This page is intended to hold novice tips, tricks and advice to the new folks.
Got a question? Ask Elmer
Got a tip for a beginner? An antenna design? send it to Elmer
Beginner Rigs.
We would all like to have a perfect station when we start out but then when we look at some of those
new rigs the meaning of sticker shock becomes crystal clear. This might also be one of the things that
keeps many people out of Ham radio.
So, what should your first station look like?
I am going to talk about HF stations a little bit later, but let's talk about Vhf stations first.
If you can run a soldering iron, you can build Vhf antennas out of stiff copper wire and a simple So-239 panel connector.
Or with a sharp knife, a yard stick and a piece of coax, you can build a simple dipole that will serve to get
your station on the air on VHF. The radio can be a handie, with or without an amplifier or a rig intended
for mobile installation. Add a power supply, hang the antenna from something convienent and away you go.
HF DX!
Many beginners are a bit intimidated by the thought of talking to far away places. They might think they need
to spend thousands of dollars, or build giant towers and rotateable antennas. Nothing could be further
from reality. There are Hams in the world who have built all of their own equipment from scratch. They have never had more than
a few watts and a wire antenna yet; through patient, consistent operating, they worked the world. My first station
was a general coverage reciever, and a two tube transmitter. My antenna was a wire laying on the roof. My only
purchased part was an MFJ vfo $75.00 and a $5.00 straight key. A Ham that I had just met lent me the receiver, and
another gave me the old Hallicrafter transmitter. That rig put out a whopping 15 watts and I worked hams in
Japan, and Hawaii in the first few days.
Now, don't get me wrong here. Nice, new, fancy radios are fun. Big antennas and amlifiers are cool. But they are not
an absolute requirement for a log full of dx contacts. Besides, have you looked at some of the control panels on
those high end rigs... Wow!
Good rigs for beginners are the found in job lots on sites like Ebay and www.k1dwu.net/hamtrader.
I like Ebay because of the seller ratings found in the system. I have not been disappointed
by any rig I bought in an Ebay auction from a seller with a good rating. So, what would I recommend for
the beginner?
Rules
- Solid State finals or Tube Finals?
There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Tubes mean that when you change transmitter frequency you have to adjust the
tuning on the final amplifier stage or you risk damage to the tubes and distortion on your signal. The first can be expensive
and the latter can get you a citation from FCC. However, tubes are less expensive than solid state finals, easier to replace, and
more tolerant of the occasional mistake than early solid state finals were. More modern solid state rigs are self protecting,
but that means they turn down the output if the antenna dosen't match well. Rigs with tube finals like the venerable
Yeasu FT and FL 101 are widely avaialble and inexpensive. Kenwood's Ts-820 and 830 are another. Prices range widely on ebay for
these machines.
- Solid state receivers?
Rigs with tube receiver chains in them are too old and finniky for most beginners. The Collins S lines, Swans, and Drakes
were great rigs in their time. But upkeep and useful function are probably beyond most beginners.
- Filters?
YES! Cw and SSB filters are very important for the beginner. If the rig offered has crystal or mechanical filters that
narrow the received portion of the band the rig's value goes up, sometimes as much as a couple of hundred dollars. But don't dispair
if the rig you are chasing on Ebay dosent have them either. After market filters are still avaialble for most rigs and
you can always add outboard filters in the audio stream. There are many very good home brew projects and commercial
offerings like the "Clear Speach" available for under $200.
- Power DC or AC?
Most solid state rigs are dc powered. This means that unless the auction includes a power supply you will need one.
On the other hand, tube rigs ususally plug right into the wall.
You need a supply that can provide 20 amps at 12 to 14 volts. More current(Amps) is ok. More voltage is not. A good maker is Astron.
- Tuner?
Tuners are usually add ons and unless you are running an antenna that requires a tuner, a loop or long wire, are not really
requirements and add complexity to a station. Stick with tuned antennas and you will find tuners are not a requirement.
Auto tuners
Some of the higher end rigs, espcially Kenwood's 440, 450, and 930 series had versions with autotuners inside the radios. I have a 440S\AT.
These tuners are great for beginners with antennas that don't quite match 50 ohms. They can also add complexity to the operation of the
rig. And it is easy to "get hooked" on the idea that you need to have a tuner. In reality, unless you are dealing with an antenna
that is characteristicaly balanced, or designed to be used with a tuner, you probably don't need it.
Take a look around. Ask an old timer for advice, ( we love that ;-)
Antennas
Here are two simple VHF antennas that any one can build.
a simple ground plane |
 
a "center fed Vertical dipole" |
73's
Lloyd AA6NX