Have you ever...

[ROC1]

Has anyone ever, actually used a Texas Star 1600 on ten meter in a mobile application? Or is that just a joke to even consider it?

Thinking about getting my ticket and just juggeling the possibilies with some of the equipment I have laying around.

 

[W5LZ]

No, can't say I ever have, but probably someone has. I've never felt the need for more than about 100 watts on 10 meters, which is about what is 'normal' for most radios (of the types I have or have had).
I think you'll find that running 'normal' power is very typical for 10 meter mobile stuff, more just isn't necessary most of the time. Considering the limited abilities of most 'CB' equipment, I'd swap it for something that's more versatile. If you feel like you ought'a use it, fine, use it.
- 'Doc

 

[ROC1]

No, can't say I ever have, but probably someone has. I've never felt the need for more than about 100 watts on 10 meters, which is about what is 'normal' for most radios (of the types I have or have had).
I think you'll find that running 'normal' power is very typical for 10 meter mobile stuff, more just isn't necessary most of the time. Considering the limited abilities of most 'CB' equipment, I'd swap it for something that's more versatile. If you feel like you ought'a use it, fine, use it.
- 'Doc

Thanks Doc... Sitting down this weekend to start my reading and to begin to plan out an install in the truck. Not sure what I'm going to do, but will probably run the radio "normal" for a spell and see how things go... I'm used to that need for power to get out and know it will be differnt with the 10m. Lots to learn... that's for sure. Interesting stuff though.

 

[BJ radionut]

ROC1: Doc is right when he stated you do not need a huge rock crusher on 10m to work the world or even local. I was operating last evening with my TS450 (90w)straight up and had qso after qso. I chatted with a Gent in Florida for a least 20 minutes he was running a stock RS/ HTX-100 and SS whip mobile. I also chatted with a K8/mobile from about 30 miles east of me to about 35 miles west he was running a 2970 and Wilson mag mount. I had a chat with another station in Ohio over 90 miles away via ground wave he was running about 60 watts.
My friend you have a delight soon to be enjoyed. You will chat for hours if you like with good ops all over the country. I chatted with a good group from upstate NY last week for at least an hour, there were at least 5 of us going on about sports/radios/each others rigs antennas...etc...
No monster amps biggest station was running 300w's(me) never had a bit of trouble hearing the 25 watter's or the 100 watter's and one of the op's was mobile near Long Island,NY(50w) and he was also working the op's upstate...cool stuff.
You will get past the need to run full tilt all the time because you do not need to....
I enjoy running as low an output as possible on purpose!
I have worked HI/AK/Australia/New Zealand all before running LESS THAN 1 WATT!!!!
I worked most of Europe with 5 WATTS or LESS...
Yes I can turn my electric meter into a tornado speed buzz bomb and jump in a pile up a 1000 op's deep when I want to and get the job done...but most times I am happier to work them on 5 watts than 1000 watts...
you'll see soon what I am saying...10/12/15/17 meters when the bands are good...
5 watts can sound like a KW+....
Enjoy...have fun and CU SN on the bands OM
All the Best
BJ

 

[KI4MSJ]

I have also talked from many hundreds of miles to many thousands of miles with less than 50w and a Super Big Stick vertical. Over the past week I talked to Canada, Maine, NH, Conn.,Chicago and many other points along the East Coast from Canada to South America. And we ave just started the upswing

 

[ROC1]

Thanks man - I'm really looking forward to it. I've got some work left to do on the 11 meter setup... but am really looking forward to geting the ticket and adding a ham to the truck...

 

[Lazybones1222]

100 watts works great on 10 meters cause the are not 100 people running 800 watts or more keying all over each other all the time. 100 watts would work just as good on 11 meters IF there was some order - but there is not so it does NOT work.

LOL Lazy loves radio

 

[74IN]

Legal limit on 10M is 1500W.

Power is secondary to conditions.

 

[Beetle]

Legal limit on 10M is 1500W.

Power is secondary to conditions.

For technician-class it's 200 watts.

 

[SR385]

Almost 15yrs ago I ran a Sweet 16 mobile. I got it in a trade and it was set up with six deep cycle marine batteries as its power source. I ran it into a 102" whip at the time.

I had always been curious of the difference it would make and how it would perform. It's a rather amazing amount of power and people could routinely hear me at great distances. The problem is of course...more people hear you than you can hear. I can't stand running an unbalanced station, it's just not courteous or efficient for a given band.

It also interfered with *everything*.

I got rid of it after about a month of playing around and got a decent HF rig instead for the trade.

The most useful mobile amp I ever ran was a Texas Star 250. I ran it mostly on medium power and as I recall it liked about 60W carrier on AM. I had that amp for years and it was the perfect balance for local talking during high noise peak cycle conditions. Never had alternator or battery issues with that amp either. Just ran nice 6ga wire to feed it.

 

[mackmobile43]

For technician-class it's 200 watts.

that's what the rules say, but...........

 

[ROC1]

that's what the rules say, but...........

LOL... I've been a bad boy on 11 meter but will try to clean my act up on Ham... we'll see. I suppose if I want to wreak havoc I can just always jump back into "CB" Mode and go raise some hell.

I love the idea of being able to "work-the-world" with 100 watts, but I'm also a power junkie and have a little pick-up truck that has received a lot of work (grounding, charging, capacity etc) for POWER... would be a shame to let all that "hard work" (lol) go to wasted.

I know no one here would ever do it, but lets assume you hd actually converted a Sweet Sixteen over to ILLEAGLE 11 meter use... does it lose its 10 meter band, or does it just become "wide band" with the conversion...

So much to learn; exciting stuff!

 

[davegrantsr]

if the radio is clean, ANY texas star-other then the little modulators-will work pretty well on 10m. what does it look like on the scope? not a clue, but i am sure no worse then many radios on 10m-INCLUDING some legitimate hf rigs. how will it SOUND to the receiving station? past experience has proven JUST FINE. like i said, clean SOUNDING in, clean SOUNDING out. don't split hairs, cause i know i know. as the others said, 100 is more then enough. i use 100 watts or less from my ic706mk2g in mobile #2 & mobile #1 has a magnum 257, 50 watts-hmmmm, was that ME in the 50 watt mobile, bj ;-)-and i get out just fine. mobile #3, which currently 'isn't', had a dx500v with the magnum & not a 2x1 extra class old timer was the wiser, nor were the audiophile ham cops. for that matter, i've run into quite a few 2x1 extra class oldtimer ham cop-types who run the 257, 2510, 2950, etc YET they criticize newcomers on eham & the zed. double hmmmmmm.
if you have a 1600, GO FOR IT. if not, & you want some more power, go for a 350 or 500.....just remember, splatter irritates 'real' hams quite a bit....

 

[ROC1]

Thanks for the input guys...

Even on 11 meter I'm pretty sensative to putting out clean signals... I've been through six different radios, trying to find what sounded best and put out the best signal... despite several very expensive "exports", my little uniden 68 is my primary radio. It gets out cleaner than anything else I have....

Currently in my collection I have a TS350HDV, a TS667HDV and a TS1600, so I have some stuff to pull from. The truck has been built to be able to adequately and consistantly deliver power to the 1600. I would like to install an IC706mk2g or an IC7000 into the truck and run it into the 1600 (when the licensing permits of course ) I know I won't often need to call on it often, but with the variable output of the radios I can adjust the output to what is required to get back to the stations I'm trying to work.

If I should get complaints about the sound; I can yank it and throw in an SGC. I'd just like to try an utilize some of the investment I already have (if possible).

 

[lkky00245]

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