I've had a technician license for about 13 years but got too busy with kids, etc and didn't keep up with the hobby. Lately I've had the bug again and decided to upgrade to General so I'm taking the next available test in my area. I'll probably try to go for Extra as well if I can fit in some study time in the next 10 days.

I'm probably going for the IC-7300 for HF and will later add a dual band mobile. Although I realize the 7300 is more of a base station size my plan is to have a portable kit that will also be my home shack where it'll be used 90% of the time.

My antenna knowledge is pretty limited - what should I be looking at for general 80M-10M use? I'm not at the building antennas stage yet so just looking for something commercially made to get me on the air - something simple and not requiring a tuner would be ideal. I have 150+ feet in any direction to set up whatever I want in the back yard but have been looking at verticals like the SuperAntenna for compact portable use as well.

First, I encourage you to get on HF - it's a blast and we're working our way to a solar maximum so conditions are picking up.  VHF/UHF to me is much less interesting.

On the antenna, I never really used commercial multi-band verticals so I'll let others make recommendations there.  What I have used for an all-band antenna for many years is simple and reasonably effective and that's a 135-ft dipole fed with ladder line.  It does require a tuner (which I know you intended to avoid) but it's simple and will cover 80m thru 10m with two wires.  As a bonus, this antenna will cover any frequency in that range like 60m or MARS frequencies so it's not limited to the ham bands and it will handle legal limit power levels.  I use a manual tuner in the shack to tune mine and the setup is very flexible.
 
Before I started using this antenna, I used homebrew fan dipoles.  I had two:  One with 5 pairs of wires for 80/40/20/15/10m and one with 3 pairs for 30/17/12m.  The fan dipoles are also simple and effective and have the benefit that they are resonant (at least over 300 KHz or so of each band) so no tuner required within that range.  This can be cheap to erect but you end up with more wires in the air.  I have never used things like G5RVs but I know many do.

I did test once with a loaner Cushcraft R8 vertical where I ran 3 or 4 radials per band.  It was okay - generally similar performance to a generic dipole.  I considered for a while getting a multi-band vertical dipole, something like a Gap Titan DX but never did.

If you're feeling spendy, I think a Steppir vertical would be a good performer and wouldn't require a tuner.  I've been using a Steppir Yagi for 15 years for the upper bands and they are good performers.

I know you said you didn't want to build, but I would encourge you to do so. Such a money saver, and so many things you can build that can often work so much better than "store bought".  Halfway in the middle is an antenna that comes out of England, called the DX commander. quick shipping, pretty good price and full size vertical performance. Also full power capable, so if you get an amp in the future it will be ready. No traps to burn out. Just wire elements. You do have to put it together, but I have heard the instructions are pretty good.

This is just one idea. End feds are all the rage and cheap enough, and easy to put up and work well enough. Again you could save a bundle and build them yourself, but it may be more than you want at this time. A fan dipole that you build yourself would be a good choice. It is just measuring some wires and cutting and putting them together on a good 1:1 balun which you could buy.  Any antenna you put up will require tuning after it is up. Just about everything will require set up and tuning.  You can come back and ask more questions, or if you want to contact me we can talk on phone if you have questions.

DX commander website

End fed
My antennas endfed

Depending on your location, the Inverted Vee configuration may be easier than a flat-top dipole to implement.
There's a lot of misinformation about Vees. This article should dispel many of them: LINK

The 7300 is a very good radio, lots of bang for the buck. I've had one for about 5 years and for everyday operating, I have no preference for my Elecraft K3 over it. There is a noticable difference in heated contesting and pileups, but my loaded K3 cost about 3 times what the 7300 did.

Unless your antennas are going to be close to resonant, an external tuner will most likely be needed on some bands. Personally, I prefer manual tuners. They're not at all that hard to adjust if you'll just follow the instructions.

The hustler 6BTV is a pretty standard multiband vertical. That would give you 10,15,20,30,40 and a very narrow 80.

This is what i have.

I then added a random wire/long wire/non-resonant end fed. If you dont want to make one, just buy one. I like Chameleon Antennas, but others here will liken them to over priced magic beans.

This would give you 6m-80/160 depending on which one. Your 7300 will tune any band you want to use. Namely 12/17 meters, which i am a fan of., but the vertical doesnt do.

Inverted V, as mentioned, is a nice option due to ease of install.

This is what i did, but i made the wire antenna i use at home.


Eta: I had my tech 20ish years before getting General. So you arent the only one. :-)

I don't use VHF or UHF bands so these comments pertain to HF only.

I've had a Butternut HF6V in the air for 30 years and have no complaints with it other than its age.  It covers 80, 40, 30,20, 15, and 10 meters.  It's old and the SWR has creeped up on all bands so I use a tuner with it most of the time.  I have a new HF9V that I haven't managed to get set up yet.  It adds 17, 12, and 6 meters to those covered by the HF6V.

Be prepared to install ground radials with any vertical.  All of the vendors say they are "Recommended" but in reality they are virtually "Required".

For HF use There is a big difference between MOST base station mobile antennas and MOST mobile vertical antennas.  Base station verticals are much longer, ranging from 25' (typical) to about 40' (Gap DX Commander, as I recall).

Properly installed and with a proper ground system a good vertical will provide world-wide communications.  They don't have the gain (transmit or receive) or rejection of a beam but they are still very good antennas.  I've worked all over the world (very literally) with a vertical and like them very well.  In the past I've had beams and I've had dipoles.  As far as performance a vertical is closer to a dipole but as far as convenience goes they beat them all.  One antenna for 9 bands without a tuner is a pretty good compromise.

EFHW are stone simple to make. You can make an 80-10, or whatever band range you decide. Doesn't require radials, and they get out well enough. I started with a Xiegu G90. It is 20w, and I use it for portable and home. I bought a 100w amp, and have it for home use. Both have built in tuners, the G90 has an excellent tuner, the amp does ~3-1. The setup works great for me. The 7300 is a great rig, as well as the Yaesu FT-710 if you can find one.

I did a similar thing, welcome back to the hobby.

Check out the Mega Info Thread.

I use an IC-7300 portable and currently have one in my truck for mobile ( I lift the entire setup out of my truck for picnic table portable ) and another as a spare radio in my shack.

It is a bit bigger that the 'normal' portable / mobile rig but if you pick up a Pelican case, or knock off at harbor freight, it is easily transported for a portable as long as you are portable via vehicle and not trying to backpack it in someplace and if you have enough space in a vehicle like a truck, it makes a great mobile rig too.

Attached File


If you are looking for a new HF radio my two recommendations would be the Icom IC-7300 or the Yaesu FT-710.  Both are feature packed radios that can be had for around $1000.00 new. Both are fantastic HF rigs and would serve you well. I've owned both and currently have the Yaesu FT-710 in the shack as my backup radio. Either one would do a great job without breaking the bank.

If you're considering an EFHW, what about one in kit form? LINK
This kit covers 10, 15, 20, and 40 meters, and contrary to popular opinion, toroids are not that hard to wind, especially large ones, if you just follow the instructions.
Here's a LINK to the instructions so you can see if you'd be comfortable building it.

About 80 Meters: Unless you're operating CW or digital, 75/80 Meters is going to be frustrating without an amplifier because of QRN from thunderstorms during the late spring, summer, and early fall.

I would agree, 40 and up is where you want to put your focus unless you just want to check into your states traffic net on the upper end of 80 meters or want to start working on DX awards. This is way more challenging, and can be very frustrating for newcomers. I would worry about 40 and up bands. If I could ONLY have an antenna for 1 band (this is like the ONE gun question) it would be for 20 meters.

Another option for a starter antenna is a 40/20 Meter fan dipole in either flat-top or Inverted Vee configuration. The 40 Meter elements will act as 3/2 wave radiators, giving you a "freebee" 15 Meter band. More elements can be added later for additional bands. The 15 Meter SWR on the SSB portion of the band can be improved by adding capacitance "hats". LINK

The downside is that the more elements there are, the trickier the antenna is to tune because they interact.

And the upside is they are not really difficult to make, they work well once you get them "pruned and tuned" and they are dirt cheap to make.  Yeah sure they get tricky the more elements you put on them, but if you can find some good help in the form of a guy with an antenna analyzer and your supports are easy to let the antenna down to the ground, they can be set up pretty quickly. The antenna is really the same concept in a horizontal form factor az the "DX commander" vertical I mentioned. Except instead of having ground radials and vertical elements, you have mirror image horizontal wire "elements"  opposing each other.

I bought an inexpensive MJF wire antenna from Ham Radio Outlet for my first antenna and a buddy who does tree work helped me get it up into the trees.  Despite being cheap, it worked really well. The only reason I took it down was to replace it with an Array Solutions antenna with components robust enough to withstand high wattage because I got an amp and was worried that some of the MFJ components were marginal for that. Might have been unnecessary to upgrade.

I have only been on the air for 25 months, so not the most knowledgeable, but whatever you get, make sure to measure the SWR across each band rather than accepting the marketing language about where the antenna is resonant. I don't know what the 710 will do, but the IC-7300 will tune to up to a 3:1 mismatch, but no more. Some radios can measure SWR, but I like to use a NanoVNA (Got the SAA2 from R&L) with the free NanoVNA-Saver software so I can see the curve visually so I know what I am working with.

MFJ 2012 off center fed dipole antenna is a very good antenna for 6,10,20 and 40m.  The lighter gage wire version is as good, the MFJ 2010.

I have a 7300 for home and an 891 for portable and back up.  Either will work nicely.

I think from my memory that Emoto is talking about the MFJ2010, the lighter gage version of the MFJ2012.   The difference is the 2012 can handle 1500watts.

I always leaned to buying stuff to handle full legal limit power in case I got that much power some day.  No oopsie about forgetting you have a lighter duty something in the line.   One doesn’t have to work things that way.  Staying lighter duty, like coax, saves a lot of money.   Not that HF is overly demanding on coax quality like UHF.

Speaking of antenna analyzers, the IC-7300 has one built in.

So does the G-90.

I'd be surprised is it didn't. The competition for the best $1k "starter" rig is fierce.

The 7300 also makes an excellent SWL receiver, if you're interested in cruising the SW BC bands. Lots of interesting stuff there if you know where and when to listen.
Most of the SWBC stations from 20 years ago are now silent, but there are some left. The BBC and Radio Romania International are easy pickings. While they may not be beaming to the US, the nature of short wave caues the signals to spill over in other directions.

IC 7300 - good choice. I prefer Yaesu, and encourage you to look at the 710!
dual band mobil - good choice, many flavors, can work in car or as base station
no handheld mentioned - good choice - they look cool, but have limited range, and I have few repeaters I could hit with one. YMMV
Superantenna - bad choice. Wolf river coil or hamstick (shark rf I think). Better choice less voodoo. Others will chime in
HF antenna - buy a harbor freight soldering iron, build 40-10m efhw, or build a 20m dipole to start. Quick, easy cheap, then experiment with spending dollars on store bought. JMO. SEarch arfcom thread on ocf dipole build (build one this winter)!

State/ location? (Go to ham store, try out rigs)
Local clubs - field day in 3-4 weeks, bet you can operate or mess with at least one of the rigs mentioned, likely all!

Excellent idea. Better yet, contact club beforehand and see what you can bring (food, gas, etc.) and how you can help with the setup and takedown.

I've been having a ton of fun on HF - mostly doing FT8 these days. I'm still a tech and studying for my general, but we have access to 10m and 6m bands so I have been taking advantage.
My setup is oriented towards portability. Using an icom 705 with xiegu xpa125, and chameleon mpas 2.0 that I've put together from buying a few of the key parts and making the rest. I have an ATU-10 tuner as well which works nicely with the 705 for lightweight mobile use at about 100$ when not bringing the amp along.

Using the vertical option on the mpas2 setup I've gotten down south to chile/argentina, as far west as australia, and up into alaska/canada running 10w. Brazil is technically the furthest east I've gotten but also made contacts in the dominican republic. With my amp I'm getting a little further but have only been pushing a max of 40w.


ETA: tuner

Sorry I haven't checked back in on the thread but thanks to all for the replies and advice!

I've waffled a bit on the IC-7300 plus a separate dual band mobile vs the 991A but I'm probably still 80% sold on the Icom for ease of use. I'll be heading to the HRO about an hour away in Delaware this weekend to get my hands on both and make a decision.

I realize it's a compromise but for the short term I ordered the SuperAntenna just to try out since it was free shipping/free returns from Amazon who also had the lowest price. I'll try it out in the yard and if it doesn't meet my expectations (which are admittedly low), back it will go. I like the idea of that EFHW kit that Frank_B posted above - might pick that up and hang it in a backyard tree.

General test is scheduled for 6/19 but I may try to get an earlier one. Thanks again for the input!

ETA field day is another great suggestion by penrod72 - I'll definitely do that if I can make the time.

@shreddykruger - I've been thinking about your post as there's a local guy with a used 705 for sale along with the Icom 705 tuner for what I think is a decent price. It's definitely intriguing with VHF/UHF and the airband RX although I think I'd end up the same as you and add an amp for home use. The extra $$ for the setup has me thinking but it's starting to make sense to consider the 705 as a third option

For what a 705 and amp and tuner costs you could get a 7300 and a 991A…

This is absolutely true depending on deals. If I had a 7300 + dualband home setup already, I would probably look at the smaller dedicated QRP rigs for mobile activations. People definitely make 7300s (and 991s) work out of a backpack but to me the size/weight of the 705 were worth the extra money for a first hf radio. Getting the deal I did on my 705 used from a buddy made the decision for me, and the xiegu amp just gets me that extra transmit range. My setup is portable first, and the amp plusses it up enough for me now at home.

so many ways to skin the same cat - let us know which way you go OP!

I did that with the G90.

An FT-710 followed me home from HRO yesterday. Spent a lot of time on the porch listening on 40m and 20m already and if all goes well I'll be on the air soon. Thanks to all for the advice and suggestions, still a lot to take in!

Sweet!!

Good luck and enjoy the 710. I got mine in Feb this year.

Check out online testing if you want to pull the schedule in.  I upgraded about 2 weeks ago testing online.  I had planned for June but just wanted to get it on.  I scheduled about 3 days out and crammed.   I figured 75% and I'm done, or I waste $10 and test again in June.  It went way better than expected.

/AG checking in -

Passed General tonight no problem. I took the Extra exam too - no dice there as I didn't study for it, but I'll take it again in less than 2 weeks. I figure I'd rather knock them both out now while I'm in the mode and have an hour or 2 each night to put into it.

See you on the HF bands soon!

 

Well Done!  Keep Going!

All this is good advice.  There are EFHW kits for under $30 that will get you on the air on 49, 20, 15 and 10 meters without needing a tuner, but you will have to wind a transformer and solder a few connections.  If you do build your own, the money saved can go toward tools like a basic soldering iron if you don't already have one.  Then you'll have an antenna you made yourself, which is immensely satisfying for most radio hobbyists. If you can put new fishing line on a reel, winding a transformer isn't that much harder.

If you go the DX Commander route, they are now being sold in the US by DX Engineering.

Easiest to build at home is an EFHW kit though.  But with the space you mentioned, a vertical with a good radial field would be much better.  I installed a Hustler 6BTV a few weeks ago and have been putting little finishing touches on it gradually.  I got my first ever 59+10 signal report today from a POTA station that is presumably using a portable compromise antenna.

If you do decide to get a portable multiband HF vertical, there are several routes to take.  The SuperAntennas are nice.  I have an older model and a new one. But they are short for the lower frequency bands.  They are really nicely made, but they are pricey.

There are the well-regarded Wolf River Coils, that you can use with different whips, mounts, radials, etc.

The JPC-12 or PAC-12 antenna is a vertical that has a pretty long telescoping vertical element and a tunable coil.  It's made in China and much cheaper than the SuperAntenna, and with the longer element, probably a better performer.  But it's all metric threads so if you want to experiment with other whips, you'll need thread adapters.

And there's the MFJ 17 foot steel telescoping whip.  This can be used on 20m and up without any coil, just by adjusting the length of the whip.  You supply the mount and radials, which is as easy as a CB mirror mount bracket and a ground spike.  This is a pretty good lower cost option for portable operation.

But almost all of the portable vertical antennas are meant to be used temporarily, not left out in the sun and weather for extended periods.

Congratulations on the upgrade.

JPC-12 is meh. It doesn't really do the WARC bands and I broke mine the first time I took it in the field. The threads are all metric, so won't work with any of my other stuff.