HAM / Alaska / 2M & HF?
- Thread starter ucs308
- Start date
mm58
Observer
...'how useful' is very subjective.
Would be helpful to know where in AK you're going, and what the intended purpose of the radio is.
Emergency comms for when that's all you've got? Trail comms with other vehicles in your party? Both? or....?
Your post title also mentions HF
Lots of qualified people on this site, but more info will yield better answers :ylsmoke:
Would be helpful to know where in AK you're going, and what the intended purpose of the radio is.
Emergency comms for when that's all you've got? Trail comms with other vehicles in your party? Both? or....?
Your post title also mentions HF
Lots of qualified people on this site, but more info will yield better answers :ylsmoke:
Last edited:
ucs308
Observer
I will be getting my technicians licence.
I mentioned HF because i am trying to decide which rig to install and antenna locations. I am trying to optimize my time and i am not a fan of taking my car apart. Whether i go further with my licence is not clear yet, but i do like to listen and i am trying to introduce my son to the craft.
I would look at the 2M in terms of meeting people, getting local info. It would be nice if i could relie on it for safety but i am not sure of the reach of 2M. I have a Delorme InReach for real security.
Trail comms in the future but that will be mostly in the north & south west of the US.
My son (8) and i are travelling up to Circle Alaska ( the only set destination ) and then onto Deadhorse or Inuvik in Northern Canada. We will be travelling for 5-6 weeks and wandering mostly.
Thanks.
While i am here does anybody know of a good solid antenna installer in the SF Bay Area. I read all of K0BG.com, lots of valuable information but hard to digest. So it would be good to have a back up.
I mentioned HF because i am trying to decide which rig to install and antenna locations. I am trying to optimize my time and i am not a fan of taking my car apart. Whether i go further with my licence is not clear yet, but i do like to listen and i am trying to introduce my son to the craft.
I would look at the 2M in terms of meeting people, getting local info. It would be nice if i could relie on it for safety but i am not sure of the reach of 2M. I have a Delorme InReach for real security.
Trail comms in the future but that will be mostly in the north & south west of the US.
My son (8) and i are travelling up to Circle Alaska ( the only set destination ) and then onto Deadhorse or Inuvik in Northern Canada. We will be travelling for 5-6 weeks and wandering mostly.
Thanks.
While i am here does anybody know of a good solid antenna installer in the SF Bay Area. I read all of K0BG.com, lots of valuable information but hard to digest. So it would be good to have a back up.
ucs308
Observer
Ultimately i am looking to answer the following questions.
1. Install a 2M rig only and antenna ( icom 5100? )
2. Install a 2M only rig but wire for other antenna's at the same time.
3. Install a more capable rig like the ICom 7100. ( i realise i would not be licenced to use all of its capabilities )
4. Don't bother for now cos Alaska is a bit of a dead spot ( i can't imagine this is so but maybe it is mostly other bands )
I hope that is a little clearer
1. Install a 2M rig only and antenna ( icom 5100? )
2. Install a 2M only rig but wire for other antenna's at the same time.
3. Install a more capable rig like the ICom 7100. ( i realise i would not be licenced to use all of its capabilities )
4. Don't bother for now cos Alaska is a bit of a dead spot ( i can't imagine this is so but maybe it is mostly other bands )
I hope that is a little clearer
Just some random comments.
You are not even a Ham yet so 2m only is a great way to get started. The radios are inexpensive, the antenna installs are straightforward and you will have excellent out of the box performance with minimal tuning.
Repeater coverage outside of the Kenai, Anchorage, and Fairbanks will be spotty. But I agree you should get out the repeater book and see what's available.
It's great though for truck to truck coms. I mean really great if you are travelling with others. When I was there for ACT in 2011, the group tended to spread out and the 2m kept us all in contact.
One tip-Look at the repeater book and pre-program all the repeaters in the area you will be travelling. It keeps you from having to fumble with PL codes and frequency changes on the fly.
HF is it's own realm. There is so much to learn, and so much equipment to buy and become familiar with, that you need a year or two in the hobby first, before going the HF route. You will also need a General license to make much use of HF. Not really needed for your uses on this trip unless you want to try and make random contacts in Siberia, Kamchatka and points south.
Regarding time to install-you could install a good 2M set up in an afternoon. It is not difficult or time consuming. You need an antenna, a radio, an antenna mount and some coax(which will likely come with your antenna or mount). If you want a recipe here is a suggestion:
#1 Kenwood 281 Radio, or #2 Yeasu 2900 (I don't know my Icoms but they have a good rep too)
Larson NMO 150 antenna-great super tough antenna, mine has hit 10,000 tree branches
Diamond heavy duty lip mount.
Don't forget to get the programming cable for the 281 (ebay $15 or so). Kenwood has free software for programming or you can use CHIRP.
Good luck.
You are not even a Ham yet so 2m only is a great way to get started. The radios are inexpensive, the antenna installs are straightforward and you will have excellent out of the box performance with minimal tuning.
Repeater coverage outside of the Kenai, Anchorage, and Fairbanks will be spotty. But I agree you should get out the repeater book and see what's available.
It's great though for truck to truck coms. I mean really great if you are travelling with others. When I was there for ACT in 2011, the group tended to spread out and the 2m kept us all in contact.
One tip-Look at the repeater book and pre-program all the repeaters in the area you will be travelling. It keeps you from having to fumble with PL codes and frequency changes on the fly.
HF is it's own realm. There is so much to learn, and so much equipment to buy and become familiar with, that you need a year or two in the hobby first, before going the HF route. You will also need a General license to make much use of HF. Not really needed for your uses on this trip unless you want to try and make random contacts in Siberia, Kamchatka and points south.
Regarding time to install-you could install a good 2M set up in an afternoon. It is not difficult or time consuming. You need an antenna, a radio, an antenna mount and some coax(which will likely come with your antenna or mount). If you want a recipe here is a suggestion:
#1 Kenwood 281 Radio, or #2 Yeasu 2900 (I don't know my Icoms but they have a good rep too)
Larson NMO 150 antenna-great super tough antenna, mine has hit 10,000 tree branches
Diamond heavy duty lip mount.
Don't forget to get the programming cable for the 281 (ebay $15 or so). Kenwood has free software for programming or you can use CHIRP.
Good luck.
Lots of good info here. And there are pages of discussion on 2m antenna mounts on this site, so I won't repeat that info.
Here's what I'll add:
2m mobile is a pretty light lift, and as others have pointed out it's great for vehicle to vehicle coverage, and when you have repeaters in the area it's handy for regional communications, too. But Alaska is big. So I'd expect lots of areas with not so many people, and with no close repeaters. But 2m mobile is a very handy thing to have, in my opinion.
HF mobile is a big lift, to do it right, in my opinion. I wouldn't jump into that until you know what you might want. With the possible exception of 6m and 10m, you can't just stick a small antenna on top and expect it to work well. And most of the time, 6m and 10m aren't going to get you any better distance than 2. (I'm making generalizations here.)
BUT... A portable HF rig is easy to do these days. If you want to learn, and have some fun, take along an HF radio, and the stuff to setup a simple wire (dipole) antenna. Wherever you park or camp, as long as you have some room you can setup an antenna and talk around the world. 80m and maybe 40 would cover most to all of Alaska, probably farther on 40, and 20m would give you options for longer distances. And you don't have to mount anything to the truck to do it. I would plan and test this at home, in the backyard, first.
Agree with the others on getting your general. It's multiple choice, there's no code, it's pretty easy and gives you way, way more options.
Here's what I'll add:
2m mobile is a pretty light lift, and as others have pointed out it's great for vehicle to vehicle coverage, and when you have repeaters in the area it's handy for regional communications, too. But Alaska is big. So I'd expect lots of areas with not so many people, and with no close repeaters. But 2m mobile is a very handy thing to have, in my opinion.
HF mobile is a big lift, to do it right, in my opinion. I wouldn't jump into that until you know what you might want. With the possible exception of 6m and 10m, you can't just stick a small antenna on top and expect it to work well. And most of the time, 6m and 10m aren't going to get you any better distance than 2. (I'm making generalizations here.)
BUT... A portable HF rig is easy to do these days. If you want to learn, and have some fun, take along an HF radio, and the stuff to setup a simple wire (dipole) antenna. Wherever you park or camp, as long as you have some room you can setup an antenna and talk around the world. 80m and maybe 40 would cover most to all of Alaska, probably farther on 40, and 20m would give you options for longer distances. And you don't have to mount anything to the truck to do it. I would plan and test this at home, in the backyard, first.
Agree with the others on getting your general. It's multiple choice, there's no code, it's pretty easy and gives you way, way more options.
gary in ohio
Explorer
What radio depends on your needs, If your relying on the radio for emergency then HF is a must. Better yet an HF rig that can cover 5.1675 MHz, the alaskan emergency freq.
§ 97.401 Operation during a disaster. A station in, or within 92.6 km (50 nautical miles) of, Alaska may transmit emissions J3E and R3E on the channel at 5.1675 MHz (assigned frequency 5.1689 MHz) for emergency communications. The channel must be shared with stations licensed in the Alaska-Private Fixed Service. The transmitter power must not exceed 150 W PEP. A station in, or within 92.6 km of, Alaska may transmit communications for tests and training drills necessary to ensure the establishment, operation, and maintenance of emergency communication systems.
§ 97.401 Operation during a disaster. A station in, or within 92.6 km (50 nautical miles) of, Alaska may transmit emissions J3E and R3E on the channel at 5.1675 MHz (assigned frequency 5.1689 MHz) for emergency communications. The channel must be shared with stations licensed in the Alaska-Private Fixed Service. The transmitter power must not exceed 150 W PEP. A station in, or within 92.6 km of, Alaska may transmit communications for tests and training drills necessary to ensure the establishment, operation, and maintenance of emergency communication systems.
BettysNephew
New member
The ID-5100 is a very nice radio indeed, but there are only 3 DStar repeaters shown in Alaska. 2 in Wassilla and one in Ketchikan. I do not believe I could justify the price increase over an IC-2730 or other analog 2m/70cm radio for such limited coverage. I would suggest trying to pass your General and going with the 7100 to get the range you may need. Of course that entails a more dedicated install on your vehicle as HF uncovers all the potential grounding problems and antenna mounting issues that are inherent to mobile operation. Good luck and I hope you have a great trip.
ucs308
Observer
@BettysNephew Thanks. We are excited for the trip.
I mentioned earlier that I hate taking my truck apart, and the reason i thought about the 5100 was because the head unit has a GPS antenna built into it allowing for repeater look-up. That would be useful while I am at home in California and traveling in the rest of the US. The 7100 was my original choice but I read that getting the truck ready for HF is a pain. Now I am thinking that maybe I could use separate NMO mounts for the 2M / CB / HF antenna's for now and do a more sophisticated HF setup later on once I have passed my General. The 7100 of course needs an external GPS antenna. I am seriously considering drilling the roof, but I would have to place the antenna's at the front a few inches back from the windscreen, since I have a full rack with roof-top tent on it.
I mentioned earlier that I hate taking my truck apart, and the reason i thought about the 5100 was because the head unit has a GPS antenna built into it allowing for repeater look-up. That would be useful while I am at home in California and traveling in the rest of the US. The 7100 was my original choice but I read that getting the truck ready for HF is a pain. Now I am thinking that maybe I could use separate NMO mounts for the 2M / CB / HF antenna's for now and do a more sophisticated HF setup later on once I have passed my General. The 7100 of course needs an external GPS antenna. I am seriously considering drilling the roof, but I would have to place the antenna's at the front a few inches back from the windscreen, since I have a full rack with roof-top tent on it.
BettysNephew
New member
It is true getting a vehicle properly prepped for HF can be a pain. I have chosen to forgo HF in my 4Runner for the time being. But then again, I am not planning to go to Alaska, LOL.
My understanding regarding repeater search in the 5100 is pretty good for DStar repeaters but for analog, not so much. It would be likely that the 7100 would have similar limitations for repeater search but I do not own either one so cannot verify. My information regarding this is from other websites so take this for what it may be worth. In the lower 48 I suspect coverage may be much better as the database may have much more info but again hopefully someone that owns one will give some further insight.
I would probably get the repeater book in the digital version and load it on a pad or phone to be sure I could be connected but that is a personal choice. Or get the 5100 and the repeater book and have all bases covered.
73
My understanding regarding repeater search in the 5100 is pretty good for DStar repeaters but for analog, not so much. It would be likely that the 7100 would have similar limitations for repeater search but I do not own either one so cannot verify. My information regarding this is from other websites so take this for what it may be worth. In the lower 48 I suspect coverage may be much better as the database may have much more info but again hopefully someone that owns one will give some further insight.
I would probably get the repeater book in the digital version and load it on a pad or phone to be sure I could be connected but that is a personal choice. Or get the 5100 and the repeater book and have all bases covered.
73