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I have taken and passed for my license.

Alan Blackmon

Alan Blackmon

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2017
235
335
73
73
Boise Idaho
I took and passed both my Technician and General this weekend. I attempted the Extra and did not pass. My goal was to obtain the General and I did it. I took the Extra just because I could and what did I have to lose?

Anyway I am pretty excited to get going. I am now in the process of installing a Hustler 5btv vertical. I am laying radials now. I also have a Icom IC701 that someone let me have/use. To be determined as to how long I can use it or if I heard him correctly when he said he would just give it to me. It is a working radio so I am pretty happy about the price really. Any thoughts on this radio?

I also have an opportunity to buy a Yaesu 450D. Any thoughts on this radio? If the Icom will work well for me I figure I will just keep the money for other things. If the purchase of the Yaesu would be better than using a 40 year old radio maybe spending the money now should be considered. So I am open to some opinions here.

I don't have any radios for other ameture bands now. I do have radios for CB. I know, I know. It was CB and other electronic hobbies that got me to a place I could test and pass to get my general license. I loved the art of building antennas. I loved DXing. Now I can build more and DX more. I just have to leave behind some behaviors of the CB days. I think I won't have a problem with that though. Although I do know that many ametures also have and use CBs. As many of them have said it is just one more band to have fun DXing with.

Thanks for any input on the radios. Now I have to learn more about other bands above HF. That will come later perhaps. Also I want to search out a club and get some help learning this new hobby better.
 
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First of All CONGRAT'S Welcome to Amatuer Radio.
The whole world awaits you now.
FT450D..certainly an excellent starter rig. Nice little receiver and 160m-6m transmit. I did own one, nice compact package and sounded good on the air.
What is the cost of this possible purchase?

Your vertical, tell us about your install plans.
Again Congratulations(y):)
All the Best
Gary/W9FNB

http://www.rigpix.com/icom/ic701.htm
 
Thanks BJ radiant. My plans for the vertical is to put it up in the back yard between some junipers to hide it a bit. HOA stuff. The antenna is a Hustler 5btv. I am presently stringing radials out from the point I will install it at.

The 450D has a price of $400. He bought it and never took it out of the box. So it has been unused basically. Looking around the price looks good. I just don't want to pull the trigger in case there is a better radio to buy even if a bit higher in price.

One concern I have on the vertical is that it is only 16 feet from a metal awning on the back of my house. Hustler will be at ground level. Awning is 9 feet high. I guess I should really start a new post about this.
 
ALAN: That is a very good price! Considering the condition. Yes of course there are better rigs, but what would be your top end budget price is the consideration. I say this because any rig I would recommend would be double or more that cost.
So that being said, for a great place to start for that cost and condition; that is a good purchase IMHO.
I don't think the awning 16 ft. away will be an issue at this point considering your situation.
Your radial field: What are your plans?
All the Best
Gary

OH Yes Your avatar picture? Is that antenna installed at your location presently? 10/11 Moxon?
 
BJ radionut said:
ALAN: That is a very good price! Considering the condition. Yes of course there are better rigs, but what would be your top end budget price is the consideration. I say this because any rig I would recommend would be double or more that cost.
So that being said, for a great place to start for that cost and condition; that is a good purchase IMHO.
I don't think the awning 16 ft. away will be an issue at this point considering your situation.
Your radial field: What are your plans?
All the Best
Gary

OH Yes Your avatar picture? Is that antenna installed at your location presently? 10/11 Moxon?
Click to expand...

Yes the avatar picture does show the Moxon I built. It has been moved more the the peak of my roof. My wife and neighbor did not like it there. So I moved it to an area that cannot be seen from my neighbors bedroom window or from our pool area when people are out there. It is still visible from the front street but no one seems to have minded that so much. The antenna is built for 11 meters. The bandwidth is broad enough it can cover 10m. I could retune it to prefer 10m but I don't think I am going to need to.

The plans for my radial field is to have a minimum of 16 from the base of the vertical. I would go more if I can swing it. The radials will be as long as I can make them. The plans are to have them radiate out 360 degrees.

The vertical is going up inside a short row of junipers. I have cleared out an area between two of the trees. They are quite mature and have had enough time for several of the vertical branches inside to have dried out and died. I have cut those dead branches out. I have walked the vertical into the area and it fits quite nicely. Now I just need to install a a post or mast to attach the hustler to.

My fence is right along a common area of the HOA. The area is pretty much unused. It is there only for the irrigation company to have access to a section of the underground pipes that run through here. After 20 years the irrigation company has never needed to investigate the one pipe that pops up a few inches above ground for whatever inspection they may need to do.

I am planning on running a half dozen or so stealth radials out into this grassed area. The only people using this area are the landscapers who mow it. Beyond that NO ONE ever goes out there. I have lived here 20 years and that has been the case. If I do not put radials into this area they will be going out 180 degrees from the antenna.

Oh and this area gets over watered and is very damp pretty much year around. Figure that will only help me out in the end. Perhaps the would allow me to put a few less radials out in this direction?

Thanks for your help with this. Hope to get the job done right the first time around. If this cannot work I am going to do a inverted V fan dipole with a center support in the same location as I am planning on putting up the vertical. The center support would be aroud 25 ft high. Might be a bit short but I think that is going to be my limit for various reasons. Stealth being the biggest reason.
 
Very good video BJ radiant. I am planning something like what was said here. 16-25 radials. I am not worrying to much about length. Some will be longer and some shorter due to local terain and objects like patio or shed. Shortest radials will be 16 ft. Longest maybe around 25 feet?

I loved the tools suggested here for helping to bury the radials. I had stressed over this last week. I decided on using my trimmer tool. Then it pops up in this video. I have both the electric and manual trimmers pictured in the video. So happy for the validation BJ. Thanks.
 
When I installed my Hustler 5BTV last year I just mowed the grass short and laid out the radials pinning them to the ground in several places with a piece of wire bent into a U shape about three inches long. Before long the grass grew over them and mowing is not a problem. You can only see the radials in a few spots if you actually get down and move the grass to look for them. I figure by this summer they will be completely under the surface. Mother Nature can be your friend when installing radials if you let her.
 
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