Should I get an HF transceiver as a first radio?

[AKRover]

So far I have read the ARRL License Manuel, The General Class License Manuel, and the Operating Manuel. I have read some of the Emergency Communications Handbook and The Antenna Book, all of which are really good reads. I read the chapter on repeater antennas in the Antenna Book last night and everything in that chapter makes perfect sense. I think it's the few chapters at the beginning of the book that throw me off.

I only have a mobil station right now so I want to build something portable with loading coils so that I don't have to string a full half wave dipole up in the trees and take it down again. I really want to get on the HF bands though so I might string a 1/2 wave up in front of my house over the driveway and leave it there just so that I can hook up to it when I'm parked. There are so many antenna projects to chose from it's hard to decide where to start.

 

[xtatik]

Noah,
JMHO, get one of these:
http://transworldantennas.com
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/6869
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kIRQeaPqVj4

Down here in our local desert areas there's very little to string a wire on (pucker bushes...not hardly!). It's more stable and can actually handle a pretty stiff wind without toppling.
This thing has been a great performer. Lots'o DX logged with it. It's a capacity hatted vertical dipole. Very low take-off angle. I've use it at home a few times, and on several high power portable outings as well and unlike the Buddipole products, it can handle much more wattage if you ever plan to run an amp. I've put 800 watts (SSB) through it with my SB-200 and it didn't even notice. No heat generated on the matching coils.
The advantage to the Buddipole and others like it, "might be" that they can be directional. That is, it "might" see gain in two directions and it "might" be able to null some noise in others. However, I doubt you could get one high enough to begin to realize these benefits (how would you rotate it at such height?). Using it's standard tripod would be too low and would show omnidirectional characteristics, at best. A dipole needs to be up away from its own ground reflection in order to form the desired radiation patterns. Check it out.

 

[AKRover]

Noah,
JMHO, get one of these:
http://transworldantennas.com
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/6869
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kIRQeaPqVj4

Down here in our local desert areas there's very little to string a wire on (pucker bushes...not hardly!). It's more stable and can actually handle a pretty stiff wind without toppling.
This thing has been a great performer. Lots'o DX logged with it. It's a capacity hatted vertical dipole. Very low take-off angle. I've use it at home a few times, and on several high power portable outings as well and unlike the Buddipole products, it can handle much more wattage if you ever plan to run an amp. I've put 800 watts (SSB) through it with my SB-200 and it didn't even notice. No heat generated on the matching coils.
The advantage to the Buddipole and others like it, "might be" that they can be directional. That is, it "might" see gain in two directions and it "might" be able to null some noise in others. However, I doubt you could get one high enough to begin to realize these benefits (how would you rotate it at such height?). Using it's standard tripod would be too low and would show omnidirectional characteristics, at best. A dipole needs to be up away from its own ground reflection in order to form the desired radiation patterns. Check it out.

That's a new one that I haven't seen before. It's looks very nice and seems to perform very well too. It is quite a bit more expensive and pretty large. If you end up buying different center sections to operate on the lower bands you would really be making a large investment. I like it though. I think I would be happier with something that could be used as an NVIS antenna as well though.