I am a new general. I was just talking with my Elmer and he suggested an antenna that would go 75 meters because that would get me on a Tennessee net group. I can understand that but I was planning a simple 40m multiband HWEF simply because I thought it would be easier to put it up. On the other hand I have plenty of room. Also he has a IC-718 and a manual tuner for sale. His price is good and he isn't pushing it at all but just offering. I was planning for a G90 because mainly because I think a waterfall would be so helpful to new ham. I am not sure about going all in for a new IC-7300 because of the price tag plus I will be waiting for weeks with NO radio. I know little other that I do think getting outside and portable looks fun. Also I am pretty sure I will do some digital modes at some point. I know this is open ended but looking for general advice. Thanks!
What really does a new general need?
- Thread starter clayj1729
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Congratulations on the upgrade to General!
Yes, the waterfall is nice. Even without one, you can still slowly tune up and down the band to find stations on the air. If you plan to operate sideband, I think the 100 watts from an IC-718 would make for a more satisfying experience than the 20 watts from the G90. Not that you couldn't make sideband contacts with the G90, 5 times the power will make things a bit easier for you.
A benefit to getting on 75m is that you will be able to check into that net and get to know people in your own area...people that you might run into at a hamfest or statewide meeting.
OTOH, the idea of the 40m EFHW is good, too, because, as you say, it may be easier for you to put up.
I'm a firm believer that hams new to HF should pick a band, generally 40 or 20, put up the best antenna they can for that band, and concentrate on that band. Learn how propagation works and learn who your "neighbors" are on the band. Once you get some operating time under your belt, you can start branching out to other bands.
Yes, the waterfall is nice. Even without one, you can still slowly tune up and down the band to find stations on the air. If you plan to operate sideband, I think the 100 watts from an IC-718 would make for a more satisfying experience than the 20 watts from the G90. Not that you couldn't make sideband contacts with the G90, 5 times the power will make things a bit easier for you.
A benefit to getting on 75m is that you will be able to check into that net and get to know people in your own area...people that you might run into at a hamfest or statewide meeting.
OTOH, the idea of the 40m EFHW is good, too, because, as you say, it may be easier for you to put up.
I'm a firm believer that hams new to HF should pick a band, generally 40 or 20, put up the best antenna they can for that band, and concentrate on that band. Learn how propagation works and learn who your "neighbors" are on the band. Once you get some operating time under your belt, you can start branching out to other bands.
prcguy
Member
The MyAntennas or home made version of their 75m EFHW or OCFD are great antennas and will work all HF bands 75 through 10m with a good match and without a tuner. Either version is about 133ft long and its probably the last wire HF antenna you will have to buy.
The reason I recommend MyAntennas is they are one of the few that have figured out how to get 75, 30, 17 and 12m on these antennas and they are very well made. Most OCFDs that cover 75/80m actually resonate around 3.55Mhz on 80m and the VSWR in the 75m phone section is really starting to climb but MyAntennas sticks a capacitor in a critical spot that tunes the antenna to favor around 3.8-4.0MHz for phone. You can do the same mod on the end fed version to favor the phone portion of 75m. When it comes to the OCFD they are also one of the few that use the proper type of 4:1 current balun that keeps most of the RF off the feedline.
The reason I recommend MyAntennas is they are one of the few that have figured out how to get 75, 30, 17 and 12m on these antennas and they are very well made. Most OCFDs that cover 75/80m actually resonate around 3.55Mhz on 80m and the VSWR in the 75m phone section is really starting to climb but MyAntennas sticks a capacitor in a critical spot that tunes the antenna to favor around 3.8-4.0MHz for phone. You can do the same mod on the end fed version to favor the phone portion of 75m. When it comes to the OCFD they are also one of the few that use the proper type of 4:1 current balun that keeps most of the RF off the feedline.
I'm with AK9R, stick to 1 band and work to get the hang of it. The waterfall is helpful, but not a necessity.
As for the MyAntennas, I would also recommend them. I love mine, and it hears wonderfully.
The tough thing about the wonderful world of ham radio is that it is always a fight between funds, getting on the air now, and what you really want to end up doing. That being said, do whatever gets you on the air asap, and don't worry so much about the perfect setup. It certainly will change eventually.
As for the MyAntennas, I would also recommend them. I love mine, and it hears wonderfully.
The tough thing about the wonderful world of ham radio is that it is always a fight between funds, getting on the air now, and what you really want to end up doing. That being said, do whatever gets you on the air asap, and don't worry so much about the perfect setup. It certainly will change eventually.
RadioDXfun
Omni low angle radiator
I cannot help you with the antenna. There is merit on using 1 antenna on 1 band (not least efficiency and radiation pattern), just to start you off - 1 band offers plenty to learn to start with, it is true... it is how I did it on 20m first. I have a radio with waterfall and do not even have it on. I spin the VFO and listen when I am not calling. I am not even sure 1/2 the stations I speak with would register on a waterfall - that shows how much I use it.. i.e. never.
Do it how you think you will enjoy it the most, that is key...making errors is a way of learning and progressing as well.
You can do a lot with 20W but more with 100W. 20W will just take a little more time. The difference is only about a little more than an S point....
that may make nearly no difference or the difference between being heard or not depending upon the situation. For you calling on a quiet band a station with low noise RX will barely notice if the path is well open. They may struggle to hear you on a weak path or local high noise floor though. In a pile up the extra 80W may help you be heard, but not always... I run 100W and breaking a pile up is never a given on a wire alone.
Do it how you think you will enjoy it the most, that is key...making errors is a way of learning and progressing as well.
You can do a lot with 20W but more with 100W. 20W will just take a little more time. The difference is only about a little more than an S point....
that may make nearly no difference or the difference between being heard or not depending upon the situation. For you calling on a quiet band a station with low noise RX will barely notice if the path is well open. They may struggle to hear you on a weak path or local high noise floor though. In a pile up the extra 80W may help you be heard, but not always... I run 100W and breaking a pile up is never a given on a wire alone.
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Since you have plenty of room (unlike many envious readers in this forum), put up an antenna that will get you on as many bands as possible. Something like the EFHW or OCFD that prcguy mentions in this thread. Even if you plan to operate only one band, put up an antenna that will do as many bands as possible. Why? Propagation changes throughout the day. In the summer months 75M pretty much shuts down during the day. And the reverse is true for 15M. Do you want to be restricted to operating only during certain times of the day depending on the season? Or depending on the solar cycle / sunspot conditions for a given band? If you have a single (or even dual) band antenna and propagation is unfavorable... stick a fork in it... you're done. SOL. Turn off the rig and find something else to do. Why restrict yourself in that manner?
I guess I need help understanding the "limit yourself to one band" advice. I'm certainly glad I've never done that. If I'm putting up an antenna I want it to last through as much of my ham radio years as possible... and not be forced into a "time for a new antenna" project because I'd like to check out some other bands, but my antenna only handles 40M well. If I read or hear about a new Special Event station or activity, want to participate in a contest or a net that is on a different band than my antenna, an emergency comm exercise, or any of a number of other things that are interesting in Amateur Radio... I want the freedom to flip the bandswitch on my rig and know that I have a signal on any band that I choose.
I guess I need help understanding the "limit yourself to one band" advice. I'm certainly glad I've never done that. If I'm putting up an antenna I want it to last through as much of my ham radio years as possible... and not be forced into a "time for a new antenna" project because I'd like to check out some other bands, but my antenna only handles 40M well. If I read or hear about a new Special Event station or activity, want to participate in a contest or a net that is on a different band than my antenna, an emergency comm exercise, or any of a number of other things that are interesting in Amateur Radio... I want the freedom to flip the bandswitch on my rig and know that I have a signal on any band that I choose.
Welcome and congratulations!
I have rather mixed feelings about 80m. It's good that you have and invite to a voice net, but you may not find the rest of 80m to be to your liking. I'd personally rate it as a secondary interest with 40m and 20m as primaries.
The G90 has its benefits, but as a first radio, I'd go for the IC-718 (if it's at a good price point). I suspect it will hold value and you can save you money for a 7300, then resell the 718 when you have the 7300. Look at the G90 as a second portable/field day radio.
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- Jun 13, 2018
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- 869
I echo that Roger--
..... I don't think that 75 metre's is a good place for a new ham to start. There are, of course, like in all amateur radio, good, kindly people everywhere-- including 75-- but there are some snake-slithering twisted personalities in there too--- IMHO more so than other bands; this coming from a woman
.
Also 75 is not a good daytime frequency - the propagation is lousy then, and if there are any thunder storms within several hundred miles its loaded with static. An effective antenna is more of a challenge too, though it is a remarkably forgiving band for some pretty hair-wire concoctions.
20 metre's is always lauded as 'the band' for ham radio- buts its popularity can make it a muck when loaded with 10 KW signals, 10 element beams and endless contests. As for a general class licensee--- you will be stuck on a rather limited piece of the band's real estate- where DX doesn't venture often--- and isn't that the attraction for new hams? DX?
-- For many years I have cautioned newbies to venture onto 20, but cautiously.
I second the choice of 40 metre's as the place to start if you only have one band to choose. Day time signal are respectable, the band tends to be 'polite'-- and 'working DX' is not all that difficult.
But why set up a station for one band ?
Modern radios can jump about on all the HF bands (with maybe the exception of 60 metre's- but that's usually an easy fix.)
When "all band" coverage is brought up, the issue of an all band antenna arises.
And--- So saying--
I am a big fan of what are called 'terminated long wires' (TLW's) -- and my favorite of these lot, is the 'terminated folded dipole' (TFD) antenna's.
This link is to an example of a TFD, but a quick search elsewher will show other commercial variants.
Want to build one yourself ?
I have used TFD's professional, and as a ham, in more places than I can remember-- from icy arctic regions to sweltering tropical jungles--- -------------They always worked.
Granted, they will be 3 dB's down from any regular dipole, but they require no tuning-- and who can hear that 3 dB difference?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Anecdotes
I was briefly in the Washington DC area when 60 metre's became available to US hams. I had my trusty Icom 720a --it was "Hacked" to 'all-frequency" (cut the magic turquoise wire
) --this was a radio that I took with me everywhere when working on projects in the Pacific; --
............That transceiver, and a TLW antenna strung out to a tree approximately 15 feet high.
The first couple of evenings the DX frequency 5403.5 KHz as Bedlam.. everyone on the East Coast was trying to work the hams in the UK on this, the only common frequency available to American/Brits (and believe me, many of the Yanks were not running (the then) only 50 watts...ugh)
But about a week later when once again I ventured a listen on 60----5403 was quiet ! Only a mild static-----
What happened ?
More importantly, did I care ?!
I gave a short "CQ Sixty"- quite half hearted-ly,-- expecting nothing- When ! ......
A GW3 answered me !!
Wales !--- I was talking to Wales !
--------My first ever ham 60 metre contact --and here I was taking trans-atlantic DX on 60 !.
Before I went QRT that evening I had talked to a GI (Northern Ireland) and two G's in England..... all on a 15 foot high TLW antenna at 50 (? Watts ?) -
***********************
Ok, another TLW antenna endorsement----
I have a friend who recently got her General Class license-- one those that went from nothing to general without ever having even listen'd to a ham radio (she is one of those rare individuals that once interested in something goes after it with a vengeance. )
But this is getting a little long, so i will just cut to the chase---
She asked my advise on a station---
"An Icom 718 and its companion TFD antenna" (see above)
She lives in Southern Utah--- I am in Central Colorado-- we talk all the time on 60--- sometimes on 40, 160.....sometimes even 75 !
____________________________________________________________________________
..Take all this advice for what its worth, remembering it cost you nothing --and may well be worth every penny !
Lauri
.
..... I don't think that 75 metre's is a good place for a new ham to start. There are, of course, like in all amateur radio, good, kindly people everywhere-- including 75-- but there are some snake-slithering twisted personalities in there too--- IMHO more so than other bands; this coming from a woman
.
Also 75 is not a good daytime frequency - the propagation is lousy then, and if there are any thunder storms within several hundred miles its loaded with static. An effective antenna is more of a challenge too, though it is a remarkably forgiving band for some pretty hair-wire concoctions.
20 metre's is always lauded as 'the band' for ham radio- buts its popularity can make it a muck when loaded with 10 KW signals, 10 element beams and endless contests. As for a general class licensee--- you will be stuck on a rather limited piece of the band's real estate- where DX doesn't venture often--- and isn't that the attraction for new hams? DX?
-- For many years I have cautioned newbies to venture onto 20, but cautiously.
I second the choice of 40 metre's as the place to start if you only have one band to choose. Day time signal are respectable, the band tends to be 'polite'-- and 'working DX' is not all that difficult.
But why set up a station for one band ?
Modern radios can jump about on all the HF bands (with maybe the exception of 60 metre's- but that's usually an easy fix.)
When "all band" coverage is brought up, the issue of an all band antenna arises.
And--- So saying--
I am a big fan of what are called 'terminated long wires' (TLW's) -- and my favorite of these lot, is the 'terminated folded dipole' (TFD) antenna's.
This link is to an example of a TFD, but a quick search elsewher will show other commercial variants.
Want to build one yourself ?
I have used TFD's professional, and as a ham, in more places than I can remember-- from icy arctic regions to sweltering tropical jungles--- -------------They always worked.
Granted, they will be 3 dB's down from any regular dipole, but they require no tuning-- and who can hear that 3 dB difference?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Anecdotes
I was briefly in the Washington DC area when 60 metre's became available to US hams. I had my trusty Icom 720a --it was "Hacked" to 'all-frequency" (cut the magic turquoise wire
) --this was a radio that I took with me everywhere when working on projects in the Pacific; --............That transceiver, and a TLW antenna strung out to a tree approximately 15 feet high.
The first couple of evenings the DX frequency 5403.5 KHz as Bedlam.. everyone on the East Coast was trying to work the hams in the UK on this, the only common frequency available to American/Brits (and believe me, many of the Yanks were not running (the then) only 50 watts...ugh)
But about a week later when once again I ventured a listen on 60----5403 was quiet ! Only a mild static-----
What happened ?
More importantly, did I care ?!
I gave a short "CQ Sixty"- quite half hearted-ly,-- expecting nothing- When ! ......
A GW3 answered me !!
Wales !--- I was talking to Wales !
--------My first ever ham 60 metre contact --and here I was taking trans-atlantic DX on 60 !.
Before I went QRT that evening I had talked to a GI (Northern Ireland) and two G's in England..... all on a 15 foot high TLW antenna at 50 (? Watts ?) -
***********************
Ok, another TLW antenna endorsement----
I have a friend who recently got her General Class license-- one those that went from nothing to general without ever having even listen'd to a ham radio (she is one of those rare individuals that once interested in something goes after it with a vengeance. )
But this is getting a little long, so i will just cut to the chase---
She asked my advise on a station---
"An Icom 718 and its companion TFD antenna" (see above)
She lives in Southern Utah--- I am in Central Colorado-- we talk all the time on 60--- sometimes on 40, 160.....sometimes even 75
!____________________________________________________________________________
..Take all this advice for what its worth, remembering it cost you nothing --and may well be worth every penny !
Lauri
.
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RadioDXfun
Omni low angle radiator
I will add my thoughts working mainly 20m through 10m with a little 40m thrown in. They are just my thoughts based on my portable work. I have severe QRM at home and am a serious DXer. So home QTH is a non starter. I am also used to zero noise floor and all the radio joy that brings. This is not instruction, just throwing my thoughts out there. My perspective based on 100W PEP SSB phone.
20m has to be the best bet IMO. Yes it is hard, especially QRP but I made contact with Canada on 10 Watts. (though in Europe 40m in evening and night has huge legitimate station bourne QRM so not exactly easy to DX.) It is busy on 20m but you can pick your times.. i.e. in the week there are no contests usually, early mornings, late nights. Personally I have never made DX on 40m yet. Contacts no further than 1,200 miles using 100W. Though I have not put the hours in (and for the record I would just use a 1/4 wave and not bother with the half wave on that band as it models no better than a slightly elevated 1/4 wave) (Sorry if I am ignorant to what part of 20m band you can use in the USA)
The problem with 40m is your antenna (unless a 1/4 wave) would surely have to be quite high to get good low angle radiation out of it. So that in itself is a challenge. I have used 1/4 and 1/2 wave on 40m and zero DX, nothing out of Europe yet. I dislike the noise adjacent channel QRM and waiting till night time for DX possibilities, it does not work for me. DX for me is outside my own continent. In the USA it is a bit different due to the large land mass of course. (around 3,600 miles across)
Multi-band antennas are a compromise.. the patterns can be really poor and only work as well as the height AGL for DX on say 40m/80m.
We all have to make a choice. That choice is dependent on what your goal is. If you are serious about DX a mono band high performance antenna is what you need and it needs to be quite high up and choose your band for the day, be patient and persistent. I personally find band hopping may give and take DX, so it evens out. Truth be know we have zero idea of what band gets an opening or not in any given 15min period, you jump band you may lose DX on the band you were on, just as easily as gaining DX on another band) In the UK DX comes easy-ish on 100W.. but the same DX over and again usually. From the UK on 20m Aus/Canada/Indonesia/Japan/East and Mid USA/NZ, S.Africa, S America are straight forward, even common... contacts. (These are regular 3,000 - 10,000 miles DX)
Once your contacts have hit 100+ entities it becomes harder on wires... less frequent, less wealthy and less populated countries become hard work.
I question whether a jack of all trades antenna is worthwhile. Especially if it is low to the ground and has poor high freq band patterns
due to being multiple wavelengths long.
There are pros and cons to every choice in antenna system unless budget and land ownership is a non issue.
If I had land I would personally go with 4 dedicated verticals spaced out and 400W UK legal power... I would put up some brew 1/2 wave endfeds for 20/15 and 10 as high as I possibly could on 18m/26m fibre glass and a switch. And a 1/4 wave on 40m. That would probably cost $2,500.00 but that is small money compared with what some spend and it would work DX wonderfully.
Horizontal multi-bands are cheap and easy, it won't be high performance though (especially on high bands) unless it is way up in the air.
You will always get DX in strong conditions moving forwards in the cycle. I like serious DX now and worked through the 100SFI
many a day making surprising contacts on simple yet as high as possible verticals.
Make your antenna choices based on what your goals are... and enjoy the antenna/s and the DX (or locals if that is your fun). Change and improve as you move forwards.
I would say in 2022 local noise floor is a huge consideration. If you have noise go horizontal it will typically be less that a vertical.
20m has to be the best bet IMO. Yes it is hard, especially QRP but I made contact with Canada on 10 Watts. (though in Europe 40m in evening and night has huge legitimate station bourne QRM so not exactly easy to DX.) It is busy on 20m but you can pick your times.. i.e. in the week there are no contests usually, early mornings, late nights. Personally I have never made DX on 40m yet. Contacts no further than 1,200 miles using 100W. Though I have not put the hours in (and for the record I would just use a 1/4 wave and not bother with the half wave on that band as it models no better than a slightly elevated 1/4 wave) (Sorry if I am ignorant to what part of 20m band you can use in the USA)
The problem with 40m is your antenna (unless a 1/4 wave) would surely have to be quite high to get good low angle radiation out of it. So that in itself is a challenge. I have used 1/4 and 1/2 wave on 40m and zero DX, nothing out of Europe yet. I dislike the noise adjacent channel QRM and waiting till night time for DX possibilities, it does not work for me. DX for me is outside my own continent. In the USA it is a bit different due to the large land mass of course. (around 3,600 miles across)
Multi-band antennas are a compromise.. the patterns can be really poor and only work as well as the height AGL for DX on say 40m/80m.
We all have to make a choice. That choice is dependent on what your goal is. If you are serious about DX a mono band high performance antenna is what you need and it needs to be quite high up and choose your band for the day, be patient and persistent. I personally find band hopping may give and take DX, so it evens out. Truth be know we have zero idea of what band gets an opening or not in any given 15min period, you jump band you may lose DX on the band you were on, just as easily as gaining DX on another band) In the UK DX comes easy-ish on 100W.. but the same DX over and again usually. From the UK on 20m Aus/Canada/Indonesia/Japan/East and Mid USA/NZ, S.Africa, S America are straight forward, even common... contacts. (These are regular 3,000 - 10,000 miles DX)
Once your contacts have hit 100+ entities it becomes harder on wires... less frequent, less wealthy and less populated countries become hard work.
I question whether a jack of all trades antenna is worthwhile. Especially if it is low to the ground and has poor high freq band patterns
due to being multiple wavelengths long.
There are pros and cons to every choice in antenna system unless budget and land ownership is a non issue.
If I had land I would personally go with 4 dedicated verticals spaced out and 400W UK legal power... I would put up some brew 1/2 wave endfeds for 20/15 and 10 as high as I possibly could on 18m/26m fibre glass and a switch. And a 1/4 wave on 40m. That would probably cost $2,500.00 but that is small money compared with what some spend and it would work DX wonderfully.
Horizontal multi-bands are cheap and easy, it won't be high performance though (especially on high bands) unless it is way up in the air.
You will always get DX in strong conditions moving forwards in the cycle. I like serious DX now and worked through the 100SFI
many a day making surprising contacts on simple yet as high as possible verticals.
Make your antenna choices based on what your goals are... and enjoy the antenna/s and the DX (or locals if that is your fun). Change and improve as you move forwards.
I would say in 2022 local noise floor is a huge consideration. If you have noise go horizontal it will typically be less that a vertical.
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"Sixty" can be a lot of fun, and I should have added it to my post. And unlike the rest of amateur HF, it's channelized:
Channel 1: 5330.5 kHz
Channel 2: 5346.5 kHz
Channel 3: 5357.0 kHz
Channel 4: 5371.5 kHz
Channel 5: 5403.5 kHz
That makes it a tad easier to figure out where to talk! Like all the other HF bands, it has its own idiosyncratic characteristics. Channel 2: 5346.5 kHz
Channel 3: 5357.0 kHz
Channel 4: 5371.5 kHz
Channel 5: 5403.5 kHz
In reference to another topic (HF Repeaters) this is where I'd be tempted to put up an HF (spit site) repeater.
Forty and 20 meters are going to yield more contacts, but 60m is worth visiting from time to time to throw out your call and see who answers, and unlike 80m, there's a high degree of civility among users.
w2dsx
Newbie
Find a club if you have one nearby, or a group of folks who does POTA/portable operating. We do that and you'll be amazed at what some can do with a QRP transceiver and a portable antenna. Many do use the usual verticals or loops, but it's interesting to see what some of the folks will come up with. I've seen one guy pick up a extending fiberglass rod used for Tenkara fishing (Japanese fly fishing) and use them to put up a variety of antennas. They can also give you advice on what to use at your home, usually over a plate of good food.
Use one of the online SDRs to see what's going on the other bands, I would recommend the KiwiSDR network as a good place to start, pick one nearby from the KiwiSDR map and zoom into the ham bands. Some of the online SDRs have the ability to decode some of the digital modes such as FSK (RTTY), CW, and SSTV among others. Some of these have limits on how many people can listen, if there's a queue to wait, then try another receiver from the map.
Definitely try a little digital, many use FT8 but there's other modes too. With a program like FLdigi you should be able to feed the audio from your receiver (or a online SDR) and be able to decode most of the modes out there. There's a radio show called Shortwave Radiogram that broadcasts on a couple of different shortwave stations various days using digital modes and that's a good way to get your feet wet in using digital modes. You can find some YouTube videos that show old broadcasts and how they receive and decode it, here's an example
Good luck with whatever you choose!
Use one of the online SDRs to see what's going on the other bands, I would recommend the KiwiSDR network as a good place to start, pick one nearby from the KiwiSDR map and zoom into the ham bands. Some of the online SDRs have the ability to decode some of the digital modes such as FSK (RTTY), CW, and SSTV among others. Some of these have limits on how many people can listen, if there's a queue to wait, then try another receiver from the map.
Definitely try a little digital, many use FT8 but there's other modes too. With a program like FLdigi you should be able to feed the audio from your receiver (or a online SDR) and be able to decode most of the modes out there. There's a radio show called Shortwave Radiogram that broadcasts on a couple of different shortwave stations various days using digital modes and that's a good way to get your feet wet in using digital modes. You can find some YouTube videos that show old broadcasts and how they receive and decode it, here's an example
Good luck with whatever you choose!
A newly minted General class licensee "needs" one thing - a genuine sense of curiosity about amateur radio. Talk to others, try their rigs, experiment with their operating modes, but don't race out to buy anything substantial unless you have a large trust fund and GAS. Trying to build a working 80 m station in a one bedroom condo is going to be compromised. Likewise, setting up a 1.25 m or 23 cm station in that condo is fine, but in a rural area with no repeaters or traffic will be boring. Got land? Got a large house with a spare room? No HOA? All good, until the spouse fails to share your idea of HF contesting with towers, linear amps that require 220V and a substantial re-wire of part of the house to accomplish it. Make certain you really want to do it.
Once you confirm where your interests lie, that's the signal to start investing in hardware.
I know an Extra class who has never been on HF. His dad pushed him to get the ticket for maximum options and he did, but he isn't interested in anything but UHF DMR.
Once you confirm where your interests lie, that's the signal to start investing in hardware.
I know an Extra class who has never been on HF. His dad pushed him to get the ticket for maximum options and he did, but he isn't interested in anything but UHF DMR.
Token
Member
Any response to this kind of question is going to be opinion, and there is no right or wrong answer, just opinion.
My suggestions:
I assume you are asking about HF operations, not VHF or UHF. VHF/UHF are pretty straight forward...until you get into weak signal work, then it gets a bit more diverse.
I suggest a 100 (or more) Watt class rig. Yes, you can get by with a 5 or 20 Watt rig, but the frustration level goes up. Better to have the power and not need it than to need it and not have it. You can always turn the power down if you want to play / experiment with low power modes and conditions, but if you don't have it you can't turn it up.
The bands (for the antenna, and your focus) are a bit harder discussion. I suggest a fan dipole configured as an inverted V. They are dead simple to make, or there are many models available for sale. This will give you multiple bands with resonant antennas and a single feedline. If you have the room I suggest 160/60/20 meters as a minimum. If you don't have room for 160, then 80/60/20. You will find that such a configuration (especially with a 160 element) will load up fairly well on the omitted bands with a tuner, although it will tend to get a bit directional and notchy on 17/15/12/10. I strongly suggest other bands (native to the antenna) also, say 80/60/40/20/15/10.
I don't like compact, or loaded, fan dipoles, they tend to be a bit more touchy, while full sized, if you have the room, is a bit more forgiving.
What bands to try? 80, 40, and 20 are a must. Those get you regular and dependable local area, regional, and DX operations. 160 is just flat out fun and 15 / 10 will be a lot of fun in the near future (as the Solar cycle heats up).
T!
prcguy
Member
Someone did a detailed analysis of a T2FD, Cebik I think, and on the average it was about 5dB down from a resonant dipole covering the same frequency range. With that I once replaced a G5RV with a 190ft long home made T2FD in the same location and it worked fine for what I needed. I could tell it was down slightly on my most used bands of 40 and 80m but it didn't need a tuner and the G5RV did and for this setup at my work using a Harris military radio, a tuner added too much complexity.
I did later add a Cushcraft MA5V 20-10m vertical to supplement the T2FD thinking it would do better for DX on the higher bands and I was shocked when the low horizontal T2FD greatly outperformed the Cushcraft on any band at any distance.
I did later add a Cushcraft MA5V 20-10m vertical to supplement the T2FD thinking it would do better for DX on the higher bands and I was shocked when the low horizontal T2FD greatly outperformed the Cushcraft on any band at any distance.
For regular hamster stuff I have a 43' wire vertical with an ATU at the base, a tophat vertical w/ 'folded conterpoise' for 80M, and an Inverted L. The T3FVee (I call it) has a Micom 2E connected to it. The T3FV generally gives me performance (both Tx and Rx) right in there with the Inv. L on the lower bands (80, 60, &40) out to about 500-600 miles and outperforms the L out to about 1000. The verticals beat it for getting waay out there, but the T3FV is adequate for anything single-hop, to my estimation. And the Micom doesn't complain about 2.5:1, which the T3 presents at some frequencies (no tuner).
prcguy
Member
Another broad band no tune antenna that surprised me is the B&W ACS end fed V. Its a 9:1 transformer feeding about 110ft of wire that goes from ground level up to 25-30ft high in the middle then back to ground level. There is a counterpoise wire between the feedpoint at ground level and a 600 ohm resistor at the end forming a big triangle.
I had one of these new in box for many years and I installed it at my last So Cal desert camping trip and it worked really well from 160m through 20m. It also didn't need a tuner. Here is a link to the antenna and you can easily home brew one.
www.bwantennas.com
I had one of these new in box for many years and I installed it at my last So Cal desert camping trip and it worked really well from 160m through 20m. It also didn't need a tuner. Here is a link to the antenna and you can easily home brew one.
Barker & Williamson - ACS broadband end fed vee HF antenna page
Barker & Williamson ACS series broadband end fed vee HF antenna is designed for roof top installations for base use. It will operate ALE without a tuner.
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