HT's

[va3css]

HT's, IMO, are one type of radio every Ham should have at least one of. In emergencies, or for any kind of volunteer assistance, they're invaluable.

The one problem is if you're hoping to find one with HF in it, good luck. There aren't many around with that feature. You'd have to get a QRP rig for that, but even in that case, they come as small as a vehicle ashtray nowadays.

Over the years I've had many HT's, and most of them have done me well.

My first HT was an Icom IC-2SAT. Worked fine, until the one morning I powered it on, and got no display and open squelch. I still haven't gotten around to figuring out what that was all about.

I also had a Realistic HTX-404 at one time. That HT was very well built, although a tad bulky by today's standards. Full 5W output, a large metal belt clip, and two battery packs - a ni-cad pack, and a blank holder that held eight "AA" cells, preferrably alkaline, as per the manual. Easily upgraded via a keypad reset to "open up" the 70cm band to the U.S. standard (U.S. 70cm band is slightly larger than Canada's). After upgrading to a multi-band HT, I gave this one to a good friend of mine for an Xmas present, as he did not have a 70cm radio yet.

Another one I bought a long time ago at a hamfest used was an Alinco DJ-V5e. Upon trying the unit out at the hamfest, I noticed it's transmit range was extended beyond the legal 70cm band. The seller explained to me that the previous owner had modified it to use it as an FRS base station. However, it did work fine for the legal 2m and 70cm bands, and that's what I bought it for. Later, I even purchase a Li-ion battery pack with twice the current rating of the factory original. I liked the sturdy belt clip on this one, although it was a short and fat unit that stuck out from your belt more than any other HT I've ever had. I still have this one as a backup HT.

My next upgrade was at the same hamfest I found the DJ-V5e at a few years before. This time, a gentleman was selling his Icom IC-T81a quad-bander (6m, 2m, 70cm and 23cm) second-hand. The ni-cad battery had a bit of a memory problem, which I rectified using Maha's fantastic C777 plus universal battery charger / conditioner. One of my smartest purchases to date, that C777. Anyways, that Icom worked fine, other than the battery, but it's plastic belt clip was a cause for some concern for me. Sure enough, it broke one day, and I wasn't going to pay Icom $20 for another peice of plastic garbage to put on the back of it...

After a couple or more years, Yaesu released the VX-7R. I was at another hamfest hoping to get a closer look at it's little brother, the VX-5R, and found they had the 7R in stock also. It was an expensive unit, and that's why I didn't have it in my radar at first. But after holding one in my hand and getting a chance to operate it, I couldn't resist. To this day, it's my HT of choice! It's also a quad-bander, (6m, 2m, 220, and 70cm, although less than 1W on 220).

I now had two quad-band HT's, but one of them had the 220 band at a quarter-watt, and the other the 23cm band at 2W. Only the other three bands were the same for both. I recently sold the Icom, as I needed the money.

So my current "collection" of HT's includes an Icom IC-2SAT in need of repair; an Alinco DJ-V5e, and a Yaesu VX-7R, which I absolutely adore!



So? What's on your belt?

[KC8UKM]

I have 2 HTs. My first radio, procured at a good price, was a Yaesu VX1R. Good little radio, still keep it in the kitchen for listening in at breakfast. Only downside is that it only puts out 1/2 watt, 1 watt plugged in. Radio served me fine until it got dropped. It still works, but has to be plugged in.

Afer that incident, I picked up a VX7R. Awesome for a handheld. Maybe I should pick up an amp for it. hehe...

KC8UKM

[N8BMB]

- IMHO, an HT shouldn't be used to access repeater systems for the mere fact that most repeaters are not close enough for the user to get in to the system with a good signal. Even if your HT will give 5 watts of power, it is still a weak enough signal that most objects will interfere with the signal. What you end up with is every ham in the tri-county area telling you to "try it again, you're not quite making it in to the repeater" several times over. I found this out very quickly after I got my ticket.

My first radio, like many other hams, was also an HT. Mine is a Kenwood TH-77A. An excellent little bugger too!!!!

My advise to anyone thinking about becoming a ham operator - Get a "REAL" radio before you get an HT. It will save you and everyone else a whole lot of grief and embarrassment. Ht's are nice and handy if you are out hunting, or participating in some type of event, but accessing repeaters with one is crazy!

Unless you like to play "repeater" yourself and like saying, over and over again, what you had just said, then fine go ahaead - just don't expect too many other hams to stick around to talk to you!

[KD8AQO]

n8bmb said:

- IMHO, an HT shouldn't be used to access repeater systems for the mere fact that most repeaters are not close enough for the user to get in to the system with a good signal. Even if your HT will give 5 watts of power, it is still a weak enough signal that most objects will interfere with the signal. What you end up with is every ham in the tri-county area telling you to "try it again, you're not quite making it in to the repeater" several times over. I found this out very quickly after I got my ticket.

My first radio, like many other hams, was also an HT. Mine is a Kenwood TH-77A. An excellent little bugger too!!!!

My advise to anyone thinking about becoming a ham operator - Get a "REAL" radio before you get an HT. It will save you and everyone else a whole lot of grief and embarrassment. Ht's are nice and handy if you are out hunting, or participating in some type of event, but accessing repeaters with one is crazy!

Unless you like to play "repeater" yourself and like saying, over and over again, what you had just said, then fine go ahaead - just don't expect too many other hams to stick around to talk to you!

EXCUSE ME... I accsess the 76 repeater from Plymouth. Which is approx 30 miles away. I sometimes use my base rig and sometimes the HT. Now I know when I use the HT it does not sound the best, but I know it does not sound like Shannon's!

I was listening to the little debate between you and Jay. And you both made good points. But there are people that are in somewhat of a distant, that can access repeaters just fine! Now i'm not saying there not going to have a little bacon frying in the backround. I think as long as you can hear what they are saying consistantly, there is no problem with someone using an HT for repeater access. Now in Shannon's case - thats completely different. We cannot hear him consistantly, so I think he needs to just listen, or get a better antenna (AT LEAST).

If you check out my post in the news section, you can see how a ham using an HT to access a repeater saved his life... Still think its wrong for a ham to access a repeater with an HT?

[N8BMB]

The situation you describe where the kid used the HT to access a repeater to save his life was a different case all together.

My qualm is with those (such as Shannon) who, because of WHATEVER reason, think the HT will be better than a regular radio. They are not. In MOST cases, you will need to tell the person to "Say again, you didn't get in that time", or "Too much noise and we can't understand a thing you said".

It may be smaller and less expensive than a regular rig, but those are the only advantage. Don't forget that in order (sometimes) to get into a repeater even halfway decently, you will need the whole 5 watts the radio will put out. That kind of drain on the battery will kill it faster than just listening. Second, you decrease the life of the battery (depending on the type of battery) by draining and recharging constantly as I am sure Shannon does.

Anyway. Just to ragchew with us for the length of time we are on the air is, IMO, too much for an HT. Listening is fine. HT to HT comms is fine. The event you participate in and need comms is fine. Just, please, don't try to ragchew with an HT!!!!!

[va3css]

Any longtime Ham will tell you that a good signal is 20% radio and 80% antenna.

In the case of the repeaters that have been mentioned here, they are all setup on very tall buildings or large towers, which gives them excellent coverage, both in what they hear, and who can hear them.

In cases as these, the problem, IMO, is not the HT, it's the HT's "rubber duck" antenna.

The example of the young ham who's life was saved using an HT - he was outdoors, with nothing to get in the way of his signal to the repeater. Most of the HT users who need to repeat themselves often are operating from inside a building, and may even be holding the HT in such a way that the antenna is horizontal, or close to it. That affects the signal also, since the repeater's receive antenna on VHF or UHF is most likely vertical (depending on what mother nature has done to it lately! LOL! )

I've operated HT's in my former home hooked up to the J-pole on the tower outside, and it worked just fine on any local repeater where nothing more than 5W was required to get in. Other than a different sounding microphone, I wasn't asked to repeat constantly, or told that there was a lot of "bacon frying" coming in with me.

Depending on your proximity to the repeater, the problem is not the HT - it's the HT's antenna.

[N8BMB]

- Carlo, you hit the nail right on the head with the antenna thing. BUT, it is not always the antenna. If some new hams would stop and listen to what a more experienced ham has to say, many wouldn't have problems.

HOWEVER:

HT's were initially designed and made for short-range HT to HT communication (NOTE: SIMPLEX). With the advent of the Repeater into the ranks of Amateur Radio, the manufacturers of HT's have gone ahead and gave the HT the ability to access repeaters - gave them CTCSS tones, repeater shifts and even phone patch capabilities - all in the name of the almighty DOLLAR and what hams were asking for.

I still say it is ludicrous to access repeaters via an HT because they just really were not meant for that kind of communications! ;D