steveh552
Member
Hey all,
A bit of background, I started out as a child (age 12-13) in CB radio and by the time I was 15 I had a tech license, that has been almost 15 years now. I have never upgraded from my tech ticket, a no-code at that. I use to get hours of enjoyment from turning on the 2m and listening, but around here it is nearly dead, at least the last time I turned on the radio 9 months ago.
Anyways, to present. I have been strongly considering upgrading to General so I can have HF priviliges, I know the limited 10m on such I have with a tech, but I want more bands and allocation to use. So having said that, my intent is to upgrade.
Now, I want to get a radio that I can use once I get my upgraded ticket. I am needing something portable because I travel some and commute as well and would like to have something that is going to travel with me. My interest are, at this point are monitoring the 50 states, especially during weather emergencies or other disasters and also just plain old fun. I am not into contesting or traffic nets. My budget to start my HF set up is right around $1000 I was thinking about the 817, and I know full well it is only 5 watts, but I was thinking for the price and the fact that I can take it anywhere I go including hotel rooms. I also considered the 857D and an ATAS antenna but even buying those, I still need coax and a mount and then I have no hotel operations.
I am buying my book to upgrade in a couple weeks, hoping I can at least cram and have my ticket before my June trip to Memphis (would like to use the radio as a way to keep me occupied on my way down and back).
Will the experts and non-experts please chime in.
A bit of background, I started out as a child (age 12-13) in CB radio and by the time I was 15 I had a tech license, that has been almost 15 years now. I have never upgraded from my tech ticket, a no-code at that. I use to get hours of enjoyment from turning on the 2m and listening, but around here it is nearly dead, at least the last time I turned on the radio 9 months ago.
Anyways, to present. I have been strongly considering upgrading to General so I can have HF priviliges, I know the limited 10m on such I have with a tech, but I want more bands and allocation to use. So having said that, my intent is to upgrade.
Now, I want to get a radio that I can use once I get my upgraded ticket. I am needing something portable because I travel some and commute as well and would like to have something that is going to travel with me. My interest are, at this point are monitoring the 50 states, especially during weather emergencies or other disasters and also just plain old fun. I am not into contesting or traffic nets. My budget to start my HF set up is right around $1000 I was thinking about the 817, and I know full well it is only 5 watts, but I was thinking for the price and the fact that I can take it anywhere I go including hotel rooms. I also considered the 857D and an ATAS antenna but even buying those, I still need coax and a mount and then I have no hotel operations.
I am buying my book to upgrade in a couple weeks, hoping I can at least cram and have my ticket before my June trip to Memphis (would like to use the radio as a way to keep me occupied on my way down and back).
Will the experts and non-experts please chime in.