A couple of weeks ago, I bought an Acer Aspire One netbook that I found on sale. It has become my "radio" computer; I'm using it for programming radios and computer controlling the FT-897D.This has made it much easier to program the mobile radios. I no longer have to remove the radios from the car and bring them to the computer; I take the computer to them. I'm using the ARC software for the BC780, BC396, and BC996. The netbook doesn't have CD drive and I don't have an external drive to use with it yet, so I downloaded some software I found online here for the FT-8800 (so far it seems to work just as good as the Yaesu software).
Ham Radio Deluxe is actually working better on the netbook than on my desktop computer. After about 20 minutes or so running on the desktop, HRD crashes and requires a reboot. So far, I've had no such problems with the netbook. As a result, it is what I'm using full time with the FT-897.
Using the netbook instead of the desktop has several benefits. It allows me to log with the same program and same log file regardless of whether I'm at home or in the field. Later this year I'll begin working out of the Brunswick area and I intend to take the HF rig with me when I'm not here in Savannah; the netbook will let me use HRD and continue computer logging when not at home.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
