My FT817 turns 21 years old in a couple of months! I guess it should qualify as a retro rig? 
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Another vote here for the FT-290R Mk1 as the definite old skool SOTA rig. Mine had the Mutek preamp and with a Microwave Modules linear and preamp it was quite a potent combination. I sold the 290 many years ago after purchasing an 817.
Iām pleased SOTA was not invented 20 years earlier otherwise Iād have had to carry my Trio TR-7010 up every summit. It did get taken up Kinder Scout G/SP-001 for one of the microwave contests, complete with an aluminium pole, 5 element beam, 10GHz wideband transceiver, 45cm dish and 34AH lead acid battery. No problem for an active 30 year old. 
Itās a bit of a testament to modern design, manufacturing etc. that you can make a piece of such electronics so cheaply (in real terms) that stays functional and in spec despite the rough treatment such radios gt in SOTA service.
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There was one on eBay the other week that went for a surprising price considering what it is. Yes I did consider bidding.
Which one will I use to chase you?
20/30/40m
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LOL! It was widely used for a while and gave good results whatever its defects. You still see them advertised from time to time but their time has passed, I wouldnāt buy one for the sake of nostalgia, though I might be tempted by other classic rigs. Actually, thoā off topic, Iām looking for a nice clean Eddystone receiverā¦
I still use my 1976 vintage rig, bought on the never-never. It has worked over 250 locator squaresā¦ not bad for a mobile. Another 7010 passed through my hands a couple of years ago. I bought it for 50, sold it for 50. That one now lives in a vehicle up in County Durham, the replacement for a Liner 2 that had expired.
That would spoil the look of that lovely set-up!
No, I have another spare 290 to take out 
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I first became acquainted with morse telegraphy in the mid-1950s together with my brother, when the father took us to a scout meeting, where they also used morse code in the evening in the dark, with army flashlights with a button contact.
From then on, my brother and I used a flashlight to wish each other good night before we went to sleep (in the same roomā¦).
The next steps were then the pre-military morse courses, the compulsory recruit school of 17 weeks (electronic warfare), obtaining the radio telegraph operatorās license and, after completing the studies, applying for a call sign and buying the first radio station (with self-earned money. ā¦).
A list of all the devices I built myself during this time would go beyond the scope here and I would certainly not have enough space at home.
Because I think that flashlight QSOs are definitely part of the nostalgia and no longer have the same appeal in our time, I will probably not participate here, hi.
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Erik, we could have a SST to STT QSO or a Norcal to Norcal QSO 
if it is the SST-20 and the Norcal is the Norcal-40
@M1BUU: A SOTA retro activity week has a certain charmā¦
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I have an Icom IC2E from the 80s but that is for 25kHz channels. I know the 12.5kHz channels arenāt used much but I wouldnāt want to splat over someone else.
My first HF rig was a valve Heathkit SB101. I bought it secondhand in 1983. I think it was probably of late 60s vintage. It was not the most reliable of kit! I gave it away when I lost interest in radio in about 1990. Even if I still had it I wouldnāt have wanted to lug it up a hill along with some means of supplying its HT.
Old skool rigs could be used by chasers, too. Old skool to old skool would be kool!
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Which one?
Iām operating from GW/NW-076 on the 2nd March.
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Ingo, SST40 and Norcal-40 only 20m with MFJ 9020
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I have a SST-40 also. Only old skool rig I have now, as I donāt really collect old radios. But the SST is such a nice design and a very usable radio. You can see from the design and style of manual by N6KR that it was the beginning of Elecraft. I would build another one for 30m if I had the time.
I will take it out this year, even if we donāt have an activity day.
73 Gavin
GM0GAV
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Include the 80ās and my TS-130V will qualify.
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Sure, anything goes!
I was just thinking about rigs likely to have been in common use in 2002.
I was licensed in 1997, the first radio I made a contact on with my call sign was an FT690. (Class B licence - M1BUU)
My first HF contacts were made on a Sommerkamp (Yaesu) FT902DM. Just goes to show that older gear was still in use. I loved that FT902DM, it was the GX0KRS club rig and was regularly serviced by G3LLL. I was gutted to learn after the fact that the rig was sold off to be replaced by an FT897. I would be proud to be the owner of that rig.
73, Colin