Inexpensive HF (SW) Transceiver

**druid** · Sat 23rd Jul 2011, 15:43

Hi - I'm new to Ham radio (except I had a Hallicrafters SW receiver when I was a kid) and would like to get an inexpensive HF transceiver to putter around on 20-meters.

I'm confused by the miriad of model numbers: for a poor neophyte like me: when you're posting an ad, can you please post simple specs for your rig? Like frequency range (at least HF/VHF/UHF), transmitter power, technology (tubes, transistors, digital...) and maybe whether or not it's in working condition. That would help me a LOT!

Thanks,
druid - VA7LAS

**K7KBN** · Sat 23rd Jul 2011, 20:12

Hi Druid -

http://www.rigpix.com/

This site should help you get information about just about any piece of radio equipment you're likely to come across. In the upper left corner is a link to each of the "Big Three" -- Icom, Kenwood and Yaesu. Other manufacturers are listed down the left side. The right side is for CB, test equipment and other such. It's quite a useful site, showing pictures, giving most of the salient specs, and often a link to the manual.

**John_D** · Sat 23rd Jul 2011, 21:08

VA7LAS Hi was in a similar position to you although for me it was a return to the hobby after a long absence. the change in the hobby is dramatic, and it is not the one I left in 1999. However to answer you question, I considered the more "basic" transceivers as the more complex ones seem to have rather unfathomable menus for their computer driven internals. I chose the ICOM 718 (see "rigpix") above or Google. It is HF, and a General Coverage Rx running 100 watts output. SSB, AM and CW, as well as an RTTY facility which I haven't used. Hope this helps a little.
Jon G4FUT

**_2E0OZI** · Mon 25th Jul 2011, 20:42

I too am a happy Icon 718 user. Its a simple radio to use, intuitive is the word I would use, and not that expensive.

all the best,

Scott

**M42duster** · Mon 25th Jul 2011, 22:21

Check this out.

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/5008.html

**John_D** · Tue 26th Jul 2011, 15:35

Looking at the above posts reminds me, that you will need a Power Supply Unit, PSU which will give you 13.5 volts at 25 AMPS. This is to power the radio.

**druid** · Wed 27th Jul 2011, 03:15

Originally Posted by John_D

Looking at the above posts reminds me, that you will need a Power Supply Unit, PSU which will give you 13.5 volts at 25 AMPS. This is to power the radio.

Thanks for the help guys! I still say it would be nice if the ads had some information about the product.

I've seen that 13 VDC requirement on a lot of units, and I'm surprised by it. Is it because the unit is intended to be portable? It's much easier to make a high-power amp with a higher voltage (especially with tubes!) and AC is easier to convert.

Another spec I don't understand is the 50 Ohm antenna connection. Isn't most coax (and a dipole!) 72 Ohms?

druid - VA7LAS

**K7KBN** · Wed 27th Jul 2011, 04:21

Most coax IS 50 ohm stuff. A dipole IN FREE SPACE has a feedpoint impedance of around 70-75 ohms. The "free space" bit is where you might get stuck. Closer to ground level, and with the usual buildings, trees, other antennas and such, most real world dipoles are closer to 50 ohms' impedance at the feedpoint. But even so, if you feed a dipole in free space with 50 ohm coax which we'll assume is lossless for the moment, the mismatch between a 75 ohm antenna and 50 ohm coax is a theoretical 75/50, or an SWR of 1.5:1. Insignificant.

Virtually all ham gear these days is all solid-state; no tubes. The nominal 13.8 volt specification is based on a car's "12 volt" electrical system, which is closer to 13.8 volts while running and with the alternator powering the system.

As far as the information about the gear in the ads, they expect that whoever is looking at the ads will either know the information already, or will go to the manufacturer's website and get it.