[Elecraft] On VHF & UHF radios

[Edward R Cole]

While its true there is a drop off in numbers of serious weak-signal 
hams, I consider myself one.
I have antennas and equipment for 50/144/222/432/900/1296/2400/3400/10,368 MHz
I do eme on 144 and 1296 and building for 50 and 3400 eme.

Being in Alaska really is in the VHF wilderness as there are few 
stations interested in weak-signal.  Thus use of satellite in 1980 - 
2002 when the phase-3 sats were functioning (high orbit linear 
transponders).  I bought a FT-847 in 1998 specifically for satellite 
and it worked well.  Later I used it for 2m-eme, but it was not 
especially good on HF.

So about 2008 I determined a better approach was to acquire a 
very-good HF radio and marry it to good transverters to get best 
performance on VHF+.  In 2010 I bought the K3/10 and a DEMI 144-28 
transverter.  I had used/built some of their kits before (first in 
1996), so I decided to get the full line from 144 to 1296.  I had 
already purchase a 10-GHz transverter and two 3456 transverter kits 
in 1999 (finally built one 3400-144 kit this spring).

The new L-series transverters from DEMI came out in 2010 so I 
upgraded to that model 144-1296.  They work very well with the 
K3.  In my not-modest opinion they come close to the best combo one 
can buy (db6nt is better but at over twice the cost).  I sold my 
FT-847, reluctantly, but that financed my 222 and 432 transverters.

I'm not convinced trading a FT-847 for the TS2000x is necessarily a 
step up - but I never have used the Kenwood radio.  I am certain my 
K3+transverters will run circles around the Kenwood.  Of course its 
not all in one big box.

About three years ago I began building DEMI transverters for hams as 
a (very) small business.  I am now building the whole line from 
50-MHz to 10-GHz.  Almost getting too busy - but no complaints as 
what I make, funds my hobby.

I have come to conclusion that I enjoy the design/construction part 
of the hobby as much as operating (maybe more).
I am well into my new design main station control panel which should 
improve my reliability factor plus concentrates some of the multiple 
box syndrome.

One of my long-range projects is to marry the K3 and KX3 into a 
cross-band satellite system: KX3-2M and K3 + higher band transverter 
(432 or 1268 or 2401 or 10450).  New satellites coming soon will 
bring back needs for multi-mode VHF equipment (P3E may actually get launched).

Long answer but I can agree with Bob and Jim.

73, Ed - KL7UW

--------------
From: Jim Lowman <jmlowman at sbcglobal.net>
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] On VHF & UHF radios
Message-ID: <55FA00DA.1040705 at sbcglobal.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed

That could be, Bob.

I should have phrased my question more specifically.
My intended use for such a transceiver would be weak-signal work.

I had the 2m option for the K3 but, with its low power output, I sold it
and bought a Kenwood TS-2000X to be dedicated to VHF/UHF operation.
However, this type of operation demands high power (at least 100w) and
an antenna with high gain, so I would have to buy an external amplifier
at any rate.
Thus, I might re-think the 2m option from Elecraft.
It's a bonus that The K3(S) can handle up to nine transverters.

At a convention way back in 2001, I became interested in working the
satellites and bought a Yaesu FT-847.
The interest waned eventually, so I sold the 847 toward the purchase of
the TS-2000X.

And no, I don't plan to use the TS-2000X on HF; not when I have a K3 and
a K3S.

73 de Jim - AD6CW

On 9/16/2015 5:03 AM, Bob McGraw - K4TAX wrote:
 > I don't view there are many serious VHF and UHF operators today, i.e.
 > sufficient to warrant a high performance radio.  Most are repeater
 > users.  Seems that a $39 radio model has been proven to be
 > satisfactory to most.
 >
 > The SAT users do require some unique applications to cross band, split
 > frequency and address Doppler shift.  The Tropo users need big
 > antennas and lots of power and the EME group even more so.  Oh yes,
 > the digital modes make things less complex but still, big antennas,
 > good receivers and clean transmitters is still mandatory.
 >
 > I don't find the current breed of "do it all" radios to have
 > outstanding performance on VHF and UHF.
 >
 > 73
 > Bob, K4TAX
 > K3S s/n 10,163


73, Ed - KL7UW
http://www.kl7uw.com
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