What 2m/79/cm combo ham mobile/base radio (no handheld) should I buy - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / rf-microwave

author: Beamin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2020, 06:10:11 am
content: I have been looking on google and there are just too many choices.Im living in an apartment in the city (Baltimore ) and going to mount both antennas on the 4th floor roof fire escape running coax out my window up the fire escape.I need a big display or one thats easy to see since im legally blind. I want a mobile that can run off a 12 v power supply or base station. I dont want a handheld I already have two beofungs. Theres just so many options Im planning on spending up to about 450$: I buy high quality things that are going to last that I dont need to upgrade. I found one the other day, a japanese one , with a detachable face that changed RGB colors that looked good but cant find it or remember the brand.I need:2m/70cmJapaneseNon handheldHigh quality with lots if features ajnd options; top of the lineI would like to do some digital stuff as well as working repeaters and doing basic two way. I saw some mention satellite which sounds interesting. I need to find a channel like linus tech tips does for laptops only instead one that trys out every ham radio.Thanks in advance for your suggestions I know I will end up buying what someone here recommends.

author: bob91343
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2020, 07:34:00 pm
content: I recommend upgrading to Amateur Extra and going on HF instead.

author: Beamin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2020, 04:43:18 am
content: Quote from: bob91343 on November 17, 2020, 07:34:00 pmI wish I could but I live in the city and dont have room for big antennas or good grounds.

author: bob91343
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2020, 01:10:46 am
content: There is a ton of literature describing ways of overcoming the limitations of your location.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2020, 01:17:12 am
content: Quote from: Beamin on November 17, 2020, 06:10:11 amTop of the line and $450 with lots of features and not needing to upgrade don't exist.Top of the line with large display = IC-9700. Digital modes with large display including top of the line this is your only option. I have one and it's fantastic.

author: geggi1
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2020, 08:19:50 pm
content: Get a mobile hf radio with the possibility to run CAT comands.Connect the radio to a PC or even a Raspberry PI.There are several software to control the radio.By using a PC as a display you can select a monitor that fits your sight impairment.

author: dropkick
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2020, 05:26:17 am
content: IC-9700 is a good idea... The Icom ID-5100 has a large screen as well, though contrast is not great outside it would be fine for desktop. Also Yaesu FTM-400 has a large screen however Fusion digital is really not widely used unless you have a group of enthusiasts in your area. Both of those mobiles will audibly read back frequency/channel/etc via an internal voice. If do you end up going with HF as well, a number of better modern radios will either have a video monitor output and/or software to fully drive them from a PC.

author: Theboel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2020, 09:33:07 am
content: I do not know how much is the IC-9700 but after a few hours operate IC-705 I think this is very good candidate

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2020, 09:43:04 am
content: Quote from: Beamin on November 18, 2020, 04:43:18 amThere's a lot of people living in a city which works on HF, it's a matter of finding an antenna which may fit your available space; for example, a transmitting loop won't take much space and could allow you to get on air; seeherefor some building ideas or check online for commercial models; then there are other antennas which may fit (for example, a doublet on the roof) but then it all depends from your QTH available space and conditions

author: HB9EVI
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2020, 02:02:07 pm
content: city and HF operation dont exclude each other per se. It's rather tricky to not radiate any HF, even with a dummy load or a wet shoelace. sure that DXing on 160m is maybe out of reach, but there are other opportunities. From what I can tell about activities on VHF/UHF, it's often very quiet; CW/SSB you hear mostly during contests (what is my main occupation on those bands), recently there is an increasing community running WSJT modes on 2m/70cm, what is clearly more fun than in HF.FM and relay operation is (for my taste) too boring and doesn't have much in common with the spirit of ham radio operation.In your place I'd clearly go for the HF license

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2020, 02:10:31 pm
content: Quote from: HB9EVI on November 23, 2020, 02:02:07 pmWell, a TX (tuned) "magnetic" loop for 160m won't take too much space

author: disillusionedrealist
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 27, 2020, 01:11:47 am
content: If you're lucky, you might be able to get a second hand IC-7000 for that amount of money. It has a video output so you can see the display on a bigger screen. Covers HT to 70cm. It's a nice rig.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2020, 02:35:03 am
content: Make sure you don't impede use of the fire escape in any way.That said, being many floors off the ground or having access to a roof is likely great for VHF/UHF and possibly HF too. As long as its safely done so as not to impede use in fires.The height is probably worth its weight in gold for radio stuff.Quote from: Beamin on November 17, 2020, 06:10:11 am

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2020, 02:43:25 am
content: It would take more space than many of them. An approximately 1 meter diameter single loop should be able to tune the SSB portion of 80 meters but unless the material made out of is thick, or the capacitor(s) used is substantial its going to be right at the bottom of its range.I'd expect one for 160 M would involve multiple turns (it could be made artistically so as not to be ugly, a spiral can be made pretty, like a piece of lawn art, Jeri Ellsworth was working on one like this and it looks good, but I never saw the follow up on the first video. Maybe she's really busy)But it would be bigger than 1M.It shouldn't be left on the fire escape when its not in actual active use.(Casement windows rarely open up that wide, and bars if one has them can also get in the way.)Maybe you could make one out of pool float material, coated with a sleeve of aluminum foil (just has to be a few atoms thick, perhaps, to get higher efficiency?)so it could be folded up to get it out of the window.Don't forget it also has to also be away from metal a bit to work right!To transmit the capacitor needs to handle higher voltage than most do.Quote from: A.Z. on November 23, 2020, 02:10:31 pm160 meters sounds difficult, quite a feat if you got it working well. You might even get written up in a ham magazine for that!

author: HB9EVI
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2020, 07:50:33 am
content: Quote from: disillusionedrealist on November 27, 2020, 01:11:47 amIt's a nice rig, but it has quite a temperature problem. but certainly the composite video output is a nice thing for vision impaired people

author: HB9EVI
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2020, 07:55:09 am
content: Quote from: A.Z. on November 23, 2020, 02:10:31 pmI said 'DXing', not local round ragchew. Sure it's possible; loops may look attractive for certain situations, but they bring their own problems. Commercial products which can run higher wattage than just qrp are quite high priced, and homebrewed requires some skills and the right components to handle the high voltages and currents of a magnetic loop. Also you don't want to sit directly next to it when sending; it's maybe small, but it has to be possible to place it far away from persons and animals

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2020, 03:07:18 pm
content: I built a mag loop that works from 10 M to 40 M, works pretty well even inside the house. I run 400 W with no problem.Cost was about $150There are no "holes" in frequency and it is infinitely tuneable in it's range as expected.It is really just a big LC circuit that radiates.It is ten foot in circumference.You can you can build one that goes to 80 M but it will be bigger. There are loops that do 160 but they are more complicated, stuff like double loops.In practical terms with good vacuum variable caps, you can do a lot but the area of the radiator limits the effective radiated power especially on lower bands.My loop does not reach 6 M but if I shorten the loop a bit I can get there and I think a loop that would get 6 to 40 Meters is practical.As far as being visually impaired, I would look for radios that can interface with a computer screen. the little common VHF radios are too small for even people with good eyesight to see easily.Also a common problem with modern radios is the screen going bad and costing big bucks to replace. If you can access the radio with a computer, you do not have to rely on the radios screen.

author: HB9EVI
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2020, 03:55:21 pm
content: double loops are never a good idea, since the Q is rapidly going down with more than one turnthe problem with loops in general is, that the components have to handle both high voltage and high currents. the lower you go with frequency, the higher the voltages and currents get, since the dimensions of the loop are not growing in the same amount like the wavelengthalso you don't want to have people too close to such an antenna when sending, so you need a safety zone around you can guarantee for; if this is not the case, a loop is becoming a liability

author: Beamin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2020, 10:59:53 am
content: Quote from: HB9EVI on November 29, 2020, 03:55:21 pmYeah I dont think a loop is a good idea, plus this building is about 100 years old and made from bricks that block FM radio signals so badly and they are close enough you can see the antennas. I barley get any radio reception inside so a loop where I have to play with a capacitor and drag it out a window is too much; I want a discrete small antenna I can mount to the railing of the top 4th floor fire escape. I have a fear of heights so I want to set it and forget it. Any spot lower like out my window would have signals severely blocked by the building, I tried with a stellar labs FM 4 element dipole and it doesn't work well on the 2nd floor and thats a huge antennamade for long range I paid 30$ for mine amazon wants $80!!!How many watts should I be looking for, as much as I love building antennas I dont have the tools or space to make one and I dont want a dipole/horizontal polarization or anything directional since I have no idea where I'm going to find the people using vhf/uhf so a commercial omni directional it is. I dont want to mess with SWR as I dont have a meter. I was thinking of using the type of antenna with the vertical radiator that has the three or four diagonal elements that act as a ground plane. How would I ground that (there is concrete and no dirt anywhere) or is that not needed? I dont have much experience with antennas and transmitting.Thanks for all the helpAlso I don't need a monitor to plug into it, just not a tiny display, I can see a beofeng after all (who puts the squelch into a menu? BassAckward)

author: HB9EVI
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2020, 01:57:08 pm
content: stil, I don't know if you'll be happy with an omnidirectional stick on vhf/uhf. in general there's not much happening on vhf/uhf, specially not in FM. I cannot imagine that the situation there is much different than in europe, where FM simplex is pretty much dead and relays idle most of the time.considering that with a few meter of wire, you can decently run shortwave qsos on <=40m, I'd not invest the bucks in a FM vhf/uhf device

author: Beamin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2020, 05:01:10 pm
content: Quote from: HB9EVI on December 06, 2020, 01:57:08 pmI have a bitx 40 meter had a long wire antenna balun good ground awesome antenna I picked up india and farther away on it, but I could here people with the bitx but after night afternight I never made one contact with it. Wish I still lived out in the suburbs I hate the city.

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 07, 2020, 08:18:24 am
content: https://www.kenwood.com/usa/com/amateur/tm-v71a/https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-008951https://elkantennas.com/product/dual-band-2m440l5-log-periodic-antenna/

author: Beamin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 11, 2020, 05:56:12 am
content: https://www.gigaparts.com/icom-ic-2730a-dual-band-mobile-radio.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAq8f-BRBtEiwAGr3Dgf-OFnrv5B5YBIV_7BuTVHq698jGwNRjrrreXGlKfk2iKNmcT-IkDxoC3J8QAvD_BwEWhat about the icom ic 2730a has a nice big screen and came up when I was looking up that kenwood. Both 50 watts

author: Dr Bob
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2020, 02:00:27 am
content: You may want to research SDR (Software Defined Radio). You wind up with a black box that plugs into your computer. This can give you the option of having a nice big screen and a whole bunch of functionality. Sorry, I don't have specific recommendations to make since it's a hot field and new stuff is coming out all of the time.You can also look at a mobile unit such as a Fastone. It's Chinese as most stuff is today, good luck finding Japanese gear at a reasonable price, but I'm pretty sure it can be modified with Chirp just like a Baofeng handheld. I'm considering the 4 channel Fastone or a clone to stick in the car until it makes sense to get a mobile power supply for one of the new Mac Mini's with the ARM chip, an SDR box and a small display to go with it. I'm an aerospace photographer so I hack my radios to receive aircraft bands to keep track of projects from Virgin Galactic and Stratalaunch when they are flying. I also hold an Extra license.The big Ham rigs of the past are really cool looking with all of the dials and knobs, but those controls cost money to implement so you wind up paying big bucks for the cool factor. Most serious operators I see at field day and other get togethers are all running computer driven SDR rigs.

author: Dr Bob
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 12, 2020, 02:01:56 am
content: Dang, that Icom is nice. I retract any mention of Chinese eBay no name mobiles.

author: Beamin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2021, 08:33:29 am
content: Quote from: Dr Bob on December 12, 2020, 02:00:27 amI have a sdrplay but that is receive only.Thanks to recovering my trezor and the increase in bit coins I can afford a better radio then I planned. As far as SDR that transmit I thought there was only the hackRF for 700$ which is more for testing then doing two way coms. If I wanted to get a radio that does both SW and VHF/UHF how much am I looking at? I could always set up the vhf/uhf then if I get the space for an antenna I could start screwing around with SW. Its my understanding you need at least 100 watts if you dont have the best antenna and want to make contacts up and down the east coast of the US. I think it was 100 watts I would hear people talking about or was it 1000? This was on my old bitX 40m 7W where I could hear people but never made any contacts, even though I had a big out door antenna 20' above ground with a balun and ground. Im deciding between a drone with a video screen and a ham radio, I could get both but I worked really hard to make that bitcoin money and I like having savings. Decisions.