22-07-2024, 09:26 AM
(This post was last modified: 22-07-2024, 09:26 AM by Mike Watterson.)
There is no need now for Morse for HF, and the licence is in stages affecting the power allowed. Nothing needed to listen except a radio and aerial.
The active band(s) depend on time of day, distance required, east/west or trans-equatorial, weather (especially 10m to 2m), solar activity etc.
I had GI8JTR (VHF only) in 1970s and then EI9FEB in Ireland. The Morse requirement for HF (160m to 10m) was dropped (dropped earlier for marine radio), different years depending on country. Various bands have been added over the years.
Really a minimum is two aerials for HF, one about 20m long (but best not a half-wave on any band) and one about 3m to 6m long that can be vertical (and even a CB base aerial with matching coil removed). Manual or automatic aerial "tuner" (really a match box, it doesn't tune).
There are a very wide variety of radio sets depending on budget and interests.
160m to 10m only TX, 100 kHz to 30 MHz receive.
160m to 6m TX, 100 kHz to about 55 MHz receive.
160m to 4m TX, 100 kHz to about 75 MHz receive.
Some may receive down to 60 kHz.
These might have airband, FM Band II or even HF (with AM & SSB) receive only.
FM only handheld or vehicle (2m & 70cm).
FM & Digital only handheld or vehicle (2m & 70cm)
AM, FM, SSB from 160m to 70cm or even 1.2 GHz.
Even the desktop/shack models are using only 13.8V supply.
QRP is 5W or less. The most famous portable QRP was the FT817/FT817ND/FT818 model with 160m to 70cm, FM, AM, SSB, interface for laptop digital modes and wider receive coverage (but no 4m band, partly as 1st IF is 68 MHz). A good starter choice, but only second hand now.
Fewer sets have 60m and 4m.
Sets are dual superhet, triple superhet, DSP only (only maybe two makes do good pure DSP), hybrid DSP, Dual DSP/hybrid DSP (for spectrum graph).
It doesn't seem worth paying extra for built-in digital modes as these will be more limited than free laptop software.
Prices are £200 to £1200 for a decent S/H set and about £400 to £2000 for decent new one.
The active band(s) depend on time of day, distance required, east/west or trans-equatorial, weather (especially 10m to 2m), solar activity etc.
I had GI8JTR (VHF only) in 1970s and then EI9FEB in Ireland. The Morse requirement for HF (160m to 10m) was dropped (dropped earlier for marine radio), different years depending on country. Various bands have been added over the years.
Really a minimum is two aerials for HF, one about 20m long (but best not a half-wave on any band) and one about 3m to 6m long that can be vertical (and even a CB base aerial with matching coil removed). Manual or automatic aerial "tuner" (really a match box, it doesn't tune).
There are a very wide variety of radio sets depending on budget and interests.
160m to 10m only TX, 100 kHz to 30 MHz receive.
160m to 6m TX, 100 kHz to about 55 MHz receive.
160m to 4m TX, 100 kHz to about 75 MHz receive.
Some may receive down to 60 kHz.
These might have airband, FM Band II or even HF (with AM & SSB) receive only.
FM only handheld or vehicle (2m & 70cm).
FM & Digital only handheld or vehicle (2m & 70cm)
AM, FM, SSB from 160m to 70cm or even 1.2 GHz.
Even the desktop/shack models are using only 13.8V supply.
QRP is 5W or less. The most famous portable QRP was the FT817/FT817ND/FT818 model with 160m to 70cm, FM, AM, SSB, interface for laptop digital modes and wider receive coverage (but no 4m band, partly as 1st IF is 68 MHz). A good starter choice, but only second hand now.
Fewer sets have 60m and 4m.
Sets are dual superhet, triple superhet, DSP only (only maybe two makes do good pure DSP), hybrid DSP, Dual DSP/hybrid DSP (for spectrum graph).
It doesn't seem worth paying extra for built-in digital modes as these will be more limited than free laptop software.
Prices are £200 to £1200 for a decent S/H set and about £400 to £2000 for decent new one.
