VANITY: Recommendation for Ham Radio starter kit

Vanity ^ | 1-10-2021 | Vanity

[devane617]

Get Licensed first!!!!!

[Gnome1949]

When I was a teenager, I used to visit my neighbor who was a veteran ham radio operator. This was LONG before the Internet and cell phones.

I was at his house in Spokane one day when he was talking to (now deceased) Tom Christian (ham call sign VR6TC) who was a descendant of Fletcher Christian of the "Mutiny of the Bounty." He was known as "the voice of Pitcairn Island."

We could hear the man's clear voice transmitting from Pitcairn Island WAAAAY down in the southern Pacific Ocean.

To this day, Pitcairn Island has no airport and receives supplies only by a boat dispatched from a nearby ship as there is still no harbor at the island.

The wreckage of The Bounty, burned by the mutineers, still lies at the bottom just off shore where it sank.

Tom Christian died July 7, 2013, at age 78. When a fellow ham radio operator dies, he becomes a "Silent Key" (key referring to a Morse Code sending key).

That radio conversation was an inspiration for me to join the amateur radio hobby.

[OKSooner]

Not necessarily American stuff, no problem with Japanese stuff. (Or Swedish, or whatever...) Wife drives a Japanese car.

Thanks again.

[OKSooner]

If hell breaks loose I’m already on enough of the other lists that I’m not going to sweat another one. :)

[Okieshooter]

The IC7300 is the Best Buy on the market for the money.

[RinaseaofDs]

I installed a balun onto my backstay. Works awesome.

Of course, I’m a sailor.

If you are on a motor vessel, I’d go with standard end fed half or quarter wave antennas, whips.

You could go with a loop antenna, but the tend to be directional.

And yeah, grounding is a general b!tch, but you can get it done. The keel is a good place to ground, for example, depending.

Just ground it to the same bus your other antennas are grounded to.

The backstay balun thing - genius. Not my idea, but awesome.

[usconservative]

That is a very cool story!

I've been a Ham for almost 20 years. I've logged 160+ countries and had some amazing conversations over the years. None are as outright cool as your description.

73's de USConservative from the murder capital of the United states of America, Chicago IL.

[OKSooner]

"It’s about $1400 with tax, but the very best thing there is that checks all your boxes is the IC-705."

Kinda spendy, but later, with the license, etc, that's helpful.

For now, listen/lurk only.

[China Clipper]

Personally, I’d recommend an older, used rig. You’ll pay $1200 or more for that New radio, and you’ll lose interest, and yer out twelve hundred.

Kenwood TS-520 ie, is a great rig, built like a brick “outhouse”, will allow you to actually understand how radios work a bit, instead of just pushing a button and talking....Check out eBay or Craigslist- look for that older yaesu or kenwood. These kenwood radios built in the 60-70’s are workhorses, have amplifiers “built in”, and will set you back maybe $300-400, tops
. Maybe not all the whistles and bells you mentioned, but a great way to start ham radio and SWR (short wave radio) If you find the intro rig really spurns the interest in ham radio, good on ya! Resell em, they maintain a pretty good resale value; and move on up to the $1200 rigs..

So, in closing, using these suggestions, you’ll get a taste, and bonus! Plenty of extra cash to get a good antenna, the most important part of your system.

[OKSooner]

" IF you want to send me a list by PM of what frequencies & bands that you would like to listen to (and later transmit upon) I will try to help you. "

Sorry, I'm just now taking interest and I don't have an answer to that request. Hence the purpose of this thread, to try to simplify it to whatever degree is possible.

Thanks, though.

[politicianslie]

I remember QSO with Tom

My logs were not computerized back then so it would be tough to find. I think I remember a QSL card which would make it much easier to find

Another unforgettable QSO was with JY1, King Hussein of Jordan. I heard JY2 several times but I never talked with her

Really big 20 meter antennas up 100 feet are no longer in my plans! Ham Radio back then was a big part of my social life as all my friends were licensed. Vacations were sometimes DXpeditions centered around contest weekends. My last licensed friend that I socialized with was in my sailing friends. Ham radio was nice out at sea but not necessary so few people bothered. They typically used the marine frequencies to communicate.

[beef]

Good point. I am sure there are a lot of lists.

[4bye4]

You can find everything you need to know at this web site...

http://www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio/

[T-Bird45]

“I have no idea what an ICF dipole is.”

The poster wrote “OCF” which means Off-Center Fed. It is an antenna where the feed line connects at some point that not the center of the overall length. The more commonly used antenna is called a dipole because it has two legs of equal length for use in a specific frequency range. The dipole is frequency-specific while the OCF is more frequency-agile when used with an antenna tuner. All of this is only important for transmitting purposes & not critical for the receive-only you want to do. Any good length of wire will allow reception. The other stuff can come with time as you learn more about the details.

[9YearLurker]

What do you think of this completely different route?

https://geekprepper.com/budget-ham-radio/

[windowdude]

I use to have a license for my CB...think it’s still valid from 45+ years ago?

[rebelskid]

yaesu ft-70d

73’s :)

[I want the USA back]

You can listen to the shortwave and ham bands using just a browser. http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ is in the Netherlands but should give a good idea of what is on the air. No need to buy a receiver just yet.

[Big Red Badger]

Thanks FRiend,
We need to “KISS”!
Keep it Simple, Hams,
By nature, use terms
unfamiliar to “NEWBIES.”
I’m set up for Mobile radios. Yaesu 2 meter,
Cobra 29 CB and FMRS
Handhelds which are all
CHEAP——like Me.

[Big Red Badger]

73