Posted: 4/7/2011 6:24:11 AM EDT
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Call sign finally came through, and I am continuing to evaluate and build my equipment stash. Currently have Yaesu VX-170 and VX-7R with upgraded diamond antennas. My external mobile antenna is ordered and on the way. My next purchase will be a mobile radio, but I would like to have a backup to the mobile in the form of a brick type amplifier for the HT's. This could pull double duty as a vehicle amplifier for HT or go in emergency go bag with the HT's.
These little Brick amplifiers appear to have been a lot more prevalent around 7-15 years ago. I assume with the increased capabilities of the mobile units these days, that the market for the HT brick type amps decreased to a point where it was no longer profitable for the manufacturers to continue producing these products. It seems that the only real option out there still in current production are the Mirage amps. I have sorted throught the reviews at eham.net, and they either get ratings of 5 or 0 and not much in between. There seems to be plenty of widely differing opinions about these amps, and it makes it difficult to make a decision when many of the reviews state that the product never worked out of the box and that the Mirage customer service is lacking...... So, What are my other options? Does anyone here have positive experience with the Mirage brick type amps? What other suggestions are out there? As I said, I plan to get a mobile unit, but would also like to have this type of product for emergency type situations. |
| There's these guys too, I have no experience with them but they get decent reviews on eham: TE Systems |
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I much prefer the RF concepts amps that aren't made any more, Tokyo Hypower used to have some of the small ones but doesn't anymore. About the only one left that is real good is the TE systems. All the amps I currently own are 3 RF concepts and a Tokyo Hypower. The small 70cm RFC 4-32 that I used with my 1 watt ATV transmitter sits around and isn't used any more. Just checked it out a couple days ago and took pictures of it. 2 watts in 17 out on the Bird meter. I'm going to take it to our local club on tuesday and see if someone wants it. If not It will probably be for sale somewhere else. I'm going to keep the 10 in 85 out Tokyo Hypower to use as a backup to my 200 watt 2 meter amp. |
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I saw one at a small hamfest last month for $60, I was there buying my first radio and figured they must be pretty common. They aren't.
One of the local guys bought it and I've heard him talk on it with a wouxun. Sounded pretty good and he was in the middle of the next county. $100 for a new one is kinda high to me, compared to a new 1900ft for $150. I let the local ham club guys talk me into a handheld for my first radio. It's great for listening, but it's hit or miss on transmission. For some reason, I couldn't hit the repeater for a local net 2 nights ago from my house where I've talked before. (battery nearly full charged on a new radio) Not real happy about taking their advice. I'm gonna give more weight to this forum from now on. |
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Quoted: I saw one at a small hamfest last month for $60, I was there buying my first radio and figured they must be pretty common. They aren't. One of the local guys bought it and I've heard him talk on it with a wouxun. Sounded pretty good and he was in the middle of the next county. $100 for a new one is kinda high to me, compared to a new 1900ft for $150. I let the local ham club guys talk me into a handheld for my first radio. It's great for listening, but it's hit or miss on transmission. For some reason, I couldn't hit the repeater for a local net 2 nights ago from my house where I've talked before. (battery nearly full charged on a new radio) Not real happy about taking their advice. I'm gonna give more weight to this forum from now on. the HT was a good choice, just get a better antenna, put a mobile on your car and use that until you can dump the cash into a mobile radio, and get a 1/4 wave whip fo in your house if you re having issues. it really is nicer starting out and always being next to your radio, one you really get started you'll he so many radios it wont matter.
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With mobiles as cheap as they are and VHF being helped so much with good antennas I cant see the use of an amp on an HT these days. Yep. Radios have gotten so cheap in recent years, there just aren't any good reasons for spending roughly the same amount of money on a brick amplifier - and then still having to deal with installation issues in cramped passenger vehicles. A dedicated mobile radio is a much more elegant solution. |
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Quoted: A HT is a horrible choice as a first radio for anyone who is not a flat-lander. you can do a lot with an HT, a good antenna and some fun terrain. for most of the time most hams would not have a single issue with an HT and a good antenna. yes eventually it will get annoying only having one radio that needs to be charged, but not as annoying as having one radio you only get to use when you are in your car or shack.
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A HT is a horrible choice as a first radio for anyone who is not a flat-lander. yes eventually it will get annoying only having one radio that needs to be charged, but not as annoying as having one radio you only get to use when you are in your car or shack. Where does most VHF FM activity occur? Morning and afternoon drive in the car maybe? Certainly more than just walking around. Listening to a weak FM signal sucks, don't be that guy. |
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A HT is a horrible choice as a first radio for anyone who is not a flat-lander. you can do a lot with an HT, a good antenna and some fun terrain. for most of the time most hams would not have a single issue with an HT and a good antenna. yes eventually it will get annoying only having one radio that needs to be charged, but not as annoying as having one radio you only get to use when you are in your car or shack. I must admit that I agree with Tesla on this issue in that a HT is a lot handier; at least in my situation. I have a local repeater that is very strong and is only a mile from me. The antenna for it is at the top of a 1,041 ft tower so it works well for my purposes. We mainly use our radios for our hunting trips as we do all stalking type hunting for pigs on approximately 2,000 acres. I put a mag mount antenna on the roof of my car with a SMA connector for my HT and am able to hear many repeaters around me as I drive to work. BUT.........I did not and do not have unrealistic expectations for my HT's. I think that is everyones biggest issue with HT's when they are new to HAM radio. I wanted an amp to use with my HT while I make the decision on a mobile. The amp with an HT and mag mount antenna allows me complete versatility if I want to jump in another vehicle of a friend that is a non ham. I appreciate everyones comments and had myself convinced previously that I needed an FT 8800, but couldn't bring myself to spend the money on a radio that is smarter than I am at the moment. The comments above about affordable Mobiles opened my eyes to just grabbing a 2m mobile radio for now as they ARE very cheap and I will be plenty happy with that. I don't really need cross-band repeat, etc. as I don't really know anyone that uses their's very often except to run test operations on it for the day. So I think I have decided that I will grab the FT2900 when I get ready to make my mobile purchase. 75watts is a lot of power and everything around here is 2m. Please let me know if I am overlooking anything else. And mm; I will not be at the match, but have visited extensively with Mos and Microsuck, and have viewed their mobiles and HT's. This is another addictive hobby that I look forward to continuously educating myself about. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: A HT is a horrible choice as a first radio for anyone who is not a flat-lander. yes eventually it will get annoying only having one radio that needs to be charged, but not as annoying as having one radio you only get to use when you are in your car or shack. Where does most VHF FM activity occur? Morning and afternoon drive in the car maybe? Certainly more than just walking around. Listening to a weak FM signal sucks, don't be that guy. most all of my friends are hams, I deff use mine while walking around, in the car, in between class, and sitting in my apartment all the time. for the most part im right next to the repeater so no issues, when I leave town to visit a fellow ham at about 10 miles 1 watt through my half wave will bring me in full quieting. the point is, you don't have to have a weak signal, and most people usually stay within a reasonable distance to a repeater anyway
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A HT is a horrible choice as a first radio for anyone who is not a flat-lander. yes eventually it will get annoying only having one radio that needs to be charged, but not as annoying as having one radio you only get to use when you are in your car or shack. Where does most VHF FM activity occur? Morning and afternoon drive in the car maybe? Certainly more than just walking around. Listening to a weak FM signal sucks, don't be that guy. most all of my friends are hams, I deff use mine while walking around, in the car, in between class, and sitting in my apartment all the time. for the most part im right next to the repeater so no issues, when I leave town to visit a fellow ham at about 10 miles 1 watt through my half wave will bring me in full quieting. the point is, you don't have to have a weak signal, and most people usually stay within a reasonable distance to a repeater anyway No they do not, in my experience. I don't call them out or treat them like a second class ham, but I would be lying if I say I didn't find it annoying. Therefore I try to steer new hams in a direction that doesn't piss me off. 
Also, you live in ND, I live in North Georgia. Our terrain here is not very forgiving at VHF and higher. |
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A long time ago I had a Mirage B23 amp I used with a IC-2AT. I sold the little amp when I bought a second 2M mobile rig. Today's 5W HTs have much less need for extra power (hooked up to a good antenna).
I do have a Mirage B3016 (30 in, 160 out) that comes in handy when travelling cross country. It is about 30 years old & still works fine. Likewise a 220 MHz unit I still have. But the Mirage units I have/had were all made before Mirage became a part of MFJ. i don't know how good the new ones are. |
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With mobiles as cheap as they are and VHF being helped so much with good antennas I cant see the use of an amp on an HT these days. i support this post. 
ps: OP –– take the money you were going to spend on a VHF FM-only brick amplifier and instead get a dual-band crossband-repeat capable mobile radio such as an FT8800. you can have your cake and eat it too. ar-jedi |
| One advantage a HT/Brick combo has over a mobile radio is receive current consumption. Where your average mobile radio might consume 300 mA when squelched, its talkie counterpart might consume 10 mA squelched. That huge difference could be crucial in situations were battery power is scarce. |
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One advantage a HT/Brick combo has over a mobile radio is receive current consumption. Where your average mobile radio might consume 300 mA when squelched, its talkie counterpart might consume 10 mA squelched. That huge difference could be crucial in situations were battery power is scarce. .... and the difference would be made up for in 1/2 a second of transmit time. If power is that crucial you won't be running an amplifier. |
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One advantage a HT/Brick combo has over a mobile radio is receive current consumption. Where your average mobile radio might consume 300 mA when squelched, its talkie counterpart might consume 10 mA squelched. That huge difference could be crucial in situations were battery power is scarce. .... and the difference would be made up for in 1/2 a second of transmit time. If power is that crucial you won't be running an amplifier. Gotta disagree. If you're monitoring for days or weeks at a time, the difference in battery drain could be huge. 10 mA x 24 hours x 7 days = 1.68 AH 300 mA x 24 hours x 7 days = 50.4 AH And on transmit, there is no difference in TX current consumption either way - a HT with a brick amp draws the same current as a mobile radio of comparable power output. |