wrote:
I have a general class ham license but have been out of
it a LONG time

I want to get back into some form of free ham radio
comms that would allow me to stay in touch with people
while living in an RV

So.... I want something small and compact. And Im not
sure what "mode" of communications I want. I may want
some form of digital comms like packet or pactor....
not sure

Any advice on all this? What to get equip wise? What
modes to get into?

I agree with "Sky King", my recommondation for a does-it-all "RV
transceiver " is the unique FT-847.

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/1467.html

It's larger than the current crop of very popular mobile xcvrs like the
IC-706 which were designed for underdash installations. But RVs are
usually not as cramped for installation space as are cars & small
trucks so an FT-847 would likely "fit"OK. The major advantages of the
847 vs. the mobile rigs include a far better receiver front end
(overload & intermod) and ease of operation (much less "menu dipping"),
among others. It's basically a complete full-blown home desktop station
in a very compact package vs. the collection highly compromised mobile
rigs out there today.

I'm an old fart hard-core HF dxer and CW dx contester and was inactive
for 25 years who came back to the hobby just a few years ago. I'm very
demanding when it comes to topics like receiver performance and
operating flexibility/convenience. I wanted a compact and lightweight
but not miniaturized rig for portable operations. With jaundiced
expectations about it's performance after reading all the reviews and
such I bought a new FT-847 a couple years ago.

When I first got it on the air during a Field Day operation I quickly
concluded that it was a diamond in the rough. Except for it's rather
dismal selectivity it perforned far beyond my expectations and my
jaundice evaporated. Particularly since it only cost me about a third
of what I would have spent on a "real" HF xcvr. From there I fixed it's
selectivity problem by installing eight-pole 400 Hz and 2.1 kHz xtal
INRAD xtal CW & ssb filters. The addition of the filters dramatically
changed the whole character of the thing and turned it into a real gem.


http://www.qth.com/inrad/

The two filters cost me $310 bucks grunt! on top of what I'd already
paid for the radio but now I'm absolutely convinced that I've managed
to come up with the biggest bang for the buck rig out there today.

847 Modes: CW, AM, FM, ssb, satellite, all digital modes via a
computer, 12 bands 160-440 out-of-the box plus 60M with mods. Simple
null modem cable between the radio and the computer and done.

The two most common HF digital modes are RTTY and PSK-31. Pactor and
packet are out there but are nowhere near as commonly used as RTTY and
PSK-31.

http://www.aintel.bi.ehu.es/psk31.html

Depending on who you'd like to stay in touch with while you're on the
road my take is that you're pretty much stuck with a cell phone based
on it's much higher reliability compared with any ham radio mode/band.
At this point in history "traffic handling" via ham radio has all but
died. The Internet has eaten it.

w3rv

On 24 Feb 2005 07:41:40 -0800, wrote:

wrote:
I have a general class ham license but have been out of
it a LONG time

I want to get back into some form of free ham radio
comms that would allow me to stay in touch with people
while living in an RV

So.... I want something small and compact. And Im not
sure what "mode" of communications I want. I may want
some form of digital comms like packet or pactor....
not sure

It's larger than the current crop of very popular mobile xcvrs like the
IC-706 which were designed for underdash installations. But RVs are
usually not as cramped for installation space as are cars & small
trucks so an FT-847 would likely "fit"OK. The major advantages of the

In an RV installation, there may not be sufficient air circulation
around the rig.

It would also makes sense to add extra cooling fans for the space
where all this is installed, essentially the way that rack mounted
electronics have a second level of cooling fans beyond what what each
component has.

You cannot run electronics too cool.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
--
At the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

Gary S. wrote:
On 24 Feb 2005 07:41:40 -0800, wrote:

wrote:


It's larger than the current crop of very popular mobile xcvrs like
the
IC-706 which were designed for underdash installations. But RVs are
usually not as cramped for installation space as are cars & small
trucks so an FT-847 would likely "fit"OK. The major advantages of
the

In an RV installation, there may not be sufficient air circulation
around the rig.

Depends on how/where the equipment is installed.

It would also makes sense to add extra cooling fans for the space
where all this is installed, essentially the way that rack mounted
electronics have a second level of cooling fans beyond what what each
component has.

If xcvrs are installed in open-air spaces like under dashes or on
desktops, which is usually the case with ham rigs in RVs there
shouldn't be any particular need for additional fans. My 847 internal
fan very seldom kicks in when the rig is used on a desktop even when
running high duty cycle CW and I don't see why the fan would run any
more in an underdash installation. But stuff any 100W xcvr into some
close-fitting blind cubbyhole there better be a second fan which forces
air through the cubbyhole "or else".

You cannot run electronics too cool.

I could not agree more - but within common sense limits.


Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
--
At the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

w3rv

I'm happy with my TS2000x. I normally run it from either the shack
or remotely at the office from a laptop. I have extended a mic and
speaker there. It actually allows me to make adjustments from either
point, as all of the controls make software adjustments. Vol, Sq,
whatever, it doesn't matter. If I touch the remote control it takes
over control. If I touch the face control, it takes over. So you
can have the radio mounted in the back at a comfortable position with
a Multi-mode controller and keyer, and a control head up front. I
have not tried dual control like that with the remote head though,
but it controls from a dedicated RJ45 serial port alongside the
RS232C PC port. I have used the radio mounted up front in the van
from a laptop back in the trailer, but not for CW.

Oddly enough, there is only one transmitter active at a time,
although it has a main and sub-band. But if you have packet or
pactor on one band unit, you can still operate on the other band, as
the TNC will wait until you are finished talking before sending a
packet on the other band. Just the ticket for APRS on the road. It
has a built in packet TNC for DX cluster, and it is usable as a
packet station but I have never used it as I had a PK232mbx from the
start.

The only drawback is 2.6 amps in RX Squelched! This seems high for a
rig on batteries, but it is great for a coach with either Solar or
autostart generator. I suspect the DSP and controllers are always
active and this will be the norm for most new rigs with bells and
whistles. It brings air in from under the front panel and out the
rear around the cables and all heat sinking is internal. Because of
this, the fan will kick on even in RX.

wrote in message
oups.com...

Gary S. wrote:
On 24 Feb 2005 07:41:40 -0800, wrote:

wrote:


It's larger than the current crop of very popular mobile xcvrs
like
the
IC-706 which were designed for underdash installations. But RVs
are
usually not as cramped for installation space as are cars &
small
trucks so an FT-847 would likely "fit"OK. The major advantages
of
the

In an RV installation, there may not be sufficient air
circulation
around the rig.

Depends on how/where the equipment is installed.

It would also makes sense to add extra cooling fans for the space
where all this is installed, essentially the way that rack
mounted
electronics have a second level of cooling fans beyond what what
each
component has.

If xcvrs are installed in open-air spaces like under dashes or on
desktops, which is usually the case with ham rigs in RVs there
shouldn't be any particular need for additional fans. My 847
internal
fan very seldom kicks in when the rig is used on a desktop even
when
running high duty cycle CW and I don't see why the fan would run
any
more in an underdash installation. But stuff any 100W xcvr into
some
close-fitting blind cubbyhole there better be a second fan which
forces
air through the cubbyhole "or else".

You cannot run electronics too cool.

I could not agree more - but within common sense limits.


Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
--
At the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

w3rv