Talk to me about amateur shortwave radio

[theTastyCat]

Hi all - I've spent my time exclusively on 2m and 440 as it allows me reliable communication with those I want to communicate with. I'd be obliged to hear your opinions on this: is HF reliable at all? Some of the early posts piqued my interest - I've got no desire to sit in the dark twiddling knobs and listening to static, but if I could somewhat reliably establish communications with a specific person over a few hundred miles, that would be worth trying to find an HF rig for.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

[hardknox00001]

Hi all - I've spent my time exclusively on 2m and 440 as it allows me reliable communication with those I want to communicate with. I'd be obliged to hear your opinions on this: is HF reliable at all? Some of the early posts piqued my interest - I've got no desire to sit in the dark twiddling knobs and listening to static, but if I could somewhat reliably establish communications with a specific person over a few hundred miles, that would be worth trying to find an HF rig for.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

The magic of HF is that if one band is dead, go to another one. Unless you are doing some specific freq. hunting, it is no problem to find people talking, no matter what time of day or night it is. A simple wire dipole will get you running in fine fashion, you would be surprised by what you will hear. People regularly schedule contacts with each other from various points all over the US and beyond. I can think of one fellow who would go out west during the winter, or was it summer, I can't remember. Anyway, he would have a scheduled time during the day to talk to family back here on 20M and had no problem what so ever.

The thing I have noticed about 2M and 440 is that you are pretty much slaved to the repeaters unless your running an all mode radio with a beam and sometimes there just isn't alot going on. With HF, a basic antenna of some sort, either tuned or run through a tuner, will expand your horizons greatly and you can always find somebody somewhere.

[pegasusrider]

I don't know whether I should thank you or be mad at you for starting this thread. My wife and I got our tickets in 1991 but let them expire. Now I'm thinking about getting one again. I can't afford this so thanks a lot!

I had my Technicians but would go for the General this time. The one thing I'm not sure about is whether or not it would do any good where I live. I'm down in a hollow and couldn't put up much of an antenna here. I know VHF would be poor here but I'm not sure about 10 or 20 meters. Are any of you down in a hollow? Any advice would be welcome.

VHF/UHF can reflect off hills, mountains, and other objects in and out of a hollow. Working the local guys on 10 meters via ground wave might not work well. If 10 meters was open, you would not have any problems working stations several hundred miles away. 20 meters would be open a lot more than 10 meters and you would be surprised at how far you will hear and talk, even in a deep hole.

On equipment, a lot of commercial 2 way FM radios are on the surplus market at cheap prices because the FCC is making commercial users go to narrow band by Jan 1, 2013. These radios are not obsolete for ham use. The biggest drawback is they usually require some kind of special programmer or interface to a PC and the freqs cannot be changed easily while driving down the road. But you can buy several of these radios and a programmer interface for the price of a new 2 meter mobile.

I'm an extra, been licensed for 35 years.

[NextExit]

This thread has really got me curious. Almost tempting me to get into it! Some previous posters have said that sideband is the most active? Can I use that with a tech license? Or do I need General? Sorry, don't mean to sound ignorant, but it's new to me. Is there a book out called "Ham for dummies":D.

Also, looking at the Ham Test Online site, there is a "New" technician course on 7/1/10. Did something change?

[enfield]

The question pool for the various license classes change on a regular basis, thus the new Tech test and a new set of practice exams.

Sideband is an operating mode, like CW, FM and AM, and you can use it as a Tech. You'll be restricted to VHF and UHF (and a small chunk of 10 meters) as a Tech. Higher license classes can use the HF bands from 1.8 Mhz to 29.2 Mhz.

Edited June 10, 2010 by enfield

[NextExit]

Thanks. Guess I've got some reading to do. Think I'll give it a shot. Equipment looks a bit pricey. Might be some deals on ebay....

[enfield]

A word to the wise - don't buy radio equipment on Ebay. You'll get skunked. Try ham swaps and other hams. Join the local amateur radio club. There are several sites on line dedicated to ham radio and several have "want to buy/for sale" ads - QRZ.COM Callsign Database, American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources, eHam.net Home - Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) Community Site for example.

[NextExit]

Thanks for the links. I thought some of those radio's on ebay were kind of cheap. Some of them didn't have very good feedback either. While going thru Google, I saw Ten-Tec on there as having Ham equip. I always go by their building in Sevierville and wondered what it was. Their prices are a bit on the high side. Looks like they're having a "Ham Fest" in Sept.

[pegasusrider]

Knoxville Hamfest & Electronics Exposition

Hamfest this Saturday in Knoxville. It will die around 11 to noon so go early.

[NextExit]

Same day as the gun show.... damn!! Well, since Hamfest starts at 830 I think I'll stop by and check things out.

[TGO David]

KJ4### /AG

I hit 34 or 33 out of 35. I can't remember what they told me, but they were strongly encouraging me to go ahead and take Amateur Extra. I may go back and do that later. I don't even have an HF rig right now and I'm feeling like complete and utter crap with allergies and doped up on Mucinex, so I just wasn't feeling like sitting in for another test this morning.

Seriously, someone needs to buy my HK45 so that I can put an HF rig in at the hacienda.

[enfield]

Congratulations! I needed to wait about 8 months between my Tech and Advanced licenses so that I could build my code speed. It's neat being able to advance so quickly!

Youdaman!!

[G27]

KJ4### /AG

I hit 34 or 33 out of 35. I can't remember what they told me, but they were strongly encouraging me to go ahead and take Amateur Extra. I may go back and do that later. I don't even have an HF rig right now and I'm feeling like complete and utter crap with allergies and doped up on Mucinex, so I just wasn't feeling like sitting in for another test this morning.

Congrats!

As someone who's gaining interest in this, how did you prep for the tests?

[Guest ScottD]

haha, you will be checking the FCC database everyday, waiting for your call to upgrade. For now, enjoy your stroke temporary ag.

[TGO David]

Congrats!

As someone who's gaining interest in this, how did you prep for the tests?

For Technician I just used the book and the freebie exam simulator over on eHam.com. For General I used the study guide and exam sim at HamTestOnline.com.

Keep in mind I also have five years of EE studies in my background as well. It certainly made it easier, but frankly one could just do the HamTestOnline studies and pass using wrote memorization.

haha, you will be checking the FCC database everyday, waiting for your call to upgrade. For now, enjoy your stroke temporary ag.

I'll check it next weekend. My Tech license showed up on the Friday following the Saturday that I took the exam. Chances are this will be no faster.

I'd probably be more pumped if I had an HF rig.

Did I mention that I have a really nice HK 45 for sale?

[Cherokee Slim]

[quote name= Did I mention that I have a really nice HK 45 for sale? [/quote]

Must have missed that part. Which model & what is your asking price?

Cherokee Slim

KC4IHO

[TGO David]

Must have missed that part. Which model & what is your asking price?

Cherokee Slim

KC4IHO

HK45. It's for sale in the trading post.

[Cherokee Slim]

Interested in trading for radios & related gear?

Cherokee Slim

[TGO David]

Interested in trading for radios & related gear?

Cherokee Slim

Not unless you have an Icom 7000 that you want to trade, or a Yaesu 897D + cash.

[Cherokee Slim]

PM with list sent

[G27]

For Technician I just used the book and the freebie exam simulator over on eHam.com. For General I used the study guide and exam sim at HamTestOnline.com.

Keep in mind I also have five years of EE studies in my background as well. It certainly made it easier, but frankly one could just do the HamTestOnline studies and pass using wrote memorization.

Rock, thanks - I've got a pretty in-depth knowledge of broadcast electronics as is, just wanted more info. Thank you!

[Guest ScottD]

David, are you looking to use the IC-7000 in your house? If so, I would advise against it. Had one, liked it a lot, but too fricken small for QTH use.

[TGO David]

David, are you looking to use the IC-7000 in your house? If so, I would advise against it. Had one, liked it a lot, but too fricken small for QTH use.

House initially... mobile eventually.

[TGO David]

I guess I'm a license whore... because I went ahead and ordered a copy of Gordon West's exam prep for Amateur Extra and will pony up again for the next level of the HamTestOnline study aid. My target for completing it is end of July. I'm booked solid for the next few weeks with some training classes for a work-related certification and need to focus on that for the time being.

Of course, this is all subject to change. I may end up with the Amateur Extra license before that if I find that I have free time.

[Cherokee Slim]

I was Tech + when the law apparently changed and had passed the General written. Mostly working out of the country I never got around to the code test. Now I've renewed and see I'm back to Tech. I hung a long wire yesterday and may try to hook up my HF radio in the next few days, just to see if anyone still uses radios. I have several 2 & 10m radios besides the Kenwood TS-140S to play with. It may be worth studying to take the General exam again.

Cherokee Slim