[aprssig] 70cm 5-watt transceivers available

[Scott Miller]

I'm hoping the mailing list transition went OK - it's been awfully quiet 
in here.

The long-awaited 2-meter, 5-watt synthesized transceiver modules (with 
optional plug-in Tracker2 board) are ALMOST ready to go, pending some 
minor programming software tweaks.  I hope.

I do have a smaller quantity of UHF units on hand, though.  The Tracker2 
boards are still being revised (mostly because of mechanical fit 
problems) but for now I'm selling the bare radios at an introductory 
price of $149.

I'm still having the service manual and programming software cleaned up, 
so the English isn't the best, but functionally these things are great. 
  They use two point modulation, modulating both the VCO and the 
reference, so they don't clobber the low-frequency components of a 9600 
baud signal like a lot of ham gear will.

The T2 board will eventually give it simpler frequency agility, but 
as-is, they've got 16 channel memories, selectable with DIP switches.

Unlike the MFJ data radios, they're not strictly data radios - you can 
switch a jumper and get pre-emphasis, squelch, and an audio amplifier 
for voice use.

No Part 90 certification yet, but if there's enough interest (and maybe 
a large enough preorder!) that should be possible.

Anyway, the product link is here:

https://www.argentdata.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=107

I'll keep the price at $149 through the end of November at least, and 
it'll probably go up a bit after that, but I've had a lot of money tied 
up in this project for most of a year and it's time to start moving 
these things.

Now to develop an affordable 9600 baud TNC!  =]

Scott
N1VG