Soon to be a licensed HAM

[acyddrop]

Hi all!

First let me say thank you in advance for taking the time to read this, you all have better things to do so thanks.

I'm hoping to take the test next month for my Tech license and possibly my General (right now in all the practice for the Tech I'm getting all 35 questions right almost all the time and never less than 97%). I kind of had a running start at a lot of these questions for 3 reasons 1) My dad has been a licensed HAM operator since the 50's, 2) My dad is an electronic engineer (MIT grad back in the 60s) and 3) I got my MSEE from the same school my dad did (just 35-36 years later). So all the questions with regards to electronics theory have been in my brain since probably before I developed an interest in girls. LOL. I actually haven't popped the hood on the General exam questions to see how well I'll do yet but I'll probably take a peek this week. To be honest the reason I hadn't looked much at HAM prior to now was mostly because while I got the electronics and operation theory; I was garbage with CW. I know the CW has long since been gone from the requirements; I'm just now getting around to the actual exam phase again.

Anyway that's some history of how I got to this point. My real question comes down to my interests. For work I live and breath computers. From programming to building them in one form or another over the last 30 years (and a million little things in between). So my interests in HAM apart from voice communication are Packet radio and other forms of computer/software driven inter-connectivity. So I'm looking for a radio, and to start off with it'll have to be a hand held since I'm on the road 75% or more of the year (flying all over, and living out of suitcases), So ideally I'd like an HT that is dual to quad band that also lets me (easily) attach it to a PC/Laptop. I've seen a few like the Kenwood TH-F6A and TH-D72A and also the Yaesu VX-8DR. They're all in the budget I've allowed myself for my first radio (sub $500 and pref. sub $400). It's not that I'm cheap, but I can't see throwing huge sums of cash into a new hobby until I'm sure it's as fun as I think it'll be.

If anyone can help with a radio recommendation given my needs, or can point me at a website (something like TNC's and Computer Comms over HAM for Dummys). Or possibly can PM me and let me ask questions of (or heck even chat over the phone [my dime] or skype) I'd GREATLY appreciate your time. Thanks again!

 

[Rt169Radio]

Hope you pass the Tech and General test at the same time.As for a HT radio I would go with the Yaesu brand.

 

[LtDoc]

acyddrop,
Good luck with the testing. With your background you really shouldn't have all that much trouble passing any of the tests.
At this point, there's just a lot of possibilities that you aren't aware of, modes, bands, etc, so don't get too tied up in things yet. Most of the modes available for amateur use are capable of being produced by computers now. Having a background in those @#$ things is also very helpful. I guess the tricky part is just finding out what's possible. After that, it's a matter of what you think you'd enjoy doing.
A 'starter radio', that's very personalized! What would fit your particular needs best, what's easy to do with one kind of radio and mre difficult with another, that sort of thingy. An HT wouldn't be -my- first choice as a starter radio, they are all very limiting by their nature. Maybe the biggest drawback is the antenna. What's most convenient usually isn't very 'good' or efficient, or practical for everything. Squashing all that 'ability' into a small package means it's going to be complicated and not easy to do for everyone (I hate menus and have 'fat' fingers!).
The best advice I can think of is to get your hands on a radio and see how 'easy' it is for you to live with. That's also the hardest way of picking a radio, how/where do you 'get your hands on' one? Okay, which brand of radio? That's another one of -those- things that probably will have a different answer from anyone you ask about it. (And as everyone knows, if you ain't got Kenwood, you got squat! Guess what brand I like?)
I don't know of anyone that has only had (wanted) just one radio. Exploring the different makes/models is absolutely normal, count on it. The only 'best' radio is the one you had two steps back and the next one!
You really do have lots of time to make decision about what and how you want to do things, so use that time and think about it. That works for anything, not just radios, right?
Have fun.
- 'Doc

 

[acyddrop]

Hope you pass the Tech and General test at the same time.As for a HT radio I would go with the Yaesu brand.

Thanks for the well wishes! The Yaesu radios do look fairly nice, this choice is still very much up in air right now.

 

[acyddrop]

acyddrop,
Good luck with the testing. With your background you really shouldn't have all that much trouble passing any of the tests.
At this point, there's just a lot of possibilities that you aren't aware of, modes, bands, etc, so don't get too tied up in things yet. Most of the modes available for amateur use are capable of being produced by computers now. Having a background in those @#$ things is also very helpful. I guess the tricky part is just finding out what's possible. After that, it's a matter of what you think you'd enjoy doing.
A 'starter radio', that's very personalized! What would fit your particular needs best, what's easy to do with one kind of radio and mre difficult with another, that sort of thingy. An HT wouldn't be -my- first choice as a starter radio, they are all very limiting by their nature. Maybe the biggest drawback is the antenna. What's most convenient usually isn't very 'good' or efficient, or practical for everything. Squashing all that 'ability' into a small package means it's going to be complicated and not easy to do for everyone (I hate menus and have 'fat' fingers!).
The best advice I can think of is to get your hands on a radio and see how 'easy' it is for you to live with. That's also the hardest way of picking a radio, how/where do you 'get your hands on' one? Okay, which brand of radio? That's another one of -those- things that probably will have a different answer from anyone you ask about it. (And as everyone knows, if you ain't got Kenwood, you got squat! Guess what brand I like?)
I don't know of anyone that has only had (wanted) just one radio. Exploring the different makes/models is absolutely normal, count on it. The only 'best' radio is the one you had two steps back and the next one!
You really do have lots of time to make decision about what and how you want to do things, so use that time and think about it. That works for anything, not just radios, right?
Have fun.
- 'Doc

Let me guess your favorite radio.. Icom? I kid, I kid. I have been looking at the Kenwood radios quite a lot they look fairly solid.. But, like you pointed out the HT radios seem to come up short in a lot of regards. Since I'm on the road so much I'm going to have to settle for one for now anyways, even though I realize it's a bad choice for a few reason. Though some of those "short comings" can be made up for. A real Antenna on a proper mast is easily attached to your HT, and you could always place a Linear/Tuner between your HT and the Antenna. Now I realize that by the time you get done with the Linear amplifier you could of justified a 100w base station. It's is however one of those investments you may have made even with the 100w base station, so I think it'd be a good long term item. I actually have been looking for less "do-all" radios of the HT variety. For example I have no idea why I'd want APRS except to know when the ISS is overhead; so that is one crossed off the list. I also found a rather nifty little do-all device you plug into your PC via a USB and it handles all your digital stuff (no TNC requires it is the TNC, among other things). Though I think I may still keep the TNC portion (if possible) on my list of things I want.

So far I have had no real "issues" with the electronics portion of the tests, which is nice. Though there have been a lot of practices and such associated with the use of a station I was entirely unfamiliar with. So I'm getting up to speed on those. I'd probably attempt to study for the Extra Class portion except (at least for now) I couldn't take advantage of it at all; aside from crashing my dad's shack. While he's thrilled I'm finally getting my ticket, I don't think he'd enjoy me in his shack all the time. I have a very understand woman in my life, but she's going to need a lot of convincing to let me put up a tower with beams on it. To say nothing of 160m V's and the like, and radial ground planes in our backyard (buried or not) is something she'd have fits over.. Long and the short 80 and 160m (which I think actually sound the most fun and interesting) are out, so no really pressing need to shoot for the Extra for now. I'll get my feet wet with the General though and see how it goes.

Thanks for your reply and looking forward to more.

73's

 

[ropin4gold]

My wife wasn't very understanding either. I got away with an 80M inverted V in a big Maple tree in the back yard.

 

[acyddrop]

My wife wasn't very understanding either. I got away with an 80M inverted V in a big Maple tree in the back yard.

She might let me get away with an inverted V. I really want to work the 160 and 80m bands, they truly seem like the most fun to me. What sort of feed line are you using with your 80m setup? I've been looking at feed lines in planning my future shack (I'm a network designer by trade) seems like hard line is a solid choice, but looks to be an _enormous_ pain in the backside. Especially when it comes to preventing water leakage, though this discussion might be off topic for a New Operators threads...

73's

 

[LtDoc]

The two most common feed lines on HF are coax cable and 'ladder line'. There's just no practical need for 'hard line', the cost is prohibitive for most of us, and there's just no great benefit in using it. That 'ladder line' or parallel feed line is more lossless than coax but has it's own peculiarities. Nothing that 'bad', but certainly not as easy to use as coax. Which should you use? Whatever is most practical for you that won't make your wallet scream too loudly.
- 'Doc

 

[acyddrop]

Ladder line is a decent feedline setup, it's also incredibly inexpensive. But my biggest problem with it is that.. Well, it just looks like a nightmare to route it. You'd have to punch two holes to get the feedline through your wall, unless you did something like standard coax/hardline to a 4:1 balun outside the house. Then you could feed all your cabling through a standard conduit. The other routing issue with ladder line is horizontal routing, you have to support it above ground somewhere along the run from your antenna to your shack. Yeah the long and short routing looks nightmarish.

 

[krokus]

I purchased a TH-D72, in May. I think it would make a good option for you, with your interest in packet.

The built-in TNC and programming via the USB port, makes for a versatile radio.

 

[LtDoc]

I like using 'ladder line'! It's not as limiting as coax in most cases. Within reason, I don't care what it 'looks like'. It's not as easy to use as coax in most cases, and that's one reason why coax was invented. Parallel feed lines/ladder-line can take more electrical abuse than coax! Considering some of the antennas I use, and how, that is a huge 'biggy'! The 'practical' side of it, how/where to do the routing, is just 'different', not always prohibitive.
It's certainly not 'best' for everyone.
Minimizing losses is always a good idea, but there are limits to that. Losses "are", and always will be. Until they get 'big', they aren't worth worrying about in most cases. That 'cost' versus 'loss' thingy is a deciding factor for everyone, just different 'levels' for different people.
The aspect that people don't 'see' all the time is that you will probably change things sooner or later. Use whatever you have to to start with, and change it to something else when you have to or can. Ain't nobody can eat just one!
- 'Doc

 

[acyddrop]

I purchased a TH-D72, in May. I think it would make a good option for you, with your interest in packet.

The built-in TNC and programming via the USB port, makes for a versatile radio.

Thanks so much for your suggestion, I'm leaning toward that particular radio as well.

 

[KZ9G]

I purchased a TH-D72, in May. I think it would make a good option for you, with your interest in packet.

The built-in TNC and programming via the USB port, makes for a versatile radio.

This is the single handheld that has a built in tnc that you can access on the market. I have a vx8r and am very tempted to dump it for this one. Having the tm-d710 it would make a great pair.

Also the kenwood software is free and all you need is the usb cable.

 

[acyddrop]

This is the single handheld that has a built in tnc that you can access on the market. I have a vx8r and am very tempted to dump it for this one. Having the tm-d710 it would make a great pair.

Also the kenwood software is free and all you need is the usb cable.

The built in TNC is a very handy feature to be certain, and it's easy as pie to connect to (Unlike the specialized cables, etc associated with the Yaesu). However, I have found some inexpensive TNC hardware called TNC-X (PIC-Based TNC) that might be just the thing to interface to any handheld (or base/mobile) to do 1200/9600 AX. 25. To be honest I'm torn, I love the TH-D72a it's got a lot of great things going for it. But it's missing one thing I love from some of the other options. A wideband receive (nee scanner) option. The TH-D6a and the VX-8DR both have 0.1 (0.5 for Yaesu) to 1.3GHz receive which is a really attractive option (Not to mention the D6a supports far more xmit modes, and both are tri-band or better). *sigh* decisions decisions.

 

[krokus]

I, also, purchased a TH-F6a in May. The multi-band receive has been fun to play with, and the AM and FM broadcast reception is quite good. HF reception does require an external antenna, at least above 5MHz, below that, you can use the internal bar antenna.

One minor downfall of this radio, is needing a serial cable to program it, which interfaces through the earphone and mic jacks. (The Wouxon radios are supposed to be compatible, so I just ordered one of their cables. I will report how well it works.)

 

[acyddrop]

I, also, purchased a TH-F6a in May. The multi-band receive has been fun to play with, and the AM and FM broadcast reception is quite good. HF reception does require an external antenna, at least above 5MHz, below that, you can use the internal bar antenna.

One minor downfall of this radio, is needing a serial cable to program it, which interfaces through the earphone and mic jacks. (The Wouxon radios are supposed to be compatible, so I just ordered one of their cables. I will report how well it works.)

I'm still leaning towards the TH-D72a but the TH-F6a and the VX-8DR are both attractive for the 1) Tri or better xmit and 2) Wideband receive. I like the looks of the VX-8DR and the fact it's built to mil-spec as well. But honestly I can't see how ARPS fits into my lifestyle overall, it'd be interesting to play around with though I suppose (I mention ARPS because the VX-8DR is all about that). Honestly the choice is harder than I thought it'd be.

I'd be interested in knowing if the Wouxon (read: less expensive) cable works for programming/interfacing to the radio.