You are correct, a ham radio license is a license to learn. You start learning once you get your license and start operating the radio. Then everything actually starts to make sense to you a lot more than trying to learn it from a book.
Dear Zoe, I can recommend to anyone who wants to learn about Ham Radio or radio technology in general, to get this 35$ SDR kit that is a wideband USB receiver that comes with versatile telescopic antennas and this does not only give you an idea what is on the bands, it also teaches you to see how radio signals look in the frequency domain. So it teaches you in real life how different types of modulation look like, how much bandwidth they use and what happens of you increase or decrease the bandwidth, it visualizes everything on your computer screen ... it can do 500KHz to 24 MHz (VLF to 160-12m band) in a special HF direct sampling mode, where it isn't overly sensitive, while it is very sensitive from 25 to almost 1700MHz (10m-23cm band analog AND digital voice and data!) and it does literally all common modes and more! But it obviously requires a notebook or PC with some freeware. This little receiver will teach you a lot ... you can not only listen to Ham Radio and regular broadcast, you can also listen to aircrafts talking to the ground, tower, departure, approach, radar, FIS (voice) ... and even use it as a secondary radar receiver that shows you the location of aircrafts (ADS-B), you can decode aircraft text messages to the ground (HFDL/ACARS/VDL2) ... you can decode plenty of other commercial voice and data services that are just too much to list ... even radio astronomers use it in their setup because it is so very sensitive and wideband at the same time. www.rtl-sdr.com/category/radio-astronomy-2/ You can track ships (AIS) as well, Weather balloons and collect them, receive and decode satellite signals and images ... there is very little this dongle can not do😀. You can also alternatively connect it to a 40$ Raspberry Pi mini computer and access it via a web browser at home when you are on the road from your Android or iPhone without running your PC or notebook. www.openwebrx.de/ This ready made mini computer software image supports receiving from DRM in the HF broadcast bands to FT8, the mode that makes you receive the world even with poor radio conditions as well as analog and digital voice modes, all via your web browser from any device! The possibilities are simply endless. I doubt you will ever regret spending these 35 bucks. This is really a no-brainer. Here is the link to the kit that even scratches HF bands, while excelling in VHF&UHF www.rtl-sdr.com/buy-rtl-sdr-dvb-t-dongles/ It is the very first product in the list. You can also get other so called RTL-SDR dongles but they do not cover HF at all unless you pay another 50 bucks for an up-converter. or another good VHF-only dongle kit is this one: www.amazon.com/NooElec-NESDR-Smart-Bundle-R820T2-Based/dp/B01GDN1T4S/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=rtl-sdr&qid=1613609821&sr=8-4 that also comes with an antenna. How it works and why it is so very inexpensive: Software Defined Radios (SDR) are a relatively modern approach to radio (last 15 years popular in the civil world), where the tiny USB receiver is sort of a sound card that is so fast that it samples radio signals at 8 bit in a specific way. It used to be designed to be a digital TV receiver for Europe (DVB-T standard) and some very smart cookie found out that with a modified driver you can run it in a non documented SDR receiver mode. This is the reason why these units are so dirt cheap, because they are highly integrated and were designed for the masses. You can get one for 5 bucks from China, but then they are not accurate and stable in the frequency domain, which makes them usable for AM and FM, but not for SSB, FT8 and other modes, where these slightly more expensive dongles come into place that have a very stable oscillator as well as many little improvements that make them extremely good receivers for the money. This way you can listen to what is going on and then get a better idea about the bands, conditions and people that are on there and can make a much better decision what kind of an antenna and radio transceiver you will be buying to get involved. Even in an multi apartment block there are ways to operate an antenna. I also live in a multi family home and have no antenna on the roof and receive the entire world on HF and a few hundred miles on VHF/UHF. With e.g. this absolutely genius freeware www.sdr-radio.com/console you can run as many receivers your computers CPU can handle simultaneously! within the 2.4MHz bandwidth that these receivers offer by design. Here is the manual on how to get these running in this freeware www.sdr-radio.com/rtl-dongles Or simply watch these videos that show you some of the basics: > Here you get an explanation between the differences of all RTL-SDR-USB-receivers on the market - th-cam.com/video/FDwTGk6c2Qg/w-d-xo.html > Very good hands-on entry without total information overload - th-cam.com/video/7EiRZfw8xxU/w-d-xo.html > More minimalistic just hands-on video - th-cam.com/video/rUwRt5qn-6U/w-d-xo.html > How to run it on a Mac - th-cam.com/video/bT2WZhKBkRk/w-d-xo.html > How to run it on Linux - th-cam.com/video/7A-2WTUCl88/w-d-xo.html > How to run it on an Android device (direct without a network) - th-cam.com/video/Yrx5ozRxcFw/w-d-xo.html ... there are endless video resources on all kinds of generic and specific use ... lots of fun stuff. In general www.rtl-sdr.com/ keeps you informed about the latest developments in the world of modern radio and it is just amazing how much new possibilities are being created every few days with free software to try. If you really love it and want to improve your SDR receiver, there are plenty of better ones that cost around 100$ to 400$ that even outperform modern ham radio transceivers within their only domain, the ham bands. Though some of these more sophisticated SDRs also require a modern PC or notebook, ideally with a powerful graphic, because the GPU helps incredibly processing these wider and deeper SDR signals in real time. While the simple 8 bit RTL-SDR dongles works almost with any computer. One more thing regarding the very inexpensive Chinese handheld radios ... they do an overall good job, but their oscillators and TX output is sometimes not as clean as some traditional manufacturers, because they may save a few cent on some internal filters. This is not a big deal when you operate them in a traditional environment that is full of RF noise anyway, but as you mentioned, if you will go up to the mountain and operate these right at the radio astronomy site, these spurious emissions might create a false alarm in their highly sensitive systems. If you use those Chinese units, maybe keep some distance to these ultra sensitive receivers, just as a precaution. Welcome to the world of Radio technology - learn and enjoy - if you need any help or have questions, let me know 73 & 88 from the other end of the planet Joerg in Munich, Germany
1) Your antenna is everything. A huge shiny expensive radio is worthless if you can't receive nor transmit a good signal. Spend the time, energy and money on making sure your antenna is the best it can be and in the best location. 2) Since you expressed the desire to go travelling up mountains and into the nature, I suggest an Icom 718 HF with a home made Dipole antenna. This is the cheapest quality radio you can purchase and is indeed an industrial model which will go forever. For portable and semi-fixed operating away from city interference it is more than enough. Don't be taken by all the features and knobs, you don't need that stuff. Your intent should be quality transmit and quality receive. Nothing else matters. Humans can carry 15kg easily in a pack so don't be afraid to pack your radio, a battery, coax and antenna in and go for a walk up a hill or into the forest. You don't need specialised equipment. You're a beginner. I've been doing radio for years and I have 2 Icom 718's. They are brilliant radios. Remember, a colour waterfall display and fancy functions doesn't make the signal come in nor go out any better. NB : MFJ make a good 1:1 Current Balun. Use this for your dipole. NB : If you don't want to use a dipole for HF whilst outdoors then I recommend the DX Commander All Band Vertical. You can assemble it yourself and it's easily transportable. A really great product. 3) Your car needs a dual band radio. Either Yaesu or Icom - take your pick. Mate it with a good Japanese made Diamond mobile whip antenna. 4) Handhelds : Buy whatever takes your fancy. I have Yaesu and Icom. In conclusion : Outdoor radio is a lot of fun and relaxing. The basics are all you need to be happy. Lastly, and to iterate, your antenna needs to be resonant and be connected with a quality coax with quality plugs. Get this right and it'll all fall into place.
I will start with I didn’t read all the comments but I do see that some people I follow in the HAM world have commented. I haven’t seen anyone comment that is living or has lived on the Hawaiian islands. I will say this, when I lived on Oahu I started with a cheapo HT and could hit just about every repeater on the island. If I remember correctly there was a couple of times that someone over on Big Island checked into our Oahu net from mountain top. I personally didn’t find POTA and SOTA till I got out here on the east coast. You might have good success with a HT on SOTA. I can say that for the POTA side of things on HF if you would be very busy with contacts. But that being said I upgraded to general and got an HF rig. I did mostly digital (JT65) from my house because I couldn’t get an antenna up, I used the MFJ-1622 when I could. Worked good for JT65, and I have used it some for SSB but back then I had mic fright.
I started out with the HT and then discovered parks on the air and summits on the air. My channel is portable ham radio and I went directly to HF with the 7300. Some say that the 7300 isn’t portable. I have two hardcases one to hold the radio and the second holds the battery antenna coax and guy lines for the mast. Hope this helps and good luck with your adventure. My best advice is Have Fun!!
YLs have a tradition of signing out with 33 also. The Young Ladies Radio League uses code 33 to mean "love sealed with friendship and mutual respect between one YL [young lady] and another YL."
The most important component of your radio setup (whether it be a base or mobile) is the antenna. If you have a $1,000 base unit hooked up to a very low quality antenna, you've just wasted $1,000. I've been able to work stations on the other side of the planet using a far less expensive transceiver because the antenna was of a high quality design. This goes along with the quality of the coaxial cable and the connectors as well. Remember the higher the gain the better. The lower the Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) the better. The lower the signal loss in the coaxial cable and connectors the better, especially in the UHF bands or higher.
Hey Zoe, After watching your video here a couple of thoughts. If you want to get your Tech and General in the same sitting then look for an HF radio, with all modes all bands. I would look at the FT-891, It is 100w and covers 160m through 6m. It is mobile so you could hike it to a summit a lot easier than say the FT-991. For only $700.00 you can also get a HT to do VHF/UHF to work repeaters still spend less then FT-991. Personally I'd get at least the HT before you take your exam, find out how to disable the TX so you don't transmit and start learning how to program it. This will help you understand a lot of things. I was a scanner before I decided to get my ticket. I decided to get an HT before I had my license and did a lot of listening to the local repeaters. By listening to other hams I learned a lot about radio, proper educate, and where I did and did not receive signal. Even after putting a mobile in my vehicle I still use the HT when I travel, it and a small mag mount antenna fit easily into a suitcase. Good luck with your studies. 73, Mike KC1KVR
Hi zoe. Glad you're getting into ham radio. If you have any questions feel free to email me and we can talk about some ideas. Like others have said, being in hawaii you'll be a sought after station in some situations. I do alot of portable operations aka Hill topping, which is hiking to the summits usually but not always of mountains and operating qrp portable for a number of hours. I think this is what you might be referring to for adventures. I enjoy it highly and it is a-lot of fun.
It looks like you've got some repeaters on the island - it looks like some to the South in Ocean View may be the closest - that have internet linked digital modes for Yaesu's System Fusion digital mode and DMR. Since you're interested in portable and mountain-top operating, you might find activities like Parks on the Air (POTA) and Summits on the Air (SOTA) of interest. They are a great way to make yourself a highly sought-after station, and operating from mountain tops and parks is just good fun. Thanks for sharing your journey with us, and good luck on your test to get that license.
Welcome to the hobby. I got interested in trying ham radio after watching lots of TH-cam videos like Ham Radio Crash Course in 2020. Got technician in Sep and general in Oct. In hindsight I should have taken both tests together as you mentioned. Look forward to keeping up with your journey. 73
I got interested in the 1st grade when the Nun made a pair of Walkie Talkies out of two tin cans and a string . it was 1961 . I got a real pair in 1964 , a real 23 channel Citizen band CB in 65 and obtained my Novice Amateur radio novice license in 1967 ( the 7th grade ) upgraded to general in the 70's . QRP CW operation is my favorite aspect of the hobby . Been radio active for for nearly 60 years now and still fall asleep under the headphones at times ...lol
Hi Zoe, just getting into HAM radio, very much a beginner here so it was lovely to find your channel. Very informative without being at such an advanced level that leaves me baffled. Looking forward to learning lots from you as i study for my licence. Thank you for these videos, much appreciated.
I live in a valley in Arizona and my little Baofeng BF F8HP HT radio easily hits repeaters more than 30 miles away. If I went on top of one of the mountains I don't know how far my signal would go but I'd bet pretty far. If I were trying to do what you said you wanted I'd get the mobile you want plus an inexpensive HT. The idea of dragging that mobile radio out of the car plus a 12 volt battery, plus cable and antenna would get old for me fast. Good luck with your studies and schedule your test. 73 at you.
Always nice to see more women in these topics! I’ve had my Technician license for over 10 years, but I haven’t done much because I never felt very comfortable at the clubs and events. Trying to get past that and get more involved now that I live on the Gulf Coast and we have need for emergency communications from time to time. Hope to see more videos from you! K5HSB
I have Yaesu FT400 and Diamond X30 antenna (2m and 70cm). X30 (affordable $70) is not too big, can be put on balcony if you have a balcony, and good receive and transmit capability. Ft400 can plug into car cigarette lighter. Get a Bioenno battery for your backpack to power FT400 on mountain. Alinco 13V (very reliable) power supply for home is about $130.
I got the radio first, HF and the UHF and VHF. I just monitor for a bit many years ago. That way when you get your license, you will have radio channels that you know traffic and already know how to operate the radio. I would go with a yeasu 101D for beginners. But its in the mid $3 to $4Ks. Great channel.
You will learn that you must distinguish between High Frequency (HF) ham radio, and Very High Frequency / Ultra High Frequency (VHF / UHF) radio. They are quite different from one another. If you want to talk to your local ham radio friends, you'll be on the VHF / UHF radio. Even though it is possible to talk on simplex on the VHF / UHF radios, most hams will monitor their local repeater and few others that are within range. You might make an occasional contact on 146.520 (the VHF national calling frequency), but for the most part, hams talk on repeaters. (At least in my experience.) And this is local chatter that is very informal. People talking about the weather, and local subject, etc. Now that said, it could be fun to go up to a high point on a mountain top and see how many hams you can contact on VHF / UHF. I would suggest getting a good quality handheld VHF / UHF radio to start. The reason is that if you go hiking and want to talk on those frequencies, I think you'll find that a handheld is better. I have a mobile VHF radio, but I use it as my base station radio for joining the local nets, etc. But I don't keep it in my car. One of these days I'll get a quality VHF / UHF mobile radio for the car, but I'm usually on interested in that for long car rides. HF radio is where you are trying to see how far away you can reach with your radio. And you do not need a lot of power to do this. It is a matter of the propagation characteristics of radio waves at those wavelengths. You need to do a TH-cam search for Summits on the Air (POTA) and Parks on the Air (POTA). This is the kind of operating you are interested in. If you manage to pass your General, you will have a lot more fun with those kinds of outings. For that radio, I'd suggest the Yaesu FT-891. It's a great portable HF radio that will work all the way up to 6 meters. I studied for my tech and general at the same time and I passed both at the same sitting. I would highly suggest going to QRZ.com and looking for the tab "resources". That was the best online practice testing I found. Keep at it, and good luck!
Well this is fun. I recently started studying for my Ham Radio License. Your videos have been really fun to watch. I'm with you... I was saying to myself I have to memorize these frequencies. I think this hobby is more OJT and will pick more up that way. Hope to see you out there!
How is the HAM coming? Im a Tech and my wife is a general. Just in the last 6 months. We are having fun, but still confusing! LOL We have be using the Beofang hand held. Linking to SKYHUB in Denver. Hooks us up to a lot of repeaters. Able to listen thousands of miles away :) Still haven't made a contact yet. Just ordered 2 of the Yeasue FTM_400XDR for our trucks! 73!!
I'm glad to see more people close to my age getting involved in amateur radio. It's really up to us to keep the hobby going. I've had my general for about 5 years, but just recently bought my first HF radio (ic7300 in an apartment). I have an advanced understanding of electronics, but a novice knowledge of RF. Looking to change that! Anyway, thanks Zoe, I think you can do great things here.
Hi Zoey I just got my Tech and General a month ago and started with 2 meter. Try the Icom 2730A. Great mobile radio with basic UHF and VHF and go with a Diamond 40 inch mobile antenna. Have fun!!!
The Yaesu FTM 400 XDR is a GREAT radio!!!! Get a TRAM 1480 antenna for your base station before they are no longer available. A great value! You can still order them on Amazon. There was a high demand on these antennas in 2019. I can hit repeaters 50 miles away with my Tram 1480. 🏆
Hey Zoe. Just found your channel. I have been interested in get my ham license and I am hopeful that I can sit for my exam in May. I have really enjoyed your ham videos and relate to your goals in this regard. Looking forward to seeing more videos.
An HT makes for a great first radio. Combined with a repeater, the distances that you can cover are really remarkable. Adding a roll up J pole and some elevation, I think you’d be impressed. Other advantages to starting with an HT or at least having one with a mobile , is that you can always have it with you. While doing work at home or a walk , running errands around town, an HT is easy to have near you and that convenience will probably having you listening and learning more rather than have the setup required with just a mobile portable operation (coax, power supply, mobile, antenna ) Local repeated nets make good practice, I remember how nervous I was before throwing my call out there for first time. Having an HT while hiking or on the water is a nice back up emergency contact tool. And lastly, you might find yourself interested in the public service aspect of the hobby. Many events like marathons, bike races, etc will often have Hams manning locations and relaying information back to a net control who works with event organizers and medical personnel. These events general use HTs when the event isnt spread out over a large area. And if you wanted to play, more. Get a small directional antenna like an Arrow backpack 3 element handheld antenna and climb some peAks and have some simplex Sota fun with other islands. Should be able to reach 30/40/50 miles no problem. I also prefer the sounds of analog over digital. Just my 2 cents. There are some radios that combine Hf/vhf/uhf in one radio for not much more than that mobile you were looking at. The ft-857d or Icom 7100, both can fit in a backpack and can be used portable. The 7100 I believe also has DStar as a bonus. A radio that fits you well now might not in 6 months as you gain experience or your use case for the radio changes. I’m excited to see you on this journey and can’t wait to see you operate. 73 Steve
If you are really going to go with a VHF/UHF radio for your first one (you really shouldn't if you are interested in DX like you mentioned) you should take a good hard look at the Icom IC-2730A. It is a dual band mobile radio that does full duplex so it is perfect for satellites. I am an HF CW only ham and have been for many years and I never thought I'd be interested in ham radio satellites but I will say they are the most fun I've ever had as a ham. Worth thinking about...
The radio you first buy won’t be your last lol. I started off with a yaesu 857D. Does HF, VHF and UHF. And it gave me the HF bug by making a 10m contact when I was a tech. I still use it for POTA. Got into digital...added a ft2dr and then added a ftm400dr on the fusion side of digital. Then added an anytone 878 and doing dmr. picked up a openspot2 for more digital and doing cross modes. I then added the ic7300 for the house. K9DJR
I use an Icom 7100. For off grid power I use a Bioenno 40 aH battery. For HF I use an MFJ939 antenna tuner which should work with a wide range of antennas. I use an ELK log periodic for 2m and 440. This equipment might be packaged in a go box.
Hi Zoe, Here is some thoughts from very old past experiences. The most important part on any amateur radio station is the antenna. The old saying is " if you can't hear them you can't work them" is very true. No matter the band the radiating device must be efficient. That is why we pay so much attention to them in the Broadcast Industry. Not that we expect to hear them but the effectiveness of the radiating system. Also as I have read in may of the comments, if there is a local radio club go seek it out. There is no better way to learn and get help and take advantage of someone who has been doing it for a time. Sometimes a little advice on the spot can be very useful. I wish I had it when I started back in 1961. No internet then!!! Many good learning sites on the web for the technical stuff. I am always continuing to learn new things, as many new innovations are coming into play in my former vocation. "It is a life long learning process". QRP, portable operations, hiking to mountain tops are all exciting methods to enjoy the art of communications. Here one must play close attention to portable power, weight, antenna size and portability of entire package.The Amateur Radio Community is truly a sharing community. Best of luck in your next steps. de K8DMM
Only comment for you is make sure you know how you want to operate (like Josh and others mention below). It can be done with the right type of propagation, but you’ll normally have a hard time talking to anyone outside of Hawaii using solely VHF/UHF. If you want to talk outside of Hawaii then I highly suggest a 100w HF radio (vice a 50w VHF/UHF radio) as they are better for worldwide comms. You can build a very good and lightweight mobile “shack” with a 100w HF rig, automatic tuner, portable power supply (not using the car battery), and wire antenna. Many of us have setups like this for “Summits on the Air” where weight is a premium, or for “Parks on the Air” where we can just drive up to and operate. Josh (HRCC) and the rest of the TH-camrs Bunch have lots of very informative videos you can watch to learn about portable HF rigs, wire antennas, and portable power.
Before settling on a mobile radio, look at web sites like repeaterbook.com to see how many repeaters are near-by where you like to travel and the type of digital repeaters available. This information may impact your decision making process. For a home base station (HF radio) you may want to look at magnetic loop antennas. This type of antenna can be a pain but could work very well for you and takes up very little room compared to most other types of antennas.
For someone just starting out, you sure have yourself on the right track. Go for lithium batteries for portable power supply big difference in weight try to go solar. You sure have good choices in radios as well. I can tell you have been studying this from all angles. 73 From Danny (W9BKY)
I came across your channel by chance I guess but I'm glad I did. There seem to be a whole lot of people getting (possibly back) into HAM Radio and I'm all for that. I'm in the process of getting my license and I seem to be in a similar state with the exam. I've been pushing it back and back again, for years by now and every so often picking up my books and notes and getting back into it. The recent events have rekindled my passion for it and for CW especially. Lately I've been working with a SDR setup which is work related. So even though I may not have any advice you can certainly count me in with all the other who are at the same point as you. Keep at it, and I'll be looking forward to hearing about your exam at some point. Cheers
Hey Zoe Good Video Keep Studying Im still trying to upgrade to General, like your video, I did not know (88) means Hugs and Kisses (LOL) I learned something new ! Keep up the good work be safe Aloha 73!! Victor
I'm a beginner so I've enjoyed your vids. I studied on and off for two years before I could find an exam. A club in Waimea, KHRC, offered their services. I pasted the technician and they encouraged me to try the general. I did and pasted also. Mostly memorized the questions without understanding. Encouraged by my success I memorized the extra questions and passed the extra exam one moth later. My first radio was a Baofeng and found a very friendly repeater community on the Kona side. I say friendly because I've made about every mistake I can make and everyone has been very patient. Following several blogs and FB. The most common recommendation for my first HF rig should be 100 watts. I choose to go QRP. Ok, yes, they dropped me when I was born. But like you I wanted to try transmitting from different locations and I travel and wanted to easily bring it with me. I waited until I could get an IC 705. So far I couldn't be happier. Of course understand I have no experience to know any better. My plan was to get it with the Chameleon F loop. They are back ordered, so I got a MFJ loop tuner while I wait. That's worked out real well too. I have to cut, crimp and fiddle with it to make resonate at frequency. The scope on the 705 helps a lot. As a result I am gaining a hands on understanding. For me it's the "fiddling" that's fun. One night I almost made contact to Arizona from Kealakekua. Ok it's another big fish that got away story. But loops are a little directional and I found playing with transmission bandwidth and filtering DXing is definitely possible. Good luck with your journey.
Hi Brian, thank you so much for sharing your journey with me! It gives me hope :) When did you get your licenses in Waimea? I think I am also going to be taking the exams first primarily without understanding - more regurgitation but I am just itching to get operating! That is so cool that you also made contact with Arizona! What band were you on?
@@nobion1 I passed my general 9/30/19. Then my extra 11/30. Time flys when you are having fun. I remember them being only a month apart, also it's over a year now. I got the 705 about two months ago. Hands on makes a big difference in understanding. I mostly listen, my almost contact with Arizona was on 40meters. My loop antenna is orientated east/west. I've listened to conversations as far as Tennessee. There is a Hawaii net on 7.088 at 4pm and a web site 40meters.net that gives a lot of info. My chameleon F loop will arrive 3/1 and then I can start trying POTA.
Hi Zoe, I really appreciate your enthusiasm in ham radio and for getting your license. 73 is used quite often in voice & packet/email although I believe its primary use was in CW long ago. 88 on the other hand is typically used for a sigificant other, so it might sound strange coming from just anyone. :) 73 KD5YOU
Hi Zoe! I just found your channel and enjoyed the fact that your are brand new coming into Ham Radio. I agree, an HT is usually the first radio that most new Hams purchase (I know I did) but if you want a full featured, all mode, all band mobile radio...hands down, the ICOM IC-7100 is the best (and pretty much the only) radio out there that does it all. I bought mine when they first arrived on the market and it is still in use in my shack as my primary UHF/VHF and D-Star radio. I mention the D-Star feature because with the addition of a HotSpot, you can talk all over the world without a huge HF Antenna. All you need is an internet connection at home or tether it to your phone as a wifi hotspot. Yeah, lots of "old" hams cringe at the use of its ability to utilize the internet, but with the current solar cycle, D-Star works when HF does not. D-Star also gives you digital voice (DV) simplex capability which works very well and busts through local interference really well. So, my thought process is such...if you are just getting into Ham Radio and only want to purchase one radio that does, UHF/VHF and HF in all modes on all the bands. The IC-7100 meets that requirement. You can take it mobile or use it at home. It has 35 Watts on UHF, 50 Watts on VHF and 100 Watts on HF regardless of mode. Just my thoughts...something for you to look at. If you have any questions, you can look me up on QRZ.com and email me. Cheers and 73, KL7CA PS. Welcome to the exciting world of Ham Radio...you will never stop learning new and cool stuff!!
Thanks for taking the time to make this video! I have recently became interested in APRS and have been looking at the many options for radios. Your video turned up in my search parameters. I took the time to subscribe and follow in hopes this topic comes up! 73!!
I aced the Tech exam on Feb 13 by both learning the material (that is, understanding it) and practicing the test. No call sign yet though--is DC shut down for wx? Opted out of taking the General the same day because, again, I think it's better to really understand the material that's being tested instead of just memorizing the answers (though in some cases that is all you can do). I'll take the General on March 28. Have you considered the Yaesu 991A? That's the way I'm leaning for a home base because of its coverage of HF and VHF/UHF. It's not a lot bigger than a pure mobile unit and much more capable. I might go for separate HF and VHF/UHF for my home base, but the $$ required for that is insane. Another option is an HF base and HT for .7 and 2m. A pure "mobile" unit in my car is mostly pointless because I can't really see using HF while driving anyway. For an emergency maybe? But that's what the HT would be for.
My son (13) and I got our Technician and General last year, my daughter (12) just got her Technician, and I’m testing for AE in about a week. Here’s a simple, systematic, and cheap method that has worked for all of us: Use hamstudy.org 1. Go to the “Read Questions” area: Read through each question in a section (e.g., G1), and only look at the right answer (the first time). Click the explanation to learn more to help you remember the answer. 2. Move to the “Study Mode” area after reading all the questions in a section. Go to the section where you read the questions (e.g., G1) and drill. Don’t guess. If you think you know the answer, click it. If you don’t, click “I don’t know” to see the right answer and consider reading the explanation as well. Drill in that section until you get to 90% comprehension. 3. Repeat this process for subsequent sections. 4. Return to older sections periodically to refresh. 5. When you finish all the sections, take practice tests until you feel ready to take the real test. You won’t learn much this way but you will pass and it doesn’t cost anything (no need to buy books or courses). The key is to condition yourself to recognize the right answers. We spent about two weeks for each test studying this way. Worked like a charm.
This is a great field to be to learn electronics if you're interested. Tons of foundational knowledge in the book, over the air and online. Like I mentioned on a reply below, I'm a big fan of Yaesu although Icom has a lot of good toys too! If you want the best of both worlds of mobility and power starting out, I'd recommend the Yaesu FTM-400DR in the car/truck. It's a great unit and packed with a lot of features. Also, considering your ask, depending on the mount you could easily remove it from the vehicle and use it has your home base station as well. For good base station, I would also throw my hat in to the ring for the FT-991A. It's a solid performer and I've had nothing but success with it. Going back to the 400DR... I have yet to do it, but I believe since the 400DR is a dual transceiver radio, it can be used a base station or a repeater... So really if you have a hand held, you could walk around with your handheld (like a Yaesu FT2D/FT3D) and bounce that signal through your FTM-400DR which, would not only have more power but also, I'm assuming, the larger gain antenna to reach who you're trying to talk to. From there, a good parking spot on a tall hill would do nicely. -- I would only caution you with the car/truck's battery usage. After a little time passes, you may find it difficult to start the truck if your transmitter used up all it's juice. (But there's ways around that too. - like a reserve battery) 73! The only other tip I would like to pass your way right now is that the radio's power is good and always a factor to be considered but the right antenna for the proper use makes all the difference. I hope that helps. KF0RCE : ^ )
Hi! 😀 Fellow ham from the UK, currently only got a Foundation license (10w, no ops ON int'l soil, no homebrew antennae allowed) from 2020. Most of what you want or need, we share in common! 😀 *My first handheld was and still have a Yaesu VX-6E (R should be US/Hawaii). Waterproof. Perfect for 2m/70cm. Included antenna picks up international radio stations/commercial. Also got it an Abree antenna/48cm - replica of US Mil. rubber duck/foldable/gooseneck antenna. I got a contact/QSO out to 35 miles from my rooftop! -Analogue/2m! -on just 5w! This kept me going during the UK Lockdowns. External mic (~$20) was required for clearer/louder 5-9 reports. Got reports of being too quiet without it and mic gain turned-up. Suspect it's a waterproof membrane over the built-in mic which lets it down. *My 'mobile'/'shack-in-a-box' is a Yaesu FT-857D. I will be predominantly using it on the HF bands. -Hoping to do SoTA (or if not into the scheme, to at least get off my butt, do some hill-walking, take 5, and just enjoy seeing if I can contact anyone on HF thousands of miles away). 😀 *Battery - Zippy Compact LifePo4 / 4S2P / 13.2v / 4200mah / 30C from HobbyKing.com . How to homebrew: vk1nam.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/powering-the-yaesu-ft-857d-for-sota/ www.hamblog.co.uk/batteries-for-portable-amateur-radio-use/ But google FTN-400 DXR and LifePo4 (more stable and lightweight) to see what/how hams have notched-up their cables. Could be articles already out there 👍 If you want to keep the original DC leads for PSU at home, get a spare to notch-up with any battery connectors (bullet / anderson powerpoles etc) you need on hilltop. That way, if something goes wrong with the DIY, you still got the original lead to key-up from home/in the car. -Suspect you may need 2 additional DC leads if you truly want to operate in the car / home / field. *Charger: SkyRC Imax B6 Mini-Charger - Ensure it has 'SkyRC' on it/genuine brand. Makes charging above very simple. *Antenna - NewSuperAntenna.com. Portable kit, all good qty construction. Modular kit that can be configured for 2m going all the way down to, I think, 160m. As VHF/433 isn't covered, your hand talkie will be useful for any 70cm or repeater action. Plus, in the field/hilltop, you can have the antenna cable setup for HF on the mobile and just use your hand talkie for UHF/VHF action. *Cable/Connectors - Messi & Paoloni Ultraflex 7 / 50 ohm cable. M&P PL-259 connectors (but check what your own sockets are first). -Download the manual PDF of the FTN-400. Should tell you what sockets are and the minimum voltage/currant requirements. E.g. my 857D is 11.73 Volts. Good hams with mobility/portability: TH-camr OH8STN / Julian out in Finland. Hear you on the romanticism front with analogue! LOL 😂😎 -Work with cloud tech/computers all day long. I just love keying-up on my roof or out and about when not working, old skool. And I'm an 80s kid. 😀 73s!
Mobile radios need a much bigger power supply than do handhelds. Mobile radios taken out of a vehicle will require either large power supply or a huge battery. Either way the power supply will take up more space, more weight and more cost than the actual radio. Mobiles are not designed to taken out of your car, and are not at all convent to remove and then re-install. A 5W handheld should work anywhere on the island of Hawaii, its all a matter of where the repeaters are located. VHF/UHF are line of sight frequencies, so if you can "see" the repeater then you can work it. Handhelds come with a short (not very efficient) antenna, which should be enough to get started anywhere on your island. You can also experiment with other attached antennas to the handheld to increase its range by using a more efficient (read larger) antenna. You can even do island to island contacts with a handheld and a really good antenna system. After you get more experience you'll see that ham radio is mostly about the antenna system and less about the transceiver. You should look at the Baofeng radios from China, the price of these units can't be beat. They might not be the same quality than the more expensive units, but they are 1/10 the price. Once you have enough experience and you upgrade your license and move to HF then you can access the whole world, you will need all the money you saved on a cheap handheld to get a station capable of world wide contacts. Once you do that let me know and we can talk on HF, VA6EE (Canada). Remember... its all in the antenna!
With the newer Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries (such as the Bioenno packs) The batteries do not have to be huge nor weigh a lot to be used for several hours of fun. Look in to Bioenno batteries.
@@jamesk0ua Yes LiFeP batteries are much smaller and lighter than Lead Acid. But the power needed by a mobile radio still makes them huge compared to the typical battery pack used in a handheld. The Bioenno BLF-1209WS 12V 9Ah battery is 6 x 2.6 x 3.8 inches and weighs 2.6 lbs. I'd guess this is 10x the battery in any handheld. I'll stand by my original post. :-)
Thanks so much for the in depth reply - and for having it writing very "newby" friendly! Id really like to get into POTA/ SOTA from which I understand HT's are beneficial. Ultimately I would like to get on HF and communicate internationally - perhaps even where you are in Canada!
Get a 100 watt 160 through 6 meter radio. Don't get a low power radio for your first one. If you think you will do more portable look at a Yaesu FT-891. For the 2 meter 440 spectrum the Yaesu 400 is very nice, if you have C4FM system fusion repeaters it will allow that mode, and of coarse its a great analogue rig as well. For battery power in a portable setting look at Bioenno batteries. They are very lite and have a lot of power compared to a lead acid or lead gel cell. I could type for days and never get to the end.
Really great video Zoe, nice to see that you already now before to get the license thinking about what sort of radio gear you plan to get. I will say it depends a little on what aspect of the communication that's interesting you most. If you think first that you're mostly going to communicate locally in Hawaii you maybe have enough with a VHF/UHF radio. Put one in your car, get one extra lead battery if you thinking about operating static mobile. Get a 2 band Yagi beam and a pole for put it on. No rotator for the antenna is needed, you turn it manually. With one extra battery e.g. 70 amp/h and a 40-50 watt radio you can run for hours and don't need to be afraid that your car battery gets empty. If your interest is rather communicating with abroad stations, forget the VHF/UHF equipment. Then it's better to purchase a HF radio, why not a second hand radio, a few years old it's no problem. Same battery setup as for VHF/UHF, use one of these telescopic fiberglass poles about 25-30 feet high, heng up e.g. a linked dipole which is very easy to make and easy to tune/change band. I hope some of my advises can help you in the future. Good luck with the radio hobby and the exam when that day come. Best 73's from LA3DNA Leif
Zoe, adding a counterpoise to your handhelds antenna can increase it's range. Gil, The Radio Prepper has a video on this. By adding a counterpoise to my VX-6r I was able to hit a repeater that was 23 miles away on 5 watts. Good luck on your General license. 73!
@@Michael-nd7gh Northern Illinois area... we also have the highest point of ground in Illinois between us and the antenna, which is mounted on a water tower, yet I have no problems connecting to the repeater.
Good luck in your studies. I qualified in the UK in March 2018. Foundation holders are limited to 10W, so some people might think I'm wrong, but I'm looking to get the IC-705. Since I've got the disadvantage of power, I thought I would gain the advantage of the waterfall and being able to pick out signals, plus it's got everything, HF/VHF/UHF. I did have a Kenwood TH-D74 last year, but sold that to save up for the Icom. I'm 50, so had a slight advantage in being interested in electronics and computers since I was 15 :-) 73s M7GTX
Consider purchasing used equipment. I’d say that 95% of us hams take pretty good care of there of our ham gear. So the chances of getting a “Dud” are fairly slim, Local Hamfests, E Bay, even placed like HRO sell used equipment at reasonable prices. A $1200 rig ten years ago may only cost you $400 dollars on the used market.. Don’t fall into the latest and greatest market. Most of those bells and whistles you as the newbie are not going to even use. Save the “SWANK” for a later date. Consider what bands you want to operate on, and look accordingly. The Icom 706 MKIIG is a really nice choice. HF to UHF all mode and 100 watts on HF and 6 meters, 50 watts VHF and 30/40 watts UHF. The IC-7000 is basically the same rig with a few more features and a color screen. Yaesu, Kenwood make similar rigs to the 706 as well. Try to avoid QRP rigs for now. 5 and 10 watts is just going to discourage you especially on the HF bands. Power supplies? I’ve always liked Astron. Been using them for years and years, never any problems. Never a fan of switch mode power supplies, but that’s just me. Good Coax IS a must ! Buy a high quality coax LMR 400 is a great product. Long lasting and low loss. Good Luck on your Ham Shack journey.
The FTM-400 is a great radio. I loved it so much I have one in the shack and one in the car. The car radio is connected into my 10 Amp accessory port in my Van. In the case of antennas, there are many for mobile so research that but for home, please check out the Ed Fong J-Pole. His physics students build these as part of a class project. They are very well made, inexpensive and easy to put up. There are 2 models. Both of which you should consider. The permanent mount and the portable mount. The portables you can through up in a tree for much better coverage from an HT and the base which goes in a piece of PVC and mounts outside the house or in an attic. Both are fantastic.
An HT handheld with a BNC connector for your antenna will allow you to switch back and forth to a mobile antenna in a vehicle to be versatile in that way too
Been licensed since the mid 90’s, got my extra back when you actually had to know code... take this to heart, no matter what you do it’s all about the antenna. Someone can have an $8,000 radio and you have a $500 radio but if your antenna is superior you’ll out talk them easily... EASILY. Remember antenna, antenna and antenna. Your radio is worthless no matter the model without a proper efficient antenna.
Get the ARRL license books and study for it. It gives you the information needed to take the test. It gives you the test and gives information about the test. I think you should go to something that does DMR! Anytone 878UVPlus hand held and 578UVIIPlus base do VHF-UHF and DMR,
Hi Zoe, great choice on the Yaesu FTM-400. It will do a great job for you. It will also allow you to activate APRS, which is a beacon that tracks your location. Good for hiking/driving if you wanted to use it. There are many battery options but just a simple 12 volt 7Ah (Amp Hour) Battery is all you need to go portable with the radio. They are just a few pounds so it works great in a backpack type of setup. Don’t know about Hawaii but these batteries run anywhere from $20-$40 on the east coast. You just need a 12 volt battery charger to finish out your initial gear. You can search APRS map online and you will be able to see what APRS is all about. Enjoy your journey. 73’s
Its great to follow your progress! The Amateur Radio community is an amazing community for sure! There are a LOT of people that are willing to help and there are no shortage of opinions. On learning, I agree with your path. I help with exam prep classes for my local club and that is exactly what we do...we study the questions. As you said, that allows you to get your license and get on the air. Once you do that, you can decide what areas you want to focus on. Along the way, through the exam study method, you will learn important things as well. You may not retain everything but you will at least be familiar with it. On radios, I am a big fan of the Yaesu FTM-400xdr for sure. They are spendy, but they are great radios. They also introduced a new model last summer, the FTM-300dr. The 300 will do almost everything the 400 will do but it doesn't have the touch screen and is slightly less expensive. Handhelds are great as well. In addition to using them portable, you can always connect them to a vehicle mounted antenna and get more range. Good luck on your journey and 73 AA4JW
Great video Zoe. Your homework seems to have you on a good path. I received my Technician license about a year ago. HanStudy was a big help. When you regularly pass the practice tests you’ll be ready to take the exam. I’m studying for General Class now. That Yaesu FTM 400 will give you a good base and mobile option. I operate similarly with an ICOM 5100A. I think you’ll find operations from your apartment won’t be a problem. I use an Arrow Antennas OSJ set up indoors with great results. As others have said check with local HAMs and get involved with local radio clubs to find what systems work best in your area. Good luck with the test. Marty KC3OSW
I am were you are as far as very new to the ham world and currently studying for the technician license. I'm looking at the ICOM 705 for a mobile unit. It has a lot of features to grow into as I move forward. But only 5 watts with it's own battery. And 10 watts on external power supply. I have seen on TH-cam that it will reach out. I plan to get into POTA and SOTA. Good luck. Hope to hear you on the air.
You'll do fine with either choice. Radios get more expensive with more capabilities they have. I know price is a factor when buying your first radio, but when I spent more time on the radio and talking with other hams on a local repeater, that's why radios get expensive. To put it in an easier way to understand, it's like buying a new cellphone. I could go to Walmart and buy a prepaid flip phone and save a lot of money, but I'm limited on what I can do on that phone compared to a smart phone. Some have larger screens, faster processors, expandable memory and such. It's almost the exact same argument for radios. It's all about what you want to do with the radio of your choice. I got myself an Icom IC-705 HF/VHF/UHF all mode radio a few months ago. A few hams said it's an expensive radio and doesn't have a lot of power (5w/10w). On the other hand, I have a radio that will do whatever I need it to do and then some.
Ah come on Zoe, you need to prioritize your Ham Radio studies :-) Go get your licence and then go shopping for a radio, for starting off, I would go for a HF/VHF/UHF radio, something like an IC706, FT991A, FT-897D, FT-897D, but personally if it was me, I would go for a IC-7000 HF/VHF/UHF. You can pick one up second hand. For antenna you could look at a End Fed Half wire antenna, using a 49:1 transformer and 66ft of wire, you could work most of the world on HF, just fling the end of the antenna in a tall tree. For VHF/UHF I would get a DIAMOND SG7900 and a mag mount for your car/portable ops, you could listen to International Space Station, Ham radio satellites, local repeaters plus it would work in your apartment. Personally I wouldn't go with digital radio, as you can get apps for your pc that will give you access to Digital Ham Radio. Keep us posted, de Ei2iP
I know Robbie, right! I'm disappointed in myself haha! you wold recommend HF/VHF/UHF radio....do you need your generals to operate most of the HF? I'm planning to go for it anyway. Just to confirm if I was to just get the UHF/VHF radio I wouldn't be able to transmit internationally unless on the digital mode? Interesting to know that I can do this over the computer too! One of my goals is to listen to the ISS. I have seen on your channel you have had luck doing that!
@@nobion1 Using digital on UHF/VHF you would transmit to your local repeater and then from there it would use the internet to get to some other repeater and you could talk to someone that is in range of that other repeater. They even sell "hotspots" that you can use a digital mobile or HT, to your own personal hotspot, and then the hotspot uses the internet to get to another node elsewhere where it coverts back to RF. Great for traveling as you don't need to be in range of a repeater, you just need internet and your hotspot. You can even use it with your cell phone internet. May ham radio purists would say "that;s not ham radio" because it uses the internet, and technically you are not "transmitting" internationally like you would on HF where your actual RF signal propagates around the world, but it does give you access all around the world none the less. It's just another facet of ham radio that has grown out of advances in technology.
Hi Zoe, never seen your channel before but you seem like a very sweet lady. I agree with the recommended radios above. IMO the best move is to join your local club. They'll likely lend you a radio/antenna and even install it for you. Passing the tests is relatively easy compared to understanding all the equipment and modes we use which is where a club is most valuable. HF is fun but expensive and overrated. I find myself operating mainly 2m/70cm since that's where my club, my community and my fascination w satellites are conducted and it's easiest to just grab my ID51 HT so don't get too hung up on HF base stations yet unless you REALLY like contesting, boring nets and older gentlemen endlessly talking antennas, or joining the burgeoning YL groups(female hams). I look forward to more of your videos. Good luck! 73 KM6VAY
Portable operation is really fun. I love taking my qrp rig camping and playing radio by the campfire. Starting out on vhf is ok, but I've known several people who came to the hobby that way and were immediately turned off by what they encountered. It can be pretty dull and unfriendly. Hopefully your results will be different.
Zoe, I thought you'd already gotten your Technician license. So, good luck. For your home, and travel plans. I'd recommend a hand held, then later get a mobile (car) radio. You can always set up a mobile as a small, Base Station, in the apartment, with a small antenna. #1) Find a radio in your budget💲, #2) Get a good brand for your first radio. Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, Alinco, etc. Are all dependable, fairly easy to program and operate. And will make your hobby more fun. #3) Antenna 📡. Consider a good mobile, mag mount antenna. This will work for home and travel. This can be swapped from a handy talkie to your mobile base station. And these are not to expensive. #4) Once you get a radio rig, and get your "feet wet" you will know more of what you will want or need, later. #5) Your friends WILL label you as a nerd. 🤓 Embrace your intelligence and have fun! Atleast you'll be in the know, when emergencies 🌋 🚒or bad weather 🌧🌀 happens. 👍 (And a plus for you... You can get the daily tide report, on the local weather channels. 🤙) Aloha from Georgia! ... KE4WRN
Everyone saying buy this or that, but your first question should be, what do I want to do with an amateur ticket? Do you want to do VHF/UHF which is line of sight/satellite. Do you want to do HF which is around the world? What are your neighborhood restrictions? Do you want to do digital, analog or CW? Do you want to experiment and build your own stuff or buy everything pre-made? Do you want to travel in your hobby or operate from one location? Do you want to participate in a local ham group, do weather watch, military communications, national traffic system or disaster relief. Or do you just want to operate solo on the D/L? You can choose any one of these things or all of them. Whatever you choose to do dictates what equipment and licensing would be required. You really need an Elmer, that is local, to guide you especially when starting out. If you don't know anyone who fits that bill, you should checkout your local amateur radio group and get to know them personally. They may even have some old gear they would happily loan you and be willing to help you get your license. It doesn't have to be all on your own and folks who are into the hobby around you will help like you wouldn't believe. 73 DE W5JJW
Hey Jason - thanks so much for the information! I'd ultimately like to do HF and digital, analog...maybe one day CW once I am more fluent in it. So many great questions of which you are totally right, I need to develop these answers before advancing. Just sent the local radio group an email to see how I could get involved. Thanks again!
On taking test...aside from studying, IMHO you should also. google ‘multiple choice testing strategies’. I was a Master Instructor for technical subjects while in the USAF. There is a plan/pattern to writing & taking such test. With a good knowledge of test taking procedures & strategies you can pass test on subjects you are familiar with. Good on you for studying a level higher, it will pay-off. Good Luck.
For UHF and VHF you should just start with a handheld. 5 watts. Vhf and uhf is line of sight. On my HT i can talk to a repeater 30 miles ways from my second floor. If u climb a mountain u can talk to basically anything line of sight. It’s designed for local use with repeaters. You can do simplex but it depends on the location. Get a handheld and with a technician license u can try it out. Spend the money on HF mobile rig. There are a ton of options for antennas and mobile. Your best bet is join a local Ham club. And like Josh says Hawaii is a rare location that people would love contact with. HF radios go up to 100w and beyond that you will need amplifiers and those are costly. I would get a base station and not a mobile when starting out. 100w on HF. Might be hard to climb mountain with it but it’s just as easy going to a park driving with a base station as a mobile. You just need a battery pack. Btw even with an antenna HF inside ur apartment you can do a lot of digital contacts. I got all 50 states in the US including Hawaii with digital in 2 months of the license. Really fun stuff when you reach a country or place you can’t believe you did.
Starting out, I went with a dual band mobile radio so I wasn't spending a lot. I didn't go after both tech and general at same time, but wish I did. Once I was getting ready to go for my General, I really started looking at a couple base station radios, I did a lot of research on both the Icom 7300 and Yaesu FT 991A. I went with the Yaesu just because is considered a shack in a box, and can be used portable due to not being real big, and does all your main HF bands and also the 2M and 70CM bands. you can use any antenna that will work for the space you have, I have and use a chameleon spider ASB works well and doesn't take much space. I have taken my 991A to field days and QSO away from home, and use a base station.
Interesting - you are looking at the same 2 radios I am (just not sure I will want to get an HT as I know I will want HF capability would almost rather just put the $ towards that). I am leaning toward the Yaesu for the exact same reasons. Are you happy with it?
I have had my 991a since March 2020 and really like the radio, I would recommend if you get it to also get the software it helps with programming. I know a few other people with the radio and they really like it also.
Zoe also check out Hamtest online , I passed the Tech and General together and am kicking myself for not taking the extra at same time. After all u can attempt all of them for the same fee . Good Luck . 73 and 88’s . W1AJF
One other short comment. The purpose of the power supply is to take a 120 volt AC current and change it to 13.8 volt DC current, which most radios use. When you go hiking you will use a small 12 volt battery for power and therefore will not need a "power supply".
Hi Zoe, I have a suggestion. Instead of buying a power supply, I would recommend getting a lithium battery like a Bioenno Power battery. That way you can operate portable and if you get the power supply for it you can charge the battery while you are using it when at home. If grid power is out you still can operate on battery. You can then consider adding a solar panel later. Good luck studying. 73 de (=from) N3WS
@@nobion1 Yes. The size of the battery will determine how long you can operate. On receive (RX) the 991 pulls about 2.2 amps according to the manual. On Transmit (TX) it says 22 amps at the full 100 watts, but you'll probably find that to be less. To calculate that out you usually use a formula with 80% RX and 20% TX. The 15 amp hour Bioenno battery has a Maximum Continuous Discharge Current of 30A and the charger for it is a 4 amp charger. You can charge while using the battery, So it is offsetting the power usage. So the formula it (amps * % * hours). So if we calculate for one hour, RX=2.2a X .8% X 1h = 1.76 amp hours, TX=22 * .2% x 1h = 4.4 so our total amp usage for one hour is 6.16, but if you are putting in 4 amps per hour, it's actually only 2.16 from the battery. A 15 amp hour battery would then last 6.94 hours, roughly. Without input from the charger it would only last about 2 hours, but with a regular power supply you get zero operating hours without battery. You may want to step up to a larger battery or what ever fits your budget. Now all that is based on maximum TX which is usually CW or digital modes. When operating voice/SSB it is usually much less amperage. There are lots of factors, but this should give you an idea. 73.....
My suspicion is that an all-hands, up to 100w radio like a Yaesu FT857D would serve you best. It could do everything the handheld can do, and at higher power if required. It would also be able to do HF up to 100W, but is also small enough that it could be setup for portable use on mountaintops, etc if that's what you decide to do. Again, the local ham club can help you with rig selection and may have good used gear available. With regards to using HF in a rental setting, many long wire antenna setups can be very inconspicuous, and there's some portable setups that can be put up or taken down fairly easily for use both at home and and perhaps on mountaintops.
You're doing an awesome job with your research and knowledge so far so keep it up! The FTM-400 is a very nice mobile with a lot of capabilities as you've said and it's perfect for in the car and at home as a base 2m/70cm radio. I think it's cool you want to work analog as well. Some people are really into digital but I like the sound of an analog voice. It just sounds more natural to me. Keep it up and keep us posted! 73 Scott N1SER
And If you are thinking about getting the Yaesu FT-60R - don't wait, as It has been available for a very long time, and is now past the typical retirement time! And I love that radio!
The yaesu FTM400 looks like a great radio; I'm sure you can't go wrong there. If you're primarily interested in analog, Icom offers a cheaper mobile rig like the IC-2730A. I'm biased though. If you're looking for a base station that does HF/VHF/UHF, the FT-991A is a decent option (if you go that route, make sure it is the 'A' version). More popular, seems like everyone has one, is the IC-7300 - but doesn't have VHF/UHF capability. I also use a cheap Yaesu FT-4X handheld which works nicely for hitting local repeaters. Definitely stick to a new radio if you don't have an electronics repair background. There are no shortage of antennas for mobile operation - I've always used comet, and they have a nice range of dual band antennas. Going with something you can detach from the car... you might search for go-box or go-kit and see what other folks are doing. I'm sure with modern lithium batteries, you could rig something up. Sounds like you're on the right track with training material.. Dave Casler also has a bunch of great material on TH-cam for Tech and General class. Good luck and keep us posted! 73 (also if you're space constrained on HF, check out magloop antennas)
Thanks so much for the informative reply! Yeah I saw a huge amount or recommendations for the IC 7300...but would indeed like to have the option to operate VHF and UHF as well. Ideally, I can have something that is VHF/UHF, HF and both Analog and Digital...Thank you very much for the recommendations on antennas as well, I hear this and the type of coax is almost more important than the radio! ;)
@@nobion1 No problem. A mobile rig will have a short run of coax, so don't get too hung up on cable type. If you're running 50 to 100 ft, then it's probably time to figure out losses and more efficient cable; Especially at UHF. Freq goes up, so do losses!
Hi from Australia, Zoe. I'd recommend the icom ID-5100 for your mobile rig. Icom's digital system(dstar) is more popular and has more third party devices to help you get on the network. The 5100 is, like most other comparable radios, more than capable when it comes to analogue. It also has a cross band repeat function which may come in handy around Hawaii. Set it up in a Gator Case(portable 19" rack case for audio equipment). Search TH-cam for 'ham radio go kit' or 'shack in a box'. The soon to be released icom ID-52 transceiver(ID-51 if you cant wait) would then give you the flexibility of portable opperations and expand the ways in which you could access repeaters and the dstar network.73 from VK2MMM.
Thank you so much for the recommendations on the go kit and shack in a box...I'll check it out! Very interested in doing SOTA so that may be very useful.
@@nobion1 Hi Zoe. The more I read your comments the more I wonder if a mobile 2m/70cm transceiver suits your desired style of opperating. Maybe a compromise in power for other bands and a lighter overall package is something worth considdering. High power 2m/70cm is mostly not needed aside from long distance simplex communication directly between stations and when those same distances between repeaters exist. I regularly talk on a 2m repeater about 100kms away, over fairly flat terrain, on 5w. I feel, the topography of your location may be more of a limiting factor than distance and output power is good but cant move mountains. IMHO, you may be better off with a QPR HF/2m/70cm rig. The power on 2m/70cm will be sufficient to get into repaters and also have some simplex contacts. HF, HF is where its at for sota, parks and peaks, field days, etc and you'll easily make contacts back to the mainland and internationally with the right setup. TH-cam portable ham opperaions for your location and check out this new rig from icom.... www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/handheld/705/default.aspx
I bought a dual band mobile radio and an extra power cord. I can mount it in my car and use it as a base in the house, with a power supply. Good luck on the test, I need to get back to studying for the extra. I passed the Technician and General last years a couple months apart. 73 and 88, KJ7ODZ
Hello from England. I have recently passed my Foundation (Technician class) licence and have just ordered my first radio after much deliberation - a second hand Yaesu 450D. No idea if it was a good choice but seems to be well regarded as a starter radio in it's day. Good luck with your studies . M7 BLC . 73
I think that your on the right track. Don’t be afraid of HF. VHF/UHF are grate local communication and HF will allow you to reach out further. It sounds like you might like to do something called summits on the air (SOTA). You may like a Mobil HF radio if this is something you are interested in. Keep up the good work.
I was supposed to take my test this last Monday but was stymied by a blast of snow that shut everything down. I plan on getting a few kits like the uBITx and making my own antenna's. Learning CW is what has got me leaning towards QRP and being mobile.
Im in the same boat as you. I picked up a handheld TYT TH-UV88 to start off with and learn the radio and settings a bit while i pick at studying for the test here and there. Im on Oahu.
Bless you for wanting to do ham radio in the first place and looking at it as an adventure....if you wish to make contact directly from your radio and antenna to someone else's radio and antenna without assistance from another repeater or the internet than your General license will be your best goal....as someone mentioned the field day event the last weekend in June is a great way to observe operating portable without using commercial power....many types of operating are normally on display as well.....Zoe, don't try to accomplish it all at once...ham radio is a lifetime hobby to enjoy and learn....you can't imagine the effect it will have on you until it happens...trust me.. who knows the effect you may have on the hobby....ham radio is just people...73. N0UY
Hi Ray, thanks so much for such kind words. I'm so excited about getting into it and thank you for reminding me that i don't need to try and get it all at once...I'm excited to learn over the years - hope to chat to you on the air one day!
Hi! Are you planning on making another video soon? It’s been 5 months and I’d like to see where you are in your ham radio journey! I’m currently a general class op but I’m slowly working toward my extra class. Also, my family lives in Kona, so I was excited to hear that you live there too! Enjoy your KH call. ~ K6DAC
73 is a “pro sign” , as you’ve said, it stands for "best wishes”, " farewell for now” etc. And Yes, Ham Study app is great. The Yeasu FT-3D is a great radio. always there’s the learning curve.
A good starter radio is a Icom IC-7300 which will do HF and 6 meters, but not as portable as a Icom IC-705. This is an all mode all band radio which will give you 10W on all bands in a small portable and easy to carry radio. Please document your journey through getting your license and getting your first radio. Great video and keep them coming! Let me know if I can be of any help too - admin@hamradiodx.net
Hello! I have been eyeing up the IC 7300 as well as the Yaesu FT991A. Going to check out the IC-705 as well. I'll be sure to keep the documentation coming of the progress :) Just set up another email account: contact.HIHAM@gmail.com - I'll be sure to contact you if any questions - was checking out just now your very useful videos!
You are correct, a ham radio license is a license to learn. You start learning once you get your license and start operating the radio. Then everything actually starts to make sense to you a lot more than trying to learn it from a book.
Dear Zoe,
I can recommend to anyone who wants to learn about Ham Radio or radio technology in general, to get this 35$ SDR kit that is a wideband USB receiver that comes with versatile telescopic antennas and this does not only give you an idea what is on the bands, it also teaches you to see how radio signals look in the frequency domain. So it teaches you in real life how different types of modulation look like, how much bandwidth they use and what happens of you increase or decrease the bandwidth, it visualizes everything on your computer screen ... it can do 500KHz to 24 MHz (VLF to 160-12m band) in a special HF direct sampling mode, where it isn't overly sensitive, while it is very sensitive from 25 to almost 1700MHz (10m-23cm band analog AND digital voice and data!) and it does literally all common modes and more!
But it obviously requires a notebook or PC with some freeware. This little receiver will teach you a lot ... you can not only listen to Ham Radio and regular broadcast, you can also listen to aircrafts talking to the ground, tower, departure, approach, radar, FIS (voice) ... and even use it as a secondary radar receiver that shows you the location of aircrafts (ADS-B), you can decode aircraft text messages to the ground (HFDL/ACARS/VDL2) ... you can decode plenty of other commercial voice and data services that are just too much to list ... even radio astronomers use it in their setup because it is so very sensitive and wideband at the same time. www.rtl-sdr.com/category/radio-astronomy-2/
You can track ships (AIS) as well, Weather balloons and collect them, receive and decode satellite signals and images ... there is very little this dongle can not do😀.
You can also alternatively connect it to a 40$ Raspberry Pi mini computer and access it via a web browser at home when you are on the road from your Android or iPhone without running your PC or notebook. www.openwebrx.de/ This ready made mini computer software image supports receiving from DRM in the HF broadcast bands to FT8, the mode that makes you receive the world even with poor radio conditions as well as analog and digital voice modes, all via your web browser from any device!
The possibilities are simply endless. I doubt you will ever regret spending these 35 bucks. This is really a no-brainer.
Here is the link to the kit that even scratches HF bands, while excelling in VHF&UHF
www.rtl-sdr.com/buy-rtl-sdr-dvb-t-dongles/
It is the very first product in the list. You can also get other so called RTL-SDR dongles but they do not cover HF at all unless you pay another 50 bucks for an up-converter.
or another good VHF-only dongle kit is this one:
www.amazon.com/NooElec-NESDR-Smart-Bundle-R820T2-Based/dp/B01GDN1T4S/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=rtl-sdr&qid=1613609821&sr=8-4
that also comes with an antenna.
How it works and why it is so very inexpensive:
Software Defined Radios (SDR) are a relatively modern approach to radio (last 15 years popular in the civil world), where the tiny USB receiver is sort of a sound card that is so fast that it samples radio signals at 8 bit in a specific way. It used to be designed to be a digital TV receiver for Europe (DVB-T standard) and some very smart cookie found out that with a modified driver you can run it in a non documented SDR receiver mode. This is the reason why these units are so dirt cheap, because they are highly integrated and were designed for the masses. You can get one for 5 bucks from China, but then they are not accurate and stable in the frequency domain, which makes them usable for AM and FM, but not for SSB, FT8 and other modes, where these slightly more expensive dongles come into place that have a very stable oscillator as well as many little improvements that make them extremely good receivers for the money.
This way you can listen to what is going on and then get a better idea about the bands, conditions and people that are on there and can make a much better decision what kind of an antenna and radio transceiver you will be buying to get involved. Even in an multi apartment block there are ways to operate an antenna. I also live in a multi family home and have no antenna on the roof and receive the entire world on HF and a few hundred miles on VHF/UHF.
With e.g. this absolutely genius freeware www.sdr-radio.com/console you can run as many receivers your computers CPU can handle simultaneously! within the 2.4MHz bandwidth that these receivers offer by design. Here is the manual on how to get these running in this freeware www.sdr-radio.com/rtl-dongles
Or simply watch these videos that show you some of the basics:
> Here you get an explanation between the differences of all RTL-SDR-USB-receivers on the market - th-cam.com/video/FDwTGk6c2Qg/w-d-xo.html
> Very good hands-on entry without total information overload - th-cam.com/video/7EiRZfw8xxU/w-d-xo.html
> More minimalistic just hands-on video - th-cam.com/video/rUwRt5qn-6U/w-d-xo.html
> How to run it on a Mac - th-cam.com/video/bT2WZhKBkRk/w-d-xo.html
> How to run it on Linux - th-cam.com/video/7A-2WTUCl88/w-d-xo.html
> How to run it on an Android device (direct without a network) - th-cam.com/video/Yrx5ozRxcFw/w-d-xo.html
... there are endless video resources on all kinds of generic and specific use ... lots of fun stuff.
In general www.rtl-sdr.com/ keeps you informed about the latest developments in the world of modern radio and it is just amazing how much new possibilities are being created every few days with free software to try.
If you really love it and want to improve your SDR receiver, there are plenty of better ones that cost around 100$ to 400$ that even outperform modern ham radio transceivers within their only domain, the ham bands. Though some of these more sophisticated SDRs also require a modern PC or notebook, ideally with a powerful graphic, because the GPU helps incredibly processing these wider and deeper SDR signals in real time. While the simple 8 bit RTL-SDR dongles works almost with any computer.
One more thing regarding the very inexpensive Chinese handheld radios ... they do an overall good job, but their oscillators and TX output is sometimes not as clean as some traditional manufacturers, because they may save a few cent on some internal filters. This is not a big deal when you operate them in a traditional environment that is full of RF noise anyway, but as you mentioned, if you will go up to the mountain and operate these right at the radio astronomy site, these spurious emissions might create a false alarm in their highly sensitive systems. If you use those Chinese units, maybe keep some distance to these ultra sensitive receivers, just as a precaution.
Welcome to the world of Radio technology - learn and enjoy - if you need any help or have questions, let me know
73 & 88 from the other end of the planet
Joerg in Munich, Germany
The Yaesu FT-991A gives you a lot of choices.
Have had 991A for a year now and I still love it. Also, I'm a fan of the Yaesu fusion digital mode.
This is the one I am now leaning towards the most!
@@nobion1 FT-991 you will be very happy with it for years to come.
1) Your antenna is everything. A huge shiny expensive radio is worthless if you can't receive nor transmit a good signal. Spend the time, energy and money on making sure your antenna is the best it can be and in the best location.
2) Since you expressed the desire to go travelling up mountains and into the nature, I suggest an Icom 718 HF with a home made Dipole antenna. This is the cheapest quality radio you can purchase and is indeed an industrial model which will go forever. For portable and semi-fixed operating away from city interference it is more than enough. Don't be taken by all the features and knobs, you don't need that stuff. Your intent should be quality transmit and quality receive. Nothing else matters.
Humans can carry 15kg easily in a pack so don't be afraid to pack your radio, a battery, coax and antenna in and go for a walk up a hill or into the forest. You don't need specialised equipment. You're a beginner. I've been doing radio for years and I have 2 Icom 718's. They are brilliant radios. Remember, a colour waterfall display and fancy functions doesn't make the signal come in nor go out any better.
NB : MFJ make a good 1:1 Current Balun. Use this for your dipole.
NB : If you don't want to use a dipole for HF whilst outdoors then I recommend the DX Commander All Band Vertical. You can assemble it yourself and it's easily transportable. A really great product.
3) Your car needs a dual band radio. Either Yaesu or Icom - take your pick. Mate it with a good Japanese made Diamond mobile whip antenna.
4) Handhelds : Buy whatever takes your fancy. I have Yaesu and Icom.
In conclusion : Outdoor radio is a lot of fun and relaxing. The basics are all you need to be happy. Lastly, and to iterate, your antenna needs to be resonant and be connected with a quality coax with quality plugs. Get this right and it'll all fall into place.
I will start with I didn’t read all the comments but I do see that some people I follow in the HAM world have commented. I haven’t seen anyone comment that is living or has lived on the Hawaiian islands.
I will say this, when I lived on Oahu I started with a cheapo HT and could hit just about every repeater on the island. If I remember correctly there was a couple of times that someone over on Big Island checked into our Oahu net from mountain top. I personally didn’t find POTA and SOTA till I got out here on the east coast. You might have good success with a HT on SOTA. I can say that for the POTA side of things on HF if you would be very busy with contacts.
But that being said I upgraded to general and got an HF rig. I did mostly digital (JT65) from my house because I couldn’t get an antenna up, I used the MFJ-1622 when I could. Worked good for JT65, and I have used it some for SSB but back then I had mic fright.
You rock Zoe! I'm in the same place you are (9mo ago).. Appreciate the humbleness and inspiration! Subscribed :)
I started out with the HT and then discovered parks on the air and summits on the air. My channel is portable ham radio and I went directly to HF with the 7300. Some say that the 7300 isn’t portable. I have two hardcases one to hold the radio and the second holds the battery antenna coax and guy lines for the mast. Hope this helps and good luck with your adventure. My best advice is Have Fun!!
Good stuff. Fairly new Ham myself and still learning along the way.
YLs have a tradition of signing out with 33 also. The Young Ladies Radio League uses code 33 to mean "love sealed with friendship and mutual respect between one YL [young lady] and another YL."
The most important component of your radio setup (whether it be a base or mobile) is the antenna. If you have a $1,000 base unit hooked up to a very low quality antenna, you've just wasted $1,000. I've been able to work stations on the other side of the planet using a far less expensive transceiver because the antenna was of a high quality design. This goes along with the quality of the coaxial cable and the connectors as well. Remember the higher the gain the better. The lower the Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) the better. The lower the signal loss in the coaxial cable and connectors the better, especially in the UHF bands or higher.
Hey Zoe,
After watching your video here a couple of thoughts. If you want to get your Tech and General in the same sitting then look for an HF radio, with all modes all bands. I would look at the FT-891, It is 100w and covers 160m through 6m. It is mobile so you could hike it to a summit a lot easier than say the FT-991. For only $700.00 you can also get a HT to do VHF/UHF to work repeaters still spend less then FT-991.
Personally I'd get at least the HT before you take your exam, find out how to disable the TX so you don't transmit and start learning how to program it. This will help you understand a lot of things. I was a scanner before I decided to get my ticket. I decided to get an HT before I had my license and did a lot of listening to the local repeaters. By listening to other hams I learned a lot about radio, proper educate, and where I did and did not receive signal. Even after putting a mobile in my vehicle I still use the HT when I travel, it and a small mag mount antenna fit easily into a suitcase.
Good luck with your studies.
73,
Mike KC1KVR
Hi zoe. Glad you're getting into ham radio. If you have any questions feel free to email me and we can talk about some ideas. Like others have said, being in hawaii you'll be a sought after station in some situations. I do alot of portable operations aka Hill topping, which is hiking to the summits usually but not always of mountains and operating qrp portable for a number of hours. I think this is what you might be referring to for adventures. I enjoy it highly and it is a-lot of fun.
It looks like you've got some repeaters on the island - it looks like some to the South in Ocean View may be the closest - that have internet linked digital modes for Yaesu's System Fusion digital mode and DMR. Since you're interested in portable and mountain-top operating, you might find activities like Parks on the Air (POTA) and Summits on the Air (SOTA) of interest. They are a great way to make yourself a highly sought-after station, and operating from mountain tops and parks is just good fun. Thanks for sharing your journey with us, and good luck on your test to get that license.
I started with Yaesu FT897D with built in battery pack and a Super antenna MP1 , quick set up for home and away!
Your subscribers eagerly await your next video. :)
Welcome to the hobby. I got interested in trying ham radio after watching lots of TH-cam videos like Ham Radio Crash Course in 2020. Got technician in Sep and general in Oct. In hindsight I should have taken both tests together as you mentioned. Look forward to keeping up with your journey. 73
I got interested in the 1st grade when the Nun made a pair of Walkie Talkies out of two tin cans and a string . it was 1961 . I got a real pair in 1964 , a real 23 channel Citizen band CB in 65 and obtained my Novice Amateur radio novice license in 1967 ( the 7th grade ) upgraded to general in the 70's . QRP CW operation is my favorite aspect of the hobby . Been radio active for for nearly 60 years now and still fall asleep under the headphones at times ...lol
Hi Zoe, just getting into HAM radio, very much a beginner here so it was lovely to find your channel. Very informative without being at such an advanced level that leaves me baffled. Looking forward to learning lots from you as i study for my licence. Thank you for these videos, much appreciated.
I live in a valley in Arizona and my little Baofeng BF F8HP HT radio easily hits repeaters more than 30 miles away. If I went on top of one of the mountains I don't know how far my signal would go but I'd bet pretty far. If I were trying to do what you said you wanted I'd get the mobile you want plus an inexpensive HT. The idea of dragging that mobile radio out of the car plus a 12 volt battery, plus cable and antenna would get old for me fast. Good luck with your studies and schedule your test. 73 at you.
Always nice to see more women in these topics! I’ve had my Technician license for over 10 years, but I haven’t done much because I never felt very comfortable at the clubs and events. Trying to get past that and get more involved now that I live on the Gulf Coast and we have need for emergency communications from time to time. Hope to see more videos from you! K5HSB
I have Yaesu FT400 and Diamond X30 antenna (2m and 70cm). X30 (affordable $70) is not too big, can be put on balcony if you have a balcony, and good receive and transmit capability. Ft400 can plug into car cigarette lighter. Get a Bioenno battery for your backpack to power FT400 on mountain. Alinco 13V (very reliable) power supply for home is about $130.
I got the radio first, HF and the UHF and VHF. I just monitor for a bit many years ago. That way when you get your license, you will have radio channels that you know traffic and already know how to operate the radio. I would go with a yeasu 101D for beginners. But its in the mid $3 to $4Ks. Great channel.
You will learn that you must distinguish between High Frequency (HF) ham radio, and Very High Frequency / Ultra High Frequency (VHF / UHF) radio. They are quite different from one another. If you want to talk to your local ham radio friends, you'll be on the VHF / UHF radio. Even though it is possible to talk on simplex on the VHF / UHF radios, most hams will monitor their local repeater and few others that are within range. You might make an occasional contact on 146.520 (the VHF national calling frequency), but for the most part, hams talk on repeaters. (At least in my experience.) And this is local chatter that is very informal. People talking about the weather, and local subject, etc. Now that said, it could be fun to go up to a high point on a mountain top and see how many hams you can contact on VHF / UHF. I would suggest getting a good quality handheld VHF / UHF radio to start. The reason is that if you go hiking and want to talk on those frequencies, I think you'll find that a handheld is better. I have a mobile VHF radio, but I use it as my base station radio for joining the local nets, etc. But I don't keep it in my car. One of these days I'll get a quality VHF / UHF mobile radio for the car, but I'm usually on interested in that for long car rides.
HF radio is where you are trying to see how far away you can reach with your radio. And you do not need a lot of power to do this. It is a matter of the propagation characteristics of radio waves at those wavelengths. You need to do a TH-cam search for Summits on the Air (POTA) and Parks on the Air (POTA). This is the kind of operating you are interested in. If you manage to pass your General, you will have a lot more fun with those kinds of outings. For that radio, I'd suggest the Yaesu FT-891. It's a great portable HF radio that will work all the way up to 6 meters.
I studied for my tech and general at the same time and I passed both at the same sitting. I would highly suggest going to QRZ.com and looking for the tab "resources". That was the best online practice testing I found.
Keep at it, and good luck!
Well this is fun. I recently started studying for my Ham Radio License. Your videos have been really fun to watch. I'm with you... I was saying to myself I have to memorize these frequencies. I think this hobby is more OJT and will pick more up that way. Hope to see you out there!
How is the HAM coming? Im a Tech and my wife is a general. Just in the last 6 months. We are having fun, but still confusing! LOL We have be using the Beofang hand held. Linking to SKYHUB in Denver. Hooks us up to a lot of repeaters. Able to listen thousands of miles away :) Still haven't made a contact yet. Just ordered 2 of the Yeasue FTM_400XDR for our trucks! 73!!
I'm glad to see more people close to my age getting involved in amateur radio. It's really up to us to keep the hobby going. I've had my general for about 5 years, but just recently bought my first HF radio (ic7300 in an apartment). I have an advanced understanding of electronics, but a novice knowledge of RF. Looking to change that! Anyway, thanks Zoe, I think you can do great things here.
Hi Zoey
I just got my Tech and General a month ago and started with 2 meter. Try the Icom 2730A. Great mobile radio with basic UHF and VHF and go with a Diamond 40 inch mobile antenna. Have fun!!!
The Yaesu FTM 400 XDR is a GREAT radio!!!! Get a TRAM 1480 antenna for your base station before they are no longer available. A great value! You can still order them on Amazon. There was a high demand on these antennas in 2019. I can hit repeaters 50 miles away with my Tram 1480. 🏆
Hey Zoe. Just found your channel. I have been interested in get my ham license and I am hopeful that I can sit for my exam in May. I have really enjoyed your ham videos and relate to your goals in this regard. Looking forward to seeing more videos.
Did you get your license?
The FT-65r is the one I have and it is a great first HT.
I can confirm ♡♡♡
Yaesu 65r for the win
Thank you for the recommendation!
An HT makes for a great first radio. Combined with a repeater, the distances that you can cover are really remarkable. Adding a roll up J pole and some elevation, I think you’d be impressed. Other advantages to starting with an HT or at least having one with a mobile , is that you can always have it with you. While doing work at home or a walk , running errands around town, an HT is easy to have near you and that convenience will probably having you listening and learning more rather than have the setup required with just a mobile portable operation (coax, power supply, mobile, antenna ) Local repeated nets make good practice, I remember how nervous I was before throwing my call out there for first time. Having an HT while hiking or on the water is a nice back up emergency contact tool. And lastly, you might find yourself interested in the public service aspect of the hobby. Many events like marathons, bike races, etc will often have Hams manning locations and relaying information back to a net control who works with event organizers and medical personnel. These events general use HTs when the event isnt spread out over a large area. And if you wanted to play, more. Get a small directional antenna like an Arrow backpack 3 element handheld antenna and climb some peAks and have some simplex Sota fun with other islands. Should be able to reach 30/40/50 miles no problem. I also prefer the sounds of analog over digital. Just my 2 cents. There are some radios that combine Hf/vhf/uhf in one radio for not much more than that mobile you were looking at. The ft-857d or Icom 7100, both can fit in a backpack and can be used portable. The 7100 I believe also has DStar as a bonus. A radio that fits you well now might not in 6 months as you gain experience or your use case for the radio changes. I’m excited to see you on this journey and can’t wait to see you operate. 73 Steve
Great video. I feel like we're in the same place on this journey
If you are really going to go with a VHF/UHF radio for your first one (you really shouldn't if you are interested in DX like you mentioned) you should take a good hard look at the Icom IC-2730A. It is a dual band mobile radio that does full duplex so it is perfect for satellites. I am an HF CW only ham and have been for many years and I never thought I'd be interested in ham radio satellites but I will say they are the most fun I've ever had as a ham. Worth thinking about...
The radio you first buy won’t be your last lol. I started off with a yaesu 857D. Does HF, VHF and UHF. And it gave me the HF bug by making a 10m contact when I was a tech. I still use it for POTA. Got into digital...added a ft2dr and then added a ftm400dr on the fusion side of digital. Then added an anytone 878 and doing dmr. picked up a openspot2 for more digital and doing cross modes. I then added the ic7300 for the house. K9DJR
Your 857 does ALL the bands? That's interesting, I didn't know it did 1.2 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and up. You must have a very special 857!
@@Michael-nd7gh can’t wait to qso with you.
License first excellent idea. It sounds like you know quite a bit already and have excellent help here so I won't add even more. Good luck. 73, Don
Hahaa thanks very much - maybe find you on the air one day!
I use an Icom 7100. For off grid power I use a Bioenno 40 aH battery. For HF I use an MFJ939 antenna tuner which should work with a wide range of antennas. I use an ELK log periodic for 2m and 440. This equipment might be packaged in a go box.
Hi Zoe, Here is some thoughts from very old past experiences. The most important part on any amateur radio station is the antenna. The old saying is " if you can't hear them you can't work them" is very true. No matter the band the radiating device must be efficient. That is why we pay so much attention to them in the Broadcast Industry. Not that we expect to hear them but the effectiveness of the radiating system. Also as I have read in may of the comments, if there is a local radio club go seek it out. There is no better way to learn and get help and take advantage of someone who has been doing it for a time. Sometimes a little advice on the spot can be very useful. I wish I had it when I started back in 1961. No internet then!!! Many good learning sites on the web for the technical stuff. I am always continuing to learn new things, as many new innovations are coming into play in my former vocation. "It is a life long learning process". QRP, portable operations, hiking to mountain tops are all exciting methods to enjoy the art of communications. Here one must play close attention to portable power, weight, antenna size and portability of entire package.The Amateur Radio Community is truly a sharing community. Best of luck in your next steps. de K8DMM
Only comment for you is make sure you know how you want to operate (like Josh and others mention below). It can be done with the right type of propagation, but you’ll normally have a hard time talking to anyone outside of Hawaii using solely VHF/UHF. If you want to talk outside of Hawaii then I highly suggest a 100w HF radio (vice a 50w VHF/UHF radio) as they are better for worldwide comms. You can build a very good and lightweight mobile “shack” with a 100w HF rig, automatic tuner, portable power supply (not using the car battery), and wire antenna. Many of us have setups like this for “Summits on the Air” where weight is a premium, or for “Parks on the Air” where we can just drive up to and operate. Josh (HRCC) and the rest of the TH-camrs Bunch have lots of very informative videos you can watch to learn about portable HF rigs, wire antennas, and portable power.
Before settling on a mobile radio, look at web sites like repeaterbook.com to see how many repeaters are near-by where you like to travel and the type of digital repeaters available. This information may impact your decision making process.
For a home base station (HF radio) you may want to look at magnetic loop antennas. This type of antenna can be a pain but could work very well for you and takes up very little room compared to most other types of antennas.
For someone just starting out, you sure have yourself on the right track. Go for lithium batteries for portable power supply big difference in weight try to go solar. You sure have good choices in radios as well. I can tell you have been studying this from all angles. 73 From Danny (W9BKY)
an icom 7300 as covers a lot of bands and 100watts also can take mobile to remote places and use a seperate portable battery to power it
I came across your channel by chance I guess but I'm glad I did. There seem to be a whole lot of people getting (possibly back) into HAM Radio and I'm all for that. I'm in the process of getting my license and I seem to be in a similar state with the exam. I've been pushing it back and back again, for years by now and every so often picking up my books and notes and getting back into it. The recent events have rekindled my passion for it and for CW especially. Lately I've been working with a SDR setup which is work related. So even though I may not have any advice you can certainly count me in with all the other who are at the same point as you. Keep at it, and I'll be looking forward to hearing about your exam at some point. Cheers
Hey Zoe Good Video Keep Studying Im still trying to upgrade to General, like your video, I did not know (88)
means Hugs and Kisses (LOL) I learned something new ! Keep up the good work be safe Aloha 73!! Victor
I'm a beginner so I've enjoyed your vids. I studied on and off for two years before I could find an exam. A club in Waimea, KHRC, offered their services. I pasted the technician and they encouraged me to try the general. I did and pasted also. Mostly memorized the questions without understanding. Encouraged by my success I memorized the extra questions and passed the extra exam one moth later. My first radio was a Baofeng and found a very friendly repeater community on the Kona side. I say friendly because I've made about every mistake I can make and everyone has been very patient. Following several blogs and FB. The most common recommendation for my first HF rig should be 100 watts. I choose to go QRP. Ok, yes, they dropped me when I was born. But like you I wanted to try transmitting from different locations and I travel and wanted to easily bring it with me. I waited until I could get an IC 705. So far I couldn't be happier. Of course understand I have no experience to know any better. My plan was to get it with the Chameleon F loop. They are back ordered, so I got a MFJ loop tuner while I wait. That's worked out real well too. I have to cut, crimp and fiddle with it to make resonate at frequency. The scope on the 705 helps a lot. As a result I am gaining a hands on understanding. For me it's the "fiddling" that's fun. One night I almost made contact to Arizona from Kealakekua. Ok it's another big fish that got away story. But loops are a little directional and I found playing with transmission bandwidth and filtering DXing is definitely possible.
Good luck with your journey.
Hi Brian, thank you so much for sharing your journey with me! It gives me hope :) When did you get your licenses in Waimea? I think I am also going to be taking the exams first primarily without understanding - more regurgitation but I am just itching to get operating! That is so cool that you also made contact with Arizona! What band were you on?
@@nobion1 I passed my general 9/30/19. Then my extra 11/30. Time flys when you are having fun. I remember them being only a month apart, also it's over a year now. I got the 705 about two months ago. Hands on makes a big difference in understanding. I mostly listen, my almost contact with Arizona was on 40meters. My loop antenna is orientated east/west. I've listened to conversations as far as Tennessee. There is a Hawaii net on 7.088 at 4pm and a web site 40meters.net that gives a lot of info. My chameleon F loop will arrive 3/1 and then I can start trying POTA.
Hi Zoe, I really appreciate your enthusiasm in ham radio and for getting your license. 73 is used quite often in voice & packet/email although I believe its primary use was in CW long ago. 88 on the other hand is typically used for a sigificant other, so it might sound strange coming from just anyone. :) 73 KD5YOU
Haha oh got it! Thanks so much for sharing! I wouldn't have known otherwise :)
Hi Zoe! I just found your channel and enjoyed the fact that your are brand new coming into Ham Radio. I agree, an HT is usually the first radio that most new Hams purchase (I know I did) but if you want a full featured, all mode, all band mobile radio...hands down, the ICOM IC-7100 is the best (and pretty much the only) radio out there that does it all. I bought mine when they first arrived on the market and it is still in use in my shack as my primary UHF/VHF and D-Star radio. I mention the D-Star feature because with the addition of a HotSpot, you can talk all over the world without a huge HF Antenna. All you need is an internet connection at home or tether it to your phone as a wifi hotspot. Yeah, lots of "old" hams cringe at the use of its ability to utilize the internet, but with the current solar cycle, D-Star works when HF does not. D-Star also gives you digital voice (DV) simplex capability which works very well and busts through local interference really well. So, my thought process is such...if you are just getting into Ham Radio and only want to purchase one radio that does, UHF/VHF and HF in all modes on all the bands. The IC-7100 meets that requirement. You can take it mobile or use it at home. It has 35 Watts on UHF, 50 Watts on VHF and 100 Watts on HF regardless of mode. Just my thoughts...something for you to look at. If you have any questions, you can look me up on QRZ.com and email me. Cheers and 73, KL7CA PS. Welcome to the exciting world of Ham Radio...you will never stop learning new and cool stuff!!
Thanks for taking the time to make this video! I have recently became interested in APRS and have been looking at the many options for radios. Your video turned up in my search parameters. I took the time to subscribe and follow in hopes this topic comes up! 73!!
You are going to have a blast!! Keep up the good work Zoe!!! 👍👍👍😎🇨🇱
Good stuff. Keep up the good work.
I aced the Tech exam on Feb 13 by both learning the material (that is, understanding it) and practicing the test. No call sign yet though--is DC shut down for wx? Opted out of taking the General the same day because, again, I think it's better to really understand the material that's being tested instead of just memorizing the answers (though in some cases that is all you can do). I'll take the General on March 28.
Have you considered the Yaesu 991A? That's the way I'm leaning for a home base because of its coverage of HF and VHF/UHF. It's not a lot bigger than a pure mobile unit and much more capable. I might go for separate HF and VHF/UHF for my home base, but the $$ required for that is insane. Another option is an HF base and HT for .7 and 2m.
A pure "mobile" unit in my car is mostly pointless because I can't really see using HF while driving anyway. For an emergency maybe? But that's what the HT would be for.
My son (13) and I got our Technician and General last year, my daughter (12) just got her Technician, and I’m testing for AE in about a week.
Here’s a simple, systematic, and cheap method that has worked for all of us:
Use hamstudy.org
1. Go to the “Read Questions” area: Read through each question in a section (e.g., G1), and only look at the right answer (the first time). Click the explanation to learn more to help you remember the answer.
2. Move to the “Study Mode” area after reading all the questions in a section. Go to the section where you read the questions (e.g., G1) and drill. Don’t guess. If you think you know the answer, click it. If you don’t, click “I don’t know” to see the right answer and consider reading the explanation as well. Drill in that section until you get to 90% comprehension.
3. Repeat this process for subsequent sections.
4. Return to older sections periodically to refresh.
5. When you finish all the sections, take practice tests until you feel ready to take the real test.
You won’t learn much this way but you will pass and it doesn’t cost anything (no need to buy books or courses). The key is to condition yourself to recognize the right answers.
We spent about two weeks for each test studying this way. Worked like a charm.
This is a great field to be to learn electronics if you're interested. Tons of foundational knowledge in the book, over the air and online. Like I mentioned on a reply below, I'm a big fan of Yaesu although Icom has a lot of good toys too! If you want the best of both worlds of mobility and power starting out, I'd recommend the Yaesu FTM-400DR in the car/truck. It's a great unit and packed with a lot of features. Also, considering your ask, depending on the mount you could easily remove it from the vehicle and use it has your home base station as well.
For good base station, I would also throw my hat in to the ring for the FT-991A. It's a solid performer and I've had nothing but success with it.
Going back to the 400DR... I have yet to do it, but I believe since the 400DR is a dual transceiver radio, it can be used a base station or a repeater... So really if you have a hand held, you could walk around with your handheld (like a Yaesu FT2D/FT3D) and bounce that signal through your FTM-400DR which, would not only have more power but also, I'm assuming, the larger gain antenna to reach who you're trying to talk to. From there, a good parking spot on a tall hill would do nicely. -- I would only caution you with the car/truck's battery usage. After a little time passes, you may find it difficult to start the truck if your transmitter used up all it's juice. (But there's ways around that too. - like a reserve battery) 73!
The only other tip I would like to pass your way right now is that the radio's power is good and always a factor to be considered but the right antenna for the proper use makes all the difference. I hope that helps.
KF0RCE
: ^ )
Hi! 😀
Fellow ham from the UK, currently only got a Foundation license (10w, no ops ON int'l soil, no homebrew antennae allowed) from 2020.
Most of what you want or need, we share in common! 😀
*My first handheld was and still have a Yaesu VX-6E (R should be US/Hawaii). Waterproof. Perfect for 2m/70cm. Included antenna picks up international radio stations/commercial.
Also got it an Abree antenna/48cm - replica of US Mil. rubber duck/foldable/gooseneck antenna. I got a contact/QSO out to 35 miles from my rooftop! -Analogue/2m! -on just 5w! This kept me going during the UK Lockdowns. External mic (~$20) was required for clearer/louder 5-9 reports. Got reports of being too quiet without it and mic gain turned-up. Suspect it's a waterproof membrane over the built-in mic which lets it down.
*My 'mobile'/'shack-in-a-box' is a Yaesu FT-857D. I will be predominantly using it on the HF bands. -Hoping to do SoTA (or if not into the scheme, to at least get off my butt, do some hill-walking, take 5, and just enjoy seeing if I can contact anyone on HF thousands of miles away). 😀
*Battery - Zippy Compact LifePo4 / 4S2P / 13.2v / 4200mah / 30C from HobbyKing.com .
How to homebrew:
vk1nam.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/powering-the-yaesu-ft-857d-for-sota/
www.hamblog.co.uk/batteries-for-portable-amateur-radio-use/
But google FTN-400 DXR and LifePo4 (more stable and lightweight) to see what/how hams have notched-up their cables. Could be articles already out there 👍
If you want to keep the original DC leads for PSU at home, get a spare to notch-up with any battery connectors (bullet / anderson powerpoles etc) you need on hilltop. That way, if something goes wrong with the DIY, you still got the original lead to key-up from home/in the car. -Suspect you may need 2 additional DC leads if you truly want to operate in the car / home / field.
*Charger: SkyRC Imax B6 Mini-Charger - Ensure it has 'SkyRC' on it/genuine brand. Makes charging above very simple.
*Antenna - NewSuperAntenna.com. Portable kit, all good qty construction. Modular kit that can be configured for 2m going all the way down to, I think, 160m. As VHF/433 isn't covered, your hand talkie will be useful for any 70cm or repeater action. Plus, in the field/hilltop, you can have the antenna cable setup for HF on the mobile and just use your hand talkie for UHF/VHF action.
*Cable/Connectors - Messi & Paoloni Ultraflex 7 / 50 ohm cable. M&P PL-259 connectors (but check what your own sockets are first). -Download the manual PDF of the FTN-400. Should tell you what sockets are and the minimum voltage/currant requirements. E.g. my 857D is 11.73 Volts.
Good hams with mobility/portability: TH-camr OH8STN / Julian out in Finland.
Hear you on the romanticism front with analogue! LOL 😂😎 -Work with cloud tech/computers all day long. I just love keying-up on my roof or out and about when not working, old skool. And I'm an 80s kid. 😀
73s!
Mobile radios need a much bigger power supply than do handhelds. Mobile radios taken out of a vehicle will require either large power supply or a huge battery. Either way the power supply will take up more space, more weight and more cost than the actual radio. Mobiles are not designed to taken out of your car, and are not at all convent to remove and then re-install.
A 5W handheld should work anywhere on the island of Hawaii, its all a matter of where the repeaters are located. VHF/UHF are line of sight frequencies, so if you can "see" the repeater then you can work it. Handhelds come with a short (not very efficient) antenna, which should be enough to get started anywhere on your island. You can also experiment with other attached antennas to the handheld to increase its range by using a more efficient (read larger) antenna. You can even do island to island contacts with a handheld and a really good antenna system.
After you get more experience you'll see that ham radio is mostly about the antenna system and less about the transceiver.
You should look at the Baofeng radios from China, the price of these units can't be beat. They might not be the same quality than the more expensive units, but they are 1/10 the price.
Once you have enough experience and you upgrade your license and move to HF then you can access the whole world, you will need all the money you saved on a cheap handheld to get a station capable of world wide contacts. Once you do that let me know and we can talk on HF, VA6EE (Canada).
Remember... its all in the antenna!
With the newer Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries (such as the Bioenno packs) The batteries do not have to be huge nor weigh a lot to be used for several hours of fun. Look in to Bioenno batteries.
@@jamesk0ua Yes LiFeP batteries are much smaller and lighter than Lead Acid. But the power needed by a mobile radio still makes them huge compared to the typical battery pack used in a handheld. The Bioenno BLF-1209WS 12V 9Ah battery is 6 x 2.6 x 3.8 inches and weighs 2.6 lbs. I'd guess this is 10x the battery in any handheld. I'll stand by my original post. :-)
Thanks so much for the in depth reply - and for having it writing very "newby" friendly! Id really like to get into POTA/ SOTA from which I understand HT's are beneficial. Ultimately I would like to get on HF and communicate internationally - perhaps even where you are in Canada!
I'm studying now for my technician license. My head hurts. Haha. I hope you make more videos.
Get a 100 watt 160 through 6 meter radio. Don't get a low power radio for your first one. If you think you will do more portable look at a Yaesu FT-891. For the 2 meter 440 spectrum the Yaesu 400 is very nice, if you have C4FM system fusion repeaters it will allow that mode, and of coarse its a great analogue rig as well. For battery power in a portable setting look at Bioenno batteries. They are very lite and have a lot of power compared to a lead acid or lead gel cell. I could type for days and never get to the end.
Really great video Zoe, nice to see that you already now before to get the license thinking about what sort of radio gear you plan to get. I will say it depends a little on what aspect of the communication that's interesting you most. If you think first that you're mostly going to communicate locally in Hawaii you maybe have enough with a VHF/UHF radio. Put one in your car, get one extra lead battery if you thinking about operating static mobile. Get a 2 band Yagi beam and a pole for put it on. No rotator for the antenna is needed, you turn it manually. With one extra battery e.g. 70 amp/h and a 40-50 watt radio you can run for hours and don't need to be afraid that your car battery gets empty. If your interest is rather communicating with abroad stations, forget the VHF/UHF equipment. Then it's better to purchase a HF radio, why not a second hand radio, a few years old it's no problem. Same battery setup as for VHF/UHF, use one of these telescopic fiberglass poles about 25-30 feet high, heng up e.g. a linked dipole which is very easy to make and easy to tune/change band. I hope some of my advises can help you in the future. Good luck with the radio hobby and the exam when that day come. Best 73's from LA3DNA Leif
Zoe, adding a counterpoise to your handhelds antenna can increase it's range. Gil, The Radio Prepper has a video on this. By adding a counterpoise to my VX-6r I was able to hit a repeater that was 23 miles away on 5 watts. Good luck on your General license. 73!
Where do you live that 23 miles on an HT is an impressive feat?
@@Michael-nd7gh Northern Illinois area... we also have the highest point of ground in Illinois between us and the antenna, which is mounted on a water tower, yet I have no problems connecting to the repeater.
I have been a Radio HAM since 1967 . CW is my favorite aspect of the hobby ...
The icom 7300 is a fantastic radio for the money. Also the yaesu 891 is a great radio. I have both. 73, KD2RLB
Thanks for the recommendations. Are they both all band radios?
@@nobion1 they are. The 891 is a better rig for taking mobile. I have the 891 in my work van and the 7300 in my home shack.
Good luck in your studies. I qualified in the UK in March 2018. Foundation holders are limited to 10W, so some people might think I'm wrong, but I'm looking to get the IC-705. Since I've got the disadvantage of power, I thought I would gain the advantage of the waterfall and being able to pick out signals, plus it's got everything, HF/VHF/UHF. I did have a Kenwood TH-D74 last year, but sold that to save up for the Icom. I'm 50, so had a slight advantage in being interested in electronics and computers since I was 15 :-) 73s M7GTX
Consider purchasing used equipment.
I’d say that 95% of us hams take pretty good care of there of our ham gear. So the chances of getting a “Dud” are fairly slim, Local Hamfests, E Bay, even placed like HRO sell used equipment at reasonable prices. A $1200 rig ten years ago may only cost you $400 dollars on the used market.. Don’t fall into the latest and greatest market. Most of those bells and whistles you as the newbie are not going to even use. Save the “SWANK” for a later date.
Consider what bands you want to operate on, and look accordingly. The Icom 706 MKIIG is a really nice choice. HF to UHF all mode and 100 watts on HF and 6 meters, 50 watts VHF and 30/40 watts UHF. The IC-7000 is basically the same rig with a few more features and a color screen. Yaesu, Kenwood make similar rigs to the 706 as well. Try to avoid QRP rigs for now. 5 and 10 watts is just going to discourage you especially on the HF bands. Power supplies? I’ve always liked Astron. Been using them for years and years, never any problems. Never a fan of switch mode power supplies, but that’s just me.
Good Coax IS a must ! Buy a high quality coax LMR 400 is a great product. Long lasting and low loss.
Good Luck on your Ham Shack journey.
The FTM-400 is a great radio. I loved it so much I have one in the shack and one in the car. The car radio is connected into my 10 Amp accessory port in my Van. In the case of antennas, there are many for mobile so research that but for home, please check out the Ed Fong J-Pole. His physics students build these as part of a class project. They are very well made, inexpensive and easy to put up. There are 2 models. Both of which you should consider. The permanent mount and the portable mount. The portables you can through up in a tree for much better coverage from an HT and the base which goes in a piece of PVC and mounts outside the house or in an attic. Both are fantastic.
An HT handheld with a BNC connector for your antenna will allow you to switch back and forth to a mobile antenna in a vehicle to be versatile in that way too
Been licensed since the mid 90’s, got my extra back when you actually had to know code... take this to heart, no matter what you do it’s all about the antenna. Someone can have an $8,000 radio and you have a $500 radio but if your antenna is superior you’ll out talk them easily... EASILY. Remember antenna, antenna and antenna. Your radio is worthless no matter the model without a proper efficient antenna.
Antennas are to radio as tires are to race cars.
Get the ARRL license books and study for it. It gives you the information needed to take the test. It gives you the test and gives information about the test. I think you should go to something that does DMR! Anytone 878UVPlus hand held and 578UVIIPlus base do VHF-UHF and DMR,
Hi Zoe, great choice on the Yaesu FTM-400. It will do a great job for you. It will also allow you to activate APRS, which is a beacon that tracks your location. Good for hiking/driving if you wanted to use it. There are many battery options but just a simple 12 volt 7Ah (Amp Hour) Battery is all you need to go portable with the radio. They are just a few pounds so it works great in a backpack type of setup. Don’t know about Hawaii but these batteries run anywhere from $20-$40 on the east coast. You just need a 12 volt battery charger to finish out your initial gear. You can search APRS map online and you will be able to see what APRS is all about. Enjoy your journey. 73’s
Its great to follow your progress! The Amateur Radio community is an amazing community for sure! There are a LOT of people that are willing to help and there are no shortage of opinions.
On learning, I agree with your path. I help with exam prep classes for my local club and that is exactly what we do...we study the questions. As you said, that allows you to get your license and get on the air. Once you do that, you can decide what areas you want to focus on. Along the way, through the exam study method, you will learn important things as well. You may not retain everything but you will at least be familiar with it.
On radios, I am a big fan of the Yaesu FTM-400xdr for sure. They are spendy, but they are great radios. They also introduced a new model last summer, the FTM-300dr. The 300 will do almost everything the 400 will do but it doesn't have the touch screen and is slightly less expensive.
Handhelds are great as well. In addition to using them portable, you can always connect them to a vehicle mounted antenna and get more range.
Good luck on your journey and 73 AA4JW
You are right! an amazing community ! Since I got started as Ham radio operator in 2018 I have already seen this spirit of ham community many times
Great video Zoe. Your homework seems to have you on a good path. I received my Technician license about a year ago. HanStudy was a big help. When you regularly pass the practice tests you’ll be ready to take the exam. I’m studying for General Class now. That Yaesu FTM 400 will give you a good base and mobile option. I operate similarly with an ICOM 5100A. I think you’ll find operations from your apartment won’t be a problem. I use an Arrow Antennas OSJ set up indoors with great results. As others have said check with local HAMs and get involved with local radio clubs to find what systems work best in your area. Good luck with the test. Marty KC3OSW
I am were you are as far as very new to the ham world and currently studying for the technician license. I'm looking at the ICOM 705 for a mobile unit. It has a lot of features to grow into as I move forward. But only 5 watts with it's own battery. And 10 watts on external power supply. I have seen on TH-cam that it will reach out. I plan to get into POTA and SOTA. Good luck. Hope to hear you on the air.
You'll do fine with either choice. Radios get more expensive with more capabilities they have. I know price is a factor when buying your first radio, but when I spent more time on the radio and talking with other hams on a local repeater, that's why radios get expensive.
To put it in an easier way to understand, it's like buying a new cellphone. I could go to Walmart and buy a prepaid flip phone and save a lot of money, but I'm limited on what I can do on that phone compared to a smart phone. Some have larger screens, faster processors, expandable memory and such. It's almost the exact same argument for radios.
It's all about what you want to do with the radio of your choice. I got myself an Icom IC-705 HF/VHF/UHF all mode radio a few months ago. A few hams said it's an expensive radio and doesn't have a lot of power (5w/10w). On the other hand, I have a radio that will do whatever I need it to do and then some.
Hi Michael, love the analogy....thank you so much! Great that you found a radio you really enjoy operating - I will check it out now!
For a portable antenna, Ed Fong J-pole. Look it up, easy to carry and deploy most effective.
Sweet, I'll check it out!
Ah come on Zoe, you need to prioritize your Ham Radio studies :-) Go get your licence and then go shopping for a radio, for starting off, I would go for a HF/VHF/UHF radio, something like an IC706, FT991A, FT-897D, FT-897D, but personally if it was me, I would go for a IC-7000 HF/VHF/UHF. You can pick one up second hand. For antenna you could look at a End Fed Half wire antenna, using a 49:1 transformer and 66ft of wire, you could work most of the world on HF, just fling the end of the antenna in a tall tree.
For VHF/UHF I would get a DIAMOND SG7900 and a mag mount for your car/portable ops, you could listen to International Space Station, Ham radio satellites, local repeaters plus it would work in your apartment.
Personally I wouldn't go with digital radio, as you can get apps for your pc that will give you access to Digital Ham Radio.
Keep us posted, de Ei2iP
I know Robbie, right! I'm disappointed in myself haha! you wold recommend HF/VHF/UHF radio....do you need your generals to operate most of the HF? I'm planning to go for it anyway. Just to confirm if I was to just get the UHF/VHF radio I wouldn't be able to transmit internationally unless on the digital mode? Interesting to know that I can do this over the computer too! One of my goals is to listen to the ISS. I have seen on your channel you have had luck doing that!
@@nobion1 Using digital on UHF/VHF you would transmit to your local repeater and then from there it would use the internet to get to some other repeater and you could talk to someone that is in range of that other repeater. They even sell "hotspots" that you can use a digital mobile or HT, to your own personal hotspot, and then the hotspot uses the internet to get to another node elsewhere where it coverts back to RF. Great for traveling as you don't need to be in range of a repeater, you just need internet and your hotspot. You can even use it with your cell phone internet. May ham radio purists would say "that;s not ham radio" because it uses the internet, and technically you are not "transmitting" internationally like you would on HF where your actual RF signal propagates around the world, but it does give you access all around the world none the less. It's just another facet of ham radio that has grown out of advances in technology.
Hi Zoe, never seen your channel before but you seem like a very sweet lady. I agree with the recommended radios above. IMO the best move is to join your local club. They'll likely lend you a radio/antenna and even install it for you. Passing the tests is relatively easy compared to understanding all the equipment and modes we use which is where a club is most valuable.
HF is fun but expensive and overrated. I find myself operating mainly 2m/70cm since that's where my club, my community and my fascination w satellites are conducted and it's easiest to just grab my ID51 HT so don't get too hung up on HF base stations yet unless you REALLY like contesting, boring nets and older gentlemen endlessly talking antennas, or joining the burgeoning YL groups(female hams). I look forward to more of your videos. Good luck! 73 KM6VAY
@@nobion1 well keep the questions coming, if you need any advice, just reach out..
@@Ei2iP haha thanks Robbie!
Portable operation is really fun. I love taking my qrp rig camping and playing radio by the campfire.
Starting out on vhf is ok, but I've known several people who came to the hobby that way and were immediately turned off by what they encountered. It can be pretty dull and unfriendly. Hopefully your results will be different.
totally agree
Antinna and feed line is most important. If you can't receive well you can't make a contact no matter how much power or how good the radio is!
Thanks for the words of wisdom!
Zoe, I thought you'd already gotten your Technician license. So, good luck. For your home, and travel plans. I'd recommend a hand held, then later get a mobile (car) radio. You can always set up a mobile as a small, Base Station, in the apartment, with a small antenna.
#1) Find a radio in your budget💲, #2) Get a good brand for your first radio. Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, Alinco, etc. Are all dependable, fairly easy to program and operate. And will make your hobby more fun. #3) Antenna 📡. Consider a good mobile, mag mount antenna. This will work for home and travel. This can be swapped from a handy talkie to your mobile base station. And these are not to expensive. #4) Once you get a radio rig, and get your "feet wet" you will know more of what you will want or need, later. #5) Your friends WILL label you as a nerd. 🤓 Embrace your intelligence and have fun! Atleast you'll be in the know, when emergencies 🌋 🚒or bad weather 🌧🌀 happens. 👍
(And a plus for you... You can get the daily tide report, on the local weather channels. 🤙)
Aloha from Georgia! ... KE4WRN
Everyone saying buy this or that, but your first question should be, what do I want to do with an amateur ticket? Do you want to do VHF/UHF which is line of sight/satellite. Do you want to do HF which is around the world? What are your neighborhood restrictions? Do you want to do digital, analog or CW? Do you want to experiment and build your own stuff or buy everything pre-made? Do you want to travel in your hobby or operate from one location? Do you want to participate in a local ham group, do weather watch, military communications, national traffic system or disaster relief. Or do you just want to operate solo on the D/L? You can choose any one of these things or all of them. Whatever you choose to do dictates what equipment and licensing would be required. You really need an Elmer, that is local, to guide you especially when starting out. If you don't know anyone who fits that bill, you should checkout your local amateur radio group and get to know them personally. They may even have some old gear they would happily loan you and be willing to help you get your license. It doesn't have to be all on your own and folks who are into the hobby around you will help like you wouldn't believe. 73 DE W5JJW
Hey Jason - thanks so much for the information! I'd ultimately like to do HF and digital, analog...maybe one day CW once I am more fluent in it. So many great questions of which you are totally right, I need to develop these answers before advancing. Just sent the local radio group an email to see how I could get involved. Thanks again!
Passed my technician class online last night . Used ham study for a week.
On taking test...aside from studying, IMHO you should also. google ‘multiple choice testing strategies’. I was a Master Instructor for technical subjects while in the USAF. There is a plan/pattern to writing & taking such test. With a good knowledge of test taking procedures & strategies you can pass test on subjects you are familiar with. Good on you for studying a level higher, it will pay-off. Good Luck.
For UHF and VHF you should just start with a handheld. 5 watts. Vhf and uhf is line of sight. On my HT i can talk to a repeater 30 miles ways from my second floor. If u climb a mountain u can talk to basically anything line of sight. It’s designed for local use with repeaters. You can do simplex but it depends on the location. Get a handheld and with a technician license u can try it out. Spend the money on HF mobile rig. There are a ton of options for antennas and mobile. Your best bet is join a local Ham club. And like Josh says Hawaii is a rare location that people would love contact with. HF radios go up to 100w and beyond that you will need amplifiers and those are costly. I would get a base station and not a mobile when starting out. 100w on HF. Might be hard to climb mountain with it but it’s just as easy going to a park driving with a base station as a mobile. You just need a battery pack. Btw even with an antenna HF inside ur apartment you can do a lot of digital contacts. I got all 50 states in the US including Hawaii with digital in 2 months of the license. Really fun stuff when you reach a country or place you can’t believe you did.
Starting out, I went with a dual band mobile radio so I wasn't spending a lot. I didn't go after both tech and general at same time, but wish I did. Once I was getting ready to go for my General, I really started looking at a couple base station radios, I did a lot of research on both the Icom 7300 and Yaesu FT 991A. I went with the Yaesu just because is considered a shack in a box, and can be used portable due to not being real big, and does all your main HF bands and also the 2M and 70CM bands. you can use any antenna that will work for the space you have, I have and use a chameleon spider ASB works well and doesn't take much space. I have taken my 991A to field days and QSO away from home, and use a base station.
Interesting - you are looking at the same 2 radios I am (just not sure I will want to get an HT as I know I will want HF capability would almost rather just put the $ towards that). I am leaning toward the Yaesu for the exact same reasons. Are you happy with it?
I have had my 991a since March 2020 and really like the radio, I would recommend if you get it to also get the software it helps with programming. I know a few other people with the radio and they really like it also.
Zoe also check out Hamtest online , I passed the Tech and General together and am kicking myself for not taking the extra at same time. After all u can attempt all of them for the same fee . Good Luck . 73 and 88’s . W1AJF
One other short comment. The purpose of the power supply is to take a 120 volt AC current and change it to 13.8 volt DC current, which most radios use. When you go hiking you will use a small 12 volt battery for power and therefore will not need a "power supply".
AH gotchya! So do most "mobile" unites opperate off the 12v battery? Then most base radios would use 13.8volt DC?
Hi Zoe, I have a suggestion. Instead of buying a power supply, I would recommend getting a lithium battery like a Bioenno Power battery. That way you can operate portable and if you get the power supply for it you can charge the battery while you are using it when at home. If grid power is out you still can operate on battery. You can then consider adding a solar panel later. Good luck studying. 73 de (=from) N3WS
Thank you so much for the recommendation. Will such a battery like that supply a radio like the Yaesu FT991A?
@@nobion1 Yes. The size of the battery will determine how long you can operate. On receive (RX) the 991 pulls about 2.2 amps according to the manual. On Transmit (TX) it says 22 amps at the full 100 watts, but you'll probably find that to be less. To calculate that out you usually use a formula with 80% RX and 20% TX. The 15 amp hour Bioenno battery has a Maximum Continuous Discharge Current of 30A and the charger for it is a 4 amp charger. You can charge while using the battery, So it is offsetting the power usage. So the formula it (amps * % * hours). So if we calculate for one hour, RX=2.2a X .8% X 1h = 1.76 amp hours, TX=22 * .2% x 1h = 4.4 so our total amp usage for one hour is 6.16, but if you are putting in 4 amps per hour, it's actually only 2.16 from the battery. A 15 amp hour battery would then last 6.94 hours, roughly. Without input from the charger it would only last about 2 hours, but with a regular power supply you get zero operating hours without battery. You may want to step up to a larger battery or what ever fits your budget. Now all that is based on maximum TX which is usually CW or digital modes. When operating voice/SSB it is usually much less amperage. There are lots of factors, but this should give you an idea. 73.....
My suspicion is that an all-hands, up to 100w radio like a Yaesu FT857D would serve you best. It could do everything the handheld can do, and at higher power if required. It would also be able to do HF up to 100W, but is also small enough that it could be setup for portable use on mountaintops, etc if that's what you decide to do. Again, the local ham club can help you with rig selection and may have good used gear available. With regards to using HF in a rental setting, many long wire antenna setups can be very inconspicuous, and there's some portable setups that can be put up or taken down fairly easily for use both at home and and perhaps on mountaintops.
Thanks so much for the recommendation...I'll check it out now!
You're doing an awesome job with your research and knowledge so far so keep it up! The FTM-400 is a very nice mobile with a lot of capabilities as you've said and it's perfect for in the car and at home as a base 2m/70cm radio. I think it's cool you want to work analog as well. Some people are really into digital but I like the sound of an analog voice. It just sounds more natural to me. Keep it up and keep us posted! 73 Scott N1SER
And If you are thinking about getting the Yaesu FT-60R - don't wait, as It has been available for a very long time, and is now past the typical retirement time! And I love that radio!
The yaesu FTM400 looks like a great radio; I'm sure you can't go wrong there. If you're primarily interested in analog, Icom offers a cheaper mobile rig like the IC-2730A. I'm biased though. If you're looking for a base station that does HF/VHF/UHF, the FT-991A is a decent option (if you go that route, make sure it is the 'A' version). More popular, seems like everyone has one, is the IC-7300 - but doesn't have VHF/UHF capability. I also use a cheap Yaesu FT-4X handheld which works nicely for hitting local repeaters. Definitely stick to a new radio if you don't have an electronics repair background. There are no shortage of antennas for mobile operation - I've always used comet, and they have a nice range of dual band antennas. Going with something you can detach from the car... you might search for go-box or go-kit and see what other folks are doing. I'm sure with modern lithium batteries, you could rig something up. Sounds like you're on the right track with training material.. Dave Casler also has a bunch of great material on TH-cam for Tech and General class. Good luck and keep us posted! 73
(also if you're space constrained on HF, check out magloop antennas)
Thanks so much for the informative reply! Yeah I saw a huge amount or recommendations for the IC 7300...but would indeed like to have the option to operate VHF and UHF as well. Ideally, I can have something that is VHF/UHF, HF and both Analog and Digital...Thank you very much for the recommendations on antennas as well, I hear this and the type of coax is almost more important than the radio! ;)
@@nobion1 No problem. A mobile rig will have a short run of coax, so don't get too hung up on cable type. If you're running 50 to 100 ft, then it's probably time to figure out losses and more efficient cable; Especially at UHF. Freq goes up, so do losses!
Hi from Australia, Zoe. I'd recommend the icom ID-5100 for your mobile rig. Icom's digital system(dstar) is more popular and has more third party devices to help you get on the network. The 5100 is, like most other comparable radios, more than capable when it comes to analogue. It also has a cross band repeat function which may come in handy around Hawaii. Set it up in a Gator Case(portable 19" rack case for audio equipment). Search TH-cam for 'ham radio go kit' or 'shack in a box'. The soon to be released icom ID-52 transceiver(ID-51 if you cant wait) would then give you the flexibility of portable opperations and expand the ways in which you could access repeaters and the dstar network.73 from VK2MMM.
Thank you so much for the recommendations on the go kit and shack in a box...I'll check it out! Very interested in doing SOTA so that may be very useful.
@@nobion1 Hi Zoe. The more I read your comments the more I wonder if a mobile 2m/70cm transceiver suits your desired style of opperating. Maybe a compromise in power for other bands and a lighter overall package is something worth considdering. High power 2m/70cm is mostly not needed aside from long distance simplex communication directly between stations and when those same distances between repeaters exist. I regularly talk on a 2m repeater about 100kms away, over fairly flat terrain, on 5w. I feel, the topography of your location may be more of a limiting factor than distance and output power is good but cant move mountains. IMHO, you may be better off with a QPR HF/2m/70cm rig. The power on 2m/70cm will be sufficient to get into repaters and also have some simplex contacts. HF, HF is where its at for sota, parks and peaks, field days, etc and you'll easily make contacts back to the mainland and internationally with the right setup. TH-cam portable ham opperaions for your location and check out this new rig from icom.... www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/handheld/705/default.aspx
I bought a dual band mobile radio and an extra power cord. I can mount it in my car and use it as a base in the house, with a power supply. Good luck on the test, I need to get back to studying for the extra. I passed the Technician and General last years a couple months apart. 73 and 88, KJ7ODZ
I would suggest a lower prices used radio, if money isn't an issue, an icom 7300. If you want vhf /uhf get a handheld.
Hello from England. I have recently passed my Foundation (Technician class) licence and have just ordered my first radio after much deliberation - a second hand Yaesu 450D. No idea if it was a good choice but seems to be well regarded as a starter radio in it's day. Good luck with your studies . M7 BLC . 73
My first HF radio was the 450D and I was sorry that I sold it. No radio is perfect but I think you will like that one. Enjoy, & 73!
You can never go wrong with a Yaesu! I have several.
I think that your on the right track. Don’t be afraid of HF. VHF/UHF are grate local communication and HF will allow you to reach out further. It sounds like you might like to do something called summits on the air (SOTA). You may like a Mobil HF radio if this is something you are interested in. Keep up the good work.
You will LOVE working SOTA (Summits On The Air) and POTA (Parks On The Air)
I was supposed to take my test this last Monday but was stymied by a blast of snow that shut everything down. I plan on getting a few kits like the uBITx and making my own antenna's. Learning CW is what has got me leaning towards QRP and being mobile.
Im in the same boat as you. I picked up a handheld TYT TH-UV88 to start off with and learn the radio and settings a bit while i pick at studying for the test here and there. Im on Oahu.
Bless you for wanting to do ham radio in the first place and looking at it as an adventure....if you wish to make contact directly from your radio and antenna to someone else's radio and antenna without assistance from another repeater or the internet than your General license will be your best goal....as someone mentioned the field day event the last weekend in June is a great way to observe operating portable without using commercial power....many types of operating are normally on display as well.....Zoe, don't try to accomplish it all at once...ham radio is a lifetime hobby to enjoy and learn....you can't imagine the effect it will have on you until it happens...trust me.. who knows the effect you may have on the hobby....ham radio is just people...73. N0UY
Hi Ray, thanks so much for such kind words. I'm so excited about getting into it and thank you for reminding me that i don't need to try and get it all at once...I'm excited to learn over the years - hope to chat to you on the air one day!
Hi! Are you planning on making another video soon? It’s been 5 months and I’d like to see where you are in your ham radio journey! I’m currently a general class op but I’m slowly working toward my extra class. Also, my family lives in Kona, so I was excited to hear that you live there too! Enjoy your KH call. ~ K6DAC
Good work keep it up
73 is a “pro sign” , as you’ve said, it stands for "best wishes”, " farewell for now” etc. And Yes, Ham Study app is great. The Yeasu FT-3D is a great radio. always there’s the learning curve.
Prosign does not have a space in it.
A good starter radio is a Icom IC-7300 which will do HF and 6 meters, but not as portable as a Icom IC-705. This is an all mode all band radio which will give you 10W on all bands in a small portable and easy to carry radio.
Please document your journey through getting your license and getting your first radio. Great video and keep them coming!
Let me know if I can be of any help too - admin@hamradiodx.net
Hello! I have been eyeing up the IC 7300 as well as the Yaesu FT991A. Going to check out the IC-705 as well. I'll be sure to keep the documentation coming of the progress :) Just set up another email account: contact.HIHAM@gmail.com - I'll be sure to contact you if any questions - was checking out just now your very useful videos!
@@nobion1 No problems please do reach out if you need! Thanks for watching my channel too. 73!