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G0FTD > FT817 08.10.06 18:15l 82 Lines 2790 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 080131280PZT
Read: GUEST VE7HFY
Subj: Re: realising a walkabout shac
Path: DB0FHN<DB0RGB<DB0PM<DB0PV<OE5XBL<OE6XPE<IW2OHX<IW2OHX<I0TVL<TU5EX<
XE1FH<GB7TUT<GB7COV<GB7MAX<GB7PZT
Sent: 061008/1222Z @:GB7PZT.#24.GBR.EU [Kidderminster] #:13108 XSERV410h
Date: Sun, 08 Oct 2006 13:22:32 +0000
From: g0ftd@gb7pzt.#24.gbr.eu (Andy)
To: ft817@ww
Subject: Re: realising a walkabout shac
VK6BE Mr Bob wrote:
> I was very interested in what you said Andy. I bought an FT817 about 2
> years ago and have given it practically no use so far.
I suspect that many FT817's were bought because it was "cute" with little
thought about the own utilising it's full potentional.
I bet most of them are just sat on a local repeater in monitoring mode.
The HF facilites are what interest me the most.
From a transmitting amateur point of view through to SWL modes and LW/MW
listening, aero beacons around 300Khz and hopefully our 136Khz band.
I intend to use my FT817 to it's fullest capabilies.
It all comes down to antennas.
Amateur radio has never been about walkabout stations on HF and so
amateurs have not bothered doing much research in this field it
seems.
Of course the military have their manpacks but they prefer the 5-18Mhz
stuff. So getting going on 160/80m presents new challenges for us.
Has anyone played with small antenna for such use I wonder ?
Results here from 14-50Mhz show that it's quite feasable to make QRP
contacts with short antennas.
It's below 14Mhz that I want to crack.
For receiving purposes, I find a ferrite rod+preamp works superbly
so far from 150Khz - 4Mhz.
I've also tried a simple loop (no preamp) which is only 7 inches by
4.5 inches which gives excellent results on especially on 160/80m.
Currently I am hoping to build the complete antenna systems into one
plastic box which straps to the top of the rig.
The box is quite small, but already contains the required L and C to
tune the build in 1.5m telescopic whip. This works fine from 14 - 433Mhz.
Actually it tunes down to 900khz but I think I need to optimise the
matching arrangement to get a useable amount of rf to get out of it.
In the same box the plan is to incorporate a ferrite rod+preamp for use
as an rx antenna 0-4Mhz. This has actually been made and tested and
will soon be built into the box.
So with just the rig and the "antenna box" clamped to the rig I will be
able to have a complete 0-470Mhz walkabout station.
No need for wires and lots of different antennas to be carried.
Of course, here in europe it's quite easy to make contacts using just
about
any equipment.
The remoteness of Oz and amateur population density (lack of) I would
have to assume tends to make such walkabout stations less useful.
> It seems your Kenwood service is par for the course with that brand.
Kenwood seem a funny bunch.
They don't have a repair and backup service,and their product range
has some unique rigs, and yet the TS50 which set the trend for todays
mini rigs hasn't been developed any further at all.
- Andy -
G0FTD @ GB7PZT
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