HAM Operators- Post up here
- Thread starter shane4x4
- Start date
Black Dog
Makin' Beer.
Mike-N7KMS
FT-857 at home, FT-817 portable
TH-D7Ag walkie
IC-V8000 mobile
G5RV at home, Buddipole portable
QTH Heron MT
I monitor the KD7OCP repeater in Noxon MT most of the time, not much activity on it though.
I just put in an order today for an American Morse Porta Paddle and the heavy base, its cheaper than a Begali but still a nice little device. CW is seeming more interesting to me these days.
FT-857 at home, FT-817 portable
TH-D7Ag walkie
IC-V8000 mobile
G5RV at home, Buddipole portable
QTH Heron MT
I monitor the KD7OCP repeater in Noxon MT most of the time, not much activity on it though.
I just put in an order today for an American Morse Porta Paddle and the heavy base, its cheaper than a Begali but still a nice little device. CW is seeming more interesting to me these days.
Captain K-man
Adventurer
Just got my call sign today.
KB1ZXD - Lowell
Connecticut - 2M/70CM
KB1ZXD - Lowell
Connecticut - 2M/70CM
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1911
Expedition Leader
Congratulations! HF is fun, like a mini-expedition without leaving home, in that you get to talk to people from other countries and cultures.
Thanks, I can't wait to get setup for HF. I plan to get a yeasu 857D for now. That will give me something I can use in my office and in my jeep when I travel. I am not sure how I am going to mount it in my jeep yet. I want it so I can mount and remove it easily from my jeep. We'll figure that out when I get it.
I plan to get a Kenwood TS-590S for my base station when I get the money for it.
1911
Expedition Leader
I have a Kenwood TS-480 for exactly the same reason. I don't operate HF mobile though, I just carry it in a military surplus Pelican case and use it portable in camp at night. It does however take the exact same mounting plate I already have installed in my Land Cruiser for my Kenwood VHF/UVF radio so it wouldn't be hard to mount it if I ever wanted to.
The other reason for the 857 is it does uhf/vhf. I have a Kenwood TM-281 right now which is a great rig, 65 watts but 2m only. I don't know that I will do mobile HF but I would like to be able to do more than just 2m at camp.
1911
Expedition Leader
The 857/897 is a great radio for that reason alone; IMO the best choice for one radio that does all bands. If I didn't like beaconing APRS so much, that probably would have been my choice also.
Besides my TS-480, I carry a Buddipole antenna system and a little folding aluminum camp table. I can be working HF in camp in about 10-15 minutes.
I have a Kenwood D72A I can beacon with. I would love to have a D710 for easier mobile operation but I would rather use that $500 to get started in HF. I will get a 710 at some point but I have radios that can do enough to keep me content for now so my priority is getting on HF.
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
I have an FT-857 and an IC-7000. Personally, even though the IC-7000 is technically better, I like the interface of the 857/897 better. I guess I just get Yaesu menus and controls intuitively.
The IC-7000 is what I use at home mostly, the Icom DSP is more flexible at dealing with urban interference, and sometimes drag it out for events like Field Day with a lot of stations. In a place that is RF quieter with fewer adjacent stations, the 857/897 with decent filters (consider a 500Hz CW and 2KHz SSB) work very well indeed, maybe better being very mature primarily analog designs (they have some AF DSP processing that is unnecessary in a backcountry, non-mobile situation).
FWIW, the 857/897 in my experience are slightly better VHF/UHF rigs. None are as good at being FM mobiles as FM mobiles, tho.
I had the 857 mounted mobile and found I just don't do much operation actual mobile (I have an ATAS-120 for it that now goes on a 10' pole). It's just too distracting trying to drive and operate and trying to work stationary/portable with it mounted in the truck is inconvenient. Who wants to sit in their truck in camp working the radio? Not this guy. Along with the screwdriver I'll also sometimes use a Ventenna HFp or doublet with a tuner. I also do backpack radio, so I like to tinker with portable antennas. I have sections of PVC and tripods I use for vehicle portable masts.
My advice is to look at the mobile HF rigs from the perspective of carrying them to work portable. Operating truly mobile takes dedication and I get plenty of my fix ragchewing on the repeaters.
The IC-7000 is what I use at home mostly, the Icom DSP is more flexible at dealing with urban interference, and sometimes drag it out for events like Field Day with a lot of stations. In a place that is RF quieter with fewer adjacent stations, the 857/897 with decent filters (consider a 500Hz CW and 2KHz SSB) work very well indeed, maybe better being very mature primarily analog designs (they have some AF DSP processing that is unnecessary in a backcountry, non-mobile situation).
FWIW, the 857/897 in my experience are slightly better VHF/UHF rigs. None are as good at being FM mobiles as FM mobiles, tho.
I had the 857 mounted mobile and found I just don't do much operation actual mobile (I have an ATAS-120 for it that now goes on a 10' pole). It's just too distracting trying to drive and operate and trying to work stationary/portable with it mounted in the truck is inconvenient. Who wants to sit in their truck in camp working the radio? Not this guy. Along with the screwdriver I'll also sometimes use a Ventenna HFp or doublet with a tuner. I also do backpack radio, so I like to tinker with portable antennas. I have sections of PVC and tripods I use for vehicle portable masts.
My advice is to look at the mobile HF rigs from the perspective of carrying them to work portable. Operating truly mobile takes dedication and I get plenty of my fix ragchewing on the repeaters.
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