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The Ham Shack - B&B's Amateur Radio Club

Hi,

Well, the time has come to buy a new HF rig. The old TS850s has succumbed to the dreaded Carrier Board ASIC failures. The word was that it was the power supply bypass electrolytic caps that did them in. So, I changed them long ago. But, now it starts having some distortion on receive on first one band then another as operating time goes on. Then the distortion affects the transmit signal. It gets worse as time passes.

There are no replacement ASICs out there. There is a 3rd party board with a different design but done such that it is a drop in replacement. But is it worthwhile to mess with any longer? I don't really think so as I see there are a few other minor issues to be corrected now that I have the rig on the test bench. The VCO is a bit drifty as it needs a new trimmer cap - I went to retune it and it went nuts. The ALC is varying in AM mode (which I don't use and so didn't see this on SSB or CW). I think that's from a DC-DC converter. There's a bit too much noise with the high gain RX path, but I usually use AIP and didn't notice how bad it is on the air with all those other noises.

All is fixable with a little bench time. So I might keep an eye out for a newer serial number unit at hamfests. One that would have the new ASICs one can't get these days. Otherwise, it can live on my Shelves of Obsolete Electronics until one day when it goes to recycle. That happens to a lot of things. Keep for a while and then either sell it off for parts or just recycle it.

So, what to do? I still want to have a new Hybrid design rig. The lowest cost of those is the Kenwood TS590SG. And KW has some B stock available right now. $1149 from Main Trading Company in Paris, TX. So that's what I ordered yesterday. Winter is always my low cash time of year yet also when I'm on the air the most often. In the meantime, my once again repaired TS430s is back on the air as the main radio. I do miss having my diversity receive though. The new rig will be here within a week, though.

73

Stan - w2ck

Congratulations!! New Rig Day!

I have a friend who has the 590SG and he LOVES it. Like you, he's been a Kenwood guy for a long time. I've never had a KW HF radio but I'll run my D710's till they can't be repaired anymore. That's a great price you scored it for.

I'll be honest, I'm a bit spoiled by the spectrum analyzers on modern HF radios. :)

You are going to have a fun rest of the winter playing with a new radio! Enjoy!
 

Fred D

Member of The Illiterati
Hi,

Well, the time has come to buy a new HF rig. The old TS850s has succumbed to the dreaded Carrier Board ASIC failures. The word was that it was the power supply bypass electrolytic caps that did them in. So, I changed them long ago. But, now it starts having some distortion on receive on first one band then another as operating time goes on. Then the distortion affects the transmit signal. It gets worse as time passes.

There are no replacement ASICs out there. There is a 3rd party board with a different design but done such that it is a drop in replacement. But is it worthwhile to mess with any longer? I don't really think so as I see there are a few other minor issues to be corrected now that I have the rig on the test bench. The VCO is a bit drifty as it needs a new trimmer cap - I went to retune it and it went nuts. The ALC is varying in AM mode (which I don't use and so didn't see this on SSB or CW). I think that's from a DC-DC converter. There's a bit too much noise with the high gain RX path, but I usually use AIP and didn't notice how bad it is on the air with all those other noises.

All is fixable with a little bench time. So I might keep an eye out for a newer serial number unit at hamfests. One that would have the new ASICs one can't get these days. Otherwise, it can live on my Shelves of Obsolete Electronics until one day when it goes to recycle. That happens to a lot of things. Keep for a while and then either sell it off for parts or just recycle it.

So, what to do? I still want to have a new Hybrid design rig. The lowest cost of those is the Kenwood TS590SG. And KW has some B stock available right now. $1149 from Main Trading Company in Paris, TX. So that's what I ordered yesterday. Winter is always my low cash time of year yet also when I'm on the air the most often. In the meantime, my once again repaired TS430s is back on the air as the main radio. I do miss having my diversity receive though. The new rig will be here within a week, though.

73

Stan - w2ck
That Kenwood looks like a very nice rig. I know from my experience that Kenwood is also very good at repairs under warranty at no charge.

73
 

ylekot

On the lookout for a purse
Always wanted to get in to it and just never have. Seeing ads for a course that guarantees you pass the test the first time. It intrigues me. I don't want to post a link, might get interpreted as advertising.
 
Hi,

The General isn't bad. You can do that. HF is the name of the game. ;)

An antenna farm can be more of an issue. I have a 500 foot longwire up, a full wave end fed for the bottom half of 160m. That's also a receive antenna for diversity and the old KW 430 is on that. The 430 is also on a 10m vertical.

The 850 was on a folded dipole until it went all weird on me. Well, the 590 will replace that soon enough. That covers the upper end of 160m thru 6m. That takes up 90 feet and does need a support in the middle.

I was about to put in a 80-10 vertical to go with that folded dipole. That's on hold now for a few months because I had to spend that money on the 590.

And, that brings up the need for two antennas for every band. Some folks run horizontal and others vertical and there is a signal loss incurred for being crossed up on the polarization. 10m and 6m are the only two bands where I have both polarizations covered right now.

I live in a river valley so I don't get into SSB above 6m where I need the horizontal polarization. FM is vertical on 2m thru 900 MHz here. But, still one antenna up for each band: 220, 440 and 900. I have three up for 2m FM. One omni for packet and one omni for phone and one 4 element beam up to get into some of the more distant repeaters or sometimes simplex (like working someone mobile at times).

But, then, my antenna farm is on an actual farm, so I have the space for all those and many more. I dream of a pair of 160m quarter waves fed by a Gates Phasor to form an electrically steerable beam. And maybe a repurposed Gates BC-1 AM broadcast transmitter. :)

Phasor.jpg


That is a Phasor next to a 5 kW AM BC transmitter.

73

Stan - w2ck
 
Always wanted to get in to it and just never have. Seeing ads for a course that guarantees you pass the test the first time. It intrigues me. I don't want to post a link, might get interpreted as advertising.
Hi,

Try hamstudy.org lots of folks do well with them. And, it's easy to find an exam when you are ready.


The Laurel VEC offers exams for free:


Other exam coordinators charge a fee for the exams. But you may be close to a free one.

The FCC also charges $35 once you pass to grant you your ticket.

73

Stan - w2ck
 

Fred D

Member of The Illiterati
So how hard is it to pass the general exam? And how much real estate am I going to need for an antenna farm?

I haven't even been on 2 meter in years, but I figger I'm not bringing any cash outta this werld....
The General shouldn't be very difficult for you, just get some study books for the test.
I had to pass the morse code test before upgrading to General, but you don't have to worry about that anymore. I think a couple of months should prepare you for the General, maybe less.
In my opinion, the written exam for Amateur Extra was in a class of its own, and I wouldn't want to have to take that one again. You would love HF, and can you do much with a simple dipole and an antenna tuner.
 
You should definitely go for it @FarmerTan!!!

The general is pretty trivial - I accidently passed using my "free test" when I took my Tech. They will let you take the Tech again right then if you fail or you can take a free swing at the General. But I have a little electronics experience so the EE stuff wasn't a deal breaker.

@KQY61 Stan nailed it. Take a few practice tests a week at HamStudy.org and in no time you'll be pulling in the 90%'s.

Your HF antenna is, like Stan said, sometimes more of a problem. I'm on a postage stamp lot, 50x100. I started with a G5RV multiband wire antenna. Not the best antenna in the world but it's cheap and it worked great for me. I used a manual tuner back then, those were good times :). It's not bad at 90'. I had it up 40' on a telescoping TV antenna pole in an inverted V and the ends were about 60' apart.

Here's a cheaper example, they are not bad at all. Of course, that's not a tri-beam yagi on a tower killing you on the pile ups, there's aways some guy with a bigger antenna. But this is easy to put up and works well as long as you have a good antenna tuner.

If I were you, I'd reach out to your county ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) or ham radio club. They are like B&B members - if you show up and say hi you'll get rushed by hams throwing elbows to help you. You'll likely be offered a full starter setup to kick the tires and help getting it setup. I'm in at least one antenna party a quarter!

If you want a taste of what HF is like you can always check out the bands using WebSDR. It's like having a virtual HF radio with a better antenna in a better spot than most mortals can muster. Receive only, of course. There's no thrill of the chase or the rush of victory making a contact.

Just Do It Yes GIF by Rocky


KF7LJH
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
You should definitely go for it @FarmerTan!!!

The general is pretty trivial - I accidently passed using my "free test" when I took my Tech. They will let you take the Tech again right then if you fail or you can take a free swing at the General. But I have a little electronics experience so the EE stuff wasn't a deal breaker.

@KQY61 Stan nailed it. Take a few practice tests a week at HamStudy.org and in no time you'll be pulling in the 90%'s.

Your HF antenna is, like Stan said, sometimes more of a problem. I'm on a postage stamp lot, 50x100. I started with a G5RV multiband wire antenna. Not the best antenna in the world but it's cheap and it worked great for me. I used a manual tuner back then, those were good times :). It's not bad at 90'. I had it up 40' on a telescoping TV antenna pole in an inverted V and the ends were about 60' apart.

Here's a cheaper example, they are not bad at all. Of course, that's not a tri-beam yagi on a tower killing you on the pile ups, there's aways some guy with a bigger antenna. But this is easy to put up and works well as long as you have a good antenna tuner.

If I were you, I'd reach out to your county ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) or ham radio club. They are like B&B members - if you show up and say hi you'll get rushed by hams throwing elbows to help you. You'll likely be offered a full starter setup to kick the tires and help getting it setup. I'm in at least one antenna party a quarter!

If you want a taste of what HF is like you can always check out the bands using WebSDR. It's like having a virtual HF radio with a better antenna in a better spot than most mortals can muster. Receive only, of course. There's no thrill of the chase or the rush of victory making a contact.

Just Do It Yes GIF by Rocky


KF7LJH
Thanks for the encouragement, all of you!

It would be nice to do some talking around this Sphere we call home, and not just locally.
 
I used an early version of this MFJ 2-40 vertical while in the USAF in base housing. MFJ-1799X, VERTICAL ANTENNA,9-BD, 2, 6, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 30, 40M - https://mfjenterprises.com/collections/antenna/products/mfj-1799x

Work mostly OK and was rarely noticed by those who cared. When I was working on a MARS ticket, I actually had permission for a small antenna farm in base housing.

Now I have a multi-band 10-80 inverted vee dipole at 40 feet, need something different. Works into Canada and Mexico real well, not much east west. Since I'm located in Colorado I'm thinking a vertical for the lower take off to try the E-W areas.

Home brew copper pipe J-pole on 6 meter works very well, and a home brew j-pole for 145/440 hits all the Front Range repeaters.

Several of my neighbors don't even realize any antennas are here.

73s W0BBB
 
That must be new, I think when I took my tests it was only a couple of bucks donated to the club.
Hi,

Last April. The 19th IIRC. They had been talking about it for two years prior. Actually, the Treasury gets the dough. Upon passing your first test, the FCC sends you an email with a link to the Treasury. Then they put a hold on your grant. You follow the link and pay them, then the Treasury tells the FCC that you did. Then they process your grant.

Upgrades to an existing ticket are free. Only a new 10-year grant incurs the fee. So, a new ticket; a renewal; a vanity callsign; they incur the $35 fee.

73

Stan - w2ck
 
The General shouldn't be very difficult for you, just get some study books for the test.
I had to pass the morse code test before upgrading to General, but you don't have to worry about that anymore. I think a couple of months should prepare you for the General, maybe less.
In my opinion, the written exam for Amateur Extra was in a class of its own, and I wouldn't want to have to take that one again. You would love HF, and can you do much with a simple dipole and an antenna tuner.
Hi,

I had to head to the FCC field office to take my General written in the spring of 1977. That plus the 5 WPM from the Novice got one a Technician in those days. Later, they went No Code with the Tech, so us Old Techs were then known as Tech Plus. And all the Tech Plus went away after the FCC dropped the code requirement to 5 WPM for all classes. They just sent the Tech Plus' a Free General since we had credit for the element.

I skipped over Advanced and Extra in 1978 by getting my 2nd Class commercial ticket. That was a 100 question exam that made Extra look easy. In 1979, I went back for my 1st Class so I could work in Broadcasting for higher pay. More trips to the field office. I eventually went back for my Amateur Extra a couple years ago. By then, I had worked in RF R&D for decades and so, no problem. I never felt I needed an Extra for Ham until I got into this VE thing. There, a General is very limiting. I rarely use the Extra HF allocations and still pretty much stay in the General portions of the bands.

It's a lot better now that the Code is optional. It was part of international agreements and treaties and so couldn't be dropped for HF right away. Hence the short period of 5 WPM for all. Right back to where it began when there was only the one class of licence so long ago. And, now not a requirement at all. It made sense in the days of tubes when modulators would pop at will during an AM QSO and yet the finals worked just fine. So, switch over to the old code key and carry on. Not the case in these solid state days.

73

Stan - w2ck
 
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Hi,

Oh, and the General question pool changes on July 1st. The new pool is out, but if anyone wanting a General gets their exam in by June 30th, you won't have to worry about what has changed. :)

73

Stan - w2ck
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Thanks for the encouragement, all of you!

It would be nice to do some talking around this Sphere we call home, and not just locally.
What would it take for an old 11 meter guy to get started? I have a Cobra 138 with some uppers and lowers, need to start looking at antennae's now that I have a house.

~doug~
 
Hi,

I never felt I needed an Extra for Ham until I got into this VE thing. There, a General is very limiting.

Thank you for being a VE!! The hobby depends on people like you.


It's a lot better now that the Code is optional. It was part of international agreements and treaties and so couldn't be dropped for HF right away. Hence the short period of 5 WPM for all. Right back to where it began when there was only the one class of licence so long ago. And, now not a requirement at all. It made sense in the days of tubes when modulators would pop at will during an AM QSO and yet the finals worked just fine. So, switch over to the old code key and carry on. Not the case in these solid state days.

WOW! I didn't know that! I'm a no-code ham and always wondered about the decision making that happened to drop cw from the exams. I bet there's a good book there :)
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
What would it take for an old 11 meter guy to get started? I have a Cobra 138 with some uppers and lowers, need to start looking at antennae's now that I have a house.

~doug~
When I got my Technician license, which I still have, I just bought a book from the ARRL (Amateur Radio Relay League) that the old Radio Shack stores sold. I studied it religiously for quite awhile, I THINK it had all of the questions and answers for the question pool that the examiners used to test you.

I learned enough to eventually decide to get my license, and I also used that experience to work part time at Radio Shack.

Lol, I once was at work and was monitoring the local repeater and heard a guy call out that he had hit a deer with his car and he gave out his brother's phone number and I called his brother and he went out and "rescued" him! This was back in the infancy of cell phones, so it was a not uncommon occurrence.

So I'd say get a book and study it. It will be money well spent. I didn't know a kilowatt from a kilogram, and I STILL don't know which end of a solder iron to hold onto, but I have a werkin' knowledge of basic circuits and such because I had something to apply it to in studying for that license.

I'm a dabbler in a lot of different areas of knowledge. I just like to learn for the sake of learning. I've got more useless knowledge rolling around in my head than useful stuff.
 
What would it take for an old 11 meter guy to get started? I have a Cobra 138 with some uppers and lowers, need to start looking at antennae's now that I have a house.

~doug~


Doug!! You'd be the best ham and SoCAL is ham radio central.

First, like @FarmerTan suggests, you want to get your Tech licence. This will be childsplay for you.

If you are a book type of guy, this is the one to get. It's great and will see you through the test easily. What I did was just take the Tech Practice test a few times a night for a few weeks. In less than 30 days I was nailing it.

Once you are ready we can help you find a local VE (guy who gives the tests) to connect with.

Do it!! I'd love to get on a linked repeater and chat with you. We could start up an B&B IRLP reflector :)
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
I learned enough to eventually decide to get my license, and I also used that experience to work part time at Radio Shack.
I used to belong to the Battery-of-the-Month Club there, at least I think it was a free battery a month, could have been a week... Loved that place. As far as redideos go, all I have is 40 channel CB's that were the rage in my neck of the woods and a 150 watt footwarmer, but a few of my contacts had Ham radios and licenses. I used to really get some long distance skip with my base antennae.

~doug~
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Do it!! I'd love to get on a linked repeater and chat with you. We could start up an B&B IRLP reflector
I can see the repeaters from my back yard on the Santiago Peaks, and I can pronounce Yaesu, but I wouldn't know what type of radio to get started with. Only did CB stuff after they did away with licenses for that band. I had a Big Stick on a 40' mast at my Mom's house and had the radio freaked out was about it. Used to get some nice skip from some serious distances. One time a guy in Belize Honduras was hitting contacts all over the world heard my call sign...

~doug~
 
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