Column
A, The Radio
A common misconception is that the new ham's
first radio should be a hand-held. This may or may not be the best choice, depending on the operator's specific situation.
In a densely populated, repeater heavy environment that might be a good choice, however, if the operator lives in a rural
area, or spends a lot of time in their vehicle, a mobile rig may be the better option. Since we are concerned primarily with
the entry level license, this list does not contain any HF radios. However, the new ham should be aware that there are several
multiband transceivers that will do HF/VHF/UHF all in one box. They tend to be more expensive than VHF/UHF only radios, but
for an operator who plans on upgrading to a General class license, they are a viable option.
All radios in these lists are dual-band VHF/UHF
units. Single band units may be less expensive but the realities of modern amateur radio means that a dual band unit is really
the minimum standard, particularly here in West Central Florida.
The prices shown were obtained from the website
of one dealer and may vary from other sources. These lists are not complete; merely a reasonable selection of what is available.
Hand-Held Radios (also
called HTs or "Handi-Talkies)
Manufacturer
Model Designation
Approximate Price
Alinco
DJG7T
$350
Alinco
DJV5TH
$240
Alinco
DJ596TMkII
$240
Icom
ICT70A
$210
Icom
ICT90A
$250
Kenwood
THF6A
$300
Yaesu
FT60R
$200
Yaesu
VX6R
$240
Yaesu
VX7R
$290
Yaesu
VX7RB
$300
Yaesu
VX8DR
$430
Yaesu
VX8GR
$400
Yaesu
VX8R
$370
Mobile Radios (can
also be used for a Fixed station)
Alinco
DR635T
$400
Icom
IC-208H
$330
Icom
IC-2820
$585
Kenwood
TR-710A
$540
Kenwood
TR-71A
$370
Yaesu
FTM-10R
$540
Yaesu
FTM-350R
$560
Yaesu
FT-7900R
$290
Yaesu
FT-8800R
$390
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B, The Antenna
Any radio is useless without an antenna. The
antenna is what sends your signal out into the cosmos to be received by another antenna attached to another radio. The choices
are many. You can even build your own from simple materials available at any home improvement store. On this list however,
we will restrict ourselves to antennas that can be purchased from the same sources as the radio.
Hand Held Antennas:
(The "rubber duck" antenna that came with your hand-held is also referred to by some hams as a "rubber dummy load" because
it really is not very good as an antenna. The antennas listed below will significantly increase the range of your Hand-Held
Radio
Comet
SMA-24
$25
Comet
HT-224 (actually tri-band)
$48
Diamond
SRH-77CA
$25
Diamond
SRHF-40
$30
MFJ
1713S
$20
MFJ
1715S
$25
Maldol
AS30
$30
Mobile Antennas: I
have deliberately limited the selection here to magnetic mount antennas. First because they come with the coaxial cable already
attached and second because most new hams do not want the first thing they have to do to be drilling holes in their automobile.
Comet
B10
$43
Comet
M24M
$40
Diamond
MR-77
$40
Hustler
MX-270
$65
MFJ
1722
$20
MFJ
1724B
$25
MFJ
1729
$40
Fixed or "Base" Antennas:
If you wish to set up your station at your house or other fixed location, you will need an antenna and a way of mounting it.
Locations which fall under the restrictions of CC&R rules imposed by some homeowners associations or other non-governmental
entities will have to use creative ideas and imagination to get a fixed antenna past the CC&R police (i.e.: your next
door neighbor). If you have an attic you may be able to mount the antenna there or around the back of your house where the
neighbor cannot see it.
If there are no restrictions
where you live, things are somewhat easier. A simple TV antenna mast (available at your local home store) will support a VHF/UHF
antenna easily when properly installed and secured to a building. Even a short (4 to 5') length of PVC pipe can be used to
secure the antenna to a building. See your local amateur radio club for assistance and suggestions. Be VERY AWARE of POWER
LINES in your area. Contact with a power line while raising your antenna will KILL YOU.
This list is only a portion of all of the antennas
available. Check with your supplier to see antennas not on this list.
Comet
GP-1
$80
Comet
GP-3
$100
Comet
GP-6
$160
Comet
GP-9
$220
Cushcraft
AR-270
$130
Cushcraft
AR-270B
$190
Diamond
X-30A
$70
Diamond
X-50A
$100
Diamond
X-200A
$125
Diamond
X-300A
$150
Hustler
G6-270R
$200
MFJ
1754
$40
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C, Coaxial Cables
Coaxial Cable: In
order to connect the radio with the antenna, coaxial cable is used. All coaxial cable have signal losses, generally in proportion
to the total length and different grades of coax have different rates of loss for the same length. Various sizes of coax
have different limits as to the amount of power they will safely pass as well. Consult a fellow club member with experience
to determine the right size coax for your installation. The prices for Belden are for raw cable with no connectors which would
be purchased separately and installed by the buyer. Prices for Cable X-perts are for finished length of coax with connectors
installed. The length will be shown after the model number. The CXP1318 is equivalent to RG-213. The CXP08XC is equivalent
to RG-8X Cable X-perts is just one of many companies that sell coax, either raw or finished with connectors already attached
Belden
RG-174
$0.39 per foot
Belden
RG-58AU
$0.49 " "
Belden
RG-8X
$0.59 "
"
Belden
RG-213
$1.39 "
"
Cable X-perts
CXP1318FC-3 3'
$23
Cable X-perts
CXP1318FC-6 6'
$25
Cable X-perts
CXP1318FC-25 25'
$46
Cable X-perts
CXP1318FC-50 50'
$78
Cable X-perts
CXP1318FC-100 100'
$134
Cable X-perts
CXP08XC-3 3'
$17
Cable X-perts
CXP08XC-25 25'
$27
Cable X-perts
CXP08XC-100 100'
$58
There are many other suppliers of coaxial cable
both on-line and at retail stores. Remember that communications coaxial cable has an impedance of 50 or 52 ohms. Cable TV
coaxial cable has an impedance of 75 ohms and is not suitable for amateur radio except in specialized uses which are beyond
the scope of this project.
Column
D, Power Supplies
Power Supplies: In
a hand-held radio, the power supply is a battery within the unit. In a mobile installation, generally the automotive battery
in the car supplies power to the radio. It is only in the fixed installation at a house or other building that a power supply
is a separate device attached to the radio. This is necessary because the radio runs on 13.8 volts DC and your house is equipped
with 110 volt AC. The power supply converts the AC to DC and lowers the voltage to the proper level. The power supply must
be sized appropriately to the needs of the radio. Most mobile transceivers will draw less than 1 amp on receive, BUT will
draw as much as 10 amps on transmit. The power supply must be able to take care of the higher load or the radio may be damaged
and it certainly will not work properly. All of the power supplies in the following list are capable of at least 10 amps load.
You may want to upgrade the power supply to a higher rating if you plan to have more than one radio or other DC accessories
at your station. There are two different types of power supply, Linear and Switching. Linear supplies are heavier because
they use a large transformer to convert the voltage. Switching power supplies use an electronic circuit to rapidly turn the
electricity on and off, thereby converting the voltage to the lower level. Poorly designed switching power supplies can cause
noise to appear on your signal, but the well designed ones are very quiet both electrically and audibly. I have both types
and they are both working fine for me.
Astron
RS12A (linear)
$90
Astron
RS20A "
$100
Astron
RS35A "
$160
Astron
RS50A "
$230
Astron
RS70A "
$300
Astron
RS20M (has meters for volts and amps)
$130
Astron
RS35M
"
$180
Astron
RS50M
"
$260
Astron
RS70M
"
$330
Astron
SS25 (switching)
$130
Astron
SS30 "
$140
Astron
SS25M (with meters)
$150
Astron
SS30M "
$160
Icom
PS-125 (switching)
$250
Kenwood
KPS-15 (25 amp switching)
$140
MFJ
4125 (25 amps switching)
$110
MFJ
4225 (4125 with meters)
$150
MFJ
4245 (40 amp switching)
$200
Samlex
SEC-1223 (23 amp switching)
$100
Samlex
SEC-1235 (35 amp
" )
$120
Samlex
SEC-1235M (1235 with meters)
$140
Yaesu
FP-1023 (25 amp switching)
$170
Yaesu
FP-1030A (30 amp with meters)
$270
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E, All the other bits and
In addition to the "major components" in the
above lists, there are a number of important items to consider, at least when we talk about a "fixed installation. For the
hand-held and the mobile, selecting from some of the above lists should be sufficient. For the fixed installation there are
other aspects to consider: Grounding and Safety.
Your radio should be grounded from the case to
a solid ground outside with at least one 8 foot ground rod. Your antenna mast should be grounded with an 8 foot ground rod,
sometimes more depending on what you are using for a mast and how tall it is. Your coaxial cables should be grounded via a
"surge protector" or "lightning arrestor" I highly recommend that the new ham read up on grounding and electrical and RF safety
before installing a fixed station. What you don't know CAN kill you.
Ground rods, lightning arrestors, surge protectors
and the proper cables or straps to connect them appropriately are available from the same sources where you purchase your
radio and antenna. Pay attention to the advice of more experienced hams in designing and constructing your fixed station.
The ARRL has many available publications on the operation of your station. Get these books as you can afford them and read
them.
One of the interesting aspects of amateur radio
is the apparent truism that "one is never enough". As soon as the new ham has the newness worn off their license, thoughts
turn to what will be my next radio. Along with more radios comes more accessories, more antennas, more everything. Don't fight
it, just follow the limits of your budget and don't bite off more than you can chew.
Amateur radio is a wonderful avocation. I don't
say "hobby" because it is much more than that. It encompasses Public Service, the learning of new skills, the meeting of new
friends, and so much more.
Here in West Central Florida, there are many
amateur radio clubs. You can find a list of them with contact information and more at: www.arrlwcf.org , the section website. You can also find articles on simple projects and other thoughts on amateur radio
at: www.n1gy.com
Join your local amateur radio club, participate
in your local ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) group and you will find answers to all of the questions you have about
how to proceed in Amateur Radio.
