20, 30 or 40 meter - CW

[Pro-95]

I do not have my license yet. I however would like to pursue a CW license.

I can order receiver and transmitter kits for 20, 30 and 40 meter bands.

It appears as though I could use either 40 or 30 meter, with 40 meter being novice included and 30 meter being general.

So with the plan to be legal and yes, CW. Should I build a 30 or a 40 meter transmitter and receiver?

Too bad a scanner doesn't go that low. That way I could hear the traffic and make a more educated decision.

Why CW, mostly for nostalgia as my grampapa was a CW man and chatted around the world, talked with a lot of people and who knows maybe some of it stuck.

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by Pro-95

I do not have my license yet. I however would like to pursue a CW license.

I can order receiver and transmitter kits for 20, 30 and 40 meter bands.

It appears as though I could use either 40 or 30 meter, with 40 meter being novice included and 30 meter being general.

So with the plan to be legal and yes, CW. Should I build a 30 or a 40 meter transmitter and receiver?

Too bad a scanner doesn't go that low. That way I could hear the traffic and make a more educated decision.

Why CW, mostly for nostalgia as my grampapa was a CW man and chatted around the world, talked with a lot of people and who knows maybe some of it stuck.

I would go with either 40M or 20M. Those bands have much more activity on than 30M. Will most of your operating be at day or night? If day, go for 20M. If night, get the 40M kit. Another advantage of 20M is that the antenna is much smaller (exactly half as long) and you don't have to get it as high in the air for the same performance. Typically, you want your antenna to be at least a quarter wavelength above the around. Naturally, that too would only be half as much for 20M.

Joe M.

[kb2vxa]

Hi Pro and readers,

Don't worry about Novice, that class was dropped, just go for the code test and you can start with the Technician license. That will give you full priveliges above 30MHz and you'll know the code so you can also use CW. The Element 1 CSCE is good for one year so you have plenty of time to study for your General exam. Meanwhile there is plenty to do on VHF/UHF, 6M has been opening fantastically for about a month and will see a bit fewer and weaker openings for the rest of the summer. You'll also have fun with tropo on 2M, 223MHz and 70cM when you're not hanging out on the repeaters (;->) or having some nice local FM simplex chats.

When you get on HF I suggest the simplest antenna to start, a 40M dipole or 80M if you have room for one and a tuner. (You can't properly tune an antenna below it's fundimental frequency but it's easy to go above.) As for building, proper equipment for today's crowded bands is a bit difficult to say the least but experimenting is always fun and productive. A QRP CW transmitter is easy, many build them in an Altoids box, maybe they can't find the Sucrets box they put the screws in years ago. (;->)

80M is active but noisy in summer, 60 is the new one worth exploring, 40 is good propagation wise but the broadcasters sqash us into the CW portion at night so it's rather crowded, 30 is popular and especially so for digital and 20 has it's moments. 17 is up and down, some openings are surprising even at this point in the sunspot cycle but 15, 12 and 10 are rather dead at this point but still sometimes things happen like sporadic E on 10.

For serious DX though nothing beats a modern, all mode, all band, full feature rig, get a good one but don't break the bank. For what it's worth my Icom 706Mk2G is the best thing since sliced bread, the 224MHz hole is filled by an Alinco DR-235. Of course you'll need the appropriate antennas and remember that only FM is vertically polarized for mobiles, everything else is horizontal. Save your pennies, the initial investment is a bit steep but the gear is very reliable (or mine is, hi) and will give you many years of satisfaction. The point is get the best you can afford at the start and you won't throw money away because you're dissatisfied and want something better, then sell the older stuff at a loss or it sits gathering dust.

I'll be around to welcome you to the wonderful world of Amateur radio and so will be the great bunch of helping hands over at www.qrz.com and the various ham related Internet sites around the world. While you're at it, Field Day is coming up soon so get on over to a site and you're in for a real treat. I won't ruin the surprise if you don't already know what FD is all about, just get to one and have fun.

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by kb2vxa

Hi Pro and readers,

Don't worry about Novice, that class was dropped, just go for the code test and you can start with the Technician license. That will give you full priveliges above 30MHz and you'll know the code so you can also use CW. The Element 1 CSCE is good for one year so you have plenty of time to study for your General exam. Meanwhile there is plenty to do on VHF/UHF, 6M has been opening fantastically for about a month and will see a bit fewer and weaker openings for the rest of the summer. You'll also have fun with tropo on 2M, 223MHz and 70cM when you're not hanging out on the repeaters (;->) or having some nice local FM simplex chats.

By comparison, there is almost NO CW above 30 MHz, and certainly none with any real regularity, let alone openings to other continents.

When you get on HF I suggest the simplest antenna to start, a 40M dipole or 80M if you have room for one and a tuner. (You can't properly tune an antenna below it's fundimental frequency but it's easy to go above.) As for building, proper equipment for today's crowded bands is a bit difficult to say the least but experimenting is always fun and productive. A QRP CW transmitter is easy, many build them in an Altoids box, maybe they can't find the Sucrets box they put the screws in years ago. (;->)

But if his choices are 40/30/20M, you wouldn't want an 80M antenna. Put up one that is tuned for the band you want. That's the least expensive solution. Anything less would require an antenna tuner which is not cheap.

80M is active but noisy in summer, 60 is the new one worth exploring, 40 is good propagation wise but the broadcasters sqash us into the CW portion at night so it's rather crowded, 30 is popular and especially so for digital and 20 has it's moments. 17 is up and down, some openings are surprising even at this point in the sunspot cycle but 15, 12 and 10 are rather dead at this point but still sometimes things happen like sporadic E on 10.

As I said before, it depends on WHEN he can operate. There is little sense putting up a 20M antenna if he can only operate at night, or putting up a 40M antenna if he can only operate during the daylight.

For serious DX though nothing beats a modern, all mode, all band, full feature rig, get a good one but don't break the bank. For what it's worth my Icom 706Mk2G is the best thing since sliced bread, the 224MHz hole is filled by an Alinco DR-235. Of course you'll need the appropriate antennas and remember that only FM is vertically polarized for mobiles, everything else is horizontal. Save your pennies, the initial investment is a bit steep but the gear is very reliable (or mine is, hi) and will give you many years of satisfaction. The point is get the best you can afford at the start and you won't throw money away because you're dissatisfied and want something better, then sell the older stuff at a loss or it sits gathering dust.

Since he is talking about getting a single band kit, it seems money IS an object. Although maybe a used HF rig is better than a kit. Maybe something from the 80s. Most kits are QRP (low power).

Joe M.

[Pro-95]

Well money isn't entirely the object but building it is. However the Icom at 1g is a bit more than I'd like to pay out of the gates. Besides half of what is listed in the features is greek to me.

QRP seems pretty reasonable for introductory investment. Course a 33foot dipole 33feet in the air (at the base I assume) seems like a challenge. OK so if horizontally aligned would be better than vertically, Other than a vertical dipole what options are there for relativly inexpensive (read as , I'm not ready to build a real tower yet) and prefferably omni-directional without totally killing listening options. And yes, I'd preffer to build it. I could get another rotator if I must. Building the farm isn't a problem.

Basically I think I could easily dive into building a 20 for daytime and a 40 for the night. Without much complaint from the penny pile.

Element 1 CSCE: I have not heard of this but then I am just now making progress into the ham realm. Does this mean I can apply for a student permit or something? That way I can not only listen but also be able to practice IRL? Not just by listening to a code keyer.

I joined QRZ as MichaelW. Course I'll be doing a bit of reading.....

Thanks!

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by Pro-95

Well money isn't entirely the object but building it is. However the Icom at 1g is a bit more than I'd like to pay out of the gates. Besides half of what is listed in the features is greek to me.

QRP seems pretty reasonable for introductory investment. Course a 33foot dipole 33feet in the air (at the base I assume) seems like a challenge. OK so if horizontally aligned would be better than vertically, Other than a vertical dipole what options are there for relativly inexpensive (read as , I'm not ready to build a real tower yet) and prefferably omni-directional without totally killing listening options. And yes, I'd preffer to build it. I could get another rotator if I must. Building the farm isn't a problem.

Basically I think I could easily dive into building a 20 for daytime and a 40 for the night. Without much complaint from the penny pile.

Element 1 CSCE: I have not heard of this but then I am just now making progress into the ham realm. Does this mean I can apply for a student permit or something? That way I can not only listen but also be able to practice IRL? Not just by listening to a code keyer.

I joined QRZ as MichaelW. Course I'll be doing a bit of reading.....

Thanks!

One of the best wire antennas out there is the Inverted Vee antenna. It's basically a dipole with the feedpoint (middle) much higher in the air than the ends. It also gives you much closer to 50 ohms impedance than a dipole. Another advantage is that it's more omnidirectional than a dipole.

With the dipole, you have to have it elevated at all points (typically the same distance). Most antennas (ham-wise) below 29 MHz are horizonal polarization. There are vertical antennas out there, but most are not. It's hard to find a 160M vertical dipole unless you take over an old AM Broadcast station. 8)

20 and 40 would be the best bands to start out with. They seem to be the most reliable for activity.

Joe M.

[Al42]

Originally Posted by Voyager

As I said before, it depends on WHEN he can operate. There is little sense putting up a 20M antenna if he can only operate at night, or putting up a 40M antenna if he can only operate during the daylight.

Ever operate CW or digital on 20 at night? There's plenty of activity, and to all parts of the world.

Since he is talking about getting a single band kit, it seems money IS an object. Although maybe a used HF rig is better than a kit. Maybe something from the 80s. Most kits are QRP (low power).

You don't need high power on CW.

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by Al42

Ever operate CW or digital on 20 at night? There's plenty of activity, and to all parts of the world.

I hear 4 stations on 20M CW right now. All four are weak and two are in the extra part of the band. All four are going over 15 WPM. During the winter months, 20 is even more dead than that. Many times you will not hear a single station on.

On 40, I hear at least 10, only 4 of which are in the Extra band, and a couple of them (in the General band) are going pretty slow (another factor for the newbie). One is even in the Novice band.

Remind me where the Novice/Tech segment is on 20M again. Oh, that's right - there ISN'T one! With the 20M kit comes the requirement of the General Class license, not just a Tech.

As for power on HF, if the conditions are right, you don't need any power for any mode - or even much of an antenna. I know someone who worked Zandabar and afterward found out that the knife switch on his antenna was still in the GROUND position. He worked the guy on three feet of wire with a terrible SWR (hence extremely low power output)

Still, power does help, as does a good antenna.

Joe M.

[kb2vxa]

Hi Pro and all,

Please don't let them pick apart my post and confuse you. I tend to write in general terms trying to cover as much as possible with as few words as I can manage.

Now Voyager, please don't nit-pick, see above. An 80M dipole and tuner will cover the HF spectrum (except 160 but that was already covered) and believe it or not can be used on 6M and 2M. With the exception of VHF which tends to go beyond the scope of this discussion that's what I had in mind, a general purpose antenna. BTW, there are several variations on the dipole, the inverted V is but one of them.

Signal polarization on HF is all mixed up for all practical purposes, by the time the signal gets to the receiving antenna it's just about any angle and often in combinations, hence we have that famous selective fading caused by phase cancellation. Hams often use one or more methods for achieving dual diversity / dual polarization (switching antennas is most common) to keep up with shifts. This came in very handy on 10M during Field Day 1998 when I switched between a dipole and vertical to reduce signal fades.

What is more important by far is the vertical takeoff angle but that's beyond the scope of this discusion. It's only worth mentioning because horizontal antennas have their place as do verticals depending on signal propagation characteristics.

To sum it up, KISS. That's keep it simple stupid, not an insult but a common term, practical advice to avoid unnecissary entanglement.

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by kb2vxa

Now Voyager, please don't nit-pick, see above. An 80M dipole and tuner will cover the HF spectrum (except 160 but that was already covered) and believe it or not can be used on 6M and 2M.

But that mandates a tuner. If a single band kit is being purchased, the most effective antenna will be one cut to the same band.

To sum it up, KISS. That's keep it simple stupid, not an insult but a common term, practical advice to avoid unnecissary entanglement.

That sums up my point exactly. If you have a 40M kit, put up a 40M antenna.

Joe M.

[Al42]

Originally Posted by Voyager

I hear 4 stations on 20M CW right now. All four are weak and two are in the extra part of the band. All four are going over 15 WPM. During the winter months, 20 is even more dead than that. Many times you will not hear a single station on.

You ARE running a beam to a good communications receiver, right?

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by Al42

You ARE running a beam to a good communications receiver, right?

No - I'm running an 80M dipole with a tuner.

Joe M.

[Al42]

Originally Posted by Voyager

No - I'm running an 80M dipole with a tuner.

Which could easily explain why you aren't hearing much at night on 20.

I work the world on 20 at night with a vertical and 25 watts.

[loumaag]

Mike has gotten the answers he wants, but it seems as if this is straying far from the topic, so to the Tavern it goes.

[kb2vxa]

Hi Pro and all,

Before backing out of this tuner and antenna entanglement I'll say just one thing. I bought a used MFJ 941D tuner in like new condition for $50 so forget about it being expensive. It's the same with buying anything, you just have to know where to shop.

"Element 1 CSCE: I have not heard of this but then I am just now making progress into the ham realm."

Element 1 is the CW exam, 5WPM and there are 3 versions of it as well as 3 versions of the technical questions taken from the pool. CSCE is the acronym for certificate (of) successful completion (of) examination.

If you want to sit for one test like I alluded to like the CW exam and take the rest later you get a certificate that's good for one year for the one you took. For example, if you want to get on the air quick you can go for the Tech license only. That means taking the technical portion of the Novice and Technician class is that plus another set of questions. I just happened to take them both in one sitting.

If you want to take a leap forward you can take the CW exam then and there and get the CSCE while studying for the technical portion of the General. That might be a good idea, while you don't need the paper to use CW on VHF if you have it you're that much farther ahead.

Then again you can take all the techie stuff in one sitting and get your General techie CSCE and take the CW exam later. It's all in the combinations and possibilities. Whew, hope I didn't confuse you. (;->)

For more info go to www.arrl.org for a start, you can find an affiliated Amateur Radio club listing there. You can also ask questions on www.qrz.com, you'll find lots of nice hams there who can help you and direct you to a club in your area. I believe the term used when searching for a job is "networking" and it also applies when searching for anything including hams.

Frankly you're sort of barking up the wrong tree here, you should be on the ham related web sites with these questions. Sure some hams visit here, but "over there" they're almost ALL hams and many are engineering professionals too. Go with the odds, you'll stand a better chance of winning.

[Pro-95]

July 16th, 9am. I sit for tests.

I have been studying my little head off. On QRZ and AA9PW I can usually ace the Tech test and am now running the General with 4-6 missed.

"Who in the sam heck came up with the ionesphere names? And why do I care what region Austrailia is? The bandwidth allocations and restrictions make some sense, but please, Why wear a saftey helmet while standing on the ground while someone works on an tower?

"Cause it looks cool and people will know that you are working on the antenna."

I have a CPO and am strengthing the glass arm. I am using a straight key. Sending is slow but receiving is a lot slower. Sort of reminds me of learning Spanish and French in the same semesters. Neither of which I remember short of "Mas cervesa por favor" and "Donde es los banos".

[loumaag]

Originally Posted by Pro-95

July 16th, 9am. I sit for tests.

Good Deal!

I see from your revised signature block you have a 706. Great radio, especially for mobile ops. (Mine is in the truck.) In any case, remember, the breakdown here starts at the end of August, so I am waiting.

[Pro-95]

Oh sure just add a little pressure.



We WILL speak before your breakdown.

The farm is growing around here. However I have managed to accomodate most of the covered freqs in just two multi-banders. So once the license appears in the database..... watch out!

I settled on the 706 after reviewing most of the radios that fit my criteria. Thanks to Warren on the lead. Many people had input ranging from base stations to used but I want one I can use both base and mobile as well as not limit the ranges of operation. It was a little spendy but I found that most multi-band good even used radios run in the 500 range so for a few dollars more I went new and all but 1.25m.

[kb2vxa]

Hi Michael and readers,

Pardon my chuckling, I can't resist.

"July 16th, 9am. I sit for tests."

GREAT!

"I have been studying my little head off. On QRZ and AA9PW I can usually ace the Tech test and am now running the General with 4-6 missed."

OK, sit for whatever you know and get your CSCEs, you'll walk away a Tech while you're at it and can begin operating the moment your callsign appears in the FCC database. If you need code practice it may be arranged on air with a CW operator in any one of a number of ways.

"Who in the sam heck came up with the ionesphere names?"

Ah dunno, somebody who wanted to distinguish between various kinds of radio wave propagation I guess. (;->)

"And why do I care what region Austrailia is?"

So you know which ITU regulations apply, what their band assignments are etc. so you can better work DX.

"The bandwidth allocations and restrictions make some sense, but please, Why wear a saftey helmet while standing on the ground while someone works on an tower?"

For the same reason you do on any construction site, so you don't get beaned when some butterfingers drops something on you.

"Cause it looks cool and people will know that you are working on the antenna."

Yeah, that's about right. Check out www.hamsexy.com for other cool things you can do with a hard hat.

"I have a CPO and am strengthing the glass arm."

A "glass fist" (not arm) is carpel tunnel syndrome, pounding brass all day, day in day out is one cause. Commercial CW ops used to switch between a straight key and a Vibroplex periodically to avoid strain.

"I am using a straight key. Sending is slow but receiving is a lot slower."

You'll improve, a good CW operator can do 18WPM on a straight key without breaking a sweat. I know one who does it as a matter of course, can do 20+ without breaking a sweat. He never used a "bug" or iambic paddle either.

"Sort of reminds me of learning Spanish and French in the same semesters. Neither of which I remember short of "Mas cervesa por favor" and "Donde es los banos"."

I did in High School, German too. Like you I didn't get much past "More beer please." and "Where's the bathroom?" either. (;->)

"The farm is growing around here. However I have managed to accomodate most of the covered freqs in just two multi-banders."

Good way to start out and keep the XYL and the neighbors happy at least until you put a signal on the air but we can deal with that later if need be.

"So once the license appears in the database..... watch out!"

I'm quaking in my boots. (;->)

"I settled on the 706 after reviewing most of the radios that fit my criteria. Thanks to Warren on the lead."

You're welcome.

"Many people had input ranging from base stations to used but I want one I can use both base and mobile as well as not limit the ranges of operation."

That's what I had in mind.

"It was a little spendy but I found that most multi-band good even used radios run in the 500 range so for a few dollars more I went new and all but 1.25m."

Again that's what I had in mind, I let you shop around and find out for yourself. You drew the same conclusion I did after MUCH homework and consideration, your needs pretty much match mine. Yeah, fill the 223MHz hole later but don't overlook a preferred band. You'll figure out that remark when you get on the band, it's one of Amateur Radio's best kept secrets and we like to keep it that way. (;->)

I'm pleased at you being a Clint Eastwood fan. You said you had A Fistful Of Dollars to work with but spending A Few Dollars More brings the satisfaction of simplicity. Now tell me, I don't remember if I fired five shots or six. Are you feeling lucky, PUNK? Go ahead, make my day. 8)