[K3PZN-List] Icom 735 opinions...
Bill Mellema
mellema at qis.net
Sun Feb 8 12:27:06 EST 2009
Anthony:
I dug out the SWR Meter and discovered it is designed for CB operation
and will only handle up to 10 Watts. . I checked it out and it just
won't handle higher power.
I think someone mentioned to you that SWR bridges are cheap enough on
the used market, you'll just have to keep your eyes open.,
73's
Bill N3WM
ARC wrote:
> Wow! Thanks Bill, if possible, as long as you are going to the meeting
> tomorrow (it is tomorrow, right?!?)? I'm 90% sure I'll be there so, just
> bring it with and I'll take it then. I'm sure glad that I'm getting the
> help I was looking for. Curt and Jeff have been very helpful with this so
> far and my hat's off to them!
>
> 73
>
> Anthony
> KB3RJH
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: k3pzn-list-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:k3pzn-list-bounces at mailman.
> qth.net] On Behalf Of Bill Mellema
> Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2009 9:35 PM
> To: Carroll County Amateur Radio Club
> Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] Icom 735 opinions...
>
> Anthony:
>
> Curt is giving you some very good advice....I have a SWR bridge that you
> can have..glad to help.
>
> You can give me a call and we can make arrangements for you to get it.
>
> Welcome to the hobby..
>
> 73's
>
> Bill N3WM
> 410-861-9366
>
>
>
>
>
> Curt Milton wrote:
>
>> 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
>>
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