Best hf transceiver reddit. Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club.

Best hf transceiver reddit It's extremely well built, basically an Icom marine HF transceiver respun for amateur radio. A good used HF transceiver can be had for $400 or so, then you need $100 for a SignalLink or make your own interface for about $20. Find a higher powered (100 Watt or more) VHF/UHF all mode radio, with the same technical specifications and techniques required on HF SSB, and you BTW before you drop a lot of cash on that IC-7000, you might want to get your ham ticket and put that money into a nice ham transceiver. ) would be massive overkill for a newly licensed tech, unless you've already had a chance to operate HF third-party and know that's what you want to get into immediately. I've decided to invest in the VHF and UHF side first as it will be, for me a better way to cut my teeth before moving on HF stuff. I would love to build an AM phone transceiver (not really interested in CW). The IC-718 is a great first HF transceiver. You get the automation and remote operation capabilities of the base HF transceiver together with any combination of HF/UHF bands you desire. There have only been a few radios manufactured that provide HF/VHF/UHF in a single package, and these still bring high prices, even on the used market. A small number of HF Transceivers have transverter ports. This setup works best with an "SDR Switch" such as the N2EME or MFJ-1708B-SDR so your SDR and Transmitter can share the same antenna. If you are wondering what Amateur Radio is about, it's basically a two way radio service where licensed operators throughout the world experiment and communicate with each other on frequencies reserved for license holders. I really just want some recommendations for a cheap(ish) HF transceiver. Just got my General and want to get into HF. All designs coming from QRP Labs are marginal at best. I want to do 10, 20, 40 and 75 meter AM if I can find a transceiver that transmits and receives AM Old icoms are ugly. Think, at minimum, the Abree 40"+ models, yet with larger coils and length, Look for a SDR with 12bit ADC. Comes as a kit for $55 US, one of the best values out there. The FT-60 has a reciever of enough better quality to justify the cost over an FT-65. Do y'all recall other models we can include below? This can be super-useful for those looking for simplified digital station or better cable management 😁 : This setup gives me all of the best features of SDR and 100 watt output for only a few hundred dollars more than the price of almost any used HF radio built within the last 30+ years. Thanks for the help. EDIT: How about this: What is the cheapest portable non-handheld HF transceiver unit? Then the best is completely overkill. Looking for the best older transceiver under $500 that I might find on eBay. Most quality, working used HF transceivers in Canada sell for about $300-$500. I still have the resonant "camping" antenna, was a SOTABeams with a flexible pole to get it up 10m. As a newly minted general, I'm in the market for my first base station radio. com Oct 29, 2020 · What is the Best HF Radio for under $1000 for the new Ham Radio Operator in 2020? This list of 6 transceivers that I would recommend to new Ham Radio Jul 21, 2020 · The Icom IC-7300 is listed as an "entry level" transceiver in the $1k street price range but it turns out to be a really good radio giving $2k to $2. You have to order with the right interface cable for your radio but you can order additional cables if you want to use with more than one radio. My understanding is pretty basic and I don't know anybody locally to help so I'd like to purchase a basic multi-band antenna so that I can eliminate antenna design mistakes from my initial troubleshooting when I try to get this all set up. ANd you get the pleasure of building it yourself (or you can pay for an assembled version). Not many choices available in a single unit. One that gets rave reviews is the QCX from QRP Labs. The three HF transceivers need a PC to run and most people use Quisk, PowerSDR, HPSDR, GNU Radio, or some other SDR software to operate the transceiver. I have 4 of them. 10 votes, 17 comments. In my case (at age 25) I started making it known in my club that I wanted too get on hf with barely any budget and someone found me a nice Yaesu FT-101E for $90. You might be surprised at how generous people are when they learn a newcomer wants to get into hf, especially someone young. You're not alone! Ask your local radio club, they'd be delighted to help. Just to point out that the IC-718 has one of the weakest receivers currently on the market and the G90 is a few generations more modern SDR. Really like the All Band All Mode Radios that include VHF/UHF for an all in one solution, however not opposed to doing an HF/6m radio and another dual Bander for VHF/UHF. Its also probably the best selling HF rig in history with a gabillion of them out there and an extremely good track record. It is essential for communicating over vast distances. Makes sense. My suggestion is to save another $200 and then you should be fine and will get a really nice used HF radio. So stick with at least 20W and preferably 100W. the 751/271 series were the first non hideous icoms imo. I have monitored HF before and heard guys with some big setups having an issue hearing others or getting their signal out to others. It's handheld, 2m/70cm, 1W or 5W (you can switch between the two options), and tbh for a beginner it's nice because it's easy to operate, yet you still have plenty of options to specify how you want to use it, What I did was I set up a random wire dipole in my backyard and threw the line through my window, so instead of using the rubber antenna the The Elecraft K2 is what that company was founded on. I’m intending to build a simple direct conversion on HF for Cw first, but my end goal is building a 2m FM transceiver. mostly i will be doing digital modes. Are you a new HF operator and planning on using SSB? If yes, then I cannot recommend any QRP transceiver, especially if you have a mediocre antenna and plan to operate SSB. I added 2M and Anytone 878 hands down best dmr handheld also does full aprs messaging sending and receiving and the battery life last forever. I'm intrigued by SDR but having trouble finding "full scale" SDR devices -- most seem to be simple modules / dongles that cost $100-$200 while others seem to be VERY expensive, very complicated "black boxes" at $2k+. Some HF radios have two antenna ports. It is the best desktop HF receiver you can buy today for under $7500 USD. Here they are: best HF transceiver for remote control operation? I want to set up a remote HF rx/tx station at a better location than my QTH. They don't perform the best, but they do work. was already improved and upgraded as much as possible. This would be your best entry and should cost about $400-$500. Something like an FT-8900 is a nice FM radio. There are many aspects people explore and many different built in features for radios. My suggestion would be a good used 100W HF transceiver. Get a 9700 for weak signal work, for SSB, for when you actually need a waterfall. Best investment you can make as it will do all bands including VHF. I say this because when you get more power on your license, you don’t want to have wasted the money on a rig that sucks. If you want to get into some field work, then revisit some of the above radios listed. Transceiver architecture is the very last thing that people worry about, compared to weight and size! Common SOTA radios in my community include the Icom IC-705, Elecraft KX2/KX3, Yaesu FT-817 and FT-818, and one fellow I know uses a Lab599 Discovery. It’s built like a tank, reliable, has good receive performance, and it can even be configured to run a screwdriver antenna mounted to your vehicle. The FT-65 is effectively a Beofeng with some extra filtering; The extra filtering helps, but the chipset was designed for FRS, is being used outside of its designed use case, and still suffers in a lot of Homebrew HF Transceiver Hello all! I'm a university student, studying engineering, and I think my skills are good enough to build a transceiver from schematics (with some help from my electrical engineering friends) I have access to lots of test equipment (fxn generators, voltage supplies, oscilloscopes, multimeters, DAQs, etc) and enough Get a shortwave receiver (or transceiver) and start listening to the voice portions of the HF bands. If I were you I would spend my time and effort upgrading your license to get HF privileges while saving money for a nice used 100W HF transceiver. Practice is the key. Just a point with the QSX. Also, reputable places besides eBay to shop for said radios. The idea is that you get in and get started. And it’s predecessor the 590S is nearly as good, and at $6-700 used is a whale of a deal. Very small, light, great receivers, low battery usage. So far, the best option I found is Icom-705 with an iPad (+SDR-Control app for iOS though integrated wireless LAN connection). This is a much more casual hobby for me, so spending $1,000 just isn't in the cards. . I know he is registered here on reddit, so hopefully he will come in to comment again also. There is "APRS" (position reporting for hiking and biking), digital o As a newly minted general, I'm in the market for my first base station radio. An HF antenna with decent rx/tx range is well beyond the size an HT could comfortable fit. I am wondering if the built in tuner in my transceiver would be good enough to tune into the HF bands, or if I should get a separate tuner. As a newcomer to the hobby, you don't know what you don't know yet. Oct 3, 2023 · In this guide, the focus is on the best HF radio. It’s the best value portable HF rig available that’ll get a decent signal out there. Or, do you have a friend or club nearby with HF to make sure you're ready to spend the money? The transceiver is just the start of the costs Just starting out in HF and digital modes across all bands. true. Study a little more and get them both done. Avoid USB SDRs - they have to be located very close to the computer, and that means they can be subject to a much higher noise level. I have the 891 to do HF digital and did end up getting the 991A to eventually play with VHF ssb--It would be nice if manufacturers did make at least one model VHF/UHF radio all mode. but I would guess it's not long for the world, it's pushing 25 years old, thru hole parts are getting harder to source. You may meet someone who will make you a deal on a used one or loan you one until your budget is more appropriate. I apologize for not giving much detail. Technician class HF privileges are very limited. Ask around at your local radio club. I like the IC-705 but the pice is to much to swallow. All Shack-in-a-box radios having HF+6m and VHF/UHF have two antenna portsone for HF+6m and one for VHF/UHF. The g90 and 818 are qrp radios. You need a radio that is capable of SSB transmit to do FT8 and many other digital modes. Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. Posted by u/mwilcocks - 7 votes and 48 comments Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. It has the functions that are really necessary and no added frills. Your budget is too low for HF, because you will have other expenses: key paddles, antenna, coax cable, possibly a tuner. I am newbie to ham radio, so sorry if this question seems obvious; I have not found any answer to it yet on reddit. Weighing in at 3. 275 series was GORGEOUS, some of their best looking radios ever made imo. for a receive antenna, a long wire will often suffice. Seems like this unit can pretty much work for the HF bands and do CW (although from what I've read that function is meh with this unit). 6 pounds, this little multipurpose rig can put out up to 20 watts of power and can work Sideband, CW, AM and FM. The best baofeng is a $25 Quansheng UV-K6. don't forget the ic-7100, its an all band but has 100w hf. Well, take a close look at those sub-$500 HF rigs and see what you like. The newer rigs have more computer control options, but they all allow for frequency and mode control. My opinion on the pros: It’s cheaper than most non-QRP HF radios, and cheaper than some QRP options. The best Shtf radio is the one that you have and know how to use. A Subreddit Dedicated to the (462 MHz) GMRS Radio Community. It has been working pretty well for receiving so far, but I am not sure if it is able to transmit yet. Ask around your local club about HF portable outings over the next few months, like maybe a club picnic or a public demonstration activity. Otherwise, you can build a QCX and get on the air with CW for about $50. Looking for specific brands/models known to have good blend of quality and price. if youre truly getting started this means a weller iron, oscilloscope - proably 300 in test equipment at least, bringing you up to the ft-857 new price, not If you're unsure about whether you want to stick to HF, you could probably borrow a HF portable transceiver from your local radio club and see how it works at home. Otherwise the 891 is probably the best 100w hf only mobile rig. For many years it was rated as the best CW transceiver in the world. I would spend the $400 on a quality used HF 100W transceiver. When the question is "what HF receiver", my suggestion is that if possible you get a good, ethernet-connected SDR, new or used. My opinion is that a 100watt radio is the best for a first HF radio and you're going to get out and be heard better than a qrp rig. though I would like to get your opinions stemmed from a small debate I recently overheard at my local ham club. Your best bet is to talk to other hams in your area. It has many third party firmware options that add awesome features like a bandscope, being able to receive from 18MHz up to 1300MHz AM/FM/USB, frequency copy, etc. A handheld transceiver or base unit will transmit signals, which will then bounce off to another transceiver in the same band. If you don’t want SSB then get an FM-only transceiver. I have a Radioddity GS-5B for UHF/VHF and a Xiegu X6100 for HF. Radios use watts. , so I have the skills & tools and understand the system from a block diagram level. They won’t be state of the art, with all the current features, but one would certainly get you started on CW and SSB, with plenty of power, at low cost. If you are only interested in 40m and don't want to spend a lot of money, there are a number of single band transceivers available, both assembled and in kit form. $200 will buy you a low-power HF setup, power supply, and a simple wire antenna for 2-3 popular HF bands (with the caveat that low-power can be frustrating for Had technician with a cheapo UV-5R for a few months now. What is the best HF transceiver out there these days? I would like a waterfall and a way to directly key in frequencies (a numeric keypad). I am a relatively new ham, and I’d like to make my way into HF. If you have a very good antenna and only wish to used CW or digital modes then QRP is fine. If you have an old 120v powered rig, or a tube radio, the best you can do is to make sure the 3-prong plug is intact and you do not use a cheater plug. is the low end for a fully capable, 100 watt HF transceiver. Looking to expand into HF and dabble in APRS. One end is connecred to an HF antenna. Do not be tempted by the cheaper Chinese QRP HF radios. ) HF transceivers are only cheap compared to lower powered, FM only, VHF and UHF transceivers. Don't try to put all your eggs into one basket. What is your budget for it all, transceiver, power supply, antenna and key? Used prices vary but if you want new the Yaesu FT-718 at $520 U. I've been spending more time watching videos on the stuff you can do on HF and figured it could be another good hobby to sink time and money into so I'm going to get my general license. The fanciest radio in the world won't help you if you can't use it. The thing to remember is that the hf bands are neither reliable nor predictable. Link to my blog Planning on shack only, or portable and mobile work? Ever consider a used radio, such as an FT-897D as opposed to the newest and greatest? You could save a lot of money, especially for experimentation. I've had one for 18 years and I'm still very happy with it. In one year, buy an hf transceiver. If it’s anything like the quality of a QCX then don’t touch it unless you know how to fix it. This isn't like the RTL-SDR; it is more like a SoftRock RXTX Ensemble in that it is a direct conversion quadrature design for HF that uses the low speed ADCs/DACs built into the STM32F4 microcontroller to do the sampling and dsp in place of a soundcard I recently got my General license and want to put together an HF rig. The cost of building a suitable amplifier, TR switch and filters will cost you more than purchasing a really nice HF transceiver. Happy wife plus hf rig, it's a win win. Stay away from LimeSDR, HackRF, BladeRF etc. And it's also way more in line with my budget at the moment. It's less like to discourage you than qrp. A starter radio if you will. The main board is all set, you just need to solder the controls together and mount everything in a box of some sort. Similar (but not identical) HF performance to the R8600, without the VHF/UHF capability but including (possibly unwanted) HF transmission capability is the Icom IC7300. Listen to domestic and DX stations, people calling and answering CQs, full QSOs, and nets, and observe the general operating practices. I would be a millionaire (literally) if I had a dollar for every time a Ham told me that HF is "easy peasy, Ya just take a 1 watt rig, chuck a wire in a tree and talk around the world, any band, any time of the day". It’s my mobile HF rig and I’ve used it manpack portable for things like SOTA and POTA. Both can be charged from my solar panel, and I know how to use them. The HF side I have it connected to an ICOM AH-4 tuner in the bed of the truck and I park and put up a 30' mast (a linemans' hot stick) and use that for various HF antennas when parked - I can use it mobile if I really wanted to using a CB whip or other options, but I just find it not worth the effort. Hey ya'll, recently I received my very first HF transceiver (a small QRP rig with ~0. I have a FT DX 3000 for my primary HF Rig and Kenwood TMV71A for the VHF/UHF side of things--it can do digital just fine, even though its an older design. 80s ones. They are meant as learning modules and the receive performance is not suitable to be used on the air, especially on HF. io/g/mcHF and folks there are occasionally selling one. I recently got my General license and want to put together an HF rig. In a nutshell, an HF radio is a High-Frequency radio, which ranges from 3 to 30 MHz. It's a helluva radio. They actually tune to the HF bands, 8 bit Sdrs use q sampling to process HF signals. Based on what I've read, I'm leaning towards either the yaesu ft-65r or the baofeng UV-5R, although I've read that there are many fakes of the uv-5r out there and that the sound quality isn't as good as the yaesu. You are going to have a hard time finding what you want in a new radio for $600. It is the only one designed from the very start as a proper mobile radio. If that isn't an option look for a nooelec lana hf amp to get better reception with an 8 bit sdr. It's handheld, 2m/70cm, 1W or 5W (you can switch between the two options), and tbh for a beginner it's nice because it's easy to operate, yet you still have plenty of options to specify how you want to use it, What I did was I set up a random wire dipole in my backyard and threw the line through my window, so instead of using the rubber antenna the I've held a general license for over a year now, but have yet to dip my toe into the HF bands. ft-101s are showing on ebay completed in 150-200 range. So I actually use the active tx antenna for RX on one of my inputs on the RSPDX. Q5 Signal build various transverters including a 5 band VHF/UHF unit. Yaesu FT-60r is a great first radio. I have an Icom HF transceiver with a built in antenna tuner, and I am looking into buying an 80-10m end fed antenna. But before you decide, here's how they compare (818 shown, 817 similar--some say too similar): I'm kind of looking for the most cost effective/wide range of use balance to get into HF and found the uBITX v6 package. Transceiver Audio sub-system PCB. I’m more into Amplitude Modulation than single sideband, however it seems difficult to find a decent AM transceiver. Computers are built for high speed, exceedingly low power (per operation/logic state flip) operation. I got mine at a ham fest and really like it; it's small enough to take hiking or on a plane, but the 15W output means SSB is feasible even with a compromise antenna in suboptimal band conditions. All the Hf transceivers in you budget will suck. Expensive is a relative term--this is HF radio, and portable HF radio at that. Hello, I am just starting out in amateur radio and I wanted to get a good HF shortwave transceiver in the $200-250 range. Must have built in tuner and be 100 watts min. 5 watts if plugged into a power bank and 5 watts if plugged into an outlet), but I still can't choose a solid antenna choice since all the antennas I found had different pros and cons. ignoring antenna choices, let's say I just want to cover 40-20 meters with the radio, at power levels from 5-50W, or 100W if doable. via APRS. But if the project is simply to accomplish and learn then go for it. A big concern is VHF APRS coverage (northern MI) Hence looking for an all-mode transceiver capable of aprs. I've been looking at portable HF transceivers. So as long as your expectations are set appropriately they'll probably do ok for you. A good HT and you are set. The 20 watts available gives you more “scrote” than a dedicated QRP rig. Reply reply More replies More replies More replies Ok-Refrigerator4512 Transceiver (many hams have both VHF/UHF and HF radios) Audio/Digital Interface (if not built into the transceiver, something like a SignaLink) Power Source (power supply, battery, solar, etc. Reply reply that_kai_person It easily competes with and surpasses many of the best desktops made in the last 50 years. What is the best HF VHF UHF 100 Watt Radio at or around $1000, I have been thinking about the Yaesu Ft-991A I like the portability of it, I was just wondering if there is a radio like that with a better spectrum scope display though I do like that it has system fusion wires etc. As an example my Flex 6600 has two and the Flex 6400 has one. I have just joined the group and thought some of you might be interested in taking a look at my HF Home-brew Transceiver build. Pros: Positive/Decent reviews across the usual sources and youtube Decent usability/UI experience solid built-in tuner good form factor There's a semi-active mailing list at https://groups. Kenwood TS480, either the 100W with built in ATU or the 200W HX. S. i dunno i bought a new HF transceiver (XIEGU G90 HF RADIO | SDR ) for about that, so thinking you might want to expand your ambitions. You will not get a chassis shock off a 12v radio. No worries there is no logic to the naming I can find, 7000 and 7100 are hf + u/v 7200 and 7300 HF only and realy nothing like each other. at that point you'll likely drop another 80 on a matched pair of final PA tubes, still want to do the AM audio mods , and possibly fix other stuff. That also means that you have to be able to afford it. Middle ground: FT-857d (all band all mode, compact), FT-847 (used) The problem combining HF and HT's is the antenna size. See full list on amateurradio. It's the closest you're going to get to an actual one and viewed in that light I think it's a pretty good prospect. I cannot recommend a QRP transceiver to a beginner on HF, especially if you intend to get consistent SSB contacts and if you will have a compromised antenna. A $3200 HF rig (plus the added cost of a power supply, HF antenna, antenna tuner, SWR meter, etc. See if you can get a second hand Ft-817 or something. I recently got my HF rig set up with an off center fed dipole hooked up to a Kenwood TS-50S. You could use a duplexer to run two antennas (say a VHF antenna and a UHF antenna) off the same antenna port on your radio. QRP is OK for FT8 and CW, however. In this blog, we go through key features every HF survival radio should have. Short answer: You often don't. We looked at a couple of options and landed on the Xiegu G90 Transceiver. One of the couple antennas I found for my budget was this vertical antenna I own one. Now for the bad news. I hear ya. Kenwood d-75/ d-74 (same radio practically) has the best tnc /raw access to ax25 packet and aprs features of any radio plus dstar and tri band. There are a few <$100 digital mode kits. Many of which can outperform the IC-7k on receive, plus you can transmit! Good used (even 80s or 90s or 00s+) HF transceivers such as Icoms, Kenwoods or Yaesus are readily available. 6m is rarely open so I don't recommend spending money on it. For another $30 you can add the 50W amplifier and be cooking with gas. The ADC bit depth limits the dynamic range. There are some “shack in a box” radios that cover the HF bands plus two meters and 70 centimeters, but most radios will be HF or VHF (or VHF/UHF). I am a technician currently so I have only tried on 10 meters where I'm allowed, but no bars show on the RF meter when I PTT. I have 3 requirements, and I just want the cheapest reliable thing I can get that meets them. For the transceiver, I'm leaning towards an IC-7300. Head unit is separate from the main body, speaker in the head until, it comes with all the brackets and cables you need for a full mobile install. While enthusiastically waiting for my new radio arrive, i have received a call from customs about my package. We also take a look at 5 of the best low-power, and energy efficient QRP portable ham radios, for off-grid and grid-down preparedness communications. ) and distribution Appropriate bonding/grounding Antenna Tuner Coax Antenna Signalink works with just about all transceivers and soundcard modes and is not terribly expensive at $150. Currently, I'm considering a Xiegu G90 as my first entry into HF, paired with either and OFCD or EFHW antenna. So I started with the MFJ-1708B-SDR which is a coax splitter with a relay that when your radio is keyed, opens the relay, thus disconnecting the SDR. The internal antenna tuner is one of the best ones out there. I got a Wouxun KG-UV8D as my first radio. On the other end, I would like to connect both an SDR (to study the spectrum) and a transceiver (to transmit). The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is a North American land-mobile FM UHF radio service designed for short-distance two-way communication. Seriously, I haven't picked up my Baofeng since getting the UV-K6. I have built two SDR transceivers from scratch so far. The argument was over what type of equipment was considered "the best" 2m receiver for WEAK SIGNAL; (assuming that all other equipment, such as the antenna, antenna height, coax, rf connectors, etc. How does one go about choosing the right antennae tuner when I would like to try all bands and different antennas? The IC-7100 does not come with a built in antennae tuner One other comment - the T41 is a 5-band transceiver as designed and I wouldn't describe it as low budget. It probably would not be a waste of time, but a waste of money - yes. Imagine I had only one piece of coax. There's nothing stopping one from doing this, but the data rates that modern computers provide far, far exceed almost everything that is 'interesting' in radio. And ask who in the club is active with Parks-on-the-air (POTA) activations, or lighthouse days, or similar events. The headunit is separate from the base like most mobiles, but it can be used on a desk or mounted. It’s very power efficient, drawing only 6 amps at maximum transmit power. Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, and Alinco are the "Good" Japanese brands. I recommend you get something cheap to start. This isn't like the RTL-SDR; it is more like a SoftRock RXTX Ensemble in that it is a direct conversion quadrature design for HF that uses the low speed ADCs/DACs built into the STM32F4 microcontroller to do the sampling and dsp in place of a soundcard Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. Eventually it will go the way of the K1 and KX1 Hello! I'm currently in the process of getting my technician license and I'm wondering what radio should I get. So far, I really only have experience with VHF/UHF, as my equipment and budget has been limited. 5k worth of performance for the $1k investment. I bought a dipole antenna kit for $65. The uBITX HF transceiver kit just came out, it could be a fun project for you. The internals seem to be very mildly corroded but the outside is in excellent condition. I'm looking to get started on HF for as little money as possible. Next, if you want to get on HF, I would strongly suggest taking the General class license exam at the same time you sit for the Tech License. Then look into getting 2 VHF/UHF mobiles, 1 for the shack and one for the vehicle. Some HF radios have one antenna port. will buy the G90 forgot to say - buy replacement main knob handle (the big one with the recess for the finger) along with the transceiver. There are no figures for direct comparison, but based on the QST measurements in different conditions I would estimate the G90 is 10-15dB better at close-spaced dynamic range. I have an arduino nano with a si5351a. I have decided on the IC-7100 as the best choice for portability and power for me. Well one of the best, most fun, inexpensive and fully-featured CW only single band radio would be the QCX-Mini. Hello, I'm new to HF. But I prefer actual knobs to software menus - if you like menus and a panadapter on the face of the rig, the Yaesu FTDX10 is your huckleberry. After a long time thinking about it, recently i have decided to obtain a HF transceiver and bought a Xiegu G90 for 400€. The project is a work in progress with a modular approach so that the transceiver can be easily upgraded and evolve over time. For me, I thought if I could save up for an 818, I could wait a few more months and save up for a KX2. For UHF/VHF maybe the RS-UV3A from HobbyPCB fits the description. I hope you find my project interesting. There have been a couple of HF HTs, youkits makes on, there are CB handhelds (Albrecht) that do 12 and 10m, and there was a japanese one called something like Mizako. I’ve been having a lot of problems finding sketches that have the requisite parts to make a functioning LO. Feb 17, 2023 · Choosing the best HF Ham Radio for off-grid or grid-down survival communications is challenging. For HF field comms, I’d recommend the Yaesu FT 891. Legitimately what would be an option right now on the new or used market and yes I’ve searched around and am kind of stumped. I know this might be unpopular. For beginners these are an exercise in frustration, especially for SSB operation at 5-20W. For the antenna, I'm pretty much set on the Diamond X-50 (which is the largest bi-band antenna I can put without getting in much trouble) and maybe later Slightly over $1500, but for my money the Kenwood TS-590SG is the best current HF rig under $2k. Thank you for replying. I just thought FT8 is mostly semi-automated, it would be pretty easy to build into any transceiver. Best advice I could give you is, get the HF rig you want to use for HF in the shack for now. I do a lot of camping, and would love to send messages, coordinates, etc. Stock handle is complete bs, dunno why Xiegu folks even ended up with that design, it wouldnt add a fraction of cent/yuan to mold the plastic the right way. To get on the air in style and with only a USB cable to operate USB the IC-7300 is great. I used to be a firmware eng. The list below includes HF rigs that come with USB audio and CAT interfaces out-of-the-box. After being stored in a basement for thirty years, my step father's Swan Cygnet 270B transceiver has found its way into my hands. Anything about as big as a Yaesu 2900R, just something to go with my tabletop FM transmitter and mini amp. my 746 feels boring and vaguely 21st century; performance, but no vibe. I would start to look on the used market. Ask around your local amateur radio the FT-817 basically is an HF HT. However, when going HF it really is the antenna that matters much more than the radio so you need to consider what space you have to erect a decent HF antenna outside - before you start spending money on radios. (you would need a license to transmit tho} I have had plenty of fun with rtlsdr. Comparing a 5 Watt HT or a 25-50 Watt FM only mobile to a HF radio is an apples and oranges comparison. We get a lot of folks asking about "long range off grid" in relation to hf radio. What are my options? TL:DR New ham wants a used HF transceiver. You say you don't have the money to spend on this hobby, is a budget of $3-400 truly not available? While you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on a starter setup, $100 isn't really going to get you more than a cheap 2m handheld. All of them transmit and receive but only in the HF spectrum. Well, it's going to be called a transceiver rather than a transmitter - which would only transmit but not receive. D. Primary use is a completely one man-portable setup that can access HF/VHF/UHF. semx vco fjsfknom ojqax eddyds qeehrz cnhb uch ztpwt odrw