[PPRAANet] Guide to Choosing Your First Radio by N3PAQ

[Kitemaker at aol.com]

Because of the "no code" licensing, I  expect that the number of new hams 
will increase.  I thought that this  posting might be useful in helping the new 
hams in decide what type of radio  will be best for what they expect to get 
from ham radio.  

This  posting by Joseph M Durnal (N3PAQ) (josephdurnal at cablespeed.com) was 
originally  posted on the MADXRA reflector (Mid-Atlantic DX Repeater 
Association) and I have  just copied it in its entirety to this reflector. 

Fred  Godfrey
AB0ZK



'I have I decided to write this wordy guide to  first radio(s) for new hams
(I got tired of a lot of the one dimensional  advice given on some
ham radio message boards).

Here it  is:

You'll often hear that a handheld transceiver is not the best  first
radio for a new ham, and for good reason, handheld transceivers  are
among the most limited transceivers available but often overlooked
is  the value of a handheld transceiver as a portable station that
can be used at  home, in the car, and in the field.  Often the same
folks who say that  handheld transceivers aren't good starter radios,
recommend alternatives such  as HF/VHF/UHF all mode rigs. While multi
band all mode rigs offer a wide  range of operating possibilities,
they are often out of the new ham's  budget.

So, what makes a good first radio?  It depends greatly on  two things,
what you will use the radio for, and your budget.  People  get amateur
radio licenses for many reasons these days. Some are interested  in
emergency communications; some, a technical hobby where building  things
and/or using cutting edge digital modes are most appealing. Others  just
like to talk, and still some are lured to the hobby by tales of DX  or
from the short wave broadcast bands.  Keeping these things in  mind,
different radio choices can be examined for their  usefulness.

Handheld FM Transceivers

Handhelds tend to be fine  transceivers for light emergency communica-
tions and public service events.  The limited power of a handheld also
means limited range - OK for in town  events, but problematic for more
widespread or regional events.   Handheld range can be extended with
aftermarket antennas and amplifiers, in  fact a good aftermarket antenna
is recommended for emergency communications,  even if you can access the
local repeater just fine on the stock antenna, a  more efficient antenna
may allow you to use lower power, and give you a  greater simplex range.

Handhelds don't offer much in the way of technical  challenges. They are
mostly just a buy it, turn it on, and use it sort of  thing.  I suppose
that one could build a few items such as an antenna,  packet interface,
or maybe a solar charger for the battery, but there are  only so many
technical projects you can squeeze out of a handheld.

One  thing that handhelds are not good for is rag chewing.  The reasons
are  obvious to the seasoned operator, short battery life, limited range,
and most  modern handhelds get pretty hot, especially when running from
an external  power source.

You wouldn’t think a handheld would have anything to do  with DX, but my
very first DX (if you call Porto Rico DX) was with a dual  band handheld
via satellite.  Operating satellites with a handheld  typically means
standing outside in the elements, which may not be appealing  to some.

There is also EchoLink. While calling EchoLink DX is up for  debate, the
fact that one could walk down the sidewalk in the US and have a  QSO with
a ham operating from Germany can't be denied.


Mobile FM  Transceivers

Mobile FM transceivers don't necessarily have to be used in  vehicles,
they can be used as fixed stations or even portables with the  proper
batteries, still making a mobile a fine choice for emergency  communica-
tions. Obviously not as portable and easy to deploy as handhelds,  mobiles
deployed in vehicles and fixed stations often benefit from better  antenna
installations and power availability, which also means added expenses  of
installing antennas and feed lines, as well as purchasing power  supplies.

While still limited in the technical aspect of amateur radio,  mobile FM
transceivers are often the choice for full time packet nodes for  the data
savvy.  Interestingly enough, Ten-Tec still sells a 2 meter  mobile kit,
for those who would like to build their own gear. Although, for  what you
get, it is rather expensive compared to what you can buy already  made.

Most Mobiles are great for those who like to ragchew with other  operators
in their local area. From fixed stations, or vehicles, they are  much
better at this task than handhelds. Not only do they offer more power  for
direct communications, but also mobiles are designed with large heat  sinks
to dissipate the heat generated during those long winded  conversations.

While I've enjoyed driving to a hill top and working  stations around 100
miles away occasionally, mobile FM transceivers are not  going to have
range considered DX without linked repeaters or EchoLink  nodes.


Mono Band, Dual Band, More?

Many say this is up to  one's personal choice and budget.  While dual and
triband radios are  more expensive than mono band rigs, what a new ham
should invest in isn't  always so clear.  For emergency communications, it
would be best to  check with your local ARES or RACES members, find out what
repeaters and  simplex frequencies are used, and avoided.  In most areas,
local  communications are handled on 2 meters, but if the local emergency
services  are using VHF high band, it may be difficult to operate in shared
locations  or on shared towers, so the local amateur radio volunteers may h
ave decided  that 70 centimeters is best.

Multiband radios do offer more room for  experimenting with antennas.  I
did enjoy making a six meter antenna to  use the 1 watt carrier AM mode on
the Yaesu VX-7R, and with the same radio,  making a small 222 MHz yagi to
get the most out of its 300 mw maximum output  on that band.

Often we don't want to tie up a widely used 2 meter  repeater in our area
with a long conversation or big roundtable  discussion.  Having another
band option may make it easier to move to a  repeater in the same location
with similar coverage that doesn't see as much  activity.  Many clubs put
repeaters on several bands at the same site,  making the coverage fairly
predictable.

Multiband Radios with 6 meters  and a good external antenna can sometimes
work DX via sporadic E  propagation.  While this won't happen all the time,
especially for FM,  it does happen, and you could find yourself talking to
stations several  hundred miles away.


HF, VHF, & UHF in one all mode  radio

You may only have a technician license, and think that you aren't  yet
able to use the HF bands right away, recent rule changes have  given
Technicians voice, data, & CW on 10 meters, and CW on some other HF  bands
and the upgrade to General no longer requires a Morse code  proficiency
exam, which makes the upgrade fairly easy.  HF has a unique  place in
regards to emergency communications. Making contact beyond the range  of
the local repeater, assuming it is still operating in a disaster,  or
beyond line of site for simplex, is often accomplished by HF.

Many  states and regions have daily nets on set HF frequencies for passing
routine  traffic. These nets and frequencies become the backbone for
regional amateur  radio communications during disasters that may damage
other communications  infrastructure, including the amateur repeaters in
the area.  With VHF  & UHF in that same radio, it makes a convenient
platform for just about  any situation.

For the experimenter, it is hard to go wrong, there are  thousands of
possibilities, from world wide digital HF communications with  low power
and low bandwith PSK31, to high speed computer controlled CW for  VHF
scatter of of meteor trails, air planes, the aurora, etc.  There  are
many modes to experiment with, classic digital using RTTY, to SSTV &  FAX.
With a radio like this, your antenna projects for HF, VHF, & UHF  will
never end.

For those who want to ragchew beyond the range of the  local repeater,
you'll need to run SSB on VHF or HF.  Tuning around the  HF bands you'll
hear many discussions between regional hams, and occasionally  some not
so regional, with the "DC to daylight" all mode rig, there is  nothing
stopping you from joining the discussion on the local 2 meter  repeater.

Here is where the DX will be found. Whether it's on 6 meters  with sporadic
E, 2 meters via tropospheric ducting, or HF F layer propagation  taking your
signal half way around the world, a good HF/VHF/UHF radio is  definitely
the choice for the new ham who really wants to work the  world.  This is
true even if you haven't upgraded yet, because you know  you will, and until
you do, there is a lot to hear on the bands.  Who  knows, you might even
decide you want to learn the code and work  CW.


Summary

The sections above are essentially in the order of  what what it will cost
you to get on the air. A single band handheld will be  the least expensive
method to get on the air, but most limited, while a  HF/VHF+ rig will
require a larger budget, but offers possibilities to operate  many aspects
of amateur radio.  With all radios, there will be extra  expenses beyond
costs of radios. With handhelds, you'll probably want extra  batteries,
and charger, and probably an aftermarket antenna.  With  everything else
you'll need to add an antenna(s) and feedline, and power  supply for fixed
station use.  Every ham should have at least a basic  SWR meter and a
multimeter to test their equipment. This is even more  important when you
are building your own  antennas!


Appendix

Here I'll share some other thoughts I've  had on this subject.

Thought 1

In my area, almost all, if not all  local ARES & RACES activity is on two
meters, making dual band rigs not  very valuable for this purpose. Putting
together a new shack with a dual band  radio with power supply, feedline,
amd antenna, will run from around $400  (Icom IC-208H as example) to $550
(Yaesu FT-8800R as example). The same can  be done for a 2 meter rig (using
FT-1802M as example) for about $250, taking  into consideration that it is
a lot easier to make a good performing 2 meter  antenna than a dual band
antenna.  For another $150 you could put a 2  meter radio in your vehicle
with a simple 1/4 wave magnetic antenna, and for  another $150 you could
add a 2 meter handheld with an extra battery.   I'm not anti-UHF, and this
scenario might not work for everyone, but it is  intended to give you some
ideas on what you can do with your  budget.



Thought 2

The most economical HF/VHF/UHF rigs are  designed primarily for mobile
use. While these can certainly be used for  fixed stations, they aren't
the best tool for the job, and many seasoned  operators won't hesitate
to tell you so. Don't let that stop you from buying  one if it is within
your budget.  If you were recently licensed or  upgraded, you want to
get on the air, so any radio is better than no  radio!  As time passes
you might find that the mobile rig is just fine  for the way you operate
your fixed station, or you may decide that it is time  to invest in a
full sized fixed station HF transceiver and move the mobile to  the car
for just that, mobile.  You may even want to keep that rig in  the shack
as a backup, or in a go kit with some battery power for  emergencies. If
nothing else, they generally have decent resale  value.


Thought 3

Used radios can be a great deal, or a  nightmare.  I wouldn't recommend a
beginner to buy a radio that they  haven't seen work first.  While online
classifieds and auctions might  seem like good deals, you just can't be
sure. Hamfests and face to face  meetings are the best way to buy.  Turn
it on, hit the local repeater,  take a dummy load and watt meter to test
the output of that HF rig, whatever  you do don't spend a couple hundred
dollars on something that is damaged  beyond repair.  Even better, take
someone you trust with experience  along, they may know via the grapevine
that some radio models tend to develop  specific problems, and how to spot
those problems before you buy.'  

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