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About to take the plunge - advice on radio choice
Topic Started: Wednesday, 9. November 2011, 11:43 (1,259 Views)
Cutter
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26 Charlie Tango 478

Hello All,

I'm about to do the thing I've been promising myself to do for years - get on with Foundation and then on upwards to bigger things hopefully.

With this in mind, I have managed to gain permission from "OC Domestic Affairs" to upgrade my radio. I have in mind that I will still do most of my radio work mobile but some from home too. I therefore have narrowed it down to:

Yaesu FT450D (advantage it has internal ATU but possibly big for mobile use.
Yaesu 857D (advantage it's more portable)

Also, as space is a premium at my QTH what are thoughts on the "all band" vertical antennas such as the Moonraker GP2500. My understanding is that they may give good SWR across the bands but this is at the expense of attenuation of input power ie loss of transmit power can be a problem with this type of antenna.

Finally, I have some trepidation about making this leap as I have been active for many years on "CB" of various kinds and have my grounding in this area - will I be ostracised if I even mention this aspect of my radio history??? It is only on this site that I feel able to discuss this!!
Thanks,
Tom
"This new form of communication could have some utility."
Guglielmo Marconi 1899


26CT478@charlietango.co.uk

2E0GSW

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VoG
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cutter
Wednesday, 9. November 2011, 11:43
Yaesu FT450D (advantage it has internal ATU but possibly big for mobile use.
Yaesu 857D (advantage it's more portable)
The difference operating a "full size" radio vs something like the 857 can be quite startling. You need to ask the question, "will you really be operating mobile with enough regularilty to compromise the Base hardware?". If you're going to be out and about every other weekend then the 857 is the way to go without a doubt, but if it is a case of once in a blue moon, then go for the comfort of a larger, less fiddly, radio in the Shack. The 857 is a great bit of kit, but it is small, with close buttons, and a lot of Menu, whereas the 450 is a lot easier to operate.

Cutter
 
what are thoughts on the "all band" vertical antennas such as the Moonraker GP2500
Any "all band" is a Compromise aerial. If you only have room for a single vertial at the QTH then something like that is the sensible choice. But if you can possibly fit-in a half size G5RV or a Carolina Windom 40, plus a "CB" aerial (for 10 to 12m), you'll have much more and much better coverage.

Cutter
 
will I be ostracised if I even mention this (CB) aspect of my radio history???
Frankly, if I found myself in a club where they looked-down on CB, or made out that you cannot be an amateur AND use CB, or claimed to be superior beings as a result of the Ofcom Licence then I'd think "I'm in the wrong place" and hot-foot it out of there sharpish. If you only have one club where you can do the licence then, OK, at a push it'd be a case of keeping the lip zipped until the paperwork was in the hand, THEN leg-it out of there. To be honest not all clubs are like that at all, but some still are.

Where I trained there was always a bit of lighthearted teasing about CB, and my prior adventures on "Children's Band" as my intructor called it. But it was taken as it was meant, as a tease and a joke and, naturally, I asked him where I could buy the required Carpet slippers, Cardigan and Briar-pipe (and get a "Band Bobby" badge) to become a "Proper! amateur operator and "OM".

Be prepared for a bit of leg-pulling if you admit you're a CBer, but if they really do ostracise or infer that you're inferior or would have to give-up CB, then find somewhere else to train.


I know the Brigg and District Radio Club is one of the "CB is perfectly OK" places in Lincolnshire (don't know how far that is from you). But be aware that Charlie Tango isn't going to be flavour of the month at that location as Oggy is (was?) the Chairman there and doesn't like us since he was asked to leave. If you go to the Brigg and District Club, then it really wouldbe wise not to mention CT. CB yes, but CT no. ;)
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Cutter
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26 Charlie Tango 478

Thanks Steve,

As always great advice. I will be mostly mobile and the 857 seems to be the option of choice (also has UHF/VHF). I am going away with my job for three months and have some time to reflect on things before taking the plunge with the credit card! As far as mobile antennas go, the ATAS 120 by Yaesu is looking an option but has had some bad reviews recently with build quality. First thing will be to get the exam done then go from there.

73s
Tom
"This new form of communication could have some utility."
Guglielmo Marconi 1899


26CT478@charlietango.co.uk

2E0GSW

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Scottydog
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26 Charlie Tango 441
cutter
Wednesday, 9. November 2011, 15:06
Thanks Steve,

As always great advice. I will be mostly mobile and the 857 seems to be the option of choice (also has UHF/VHF). I am going away with my job for three months and have some time to reflect on things before taking the plunge with the credit card! As far as mobile antennas go, the ATAS 120 by Yaesu is looking an option but has had some bad reviews recently with build quality. First thing will be to get the exam done then go from there.

73s
Tom
The Atas has some great reviews and some not so, apparantly if its kept serviced and oiled they are
trouble free the little tarheel is another one to consider but they are very expensive and need a very
good ground on the vehicle.

SD :dog:
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26CT441@charlietango.co.uk

Member of H.A.R.C. (Houghton le Spring amateur radio club)
Member of N.E.A.R.S (North East Amateur Radio Society)
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MadMark1
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Ive used the FT-857 at home and mobile and its a very very good radio, As Steve has said though it does have a lot of menus, Although once set up its easy to use, Nearly ALL of the smaller 'Shack in a box' Radios have multiple menus.

As for the Atas 120 I also had one of those although it was a very early model and i used it with the FT-100 i had at the time, It worked ok, Just ok, On 28 mhz my Modulator antenna wiped the floor with it, it was also very pricey and to be honest i either had it tuned to 28 mhz / 14 mhz or 7 mhz, And for these bands a Mobile Cb antenna will cover 28 mhz and there's plenty of good but cheap antennas out there for the other bands, For 7 mhz and 14 mhz a antenna like this is cheap enough..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Multi-Ranger-9-HF-80m-70cm-Mobile-Ham-Radio-Antenna-/390362169219?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_SpecialistRadioEquipment_SM&hash=item5ae365ff83

Also the Atas uses a motor to drive the antenna for tuning and this Could play up or go faulty however unlikely, it maybe expensive to repair if repairable, If it was me i would look at a simpler antenna with less to go wrong.

Obviously its down to preferance and i like to keep things simple as there's less chance of things breaking down ..

Mark
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