[K3PZN-List] Icom 735 opinions...

Sat Feb 7 16:50:23 EST 2009

Anthony

good questions, and thankfully they are not too hard - except there is always a bit of 'it depends' involved.  

first, let me know if you are in need of a couple PL259's - and you can pay me back after you acquire some at a future hamfest.  

I suggest starting with the 50 ohm coax.  But don't throw away the other coax as likely it will work for something!  

Ladder line is good stuff, but I would not let it hold you up.  Ladder line does allow antennas to be used on multiple bands -- while coax requires a good match to work well.  

You could make a dipole for a couple bands, say 80 and 40 or 40 and 20 -- and put them in parallel on the same piece of coax.  Advantage here is that you won't need an antenna tuner.  

With ladder line, you could take a 80m dipole and match it on other bands with minimal loss, but this requires a tuner for all bands.  Ladder line also has to be offset inches away from anything metal, since it guides the RF versus keeping it all inside like coax.  

Maybe you can find a ham with a SWR analyzer who can make a house call - but i suggest acquiring a VSWR meter because you need one anyway.  I myself don't own a SWR analyzer, and since it costs almost as much as a good used rig -- I suggest surviving without one!  If a dipole is cut just a little bit longer than the formula, and you check VSWR at both ends of the band, you can figure out if indeed it is too long.  As you shorten it, just wrap it over the dipole until you are sure you don't need it - then you can cut the excess.   

Hams will analyze antennas for as long as they are hams!  When I put up my first dipole in 1976, i didn't even have a vswr meter - but tube rigs are more forgiving here.  When I put up my first station in Maryland, I merely hoisted up a pair of dipoles and that is how I got started.  

Assemble your antenna, and when you acquire a rig likely someone can come by and help you adjust your dipole.  Maybe you can find someone closer than me as I live on the opposite end of Carroll Co. !  

I did do a little more research and now I am not sure the IC-735 has a battery-memory loss issue ??  

73, curt

--- On Sat, 2/7/09, ARC <comulada at verizon.net> wrote:

From: ARC <comulada at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] Icom 735 opinions...
To: "'Carroll County Amateur Radio Club'" <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net>
Date: Saturday, February 7, 2009, 2:09 PM

Curt,

Ok, well looks like I have roughly around 80’ of RG213 coax, 35’ of it still needs pl259’s installed. I also have 40-50’ of what I think is 75Ω coax, the stuff that the cable company left coiled on the side of my house. It’s a really bright orange (it’s the buried type). I haven’t really used that too much but it should still be useable in some way in the shack, I hope? 

I picked up a roll of 14 gauge stranded wire to build a dipole or few for the shack. Got it at an electrical supply house and it was $10 cheaper than Homey depot! Going to most likely build my own insulators and the center isolator for the antenna but, was wondering if I should really use coax or order ladder line? I’ve been reading some articles and most are making it out like ladder line is better suited to dipoles than coax with the need for a balun and line loss. I don’t think I’ll be going much more than 100’ but, my shack is on the opposite side of the house (in the basement) from the back yard where the antennas will be. It’s definitely cheaper than coax and I think I would have enough coax for two runs to the back of the house with what I have. I would have to get or build one or two of the transformers a couple of the supply houses sell so that I could run ladder line out side the house and coax inside the shack... 

The other thing I have to get or borrow is either an antenna analyzer or a swr meter to get the dipole resonant on freq. Not sure which I want or need to do yet. I assume the swr meter would be the best/cheapest bet for my budget unless someone in the club has an analyzer to use.

What’s your experience been or am I analyzing this too much? I really just want to get on the air without taking a long time to get the perfect situation that will eventually get frustrating for me. The antenna is the most important part, I know, but not having a radio won’t do the antenna in the air any good at all.. The waiting is the hardest part!

Anthony
KB3RJH   

From: k3pzn-list-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:k3pzn-list-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Curt Milton
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 11:39 AM
To: Carroll County Amateur Radio Club
Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] Icom 735 opinions...

Definitely start work on your antenna - and see how far the coax you have reaches.

Generally at a hamfest there is no opportunity to power up a rig, unless seller brought a battery and mobile antenna.  Your best opportunity is likely a sale 'from a home.'  But you never know!  

I do like the way older rigs have their controls laid out - plus

The controls on a rig age more than the electronics -- its the only minor maladies my TS-140 has!  That is why I wonder if other 20-year old rigs have the same issue.  My power supply model is Astron RS-20A (since i can see it from here!)  - its an old fashioned linear supply - black box with switch on front, fuse in back along with terminals.  After 20 years it powers my modern rig.  

(i did buy a little 7amp astron at a hamfest -- when i plugged it in it smoked!  the overvoltage protection thingey was what smoked.  i cut it out, and the think works ... i use it only on the test bench since 7 amps doesn't power anything above say 20 watts!  

I don't have broadband at home, but if you need QST reviews of particular rigs I can download them and email at work.  

--- On Sat, 1/31/09, ARC <comulada at verizon.net> wrote:

From: ARC <comulada at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] Icom 735 opinions...
To: "' Carroll County Amateur Radio Club '" <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net>
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2009, 11:04 AM

Thanks for the reply Curt, that?s what I was leaning towards. I am still looking though and he just mentioned it to me after I said I needed to get a HF rig now that I have my General ticket but, I am going to try out as many Rigs as I can before settling on anything specific. I really want to wait till the Timonium fest to see what?s going to be there. Don?t want to rush into anything before I go over every possibility. I?ve generally been the impulse purchase guy and I?m trying to change that so I?m not disappointed and frustrated with something I didn?t put much thought into. Still have put something up antenna-wise and probably need some more coax too. So much to consider...

73

Anthony 

From: k3pzn-list-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:k3pzn-list-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Curt Milton
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 10:39 AM
To: Carroll County Amateur Radio Club
Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] Icom 735 opinions...

Anthony

let's see if I can give you a little info.  when i bought my first 'modern' rig in 1989 the IC735 was a nice rig beyond my financial reach (so i bought a TS-140 and had lot's of fun).  

i can email you the arrl review on the IC-735 if you wish.  

my own guess at pricing --

a 20 amp power supply i presume ? new a bit over $100.  used still worth $ 60-70 (and a bit more if it is an Icom brand which doesn't matter that much - i use a generic Astron)

dummy load -- i don't know exactly - maybe $30 or more.  

rig - if it is useable shape - i would say $300.  so it looks like a fair price at a quick glance.  

definitely you should operate the rig, and check out the controls.  arrange for someone to give you a signal report.  try the rig on at least a couple bands.  

i am trying to remember if this rig has a battery memory issue ?  i thought there is a malady where this rig loses its operating system - and may require being fixed at Icom?  likely there is a fix here 'before it happens - and possibly/maybe likely it is taken care of.  i can't remember if its redundant batteries or how it works.  

the oldness of the rig does give me a creepy feeling not to put too much into it.  likely the power supply could be used with a new rig.  as i shared i know my old TS-140 has a couple annoyances.  at $300 it might be a 'good deal' -- hint.  then if it is used for just a few years, you have a power supply for your next rig!  

and it doesn't hurt to ask some one on the new about the seller, off the net of course!  very likely indeed a ham has a good rig at a fair market price -- but do a little more homework with help from others!  

73, curt

PS - the cheapest new rigs are around $600-700.  its getting a power supply that stretches things a bit

--- On Sat, 1/31/09, ARC <comulada at verizon.net> wrote:

From: ARC <comulada at verizon.net>
Subject: [K3PZN-List] Icom 735 opinions...
To: ke3fl at yahoo.com , "' Carroll County Amateur Radio Club '" <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net>
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2009, 8:54 AM

Was on a net this morning and one of the guys has an Icom 735 he's looking
to sell. I've looked at the reviews on eham and they look pretty positive.
It looks like a nice rig and not a lot of complicated menus to fight with.
He says it's in mint condition and it comes with mic, p/s, dummy load and
manual, if I remember correctly. He said he paid about $800 for it when it
was new and he said he's looking for about $400 for it. Any thoughts on the
Rig, Good/Bad deal? 

73,

Anthony
KB3RJH

______________________________________________________________
K3PZN-List mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/k3pzn-list
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:K3PZN-List at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.233 / Virus Database: 270.10.16/1926 - Release Date: 01/30/09 17:31:00

-----Inline Attachment Follows-----

______________________________________________________________
K3PZN-List mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/k3pzn-list
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:K3PZN-List at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.233 / Virus Database: 270.10.16/1926 - Release Date: 01/30/09 17:31:00
-----Inline Attachment Follows-----

______________________________________________________________
K3PZN-List mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/k3pzn-list
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:K3PZN-List at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/k3pzn-list/attachments/20090207/fdacdf17/attachment-0001.html 