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GA, USA
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Posted: 3/23/2024 12:14:28 AM EDT
[Last Edit: KoolOperator]
Too late to talk me out of it
 Pulled the trigger on a refurb 7300 from MTC. Also got the the 30a Tekpower at a significant discount. Was up in the air between 7100 and 7300. I really wanted the uhf vhf and size factor of the 7100, but think the digital sdr features of the 7300 would serve me better getting into HF. Still have to decide on antenna. I can easily do a 40 foot horizontal in my attic, maybe 60 if I get creative. Outside I may only be able to get 30 feet vertical up the side of the chimney, although a friend thinks he can shoot one higher into a tree out back. |
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Posted: 3/23/2024 12:23:31 AM EDT
[Last Edit: lorazepam]
[#1]
Congratulations. Your wallet hasn't even begun to scream yet.
An EFHW made with 22awg wire is dang near invisible. 66' for 40-10, and around 140' for 80-10. Mount the box at the house and put whatever wire you have room for. |
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Posted: 3/23/2024 12:25:00 AM EDT
[#2]
I don't think too many rigs are better out the gate.
30' is plenty for a vertical if you can get a remote tuner and a respectable number of radials (16-32) at the base. |
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Posted: 3/23/2024 12:25:44 AM EDT
[#3]
My dad bought a crossbow to shoot a line high up over a tree limb in his backyard for an antenna
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Posted: 3/23/2024 12:52:17 AM EDT
[#4]
Nice choice. The internal sounds card will serve you well and save you from headaches.
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Posted: 3/23/2024 2:04:17 AM EDT
[#5]
You'll enjoy the 7300. One of the local guys describes the 7300 as the small block Chevy of HF radios: inexpensive, reliable, and easy to operate.
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Posted: 3/23/2024 2:55:12 AM EDT
[#6]
You did well. The SDR waterfall is a total and complete different dimension. You will start out in a world that the rest of humanity in the past could only dream of if they could even conceive of it.
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USA
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Posted: 3/23/2024 9:16:10 AM EDT
[#7]
My first HF radio too. I had the input from the gang here as well as the nod from my state agency radio guy. His comment, it may be your first HF radio and it can do enough stuff well that it may be your final radio that you don’t feel the need to upgrade. So far he’s right.
I have an 891 for a mobile box and it has great ears but in use the 7300 is just nicer with the display. |
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Posted: 3/23/2024 9:32:31 AM EDT
[#8]
Congrats on the 7300! That is what I bought as my first (only) radio, too.
Make sure you download the full manual for it: https://www.icomjapan.com/support/manual/2271/ This guy did a terrific series of videos showing how to use the 7300. He keys his videos to the manual with page numbers so you can follow along: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL48JZWhCJoH3bGOyfmZVxgRHFqs2VUG8P I would see if your friend can get a line high up in a tree like he says. You can run a wire dipole or end-fed, or Off-Center Fed Dipole up in the trees and it can be very effective. A modestly priced MFJ-2012 is what I started with. |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 3/23/2024 9:47:35 AM EDT
[Last Edit: AnalogKid]
[#9]
The local 10M crew is a pretty varied lot. Many of them have Flex rigs (multiples), higher-end Icoms such as the 7850, 7851 and 7610.
Every one apart from me owns a 7300. A couple of the crew owns more than one. And they seem to be the most popular rig to show up on our longstanding ragchew net. I haven't pulled the trigger on one (yet). It, a 9700 and an R8600 go in the main shack so I can operate remote but first need to clear out some rigs I no longer use. It'll serve you well, OP. |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 3/23/2024 9:49:39 AM EDT
[Last Edit: AnalogKid]
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Emoto: I would see if your friend can get a line high up in a tree like he says. You can run a wire dipole or end-fed, or Off-Center Fed Dipole up in the trees and it can be very effective. A modestly priced MFJ-2012 is what I started with. If your area crew has one, a Notch Big Shot (arborist's throw weight launcher) excels for this. I've put an 8oz weight plus pull line over a couple 100ft trees in my yard. |
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Posted: 3/23/2024 10:12:50 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Mach]
[#11]
The iC-7300 is a good radio.
i have one in my shack for degraded power ops and one in my truck for mobile and truck portable. ETA: i also use a bigshot. easy to use and is quiet |
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Posted: 3/23/2024 10:17:05 AM EDT
[#12]
I still have my original 2 7300's along with my main rig the 7610. 7300's are hard to beat for the money.
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Posted: 3/23/2024 10:49:39 AM EDT
[#13]
Great choice I'd rather have a 6BTV in the yard than anything in the attic |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 3/23/2024 10:58:08 AM EDT
[Last Edit: AnalogKid]
[#14]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Colt653: I'd rather have a 6BTV in the yard than anything in the attic Especially since this one requires no spiders or capacitance hats and thus can be disguised as a flagpole by putting PVC pipe over it. Complete the coverage (and the illusion) by adding 1/4w wires for 12 and 17M, spaced a few inches away from the main radiator. Small insulators at the top of these, ropes from the insulators up to a plastic pulley at the very top and Old Glory hanging off the ropes. 8 bands, patriotic and no one's the wiser. |
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Posted: 3/23/2024 11:15:56 AM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By AnalogKid:....17M, spaced a few inches away from the main radiator. .... i did the full 17m 1/4 mod, never bothered with 12m, and MegloMart cammo spray paint hides it in the treeline behind it.  |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 3/23/2024 11:24:36 AM EDT
[Last Edit: AnalogKid]
[#16]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Colt653: i did the full 17m 1/4 mod, never bothered with 12m, and MegloMart cammo spray paint hides it in the treeline behind it. https://i.imgur.com/5iVFlZU.jpg I did similar with a couple of them. Found a bunch of assorted BTV pieces over the years at area hamfests and built an 11/12/15/17/20M contraption from the collection (also using wires) which was light enough to put on an existing TV antenna bracket on the old house. I tuned 15 and 20 on it for the upper ends of those bands while my 6BTV (also elevated) was set to resonate at the lower end of each. Having run attic antennas for a number of years prior, I'd caution against it if at all possible. Anything outside and as far away from the house electrical gear as possible will be better. |
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USA
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Posted: 3/23/2024 11:41:10 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Colt653: Great choice I'd rather have a 6BTV in the yard than anything in the attic I have the BTV5 and am quite happy with it with my 7300. I would have bought the 6 but they were out of stock and I bought the first one due in. |
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Posted: 3/23/2024 11:53:17 AM EDT
[#18]
I'm fond of the DX Commander.
I have 40-6 without the need for a tuner. Tuning each band to the place you want is just changing wire length for that band. Even cheap chinese junk radios get out pretty well on them.  Attached File Attached File |
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Posted: 3/23/2024 12:29:00 PM EDT
[#19]
@KoolOperator
If restricted to an attic antenna, don't over look a full wave loop. The formula is 1005/ F mHz, gets you the length for the lowest band, from what you've said, 40M aka 7 mHz may be doable. It will, [b(]should)[/b] load up on all bands above 7mHz. For the full wave loop, the configuration with most inside area will have the most gain. I'd recommend an outboard tuner to be sure. 73, Rob |
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Posted: 3/23/2024 4:05:02 PM EDT
[#20]
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Posted: 3/23/2024 4:18:42 PM EDT
[Last Edit: K0UA]
[#21]
By the way if you did not know. the 7300 will run 100 watts on digital modes like FT8 all day every day.
It has the best cooling system of any radio I have ever seen. And that includes other Icom's. I don't think it is possible to overheat a 7300. You can't say that about a lot of other things. |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 3/23/2024 4:57:25 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By K0UA: By the way if you did not know. the 7300 will run 100 watts on digital modes like FT8 all day every day. It has the best cooling system of any radio I have ever seen. And that includes other Icom's. I don't think it is possible to overheat a 7300. You can't say that about a lot of other things. My higher-power FT8 rigs are JST-135 and RAY-152 (a stripped down 135 w/ marine-specific front panel). Built for 150w PEP out in CCS. Shore stations did just that when using them for Telex/ARQ duties. Their cooling systems are also top-flight. |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 3/23/2024 6:49:12 PM EDT
[#23]
nice choice this was my first/only hf radio also its is easy to use i have an off-center fed dipole as my antenna im in the country so nobody cares what i out up but with whir insulated wire you dont notice it unless you look for it
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Posted: 3/23/2024 10:54:50 PM EDT
[#24]
Congrats, that was my first radio too. Now I run the qrp life with the 705.
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Posted: 3/23/2024 11:20:50 PM EDT
[#25]
The 7300 is a great transceiver. I don’t think I’ve turned it on since I bought my 705.
 Attached File |
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Posted: 3/23/2024 11:45:59 PM EDT
[Last Edit: TimeIsMoney]
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GlockfanUT: The 7300 is a great transceiver. I don't think I've turned it on since I bought my 705. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/111848/IMG_0074_jpeg-3167666.JPG |
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Posted: 3/24/2024 7:32:52 AM EDT
[#27]
Originally Posted By GlockfanUT: The 7300 is a great transceiver. I don’t think I’ve turned it on since I bought my 705. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/111848/IMG_0074_jpeg-3167666.JPG Originally Posted By TimeIsMoney: That was me too. Once I had the 705, I just never used the 7300. But I don't have an amp. That's a nice one, btw! Does the 705 have all the same filters and controls the 7300 has? Is the 705 any better at pulling a signal up out of the noise? |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 3/24/2024 8:26:48 AM EDT
[Last Edit: AnalogKid]
[#28]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Emoto: Does the 705 have all the same filters and controls the 7300 has? Is the 705 any better at pulling a signal up out of the noise? This and the other 705/KPA100 post got me scheming... Did a check and it can be remoted. Icom and Elecraft together would make a nice HF rig. What I'd need to do for 6/2/440 is to tie the antenna connector to a triplexer and route the VHF/UHF connections to discrete 50/144/440MHz amps, as I'm not aware of one which covers all three bands. The big question: Is this more desirable from a cost (possibly performance) standpoint than an IC-7300/9700/R8600 lineup is from one of flexibility? Aim here is to control them from my patio or upstairs office via Android tablet. |
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Posted: 3/24/2024 11:02:21 AM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Emoto: Does the 705 have all the same filters and controls the 7300 has? Is the 705 any better at pulling a signal up out of the noise? Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Emoto: Originally Posted By GlockfanUT: The 7300 is a great transceiver. I don’t think I’ve turned it on since I bought my 705. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/111848/IMG_0074_jpeg-3167666.JPG Originally Posted By TimeIsMoney: That was me too. Once I had the 705, I just never used the 7300. But I don't have an amp. That's a nice one, btw! Does the 705 have all the same filters and controls the 7300 has? Is the 705 any better at pulling a signal up out of the noise? @Emoto The IC 705 ranks below the IC 7300 on Sherwood's table that is based on close in selectivity, I'm not sure there is any real world difference though. 73, Rob |
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Posted: 3/24/2024 11:05:21 AM EDT
[#30]
Thanks, Rob!
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Posted: 3/24/2024 2:00:03 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Frank_B]
[#31]
Congratulations! I've had one since 2018 and love it. Spend time going through the complete manual. There are a lot of useful features that the abbreviated manual doesn't cover.
As I've said several times here before, I also have a fully loaded Elecraft K3 and for everyday use, I have no preference of one radio over the other. When selecting your antenna, consider the Inverted Vee. There's a lot of Bravo Sierra floating around about Inverted Vees and this article does a good job of debunking them. The Inverted Vee has another big advantage, too. Because the center is supported, the stress on the wire and support lines is greatly reduced so lighter materials can be used. |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 3/24/2024 2:44:36 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Frank_B: When selecting your antenna, consider the Inverted Vee. There's a lot of Bravo Sierra floating around about Inverted Vees and this article does a good job of debunking them. The Inverted Vee has another big advantage, too. Because the center is supported, the stress on the wire and support lines is greatly reduced so lighter materials can be used. Had an A-D 80/40M loaded dipole up in inverted vee config for years. Worked great. Have another (160-10M DX-LB) that I need to finish hoisting to its full height then throw a support line for the east end. Apex will be around 65ft in the air; the ends around 20 or so. Managed to salvage the loading coils off the 80/40 when I moved. Couldn't get the insulator and inner sections down so it was left in the tree. Maybe some enterprising kid will figure out how to do it, become curious about its function and discover radio. The coils themselves are going to build a 60-30-17-12M fan/loaded dipole using all A-D parts and construction style. I don't know why they don't offer such a model to begin with. It, too, will be mounted as an inverted vee a distance away from and at quadrature to the other. |
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Posted: 3/25/2024 11:44:54 AM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Emoto: Does the 705 have all the same filters and controls the 7300 has? Is the 705 any better at pulling a signal up out of the noise? Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Emoto: Originally Posted By GlockfanUT: The 7300 is a great transceiver. I don’t think I’ve turned it on since I bought my 705. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/111848/IMG_0074_jpeg-3167666.JPG Originally Posted By TimeIsMoney: That was me too. Once I had the 705, I just never used the 7300. But I don't have an amp. That's a nice one, btw! Does the 705 have all the same filters and controls the 7300 has? Is the 705 any better at pulling a signal up out of the noise? I don’t see a noticeable difference at pulling a signal out of the noise. I see a very major difference with the ANAN-7000 DLE. That has an NR2 algorithm for noise reduction and it is magic. The IC-705 has all the same controls as the 7300 as far as I remember but I haven’t turned it on in over a year. |
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Posted: 3/25/2024 7:45:05 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Frank_B: Congratulations! I've had one since 2018 and love it. Spend time going through the complete manual. There are a lot of useful features that the abbreviated manual doesn't cover. As I've said several times here before, I also have a fully loaded Elecraft K3 and for everyday use, I have no preference of one radio over the other. When selecting your antenna, consider the Inverted Vee. There's a lot of Bravo Sierra floating around about Inverted Vees and this article does a good job of debunking them. The Inverted Vee has another big advantage, too. Because the center is supported, the stress on the wire and support lines is greatly reduced so lighter materials can be used. Another bonus of hanging a dipole in an inverted V is it becomes more omni directional versus a horizontal dipole that is more directional. |
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