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Considering a new radio
- Thread starter undertaker
- Start date
Take note of all the BOLD text above. Now you claim you didn't say all hams are as you said but in your original statement you asserted that the problem was because W9cll was a ham operator..........and biased against 11 meters and CBers. How is anybody to take that statement any other way than to mean that since he is a ham he is biased? That insinuates that ALL hams are as you suggest. Later you said "With Hams it's often a "status" thing, whether they admit it or not !" That again infers ALL hams since you at no point said some hams.
As for your videos suggesting I was wrong, lets try an INDEPENDENT engineering report and not something from someone trying to sell a product. Besides in those videos where does he show harmonic levels? Where does he show IMD levels? THAT is what I was talking about when I said CBers do not look beyond their fundamental frequency of operation.
Agreed. I would FAR rather have guys operate amateur gear on 11m than pretty much ANY export radio. It tends to keep my bands cleaner.
Thanks for clearing that up.
I'm seeking loud, clear, clean performance, not "chasing watts" like many CB users do. The "export radio" I am considering is the Stryker SR-955HPC, which covers 10 & 12 meters and, also, 11 meters after a minor modification. I like the fact that the radio provides a clarifier that can follow the VFO in TX, RX, or both, simultaneously. I like the fact that its controls a very similar to old, "familiar" CB units, as opposed to many Ham radios with myriads of menus to hunt through. I like the fact that the radio produces sufficient power for DX'ing, without having to run an external linear amplifier and having to deal with the "issues" involved with them.
That's pretty much where I'm coming from . . . I'm 57 years old and don't want to "reinvent the wheel" or go "back to school" just to talk on the radio. Eventually, I'll get my Technician ticket, maybe even General, but that's as far as I'd want to go.
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The Yaesu I run has no menus, a vfo that tracks tx&rx, has more than enough output for DX (my QRZ log is viewable) and I know can be bought for less then the radio you quoted. It has the option for AM or FM but not both. Anyway just making a point that options exist especially if you plan to move up at some point.
Anyway good luck in your quest..
OK, item by item. ( Caps are for "emphasis", not shouting )
I took W8CLL's post to be "condescending" ( emotions can be difficult to interpret merely from typed text ), which "colored" my subsequent comments. If I misinterpreted what I read, I apologize.
A "radio person" can be "condescending", whether they are a Ham or not. You are making a false generalization, to which I have already spoken in previous posts. MOST Hams are friendly, courteous, and respectful. HOWEVER, there are SOME that are NOT. Those individuals "look down" at CB'ers ( for various reasons ) and at OTHER Hams, too. There are the "equipment snobs", for example, who look down on any Ham that doesn't have the highest level license, the most expensive gear, as much time in radio as they do, etc, etc, etc. The PROBLEM is the PERSON and NOT the situation!
Note that I said OFTEN and not ALWAYS . . . Please read what I say and not what you "expect" me to say.
If I had said "ALL Hams" or "Hams ALWAYS", your argument(s) would have been valid, but that is NOT what I said !
As for the engineering reports, they would be generalized and not for the way a specific radio unit was aligned / tuned / adjusted / modified, etc. A "golden screwdriver" could turn an $8000 Ham rig into CRAP with a few "adjustments / mods" . . . Fair enough ?
Unless one is highly trained in Electronics, how many Hams "tinker" ( internally ) with their high-dollar rigs ? Not many, I bet . . . They take it to a licensed radio technician . . . Why ? Because he has the gear, experience, knowledge, and skills to do the job right, the first time !
It's the SAME thing with CB . . . The PROBLEM is knowing WHICH Tech to TRUST !
When I "move up" to Ham, it will be time to purchase Ham gear. I clearly understand that.
How is the audio on AM ( not SSB ) on your Yaesu, compared to an Export radio that is designed for strong modulation on AM ?
The Yaesu FT-757 ( various "letter" models ) was popular among non-Ham DX-er's for SSB on 11 meters ( throw that little switch inside ), but still was weak on AM.
One of the ideas of becoming a ham is you ARE the tech now. Too many book smart hams out there now, they are appliance users. This is one of the reasons I run older tube rigs, I can fix them easily if needed. I don't have the eyesight to work on the surface mount stuff.
I am director of information technology and I get many resumes in from people who know the books but have zero common sense when it comes to doing stuff.
My motivation for eventually becoming a Ham is the ability to talk virtually worldwide, not designing, building, and repairing equipment. To me, those were the requisite skills of Hams "back in the day" ( my father was a Ham in the 1940's & 50's - He's 90 now, a retired electrical engineer ).
That level of involvement has a steep learning curve, which is very time-consuming and, to me, makes radio more of a "chore" than a hobby. I like "plug & play" not an "erector set" approach to getting on the air. To me, Ham radio is an enjoyable pastime, not an all-consuming "lifestyle".
But, that's just me, of course . . .
You can get a good used hf radio for around $400.0 And sounds excellent on am/ssb and fm
Is the ts-440
Is the ts-440
I’ve been a ham since I was 14 years old in the 60’s and a CB repairman for several years in the mid 70’s. I simply like all things radio related including early AM broadcast radios and TV’s. I dislike being placed into any singular category. I especially dislike reading about the constant misguided feuds between the two hobbies. I usually ignore them and skip over the useless commentary. Getting upset over issues I can’t change only distracts me from the commonality both of these hobbies have. You just can’t get any better than this forum that speaks for both. That’s why I’m here…
Just looked this thread over again and have to ask what has that got to do with the radio he was talking about? The radio he suggested to keep off 11m was an Alinco SR8T which is a bonafide amateur radio and NOT a "10m" radio and thus it was not designed for 10m any more than it was designed for any of the other bands. Had it been an export radio he spoke about I could see your point. That's like saying "I HATE the colour red so therefore I will NEVER buy a blue car."