I have been following a few threads and will be taking my Technician test on 1/18.  Purchased an IC-7100 as a starter radio, but do not have any of the necessary accessories yet to get it started up.

I am looking for a good power supply, (quality, reliable, low RFI).  

Would also like a recommendation on an antenna.  I have two locations, both with plenty of room, but don't necessarily want to look like a gov't installation .  One location has a 75' heavy galvanized steel pole with a wind turbine on it if that would be useful to also attach an antenna to without interference (the pole does have some vibration on it when turbine operates).

I would like to find an antenna that would allow HF/VHF/UHF operation at all wavelengths;  I don't know if that's possible, i.e., getting a long dipole would still work on the higher freq's?

Thanks in advance.  Sorry for the noob questions.

SAMLEX SEC-1223

I owned a Samlex SEC-1223 for years and haven't had any issues. $139.95

https://www.ar15.com/forums/outdoors/Help-short-on-time-to-research/22-699097/&page=1&anc=11977495#i11977174

What bands do you want to operate on, what kind of operation, who do you want to talk to?



https://www.ar15.com/forums/outdoors/ICOM-7300-Antenna-Recommendation/22-698935/#i11974642
https://www.ar15.com/forums/Outdoors/Newb-question-re-HF-coms/22-698859/#i11973158
I know I've posted "Tram 1480 or 1477" about a dozen times in the last couple weeks but can't find a good thread link right off.

My power supplies are Astron 35M. These are linear supplies so big and heavy and unlike switchers are easy to repair.
 Mine have been completely reliable. I had a Samlex switcher and one night when I turned it on it went up in a stinky
cloud of smoke. It worked a few years.

Seeing current draw on transmit is useful with a metered supply too. A version with no meters costs less.

I plan to begin studying for the general license as soon as I get the tech.  It will allow me to get started, though.

I have a couple of acquaintances within 45-60 miles each direction of me that I would like to easily communicate with via radio.  I would also like to be able to communicate throughout the US with known contacts in Idaho, Arizona and Alaska, for starters.  And, to listen in to various HF bands as I learn the art.

I doubt I will ever be as enthusiastic as some here, I work 80-85 hours a week so just don't have the time to dedicate.  Nor do I, or will I ever, have the electronic expertise to decipher the minute differences in electronic/radio components.  Hence the stupid questions.

My main goal with an antenna is to have one adequate to cover as many ranges as possible, if such a beast exists, and the equipment to dial it in, vs. having several antennas.  My ignorance may make this sound funny to the old hands, but that's where I'm coming from.

Thanks for all your helpful information.  I know y'all get tired of educating newbs, but for some of us, we will never learn the intricacies of electronic stuff.  My expertise is medical science.  They usually don't go well together.  

45-60 miles is really going to depend on terrain. If you have favorable terrain paths, then a VHF solution is going to be vastly easier. If you can make it on 2 meter FM, you could just park a radio on a simplex frequency, pick a random CTCSS or DCS tone, and have your own private channel. Not private in that it can't be monitored, but that it's highly unlikely you'd ever hear any other traffic. Alternative bands like 6m or 70cm might be an option.

If terrain is less favorable, you might be able to make it on 2m or 6m SSB if FM can't make it. 2m SSB usually does better for local propagation; 6m does better in some kinds of terrains, and is more readily available in radios, but antennas are quite a bit larger.

If terrain is just unfavorable for VHF, you'll have to do HF, and at that short of a distance it can be finicky to say the least, as well as being the intricacies of HF operation.

We recently went over all these issues in this thread:
https://www.ar15.com/forums/outdoors/Civilian-Portable-Manpack-HF-radios-go-/22-698707/

That's going to require the equipment and skill to operate on HF.  Relatively short range but not really short range, so easier than the folks who want 100 miles on HF. Also see the thread I just linked to.

Ideally something like a fan dipole, or multiband trap dipole or something for 80, 60, 40 and 20 meter bands. 30m also if digital operation is in the mix, but no voice on 30m. A vertical can work, but the dipole would probably give you better propagation for the shorter range contacts.

Most people have multiband antennas. It's just in knowing the ins and outs and plusses and minuses of all the different types, as well as what will work with the space you have available, supports, and budget. There isn't a one size fits all solution. Many have multiple antennas as different kinds of antennas do different things... you'd probably have better luck with your propagation to Alaska on a vertical for example, and to Arizona on a lower height dipole. Sometimes the best answer really is "get both".

Good information, although I don't yet understand all the ins & outs of the explanation.  Please expand on the bolded part.  I don't yet know why one antenna is better than another for certain operations.

Thanks.

Shorter ranges on HF are a challenge. Look into NVIS antennas (Near Vertical Incident Skywave).

Here is a good place to start learning about propagation.
http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Educational/5/2/2

You will need at least 2 antennas - a VHF/ UHF, and then one (or many) for HF.
For now, check out the tram mentioned above - I think it dual band 2m VHF and 440 UHF. Will get you on the bands most Technicians are likely to use.
I would say put up a random length wire for HF LISTENING ONLY for now - when its time to transmit you can get guidance on what to do here.
Put up a few ideas for power supplies here - people will comment. Check craiglist and marketplace - you are looking for something with 20 amp continuous rating at least, up to 30 probably.

with HF propagation, you are bouncing your signal off the earth's atmosphere, so if your transmitted signal is going out lower on the horizon, it will travel a longer distance before hitting the atmosphere and bouncing back to earth.  For this reason, an antenna that has more low-angle radiation will get your signal further:



In general when comparing horizontal dipole antennas vs. vertical antennas because of how RF behaves, verticals will have stronger radiation at a low angle.  Horizontal dipole type antennas don't get as good a low angle take-off until you get them very high up in the air, which is prohibitive for most amateurs compared to the vertical which can be simply ground mounted.


Of course, this only compares these two basic antenna types, there are other variations as well that can be even better at longer distance, and also some that are geared specifically for shorter distance use.  Rarely will one HF antenna be a "jack of all trades", so it can be nice to have several options at your disposal if possible.

HF propagation is an ever-changing dance of the condition of the ionosphere... the part of the upper atmosphere that gets charged up by the sun and reflects HF radio signals, and then what signals are sent. Different antennas have signal patterns at different angles up from the horizon, what's called takeoff angle. If you have a particular destination in mind for your signal, you need an antenna that gives you a suitable takeoff angle at the frequency you're using to get the right reflection from the current condition of the ionosphere to get the signal to where you want it.  Shorter range paths can be especially challenging as the signal has to be reflected sharply back to earth which requires a good fit between the current condition of the ionosphere and the frequency used.

A good vertical antenna has a signal pattern that covers a relatively wide range of takeoff angles from relatively low up to a moderately high angle, so gives you good results over moderate to long distances. But a vertical antenna has very little signal that goes up at high angles, and the high angle signal is what's needed for a shorter range path like TX to AZ. A horizontal antenna at relatively low height to the ground like a simple dipole sends a lot of signal up at higher angles and is ideal for such a shorter path.

Success can be had with a variety of things in a variety of conditions of course, but if you want to maximize your odds at any particular time it's best to have options.

Some darn good explanations here...thanks very much.

So, are there charts that plot the angles of RF waves from each antenna, and approximate distances expected, or is this just something you have to get a feel for over time?

You can model antennas in software get an idea of where the RF is more opt to go, but the bigger hurdle is that you're at the mercy of the ionosphere.  

The earth's outer atmosphere is in a constant state of flux, and windows of propagation will open and close throughout the day/season/year/solar cycle, and it effects different HF bands in different ways.  It really depends, which is another reason why having options is nice.  

One day you might be able to contact station "X" on your vertical using 40-meters, a week later you might need to use your dipole on 20-meters to make that same contact.  A month later and you might not be able to reach them with either antenna on any band.

Keep in mind that the height above ground of the different ionosphere propagation types ( E, D, F1, F2 ) vary with time. Those heights and how strongly they reflect and what frequencies they reflect vary with time and also vary position on the globe. None of it is constant. It varies by the minute, literally.

As a result you may get a good skip ( reflection off the F1 layer on 40 meters ) to talk to your buddy in alaska and while you are talking to him the skip is gone and you can no longer talk to him because the the F1 layer moved, disappeared, became less reflective or the D layer which is lower than the F1 layer became more dense and it attenuated your 40 meter signal going up through it and then after the reflection on the F1 layer back down through it and the signal strength is no longer sufficient for your buddy to hear you. Because of all the variables it is also possible for you to hear him and him to not hear you.

Then there is noise, both man made and natural. If the noise is above the signal you want to hear, you are not going to hear it with your ears. The noise varies also.

Talking to someone on HF is easy. Talking to a particular someone on HF consistently or even when you want to is very very difficult.  The other variable is that the higher the angle of reflection ( take a look at the diagram above, closer in contacts requires a higher angle of reflection off the ionosphere ) the higher the angle of reflection the more attenuation of the signal that gets reflected, ie, the weaker the signal is after reflection.

There are ways to compensate for all these variables that determine propagation that attenuates signals.

1. more efficient transmission lines to the antenna. Those attenuate signals in both directions so if you lose less signal in the coax, open line, you not only transmit more power from the antenna, you receive lower signals too.

2. using antennas that have gain, ie. rotatable dipoles, yagis, beams etc. The gain you get by focusing your antenna radiation in the direction you want gives you more power in that direction at the expense of power in a direction you are not interested in at the moment. The gain also works in the receive direction too.

3. Amplifies; More power radiated means more power reflected in the ionosphere, but it does not help to receive any better. But when both people have more power due to an amplifier then the received signal is greater on both ends.

4. Using digital modes or CW. The smaller the bandwidth that the power is put into, the stronger the signal is. Digital modes can also decode signals well below the noise level.


Most just turn on the radio and talk to whomever they can talk to based on current and ever changing real time conditions called propagation. Setting up a system to consistently talk to a specific person is difficult and many times impossible, but optimization across the board on receive and transmit can increase the odds of success but is never going to be 100% achievable when ever you want it..

Excellent post.

I want to thank everyone for the help.  I looked into all the recommendation in the responses (what an interesting concept the NVIS was!), and also went and visited one of the relatively local guys I wished to correspond with.  I looked over his equipment and antennas (he has only been licensed for a few years, but was helped along by a 35-year veteran).  He has a pretty good setup, but not a ton of understanding (but much more than me).  

I also talked for several hours with another of the guys I want to talk with, 65 miles away, and he gave a bit more insight once I was armed with the information gleaned here.  He has been licensed since 1967, so is a treasure trove of information that’s mostly way over my head.  And only has the best of equipment, so a bit above my level there also.  

But, I have answered a few questions, developed many more, and am slowly learning.

Thanks again, guys.

Edit:  As stated in my OP, I have plenty of room for antennas, as well as a few pretty large trees on each side of my house that would allow several types of long-wire antennas to be strung concurrently.  As well as a good VHF/UHF mounted atop my roof.  The suggestions, and my subsequent research down the rabbit holes of the web, make me want to build several different length and configuration antennas, for different purposes, bands, and directions.

I almost feel like if Ray Charles woke up one morning and could see a little out of one eye...this stuff is fascinating if a little overwhelming.

I just got off a chat with a guy at gigaparts.

I told him kinda what you were looking for and he said a yaesu atas 120 will work.

It's basically what I am looking for with an antenna. I want to cover both HF and up to uhf/vhf with one antenna.

I am looking at a ic705 for my first big radio.

Do you want an antenna, or an antenna that works?

705 is a small (QRP) radio. If you mainly want a receiver it's fine. If you expect to actually make contacts, QRP is going to be a big disappointment, especially if a tiny inefficient antenna is what you're going to use.

What antenna do you recommend then?

I was looking at the 705 because of the size and portability. You can run it off an internal battery like a hand held.

It also can only do 5-watts max when on the internal battery pack...

For an antenna, something that has at least a half-wavelength of element(s) on the band of operation would be a good start to avoid handicapping yourself too much.  I run QRP portable 90% of my time on an HF radio, and I always try to use good wire antennas up on masts or in trees to get the most of my pea-shooter signal.

A screwdriver (or other severely shortened base loaded vertical) might be 10% efficient on 40m and around 1% on 80m. That cuts both ways on both transmit and receive.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/Outdoors/Recommend-a-good-power-supply-for-IC-7100/22-699120/#i11977671
https://www.ar15.com/forums/Outdoors/Recommend-a-good-power-supply-for-IC-7100/22-699120/#i11977849

https://www.ar15.com/forums/Outdoors/ICOM-7300-Antenna-Recommendation/22-698935/#i11974642

If you want something transportable, I'd suggest a homebrew fan dipole on 20~25 of some kind of push up mast. Or a vertical you can readily break down into transportable size pieces. If you're going to handicap yourself with a 5 watt radio you'd better have all the antenna you can carry.

Do you know if the Samlex SEC-1223 is the same power supply that Yaesu sells as the FP-1023. The specs are identical and other than the lettering they appear to be the same power supply. I have a FP-1023 that I use in my camper for my portable HF rig. My old Astron SS25 went belly up so I've been running my 2 meter base with the FP. The Samlex is $20 cheaper. If I can't repair the Astron, I'm considering the Samlex.

The Yaesu FP-1023 and Kenwood KPS-15 are both versions of the SEC-1223, the only difference is the connectors on the back.

ETA:
I think at some point the rear connectors may have changed. My older FP-1023 has screw terminals in the style of a barrier strip. I think the Kenwood used to have 1/4" bolts like the Astrons have, while the Samlex had that kind of set-screw terminal. If the photos on DX-Engineering are right, all now have the Samlex set-screw terminal.

Thank you. I haven't even had a chance to diagnose the Astron. May be a simple fix, it may be junk.

I had an SS-25 that flipped out at some point, just sent it to Astron and they fixed it, it's been working for like 15 years now.

That said, the fan noise on them is annoying, the Samlex is what I'd get nowadays.

Consider the Samlex SEC-1235P-M......   https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-017406

First post in 6 years? Welcome to arfcom

Those meters look a lot nicer than the older style, but it's more expensive than the higher-power older 1235.

Been following this thread since I also recently purchased an IC-7100.

I picked up a:
Amazon link, TekPower - TP30SWV

It is probably junk but hopeful will get me started.  I will use to test car stereo equipment if it doesn't work out for Ham use.  

Like mentioned earlier this is an eye opening hobby.  Many variables need to be taken into account to get the desired results.

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/asr-rs-35m-ap

For $100 more you can get a bullet proof Astron linear supply that should last about forever. If you want to pony up a few more bucks get the 50 amp version! I went all in and got the 50. My brother in law and about every ham I know uses Astron. Many have been on 24 hours a day for a decade or more. Mines been on for over 1 year now so it's not even getting broken in yet!

The Astron linear supplies are a staple of amateur radio, yes.

They're 6 times the size, weigh something like 30 pounds, and it's like running a small heater in your room, which might not be so bad in the winter but sucks in the summer, not to mention the wasted power.

Valid points but I would rather buy it once and more than likely never have to worry about it again, which is what I did going for the 50 amp. Maybe I don't run mine hard enough because I feel absolutely no heat coming from it and the cooling fins are always cool to the touch. It is certainly big and heavy so you have me on that one! I can't speak to any wasted power because my power bill seems stupid high anyway. Maybe I should have said if you want a supply that will last forever and don't plan on moving it much because it's a tank : ).

I've never used a switching power supply but I believe they are known for being RF noisy aren't they? Looks like the TekPower supply has adjustable voltage which could be nice for uses other than radio. I am thinking of a great supply for radio use only. Maybe my friends also have me a little brain washed with Astron as the be all end all.

Thank you sir!    Haven't been much of a poster on any platform.....

Last week I spoke with one of the Samlex engineer in Vancouver that worked on the new Samlex SEC-1235P-M model.  He said the the power is the same as in the Samlex SEC--1235M.   He said the differences with the new model were 1) the "P" stood for the automatic power selection (120v vs 220v) by the unit as compared to a manual switch in the back of the unit; 2) the meters have lights; and probably most importantly 3) the new model has better enhanced and advanced switching mode technology.  Thus, less noise potential when compared to the original unit.  

The engineer said for the moment they are keeping both models, but for $20 more, he felt the Samlex SEC-1235P-M offered more.  After two separate phone calls with him, I did not get the impression he was trying to "sell me"......

The Samlex's are excellent power supplies.  I also recommend the Alinco DM-330MVT.  Its built incredibly well, will do 30 amps constant (32 peak), offers adjustable voltage, RF noise offset (though in my experience its very quiet RF wise).


https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/alo-dm-330mvt

https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-003728


reviews of it on Eham

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06XJVYDDW?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title&th=1

Under $23 shipped, 30 amps, adjustable output voltage. I have mine set to 13.8 volts. Any 100 watt radio will be more than fine with a 30 amp supply. You can hook MANY radios into it, it’s not like your ever keying more than one radio at a time.

My Elmer uses Astron power supplies exclusively and his have all been reliable as a Timex watch. I bought an Astron RS-20M to run my dual band radio and it’s been great.

Well I thought about that but I wanted to see current draw without adding extra stuff to lug around.  I also never saw where that power supply is adjustable except now in one of the questions (seems limited adjustment based on that but don't own one to know).  If I was running only 12V the current draw would probably be out of parameters and cause problems.  Since you can adjust it, an option but based on the reviews many got duds, company did seem to provide a replacement though.

These are all over Amazon and Ebay, under various "brands", but are all about the same.  I have a few and actually use one in my go-box build.  They are adjustable for VDC out and I have mine set to 13.8V, there is a little adjustable pot next to the wire terminals to set it.  Overall, they are cheap and QC issues will happen, but they will do the job of powering your radios.  They do have a little bit of hash noise on the lower HF bands, but most switching supplies do nowadays, the supply in my PC tower in the shack is a worse offender than this.  

Overall, they're cheap and a bit sketchy in QC, but can be used and are cheap.  Like the Baofeng of power supplies, if you will.

I haven’t seen what the upper and lower limits are for the adjustable voltage regulator. I slowly turned it up until I got to 13.80 volts and stopped their. The adjustment is a small external trim pot near the wire connections. Pick up a ac power cord on Amazon, and wire it up. I used spade connectors on the amp side and power poles to connect to the radios. I personally have had zero problems with mine.