Just got a ham license upgrade, now what?

[technix]

I just got my license upgrade this Sunday, getting my HF permissions on my US license. Now what? I can't quite afford the equipment yet.

73 de KC1PQO

[KE5FX]

Build something!   

(Although don't spend the big bucks for a new handbook; used old ones are fine.)

[Wallace Gasiewicz]

Go to a hamfest and see if anyone is selling an old radio cheap.

[rgrEngage]

Check out http://www.remotehams.com. 

Join a club and meet some operators, many are willing to show off their stations and give you a chance to operate.

[El Rubio]

Is there a ham radio club in your area? Lots of clubs have a club station and some Elmer should be willing to show you the ropes on it.
I have bought & sold many ham radio related items on
 https://swap.qth.com/index.php
I saw someone has an Icom IC-718 for $160. He said it doesn’t transmit. That’s a current rig that you can get parts for if you’re into repairing it. There are others, but you have to sift through a bit. Almost all sellers are hams and I have never been burned by anyone on that site.

Make a basic resonant dipole or OFCD for multiband ops.

Soundcard digital modes like PSK31 are easy to get up and running as long as you have a soundcard. 20 Meters -14.070 was very popular.

[vk3yedotcom]

Possibly the cheapest way is to build a very simple Morse transmitter (say 2 or 3 transistor) and use a web SDR as a receiver.

That will enable you to hear yourself, provided it's the right distance away and you have an efficient antenna.

If your crystal frequency is in a useful part of the band (7 MHz crystals are widely available) you could even call CQ and make contacts, hearing people via the web SDR.

There will be a small delay but it's still workable.

A very simple transmitter (though a bit more power would be desirable)

[mag_therm]

I recently obtained my call in USA after initial VK call then long time with no activity.
I am focusing on  only digital 30, 20 and maybe 17 m .
Plan so far:
Completed items:
Set up 2 dedicated  Linux computers with 13.8 V supply.
Restore, update swl receiver with added dds.
Swl antenna 40 to 17 m
Purchase vintage Spect An.
Purchase new 'scope to assist the vintage ones.
Add ground rods and weather proof  antenna cable access to basement .

In progress:
Hermes single board dual txcv
(Late delivery by chip shortages)
Build 13.8 V UPS , about 50 A.h battery cap.
Build lightning arrestor panel for antenna cables.( Had strike damage already)

Future, not fully planned yet:
30, 20 m ocf dipoles
HF linear amp about 50 to 100 Watt. 13.8 V  I think I will just purchase one initially although prefer building stuff rather than buying appliances.

[duckduck]

I just got my license upgrade this Sunday, getting my HF permissions on my US license. Now what? I can't quite afford the equipment yet.

73 de KC1PQO

Got my Technician license (HF limited to 10 meters, CW only) a few weeks ago. Studying for my General license (TX on almost all HF) now. Low-power radio kits are much cheaper than a new IC-7300 and are a good excuse to solder:

https://www.hamradiosecrets.com/ham-radio-kits.html

[A.Z.]

I just got my license upgrade this Sunday, getting my HF permissions on my US license. Now what? I can't quite afford the equipment yet.

73 de KC1PQO

Got my Technician license (HF limited to 10 meters, CW only) a few weeks ago. Studying for my General license (TX on almost all HF) now. Low-power radio kits are much cheaper than a new IC-7300 and are a good excuse to solder:

https://www.hamradiosecrets.com/ham-radio-kits.html

http://www.4sqrp.com/kitIndex.php

[mag_therm]

There is a new book just published. My copy arrived 3 days ago and I have started on its 400 pages.
A.Peter AC8GY and Dr J Purdum W8TEE "Theory and Construction of the T41-EP Amateur Radio SDT" EP means experimenter's platform
https://ema.arrl.org/2022/08/30/w8tee-ac8gy-building-an-hf-cw-ssb-20w-software-defined-transceiver-at-sci-tech-ars-hybrid-meeting-august-30-2022/

Arduino IDE, all on Teensy 4.1,  DSP is not done on external computer.

This is open source project is a transceiver kit and they are working on sources of "semi kit" parts.

The book covers the pcbs and firmware and goes into descriptions of all the DSP functions, although they cite references for the in depth theory of the underlying libs.
One is Richard Lyons "Understanding Digital Processing" 3rd Edition.

[technix]

So far I have acquired a Kenwood TS-2000 all-band transceiver, a DIY manual end fed antenna tuner, a 30m roll of wire and a RigExpert AA-30 antenna analyzer. Maybe that is all I need to hop on HF?

[fourfathom]

So far I have acquired a Kenwood TS-2000 all-band transceiver, a DIY manual end fed antenna tuner, a 30m roll of wire and a RigExpert AA-30 antenna analyzer. Maybe that is all I need to hop on HF?

That's more than many of us started out with.  Just do it!  For an end-fed antenna you will probably need a ground connection, but that doesn't have to be fancy.  Use a metal waterpipe, or pound a spike into the damp earth, or lay out a wire on the ground, or clip to a metal downspout, or...  Don't wait for perfection, just get on the air with whatever you can throw together.
-Paul, wb6cxc