Al McCoy
Norm Seeley, starts a 3 part interview with Al McCoy today on normradio.com .
Take a listen.
VHF/UHF
Hi, Norm, KI7UP, a licensed Amateur Radio Operator in the process of getting back on the air.
This week, I have been thinking about handhelds, and what exactly I want. I have discussed this before here on Amateur Radio Dreaming, and if you want you can go back and look at the units I have looked at and considered. I thing though I have narrowed my picks down a little.
I also have been slowed down again in the whole process of getting back on the air, as on Tuesday night a micro-burst hit the house and took the roof of our patio.
It’s the first one I have even been close to. During the micro-burst, the AC in the house didn’t even flicker. Our computers were up and running and other than the noise, had our house been built in such a way that the rooms all didn’t have windows, I would not have even thought anything happened other that a quick, heavy rain storm.
I am happy though that I had not put antennas up on my roof. Then again, considering that it was the Patio that was hit, and I plan to put the amateur antennas on the roof of the house itself, most likely they would not have been bothered a bit.
So why am I worried?
Boy, Am I Glad.
Hi, Norm, KI7UP, a licensed Amateur Radio Operator in the process of getting back on the air.
First of all, thanks to about a half a dozen who responded with emails about God Save Arizona. The thoughts and comments are all appreciated. Those of you who didn’t respond, and that’s not a problem, might be interested in knowing that I didn’t receive one negative comment.
Last night our house was hit by what the weathermen on the local TV call “Micro-bursts”.
All of a sudden the roof was pelted with heavy rain, the view out our windows was a heavy white gray and you could hardly see to the street or the back fence. The “Micro-burst” lasted maybe 5 or 6 minutes, then there was a steady rain fall.
The noise was loud. The pelting rain was heavy. The Wind was a howl and loud. And we could hear what sounded like flapping on our roof.
Being waterproof, I went out front to see if our roof was still there.
It was. But I found in our front yard what looked like asphalt from the roof. Not one piece, not two, but at least a dozen and they were across the street and two doors down.
And the street was filled with water speeding West to East toward the end of our block.
I went out back, ant there I found , the roof on our patio, ripped up. It wasn’t all gone, but enough that water was coming through the boards onto the patio itself. Chairs and other things near the outside wall of the house, normally dry, were soaking wet.
You get the picture, patio roof gone. I’m happy that I don’t have my antennas up, cause most likely knowing my “Luck” at least one of them would have thought it was an arrow and been found sticking out of Somebody’s roof a block away, or maybe through their front window.
Maybe I should build a basement and put the antennas down there.
God Save Arizona
Let’s talk dollars and cents.
Hi, Norm, KI7UP, a licensed Amateur Radio Operator in the process of getting back on the air.
During the last two posts, I have told you about what radio I am going after and the antenna for the HF Bands that I plan to use here at the QTH.
Today, let’s talk about dollars and cents. What is all this going to cost.
Here’s the list:
Yaesu FT-857d (Radio) $ 749.95
Yaesu FP-1023 (Power Supply) 169.95
Comet CHA-250B (HF Antenna) 439.95
Comet YS45 (Mounting Tripod) 119.95
Comet CP45 (Telescoping Mast) 99.95
Total : $ 1579.75
Now the total doesn’t include cables and miscellaneous items but it’s the bulk of what is needed to get one back on the air on HF. It also doesn’t include a VHF?UHF base antenna or any mobile antennas or mounts.
When I set out, my budget was $3000.00 so in many respects I’m pretty happy.
Base Station Antenna.
Hi, Norm, KI7UP, a licensed Amateur Radio Operator in the process of getting back on the air.
Coming to a decision about a base antenna has not been easy.
The property that our house sits on, doesn’t have a lot of room to begin with. That fine for me, I am the type of individual who is happy with simple things and I don’t need rooms that you need an intercom to reach some one at the other end. My wife and I can converse in normal voices no matter where we are, and if she’s down the hall, I can raise my voice and she hears me. Me hearing her, that’s another story.
Outside the back yard has the Power Line and Phone line taking it out of the running for a location for an antenna. If someone would design an antenna that was less than 2 and a half feet tall and cover HF/VHF/UHF, then maybe I could put it there, but I haven’t found such an animal out there. If you know of one, drop me a line.
The front yard….two trees, one at least 60 feet tall, the other maybe 25. If I used my head, I might come up with a jury rigged arrangement, but I’m not into jury-rigging.
I have received a lot of ideas for which I am grateful.
I have decided that I’m going to install the Comet CHA-250B. To me it will give me the HF Bands I wish to cover with my Yaesu FT-857d, and considering my location be the easiest to install on the roof.
I realize it doesn’t cover VHF/UHF, but that I think is fairly easy to cover it’s not like I have to have a 100 foot tower and beam that is rotatable. I could even get by with a mobile with a mag mount up in the attic.
I found that Comet also has a tripod that fits the 250 and the pricing is not that bad.
At least now I have a direction to follow for the base and mobile set up. Mobile antennas shouldn’t be a problem and I won’t bore you with cable and such.
Base Station.
Hi, Norm, KI7UP, a licensed Amateur Radio Operator in the process of getting back on the air.
After much thought and yes changing my mind a couple of times, I have decided which direction I want to go for my amateur station.
The radio that I have chosen for the base station can also be used in our van. I like the idea that the unit can be used here in the house with an addition power supply, and can be used in the van using the 12 volts that it runs on. (I know it’s ideal to have 13.8)
Another reason I picked this unit, is for the coverage, it’s usable on HF/VHF/UHF as well as the 60 m Band.
I have picked the Yaesu FT-857d
My choice for power supply is the Yaesu FP-1023
While having a desk microphone would be nice, I think I would first add Headset with a microphone attached before adding a desk microphone. But initially the hand microphone that is included will work just fine.
Tomorrow I will let you know what I’m going to do for Antennas.
73
Just do it!
Hi, Norm, KI7UP, a licensed Amateur Radio Operator in the process of getting back on the air.
Last Wednesday, I decided that I was going to go ahead and order a transceiver, have it built,( because I don’t have the desire to build it myself) and set into motion finally getting back on the air.
So I picked out the radio (that’s what I’ll call it), figured out what accessories I would need, and started writing this all down on a handy legal pad with my calculator and started adding it all together.
Bottom line:
I would be able to transmit and receive in CW on 4 HF bands with less than 5 watts.
NO AM.
NO SSB
NO FM
And yes NO 2M or 440.
Without spilling the beans, the amount was more than I had figured I would spend and there is at least one radio out there that would give me all HF Bands, as well as 2M/440 with AM, FM, and SSB and a lot of other frequencies if I just wanted to listen in on that by itself would cost about $150.00 less and I could drive across town to the local HRO and be on the air that night, and would not have to wait while it was built.
That figure was without any antenna what so ever.
So once again Norm is saying NO to going back on the air.
I’m getting frustrated.
Still Here.
Hi, Norm, KI7UP, a licensed Amateur Radio Operator in the process of getting back on the air.
I have absolutely no excuse for why I have not been publishing posts on a more regular basis.
I have had access to my computer, I have been here, but I just haven’t sat down and taken the time to write anything for ARD.
It’s not like I was sick, or had to leave the house while a construction crew was redoing the entire interior, while the mike boom that’s connected to a mixer that I do voice overs with, came apart in my hand as I adjusted the microphone a little the other day. After close to 10 years of service. And I wasn’t pulling on it that had. We didn’t leave the state.
I just didn’t come up with an idea on what to write about.
It’s that simple.
I still know what I want as far as equipment, still know that I want most if not all of it so it can be used here in the house and also used in our van.
I have been spending a lot of time trying to figure out which antenna, antennas would work here at my QTH.
Keeping in mind the 60 foot Pine out front.
The neighbors houses within 20 feet of the East and West sides of our house.
The Power and Phone lines out back.
To be honest, I have a truck load of ideas, but aren’t even close to picking one.
By the way, yesterday was my 67TH Birthday and I’m not too proud to accept late birthday presents of AMATEUR GEAR….working please.
Can you believe I had the nerve to say that?
Safe Frequencies?
Hi, Norm, KI7UP, a licensed Amateur Radio Operator in the process of getting back on the air.
I sold two-way radios for awhile and the man who owned the company I worked for put in a system that allowed him (it was before I joined the company) to talk on the phone from his handheld. Not on a ham frequency.
He had a monitor at his house. One day he called his girl friend using the system and made a date. The system worked extremely well.
Both sides of the conversation could be heard on the monitor at his house….well enough for his wife to hear and to realize what was going on, opening the way to Divorce court.
The point of the story: There are no Safe Frequencies.
If you don’t want it intercepted, don’t broadcast it.
Several months ago, listening to a monitor set on a local ham repeater frequency I listened to two apparent leaders of a local ham club talking about an up coming hamfest and the items they would have for sale and here’s the interesting part, ” We will have to explain what CTCSS is for in the handhelds we’re selling, as most of our club members don’t have a clue as to what it’s for.”
While there is a lot I don’t know about radio, I thought the idea behind becoming a ham was to learn and share that learning. Listen to them talk, kind of made me feel like they thought they were better than the other members of their club.
Now I know how they feel about members.
Proving once again, there are no Safe Frequencies.