rainy days without issue. Its name is Baal (pronounced bale) which is the Canaanite god of weather. This one doesn’t see as much use as the others, but when bad weather is in the forecast…

The last radio in my current quiver is the FTDX10. My most recent radio and one I wanted to try over a long period to see how I like it and how it compares to my other radios. I named it Sheldon after the main character on The Big Bang Theory. Like Sheldon, the radio has its moments of brilliance, but along with that an awkwardness that can’t be ignored. I will continue to use the radio and try to keep the firmware updated. Yaesu could easily fix some of the issues so we shall see. One thing that I do like about the radio is the roofing filters including the 300Hz one.

The last radio on my list is a Penntek TR-45L This radio was due to be delivered last Thursday but has now been postponed until Monday (thank you USPS). This radio is already named Apollo, after the Apollo moon missions back in the 1960’s. I was fortunate enough to be alive then and watched the actual landing on TV. This radio has a 1960’s vibe to it so Apollo it is. More about the TR-45L once I get my hands on it.

These are my radios. I like them all and I try to rotate them as I go to the field. The past couple of months though has had horrible band conditions during my trips so I tended to bring the bigger radios for more horsepower. That and I was working on my POTA N1CC award. When I was at a faraway park I wanted a little insurance working 10 different bands. Gas prices were killer back then so I wasn’t sure about a return trip. Upcoming trips should see a more normal rotation. 73 — Scott

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5 thoughts on “Guest Post: Scott also names his radios”

  1. Scott, it’s funny what you say about Andy/Pup-Pup. When we named Hazel (she was called “Frost” at the animal shelter), the name “Hazel” really stuck. Since then, I have probably given her a dozen extra nicknames she responds to even more readily than Hazel. 🙂 I can’t help but give nicknames to people, pets, and radios I love. Glad to know I’m not alone on the radio front!
    Cheers,
    Thomas

  2. I have a KX1, KX2, and a KX3. I was thinking Larry, Moe, and Curly. I think I’ll just go with uno, dos, and tres.

    1. Steve, I like that, hi. Or the 3 bears and later add Red Riding Hood, really go for it a KX4.

      73, ron, n9ee

  3. First I have seen someone giving their rigs a name, hi. The government is good at giving things names like battles and missions and also abbreviation for projects and about everything else, they have their own language.

    I also have the IC7610, IC7300, IC705 and recently got a FTDX10. Yes the IC7610 has so many good features, many I often use during events. The 2 totally independent receivers are a first and of course direct sampling the new tech in radio. I also have other rigs, IC7200, IC718, FT817, X6100, FT991, IC7410 and a complete Collins S-line and KWM2. Yes it is a waste.

    I do like using the FTDX10. Just something about this rig that I like especially the knob for adjusting the IF filter, something most rigs like the IC7610 has for 3 separate settings and one selects the one needed, but must go into menu to change. The FTDX10 filter is immediately adjustable with a front panel knob. But the rig does have it quirks, takes a little getting use to.

    Most of these rigs have a good band scope. The ID7300 was the first rig I got with one and now cannot see me getting a rig without one, I use it so much.

    But dont plan on giving any of my rigs names, I just call them what they are.

    73, ron, n9ee

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