Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

Love the Elecraft stuff allot. One day I'll put together a portable with one.

 

I am sure you have tons of free time... maybe we can update this OP to think to different radio discussions, builds, installs training, and a roll call of all that have checked in with their call. This appears to be one of the bigger HAM BS threads, and with a few tweaks, we could make this the biggest.

 

While I'm grateful to Matt for starting this thread, @TheTraveler isn't active in the thread... He's still a member in good standing. Perhaps he'll agree to transfer OP status.

The thread OP owner could be easily changed by a moderator.
I think you should take it on @Chipskip

 

Looks nice enough. I'd have a hard time picking this over the Icom IC-7100 though.

While it may not be a massive loss, the lack of 2m and 70cm is a bummer.

 

That debate is going on on reddit and twitter. I think I am ok without 2/70. Every tells my you want a dedicated 2/70 even with an HF rig. So you need your HF rig to have 2/70 to be a backup to your primary? Am I missing something else?

I have always wanted an 857D and I think I am starting to lean towards the KX2 now. But I like the size and will be interested to see what all it has going for me.

I want into HF APRS.

 

I "Always" have 146.520mhz FM in the truck. My APRS transmitter says I'm listening there on every 5th transmission, and I damn well better be right?

So I have one additional side of the TM-D700, which typically listens to the common ARES repeater for the county I'm in, or 146.460mhz if I'm driving with the off road club, since a few of us are hams now (3, with 3 more on the cusp of being licensed).

Having the ability to fire up a third VHF/UHF radio means I can stay on .52, listen to ARES, and tune into the WX net when there's a Skywarn activation. Or tune into the trail, or whatever.

It's not the end of the world not having that third receiver, and most of the time I'm listening to 20m, but I'll say that having the option is nice.

 

their pockets must be bigger(and deeper) than mine if that thing fits in it... lol (

 

I'm pretty sure the biggest difference between the KX2 and KX3 is the KX3 is an SDR. I don't believe that's true of the KX2 (although I could be wrong.)

 

FT-891 looks interesting, will have to wait for all the product details to shake out. I too always wanted the 857D shack-in-the box...

 

It covers 30kHz to 56MHz on receive and transmits in the amateur bands from 160m to 6m with 100W output, has a 69.450MHz 1st IF and a 32-bit DSP, which points to a very similar architecture with the Yaesu FT-991. Yaesu has learned from past mistakes and the FT-891 has a large visible display.

We don't have a price....
We do have a picture of the box with details.


Everything else we could want to know is here...
https://fccid.io/K6620651X50

 

Today I leaned that Yaesu likes to use a non-standard 10-pin mini din connector for data / programming operations. That's not good, as 10-pin cables are rare in the market place and Yaesu charges a lot for them.

On the flip side. Yaesu included a 10-pin to USB programming cable with the FTM-100DR which I'll receive next week. And a plus to that, N7IYT has reported over here, that he can use the same cable, (known as (SCU-20)) as a data cable for APRS / Waypoint out with computer. That's great news.

BTW if anyone needs a cable to program the Kenwood Mobile radios, I recommend this one:

Hosa DBK-110 Synthesizer Controller Cable, 8-pin Mini-DIN to DE9, 10 ft

Hosa DBK-110 10 Foot Synthesizer Controller Cable, 8-pin Mini-DIN to DE9 (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

Currently selling for $6.02. I paid twice that in 2013!

 

I'm not sure if the lack of a touch screen on the FT-891 is short sighted, or brilliant. The IC-7100 is far nicer to use than the IC-7000 or IC-706MKIIg are in large part due to the touch screen.

At the same time I wonder how long that touch screen will last under regular use.

 

http://www.elecraft.com/manual/kx2_kx3 brochure_web2.pdf
http://www.elecraft.com/manual/KX2 FAQ v-1-1a.pdf
Both very good .pdf to read about KX2

For Me KX3 > KX2 reasons..... 160-6m, AM & FM, 15w, Roofing filtration, Im spoiled with my K3

For me the KX3 would be mobile/nonbase use.

 

N7IYT knows his stuff.

 

With all these data options, I'm thinking about getting a Toughbook FZ-G1 or an FZ-M1 instead of using an android for APRS. I just wish they offered a crossband repeatable hf/vhf/uhf where vhf/uhf is on the B side and HF on the A side. I think that would be much more valuable.

 

Look into kenwood's skycommand...

 

This morning I passed my exam. Basic with honours.

 

Congrats! I look forward to adding you to my log book one day!

 

I guess that makes two of us today. Congrats.