amateur radio

[k0ua]

I have looked on the net and have a fair idea. I have a small handheld 2 meter kenwood that my father gave me years ago. I have listened to it many hours on my morning commute, but never spoken because I am not licensed. I have toyed with the idea of keeping the kenwood 870s to set up in my office once the house is built but the reality is that I have many years of hard work to do on the farm before I have enough leisure time to use the radio.....and I also don't know enough about it to know what else I would need. Or how large of an antenna I would have to have.

Cool. Well I have been licensed since 1971. You should consider it if it interest you at all. It is not difficult to get the license now. As you may or may not know, there is no Morse Code requirement now. And with the practice sites where you can practice taking the test over and over, well, it just isn't very difficult to get your ticket. I had a really nice conversation with a fellow in Md, a couple of nights ago, I was teaching him about some of the newer digital modes as he had come back to amateur radio recently from his early days in the 1980's and discovered the world had changed.

It felt great to be able to help him understand some newer techniques. Amateur radio can be a very fulfilling hobby that you can put as much or as little into as you want. And what you get out of it is totally up to you.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

I looked this morning and I couldn't put my hands on that QRP wattmeter. I made the list over a year ago but didn't pack things up until a couple weeks ago when we put the house on the market. I've had a service go in and clean everything out of there at this point so what's gone is gone.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

I need to go through the boxes and update my list. I will post some of these radios on Ehan.net and qhs

 

[k0ua]

I looked this morning and I couldn't put my hands on that QRP wattmeter. I made the list over a year ago but didn't pack things up until a couple weeks ago when we put the house on the market. I've had a service go in and clean everything out of there at this point so what's gone is gone.

Of the things you posted, my interest was most for the QRP wattmeter and maybe the single lever paddle. But you might be able to get more by posting on the classifieds. Not that some of the other things weren't very desireable, because they are. They just don't interest me. What oftens happen when a ham goes SK (Silent Key) is another trusted ham friend comes in and takes it all away that the family doesn't want, and sells it and returns the proceeds. Many times family members do not know what these things are worth and get "screwed" out of the true value. But it sounds like you have a handle on the situation. Good luck with it all. If you change your mind and decide to keep some of it and become one of "us" we sure would welcome you. :thumbsup:

 

[MitchellB]

I just recently upgraded to Extra this past February. For VHF & UHF, I still use two homemade ground plane antenna mounted on my roof since I first made them back in 1996. I got the plans from an old ARRL Antenna Book. My Yaesu FT847 only puts out 50 watts on those bands, but I have been real happy with the combination. On HF SSB the FT847 maxs out at 100 watts connected to a 40 meter Windom (off center fed) wire dipole antenna. To date, I have not broken 5000 miles transmitting, but I think that is mainly because I need to get it higher in the air. 73 KA4AU

 

[k0ua]

I just recently upgraded to Extra this past February. For VHF & UHF, I still use two homemade ground plane antenna mounted on my roof since I first made them back in 1996. I got the plans from an old ARRL Antenna Book. My Yaesu FT847 only puts out 50 watts on those bands, but I have been real happy with the combination. On HF SSB the FT847 maxs out at 100 watts connected to a 40 meter Windom (off center fed) wire dipole antenna. To date, I have not broken 5000 miles transmitting, but I think that is mainly because I need to get it higher in the air. 73 KA4AU
View attachment 506658

I have an 80 meter Windom (OCFD) an Inverted L for 160 meters and an MA5B minibeam for 20 thru 10 meters (5 band) On 6 meters I have my new Moxon rectangle up on the tower and an small ground plane that looks like the one above for 6 meter FM vertical polarized of course. And an old Hustler 2 meter vertical.

If you want to work tons of DX with low power and compromise antenna's you need to get on the digital modes. JT65 is just good for making contacts but DX abounds on this mode and you can take your pick. Like shooting fish in a barrel. I have also been having fun on 6 meter meteor scatter using MSK144, hence the need for the new Moxon 6 meter horizontal polarized beam antenna.

 

[Soundguy]

How do I miss these cool threads??

73's

 

[k0ua]

How do I miss these cool threads??

73's

Ya snooze ya lose!

 

[seaneastok]

Woodchuck..
Sorry about the passing of your Dad..Perhaps you should hang on to a few thing's in case you should decide to pursue the hobby? As James mentioned it is not that hard to get your "ticket " anymore...If you should choose to do so.Contact your local radio club and I am sure someone would steer you in the right direction. I think your Dad would be happy if you did so....just my:2cents:
73's de KD5JXF
Sean

 

[k0ua]

Woodchuck..
Sorry about the passing of your Dad..Perhaps you should hang on to a few thing's in case you should decide to pursue the hobby? As James mentioned it is not that hard to get your "ticket " anymore...If you should choose to do so.Contact your local radio club and I am sure someone would steer you in the right direction. I think your Dad would be happy if you did so....just my:2cents:
73's de KD5JXF
Sean

Sean you call sure seems familiar, have we worked?

 

[k0ua]

Here is my QRZ page with my small "antenna farm"

KUA - Callsign Lookup by QRZ.COM

 

[WoodChuckDad]

At first I was going to keep the kenwood 870s dsp for myself based on recommendation of my dads friend but it seems like a lot of radio. I am thinking that I may keep one of the smaller ones that is often put in a vehichle. I could set that up in my office and not need a big obtrusive antenna. My dad had a 40 foot tower as well as 3 other antennas. I dug the foundation for him for the tower. We rented a gas powered auger and an electric cement mixer. 24 80 lb bags of concrete The hole was 3 feet cubed as I recall. I don't know what he did with that tower. Not sure if he gave it away or traded it or sold it. It was two pieces and you could crank it up. K0ua it looked very much like yours. I don't see myself working the net and doing fox hunts like my dad did. At least not any time soon. My main interest in a radio is emergency communications. Secondary to that is the social aspect which I suspect I would enjoy.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

So I have a deal in the works for the kenwood 870s.

I went thru the boxes again and my previous inventory (taken over a year ago.) is no longer accurate. A few things were sold for us by one of his Ham buddies , as K0ua had mentioned is a traditional courtesy.

Anyway. I have decided to keep one of the radios. I am leaning toward an ICOM IC7000. My main reason is that it is small....can be mounted in a car or used on a desk and I should be able to set it up with minimal footprint. I already owned a handheld Kenwood 2 meter radio and I still have the following radios. Is there any compelling reason that I would choose one of those over the IC7000?

ICOM IC-R75 receiver
Kenwood TM V71A
ICOM V8000

Thanks. WCD

 

[B7510HSD]

So I have a deal in the works for the kenwood 870s.

I went thru the boxes again and my previous inventory (taken over a year ago.) is no longer accurate. A few things were sold for us by one of his Ham buddies , as K0ua had mentioned is a traditional courtesy.

Anyway. I have decided to keep one of the radios. I am leaning toward an ICOM IC7000. My main reason is that it is small....can be mounted in a car or used on a desk and I should be able to set it up with minimal footprint. I already owned a handheld Kenwood 2 meter radio and I still have the following radios. Is there any compelling reason that I would choose one of those over the IC7000?

ICOM IC-R75 receiver
Kenwood TM V71A
ICOM V8000

Thanks. WCD

The IC-7000 would be my choice it will do the HF bands as well as UHF/VHF all in one rig!!

 

[k0ua]

I would keep the IC-7000 also. They are a pretty decent radio with a lot of features. Desirable for the reasons you mentioned.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Thanks for the advice. I downloaded the ARRL practice tests to my phone today. and I'm getting some study material. I have found a couple different classes that shouldn't eat too much time. I think I can find a test in my area and knock out the technicians test this summer.

The deal on that 870 is falling apart. Craigslist is a wild place. If i go on Eham or QRZ will the fact that I will be brand new there hurt my ability to sell stuff too much? I'm not trying to retire to the bahamas on what I have, just don't want to be fleeced.

 

[B7510HSD]

You might also check your area and see if there is a Ham Radio Club could be a good place to sell the rig also!!

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Thank you. I will be reaching out to them anyway to set up a time to take the technician's license test. I am actually surprised at how little legitimate response I got for the main radios I listed. I got several scummy emails and a lowball " what is the absolute least you will accept" and one response that seemed like it was turning into a deal....but after the deal was set he just kept asking for more stuff. enough is enough.

 

[buickanddeere]

One of these days I should purchase a hand held tri-band and get back into Ham Radio. Local traffic is so minimal now the two adjacent towns linked thier repeaters together . Rare to hear anything outside of the Sunday evening check in.
When in the far north away from electromagnetic noise at camp. It's amazing what a little Sony 7100 will receive from around the world.

 

[B7510HSD]

If you are interested here is a site where you can take practice test. AA9PW FCC Exam Practice In all my years as a ham I haven't bought many used rigs I always look for the "deals" everyone seems to get but have found most of the used gear isn't that far off new price so I have gone that route.