New Ham Starter Kit
From the shack-in-a-box dept.
Spoiler alert: I ended up buying a complete Xiegu setup, batteries, a cheap and cheerful charging module, and completely gutted the trailer to prototype this mobile station.
Even though this posting has been in my drafts for years, I decided to just publish it for posterity, two years later. An update with all the build details should follow within the decade.
Well, since I have my HF privileges (<29.9 MHz in Canada) and a willingness to find a place to raise antennas, I ought to have some equipment that lets me transmit HF.
I’ve been working converting the old bicycle trailer into a sort of “Cycling On The Air” (ÇOTA?) system, which is a project that deserves its own series of entries. But when not in the trailer I’d like this stuff to live on a desktop as a shack base station to at least 10 metres. 6 metres is nice (especially for mobile) but my H/T covers that. Unlike SOTA (“Summits …”) and POTA (“Parks …”) I’m not looking to minimize mass, or only work QRP because I can carry a fair amount of power and recharging options; any wattage is good wattage.
With a modest Canadian budget how can we get on the air with a system that fits those requirements?
So, like any new ham, I’ve been comparison shopping. A lot. I’ve been looking at the local swaps, as well, but buying used requires a different kind of assessment.
Certainly a Yaesu FT-891 would be a very good choice. The ICOM choices are a bit more expensive, at least in Canada, but are all excellent options. But the POTA (“Parks …”) and SOTA (“Summits …”) radio folks…
But the POTA and SOTA folks do have one pointer they can give me, which is toward some of the newer SDR designs designed around mobile radio ops appropriate for your Prepper Field Day. Which means that for a modest (CDN$1000 plus tax, delivery) you can get:
- Xiegu G90 HF 20W SDR Transceiver
- Xiegu BFK-5 Desk Stand Frame Kit
- 13.8 DC volt, 30 amp switching power supply
- Xiegu CE-19 Data Interface Expansion Card, with cables
Add a suitable antenna and you have a “New Ham Starter Kit.”
The G90 has, of course, many glowing reviews associated with it. Apparently, it doesn’t have a very good keyer, and the audio needs lots of EQ. It is also pretty much a QRP rig at 20 watts. It doesn’t cover 6 metres, which is a really nice mobile band and also gives me access to our club’s 6 metre repeater.
However, my little H/T (a Yaesu VX-7R) covers 6 metres, at least through a better antenna. As for RF power, my idea was to run any rig in low power mode anyway, and the standby current is pretty good for the Xiegu.