A basic setup for a radio enthusiast

Tech

Hey guys, glad to see you drop in! This blog is devised to help other radio enthusiasts discover the right ways to engage into this highly sustainable pastime. I will talk a bit about my exposure to radio that took off in the early eighties. This was back when the market in the UK went from AM rigs to FM. I’ll be honest – this was the point of no return for me, so I had to quit the hobby and regained interest three decades later. I guess it’s a little something that sticks.

So currently, it’s really a work in progress. I do love checking out forums and learning about other people’s experiences. For my first station, I wanted all the flexibility I could get but without having to invest a fortune in mmwave antenna switches and transceivers. So, after some research, I went for a Kenwood TS-2000. Later on, I also got myself an Icom 7100. This was to cover the bands that the TS-2000 could not. Not only that, but also to use the DStar feature.

Yeah, the setup is pretty basic, though I also have a 25A linear Power Supply that’s plugged in a Hive socket. It helps switch it on and off using the World Wide Web. The Hive socket has a pretty convenient switch that’s on top of the unit making operating it very straightforward.

Also, I managed to open data modes with SignaLink and I do think that noise reducing extension speaker is a great investment for any enthusiast. Yeah, I had to visit site to find out much more about the nuances and peculiarities and it helped me add a few new things. I got the G-1000DXC rotator and interface. It also helped me get the RF earth artificial ground, brand new test gear – AV-601 VSWR and power meter. Oh, and also I got myself the MFJ 269C analyzer.

Soon enough, I got my electric winch, so I installed it and got a x200 2m/70cm co-linear and two, three element co-linear Yagis fitted. These are all mounted to handle Vertical and Horizontal polarization alike. Overall, I ended up with a 17m antenna (above sea level) that suits me just fine.

Anyway, that’s pretty much it. If you’re looking for more details and need some guidance, visit site and get all the info you need there. I mean, it helped me a bunch!