HF Base Station Recommendations

[cnynrat]

Not really overlanding related, but I thought I might tap into the more experienced amateur radio operators here on ExPo.

I am thinking about setting up an amateur base station, and am looking for some advice. By way of background, I've been operating for about 5 years on VHF/UHF, primarily mobile with a little HT thrown in from time to time. I do have my General license. I am primarily interested in HF, but having VHF/UHF capability might be nice as well since right now my only radios are the mobile unit in the truck and a few HTs. Initially I am really just looking to get my feet wet and see where the hobby might take me. I don't think I'll ever be interested in contesting, so anything strongly directed at that type of operation isn't really of much interest.

I've gone back and forth a bit on whether mobile or field use would be of interest. I'm concerned that the smaller rigs targeted at that sort of operation are likely to be harder to use due to the dense packaging and inevitable menu driven interfaces. Perhaps it might be better to have a rig dedicated to that purpose if/when that becomes a real interest. Open to others thoughts on that subject though.

Since all my experience is the very task directed "Talk to people while on the trail" sort of thing, I'm not sure I even have a good understanding of what I should be looking at in terms of requirements. Are there key features or capabilities that I should consider to be important or even "must haves" for a first base station radio? To bias the discussion a little, I tend to prefer to buy things that have some room for me to grow into them rather than things that will become limiting a short time down the road. That said, I'm not going to be dropping $10k on a FTdx9000 anytime soon.

I've done a little looking, and here are some radios I've considered along with an initial reaction:

• Elecraft K3 (Definitely more than I was hoping to spend, but I find this option intriguing nevertheless)
• Yaesu FT897D (Wondering how much do you compromise in terms of ease of use to get the denser packaging that really isn't a requirement for me)
• Yaesu FT450D (In many ways this seems to be what I'm looking for, but I wonder if I could pick up an older rig without giving up too much performance or features and have money left over for antenna etc.)

I've also done a little looking at used rigs and it seems that that may be an option to save some money that could be put to good use on an antenna setup, etc, without sacrificing too much in terms of performance or features. I'd be very interested in thoughts about this, and specifically whether there are some older models out there that are good solid radios and are generally available in the used market. Also interested in any models that might be in the "stay away from these" category.

So, based on that kind of loose set of requirements, I'd be interested in input and advice from those with some experience in this area.

 

[1911]

If I was starting again (on my HF rig), I would save up for the K3 for sure. As it is, I have a Kenwood TS-480SAT that I use for both home and portable. A very good radio, and I have made contacts all over the world with only 100 watts, but since it does not do any higher frequency bands than 6M it does not fit your criteria for VHF/UHF.

IMO, the later-model radios with DSP are worth the money. You also want one with good filters or the option to install some. There is much more to to fiddle with on HF SSB AM phone operation than VHF/UHF FM, in terms of audio quality and being able to pull weak signals out of the surrounding noise.

For home antenna(s), put up the best and highest you can afford. Right now I'm using a home-made OCF wire dipole and it works well enough down to and including 40M, but it's not a beam on a tower for sure. The main advantage is, it cost next to nothing and I put it up by myself. I also have a 10M vertical antenna since I like 10M and work it a lot when it's open and propagating.

For a mobile antenna I have a Buddipole, and in fact I used that as my base-station antenna too for the first couple of years. It's a very good antenna considering all the different bands and configurations you can make from a single kit, it's just not particularly quick to change bands. But if you are happy to work just one band for a few days or weeks at at time, it is really versatile.

Hope this may help, and good luck with your decision Dave.

 

[BigJimCruising]

First thing I noticed was you're also trapped in SoCal with me! So before you start shopping rigs I'd begin by looking into rules and regs (if any) for the area you live in. So much of socal these days is controlled by homeowner ***'s that putting up an HF station can be a formidable task. Make sure you can put up your antenna before you spend your hard earned cash on a radio. Also what I think is more important then the radio is the antenna. While I've made contacts all over the world with my whip antenna on my truck the bigger the antenna the better you'll perform. So start looking into how much antenna you can fit on your house or lot and get the most you can make fit!

As for a starter radio I'd sure look around at some used rigs. There are some great buys on some of the older equipment that still perform very well. Find one with a digital readout and get started talking. One of the biggest differences between older radios and newer radios is all the extra bells and whistles they cram into them to make it seem like a better radio. But frankly if all your looking to do is talk and make contacts then a cheaper basic radio is all you really need. Plus after some experience with that radio you'll have a better idea of what you'll want (if ever) in a newer radio. A big plus I found out, at least for me, was that older bigger radios are easier for guys like me with big hands and big fingers to operate! Don't know if that applies to you but if you're gonna spend hours dialing up and down the bands bigger dials and buttons go a long way towards comfort!!

If you're anywhere near Garden Grove in Orange County you're welcome to give me a shout and I'll show you my setup in my truck! Might give you some ideas.

Happy hamming!! Jim.

 

[cnynrat]

Thanks for the advice guys. Trapped in SoCal is right Jim! Hopefully we'll be out of here in 4-5 years when I retire, but that's another subject.

I haven't thought too much about antenna's yet. I figured I would probably start with a dipole, and maybe a vertical. Something simple. I'm certainly not going to be putting up a beam on a big tower to start with. There aren't any specific prohibitions about antennas that I need to deal with in my town, and I'm lucky enough to have a fair amount of space by SoCal standards. On the other hand I don't really want to annoy the neighbors unnecessarily. Frankly, antennas are a not really well understood area for me at the moment, and I need to spend some time learning and understanding my options better.

BTW, I am not hard over that I need to have HF and UHF/VHF all in the same radio. It would be nice if it made sense, but I've also thought about just picking up another Kenwood TM-V71 like I have in my FJ and setting that up in the house for UHF/VHF. I like the radio, and it would be convenient not to have to learn another one.

In terms of used radios are there any particular models that are well know to be solid rigs, or any that I should stay away from?

 

[BigJimCruising]

Hi Dave. Glad to hear you have room at your place, that's getting to be a rarity here in commie socal! And don't overlook that beam antenna, they can actually help with avoiding interference to your neighbors electronics. Also consider a good long wire setup, simple to a point and very low profile, think horizontal instead of vertical and your neighbors might not even notice it. If possible avoid an antenna tuner to squeak out every bit of signal you can get.

As for radios, there are lots of good used HF only radios out there. Don't look to much for fancy filters or DSP stuff unless you already know that your particular location has some unusual RFI like living next door to an Edison power distribution plant or something that would be very noisy.

If you do want to look towards an all in one radio give the Icom 706 mkII a good look. I've owned one for years and it has always lived in my 4x4 trucks. It's suffered abuse that has killed Kenwoods several times and another radio that I can recall the name of at the moment. Needless to say my trucks live a very hard life yet my Icom has never failed me! I did kill 2 of the Icom antenna tuners but none of the other tuners I've seen on the market seem to built any tougher.

One good point to getting a separate VHF/UHF radio is you can listen for your buddy's while working the HF bands. Good for relays if you joint some nets.

Subject change: I did retire last year but for family reasons I'm still stuck here in commie land, now that's my definition of stress!!!

Happy Hamming! Jim.

 

[taugust]

I recently built my base setup. I decided on an Yaesu FT-950. It's the next step up from the 450. I bought it used and saved quite a bit over new. Once you decide what you want, look on QRZ.com and QTH.com for used equipment. Wait for a good deal. After watching prices for a few weeks, you will know what the going rates are.

I setup a off-center fed dipole antenna on surplus military aluminum poles, about 35 ft. in the air. The advantage of the OCF dipole is that it works on multiple bands without a tuner. The one I have is 135 ft. of wire. It works on 80m, 40m, 20m, 17m, 10, and 6m. You need some real estate to set it up, but it works great. The FT-950 has a built in tuner that you can use to fine tune the antenna, although it is not needed. You can build your own antenna, or buy one on Ebay for about $60. Look for Carolina Windom. Having multiple bands in one antenna is great for easily switching bands. Change the band on the radio, hit "tune", and you are in business. I have talked all over the world with this setup.

I have a Yaesu 857D (little brother to the 897D) in my truck. It's compact and works well as an all around (primarily VHF) radio. Once you get settings where you want them, you don't need to fiddle with it much. I have a friend who uses the 897 as a base radio. Works well. You can control both with a computer (along with the 950) using Ham Radio Deluxe.

 

[cnynrat]

I've been spending a little time looking at used radios on QRZ.com, QTH.com, SecondHandRadio.com. I haven't narrowed it down to a specific model yet, but I'll probably go that way. Currently looking at Kenwood TS-570's or TS-590's.

Based on 1911's comment earlier I've been reading a bit about OCF diploles, and that seems like a great solution for me. I'm looking at a couple alternatives for how I can string one up on my property. I've got a couple trees that I think will work as the end points, with a center support on my house.

 

[1911]

Based on 1911's comment earlier I've been reading a bit about OCF diploles, and that seems like a great solution for me. I'm looking at a couple alternatives for how I can string one up on my property. I've got a couple trees that I think will work as the end points, with a center support on my house.

Just got off the radio, logged a bunch of QSO's here in the U.S., using my OCF dipole. 20M was propagating super this afternoon from Texas to the north and east. All my signal reports were 59, and I didn't even touch the tuner. The OCF dipole is simple but effective.

Ideally you'd like to hang the balun at least 30' off the ground. Mine is hung from a mast mounted to my metal shop building. Less than ideal, but it still works!

 

[cnynrat]

I'm trying to work out the best way to get that kind of height. The peak of my roof where I'm thinking of locating the center is about 11-1/2 feet high. I was hoping to keep the center support more in the 10-15 foot range, which would only give me 20-25 feet total height at the center. Our property is hilly, so the ends of the dipole would be higher off the ground. Don't know how that variation would affect the performance.

1911 - how high is the center of your OCF dipole?

 

[1911]

I'm trying to work out the best way to get that kind of height. The peak of my roof where I'm thinking of locating the center is about 11-1/2 feet high. I was hoping to keep the center support more in the 10-15 foot range, which would only give me 20-25 feet total height at the center. Our property is hilly, so the ends of the dipole would be higher off the ground. Don't know how that variation would affect the performance.

1911 - how high is the center of your OCF dipole?

Dave, I mounted three sections of galvanized chain-link-fence top rail to the side of my shop building near the peak of the roof. The bottom sits on a pipe that I cemented in the ground, and I used two stand-offs to hold it to/off the wall, then I guyed it up near the top (to the roof of the shop and a tree). The center balun is about 33' above the ground, but less than 19' above the peak of the roof.

The height of the ends of the wire off the ground shouldn't make much difference, though it's safer to have them at least 8-10' off the ground so people and mowers etc. don't run into them. The thing you do want to watch is the included angle between the two wire limbs of the dipole; you want it to be at least 120 degrees but you can get away with more. The take-off angle of your radiation pattern will change somewhat with different angles of the dipole. There is a good diagram of an ideal installation towards the bottom of this page: http://hamcall.net/7bandocf.html

Hope this helps -

Lee

EDITED to add photo:

Here is a (not great) photo of my mast above the metal shop building. The center balun is hanging from a pulley on the short horizontal "yardarm" coming off the vertical mast. You can see the mast guy wires, the actual OCF dipole wires, and also the coax and the line used to hoist the balun up to the yardarm. You want the balun and the dipole wires insulated from the metal mast, so I made the yardarm out of PVC pipe.

The assemblage above the yardarm is my homemade 2M mirrored j-pole BTW.

here is another view from a different side of the shop building:

 

[cnynrat]

Cool, thanks for the pics.

Is the height above the building a factor that influences performance of the antenna, or is it mostly about height above the ground?

 

[1911]

Cool, thanks for the pics.

Is the height above the building a factor that influences performance of the antenna, or is it mostly about height above the ground?

Yes, because in my case the building is all metal so I'm guessing there is some coupling between the wire dipole and the building. At the very least the metal building is probably altering my radiation pattern - the antenna is on the east end of the building, and I get much better contacts to the east and north than I do to the south and west with this antenna.

If your house is (mostly) brick or wood with asphalt shingles, I wouldn't expect much trouble at all from using the house to support the middle balun in some fashion. Do you have a chimney that you could strap a mast to?

 

[teotwaki]

I'm considering the Ellecraft K3 as a packable rig and also for home duty. No idea what sort of amplifier I'd get. In the truck I have the FT-857 and it works great. I have the ATAS 120 antenna and it works fine down into the 7 MHz range where it gets a little fussy. I'd probably go for a Little Tarheel if I get a chance to upgrade.

 

[cnynrat]

Yes, because in my case the building is all metal so I'm guessing there is some coupling between the wire dipole and the building. At the very least the metal building is probably altering my radiation pattern - the antenna is on the east end of the building, and I get much better contacts to the east and north than I do to the south and west with this antenna.

If your house is (mostly) brick or wood with asphalt shingles, I wouldn't expect much trouble at all from using the house to support the middle balun in some fashion. Do you have a chimney that you could strap a mast to?

That makes sense Lee. My house is the typical SoCal stucco with asphalt shingles. I do have a chimney that I could strap a mast to, but it's not in line with the trees I'm thinking of using as the end points of the dipole. I've got a large Ash tree and a large Eucalyptus tree that are far enough apart, and the wire would pass over a part of my house. I know attaching to trees can be tricky, but it's looking like the best option. I would use pulleys with a weight on both ends to minimize stresses from the trees blowing in the wind.

I'm considering the Ellecraft K3 as a packable rig and also for home duty. No idea what sort of amplifier I'd get. In the truck I have the FT-857 and it works great. I have the ATAS 120 antenna and it works fine down into the 7 MHz range where it gets a little fussy. I'd probably go for a Little Tarheel if I get a chance to upgrade.

The K3 gets great reviews. Just not sure I'm ready for that price point. As I've been searching around on QRZ, eBay and so on I'm kind of drifting towards looking for a Kenwood TS-570. It's not that old of a design so examples in good working condition seem relatively plentiful, it gets good reviews on-line, and generally has a reputation of having a decent user interface. It's new enough that it has DSP, although probably not the latest and greatest that come in the new radios. It looks like I should be able to pick one up for about $600 based on recent sales, which would leave some budget for the power supply, antenna and so on.

 

[teotwaki]

Funding for a purchase of a K3 will have to come from a sale of a collectible military HF packset: a PRC-70

I think it has risen in value about 20 to 30 percent so that would pay for a factory built K3 with all of the options. I've not seen any used K3s yet so buying new may be the only way for a while.

Watch Craigslist for deals on Yaesus. there have been some FT897s and FT857s at good prices.

EDIT: should have been KX3 and not the K3