XPost: rec.radio.amateur.moderated, rec.radio.amateur.equipment

My Amateur Radio Life

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The two I regret letting go

Posted: 29 Oct 2021 09:21 AM PDT https://va3qv.wordpress.com/2021/10/29/the-two-i-regret-letting-go/



Over the years I have owned plenty of HF radios and sold/traded most of
them away for something more Shiny or newer.




But out of all the ones that are no longer with me, there are two that I am
now kicking myself for selling..



Mistake number 1




Flex 1500 QRP HF SDR Radio




This fantastic little radio was my first (and only so far) SDR Radio and my second QRP Radio. It took a while to get used to all that computer hook up stuff but once I finally got it right it was a dream to operate. Using it
at home with my S9 43 foot vertical, 4:1 balun, along with a Elecraft T1
QRP autotuner brought a new spark to the hobby and I was a happy ham.








This was done with the help of my laptop for the computer control, CW
decoding program, and a logging program.




Using the Flex and T1 combo I was able to:




Complete my QRP DXCC, add to my QRP DXCC totals, complete my WAS Triple
Play and actually make a decent showing in the 2015 CQ WW CW contest:







CallYearLocZnCategoryScoreQSOsZnCtyHoursOperator(s)CertVA3QV2015VE34SO QRP ALL11,47385284913.8That ranked me as 4th in Canada, 25th in North America
and 100th WW




With the excellent recieve filtering the Flex had it made hearing the weak
ones out there much easier and allowed me to work into the areas of the
world I had never even heard before.




FT 817




The other rig that I regret leaving my possession was the Yaesu FT817. Not
an 818 or a 817 ND but the original 817



Mistake number 2




I bought mine from Radioworld shortly after they were available in Canada
and added the orignal LDG QRP Auto Tuner a few months later.








My favorite setup involved using a few adapters connecting the rig to the
tuner direct with no coax in the picture. Also using a double male adapter connected the end feds balun directly to the tuner so there was no coax in
the picture at all. Normally the antennas of choice would be a Par Endz
Fed or my old homebrewed W3EDP antenna.




I would like to think that having no line losses (no coax) made lots of contacts a reality but most likely it was also operator skill.



W3EDP antenna (Tnx to VE3FI for the graphic)




Contacts were made on all the amateur bands (70cm/2m/6m) along with (10m/12m/15m/17m/20m/30m/40m/80m) in SSB and Digital (PSK31) using a NUE
Modem.








Back then I was not really a CW operator (and that remains true today) so
all of my 30m contacts were PSK31 only and the original 817 did not have
60m so no contacts were made on that band.




Given the fact that the family budget could not really afford new toys at
the time. Old toys had to be sold so new toys could be acquired so. both
the Flex and then the 817 left me so newer and shinier toys could come into
the shack to be sold later.




Now that I am fairly secure in the hobby. and not wanting to get rid of
the FT950 at home or the FT450at that will be going into the new (to us) VA3QV/m (once we decide on what to get).




I have the hope that a gently abused FT817 might find its way into my
shack again if I can find one at a good price (or trade deal.)




I do have the portable station from the camper (FT450, 25amp power supply
and LDG Auto Tuner) and its a great cottage/camper station and its
currently surplus to my needs that is gathering dust so you never know.



Image credit : NASA/SDO




This is also the weekend for the CQ WW SSB contest. For those of you who
dare to brave the Solar Storm predicted.




Good luck in the contest



73bob

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