i missed the real field day as my dad was in the hospital again (CHF), so i figured i'd do a little QRP work at the in-laws house out in the eastern PA mountains over the long weekend leading up to july 4th.  

for the most part i did a lot of HF listening, tuning, trying, measuring, moving the antenna, etc.  since sunday was a "Canada Day" contest there were a thousand QSO's from all over VE-land to listen in on.  with the setup shown below i think i heard 90% of the east coast, as far west as kansas and michigan, and pretty much everywhere in canada from British Columbia to Newfoundland.  i was pretty deaf to the east (conditions + antenna) but could RX a majority of european shortwave stations.  as you can see, the antenna is not very high off the ground (maybe 10' at the highest end).  

on 6M/VHF i worked a couple of NY stations, and made some propagation measurements using beacons and the NOAA WX stations.  my in-laws live nearly atop a mountain, and 6M/VHF range is pretty good with even a minimal antenna.  


























-----------------------


a couple of quick notes:

1) mark somewhere on your equipment what the receive current is; this way you know, approximately, how long the radio will receive using a given power source.

2) having various adapters is a plus as you never know what antenna(s) will be available.  morever, butt-to-butt connectors and some lengths of coax make it possible to get the antenna higher up / farther away.

3) with a decent radio you can hear stations all over the world using an inexpensive portable dipole strung up between two trees.  the antenna in the pictures is the Yo Yo Tenna Deluxe (link).

4) have a list hand of worldwide shortwave radio stations; in the event of a national emergency at the very least you can get info from the CBC (canadian broadcasting company) or the BBC (british ...).  laminate informational sheets (like the ham band plans, shortwave lists, and the "quick tips" operating sheet for your radio.

5) it's far easier to figure out what works and what doesn't when it is 80'F and sunny outside compared to when it is -10'F and snowing outside.

6) a good QRP rig will easily RX the BBC World Radio Service using 8 x AA cells.  

7) seldom used features of your radio will be easy to activate but frustratingly difficult to deactivate.  keep the one page cheat sheet of radio modes with your radio at all times.  

8) if you don't look busy, the in-laws will have you shuck the corn for dinner.

73,
ar-jedi


ETA: edited to reduce the size of the pics a bit...

nice set up,,,like how its all pretty much grab and go.

dude,,,,did you shave your legs j/k

ummmm....I have been resistant to HAM radio(I did look into it a few years ago but then got frustrated and felt overwhelmed by it) but seeing that thing all nice and cozy in a small box made me envious and interested...VERY interested.

I hate you.



OK...What is a general price range a schmoe could gather a similar rig together for?



*goes to search for the defenitive SF HAM thread*ETA: oh yeah...it's tacked..that was easy...

Looks like a pretty compact/portable setup.  

After finding this site, the HAM radio idea has sparked some interest in me.  I just have some questions for you ar-jedi.

What do the 2 different radios do?  Are they different (for different bands) or are they back-ups to each other?

Will the 8 AA batteries allow the radios to transmit too, or is it more for listening?
How long will those batteries last?

What else is in the box?

Just trying to learn.

Thanks
NN

Quoted: dude,,,,did you shave your legs j/k

no -- AND -- you are looking at my legs why? LoL

ar-jedi

ps:
anytime you want to go for a walk, a run, a hike, whatever, for 1Km, 10Km, 100Km, whatever, you just let those legs know.  

Quoted: OK...What is a general price range a schmoe could gather a similar rig together for?

cost of radios + watertight box + battery pack + power supply + some misc wiring/mounting/etc.

the choice of radios is by far the biggest factor in the equation.

mounted on the left is an Icom 703+ HF rig, i got it used for $425.
and on the right is an Icom V8000 VHF rig, new it was $179.

everything else is roughly...
watertight box ~ $30
battery pack (24AH) ~ $40
power supply (23A) ~$90
misc wiring/mounting etc ~ $100

like everything else in life, if you do it right, it probably won't be that inexpensive but it will be useful and it will last.  building AR's is the same.

i really don't want this to turn into a "look-how-expensive-my-box-is" thread.  a long time ago i started off small, with only a 2m/70cm HT and a 6AH gel cell battery.  the box as shown above has been a several year construction project, progressing in small steps and as funds allow.

ar-jedi

dbl tap.  ooops.

Quoted: Looks like a pretty compact/portable setup.

thanks.  that's exactly what i intended it to be, but it also serves as my base on my desk at home.  i just place the box on it's side, plug it into the AC outlet, and connect my home antennas.

Quoted: What do the 2 different radios do?  Are they different (for different bands) or are they back-ups to each other?

different bands.  the radio on the left is for HF (approx 0.1MHz -> 50MHZ), the radio on the right is for VHF (approx 144MHz -> 148MHz).  note however that both radios, in addition to transmitting on amateur bands, receive a wide variety of other frequencies (like shortwave, police/fire, and so on).  

Quoted: Will the 8 AA batteries allow the radios to transmit too, or is it more for listening? How long will those batteries last?

on receive, the HF radio draws about 300mA.  hence, a 2400mAh pack of 8 AA's would ideally last *about* 8 hours.   however, i would not expect more than about 4-6 hours MAX, due to the fact that the battery pack output voltage will sag below where the radio will operate (~8.5Vdc).  i should really try this with a fresh set of NiMH batts.  

as for transmitting, yes, you could transmit at 1 to 10 watts for a very short period.  this radio will even transmit down at 0.1 watt but that would likely get lost in the coax run.  transmitting takes a lot of current and you'd need a pile of AA's to get any reasonable operating time out of the radio.  a 24AH gel gell battery pack (as found in the bottom of my box) provides, on the other hand, significant operating time.  

Quoted: What else is in the box?

see
losdos.dyndns.org:8080/public/ham/RACES-box.html

Quoted: Just trying to learn.

excellent -- folks that want to learn are very much welcomed here, so ask away.  some questions and answers already appear in the tacked "Everything you ever wanted to know" ham thread, but you'll need to wade through 50 pages to find the info.

ar-jedi

Quoted: thanks.  that's exactly what i intended it to be, but it also serves as my base on my desk at home.  i just place the box on it's side, plug it into the AC outlet, and connect my home antennas. ar-jedi

I am seriously "jonesing" over that. If/when I decide to get into HAM I am really glad I saw this thread because if I had seen it after I had a HAM on a desk I'd be upset I hadn't thought of making it "grab and go" like that as well.

I can't wait to get my HF rig going.  I've finally settled on a Kenwood TS-480SAT.  It might be fun to try and setup times for contacts if we go on vacation to remote locations.  I'm going to Colorado around the 8th of October.  I plan on taking my rig with me and trying to do a field setup in the mountains.

Quoted: I am seriously "jonesing" over that. If/when I decide to get into HAM I am really glad I saw this thread because if I had seen it after I had a HAM on a desk I'd be upset I hadn't thought of making it "grab and go" like that as well.

it has lived several ways...







ar-jedi

Nice post. The comment about having the different adapters and lengths of cable is spot on. btw, looks like you need to get a new copy of the band plan.

Very cool setup AR-Jedi!! Very cool.

Your office is suspiciously tidy. The two radios in the box are evidently mobile designs, i.e. intended for 12VDC power input. Are there other power options? It sure would be nice to have the box run off four NiMH C cells rather than eight AA cells...

AR... nice post...  you always post very informative stuff....   I'm looking to break into HAM radio... and starting to do research on what set up would be best for me...  just curious... how much would a set like yours pictured run ?  And how is it powered, if battery whats the run time ?

I'm thinking having some kind of mobile set up would be the best...   But I like how you have it set up at home as well.. and then it is easy as grab and go also...

I'm assuming they make handheld hams ?  ... but they don't have as much coverage...  and that is why you went with this set up... as its just a little more bulky.. but huge increase in range ?

Thanks again for all of your great knowledge !!

Well, I ain't AR, but I'll give it a whirl...

And how is it powered, if battery whats the run time ?

This depends on the current draw and duty cycle of the radio(s). With my mobile (FT-8800) and his 27AH battery on a 10/90 Tx/Rx duty cycle it'd last roughly 20 hrs. Most likely a bit less to prevent running the battery down to where it's not putting out enough voltage.

I'm assuming they make handheld hams ?  ... but they don't have as much coverage...  and that is why you went with this set up... as its just a little more bulky.. but huge increase in range ?

They definitely make handheld amateur radios (the HT, aka handie talkie). They avg about 5W max power out. With a mobile VHF/UHF rig you're looking more along the lines of 50W (sometimes slightly more). With the HF rigs you can do 100W.

let's see if i can tie up all the loose ends in one shot...

Quoted: The two radios in the box are evidently mobile designs, i.e. intended for 12VDC power input. Are there other power options? It sure would be nice to have the box run off four NiMH C cells rather than eight AA cells...

practically all amateur radio rigs are designed for operation from 12Vdc.  yes, even base station radios are generally paired with an external 120Vac->12Vdc high current power supply.  the nice part about this is that it makes it extremely easy to operate any ham radio from a car battery or similar source during an emergency.  

as for the 8xAA vs 4xC battery question...  there are two different parameters which must be met for operation of a given radio: adequate voltage and adequate current.  typical ham radios operate from approximately 11.5Vdc to 15Vdc; this covers the range of voltages expected in an automotive environment.  some radios are expressly designed for low voltage operation -- in fact the Icom 703+ shown in my pics above is one such model.  it will operate down to around 8.5Vdc, although the user manual specification only guarantees operation down to 9.0Vdc.

8 x AA NiMH cell = 8 x 1.2V, or 9.6Vdc for the pack.  this is the "initial", fully charged voltage which will decrease somewhat as the battery pack is discharged.  at around 8.5Vdc terminal voltage, the radio will switch off.

4 x C NiMH cell = 4 x 1.2V, or 4.8Vdc for the pack.  the radio will not operate at this voltage.  

hence, while an individual C cell may have more current capacity (measured in mAh [milliamp-hours]) than an individual AA cell, four C cells do not provide enough voltage to power the radio.  at least eight C cells would be needed, same as with the AA cells.
 

Quoted: just curious... how much would a set like yours pictured run ?

i believe i addressed this in a post a few ahead of yours.  scroll up and let me know if i missed something.

Quoted: And how is it powered

the radios in my orange box can be powered one of three ways: internal battery, external AC input, or an external DC input.  the internal battery is a 24Ah (=24000mAh) 12V gel cell, made by placing two 12Ah in parallel.  the external AC input is brought to a AC->DC power supply, which has a regulated 12Vdc output with 23A current capability.  finally, an Andersen connector provides the ability for the box to be powered by an external source, as i showed using the 8xAA battery pack.  

Quoted: if battery whats the run time ?

this is sort of like asking a M249 SAW gunner how long his ammo lasts -- the answer might range from 15 seconds to indefinitely...  

run time on battery is highly dependent on how much transmitting you do, and at what power you transmit at.  if we ignore transmitting completely, with 24Ah of battery capacity on tap, either radio will receive continuously for about (24Ah/0.300A), or about 80 hours.  both radios can be operated receive-only at the same time for about 40 continuous hours.

introducing transmitting into the situation complicates the run time computations; for this we have to talk about duty cycle -- which defines the ratio of transmitting time to receiving time.  for example, if we use a 1:9 duty cycle, that means for every 1 minute of TX we have 9 minutes of RX.  this is probably a good place to start.  the calculations to figure average current over the 10 minute span are thus straightforward.  for example, with the Icom V8000 2M radio set at the mid-level RF output:

.9 x 0.3A = .27Ah (54 minutes receive every hour)
.1 x 10A = 1Ah (6 minutes of transmit every hour, at 25W output)
summing these results in a 1.27A *average* current draw.  

in other words, to operate at this duty cycle for an hour would require 1.27Ah of battery capacity.  continuing on, 24Ah of battery capacity divided by 1.27A of average current draw gives a little under 19 hours of operation.  at lower transmitter output power, operating time will be increased, and vice versa.

in typical use, you'd probably want to arrange times and frequencies to talk with folks you are trying to stay in contact with; this would minimize radio "on" time and therefore prolong the duration at which you can stay in touch on a daily basis (for weeks, perhaps).  

Quoted: I'm assuming they make handheld hams ?  ... but they don't have as much coverage...  and that is why you went with this set up... as its just a little more bulky.. but huge increase in range ?

this question i extensively cover starting about halfway down page 4 of the following thread:
ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=123&t=486162&page=4

hope all that helps.

ar-jedi

Great post, pics, and everything!  Makes me look lazy!  

To all you guys asking about portable ham radio gear, there are radios made now that are tailored to the Ecomm and daily use, from mobile to stationary.

The FT-897 , this unit can have an internal battery that will power it for a very long time, it can have an internal 12volt power supply, it can use external 12volt power, there is a battery power supply combo also available. This is the Ecomm radio, everything in one ....All mode  All band, this is like several radios in one.  

Quoted: To all you guys asking about portable ham radio gear, there are radios made now that are tailored to the Ecomm and daily use, from mobile to stationary. The FT-897 , this unit can have an internal battery that will power it for a very long time, it can have an internal 12volt power supply, it can use external 12volt power, there is a battery power supply combo also available. This is the Ecomm radio, everything in one ....All mode  All band, this is like several radios in one.   www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0897.jpg

beaterAR,

do you have a FT-897?

ar-jedi

I noticed no one asked how much that rig weighs. Since it is supposed to be portable, how much does it weigh in that configuration you have shown? Great post by the way. I learn more stuff here the more I lurk :)

SY

Quoted: how much does it weigh in that configuration you have shown?

40 lbs.

just so that we are clear, that includes the radios, battery pack, HF roll-up dipole, 2 x VHF/UHF antennas, VHF/UHF SWR meter, 3 x lengths of spare coax, RF adapters/connectors, various power cables of all sorts including alligator clips, ARRL repeater directory, some hand tools including snips, multi-driver, and knife, Cylume lightsticks, paper/pencils/etc  -- in short, everything shown in the pics above and below except for the Kleenex tissues (and the guy with apparently too little hair on his legs for Protus's taste).

ar-jedi

I currently do not have the FT-897, the guy that got me in to ham radio dose. I had the chance to operate this unit several times during many field communication trials, as soon as I get the cash I will have one. So far the only down side I have experienced , it only have 20watts on the internal batteries, the yeasu tuner that attachés to the side sucks,other then that its great. I was able to make many contacts on 20watts though and the batteries lasted a very very long time. There is an aftermarket antenna tuner that attachés to the side that will tune all but one band of with a Windham antenna, its CPU controlled so no knobs. The Screw driver antenna is the stuff as you don't even need to string a wire though the wire is nice to have when you may be setting up for over an hour.

So far this is about the best radio I have seen for the needs of a survivalist/Ecomm guy and when funds are not so tight I will have one.

Quoted: To all you guys asking about portable ham radio gear, there are radios made now that are tailored to the Ecomm and daily use, from mobile to stationary. The FT-897 , this unit can have an internal battery that will power it for a very long time, it can have an internal 12volt power supply, it can use external 12volt power, there is a battery power supply combo also available. This is the Ecomm radio, everything in one ....All mode  All band, this is like several radios in one.   www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0897.jpg

gah...I don't need this abuse.

When you say the internal battery can power it a "very long time" what kind of time expectation is a a guy looking at?

You said it "can have an internal battery". Does that imply it's sold seperately?

What is the "power supply combo" you speak of?

Quoted: To all you guys asking about portable ham radio gear, there are radios made now that are tailored to the Ecomm and daily use, from mobile to stationary. The FT-897 , this unit can have an internal battery that will power it for a very long time, it can have an internal 12volt power supply, it can use external 12volt power, there is a battery power supply combo also available. This is the Ecomm radio, everything in one ....All mode  All band, this is like several radios in one.   www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0897.jpg

That's one of the the rigs I have.  I have the internal FP-30 power supply on mine and it all fits nicely inside a Pelican 1500 case.  For battery operation, I disconnect the internal power supply 12V connector and connect the original power cable and then connect that to a battery.

73

Quoted: Quoted: To all you guys asking about portable ham radio gear, there are radios made now that are tailored to the Ecomm and daily use, from mobile to stationary. The FT-897 , this unit can have an internal battery that will power it for a very long time, it can have an internal 12volt power supply, it can use external 12volt power, there is a battery power supply combo also available. This is the Ecomm radio, everything in one ....All mode  All band, this is like several radios in one.   www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0897.jpg gah...I don't need this abuse. When you say the internal battery can power it a "very long time" what kind of time expectation is a a guy looking at? You said it "can have an internal battery". Does that imply it's sold seperately? What is the "power supply combo" you speak of?

OK, Basically this radio has a internal storage area, there are optional batteries , an optional internal 12volt power supply , or a combo that doesn't offer as much battery power but still offers some. The battery life greatly depends on what battery you have and its Amp Hour rating. The batteries that I used were good for a whole 3 day field trip but that is only setting it up and using it as we made camp.  This radio was built for people like you and me with our specific needs in mind. You can get compatible accessories that actually attach to the case of the radio and keep the unit one small self contained system. The radio is equally at home as a base station and has a great TX/RX capability.

here is some of the information, I suggest you check out some of these sights and read about it.

www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/1897.html
www.eham.net/reviews/detail/2432
groups.yahoo.com/group/FT897/
www.dg8fbv.de/back.htm

Quoted: Quoted: FT-897 When you say the internal battery can power it a "very long time" what kind of time expectation is a a guy looking at?

starting at Yaesu's PDF brochure for the FT-897 (link)

we learn that the FT-897 draws 1A on receive, and can only operate from 13.8Vdc +/- 15%.  so 13.8Vdc x 0.85 = 11.75Vdc is the lowest possible operating voltage.  in addition, the FT-897 manual warns, "When operating with the vehicle turned off, or operating from a stand-alone car battery (in a camp site, etc.), be mindful of the minimum operating voltage (11.73 Volts) for the FT-897. If the battery is not charged sufficiently to maintain at least 11¾ Volts at the radio, erratic operation or shut-down may occur."

we note from the FT-897 manual that the optional FNB-78 NiMH battery pack provides 13.2Vdc with a capacity of 4500mAh.  two of these FNB-78 packs can be installed in the FT-897 chassis, for a total battery capacity of 9000mAh (9AH).  the manual notes that "A fully charged set of FNB-78 Ni-MH Battery Pack should provide approximately 4 hours of reception under typical conditions."  

let's see if the math is in the ballpark: 9000mAh capacity/1A operating current = 9 hours.  my guess about the apparent discrepancy is twofold: (1) Yaesu is being conservative, and (2) that the battery pack voltage sags below 11.75Vdc before it's capacity is completely exhausted.  

ps:
note from the brochure and manual that when operating with the internal batteries, transmitter power output is limited to 20W across the HF, 6m, and 2m bands, and 10W in the 70cm band.  the FT-897 does not have an integral auto-tuner so you either need an external unit or you need cut antenna lengths (like the Buddipole) or something like a tapped screwdriver..  

ar-jedi

I have the FT-897D witht he internal batteries and I love it. It has room for 2 batterys with 4500mAh @12v each for 9000mAh total.


PS while opperating on batts max out on HF is 20w. Plugged in max is 100 watts. Still a heck of a  deal for just internal batteries.

LTC


ETA Just read Jedi's last post which pretty much covers it. It should be noted that the radio draws 1A on Rx while produceing audio. It consumes only 600mA while the RX is squeched. I don't care what anyone says thats damn good for a full feature base!

LTC

Thanks for all info from all those who have so far provided it.

I have also started wading through the 50 some odd pages in the tacked thread.(that thing is still overwhelming for the most part but there are posts here and there that make a connection)

I also just placed an order for HAM for Dummies(ebay, $7) based on the suggestion of a post in the big thread.

I don't really want to spend over $26 on the ARRL HAM Radio License Manual at this point though. I'll see if my local library has it.(being a small town I am not holding my breathe)

Like I said in an earlier post in this thread I was interested in HAM once but felt overwhelmed and gave it up. Seeing the portable set-up here(thanks ar-jedi) and reading the comments about the various portable HAMs definitely inspired me to give it a shot again.

Quoted: I have the FT-897D

LTC,

the sale prices currently at www.gigaparts.com are killing me...
unfortunately only one day left...

why did you go with the 897 over the 857?
why did you go with the 897 over the 706 MkIIG?

thanks for any input.
ar-jedi


ETA:

Drop me a pm with your email address. I will send you the handy dandy quick study guides for the tech test.

Quoted: Thanks for all info from all those who have so far provided it. I have also started wading through the 50 some odd pages in the tacked thread.(that thing is still overwhelming for the most part but there are posts here and there that make a connection) I also just placed an order for HAM for Dummies(ebay, $7) based on the suggestion of a post in the big thread. I don't really want to spend over $26 on the ARRL HAM Radio License Manual at this point though. I'll see if my local library has it.(being a small town I am not holding my breathe)

Quoted: Drop me a pm with your email address. I will send you the handy dandy quick study guides for the tech test. Quoted: Thanks for all info from all those who have so far provided it. I have also started wading through the 50 some odd pages in the tacked thread.(that thing is still overwhelming for the most part but there are posts here and there that make a connection) I also just placed an order for HAM for Dummies(ebay, $7) based on the suggestion of a post in the big thread. I don't really want to spend over $26 on the ARRL HAM Radio License Manual at this point though. I'll see if my local library has it.(being a small town I am not holding my breathe)

Holy crap. That's awesome! Message coming...

Quoted: Holy crap. That's awesome! Message coming...

Also, if you need any help that is Oklahoma specific, I've been a "ham" for a few years and I'm in the Tulsa area. I'd be glad to help you out.

Quoted: Quoted: Holy crap. That's awesome! Message coming... Also, if you need any help that is Oklahoma specific, I've been a "ham" for a few years and I'm in the Tulsa area. I'd be glad to help you out.

I am a long way from Tulsa(far Western portion of state) but I appreciate the offer.

I'll be reading the study guides I have already recieved and find a testing location once I'm comfortable with the material. Then I'm sure I'll have lots of stupid equipment questions I'll flood this forum with so stay tuned.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Holy crap. That's awesome! Message coming... Also, if you need any help that is Oklahoma specific, I've been a "ham" for a few years and I'm in the Tulsa area. I'd be glad to help you out. I am a long way from Tulsa(far Western portion of state) but I appreciate the offer. I'll be reading the study guides I have already recieved and find a testing location once I'm comfortable with the material. Then I'm sure I'll have lots of stupid equipment questions I'll flood this forum with so stay tuned.

When you are ready to test look here.

Quoted: I am a long way from Tulsa(far Western portion of state) but I appreciate the offer. I'll be reading the study guides I have already recieved and find a testing location once I'm comfortable with the material. Then I'm sure I'll have lots of stupid equipment questions I'll flood this forum with so stay tuned.

No problem. I have to go to Burns Flat sometimes on business. That's about as far west as I get in our fine state. I wish you luck. There are far worse and more expensive hobbies to get into. :)

Quoted: Quoted: I am a long way from Tulsa(far Western portion of state) but I appreciate the offer. I'll be reading the study guides I have already recieved and find a testing location once I'm comfortable with the material. Then I'm sure I'll have lots of stupid equipment questions I'll flood this forum with so stay tuned. No problem. I have to go to Burns Flat sometimes on business. That's about as far west as I get in our fine state. I wish you luck. There are far worse and more expensive hobbies to get into. :)

Oh hell. You could be useful after all then. If I need parts from the Tulsa/OKC metro areas I'll have you drop them off on the way through.

I worked quite a few Canadians last weekend portable from the cabin. I used a FT817 pulling power from a flashlight battery. I sloped a Par End-Fedz to a branch about 25 feet up. Seems like the bands are getting a bit better. It might be time to pull the Elecraft K1 out of mothballs.  

Great setup! I'm going to put my gear into a setup similar to this instead of it just being mounted in my truck. I think grab and go is a much better option. I have a IC706MkII and an old Kenwood 2m rig. I have to get more creative with the mounting since the old kenwood is larger and they just barely fit side by side. Also I have to figure out how to mount a TNC and GPS since I do some APRS.

I'll post pictures when I'm done.

Quoted: Also I have to figure out how to mount a TNC and GPS since I do some APRS.

i built a GPS receiver and a Byonics TinyTrak3 into a small enclosure for this purpose.

here's a pic of when it was halfway completed, with all pieces in place:
losdos.dyndns.org:8080/public/ham/aprs/DSCN1952_sm.jpg

for details on the GPS module, see about 1/4th of the way down
ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=123&t=486162&page=4
where i reply to KS_Physicist.  right now those GPS modules are on ebay at qty 2 for $24.  

ar-jedi

Quoted: Quoted: I have the FT-897D LTC, the sale prices currently at www.gigaparts.com are killing me... unfortunately only one day left... why did you go with the 897 over the 857? why did you go with the 897 over the 706 MkIIG? thanks for any input. ar-jedi

ARJedi,

I apologize for taking so long to respond to your questions. My ARFCOMing has been somewhat limited in the past day or so. You asked about my choice of HF radio.
When you look at the available HF radios in the sub 1000 dollar range you are really limited to a dozen or so current production HF, amateur radio class transceiver designs. As far as manufactures go the two heavyweights Icom and Yaesu stand in front.
My requirements for the radio were: Man portable, DC power capable (12vdc), built in tuner, rugged case, UHF/VHF capable, PL/DPL capable and low current draw on standby and RX. It was sometime ago and there may have been some more features I was looking for but those are the ones that standout in my head. At the time I assumed that I would have to build up a battery bank to power the radio in the field. It was not until later that I realized that some HF radios come with built in batteries. Initially I was looking at the IC-7000. I decided against it later because it seemed I could get just at much radio for several hundred dollars less with the 857 or 897.
I chose the FT-897D over the 857 for several reasons:
-It had internal batteries
-It had more heat dissipation surface area
-I preferred the control head layout
-I used both at work and our 857 had many problems while the 897 worked like clockwork.
-Perhaps most importantly (in choosing Yaesu) I had used the 897D and was already familiar with the controls and operational setup. Training is very important with something like this. A feature is only as good as the user is.

The internal batteries and the control layout were the big sellers in my situation. Currently it is my only HF radio however I am just scratching the surface with HF and hope to get more involved as time progresses. The 857 has a much more compact design so I may chose to use one for my mobile communications setup in the future.

I assume that you are looking to purchase one of these two radios. If you have any more questions I’d be more than happy to take a shot at them!

Take care and again sorry for the delay!

-LTC-

Quoted: << lot's of good info >>

LTC,
thanks for the input above.  i decided not to pull the trigger right now, i'm at odds regarding my next rig -- but your ft897 info above is much appreciated.  i'll let it sit for a bit and see in the fall.

ar-jedi

thought you folks might like to see this approach:

"The Lunchbox Radios" -->
homepage.mac.com/clintbradford/PhotoAlbum4.html

ar-jedi

I bought a yo-yo antenna based off your posts. I have to say that I really like it so far. I just upgraded to general and have only been experimenting with HF for about 3 weeks. I liked it so much that I have ordered a 4 reel one to try out. May try my hand at a go box like yours. Have to say that I like the idea of having everything portable and still able to be used as a base at the same time.  

k

Quoted: They definitely make handheld amateur radios (the HT, aka handie talkie). They avg about 5W max power out. With a mobile VHF/UHF rig you're looking more along the lines of 50W (sometimes slightly more). With the HF rigs you can do 100W.

Even more importantly, with a 5 watt VHF radio, you might be able to do 10-20 miles LOS on a good day.

With a 1/2 watt HF transmitter built into a candy tin, you might be able to do a few thousand miles on a good day.

HF is like magic all over again.  I'm itching to get my license upgrade.

Quoted: With a 1/2 watt HF transmitter built into a candy tin, you might be able to do a few thousand miles on a good day.

i had a SSB QSO with a station in Cuba with 1 watt on Saturday!

ar-jedi

Quoted: Quoted: With a 1/2 watt HF transmitter built into a candy tin, you might be able to do a few thousand miles on a good day. i had a SSB QSO with a station in Cuba with 1 watt on Saturday! ar-jedi

But were your legs silky smooth during the QSO?

Quoted: But were your legs silky smooth during the QSO?

you guys should get out more and, well, look at women or something.

ar-jedi

Really nice job on the portable!

ar-jedi..

As other have said your rig is inspirational..   I am trying to piece together enough knowledge to acquire the right equipment for my familie's disaster (hurricane) communications needs.. so I am following allot of your guidance. Thanks for the all the write ups, I'd say you almost have enough there for a published book.

I don't think I need everything for RACES rig but I am looking at a mobile hf/uhf/vhf unit paired with a good HT to start. I am pretty much trying to keep thing to a minimum right now so we have comms for the following scenarios..

1) relaying status messages to family outside the disaster area
2) home to mobile (5-10 miles)
3) mobile to mobile in the event we use two vehicles to get the hell out of dodge
4) calls for emergency services

Anyways I have a few questions due to huge gaps in my knowledge at this point.. hopefully you didn't already cover these in some of the other posts... but here they are.

When operating your rig off the battery do you ground the antenna or run an RF ground for the box to actual dirt.. or does having everything connected to a common ground rod in the box cover everything? I know you covered this for home ops, but I didn't catch what procedure was while out in the field under battery power.

Also, in your wiring schematic I see you used a diode between the power supply and battery. Did you source these from Samlex? I read in their manual they specify utilizing both a isolating diode and charge limiting resistor... I assume these are mandatory for charging the batteries? Also, in your opinion or experience.. how well should the Samlex 1223 power supply deal with irregular voltage or distorted sine wave from a non regular generator AC?

Finally SWR tuners..  your HF unit it nice with the built in tuner. I am looking a the FT-875D that has no built in tuner. Trying to keep things the number of comm pieces to a minimum right now and wondering if  a tuner is a requirement. I halfway understand that the need for a tuner can be mitigated by adjusting the antennae length but to what degree? Does the length need to be adjusted for separate frequencies in each band or can I make due with two lengths.. one for HF, UHF/VHF respectively? I was thinking about using the yo-yo dipole you mentioned earlier in this thread when the FT-875 is stationary, but will I have to adjust it every time I change a frequency in HF? And for mobile Ops.. are there car antennas that are tuned to work well for 2m, 70cm, and wideband EMS, NOAA freqs. I don't think we'll need HF while driving down the road. I'd just get Yaesu's ATAS 120 antennae and use it both at home and on the road..  but some reviews are saying it is a marginal compromise antenna and prone to failure.

No need to go into extended answers on my part. But if you could point me in the right direction on some these questions I'd greatly appreciate it. I can then dig up the details from there.

Thanks!
Chuck

i used my 857 without a tuner for a long time. but it took me two hours to cut my dipole to the right length. if your going to op qrp you should have the antenna cut for the band.

i did get a ldg z-11pro and i like it. if your going to use a gr5v or some other kind of all band antenna a tuner is almost a must.