[HCARC] What Radio To Recommend to a Newbie - Be An Elmer

[Kerry Sandstrom]

Gary and other guys just starting out,

This is personal opinion again and many would disagree, but if you really 
want to get on a radio and talk to people, VHF/UHF is the wrong place to 
start.  If it were me, I would look for a good used synthesized 2 meter FM 
transceiver with tone capability and 25-50 W output .  That will allow you 
to get on the club repeater, N5HR.  There really isn't much to work on 
VHF/UHF except the club guys unless you put up a pretty big station.  I 
don't think you will find anyone on 70 cm (or 440) that you don't find on 2 
meters.  As far as 6 and 10 meters go, for long periods of time there are 
very few signals on those bands.  What do I use on 2 meters?  A Clegg FM-DX 
from the mid-70's.  Its synthesized , 2 meters only, abou 30 W output, and 
(unfortunately) no tones.  My antenna is a second hand CushCraft 4 el yagi 
($15 at a swapfest in NM) on a ten foot pole tied to my fence.  That is all 
you need to work the club Monday night net and a few of the guys on simplex. 
You should be able to get a good used 2 meter mobile and a 12 VDC power 
supply and a small antenna for under a $100.

Now if you really want to be able to "work the world", you need to be able 
to get on 40 and 20 meters.  80/75 is good, but not much activity during the 
daytime.  15 is at times no better than 10.  CW is not as popular as SSB 
now, however, if you have a simple antenna and not much power, CW is less 
crowded and you don't need as much power.

Don't be tempted by QRP.  Working QRP is not that easy.  At times you end up 
calling a lot of stations, but only working a couple of them.  CW is much 
more practical for QRP than SSB.

What would I be looking for in the way of an HF rig?  I don't have any real 
experience with new rigs.  I currently use a Drake TR5 and a Ten Tec OMNI-D. 
Both are from the early 1980's and are easy to use and work well.  I have no 
real experience with the Japanese manufacturers.  However, if I was looking 
for a good starter HF rig, I would probably be looking at an Icom IC718 or 
the Kenwood and Yaesu equivalents.  There seem to be a few of these simpler 
rigs for sale used from time to time.  The IC706 is also a very popular rig. 
Years ago QST periodically ran an article or two on how to find a used rig. 
Suggestions I remember were to pick one whose manufacturer was still in 
business.  Make sure it comes with whatever accessories you need because 
they might be impossible to find later.  A model that is still in production 
is also a good idea, but not essential.  Older rigs are fun, however, you 
have to be ready to repair them yourselves, not usually something a beginner 
can do, especially when exact replacement parts aren't available.  I would 
also suggest a good external manual antenna tuner and a simple wire dipole 
for 40 and 20 meters.  I would hope that you could get on the air for 
perhaps $500 and you should have a good time.  As you gain experience you 
can try different antennas and decide if you need a rig with more features.

When I was a novice, I already had a shortwave receiver, a Lafayette HE-30, 
a very basic receiver that cost $100 new.  I bought a used Johnson 
Adventurer for $50.  My antenna was an 80/40 twin lead dipole fed with 
RG58/U that probably had $15 worth of materials.  It was about 20 feet above 
the ground at its highest point.  I had fun with it and that is probably 
equivalent to a $500 station today.  The first 2 meter equipment i had was a 
Heathkit Twoer borrowed from a local club.  Eventually I got a Gonset Comm 2 
for 2 meters.  It was fine for working the locals of which there were a lot 
in Mass in those days.  You really should start off small and see what part 
of ham radio you really like and get some experience before you drop big 
money on a fancy rig.  You may find that for what you want to do, you never 
need a big fancy rig.

If you are really set on VHF/UHF, I think you should talk to several guys to 
find out what is really on those bands and what kind of equipment is really 
required to work them and how much activity is really there on a typical 
weekday or week evening.

Kerry