This is the best video that I have watched thus far regarding an explanation about HF radios! Especially the power considerations (power draw on receive), digital modes and external tuners. I have my technician license. It has been a challenge to understand HF to prepare for the general license exam. The explanations in your video have been very helpful. Keep up the good work!
This is a great video! I’m 66 and I started five years ago. Yes it takes practice. I joined the YL System soon after I bought my first HF radio. Since they have operators all over North America it has taught me the limitations of three different bands. I also hunt POTA and that has taught me a lot about the capabilities of different bands and locations.
Another great video Evan - really appreciate you putting this series together. An excellent eduction for new operators on the HF bands (like me). 73 from KF0RBH in NE.
Thank you! Yeah, I don't really care for a lot of the fluff people add to their videos. If it's for entertainment purposes, sure........but for information, not so much. Thanks for watching. I appreciate it!
Excellent rundown! I was lucky enough to have this come up in search just a few hours after it dropped. I run an FT-857D and MFJ-902B portable tuner. I've had a SignaLink USB for it since it was released and switched to a Digirig Mobile a few days ago. I'm thinking about a 10/11m AM/FM/SSB mobile for the car, but the G90 is also getting rave reviews in just about every video about it. A lot has changed since getting my ticket 30 years ago, so I'd also like to check out Winlink and other technologies. Finally, I also run Meshtastic and even ATAK on the side. Thanks again for such an excellent video. You really did a terrific job getting to and sticking to the point.
Thanks! The 857 is an absolutely fantastic radio. I wish Yaesu would come out with another 100w all band mobile radio. That's the one thing that's missing from pretty much every manufacturer's lineup
Awesome vid, thank you. Another thing to think about in regard to being prepared- if the power is out and the cell towers are down, how will you communicate? I think practicing Parks on the Air is essential.
It would depend on your budget and use case. Evan does a great job explaining this stuff. I wish I had this type of information when I started. If you ask 3 hams the best radio you’ll get 7 answers.
If you're talking sub $100, it won't be an HF radio (aside from a (tr)uSDX kit. There are LOTS of VHF/UHF handhelds that are below that price point though.
Nice radios you have. What about local communications? Local repeater, alternative power supply. Text communications (meshtastic, aprs). Do you have DMR or C4FM repeaters in the area? Here in YO, DMR and C4FM are not very popular, but analog ones are more widespread. 73! Gabriel, YO9IGS
I have piles of HT's for local comms. There are only Analog and C4FM repeaters here, but I have radios that will do everything including D-Star and DMR as well.
@@EvanK2EJTQSL. We have a DR1X on solar power and a mesh for text. For nation wide we cand use 80m band. Our area is prone to earthquakes, that's why we insisted on local communications. I snooped today through 28Mhz, around 14UTC I worked Mexico then the band closed. Maybe we will hear each other on the radio. All the best!
Great video. I have an FT-891, Xiegu G90, and recently got a Xiegu X6100. 891 is my base station and am loving my 6100 for portable. Also love the 6100 for FT8 and am getting into JS8Call. Made lots of FT8 contacts on 4W from Canada to FL to OK. They key is the antenna. I have a TennTennas 49:1 Mini with 67'5" wire. Also have the JPC-12 vertical antenna. The key is the antenna and getting to learn digital.
Agreed, it's ALL about the antenna. A 100w radio on an inefficient antenna with lossy coax won't work as well as a 10w radio with a very efficient antenna for sure.
@@EvanK2EJT Should have mentioned I have a Nelson EFHW for my 891. LOVE IT. Have it in a slopped configuration from 16' up sloping down to 5' and the wire is 50' long and I have made contacts with my 891 from all over the US on 40m and even contacted Slovenia on 80m in the evening. All is working great now, but I do want to raise it up another 8' as I have 2 more 4' military antenna poles.
Thanks for the great and timely video! Field radio qustion - Is there a way to stream the waterfall display to an Android device via bluetooth or wifi?
That's a great question. I do know that Icom has some remote software, but I don't think it works on Android (I run Android as well). If you want something that will receive EVERYTHING and give you a waterfall, panadapter, and the ability to literally listen to whatever you want, get one of these.....and yes, you can plug it right into an Android phone and run SDR software on it: www.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-Blog-RTL2832U-Software-Defined/dp/B0CD745394
I know they're in different categories but I'd love to see a head to head against an IC-705 and a FT-891. Currently studying for my general and I go back and forth on these. I'm sure I'll end up with both. My current plan is to have one of them as bag setups that I can plug in to a vehicle or battery. Thanks for the videos, I'm binging as I type!
Yeah, they'd be very hard to compare. I could do it, but it'd be apples and oranges. I guess which radio you'd choose would boil down to how you want to use it, and what features you require. If you want all of the HF bands and 100w, get the 891. If you want an all band, all mode QRP radio that is insanely good for digital, get the 705. Of course, the correct answer is to get both, but that's very expensive LOL.
Love the work being done here. Thank you. I recently got my "General" license. Have both 599 and the 705. Emergency comm is my top interest. I use mostly Chameleon attentaes. What is the risk of frying the 599 with this type of antenna? What are the signs that you fried it aside from not turning on? Should you keep connection inputs covered when not cabled up?
You just want to make sure you have a good match on your antenna. Either a resonant antenna with low SWR or a tuner to get a good match. You'd know if you cooked something because you'd see no output on the power meter.
@@EvanK2EJT - Thanks again Evan. I learned a lot studying for the ham exams, but watching you explain how the radios work in practice with tips is priceless!
Regarding the G90, one of the overlooked features of this radio is the simplicity of opening up transmit to include CB. Not quite as simple as the x6100, but they have an arrow pointing directly to the resister.
Key to preparedness is practice! It's no good buying a radio then putting it in a box, only digging it out if there's an emergency. The practice will mean you know what bands are typically open at certain times of day & their typical reach. Practice involves manually tuning up an antenna so you don't have to rely on an antenna tuner. Practice means learning to listen through the noise and interference on the air. I hope a lot of unlicenced folk out there use recent events to spur themselves on to get their amateur radio licence and to then put this guys advice into practice. HF should be part of a wider comms strategy, to include mobile/cell phone, CB, 2m/70cm ham, sat phone etc. If there's a natural disaster or mass civil unrest etc, you want to know: - Are your loved ones safe. Can they be reached via radio if mobile/cell coverage is down? Do they know how to operate a radio and where to listen if you're going to be calling out to them and when? - What's the current situation? What is the weather, security situation, water & food availability, power & internet restoration times? You want to be able to listen to broadcasts both domestic & internationally. You also want to be able to find out whats going on, on the ground. Even if it just means listening. That means knowing where to listen! - If needed, summoning help. Can you describe your exact location, using a GPS device or "what3words" app? Do you know the 2m calling channel frequency, the local repeaters and where to call on HF for help if needed?
100% agreed on all points. There's WAY more to it than just turning a radio on, hitting the PTT, and talking. I covered a lot of these things in my first video in the series. I also covered a bunch of VHF/UHF stuff. Now I'm attempting to make HF make sense for people who've never used it, which is easier said than done. Like you said, this all takes practice. The time to figure it out is most definitely *not* when you NEED it. Thanks for the comments, and I appreciate you watching!
Great video - new to this and studying for my ham technical. I have my GMRS license of course. What I find is that in GMRS I have a local team…we have trouble communicating past 6 miles. Then there is ham and that jumps is up to talking to Antarctica … We need something that will get us in the 6-60 mile range. Now I know some sad ham is going to get angry about the question - but just so you know I do not care….at all what you sad hams have to say - zero percent actually. What band and equipment would you recommend we get as a base or mobile to communicate effectively AND regularly AND consistently. We don’t need to talk to Spain we need to talk to the next big city if we need help. 0-60 or 0-100 miles out WITHOUT repeaters.
You'd be looking at HF radios on 40m or possibly 60m during the day, and 80m at night, using NVIS antennas. I'll be covering NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) in my antenna video. Totally doable. The antennas will be *large* though (66' for 40m, and bigger for the lower bands). Edit: Thinking about it, you *could* use a shorter antenna with a 9:1 transformer and an antenna tuner. 41' radiator with a 17' counterpoise would probably get the job done for 40m.
Bottom line what is the "best" radio(s) for a prepper? I've got a General tag and have several Baofeng HT's and a Yaesu 819 ND. I'm pretty much a lurker and rarely transmit I bought these and got a license for preps and information in emergencies.
Man, *best* is a hard question to answer. It really depends on what you want to be able to do, what bands do you want to be able to operate on, where you'll be using the radios (and in what conditions), and what your budget is. Answer those four questions, and I can give you some suggestions.
The lastest Yu-sold FX-4CR is not 80-10m, but 80-6m. I just got one and am still learning its various features. I don't do digital comms as a habit or desire, but plan to try out digi coms with it if only out of curiosity. I love the rig so far! I think a requirement of a good field radio is a power roll back protocol in case of rising SWR during tuning and ops. Not sure the FX-4CR does this. The designer of the TX-500, for its cost/price, should have desired this feature in the first place. For emergency ops, I perceive that regional communications dominate the requirement for a good field radio. Military radios are in the 20/30 watts range due to regional comms use. This suggests to me that the Xiegu G90 is a great candidate for emergency ops, the FX-4CR as a potential backup. Just my opinion. Another very informative video. Thanks and 72/73 de AE5ZX.
I'm not sure if the FX-4CR folds back power or not. I've never checked. The TX-500 definitely does. I've witnessed it. I agree with your assessment though, the G90 is probably the sweet spot for exactly the reasons you described.
@@EvanK2EJT Please don't agree with me!!!! You will only manage to push me further along the road of feeding my "continuing ham radio aquisition" disease. Time now to go online to radioddity to see what kinda deals are currently being offered. 😂😂😂🤣
The 101 classes are still too detailed.....how about making some kind of drop box kit for those that need to hit the ground running. . I live in the country. Its a SH*T condition so all repeaters are down. . I have two sons that live 60 miles out. A daughter that lives 600 miles out. . I think i need a home base station so i can contact all 3 kids. . I think we all may need a mobile truck radio to communicate when in route. . What radio and antenna are we looking at to make this happen??? . 😊
60 miles and 600 miles is going to be HF radio. 60 miles out will require the 40 meter band during the day and the 80 meter band at night. You're talking about 66' for a resonant 40m antenna and about 132' for a resonant 80m antenna. If you went with a non-resonant antenna, a 71' random wire antenna with a 9:1 transformer and a radio with an antenna tuner would get you on both bands. 600 miles would probably be 20 meters during the day and 40 meters at night. Mobile is tricker on HF because you'll have very compromised vertical antennas. They won't be super efficient, and they won't really work in intermediate ranges very well. The other tricky part is this will take practice on both ends to figure out what works when. You'd need to schedule times with each kid and attempt to communicate on various bands and see what works and what doesn't. I know that's not super helpful, and sounds complicated, but HF radio can be fickle, and without trial and error, it's hard to know exactly what's going to work for targeted contacts.
I can see having multiple radios to have different avenues when you dont have access to other frequencies, especially since im still a technician. i have a CB radio, Scanner in my truck, along with a UHF/VHF, and a GMRS transceiver for being mobile.
Yeah, I had that same issue last winter. I had like an S9 noise floor on 30, 40, 60, and 80m, and an S5 on 20 and up. It sucked. Fortunately NYSEG fixed it. I was a thorn in their side until they came and fixed it.
Hello, i am brand new to radio, no license , very little research done, and i have no experience. i have 2 baofeng uv5rs which i will learn on, i have a VGC VR-N76 on the way, a CB on the way and am looking for a low draw base station radio. i am a prepper and will be relying on solar power to power things. i like the G90 but i would like to start with something a little above that, intermediate. i have the money to spend. any recommendations? i want to communicate locally up to 300 miles if possible, i do not care to communicate internationally.
Well, if you're looking for something that won't break the bank and is a fantastic radio, take a look at the Yaesu 891. 100W, small enough to carry around, amazing receiver. The menu structure is a little archaic, and there's no antenna tuner so you'll need to use resonant antennas.........but that'd be my recommendation.
@@EvanK2EJT thank you for the reply. between my question and your answer, another video made me realize that if the grid goes down, my base station radio will be dependent on solar power and a 100W radio can use quite alot. can a 100W radio be adjusted so as not to require full power, both transmitting and receiving, if i am only doing so in short distances?
@@zakkrueck2362 It can. You can turn the power down to 5w on a 100w radio. You do need to keep in mind that the receive current draw will be MUCH higher than a low power radio though. The 891 draws about 1 watt on receive, regardless of power output. Many of the low power radios (10w or there abouts) draw as low as 100 mw on receive.
I am embarrassed to admit I don't know my own radio well enough. But with the app I believe can do digital via blue tooth on my IC-705 and operate it remotely.
Lots depends on the nature of the situation! In world war 2 having a comms radio could get you rolled up as a spy, or could have you engaged as an official listener/interceptor. No doubt your licences have contingency wording that in times of war (ish) some bands will be closed to amateurs to release them to the military.
Of course. If the president invokes the war emergency powers act, only RACES stations may transmit, and only on the frequencies designated, and only for official purposes. No one else, licensed or not, may transmit on any band, in that situation.
You have provided a lot of good information. But you should first discuss the radio prep user case first. For example, a net control station has much higher power demands.
That's true, but this isn't really aimed at those kinds of things. If someone is running net control, they probably A: Already know how to use radio, and B: Have the appropriate equipment to do so. This stuff is aimed at beginners who know absolutely nothing about radio, but are considering it as part of a wider communications toolbox for emergency preparedness. Thanks for your comments, and I appreciate you watching!
The problem with that radio is you can't really do any regional comms. It's either line of sight, or *long* distance. You can't work NVIS on any of those bands.
That is an impressive collection of HF radios you showed there. In studying towards my amateur radio license in Canada, one thing I've gather is that transmit power of your radio is meaningless without a good antenna. As you pointed out a little 5w QRP radio can talk around the globe with the right antenna, right band, time of day, etc. Also consider for SHTF, that the reliability of your HF radio should be a consideration. So don't necessarily go with the cheapest radio, but a good one with a track record of continuous operation. Looking forward to the section on antennas.
100% on all points. It usually comes down to the antenna, and being on the right band for the conditions. I also agree that spending some money and buying a quality radio is a better solution long term. I can understand why people new to the hobby tend to buy less expensive radios to start with though.
You’ve been pumping out great content lately. Definitely a channel that new radio nerds should check out.
Thank you!
This is the best video that I have watched thus far regarding an explanation about HF radios! Especially the power considerations (power draw on receive), digital modes and external tuners. I have my technician license. It has been a challenge to understand HF to prepare for the general license exam. The explanations in your video have been very helpful. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for the feedback! I appreciate it, and I'm glad the video was helpful
This is one of the best beginners' video's for newbies. Keep up the good work.
Thank you!
Very well balanced introduction, no fan boy brand stuff, just very practical information! I look forward to the next installments. Thank you Sir
Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate it! Thank you for watching!
Looking forward to the antenna video. Me and my dad are just getting into this as a hobby. I just passed my technician on Saturday.
Awesome! Welcome! I'm glad you're here.
This is a great video! I’m 66 and I started five years ago. Yes it takes practice. I joined the YL System soon after I bought my first HF radio. Since they have operators all over North America it has taught me the limitations of three different bands. I also hunt POTA and that has taught me a lot about the capabilities of different bands and locations.
Great thorough content. Subscribed.
13 min in and i've already learned a lot. Thank you!!!!
I'm glad you found it informative! Thanks!
Evan, great video. Thanks for breaking down this info. So helpful.
Thanks for watching! I appreciate it!
Another great video Evan - really appreciate you putting this series together. An excellent eduction for new operators on the HF bands (like me). 73 from KF0RBH in NE.
Thank you!
Love your channel man. You get right to the point.
Thank you! Yeah, I don't really care for a lot of the fluff people add to their videos. If it's for entertainment purposes, sure........but for information, not so much. Thanks for watching. I appreciate it!
Excellent lesson. Thanks.
Thanks for the info, Evan. Great video as usual.
Thank you!
Excellent rundown! I was lucky enough to have this come up in search just a few hours after it dropped. I run an FT-857D and MFJ-902B portable tuner. I've had a SignaLink USB for it since it was released and switched to a Digirig Mobile a few days ago. I'm thinking about a 10/11m AM/FM/SSB mobile for the car, but the G90 is also getting rave reviews in just about every video about it. A lot has changed since getting my ticket 30 years ago, so I'd also like to check out Winlink and other technologies. Finally, I also run Meshtastic and even ATAK on the side.
Thanks again for such an excellent video. You really did a terrific job getting to and sticking to the point.
Thanks! The 857 is an absolutely fantastic radio. I wish Yaesu would come out with another 100w all band mobile radio. That's the one thing that's missing from pretty much every manufacturer's lineup
I am new to ham and love these videos!
Thank you! I appreciate it!
I had a CB base station a long time ago. We must have been at the very bottom of the solar cycle then.
thanks for sharing this fantastic video 73 from kb2uew
Thank you!
Awesome vid, thank you. Another thing to think about in regard to being prepared- if the power is out and the cell towers are down, how will you communicate? I think practicing Parks on the Air is essential.
Absolutely. Practice, especially on HF, is the only way you'll really know how any of this works.
Evan came out of the gate like a champion race horse and is taking the amateur radio RUclips community by a mile! Great work Evan! 🤝🏆
Thanks! I appreciate the feedback!
Never thought I would wake up on a Sunday and immediately watch a radio video. I have yet to buy one bc I'm not sure which to get
It would depend on your budget and use case. Evan does a great job explaining this stuff. I wish I had this type of information when I started. If you ask 3 hams the best radio you’ll get 7 answers.
@WaynePatrick probably something under 100 and ham. I haven't got my license yet but I will eventually
There are LOTS of options. If you let me know what your budget is, and what your goals are, I can make some suggestions.
100% lol
If you're talking sub $100, it won't be an HF radio (aside from a (tr)uSDX kit. There are LOTS of VHF/UHF handhelds that are below that price point though.
Nice radios you have. What about local communications? Local repeater, alternative power supply. Text communications (meshtastic, aprs). Do you have DMR or C4FM repeaters in the area? Here in YO, DMR and C4FM are not very popular, but analog ones are more widespread. 73! Gabriel, YO9IGS
I have piles of HT's for local comms. There are only Analog and C4FM repeaters here, but I have radios that will do everything including D-Star and DMR as well.
@@EvanK2EJTQSL. We have a DR1X on solar power and a mesh for text. For nation wide we cand use 80m band. Our area is prone to earthquakes, that's why we insisted on local communications. I snooped today through 28Mhz, around 14UTC I worked Mexico then the band closed. Maybe we will hear each other on the radio. All the best!
@@servicetvlaptopcampina Yeah, 10m was open all over the place yesterday. It's fickle though. This time of year is when it really starts to pick up
Great video. I have an FT-891, Xiegu G90, and recently got a Xiegu X6100. 891 is my base station and am loving my 6100 for portable. Also love the 6100 for FT8 and am getting into JS8Call. Made lots of FT8 contacts on 4W from Canada to FL to OK. They key is the antenna. I have a TennTennas 49:1 Mini with 67'5" wire. Also have the JPC-12 vertical antenna. The key is the antenna and getting to learn digital.
Agreed, it's ALL about the antenna. A 100w radio on an inefficient antenna with lossy coax won't work as well as a 10w radio with a very efficient antenna for sure.
@@EvanK2EJT Should have mentioned I have a Nelson EFHW for my 891. LOVE IT. Have it in a slopped configuration from 16' up sloping down to 5' and the wire is 50' long and I have made contacts with my 891 from all over the US on 40m and even contacted Slovenia on 80m in the evening. All is working great now, but I do want to raise it up another 8' as I have 2 more 4' military antenna poles.
Thanks for the great and timely video! Field radio qustion - Is there a way to stream the waterfall display to an Android device via bluetooth or wifi?
That's a great question. I do know that Icom has some remote software, but I don't think it works on Android (I run Android as well). If you want something that will receive EVERYTHING and give you a waterfall, panadapter, and the ability to literally listen to whatever you want, get one of these.....and yes, you can plug it right into an Android phone and run SDR software on it: www.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-Blog-RTL2832U-Software-Defined/dp/B0CD745394
I know they're in different categories but I'd love to see a head to head against an IC-705 and a FT-891. Currently studying for my general and I go back and forth on these. I'm sure I'll end up with both.
My current plan is to have one of them as bag setups that I can plug in to a vehicle or battery.
Thanks for the videos, I'm binging as I type!
Yeah, they'd be very hard to compare. I could do it, but it'd be apples and oranges. I guess which radio you'd choose would boil down to how you want to use it, and what features you require. If you want all of the HF bands and 100w, get the 891. If you want an all band, all mode QRP radio that is insanely good for digital, get the 705. Of course, the correct answer is to get both, but that's very expensive LOL.
Love the work being done here. Thank you. I recently got my "General" license. Have both 599 and the 705. Emergency comm is my top interest. I use mostly Chameleon attentaes. What is the risk of frying the 599 with this type of antenna? What are the signs that you fried it aside from not turning on? Should you keep connection inputs covered when not cabled up?
You just want to make sure you have a good match on your antenna. Either a resonant antenna with low SWR or a tuner to get a good match. You'd know if you cooked something because you'd see no output on the power meter.
@@EvanK2EJT - Thanks again Evan. I learned a lot studying for the ham exams, but watching you explain how the radios work in practice with tips is priceless!
Regarding the G90, one of the overlooked features of this radio is the simplicity of opening up transmit to include CB. Not quite as simple as the x6100, but they have an arrow pointing directly to the resister.
Yeah, it's actually very easy. Good point!
Good morning!
Key to preparedness is practice! It's no good buying a radio then putting it in a box, only digging it out if there's an emergency. The practice will mean you know what bands are typically open at certain times of day & their typical reach. Practice involves manually tuning up an antenna so you don't have to rely on an antenna tuner. Practice means learning to listen through the noise and interference on the air. I hope a lot of unlicenced folk out there use recent events to spur themselves on to get their amateur radio licence and to then put this guys advice into practice.
HF should be part of a wider comms strategy, to include mobile/cell phone, CB, 2m/70cm ham, sat phone etc. If there's a natural disaster or mass civil unrest etc, you want to know:
- Are your loved ones safe. Can they be reached via radio if mobile/cell coverage is down? Do they know how to operate a radio and where to listen if you're going to be calling out to them and when?
- What's the current situation? What is the weather, security situation, water & food availability, power & internet restoration times? You want to be able to listen to broadcasts both domestic & internationally. You also want to be able to find out whats going on, on the ground. Even if it just means listening. That means knowing where to listen!
- If needed, summoning help. Can you describe your exact location, using a GPS device or "what3words" app? Do you know the 2m calling channel frequency, the local repeaters and where to call on HF for help if needed?
100% agreed on all points. There's WAY more to it than just turning a radio on, hitting the PTT, and talking. I covered a lot of these things in my first video in the series. I also covered a bunch of VHF/UHF stuff. Now I'm attempting to make HF make sense for people who've never used it, which is easier said than done. Like you said, this all takes practice. The time to figure it out is most definitely *not* when you NEED it. Thanks for the comments, and I appreciate you watching!
Great video - new to this and studying for my ham technical. I have my GMRS license of course.
What I find is that in GMRS I have a local team…we have trouble communicating past 6 miles.
Then there is ham and that jumps is up to talking to Antarctica …
We need something that will get us in the 6-60 mile range. Now I know some sad ham is going to get angry about the question - but just so you know I do not care….at all what you sad hams have to say - zero percent actually.
What band and equipment would you recommend we get as a base or mobile to communicate effectively AND regularly AND consistently.
We don’t need to talk to Spain we need to talk to the next big city if we need help. 0-60 or 0-100 miles out WITHOUT repeaters.
You'd be looking at HF radios on 40m or possibly 60m during the day, and 80m at night, using NVIS antennas. I'll be covering NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) in my antenna video. Totally doable. The antennas will be *large* though (66' for 40m, and bigger for the lower bands). Edit: Thinking about it, you *could* use a shorter antenna with a 9:1 transformer and an antenna tuner. 41' radiator with a 17' counterpoise would probably get the job done for 40m.
Bottom line what is the "best" radio(s) for a prepper? I've got a General tag and have several Baofeng HT's and a Yaesu 819 ND. I'm pretty much a lurker and rarely transmit I bought these and got a license for preps and information in emergencies.
Man, *best* is a hard question to answer. It really depends on what you want to be able to do, what bands do you want to be able to operate on, where you'll be using the radios (and in what conditions), and what your budget is. Answer those four questions, and I can give you some suggestions.
Called it 3 times with the radios!
Named them just before you pulled them out
G90
KX3
Tx500
And the G90 is currently sitting in my SOTA/POTA bag
G90 is such a great radio for the money. It really is hard to beat.
Can you show how to make a 40 & 80 meter NVIS dipole with a nanovna & cobra head ?
I'll be going over all sorts of antennas in my antenna video. NVIS will absolutely be included
The lastest Yu-sold FX-4CR is not 80-10m, but 80-6m. I just got one and am still learning its various features. I don't do digital comms as a habit or desire, but plan to try out digi coms with it if only out of curiosity. I love the rig so far!
I think a requirement of a good field radio is a power roll back protocol in case of rising SWR during tuning and ops. Not sure the FX-4CR does this. The designer of the TX-500, for its cost/price, should have desired this feature in the first place.
For emergency ops, I perceive that regional communications dominate the requirement for a good field radio. Military radios are in the 20/30 watts range due to regional comms use. This suggests to me that the Xiegu G90 is a great candidate for emergency ops, the FX-4CR as a potential backup. Just my opinion.
Another very informative video. Thanks and 72/73 de AE5ZX.
BTW, buying amateur transceivers, low power especially, is an incurable disease for me. Reason why I want a Xiegu G90 now. 😊
I'm not sure if the FX-4CR folds back power or not. I've never checked. The TX-500 definitely does. I've witnessed it. I agree with your assessment though, the G90 is probably the sweet spot for exactly the reasons you described.
Absolutely true LOL
@@EvanK2EJT Please don't agree with me!!!! You will only manage to push me further along the road of feeding my "continuing ham radio aquisition" disease. Time now to go online to radioddity to see what kinda deals are currently being offered. 😂😂😂🤣
I have a ft-817 i use to be portable, but in the future i plan on using knock off mountain topper hf radios for cw work.
I've got an 817 sitting right next to me actually. It's a cool little radio for sure!
What’s the software you have up with the globes ? Thanks
That's Hamclock
The 101 classes are still too detailed.....how about making some kind of drop box kit for those that need to hit the ground running.
.
I live in the country.
Its a SH*T condition so all repeaters are down.
.
I have two sons that live 60 miles out.
A daughter that lives 600 miles out.
.
I think i need a home base station so i can contact all 3 kids.
.
I think we all may need a mobile truck radio to communicate when in route.
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What radio and antenna are we looking at to make this happen???
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60 miles and 600 miles is going to be HF radio. 60 miles out will require the 40 meter band during the day and the 80 meter band at night. You're talking about 66' for a resonant 40m antenna and about 132' for a resonant 80m antenna. If you went with a non-resonant antenna, a 71' random wire antenna with a 9:1 transformer and a radio with an antenna tuner would get you on both bands. 600 miles would probably be 20 meters during the day and 40 meters at night. Mobile is tricker on HF because you'll have very compromised vertical antennas. They won't be super efficient, and they won't really work in intermediate ranges very well. The other tricky part is this will take practice on both ends to figure out what works when. You'd need to schedule times with each kid and attempt to communicate on various bands and see what works and what doesn't. I know that's not super helpful, and sounds complicated, but HF radio can be fickle, and without trial and error, it's hard to know exactly what's going to work for targeted contacts.
I can see having multiple radios to have different avenues when you dont have access to other frequencies, especially since im still a technician. i have a CB radio, Scanner in my truck, along with a UHF/VHF, and a GMRS transceiver for being mobile.
Yeah, multiple radios is often the way to go. It gives you more options, and adds redundancy.
A basic rule is if transmit power is four times more, the range doubles.
For line of sight stuff, yes. For HF it's way more complicated than that.....but you could use that as a rough approximation
Hey what is the stand you are using with your IC-705?
That's a Neewer camera stand from Amazon: www.amazon.com/Neewer-Upgraded-Release-Camcorders-Aluminium/dp/B07W2W7N5R/ref=sr_1_21?
Man wish i had your noise floor on my side of town ...lol .. still waiting on nyseg to come replace their leaky isolators
Yeah, I had that same issue last winter. I had like an S9 noise floor on 30, 40, 60, and 80m, and an S5 on 20 and up. It sucked. Fortunately NYSEG fixed it. I was a thorn in their side until they came and fixed it.
What program is on the computer monitor?
That's Hamclock running on an Inovato Quadra: inovato.com/products/quadra-hamclock-bundle-with-mini-keyboard
Hello, i am brand new to radio, no license , very little research done, and i have no experience. i have 2 baofeng uv5rs which i will learn on, i have a VGC VR-N76 on the way, a CB on the way and am looking for a low draw base station radio. i am a prepper and will be relying on solar power to power things. i like the G90 but i would like to start with something a little above that, intermediate. i have the money to spend. any recommendations? i want to communicate locally up to 300 miles if possible, i do not care to communicate internationally.
Well, if you're looking for something that won't break the bank and is a fantastic radio, take a look at the Yaesu 891. 100W, small enough to carry around, amazing receiver. The menu structure is a little archaic, and there's no antenna tuner so you'll need to use resonant antennas.........but that'd be my recommendation.
@@EvanK2EJT thank you for the reply. between my question and your answer, another video made me realize that if the grid goes down, my base station radio will be dependent on solar power and a 100W radio can use quite alot. can a 100W radio be adjusted so as not to require full power, both transmitting and receiving, if i am only doing so in short distances?
@@zakkrueck2362 It can. You can turn the power down to 5w on a 100w radio. You do need to keep in mind that the receive current draw will be MUCH higher than a low power radio though. The 891 draws about 1 watt on receive, regardless of power output. Many of the low power radios (10w or there abouts) draw as low as 100 mw on receive.
I am embarrassed to admit I don't know my own radio well enough. But with the app I believe can do digital via blue tooth on my IC-705 and operate it remotely.
You may be right. I honestly don't know either LOL. I'm 95% CW, so I don't use my radios for a lot else.
Lots depends on the nature of the situation! In world war 2 having a comms radio could get you rolled up as a spy, or could have you engaged as an official listener/interceptor. No doubt your licences have contingency wording that in times of war (ish) some bands will be closed to amateurs to release them to the military.
Of course. If the president invokes the war emergency powers act, only RACES stations may transmit, and only on the frequencies designated, and only for official purposes. No one else, licensed or not, may transmit on any band, in that situation.
You have provided a lot of good information. But you should first discuss the radio prep user case first. For example, a net control station has much higher power demands.
That's true, but this isn't really aimed at those kinds of things. If someone is running net control, they probably A: Already know how to use radio, and B: Have the appropriate equipment to do so. This stuff is aimed at beginners who know absolutely nothing about radio, but are considering it as part of a wider communications toolbox for emergency preparedness. Thanks for your comments, and I appreciate you watching!
The battery pack for that Russian radio is like $600. Add in a few other things for field use and you're easily over $2k. Dang.
Yeah, the battery pack is absolutely NOT worth it. I just run a 3ah Bioenno battery with mine.
For beginners, you might want to explain what an "HF" radio is.
QT60 or QT80 15\12\11\10mb CB style radio 60\80W.
The problem with that radio is you can't really do any regional comms. It's either line of sight, or *long* distance. You can't work NVIS on any of those bands.
Base stations are out of my price range, i do have a mobile transceiver i use as a homebase as well cause im a cheap skate.
Yeah, they can be prohibitively expensive. A mobile rig will absolutely get the job done though!
That is an impressive collection of HF radios you showed there. In studying towards my amateur radio license in Canada, one thing I've gather is that transmit power of your radio is meaningless without a good antenna. As you pointed out a little 5w QRP radio can talk around the globe with the right antenna, right band, time of day, etc. Also consider for SHTF, that the reliability of your HF radio should be a consideration. So don't necessarily go with the cheapest radio, but a good one with a track record of continuous operation. Looking forward to the section on antennas.
100% on all points. It usually comes down to the antenna, and being on the right band for the conditions. I also agree that spending some money and buying a quality radio is a better solution long term. I can understand why people new to the hobby tend to buy less expensive radios to start with though.