before Buying my first HF Radio

[slipknot]

im not buying an icom hf

[orangepeel]

Hi There

I am awaiting my IC-706MkIIG Radio and extras to arrive - this will be my first radio in the amateur side of thing, since getting my licence - i cant wait to get into it

I am very interested in IRLP as well as HF side of things

I was wondering if anyone knows where to get a cheap tuner for the HF side of things - if automatic - would be nice - however if manual - that is fine

I dont want to spend a fortune on my hobby just yet - as other family activities are coming

I will be interested in making my own aerials (especially on the HF side - and maybe a yagi or two) so a tuner would be a valuable assett to the shed !!!

Your help and thoughts would be greatly appreciated

Cheers
OP

[robbage]

If you are into making antennae, have you thought about making your own ATU? There's heaps of information on the web for making manual tuners. When my father and I first got my licence we made two or three simple ones using a couple of those big airgap variable capacitors and a hand wound inductor. They worked quite well for long wires and random dipoles.

[orangepeel]

Great idea

Where can i find out more information on that - since i am only starting out - i would love heaps of information.

Sounds like a good little project to partake in over the summer break - whilst watching the cricket!!!

Any websites would be a great help - pm them if you would like to - or post them for others to have a look at.

Cheers and thanks for your input

[robbage]

Here's one http://home.comcast.net/~msed01/tuner1.html
Here's a QRP (low power) one http://www.antennex.com/hws/ws0500/pinet.htm
Another here without pics!? http://www.radiohc.org/Distributions/Dx ... tuner1.htm


Also, if you can get hold of an ARRL handbook...

[Blinky]

Here's one http://home.comcast.net/~msed01/tuner1.html
Here's a QRP (low power) one http://www.antennex.com/hws/ws0500/pinet.htm
Another here without pics!? http://www.radiohc.org/Distributions/Dx ... tuner1.htm


Also, if you can get hold of an ARRL handbook...

The second and third in this list are similar to my first ATU I built. The only difference is I did not use a multi switch but had one wire with a crocodile clip and I used the same winding wire soldered to the top of the coils and left sticking up about 25mm and scraped of enamel so the clip could clip onto the copper. Then to change the inductance the clip was moved from tap to tap. It was left on a piece of wood and fed with a random length of wire. Heaps of RF in the shack but it worked and allowed me to get on 80m. Oh them were the days.

The hardest part would be getting a suitable capacitor nowadays. Not so common as they use to be. In those days you could buy a air spaced capacitor from Tricky Dicky....remember way back when they actually sold stuff that was not a toy.

[/memories]

[robbage]

The hardest part would be getting a suitable capacitor nowadays. Not so common as they use to be.

Yeah. Somebody mentioned to me that RS might still have them but I'm pretty sure they don't. There are some projects online to make your own butterfly caps. It looks pretty involved.

In those days you could buy a air spaced capacitor from Tricky Dicky....remember way back when they actually sold stuff that was not a toy.

I see there are a couple more Jaycar shops and they have actual components. Probably not the caps though.

[VK6ZMS]

Hi There

I am awaiting my IC-706MkIIG Radio and extras to arrive - this will be my first radio in the amateur side of thing, since getting my licence - i cant wait to get into it

I am very interested in IRLP as well as HF side of things

I was wondering if anyone knows where to get a cheap tuner for the HF side of things - if automatic - would be nice - however if manual - that is fine

LDG make nice auto tuners
http://www.strictlyham.com.au/LDG/Autot ... T-7000.htm
I use the one for the FT 857 and am very impressed with it.