On 3/13/2010 3:51 PM, Beachbum wrote:

Well, that was simple enough. EARCHI had a testing session this AM, and
I passed! I've been listening in to a couple of the local repeater nets,
getting a feel for local practices and personalities. Now comes decision
time...Yaesu or Icom? I'm leaning to the Icom dual band HT's right now.

Both companies make good products, but I suggest you wait a few weeks.
Attend a ham club meeting, and tell the members you're looking for a
rig: someone may have a loaner you can try out, or even one that
they'll part with for a good price to get you started.

If not, there are a lot of used rigs out there, that can be had for
reasonable money. Frankly, the trick is to go slowly and build your
"dream" station a little at a time, so that you don't spend your whole
slush fund on one mode or one rig and then find you don't want to keep
using it. Field Day and Emergency Communicaitons drills (EMCOM) are an
excellent way to see various modes and rigs in action. If possible, try
out all the modes your license covers, and find out if you'd be more
comfortable with hilltopping, or packet, or EmCom, or even microwave,
or whatever: try _before_ you buy.

For the home portable/base, would a mag mount on the corrugated metal
carport roof work pretty well (vs. rooftop mag on the car)?

The only way to know is to try it, so buy an antenna that will work
with your car and then give it a chance on the roof. Repeaters make up
for most of the antenna issues that used to plague VHF operators, and
so long as you're "Full quieting" into the machines you want to use,
you win.

If not, tell your XYL that the new DTV standard requires a tower, and
go from there. ;-)

73,

Bill, W1AC

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