Posted: 1/5/2013 1:41:30 PM EDT
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Went out again with the FT-817, this would be trip 4. Trip 2,tried a counterpoise with the vertical on 20 meters, heard a bunch but no responses. Trip 3, decided to find a spot more local, found a tree lined parking area with no power lines a few blocks from home. Tried the vertical wire with counterpoise again, hear a lot but no responses. For trip 4 I built a dipole (thank you dereck45),cut for 20 meters, coax feedline. Lots of static, not sure if it was the bands or my creation, could hear people but not responses to numerous CQ calls. Moved to a different spot/tree, tried a wire with banana plug and counterpoise both cut for 15 meters, could listen to people on 15 and 17 but again no responses and more static.
Several questions: 1: Who are the Spanish speakers on 14.285? 2:When the banana plug antenna and counterpoise come off the back of my radio, should they run parallel or be separated as much as can be? 3: Were the bands crappy tonight? Spent the last 2.5 hours on the air. |
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Went out again with the FT-817, this would be trip 4. Trip 2,tried a counterpoise with the vertical on 20 meters, heard a bunch but no responses. Trip 3, decided to find a spot more local, found a tree lined parking area with no power lines a few blocks from home. Tried the vertical wire with counterpoise again, hear a lot but no responses. For trip 4 I built a dipole (thank you dereck45),cut for 20 meters, coax feedline. Lots of static, not sure if it was the bands or my creation, could hear people but not responses to numerous CQ calls. Moved to a different spot/tree, tried a wire with banana plug and counterpoise both cut for 15 meters, could listen to people on 15 and 17 but again no responses and more static. Several questions: 1: Who are the Spanish speakers on 14.285? 2:When the banana plug antenna and counterpoise come off the back of my radio, should they run parallel or be separated as much as can be? 3: Were the bands crappy tonight? Spent the last 2.5 hours on the air. 0. Are you running SSB or CW? With the internal batteries the 817 only puts out 2.5 watts on SSB, and that's being optimistic (full battery, aggressive speech processing, high audio gain but not clipping). With an external battery it will do 5 watts but 5 watts on SSB is very difficult. CW will be easier and digital modes easier still. 1. Dunno but they're almost always there. They're running high power and I've never caught a callsign. Doesn't mean they're running over the legal limit (though it wouldn't surprise me at all if they were) or not identifying (...) but I've never heard one. 2. Parallel should be fine - look at how ladder line is constructed. Consistent spacing is a plus. 3. Dunno, I haven't been on the air in a long time. |
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In the end remember you are running 5w QRP. Dont expect to be able to talk to the guy pushing 1500w into a beam halfway around the world. I enjoy QRPish (20w) but its not like sitting in my shack with a 100w TS2000.
Give 7.200 a try around dusk. It might be hard to get in at times but there is usually a good group hanging around there. Or get a digital setup and talk all day on 14.070 with 5w |
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QRP is not how to start out on ham radio. Your results are going to be less than stellar to outright miserable given the current band conditions. CW works OK for QRP, but 5 watts SSB is going to be an exercise in futility on 20m. Most of the stations you hear are running at least 100 watts to legal limit on power output. Most have a directional antennas and unless they receive your signal S5 or more.....you tend to be ignored.
Is there anyone local that can help you with your antenna construction and design? You can't be radiating much signal with your current antenna. Building an antenna is not rocket science, but you might be doing it wrong. Many QRP stations I have worked are using a PAR antenna. You might want check out a Par EndFedZ® Antenna. linky A good antenna book might help too if there aren't any local hams to help you. I would suggest that you find find a copy of the ARRL Simple and Fun Antennas, as you may need some antenna tutoring. 
Don't let the title fool you its really a great book for new and seasoned hams. If you lived closer I would let you borrow mine. Linky |
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When you call CQ, make sure you say your running QRP. eg: "CQ CQ CQ this is KB7DX KB7DX QRP standing by for a call."
Sometimes operators won't even try to answer a weak station unless they hear "QRP" in your CQ. The dipole you made will probably be better than just a wire stuck in the antenna connector. |
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I had an 817. I hated every minute of it. Sold it, got a 7000 and was SO much happier.
If you like CW, or like to hilltop QRP might be fun. However 5W is just not enough. Just jumping up to 10 or 20W makes a huge difference. If you have your heart set on QRP portable look into getting a used 703. |
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CQ CQ CQ, KB3 UAF MOBILE QRP,CQ CQ CQ. On QRP especially, you need to give your callsign a lot more than that. When I'm running mobile I'll call something like CQ CQ CQ, CQ CQ CQ this is A1AA, alpha one alpha alpha, A1AA mobile. CQ CQ CQ, CQ CQ CQ this is A1AA, alpha one alpha alpha, alpha 1 alpha alpha, A1AA mobile, calling CQ CQ CQ and standing by. When you're running QRP and you only throw out your callsign once there's very little chance someone will copy it. Remember, your callsign is the important part (vs the CQ). |
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There is a UK ham on YouTube that operates a 817 with a mag loop. It seems to work good for him and is much easier than a dipole.
Also if you have a laptop. put FLDIGI on it and set it to psk31 on 14.070mHZ. You will see plenty of activity. Also look into a small tuner. When you are talking about SWR and QRP the numbers can get scary quick. |
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I had an 817. I hated every minute of it. Sold it, got a 7000 and was SO much happier. If you like CW, or like to hilltop QRP might be fun. However 5W is just not enough. Just jumping up to 10 or 20W makes a huge difference. If you have your heart set on QRP portable look into getting a used 703. You are comparing apples and oranges. IC-7000 is not a backpacking, battery powered kind of radio. IC-703 will probably do a little better than IC-817 because it has a speech compressor (I think it does). |
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It sounds like OP needs to check his antenna SWR to make sure there is no mismatch. 5 Watts into a mismatched antenna won't take you too far with SSB mode. Working CW may get much better results.
Also like mentioned by others, make sure to add QRP Portable when you call CQ. Otherways people may simply ignore a weak station. |
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Explain mismatched please. Also, how about a laymans version of using the SWR meter to check the antenna. And no, I don't have a lot of support from other hams in the area. Most around here are a bit clannish, and I left the club I did belong to 2 years ago when the president made some remarks on air that I found inappropriate.
So, I'm pretty much on my own. The HF QRP area is what interests me, so I got the 817. I fully understand that I'm only putting out 5 watts, and contacts will be a lot harder. I want to be on HF and my MD wants me out and about. Bit cold right now, but come spring me and the radio will be going for walks. Being new to HF and QRP I am just trying to make sure I'm doing it right. |
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CQ CQ CQ, KB3 UAF MOBILE QRP,CQ CQ CQ. if you have a wire in the air you arent mobile. you need to find someone local with a meter or buy one so you can tune the antenna better. running QRP you need to have your antenna spot on so you have as much going for you as you can.
correction, you need an antenna analyzer, not just a meter. |
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CQ CQ CQ, KB3 UAF MOBILE QRP,CQ CQ CQ. if you have a wire in the air you arent mobile. you need to find someone local with a meter or buy one so you can tune the antenna better. running QRP you need to have your antenna spot on so you have as much going for you as you can.
correction, you need an antenna analyzer, not just a meter. Sorry, thought being in the car meant mobile. Didn't consider being tied to the tree. I will try to find an analyzer and a meter,out of work right now so money is tight. Sold a buncha stuff for the radio, and to buy my son Christmas presents. |
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I will try to find an analyzer and a meter
According to the manual your radio has a built-in SWR meter. You can get by with that for now. |
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I had an 817. I hated every minute of it. Sold it, got a 7000 and was SO much happier. If you like CW, or like to hilltop QRP might be fun. However 5W is just not enough. Just jumping up to 10 or 20W makes a huge difference. If you have your heart set on QRP portable look into getting a used 703. You are comparing apples and oranges. IC-7000 is not a backpacking, battery powered kind of radio. IC-703 will probably do a little better than IC-817 because it has a speech compressor (I think it does). Gyprat--perhaps I wasn't clear: I had an apple. Didn't like the taste! Got an orange instead and now I'm happy. In other words, 5W wasn't the type of radio that was fun for me. 100W is. If you want to put it in backpack perspective: backpacking with an 817 wasn't fun for me because nobody could ever hear me. So I left the radio at home. Since the radio was at home all the time I might as well have a 100W radio! |
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Once your dipole is safely airborne, fire up your transmitter and check the SWR at many points throughout the band. (It helps if you can plot the results on graph paper.) If you see that the SWR is getting lower as you move lower in frequency, your antenna is too long. Trim a couple of inches from each end and try again. On the other hand, if you see that the SWR is getting higher as you go lower in frequency, your antenna is too short. You’ll need to add wire to both ends and make another series of measurements.
Single-Band Dipoles |
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USE YOUR BUILT IN SWR METER
High SWR can cause your radio to fold back it's transmit power, or worse, BURN UP your final output module. unless it's a fan dipole, you can't operate 15, 17, and 20 with one dipole. ....not without an antenna tuner. 14mhz is a world wide HF band, you will commonly hear Spanish speaking hams QRP is like deer hunting with an iron sighted handgun. it's a challenge best suited for the experienced and skilled and you will have to accept that you can't always have the same success as the 100watt/rifle shooters. I usually recommend new hams that want to play HF, get a basic 100watt rig, power supply and antenna tuner. something like an ICOM-718 or KENWOOD TS-140 that and a trap vertical or G5RV, and you can work the world 
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Explain mismatched please. Also, how about a laymans version of using the SWR meter to check the antenna. And no, I don't have a lot of support from other hams in the area. Most around here are a bit clannish, and I left the club I did belong to 2 years ago when the president made some remarks on air that I found inappropriate. So, I'm pretty much on my own. The HF QRP area is what interests me, so I got the 817. I fully understand that I'm only putting out 5 watts, and contacts will be a lot harder. I want to be on HF and my MD wants me out and about. Bit cold right now, but come spring me and the radio will be going for walks. Being new to HF and QRP I am just trying to make sure I'm doing it right. Snuffy, try this; Find your menu selection for SWR in the menu, switch from SSB to AM, transmit a carrier by keying your mic. if it is anything like my 857 your swr will display as a vertical line. The shorter this line is the better. You should be able to find the center frequency of your dipole by changing the frequency you are "dropping the carrier" on. As you approach the center your SWR will go flat, then begin to rise once you pass the center. Part of the reason SSB is so much more efficient than AM is there is no transmitted carrier, but to your onboard SWR meter it will show a perfect SWR because there is nothing being transmitted. Should you select SWR, and TX in SSB with a poorly matched antenna the SWR "stripe" will rise and fall on your voice peaks. Hope this makes sense, it's getting late... Buck |
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So, I'm pretty much on my own. The HF QRP area is what interests me, so I got the 817. I fully understand that I'm only putting out 5 watts, and contacts will be a lot harder. I want to be on HF and my MD wants me out and about. Bit cold right now, but come spring me and the radio will be going for walks. Being new to HF and QRP I am just trying to make sure I'm doing it right. Originally Posted By BigDaddy0004 4/11/2011:
Here's my point of view about QRP in general and the IC-703+ specifically. A little over a year ago is when I bought mine for my first HF radio. At that time, propagation was not anywhere close to what is has heated up to lately. Several wise old Hams tried to steer me toward a 100w HF radio to start out with. The reason being so I wouldn't get discouraged and quit trying to learn more about the hobby. 10w didn't go very far for me then, and it was damned frustrating hearing contacts that I couldn't work. It made me learn CW (poorly) and go through 500' of wire trying different antenna types to try to wring a little more efficiency out of that QRP radio. If I had it all to do over again, with the conditions the way they were a year ago, I don't think any QRP radio would be my first choice. But, things have changed now that propagation is heating up. Phone QSO's to Moscow and beyond at 5w or less make a huge impact on any operators confidence level. And PSK-31 and other digital modes now reach about anywhere on the planet. So, yeah, the 703+ and other QRP radios are now a lot more attractive as a first HF radio. Mine's a keeper. Don't give up on the 817, snuffy19608. What you're learning about antennas, propagation and your radio now is making you a better operator all around. PM me your address and I'll send you my Autek RF-1 antenna analyzer that you can use to check your antenna. Use it as long as you like, no strings attached. 
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USE YOUR BUILT IN SWR METER Got it. High SWR can cause your radio to fold back it's transmit power, or worse, BURN UP your final output module.Got that too, how do I make sure I didn'tburn up the finals already? unless it's a fan dipole, you can't operate 15, 17, and 20 with one dipole.Reread first post please, switched to a cut wire with counterpoise. ....not without an antenna tuner. Want one, no cash. 14mhz is a world wide HF band, you will commonly hear Spanish speaking hams I get that, just asking because they sit on the QRP calling frequency. QRP is like deer hunting with an iron sighted handgun. it's a challenge best suited for the experienced and skilled and you will have to accept that you can't always have the same success as the 100watt/rifle shooters. I GET IT!! I am aware that I only have 5 watts. The reason I am asking questions is because I want to make sure the radio and antenna are setup correctly, and that I am getting out. From there I can practice and learn. I usually recommend new hams that want to play HF, get a basic 100watt rig, power supply and antenna tuner. something like an ICOM-718 or KENWOOD TS-140 that and a trap vertical or G5RV, and you can work the world
Dereck45 and others, apparently I can't respond to quotes either. My reponses are contained in the box with his original post. Sorry for that, hopefully you can compare the two and figure out m,y replies. |
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I had an 817. I hated every minute of it. Sold it, got a 7000 and was SO much happier. If you like CW, or like to hilltop QRP might be fun. However 5W is just not enough. Just jumping up to 10 or 20W makes a huge difference. If you have your heart set on QRP portable look into getting a used 703. You are comparing apples and oranges. IC-7000 is not a backpacking, battery powered kind of radio. IC-703 will probably do a little better than IC-817 because it has a speech compressor (I think it does). Gyprat--perhaps I wasn't clear: I had an apple. Didn't like the taste! Got an orange instead and now I'm happy. In other words, 5W wasn't the type of radio that was fun for me. 100W is. If you want to put it in backpack perspective: backpacking with an 817 wasn't fun for me because nobody could ever hear me. So I left the radio at home. Since the radio was at home all the time I might as well have a 100W radio! I almost bought a FT-817 once. Stopped by Atlanta HRO, played with it for some time and ended up ordering another FT-857.  857 works great as a QRP portable and can be used on my camping trips with full 100W output (powered by 1000W Honda generator or a deep cycle battery).
FT-817 could be a lot of fun though. Just imagine a 2 week backpacking hike. Weight is critical. Charging with small solar battery while sleeping during the day. Running CW guerilla radio at night.
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