First step toward HAM

[gunner57]

I had picked up some books for getting my ticket for 2 meter a couple weeks ago. Last night I made a purchase on an older radio. It isn't the one I have been drooling over but it will be a good starter, I think. It is an older Kenwood tr7400a. Not the most power output at 25W but if I stick with it I can get a bigger and better radio soon and keep this for a back up. I have to start looking into antenna set-ups for it next. It is good to settle my garage sale blues. I found a 2 meter (older Yaesu mobile) that the lady wanted $200 for. I didn't even bother with a counter offer, she was so high. You can buy a Yaesu 2900 for $175 NIB. She was smokin something and I left bummed out. So this Kenwood I picked up for $25 + shipping. We'll see how long it takes to get my ticket and get on the air.

['Doc]

I'm not familiar with that radio, but as long as it can do 'PL' tones it should work just fine. Power isn't the 'answer' for VHF/UHF stuff. 25 watts should do just fine depending on the antenna and how far away you may be from repeaters. I very seldom use more than about 25 watts, haven't had any particular problems. Antenna height will make the biggest difference! The higher the better. It still depends on the particular antenna you use though, what kind, etc.
Only suggestion I'd make is don't stop with the technician license! At lest get the general. There's a huge difference in the band availability, and it just really isn't that difficult.
Good luck!
- 'Doc

[Bombero]

Hey gunner57...

EXACTLY WHAT ''Doc SAID !

Bombero

[Night Crawler]

The TR-7400A doesn't have a PL encoder so if you want to work the repeaters you'll need one of these.
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If your lucky there still might be some open repeaters in your area and you won't need one.

[gunner57]

The TR-7400A doesn't have a PL encoder so if you want to work the repeaters you'll need one of these.
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If your lucky there still might be some open repeaters in your area and you won't need one.

If money is an issue, which would you recommend? The $28.95 would be the cheapest, but would I have to have a tech install it? I imagine I would probably be better off with the one for $59.95.

[Night Crawler]

I would get the TE-32 the one for $59.95 the reason why the SS-64 for $28.95 uses DIP switches for programming the encode tone frequencies.

That means every time the tone has to be changed the switches will have to be moved either to the on or off position and you will find out that not all repeaters use the same PL tone also that encoder is a lot smaller then the picture in the ad which makes those switches a real pain to change.

The TE-32 is a better choice since the encode frequencies are easy to change with a turn of a knob.
The installation is easy and you should be able to do it yourself the instructions are included with the encoder but basically all that's envolved is to wire the encoder to a power source and connect the audio output from it to the center wiper on the deviation pot.

As an example how the audio is connected think of the modulation pot inside your cb find the center pin on it that's where the audio output from the encoder would be connected.

[Night Crawler]

Another thing I forgot to mention if you get the encoder try not to buy it direct from Comm-Spec it can be had for a few dollars cheaper from one of the amateur radio suppliers like AES, HRO, R&L or Universal Radio.

[gunner57]

I'm not familiar with that radio, but as long as it can do 'PL' tones it should work just fine. Power isn't the 'answer' for VHF/UHF stuff. 25 watts should do just fine depending on the antenna and how far away you may be from repeaters. I very seldom use more than about 25 watts, haven't had any particular problems. Antenna height will make the biggest difference! The higher the better. It still depends on the particular antenna you use though, what kind, etc.
Only suggestion I'd make is don't stop with the technician license! At lest get the general. There's a huge difference in the band availability, and it just really isn't that difficult.
Good luck!
- 'Doc

It is old. Probably from the 70s. From the reviews I read on it, it is supposed to be a pretty durable radio. We'll see. I am hoping that this expand into many more radios. I am curious about some of th 2 meter radios say they recieve more freqs than they transmitt. A new rig I was lookin at claims 136-174mhz (i think). So could I monitor MURS band which is around 151-154mhz? It is NBFM and I don' know if 2M is on narrow band or not or if it makes a difference. I know I couldn't talk on it unless I got the mod to expand the transmit.

[beermaster]

I'm not familiar with that radio, but as long as it can do 'PL' tones it should work just fine. Power isn't the 'answer' for VHF/UHF stuff. 25 watts should do just fine depending on the antenna and how far away you may be from repeaters. I very seldom use more than about 25 watts, haven't had any particular problems. Antenna height will make the biggest difference! The higher the better. It still depends on the particular antenna you use though, what kind, etc.
Only suggestion I'd make is don't stop with the technician license! At lest get the general. There's a huge difference in the band availability, and it just really isn't that difficult.
Good luck!
- 'Doc

I agrre. I use only 5 Watts and a small dipole to open a repeater on Sears Tower which is almost 30 miles away.

[gunner57]

Another thing I forgot to mention if you get the encoder try not to buy it direct from Comm-Spec it can be had for a few dollars cheaper from one of the amateur radio suppliers like AES, HRO, R&L or Universal Radio.

I will look into it, for sure. I started reading my book today. Some of it doesn't make much sense to me. Being that it is about 10 years old, some things have probably changed, but the basics should still apply. I will probably get something more up to date the next time I go to Bangor. When I think I am ready I will find some contacts to administer the test.

[Bombero]

Hey gunner57,

Here are a few places that you can try for question pools for the ham exams.

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Good Luck

Bombero

[gunner57]

Awesome. Thanks to everyone for the info. It has been a big help.

[hilltop 439]

This is the web site i used to help me study for my ticket and upgrade QRZ.com go to the practice tests and take them over and over and over and over till you know every answer to every question they throw at you . GOOD LUCK.

[jwilkers]

I'm not familiar with that radio, but as long as it can do 'PL' tones it should work just fine. Power isn't the 'answer' for VHF/UHF stuff. 25 watts should do just fine depending on the antenna and how far away you may be from repeaters. I very seldom use more than about 25 watts, haven't had any particular problems. Antenna height will make the biggest difference! The higher the better. It still depends on the particular antenna you use though, what kind, etc.
Only suggestion I'd make is don't stop with the technician license! At lest get the general. There's a huge difference in the band availability, and it just really isn't that difficult.
Good luck!
- 'Doc

Power isn't the "answer" for *ANY* band. I've made 10 meter contacts at all corners of the USA on 10 watts SSB. On 2 meters, I routinely maks simplex contacts over 50 miles, on 35 watts. With band openings, I've made over 200 miles on 5 watts (simplex FM). I will NEVER own an amplifier! I do not believe in brute strength over efficiency. I see these Cb "amplifier jockeys" running kilowatts on AM, bleeding 5 channels every direction. Yet, I can get two or three times their distance on an eficcient signal with no effort.

To the OP: You will have to unlearn a lot of what you learned about radio from your CB buddies! I'm a ham as well as CBer... 3/4 of what I hear is dead wrong! I, personally work on my own equipment... I will NEVER let those so-called "CB shops" touch my radios.

The tech license is a good first step... You won't get many HF priveleges... BUT, study and test at the rate you can absorb the information. You can always upgrade later. Usually, at any test session, once you pass, you are offered the next level up. Go ahead and take it. I missed my General by 2 questions.... I later picked the General up at another session. who knows?

[crazy_cooter]

My first step toward HAM consists of me raiding the refrigerator and grabbing the lunch meat....

[Sporty Mike]

C.C. My first step towards HAM is slaughtering the pig.....Ahhhh I do love a good ham , a real one , not those reconstituted , water added excuses for a ham you see at the supermarket. Oh......wait , we're ya'll talking about radio?


Mike

[crazy_cooter]

HEHEHE!!!!! You got it Mike! Kinda like the guy on Craigslist who posted a ham radio for sale, and the picture was a Cobra 29 with a Virginia ham sitting on top of it.

[Night Crawler]

Gunner57 here's a repeater from your neck of the woods you can bring up the live audio feed from it if you want to listen to it over your computer.
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[KG4KGW]

The test is very easy to pass. All you have to do is like everyone said, go to QRZ and take the practice tests over and over until you reach a steady 80% passing score. Get some sleep and eat a good breakfast before you go to the test session. Relax! Even an Extra Class op, who may very well give you your exam, had to take the tech test at some point.

If your looking for a good starter radio. Forget buying something that costs hundreds of dollars. Get on E-bay and get a modern HT. Look for a dual bander for 2 meters and 440. You can pick them up for $40 all day long. With 5 watts and the rubber ducky you will be able to get into any good repeater within 20 miles or so and get a 50 mile circle or better out of it. With a modest external antenna you can do far better.

Then start saving your money while you study for the General Class Exam. This one is much harder and begins to expose you to the technical side of ham radio. You don't have to upgrade, but you are missing a whole new world if you don't. By the time you are ready for the General with no questions asked you will probably have saved up about $500 bucks for a good HF rig.

If your going to buy a rig for mobile operation on uhf or vhf I would say save up to get a rig you can cross band repeat with. This way you can take your HT into Walmart and still hit the 2 meter repeater from the 70cm band.

Your not going to be showing off your gear to everyone you meet so it really doesn't matter what you paid for it so long as it talks. Strongest signal wins isn't true in Ham Radio (or CB for that matter) so you don't need a huge amp. However if you want to boost your HT up you can get a 30 watt amplifier for it on the bay for about 40 bucks used.

This is a rich mans hobby and if you plan to stay active in it and are not rich you have got to stop drooling over expensive gear. Educate yourself about the best rigs of the past that are not outdated (such as the rig you bought with no PL tones). You can get a nice rig that is 20 years old that does everything that brand new one does(or at least most of what a new one does. DSP doesn't make it talk any better).

You've already taken the most important step and that is empowering yourself to study for the Exams. The only thing that can keep you from passing them is your effort level.

Congrats on your interest and I hope to catch you on the bands some day! Even with a Tech ticket and echolink you can talk around the world on 2 meters.