New ham, splurge of ideas and questions...

[CJay]

So I'm going to be taking my 'exam' this weekend and with a little luck I'll be licensed M6something and legal to operate in a week or two once the paperwork is done.

Very pleased to be able to say, I passed, informal marking at the exam site would suggest a mark of 100%, I'm now M6KOX (OFCOM 'Next Licence number' option as none of my choices were available) and on the 24th of this month I will be starting the intermediate course

Informal marking at exam says I passed my Intermediate licence last night so I'll be 2Exxx shortly. Taking a break until next year now before I take the advanced exam

To this end I've bought an Icom IC-718 (nice little radio) and dialed it back down to legal limits for my licence class (10 Watts, luxury as my interest is QRP anyway).

I've also got an Icom automatic tuner which when enabled on the radio, to my horror, means the radio transmits when you switch bands to tune, even if you don't ask it to, how do you stop it doing that other than disabling it in the Set menus?

I need a PSU which I'd like to be able to stick with and use as I progress through the licence classes so 30-40 amps would be good, linear would be preferred but I'm aware that makes it big and heavy so suggestions and recommendations please (I'm probably going to go down the PW Marchwood route if I homebrew, I might also go down the server PSU road too)?

Along with the PSU I'll need some way of getting power around my 'shack' so I'm thinking Anderson connectors, again, your thoughts?

I will need an antenna of course, it will have to be unobtrusive and I've got ~22 metres of garden to play with, I could possibly get away with something like the Yaesu YA-30 but the available space is 3 metres too short, I think they can be left to dangle with little effect on performance though?

I've considered building my own version and will definitely give that a try, doesn't look difficult to do but that length of wire, hard drawn copper or stainless?

Morse keys, I'm a fan of QRP Morse, I'm extremely novice but would like to join in on some of the UK Morse tutorial nets so I'll need a key, I have *no* idea what type I'd be comfortable with so, as a novice, how do you work that out without spending a fortune on buying a collection of keys, I *think* I'd prefer a straight key instead of a paddle but...?

Apologies for the brain splurge, I'm sure I've missed stuff so will probably be back seeking more advice...

[Nuno_pt]

So I'm going to be taking my 'exam' this weekend and with a little luck I'll be licensed M6something and legal to operate in a week or two once the paperwork is done.

To this end I've bought an Icom IC-718 (nice little radio) and dialed it back down to legal limits for my licence class (10 Watts, luxury as my interest is QRP anyway).

I've also got an Icom automatic tuner which when enabled on the radio, to my horror, means the radio transmits when you switch bands to tune, even if you don't ask it to, how do you stop it doing that other than disabling it in the Set menus?

It enters in transmission mode so it can adjust the coils on the tuner to low VSWR, if you don't have an antenna connected to the radio it will see infinite VSWR and the tuner is going back and forward and try to low the VSWR.

I need a PSU which I'd like to be able to stick with and use as I progress through the licence classes so 30-40 amps would be good, linear would be preferred but I'm aware that makes it big and heavy so suggestions and recommendations please (I'm probably going to go down the PW Marchwood route if I homebrew, I might also go down the server PSU road too)?

An PSU with 30 to 40A will be too much (but don't hurt  ), any 100W radio only need about 25A, just measure the voltage at the connector of the radio, and instead of 13.8V like they recommend feed it with 14.8V at the connector, that way the losses on the cable run and connectors is accounted for and your radio will perform well.

Along with the PSU I'll need some way of getting power around my 'shack' so I'm thinking Anderson connectors, again, your thoughts?

Yes that is the best way to connect everything, but you can make a strip of female round jacks also, in a box or aluminum L bracket, one row of red and one row of black.

I will need an antenna of course, it will have to be unobtrusive and I've got ~22 metres of garden to play with, I could possibly get away with something like the Yaesu YA-30 but the available space is 3 metres too short, I think they can be left to dangle with little effect on performance though?

Search for SOTA antennas, or fishing pole antenna, QRP antenna, you'll find my designs one will fit your needs and space, and you'll keep on trying them.

I've considered building my own version and will definitely give that a try, doesn't look difficult to do but that length of wire, hard drawn copper or stainless?

Sure build your own, it's easy.

Morse keys, I'm a fan of QRP Morse, I'm extremely novice but would like to join in on some of the UK Morse tutorial nets so I'll need a key, I have *no* idea what type I'd be comfortable with so, as a novice, how do you work that out without spending a fortune on buying a collection of keys, I *think* I'd prefer a straight key instead of a paddle but...?

Start with second hand ones, buy one straight and buy an Iambic one, try both just to get the feeling and the see what best feet your hand.

Also try the new modes for QRP, like JT and the new FT8 mode, you can get around the globe with less than 5W and simple antennas.

Apologies for the brain splurge, I'm sure I've missed stuff so will probably be back seeking more advice...

Best of luck.

[CJay]

I've also got an Icom automatic tuner which when enabled on the radio, to my horror, means the radio transmits when you switch bands to tune, even if you don't ask it to, how do you stop it doing that other than disabling it in the Set menus?

It enters in transmission mode so it can adjust the coils on the tuner to low VSWR, if you don't have an antenna connected to the radio it will see infinite VSWR and the tuner is going back and forward and try to low the VSWR.

Yeah, I realised that, that's what worried me when it transmitted as I've attached ~20 metres of wire to it so I could listen and it went and transmitted to tune it... I've disconnected the ATU now until I have a licence but was wondering if there was a way to prevent it auto tuning until I'm licensed...

I need a PSU which I'd like to be able to stick with and use as I progress through the licence classes so 30-40 amps would be good, linear would be preferred but I'm aware that makes it big and heavy so suggestions and recommendations please (I'm probably going to go down the PW Marchwood route if I homebrew, I might also go down the server PSU road too)?

An PSU with 30 to 40A will be too much (but don't hurt  ), any 100W radio only need about 25A, just measure the voltage at the connector of the radio, and instead of 13.8V like they recommend feed it with 14.8V at the connector, that way the losses on the cable run and connectors is accounted for and your radio will perform well.

Well it won't be just one radio, the Icom spec is ~22 amps and I'd like a little 'reserve' capacity to run a couple more radios eventually and until I'm licensed to build my own they'll have to be black boxes.

I am wondering if I could build several regulators for one DC bus of perhaps 25V and have 'sense' wires for each radio but that's probably over complicating things.

Along with the PSU I'll need some way of getting power around my 'shack' so I'm thinking Anderson connectors, again, your thoughts?

Yes that is the best way to connect everything, but you can make a strip of female round jacks also, in a box or aluminum L bracket, one row of red and one row of black.

I was thinking of building a distribution board with some spring loaded, some Andersons and some 4mm banana/binding posts to cover a few types, lots of fuses and LEDs

I will need an antenna of course, it will have to be unobtrusive and I've got ~22 metres of garden to play with, I could possibly get away with something like the Yaesu YA-30 but the available space is 3 metres too short, I think they can be left to dangle with little effect on performance though?

Search for SOTA antennas, or fishing pole antenna, QRP antenna, you'll find my designs one will fit your needs and space, and you'll keep on trying them.

Yes, there seems to be an awful lot of information out there and an awful lot of contradictory opinions too.

I've considered building my own version and will definitely give that a try, doesn't look difficult to do but that length of wire, hard drawn copper or stainless?

Sure build your own, it's easy.

it doesn't look difficult, the hardest bit would be the 9:1 balun and even that...

Still wondering about wire types though

Morse keys, I'm a fan of QRP Morse, I'm extremely novice but would like to join in on some of the UK Morse tutorial nets so I'll need a key, I have *no* idea what type I'd be comfortable with so, as a novice, how do you work that out without spending a fortune on buying a collection of keys, I *think* I'd prefer a straight key instead of a paddle but...?

Start with second hand ones, buy one straight and buy an Iambic one, try both just to get the feeling and the see what best feet your hand.

Also try the new modes for QRP, like JT and the new FT8 mode, you can get around the globe with less than 5W and simple antennas.

I guess the only way is to buy and try then, any tips on what to look for in a key, how to spot a good one or a bad one?

Definitely going to be trying some of the new modes, I'm not a fan of gateways or digital voice modes but I *think* they're more VHF/UHF?

Best of luck.

Thank you
[/quote]

[K5HJ]

You can turn off auto tune in the 718 menus.
I don't have a 718 any more but it's in the manual.

[CJay]

You can turn off auto tune in the 718 menus.
I don't have a 718 any more but it's in the manual.

I did a factory reset on the radio after I'd given it a quick check over as the previous owner had all sorts of presets etc and I wanted to start from scratch so I went through the whole SET menu, I'm pretty sure AT-TUNE is off in the set menu but it still tunes on band changes. I'll check again tonight though, I could of course be wrong.

One nice thing, it's got an FL52A fitted and another, the DSP is present too. 

[Nuno_pt]

Attention that it can be the auto ATU to put the radio in TX, even if the internal radio ATU is off.

[denverpilot]

Good answers from everyone else already. Just popped in to add that I like making antennas AND buying antennas both. There's no end to antenna fun.

And also to note that I don't know about the 718, but most rigs with menus these days have a TX Inhibit feature somewhere that will block all TX of any sort. You might check the manual for something like that if you don't want it transmitting.

I wouldn't want it to auto-tune and TX anyway. Great way to be a "lid" and TX on top of somebody else. Most rigs have a "Tune" button to start the TX and tune if they have an internal auto-tuner.

The advice to try different keys and/or paddles plus the rig's keyer, is sound. You won't know what you like until you've operated some with both and maybe you'll even end up one of those weird mechanical bug fans... You never know. (Personally I settled on a Bencher paddle set for most of my CW, but of course there's also "cheating" these days and letting the computer do it. And even the controversy of running software that will copy CW as anything from primary use, to just running it in the background for those moments when the dog walks into the shack and barks at you, or any other interruptions.)

The weak signal digital modes for HF are truly amazing these days. It sorta turns you into a "keyboard op" but I've got a lot of countries in the log and confirmed, that I wouldn't have... if I was hunting them only with CW and SSB... so there's that, FWIW.

You'll quickly find that when the HF bands are good (top of sunspot cycle) a wet noodle will work everywhere. In between those blessed years every 11 years or so, "antennas make the radio" as my first Elmer used to say to me.

[cdev]

This should be helpful. These are the two kinds of baluns that work the best for me. (on receive) The balun design I borrowed from this commercial product by Elecraft It is switchable and uses two #43 material iron powder cores next to one another. Yes, switchable between 1:1 and 4:1.

The unun is a must for using a single long wire antenna. Dramatically improves reception, so likely has a similar effect on transmit, with a good ground.

I also recently got an "e-field probe" antenna.. an amplified "pa0rdt mini whip" - it works quite well, surprisingly well.


Can now listen to beacons on 10 m I could never hear before.

I used a very small #43 "50"size core and the same number of turns that are in the picture for the unun, but other materials might be better.

I sometimes use it for VHF too and the #43 worked well it seems so I use it.

[VK5RC]

Congratulations on your pass, a frustrating wait, in Australia, and our licence system seems very similar to the UK, our Foundation license holders (at present) can't use digital modes - certainly worth a check of the regulations.
If you are not already, being a member of a local club can be very helpful - occ some PITA but some real gems/grey beards as well.
73  _._

[CJay]

Congratulations on your pass, a frustrating wait, in Australia, and our licence system seems very similar to the UK, our Foundation license holders (at present) can't use digital modes - certainly worth a check of the regulations.
If you are not already, being a member of a local club can be very helpful - occ some PITA but some real gems/grey beards as well.
73  _._

Thank you, I'm rather pleased.

It shouldn't be too bad, I believe the wait is about a week before I can choose my call sign so I may be able to announce it early next week.

We are allowed some (if not all) digital modes, DMR, D-STAR and the various internet gateways for instance but we aren't allowed to host nodes, PSK31 seems to be allowed but I'm sure there are restrictions too.

I'll spend some time working out fully what I can and can't do but the Intermediate course starts in a few weeks so it's a bit of a shifting target, weirdly I do quite well with the technical side of it but rules, I need to concentrate on them if I don't want to get into trouble so there's plenty of reading to be done

Good advice to join a club, there are a few local ones, some more technical than others, I joined the local club who hosted the course and exam and have been a GQRP member for a few years now as well, there's a wealth of knowledge out there but some can be rather 'dubious' at best

[cdev]

Congratulations!

 

[CJay]

Progress, now waiting for the official confirmation of my intermediate pass to choose my new 2E callsign.

I've bought a Kent KT-1 key at a club sale, there was also an Iambic paddle with keyer but I figure learn to read first, then send with a straight key and then may progress...

PSU is a solved problem (Thanks Toploser), antenna is 'done' (are they ever finished?) for now, Anderson power poles are en-route...

[VK5RC]

Congrats++,
In VK land the difference between the Standard and the Advanced licence is quite small, unlike the gap from Foundation to Standard.
While all the Regs etc are in your head, go for the Advanced 
In VK with Advanced, you get a bit more power but the band access improves a lot  - esp if you were ever to consider microwave stuff.
Rob
K