I am thinking about getting in to ham radio, I need to know what kinda rig i can get for around $500 (antenna included) if this is at all possible. i can settle for a used rig but what i would like to know is some good radios and antennas that fall into my price range. I need an antenna that will also cover the 11m band as i want to use it to run my base station CB rig to. I was looking at the HY-Gain AV-18VS is this a good antenna and will it do the above mentioned things?
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Maybe yall can help me get started
- Thread starter frogmanS-6
- Start date
frogmanS-6 said:
You can pick up a variety of used ham transceivers for decent prices. Here's a a few to check out:
1. Icom IC-725 (solid-state) price range $250-$350
2. Kenwood TS-430 (solid-state) price range around $300
3. Icom IC-735 (solid-state) around $300
4. Kenwood TS-520 (hybrid) around $250
5. Yaesu FT-757 (solid-state) $200-$300
My personal favorite is the Icom IC-725. Built like a tank, and works very well.
getting started
The ARRLs' website has a section on rig recommendations for beginners, www.arrl.org. Not by any means a complete listing but a good starting point.
E-hams' website also has a listing of "superior rigs". Seems they took a survey to find the best owner-rated transceivers.
I think it was at www.eham.net but I have a bad case of
C.R.S. sometimes.
I'm going through the same dilemma. I just got my ticket with an eye on upgrading to General but wanna cover "all the
bases" the first time around.
73s and best regards
Ron KC0VKJ
The ARRLs' website has a section on rig recommendations for beginners, www.arrl.org. Not by any means a complete listing but a good starting point.
E-hams' website also has a listing of "superior rigs". Seems they took a survey to find the best owner-rated transceivers.
I think it was at www.eham.net but I have a bad case of
C.R.S. sometimes.
I'm going through the same dilemma. I just got my ticket with an eye on upgrading to General but wanna cover "all the
bases" the first time around.
73s and best regards
Ron KC0VKJ
getting started
The one thing to remember actualy several things.
1. when you first start in ham you will be on vhf/uhf bands until you get your general ticket this is a great place to start and learn from some of the older elmers around.
There is alott of fun on 2m sideband which is relativly easy to get going and inexspensive if you pick up an older analog 2 meter allmode rig.
2. you mentioned useing the ham antena for cb. remember most ham antenas are horizontal and cb is mostly vertical.
how ever i did allot of skip on cb on horizontal before i got my ticket and tuned a antron 99 for 15 meters and 12 when i got my ticket.
3.the cheapest and eaizest ham antena is a dipole or inverted v and can be built for almost nothing and works well if run thru a tuner. I use a 1500 ft loop and run it thru a tuner and have worked all over the world with it.
As far as the rig is concerned there are alot of used older rigs out there that work great and are excelent starter rigs that work for back up riggs once you get a little farther into the hobby. I started out with an old ft 101 Yeasue and went to a 757 yeasue now run a 718 icom at home and a 857d yeasue over here in Iraq. Any of the kenwood or icom or yeasue older solid state rigs had a tuner option so if you find one on ebay or at ham fest resonable that fits your pocket book have some one check it out and get your feet wet you will forget about cb after awhile and get hooked on the idea of talking 3 or 4 states away to people that will become freinds for the rest of your life instead of peolpe that live right down the street and you don't eeven know.
The one thing to remember actualy several things.
1. when you first start in ham you will be on vhf/uhf bands until you get your general ticket this is a great place to start and learn from some of the older elmers around.
There is alott of fun on 2m sideband which is relativly easy to get going and inexspensive if you pick up an older analog 2 meter allmode rig.
2. you mentioned useing the ham antena for cb. remember most ham antenas are horizontal and cb is mostly vertical.
how ever i did allot of skip on cb on horizontal before i got my ticket and tuned a antron 99 for 15 meters and 12 when i got my ticket.
3.the cheapest and eaizest ham antena is a dipole or inverted v and can be built for almost nothing and works well if run thru a tuner. I use a 1500 ft loop and run it thru a tuner and have worked all over the world with it.
As far as the rig is concerned there are alot of used older rigs out there that work great and are excelent starter rigs that work for back up riggs once you get a little farther into the hobby. I started out with an old ft 101 Yeasue and went to a 757 yeasue now run a 718 icom at home and a 857d yeasue over here in Iraq. Any of the kenwood or icom or yeasue older solid state rigs had a tuner option so if you find one on ebay or at ham fest resonable that fits your pocket book have some one check it out and get your feet wet you will forget about cb after awhile and get hooked on the idea of talking 3 or 4 states away to people that will become freinds for the rest of your life instead of peolpe that live right down the street and you don't eeven know.
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