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#1
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HAM Radio equipment suggestions
Hi all,
I've been studying for my Ham license over the last week, and if all goes well I'll be licensed in a few weekends with any luck So now the big step -- which radio to go with. As I said, I'm a total rookie to the Ham radio world, so I have no idea what I'm looking for. I've just started reading-up on frequencies, so I'd like to find something that'll handle a majority of (if not all) the frequencies I'll be licened to use. Also I'd love a baseunit with PC software that'll allow me to control the radio via my computer. This isn't a must, but it'd be nice to have. Also what antenna would you guys suggest? I live in the country, so I'm unrestricted on what kind of antenna I deploy. Also since I live kinda far out I'd like to have a radio powerful enough and antenna high enough to reach the larger cities around me (15-20 miles away as the crow flies). Pricerange is $200-$400, but I can go abit more if needed. I want to buy something with TONS of stuff I have no clue about so I can learn My future goals are to eventually setup an IRLP repeater since I do have broadband, plus a good friend of mine lives some 1500 miles away and there's an IRLP repeater not far from him. Also I'd love to give back to the local HAM group (what little of a group there is anyway). I also ran across this guy's website - http://www.gravitywell.org/index.htm - and I'd love to get a rig going like his. Thanks for any comments or suggestions, and take care -- - Ringo - |
#2
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Books to read:
All around general Ham Radio Ham Radio For Dummies By Ward Silver ISBN 0-7645-5987-7 http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...764559877.html For FM Repeaters: FM101x BY Rod Dinkins AC6V URL: http://ac6v.com/FM101.htm For DXing: The Complete DXer By Bob Locher W9KNI URL: http://www.idiompress.com/books-complete-dxer.html DX101x By Rod Dinkins AC6V http://ac6v.com/DXSAMPLE.htm Should answer most questions An alternative to IRLP is EchoLink (computer to computer for Hams) see URL: http://www.echolink.org/ Ham radio megasites ARRL http://www.arrl.org/ 700 Amateur Radio Topics at URL: http://ac6v.com/ Welcome to Amateur Radio and Good luck -- Lamont Cranston The Shadow Knows "Ringo Langly" wrote in message om... Hi all, I've been studying for my Ham license over the last week, and if all goes well I'll be licensed in a few weekends with any luck So now the big step -- which radio to go with. As I said, I'm a total rookie to the Ham radio world, so I have no idea what I'm looking for. I've just started reading-up on frequencies, so I'd like to find something that'll handle a majority of (if not all) the frequencies I'll be licened to use. Also I'd love a baseunit with PC software that'll allow me to control the radio via my computer. This isn't a must, but it'd be nice to have. Also what antenna would you guys suggest? I live in the country, so I'm unrestricted on what kind of antenna I deploy. Also since I live kinda far out I'd like to have a radio powerful enough and antenna high enough to reach the larger cities around me (15-20 miles away as the crow flies). Pricerange is $200-$400, but I can go abit more if needed. I want to buy something with TONS of stuff I have no clue about so I can learn My future goals are to eventually setup an IRLP repeater since I do have broadband, plus a good friend of mine lives some 1500 miles away and there's an IRLP repeater not far from him. Also I'd love to give back to the local HAM group (what little of a group there is anyway). I also ran across this guy's website - http://www.gravitywell.org/index.htm - and I'd love to get a rig going like his. Thanks for any comments or suggestions, and take care -- - Ringo - |
#3
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Books to read:
All around general Ham Radio Ham Radio For Dummies By Ward Silver ISBN 0-7645-5987-7 http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...764559877.html For FM Repeaters: FM101x BY Rod Dinkins AC6V URL: http://ac6v.com/FM101.htm For DXing: The Complete DXer By Bob Locher W9KNI URL: http://www.idiompress.com/books-complete-dxer.html DX101x By Rod Dinkins AC6V http://ac6v.com/DXSAMPLE.htm Should answer most questions An alternative to IRLP is EchoLink (computer to computer for Hams) see URL: http://www.echolink.org/ Ham radio megasites ARRL http://www.arrl.org/ 700 Amateur Radio Topics at URL: http://ac6v.com/ Welcome to Amateur Radio and Good luck -- Lamont Cranston The Shadow Knows "Ringo Langly" wrote in message om... Hi all, I've been studying for my Ham license over the last week, and if all goes well I'll be licensed in a few weekends with any luck So now the big step -- which radio to go with. As I said, I'm a total rookie to the Ham radio world, so I have no idea what I'm looking for. I've just started reading-up on frequencies, so I'd like to find something that'll handle a majority of (if not all) the frequencies I'll be licened to use. Also I'd love a baseunit with PC software that'll allow me to control the radio via my computer. This isn't a must, but it'd be nice to have. Also what antenna would you guys suggest? I live in the country, so I'm unrestricted on what kind of antenna I deploy. Also since I live kinda far out I'd like to have a radio powerful enough and antenna high enough to reach the larger cities around me (15-20 miles away as the crow flies). Pricerange is $200-$400, but I can go abit more if needed. I want to buy something with TONS of stuff I have no clue about so I can learn My future goals are to eventually setup an IRLP repeater since I do have broadband, plus a good friend of mine lives some 1500 miles away and there's an IRLP repeater not far from him. Also I'd love to give back to the local HAM group (what little of a group there is anyway). I also ran across this guy's website - http://www.gravitywell.org/index.htm - and I'd love to get a rig going like his. Thanks for any comments or suggestions, and take care -- - Ringo - |
#4
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Hi,
Welcome in the world of ham radio! ;-) Here are some useful tips, http://www.astrosurf.com/lombry/menu-qsl.htm mainly about antennas, how to select a transceiver, but all is interesting...µ 73 Thierry, ON4SKY "Ringo Langly" wrote in message om... Hi all, I've been studying for my Ham license over the last week, and if all goes well I'll be licensed in a few weekends with any luck So now the big step -- which radio to go with. As I said, I'm a total rookie to the Ham radio world, so I have no idea what I'm looking for. I've just started reading-up on frequencies, so I'd like to find something that'll handle a majority of (if not all) the frequencies I'll be licened to use. Also I'd love a baseunit with PC software that'll allow me to control the radio via my computer. This isn't a must, but it'd be nice to have. Also what antenna would you guys suggest? I live in the country, so I'm unrestricted on what kind of antenna I deploy. Also since I live kinda far out I'd like to have a radio powerful enough and antenna high enough to reach the larger cities around me (15-20 miles away as the crow flies). Pricerange is $200-$400, but I can go abit more if needed. I want to buy something with TONS of stuff I have no clue about so I can learn My future goals are to eventually setup an IRLP repeater since I do have broadband, plus a good friend of mine lives some 1500 miles away and there's an IRLP repeater not far from him. Also I'd love to give back to the local HAM group (what little of a group there is anyway). I also ran across this guy's website - http://www.gravitywell.org/index.htm - and I'd love to get a rig going like his. Thanks for any comments or suggestions, and take care -- - Ringo - |
#5
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Hi,
Welcome in the world of ham radio! ;-) Here are some useful tips, http://www.astrosurf.com/lombry/menu-qsl.htm mainly about antennas, how to select a transceiver, but all is interesting...µ 73 Thierry, ON4SKY "Ringo Langly" wrote in message om... Hi all, I've been studying for my Ham license over the last week, and if all goes well I'll be licensed in a few weekends with any luck So now the big step -- which radio to go with. As I said, I'm a total rookie to the Ham radio world, so I have no idea what I'm looking for. I've just started reading-up on frequencies, so I'd like to find something that'll handle a majority of (if not all) the frequencies I'll be licened to use. Also I'd love a baseunit with PC software that'll allow me to control the radio via my computer. This isn't a must, but it'd be nice to have. Also what antenna would you guys suggest? I live in the country, so I'm unrestricted on what kind of antenna I deploy. Also since I live kinda far out I'd like to have a radio powerful enough and antenna high enough to reach the larger cities around me (15-20 miles away as the crow flies). Pricerange is $200-$400, but I can go abit more if needed. I want to buy something with TONS of stuff I have no clue about so I can learn My future goals are to eventually setup an IRLP repeater since I do have broadband, plus a good friend of mine lives some 1500 miles away and there's an IRLP repeater not far from him. Also I'd love to give back to the local HAM group (what little of a group there is anyway). I also ran across this guy's website - http://www.gravitywell.org/index.htm - and I'd love to get a rig going like his. Thanks for any comments or suggestions, and take care -- - Ringo - |
#7
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On 28 Jun 2004 08:29:07 -0700, (Ringo Langly) wrote:
Hi all, I've been studying for my Ham license over the last week, and if all goes well I'll be licensed in a few weekends with any luck So now the big step -- which radio to go with. As I said, I'm a total rookie to the Ham radio world, so I have no idea what I'm looking for. I've just started reading-up on frequencies, so I'd like to find something that'll handle a majority of (if not all) the frequencies I'll be licened to use. Also I'd love a baseunit with PC software that'll allow me to control the radio via my computer. This isn't a must, but it'd be nice to have. Also what antenna would you guys suggest? I live in the country, so I'm unrestricted on what kind of antenna I deploy. Also since I live kinda far out I'd like to have a radio powerful enough and antenna high enough to reach the larger cities around me (15-20 miles away as the crow flies). Pricerange is $200-$400, but I can go abit more if needed. I want to buy something with TONS of stuff I have no clue about so I can learn Your most efficient buy would be an Icom 706 mk11g or Yaesu 857d. You don't say what bands you will be licensed for -- I'm assuming it'll be vhf/uhf. These rigs will give you 6m/2m/70cm, plus the hf bands, and every popular transmitting mode, for about $7-800, plus the cost of a power supply. Your $2-400 will get you no more than an FM-only rig for one or two vhf bands, and you'll still need a power supply. With the all-mode rigs, you would be able to do ssb & cw, station to station contacts -- pretty exciting stuff, compared to simply trying to hit some FM repeater, which is sorta like shooting fish in a barrel, as radio things go. Have fun... bob k5qwg My future goals are to eventually setup an IRLP repeater since I do have broadband, plus a good friend of mine lives some 1500 miles away and there's an IRLP repeater not far from him. Also I'd love to give back to the local HAM group (what little of a group there is anyway). I also ran across this guy's website - http://www.gravitywell.org/index.htm - and I'd love to get a rig going like his. Thanks for any comments or suggestions, and take care -- - Ringo - |
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