Newb looking for advice and suggestions.

[TravisW]

Hi, I'm finally getting my HAM License. I'll be taking the test on Monday and I'm 99% comfident i'll pass it. I am now shopping for a Hand Held or Base or both.

I don't drive so I don't want a mobile. I get around mostly by foot. I live in an apartment on the 4th/top floor with a balcony which would probably limit my options for owning a base rig.

I've been looking at the Yaesu VX-8R and like it because of all the bells and whistles it has and the fact that it has 4 XT bands.

Thanks in advance for any help you give me!

 

[TravisW]

I might also add that I'm looking at spending only $500 for getting started.

 

[Robb]

Get a Quansheng/Surecom dual-band HT for ~$140 -new- and keep the rest of your money for a rainy day.

SURECOM TG-UV Dual Band radio 2M/440/ FM radio TGUV S - eBay (item 330368370313 end time Nov-13-09 01:57:58 PST)

Very nice radios at less than 1/2 the cost of the 'big boys/brands'.
Proving to be very competative to Icom, Yaesu, and Kenwood HT's.
THat is what I hear. I wouldn't own a HT - too little power output.
I have a base and mobile radio setup.
But if I were to get an HT; it would be the Quansheng/Surecom's...

 

[KD8LWX]

I have a VX-8R. I like my VX-8R for what it is, but it doesn't do everything I want to do. I don't believe any radio will do everything, so you have to decide what you want to do and buy a radio that do that well.

The 4 bands that the VX-8R uses are great for using around a major city to talk to other people in that major city using the local repeaters. It can also use repeaters and the internet to talk across other repeaters (Echolink?).

What it will not do is CW, or long distance TX. If this is something you are looking to do, I would suggest looking at a portable HF radio. For this I am looking at a FT897 as my second radio. I expect it will be heavy, but man portable. For a lighter, less powerful solution there is the FT817, but ....

There are lots of options, do your research and come back with questions.

 

[TravisW]

I was comparing the Yaesu VX-8R and the Quansheng TG-UV and in the UHF and VHF TX range it looks like according to specs I'm reading that the TG-UV can TX on a large UHF and VHF freq range. Is that correct or am I not understanding what I'm reading? Here's what I'm reading:

TG-UV
TX Range:
VHF: 136-174MHz, UHF2: 400-470MHz

VX-8R
TX Range for VHF&UHF:
144 - 148 MHz, 430 - 440 MHz

 

[Moleculo]

Yes, you have to be careful with those Chinese units because a lot of them come enabled to TX out of the ham bands. So make sure you know where the band edges are if you get one.

If you like a multi-band HT, take a look at the Kenwood TH-F6A and the Icom T90 and also the Icom DStar radios.

Get a different antenna and make / buy a full sized antenna for your indoor apartment use.

Have fun.

 

[TravisW]

Thanks for the suggestions Moleculo. After doing some research I'm starting to like the Kenwood HT-F6A which has CW as a feature. What's the advantage to a HAM Radio with CW vs one with out it?

What HT antenna would you suggest and which antenna for my apartment would you recommend?

 

[dudmuck]

Thanks for the suggestions Moleculo. After doing some research I'm starting to like the Kenwood HT-F6A which has CW as a feature. What's the advantage to a HAM Radio with CW vs one with out it?

What HT antenna would you suggest and which antenna for my apartment would you recommend?

The SSB/CW is receive only. It receives from DC to daylight, but only transmits on 144/220/440MHz. You can use the radio as a shortwave receiver, but as everything its only as good as the antenna, so for HF you'd need a longer antenna.

 

[Moleculo]

Thanks for the suggestions Moleculo. After doing some research I'm starting to like the Kenwood HT-F6A which has CW as a feature. What's the advantage to a HAM Radio with CW vs one with out it?

What HT antenna would you suggest and which antenna for my apartment would you recommend?

I used to have one of those HT's. I liked it, but I had to sell it to pay for the Yaesu VX-8 that I wanted to try. There are only a couple of 2m/220/440 antennas on the market. When I had the radio, I tried both the one by Comet and Diamond. Even though they're really made by the same company, the antennas are different. I liked the Diamond SRH320A better....it worked better for me.

I used to listen to shortwave and on it, too. I just got a small gauge wire about 30' and soldered it to a SMA connector. When I was camping I would toss it in a tree or even just over the top of the motorhome. I went on a cruise off the coast of Mexico a few years back and dropped it over the edge of the balcony. I listened to all kinds of SW on that little radio.

 

[TravisW]

Well I took my technician class test today and passed! I bought at HRO a Kenwood TH-F6A and a Diamon rubber duck antenna. I also bought the computer link cable and a serial to usb converter.

I wanted to buy a full size antenna for my apartment but wasn't sure which to get. Have you had experience with both a discone and j-pole? Which would be better for transmitting and reception in my apartment?