DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything through one of these links we will earn a commission.
Question by nal2us2: What is the best HAM Radio to Buy For what I want to do?
I did something, according to alot of HAMs that is kinda rare. I went in to my local VEC center and knocked out all three elements in one night. I now have my Extra Rating. I have a couple of questions. What is the next step as far as education is concerned before transmitting as I dont want to sound like a total Newbie, i.e. q codes, terminology, procedures, ect. Is there one book or one particular ramp up track I should use to get myself up to speed?
The next question is what transciever to buy and what equipment should I buy to accompany my new transciever? i.e. Antenna tuner, swr meter, ect. Knowing that there are many different bands to operate on and many different rigs out there the clue to what I want is I guess what I want to do with it and where I live. I live in a 3 floor apartment on the first floor and am interested in not only in working local stations but international as well. Any help that anyone can give me on first, second, and third steps now that I have my Extra Class License would be extremely helpful. Oh and I am also interested in how to integrate my transciever into my laptop PC and am curious why I would want to do that? What are the advantages to me. I am not interested in contesting just making friends and increasing my knowledge of HAM radio. Lastly as far as books are concerned if anyone has any sites where I can get free PDF information without having to spend a fortune when I could be spending my money on electronics would be great. I am also very interested in Home brew Antenna designs based on the answers I get back here. Whew… well thats it friends. Thats what I need help on. Take Care, God bless…. 73s to whoever answers me. Thanks
Best answer:
Answer by classicsat
Go read back issues of QST and CQ, and see what people do in apartments.
Join a local club
Start with a VHF/UHF FM system, and get hardware to to packet/IP radio.
There are all sorts of online message boards and mailing lists for all sorts of facets of the hobby.
Give your answer to this question below!
”I now have my Extra Rating.” — ”Oh and I am also interested in how to integrate my transciever into my laptop PC and am curious why I would want to do that? What are the advantages to me. ”
You have your extra class license and you don’t know why you would connect a PC to a radio ??
Sounds like a load of baloney to me , either that or the US has dropped their testing standards down to CB level and you still don’t know the basics … which wouldn’t surprise me at all.
But I’m betting on the baloney. 🙂
Your other recent questions on Ham and shortwave radio prove it. ,, 6 days ago you didn’t even know what a HT is …..UGGG.
rule #1. Listen before you transmit.
Listen to what is on the bands you are interested in. On the DC bands, you will need to understand round table or net operations. on the DX bands, you need to understand what contest operating is. on the VHF you need to learn to communicate through repeaters ARRL publishes helpful books.
http://www.arrl.org/shop/What-s-New/
i recommend the 10th edition Operating Manual.
Join your national radio society, find a local club.
From a 1st floor apartment, antenna, and earth, are both going to be difficult, and a lot of potential for interference problems.
You might end up having to make do with a sloping pole and any balcony railings serving as the counterpoise, and in that case, you may need an automatic tuner made for use at the antenna base. Most ATU boxes are just “line flatteners”, they can level out a few to 1 mismatch to keep the transceiver output stage happy, but their close spaced capacitors will arc like crazy if you ask them to drive a really difficult load – There is a very big difference between the kind of ATU which can trim up a nearly matched load, and one that can tune up ANYTHING (within reason – even the best auto would struggle to match a very short antenna on lower bands, or something that’s bang on half wave at the higher bands.