# Amateur Radio



## Hornet (Jan 29, 2006)

I am looking to take the technician test next month and I was wondering about my first radio. I have been looking at the Yaesu FT-60R or the VX-6R. I am new to the hobby and have no idea what many of the additional fetchers included with the VX-6R are or even if they are needed. I would like any input you might have. 

The VX-6R 
Around $250
RX .5-729MHz 803-999MHz 
TX 144-148MHz 222-225MHz 430-450MHz 
Submergible
AA Battery pack transmits at .3Watt TX very short run time

The FT-60R
Around $200
RX 108-520MHz 700-999MHz 
TX 144-148MHz 430-450MHz
AA Battery pack transmits at full strength Good runtime

The FT looks real good because of the AA battery pack. I like the VX because of the RX range submergible and the 3rd TX range. Which should I get


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## Radio (Jan 29, 2006)

Forget about the AA packs if you are going to transmit at all, they don't last long on either radio, my recomedation is to step up to the Kenwood TH-F6, gets you back on the 220 band and gives you full 5 watts out on all three bands and tremendous extended recv including HF SSB, I own 4 of them now it is mt EDC HT and has become my favorite and I have over 50 HT's alone so that says a lot.


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## Malpaso (Jan 29, 2006)

Go to www.eham.net and look at the reviews of various radios, as well as posts as to whether to get a handheld or mobile as your first radio.

Good luck on your test. There are plenty of on-line test you can take for practice as well.


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## magic79 (Jan 29, 2006)

The two radios you have narrowed your search to are good ones.

Personally, I would not buy a Kenwood. I own a small antenna manufacturing company, and Kenwood has been showing fewer and fewer radios at smaller and smaller booths at hamfests over the last 2-3 years. At Pacificon in the Bay Area in October, they had a small booth on Saturday, and then grabbed their stuff Sunday morning and left before the show opened! I don't think Kenwood plans on being in the amateur market much longer.

Have you checked out what repeaters are available/of interest to you? 222 MHz might not be too popular in your area, so that capability might not be a necessity. As mentioned, the AA battery capability is not one most people use. It's just as easy to have another battery pack.

I have a VX7, 2 VX-2s, and an Icom IC-V8. Yaesu makes top quality gear.

KC9C


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## smay (Jan 29, 2006)

I also use a Kenwood TH-F6 and really like it a lot. I noticed that they have been less active at Pacificon, etc, however I don't get the feeling that they will leave the market. I certainly hope they don't. Several friends of mine own and use Yaesu HTs and also like them. The only regular complaint is that some people find programming Yaesu radios harder than it should be. I have several Kenwood radios, and find this size to be great for EDC. The Yaesu HT are also a good size. The AA bettery holder is fine for receive, but for being ready for real use of the radio, a backup gel cell battery is an arguably better choice.

Steve
N1ESC


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## Danny62381 (Jan 29, 2006)

I have a VX-5 and a VX-7R. I can tell you that you will be pleased with any radio off the Yaesu portable line, The are made out of metal, and I'd about venture to say they are so tough that you could drive nails with them. However, IIRC the VX-7 is the only one that is capable of TRUE dual recieve. You may want to look into buying at least one extra battery pack for whichever one you decide on, as they eat batteries on transmit like you wouldnt believe. The computer program package is awesome. I'd about venture to say you could just about run over one with a truck and it would still work! They are also very easy to modify to work on public safety/220 mhz bands. After the mod is complete the Yaesu logo screen changed to "Vertex Standard" on my VX-7 so something tells me that they werent specifically designed for Ametur use....could be mistaken tho.


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## Hornet (Jan 29, 2006)

I looked at the Kenwood TH-F6 and do like it but I think I will need to keep the first purchase under $300 so I can get just the VX-6R or I can get the FT-60R and some sort of accessory (maybe an extra battery and possibly the DC Cable)

Malpaso that is a great site. I have also been taking the tests on line they have been a lot of help. Are these the same questions that my test will come from. All of the sites seem to have the same questions and I found on the Arrl site where I could down load the whole pool of questions and have been studding from it also.

As for the repeaters in my area they are mostly 2m and 70cm there are no 1.25M close by so they will be out for the most part any ways. I liked the VX-6R for the water proof and the extended RX range the 1.25M was just an added bonus. 

I know if I just thought about it would probably be easy but what is the best way to rig a gel cell? Would I just use an inverter?

Thanks for the input


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## panflute (Jan 29, 2006)

I have the Kenwood TH-F6. It is the best HT I have owned, and I have owned almost all of them. Why: Dual band receive, receives TV, FM & AM radio, police, weather, PS, HF SSB, shortwave broadcast, CW, does 5 Watts on 220, LI battery, small & lightweight, combined with the Maldol tri band antenna works great on transmit & receive (the stock antenna sucks) :wave: . Does everything but crossbands....but few people need that....Software free on Kenwood site.....1000 memories or so, plus special banks.....get this one you won't be sorry. 
PS 6 meters is a wasteland for the most part....

-panflute
W4FTL


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## coldsolderjoint (Jan 30, 2006)

I have a FT-50, its a pretty good radio, although it lacks the 222mhz band, I dont think I've used it for Ham purposes in over two years. It just sits in it's pelican case  

Good luck on your test, its been a while since I took mine, but "Now your talking" is a great book. Got me through it A ok.


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## Malpaso (Jan 30, 2006)

Hornet said:


> Are these the same questions that my test will come from. All of the sites seem to have the same questions and I found on the Arrl site where I could down load the whole pool of questions and have been studding from it also.



Yes, all the tests are taken verbatim from the question pool. The pool is broken down into sections, and there must be one question from each section. However, the answers will never be in the same order, so trying to memorize A,B,C or D will not work.



> I know if I just thought about it would probably be easy but what is the best way to rig a gel cell? Would I just use an inverter?



There are a number of ways to use a gel cell. I have set all of my gear up with PowerPoles to use with a RigRunner (Google the two for detailed information). However, a quick and dirty way is to use a female cigarette lighter end attached to the battery and the male adapter that comes with most rigs.


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## IanJ (Jan 30, 2006)

For what it's worth, I EDC an Icom IC-W32a, and really like it. It's not all tactical looking like the new Yaesus, but it works really well, and it's an honest dual band radio (ie, two radios in one case, vs. one radio that can tune several bands). It doesn't do all the wideband receive of the newer radios, but it also doesn't suffer from anywhere near the intermod (receiving pager signals 10 MHz away, etc.). If you live in an urban setting, that's very important.

I'm not going to recommend any particular radio (although I did want to get a plug in for Icom, since I really dig their radios). However, I will say this: get yourself to a ham radio store in person, and handle the radios, if at all possible. You may discover that you like the VX7 or the FT-60 much better once it's in your hand, or you may discover that one has a difficult display to read, etc. You might discover that one of the small, tri-band Icoms or Kenwoods feels better to you, or makes more sense out of the box.

There's a lot of value in having a radio that you Just Understand without having to refer to a manual. If you have to study up on how to use it, it's going to be used less, or less effectively, and that would be a waste of money. For what it's worth, the Alincos I've used have had absolutely atrocious interfaces. The one ADI mobile I had was even worse, and I'll never buy anything ADI again (although it was a fine radio, in terms of technical performance). The one Radio Shack scanner I had (a Pro-91) was difficult for me to use, but I think that's because I wanted to use it like a ham radio, not like a scanner.

In general, radios by the same manufacturer have the same interface -- Yaesu is very good about keeping a consistent interface between HTs, for instance. Learn to use one Yaesu, and you'll have no trouble learning the next Yaesu. I had that experience going from an FT-50 to a VX-5 to a VX-1 and VX-2. Likewise, Icom is pretty consistent, and I didn't have to research much between different HTs. I've only ever owned one Kenwood (TH-D7A(g)), so I can't comment on their interface consistency, but I personally don't like the interface of the Kenwood as much. 

Anyway, my main point remains that I think it's really worth getting the radio in your hand before you plonk down your cash (just as you'd want to do with a flashlight, or a multitool, or a handgun, or a knife, or whatever). If your first reaction is, "this thing feels weird" or "this thing is hard to use," that's unlikely to change a whole lot over your years of ownership. I've found that both negative and positive reactions tend to get stronger, but they don't tend to reverse. Obviously this isn't a hard and fast rule, and you're not the same person as me.

[edit] Also, if you're a member of ARRL, they have all their radio reviews available as PDFs online. That's a tremendous resource, and to my mind is worth signing up with ARRL for at least a year just to get that. Their reviews aren't always the best, but they're usually pretty good, and they always have good data in them.

Good luck with whatever you get, and good luck passing your test.

73 de N7DCU


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## GeoScouter (Jan 30, 2006)

Hornet said:


> I am looking to take the technician test next month and I was wondering about my first radio. I have been looking at the Yaesu FT-60R or the VX-6R.



I don't think you can go wrong with either one of them. I use the FT-50 and l been looking at the FT-60 or VX6. I haven't made up my mind yet.

Good luck on your test. Amateur radio is a fun hobby.


Steve, N3FWE


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## JohnnyB (Feb 1, 2006)

If I were looking for an HT, I'd get the new VX-170. It's cheap, has 5 watts output if you need it, and plenty of great features such as alphanumeric tagging of frequencies.

UHF is quite dead in my area. I have an older FT-530 and rarely use the UHF side.

As far as batteries, I switched to the AA holder for my radio years ago and it was the best thing I've done for it. I filled it with 2500 mAh NIMHs and it works great.

Good luck on your test.

John


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## philiphb (Feb 2, 2006)

I have the VX-7R, VX-2R and the VXA-700. All are good radios. I run a Kenwood TMD-700A in the car with APRS and I use a FT-897 in the house. For ARES work I use the VX-7R with it's extra battery pack and grab the battery from the VXA-700 which is the same. VXA-700 I use while flying (Air Band transceiver and VOR plus 2 meters). Get this, I EDC the VX-2R. Even with its lower power I can hit most of the local repeaters, it fits in my shirt pocket or my cell phone case. Shortly I sell the FT-897 and pick up an ICOM IC-746PRO. Get involved with a local club, use the ARRL site to find one in your area. Volunteer for ARES and take the online ECOMMS classes. Won't be long before you'll upgrade to General and by that time the code requirement for better or worse will lkely have been dropped. Digital modes are making a comeback, using either a TNC or your computer's sound card. Even on 2 meters the Packet Boards are reliable means to send mail and messages. Kenwood will be around for a long time. The VX-6 is a great HT. Software to programs the Yaesus is either free or cheap and there are easy ways to convert Yaesu frequiency files to Kenwood and Kenwood to Yaesu. Most of all enjoy the people you'll meet. FB de W1PHB:devil:


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## vic303 (Feb 2, 2006)

I second the recommendationof the Yaesu ft50R. A fine radio. Dual band, and durable.
73's
de n0vmr
Vic


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## Hornet (Feb 2, 2006)

Thanks for all of the replies it really helps. I have been to some of the ham sites and they aren’t always so nice if you don’t have a license yet and ask an open question about radios. I guess they feel the person only wants the radio and will forget about the radio. 

I still am not sure which I will get. I have read many reviews where the FT-60 will run as long with the stock batteries as it dose with six 2500 mAh NIMHs. Its also cheaper this will help just incase I find I need the mobile radio also. I So I think this is the way I am going.


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## dim (Feb 4, 2006)

It depends upon your style of operating. The FT-60 appears to be a honkin' rig suitable for some rough work - a 17"-19" whip would be sweet and improve performance by a few "bars" on the S-meter over the stock antenna. Certainly portable, clipped to the belt, but it's not what I would consider a "civilized" EDC as it has the girth of a Motorola-type of professional rig - police/fire/service etc., even the spring loaded clip is big. The Yaesu VX-2R is very EDCable at about 2" in height (I think) and weighs about 4oz. (I think). While not the 5 watts of the FT-60, the 1.5 watts of the VX-2r is enough power to work local repeaters effectively. And while a long whip will also greatly improve transmit and receive signals and range, it kind of defeats the stealth of the rig. The VX-6R and the VX-7R, of course, fall in between the '60 and the '2 in size and transmit at 5 watts. These two rigs differ in features and frequency coverage.

Although it is showing its age from five years of EVERY DAY carry, my VX-5R ROCKS. I prefer a single display, one band at a time type of rig over "true" dual-band with dual-receive, so I prefer my '5 over the '7 - but thats just a matter of style and personal preference. Without the frequency and tag visable at the same time like the VX-5R, I consider the VX-6R to be a downgrade from the '5. 220MHz doesn't interest me. Does it interest you?

Do you travel all over town with the need to get into the "home" repeater? Do you mostly sandbag (listen) to not only amateur, but other radio traffic as well? Do you get your hands dirty? Do you wear a suit and tie?

It's like asking "which flashlight should I EDC?". Only you can answer that. Check out the reviews at eham.com and elsewhere. 

Yahoo groups has very active user groups for the rigs mentioned in this thread. Like CPF, those groups are an excellent source of information.

73
dim


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## NewBie (Feb 4, 2006)

I remember when hams used to build all their own gear.

Is there a reason why hams don't do this much any more?


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## PhotonWrangler (Feb 4, 2006)

They still build some of their own antenna gear, but there are FCC rules that govern any device that puts radio energy into the air. If you build your own transmitter or transceiver, the burden will be upon you to prove that it meets their standards for stability, power output, etc, something that's usually an expensive proposition. The big manufacturers can afford to submit their designs for FCC Type Acceptance and pay all of the fees involved.


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## eart (Feb 4, 2006)

Slightly off topic, but what do you guys use your radios for? Is there any purpose to it since the internet is so prevalent? I've looked into some TCP/IP over radio (packet radio) but it's very slow. Is there any point in getting into it now? I want to - it's neat - but what can I use it for?


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## ks_physicist (Feb 5, 2006)

eart said:


> Slightly off topic, but what do you guys use your radios for? Is there any purpose to it since the internet is so prevalent? I've looked into some TCP/IP over radio (packet radio) but it's very slow. Is there any point in getting into it now? I want to - it's neat - but what can I use it for?



I got into it for several reasons.

Initially, I was very curious about voice communication. This was before the prevalence of cell phones, and I was fascinated with the idea of radio transmission. I knew several guys who were hams, one went to school with me.

Second, an older cousin of mine was a teacher in Germany (on a US base) and told me all about packet radio (computer modem over radio, the DIRECT precursor to modern wireless networking). Fascinating.

Ten years passed, girls and cars and college postponed my plans. I made do with listening, building some antennas, that sort of thing. What finally got me to get my license was 9/11. I had watched disaster after disaster, mainly hurricanes, where communications systems were disabled, power was out, and people had to rely on infrastructure-independant communications methods. I was licensed within a couple of months, and immediately joined my local ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) group.

Since then, my electronics hobby has expanded to be mainly about amateur radio; computer interfacing, antenna design and construction, transmitter and receiver design and construction (YES, it can STILL be done, and you do NOT need to certify it with the FCC--you just need to be careful in your design work!)

Modern amateur radio has many facets, from space-based comm satellites (one is being designed for orbit around Mars) to ultra-low-power digital communication systems like PSK-31 that allow people to communicate through severe interference and with very low bandwidth.

There's a lot of technical experimentation left in amateur radio, and I suspect that will continue to be the case for some time to come. The world still needs amateur radio operators to train and be ready to assist if called upon for emergency communications, and it is still just plain fun.

It's the original hacker hobby.


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## dim (Feb 5, 2006)

Amateur Radio, or what most call Ham Radio (we don't know why), is a GREAT hobby, perhaps the best in the world. It combines technology, nature, people, culture, counter-culture, earth, space...etc...

Ham Radio is about 100 years old starting with the first hobbyists/broadcasters. Today, there are about 750,00 licensed hams in the U.S., about 250,000 of which are active - and my estimate of about 5 million hams globally.

Ham Radio today faces many issues, both, from outside the hobby, such as governments and business who want our prime and increasingly valuable portions of the radio spectrum, home owner associations who restrict/forbid antennas, neighbors who mistakenly complain that our signals are interfering with there TVs etc... and from within the hobby - a lot of in-fighting over the future and direction of the Ham Radio.

Ask 100 hams and you'll get 200 opinions, but for me, the biggest thrill is keying up the mic, having my voice travel half way around the world and making contact with another ham. The dialog of a typical QSO (conversation) is loaded with vernacular and language particular to Ham Radio - a casual observer/listener would be lost at the first utterance. For a first time contact, most important is the exchange and conformation of call signs, as that, fundamentally, is the definition of a contact. Additionally, names, QTH (location), signal reports, equipment information, and WX (weather) is exchanged. Beyond that, it is just like talking to someone for the first time, sometimes a QSO ensues, sometimes not. You never know what new friends you'll make.

Each operator has his or her own style. Some like DX (distance), some like to "ragchew" with their international, national, regional and local friends for hours, others like digital modes like PSK31 or RTTY, similar to internet chatting, there are different television modes and, of course, there is CW, what is perhaps the collective vision of the uninformed of the ham operator pounding out Morse Code, the oldest, and to many operators, the best way to communicate over the radio.

A license is needed to transmit on any Ham radio. A Technician Class license, the first of three license classes, permits the use of all VHF and UHF Amateur Radio frequencies. An upgrade in license to General or Extra, allows HF privileges enabling a Ham operator to communicate globally. I do so with a battery powered five watt radio and a six foot antenna. Now THAT'S throw!!

The test for the Technician class license consists of 35 questions from a pool of about 500 questions. The question pool is freely available on line.

HTML - http://www-mae.engr.ucf.edu/~ssd/ham/tech2003.html
Text - http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/tech2003.txt
PDF - http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/tech2003.pdf
Graphics - http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/2003Technician_graphics.pdf

The test is easy.
While it is designed to prove one's knowledge and proficiency of Ham Radio rules, operation, electronics, etc., it is also designed to be passed. No Morse code is required for a Technician Class license.

Books designed to help pass the test are here - http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?category=Licensing!+Manuals,+Videos,+and+More...&words=

Ham Radio is a complex hobby with many deep facets. It would be impossible to convey and explain what Ham Radio is in just a few paragraphs. Even for the most experienced operators, there is always more to learn.

Some top web sites for Ham Radio are:

http://www.eham.net
http://www.arrl.org
http://www.qrz.com
http://www.ac6v.com
http://www.qsl.net

Flashlights are cool tools and fun toys. Ham Radio is a rewarding experience that is a privilege and is recognized internationally by governments around the world. Radios are also cool tools and fun toys.

73
dim


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## KC2IXE (Feb 5, 2006)

dim said:


> ...snip... Certainly portable, clipped to the belt, but it's not what I would consider a "civilized" EDC as it has the girth of a Motorola-type of professional rig - police/fire/service etc., even the spring loaded clip is big. ...snip...



Heh
And I consider the Monoband "LMR" (Land Mobile Radio) type radios (aka "commercial" radios to the "civilized" EDC, and the little ones "toys"

On the usual day, I carry 2 radios - either a GE MPA or GE MRK (depending), and a "ham" HT - (was an Icom T-7H, now an Icom t-90) For coverage in the band of the commerical rig I'm carrying, the commercial rig makes the small HT (even the T-7 which sounded way better than the T-90) look like a toy. You can HEAR them, without always needing a handset

The MPAs are cool, because if you get the right model, they can be "hamflashed" - aka made front pannel programable, and will receive way outside their "split"

The MRKs are cool, because with the small battery they are significantly smaller/lighter than the MPA, but they can NOT be moved from their split - aka a 146-160 radio can NOT be made to receive the weather channels

Of course, you could be a Jaguar, and get 136-174 in one VHF LMR - but GASP, the price

I got the MRK for one main reason - I have a very modile rigs that are EDACS equiped, so I wanted an EDACS HT - nice, because it's digital, but not encripted

73 de KG2V (the KC2IXE is my old call)


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## Malpaso (Feb 5, 2006)

eart said:


> Slightly off topic, but what do you guys use your radios for? Is there any purpose to it since the internet is so prevalent? I've looked into some TCP/IP over radio (packet radio) but it's very slow. Is there any point in getting into it now? I want to - it's neat - but what can I use it for?



HAM radio contesting, where I've talked to over 1000 different people all around the world, in a 48 hour period, in morse code. HAM contesting is the true test of emergency communications. When all communications and power is out, I can still talk to Australia, Russia, Japan or Antarctica on 10 watts of power.


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## Hornet (Feb 18, 2006)

Well I ended up with the FT-60. I ordered it with the AA battery pack and the dc cable from Ham Radio Outlet on the 7th and had it in my hands the 10th. It receives better then the RS Pro-83 scanner I currently have. I put in all of the repeaters around and can receiver one that is about 10 miles away nicely but most of the others I can’t pick up clearly down in the little gut we live in. last night I went just up the road about a mile and could pick up conversations clear on repeaters that are over 50 miles away. Guess I now need to invest in a small antenna for the roof and maybe a mobile unit to use in the car and the house. 

I also took the technicians test on the 14th and had my call sign on the 17th. But I still haven’t transmitted yet maybe tonight.

I’m sure the wife will love me having a new hobbies.

Hornet
KC2PEF


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## KC2IXE (Feb 18, 2006)

Hornet said:


> ...snip...
> 
> I also took the technicians test on the 14th and had my call sign on the 17th. But I still haven’t transmitted yet maybe tonight.
> 
> ...



Go for it - it's fun - and you are NOT kidding when you say you live in upstate NY. How's the snow been there this year (You do know that once we have your call sign, it's trivial to look up your address)


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## Hornet (Feb 18, 2006)

The snows have been fine, we do have a lake effect warning tonight but nothing big. We did have a wind storm yesterday with gusts that were in the 60-70 mph range. I thought this was bad so I will keep the lake effect and leave the hurricanes to the others that can handle them. Ya I knew about the call sign but figured it were easy enough to find any ways.


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