******** The Official amateur radio thread ********
- Thread starter Feek
- Start date
Thinking of getting one of these, wife friendly and really I am only interested in listening at the moment:-
RTL-SDR Blog R820T2 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only) : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
What are your thoughts?
RTL-SDR Blog R820T2 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only) : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
What are your thoughts?
This actually looks better:-
SDRplay RSP-1A SDR RECEIVER SDRplay at £99.95 | Ham Radio
What antenna would work well?
SDRplay RSP-1A SDR RECEIVER SDRplay at £99.95 | Ham Radio
What antenna would work well?
The SDRPlay has much better front-end filtering than the dongles, I think you'll get more out of it.
It also comes with a pretty decent software package.
For the antenna, it really depends on what you want to listen to-
For HF(SWL), to start with literally just a random wire. You only really need to worry too much about baluns etc once you start to transmit.
easy-antennas-for-the-swl.pdf (wordpress.com)
For VHF/UHF, perhaps fabricate a 2m Slim Jim. It will come in handy if you decide to get licenced
Details here- Making a Basic Slim Jim 2m Antenna | Essex Ham
It also comes with a pretty decent software package.
For the antenna, it really depends on what you want to listen to-
For HF(SWL), to start with literally just a random wire. You only really need to worry too much about baluns etc once you start to transmit.
easy-antennas-for-the-swl.pdf (wordpress.com)
For VHF/UHF, perhaps fabricate a 2m Slim Jim. It will come in handy if you decide to get licenced
Details here- Making a Basic Slim Jim 2m Antenna | Essex Ham
Last edited:
Out of those two, I'd definitely go for the sdrplay - Much more capable receiver.
For listening on HF, just throw out a long wire, that's all you need really and it'll get you started easily.
For listening on HF, just throw out a long wire, that's all you need really and it'll get you started easily.
Do love a bit of grey line propagation. For the last two mornings, I've worked a whole bunch of VKs with a ZL thrown in for good measure. One after another, all long path on 20m FT8. They're not strong enough for SSB but conditions are moving in the right direction. SFI is 102 and SN is 99. Really hoping this bodes well for cycle 25.
Permabanned
I have not been on HF for a while, work has conspired against having time, and what bit I have is spent sorting out the mechanics of mounting my "new" satellite dish. I have oxy-acetylene, MIG and TIG welding here, but not enough Amps or gas flow for 10mm steel plate and 10mm wall thickness 170mm diameter steel tube. So I need to take my sub sections on the trailer to a friend who is geared up for heavy fabrication, them to a sand blaster prior to painting. All very time consuming, but a custom install was needed, I couldn't bring myself to live with the Heath Robinson original set up.
I admit to being pretty anal about this sort of things mechanical elegance, albeit it won't work any better for looking pretty
I believe 10 meters was very open the other week?
I admit to being pretty anal about this sort of things mechanical elegance, albeit it won't work any better for looking pretty
I believe 10 meters was very open the other week?
Aye, it’s been lively on 10m for a few evenings. I worked Bob down in VP8 recently on 10.
Soldato
Can someone help me with coax and connectors please? I'm planning on buying a diamond x50 to connect to my baofeng handheld. Initially I'll have it set up in the loft until I can work out where to mount it outside. The antenna uses n type connectors so I think I need a 2meter coax with n connectors both ends and then an adapter to convert it to sma. Do I need special tools to work with n type connectors?
Also, how do I choose decent quality coax? I know it doesn't matter so much over 2 meters but eventually I'll need a ~15meter run. I gather I need 50 ohm but other than that I'm just going by the cost, eg I can safely assume that Westflex 103 is better than RG58 because it's £1.85 per meter vs £0.40. Looking at the specs I can see loss at 100mhz over 10 meters is 0.46db vs 2db respectively so I guess I just answered my own question....
Also, how do I choose decent quality coax? I know it doesn't matter so much over 2 meters but eventually I'll need a ~15meter run. I gather I need 50 ohm but other than that I'm just going by the cost, eg I can safely assume that Westflex 103 is better than RG58 because it's £1.85 per meter vs £0.40. Looking at the specs I can see loss at 100mhz over 10 meters is 0.46db vs 2db respectively so I guess I just answered my own question....
Messi & Paoloni Hyperflex or Ultraflex 10 is about the best bang for your buck these days and you don't need any special tools to fit the connectors, just a couple of large spanners, a knife and a soldering iron. N-types are very easy to fit, there's a decent video here.
One thing to be aware of with the Baofeng, the front end isn't particularly selective and can be quite easily overloaded if you start using it with an external aerial at height.
One thing to be aware of with the Baofeng, the front end isn't particularly selective and can be quite easily overloaded if you start using it with an external aerial at height.
Soldato
Ah ok, so that might mean I have trouble receiving strong signals? That's good to know as one member of the net I frequent is a stones throw away
No, but what could happen is that weaker stations could be swamped by stronger signals on nearby frequencies.
Just to note - If going for the M&P Ultraflex 10 as Feek suggests you will need to buy the M&P plugs/connectors because the dimensions are slightly larger than standard RG213. I use Ultraflex 10 and you can make others fit, but its a faff and not worth it over the quality M&P connectors.
Soldato
What a weekend! CQ WW this weekend and the bands have been buzzing. Had a huge run to the US on 10m earlier this afternoon. I called, they just kept replying 
Bought myself a second hand TS-480SAT to put in the car. I've been pondering one of these for a few years and it was offered to me a couple of days ago at a price I couldn't refuse. I've just bodged it into the shack to make sure it's all OK and within a couple of minutes of switching it on, I'd worked a German who was beetling along the autobahn and just running just 25W (him, not me).
Long time lurker in this thread.. not an enthusiast myself but my Dad had lots of CB and Amateur radio kit back in the day.. for some reason I just love ‘looking at’ this hardware.. must be the dials, buttons, displays etc that really scratch my nerdy itch.
Keep it coming
Keep it coming
Permabanned
Bought myself a second hand TS-480SAT to put in the car. I've been pondering one of these for a few years and it was offered to me a couple of days ago at a price I couldn't refuse. I've just bodged it into the shack to make sure it's all OK and within a couple of minutes of switching it on, I'd worked a German who was beetling along the autobahn and just running just 25W (him, not me).
Weren't some of those 200 Watt jobbies? They always have nice sounding audio and seem to have been around forever. I have never seen one in the flesh, I guess they must be pretty small?
I was once tempted by the bigger Kenwood HF / VHF / UHF rig that was sold (rarely it seems) as a black box and a remote display. But someone beat me to whilst I was dithering.
All the steelwork is now here for my big satellite dish mounting and I have made and threaded all the tube ends for Rose joints. I'm now waiting on my friend to get some profile cutting and welding done.
Trouble is, being low lying here, if I don't get the main tube concreted in 5 feet down very soon I'll be in to the water table.
Last edited: