|
Vintage Amateur and Military Radio Amateur/military receivers and transmitters, morse, and any other related vintage comms equipment. |
|
Thread Tools |
22nd Aug 2018, 9:54 am | #41 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charmouth, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 3,601
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
Look at the very bottom end of each HF band, that's usually where the CW enthusiasts gather.
Peter |
22nd Aug 2018, 10:49 am | #42 |
Hexode
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Southampton, Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 419
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
My return to Amateur radio came via a chance encounter with an old radio friend who told me that there was a local top band net active with some of my friends from the past. I bought a fairly simple pocket synthesised radio that covered the shortwave bands and found what can best be described as an active top band experimenters club. There are about 6 core operators all operating in highly compromised situations as far as antennas are concerned with some operating portable.
Every week brings in a new experiment from someone, From Home brew TRF valve RX/TX to an experimental call in from a lay by way out of county via a remote connection to a local station internet enabled radio. For myself this has involved restoring a codar AT5 ,several HRO,s , and an old Ajax Radio telephone plus dozens of different antenna combinations from large magnetic loops to my current folded counter poise plus vertical all on top band. But the key enabler for all this and part of my enjoyment has been using all the test equipment that is now available cheaply on the surplus markets and junk sales. Be that noise bridges , quality RF bridges, oscilloscopes etc. Many years ago at our radio club someone with professional links brought in an antenna vector analyser. As an antenna was tuned we all looked in awe at this completely unaffordable piece of equipment. However now on a modest income I own one which probably has similar specifications to this once completely unaffordable network analyser. So whilst much can be achieved with the ubiquitous SWR meter one of the various network analysers now available or a simple noise bridge used with a portable cheap synthesised portable HF radio is also worth having if you enjoy experimenting with feeders and antennas. |
22nd Aug 2018, 6:06 pm | #43 |
Nonode
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, UK.
Posts: 2,015
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
Interesting last few posts - haven't looked at this one for some days.
The military stuff always seemed to be somewhat limited to me. The parts issues raised most interesting. I found on the floor of the Cambridge branch of Lowe's a Yaesu FT70G - it sort of looked at me. Ended up coming out of the door with it under my arm - somewhat poorer. It is 100Hz synthesised with thumbwheel switches (since replaced). Originally 2-30MHz I think, a diode/resistor bodge up got it into Top Band OK (low pass filter ? Antenna Q renders unnecessary for mobile - right!) I used it for Top Band net on the way to work for some years. SSB performance - marginal - no talk power. CW using the tune switch to take your over - solid copy every time. They got to understand that MDC would reply CW as range increased... And that is the thing about Top Band. It used to be true on 2m. (AM/FM/SSB - they bust a gut to work you) but no longer - your deviation is very low OM. AM>>FM in 1981/2 or so on 145.2MHz. |
22nd Aug 2018, 6:37 pm | #44 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK.
Posts: 8,935
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
Normally one or two on 160M most nights around here. 2M I am afraid having bought a hand held last year, I await my first contact!
__________________
G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S |
22nd Aug 2018, 6:39 pm | #45 |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 998
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
Top band AM??
|
22nd Aug 2018, 7:35 pm | #46 |
Nonode
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, UK.
Posts: 2,015
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
I have used my FT70G as a Top Band AM, SSB & CW portable.
A short G-whip on top and then the case can be quite tickly to touch on CW/Speech peaks. There is no-where for the ground current to return except through you! Southwold beach in particular. Pictures are not available now until I get back to home PC. |
22nd Aug 2018, 10:37 pm | #47 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Glasgow, Scotland,UK.
Posts: 127
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
Good to get the perspective on the Clansman 320 from someone who has worked on them. Again, something to think about. I was quite keen on this, as my gear if old was always re-purposed stuff.
Upsized j pole will be looked at. Don't know why I never thought if that one. Keep the suggestions coming guys! |
23rd Aug 2018, 8:51 am | #48 |
Heptode
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Tonbridge, Kent, UK.
Posts: 686
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
Most of us with Clansman 320s think they're marvellous bits of kit. They do very well with their 20 watts. What they are not good for is scanning across the bands, this is because they were never designed to do so. The rotary frequency select switches do not go round and round so you are forever turning them back and forward. I don't know anyone who has bothered to do so but you can probably take the stops off the switches so that they will go round and round, which would make life easier.
And mine were purchased directly from Withams, the official MoD disposal agents so no worries about provenance. Gordon G7KNS |
23rd Aug 2018, 8:55 am | #49 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
|
23rd Aug 2018, 11:40 am | #50 | |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 998
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
Quote:
|
|
23rd Aug 2018, 11:59 am | #51 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK.
Posts: 8,935
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
No not AM, 160M SSB.The only AM I know is 80M and 40M mainly from VMARS members with the 19 Sets etc.
__________________
G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S Last edited by Station X; 23rd Aug 2018 at 12:21 pm. Reason: Context added. |
23rd Aug 2018, 12:00 pm | #52 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Southeast Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 773
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
|
23rd Aug 2018, 1:23 pm | #53 |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 998
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
I'll have a listen.
|
23rd Aug 2018, 5:31 pm | #54 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Southeast Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 773
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
|
23rd Aug 2018, 5:36 pm | #55 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Southeast Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 773
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
Quote:
https://moffatig.plus.com/g0ozs/PRC-320.html |
|
23rd Aug 2018, 7:14 pm | #56 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,570
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
Quote:
Quite a high spec radio for its day, as CTCSS would have been an expensive optional plug-in extra on many of its contemporaries from Icom, etc. I've just had it in bits to re-coat the button rubbers as some, especially the on-off button, were getting quite hard to press. Working nicely again now. |
|
23rd Aug 2018, 7:52 pm | #57 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 14,005
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
Quote:
The "Prick-320" as it was known in the 1980s is still a serious radio for use on the HF bands. OK, its 'safe-cracker' decade-tuning dials make it really less-than-ideal for HF band-scanning, but if you know the frequency a particular DXpedition's operating on, you set the dials and there it is. 30 years from production my PRC320 is still within 250Hz of a frequency I dial up, even on 28MHz. As to "how did it get from MoD to Ebay": the entire Clansman series of radios were declared obsolete 20 years ago. Palletfuls of them were sold through various auction-sites - the same places that handled old 'Wolf' Land-Rovers and the '"Green Goddess" Bedford-RL fire-tenders. You could get a pallet of "Clansman radio gear" - shrink-wrapped - for £500. Which would include a few dozen PRC320s, VRC321 stuff, hundreds of headests/random power-leads and antenna-stuff. Entirely "per lot, sold by weight". That's how the likes of the PRC320 got into the real world/. OK, in a shrinkwrapped bundle you'd find 2 or 3 radios that were first-class, 2 or 3 that were working-but-suspect, and another ten that would be best cannibalised-for-spares. The 320 is a good radio; the VRC321 is a nightmare! |
|
23rd Aug 2018, 9:17 pm | #58 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Nuneaton, Warwickshire, UK.
Posts: 2,039
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
I believe there's still a Sunday morning Topband AM net in the Hinckley ( Leicestershire ) area, on 1960 Khz. Start time 0930, if memory serves. Its been running since, at least, 1981, when I was first on the air as G4KQL.
Cheers Aub
__________________
Life's a long song, but the tune ends too soon for us all. |
23rd Aug 2018, 10:31 pm | #59 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK.
Posts: 21,289
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
There's an AM net on 1.977 MHz at this very minute.
__________________
Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron. |
23rd Aug 2018, 11:10 pm | #60 |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 998
|
Re: Getting back in to Amateur Radio
Theres a flood of clansman prc320 on the market at the mo. All being auctioned.
I quite fancy one...relive my TA Sigs days |