The FT-7800R has only one antenna connector that is used for both 144 and 440 MHz so you do NOT need a diplexer or triplexer.

Diplexers and triplexers are normally used when running a multiband antenna (like your V2000) and a rig that has separate antenna connectors for two or more bands. For example, the IC-706 has one antenna connector that is used for 144 and 440 MHz and another connector that is used for HF and 50 MHz. To use this rig with a V2000 you could use a diplexer (something like the Diamond MX-62M) to "split" the antenna on to the two antenna ports on the rig. The MX-62M passes signals from 1.6 MHz to 56 MHz to one of its ports and signals from 140 to 470 MHz to the other port.

Hope that helps.

73, Paul G4IJE.

Nothing is impossible but I think this idea would not be worthwhile. In any case there's not going to be much on 10 metres (the only band that the '718 covers where FM is viable) for several years as we are heading down towards sunspot minimum. By the time 10 metres FM becomes interesting again (2009-2010?) you might have changed rigs. There's plenty of HF radios that include FM as standard.

73, Paul G4IJE.

In any case the designations you mentioned have been replaced by similar but more complex ones. CW was A1 but is now A1A (for "regular" CW) and SSB was A3J but is now J3E. FM was F3 but is now F3F (I think!). Once you start using data modes the new codes get quite complicated with different designations for different modulation methods. Probably easier to stick with "CW" or "SSB"!

73, Paul G4IJE.

No wonder N6AJR has room for so many fan dipoles. CM98AG to CM88AG is about 109 miles!

73, Paul G4IJE.

Just a word of caution, the eTrex Geko 101 doesn't include the Maidenhead option, at least the one supplied in the UK doesn't. It's a shame because it's pretty cheap. Certainly the majority of the Garmin units do include Maidenhead; I have the eTrex "Summit" which does a good job.

73, Paul G4IJE.

Many years ago I used an IC-735 for SSTV running about 80 watts output for up to 3 minutes at a time. I was more concerned for my PSU than the rig which seemd to take it all in it's stride. I guess the 735 would be pretty cheap nowadays.

73, Paul G4IJE.

The preamp adds extra gain to the "front end" of the radio. All modern receivers/tranceivers are very sensitive so it is unlikely you will ever need to switch in the preamp. You just might get some benefit on 10 metres, particularly if using a small antenna. Adding gain will always degrade the strong-handling performance of the receiver, so leaving it on all the time is not a good idea.

The attenuator does just what it says: it attenuates all signals reaching the receiver. On low frequencies you will probably find you have too much receiver gain and your S meter will probably read well above zero even when no signals are being received. Putting in the attenuator will drop the S meter to a sensible level and - more importantly - improve the strong-signal handling of the receiver. This is especially useful on 40 meters with all those strong broadcast stations around.

I hope this helps.

73, Paul G4IJE.

"Rogerbeeps" are quite common for weak-signal work on VHF and UHF in Europe. Some contesters use them although their popularity seems to have waned in recent years. I'm sure there are some simple circuits around.

73, Paul G4IJE.

The above project looks great but if you want a ready-made unit you can buy the MFJ-1925IC.

73, Paul G4IJE.
 

The most obvious difference is the VX-7R can transmit on 50 MHz (6 meters); the VX-6R cannot. If you don't need 6 meters then save some money and get the VX-6R.

73, Paul G4IJE.

should certainly help to CUT through the QRM...

The first thing you will need is an SMA to BNC or SMA to SO-239 adapter, then you can connect your FT-60 to any base-station VHF antenna. You can easily build a dipole or J-pole or you can invest in a ready-made colinear (Diamond, Comet etc) or even a beam (yagi).

One thing to bear in mind is that handheld radios - particularly those with wide frequency coverage - can be overloaded by strong local signals. This is not normally a problem with a "rubber duck" antenna but might be an issue when using a "proper" base station antenna.

Hope this helps. 73, Paul G4IJE.

Have you tried Yaesu UK? You can email them at Service_Dept@yaesu.co.uk

73, Paul G4IJE.

CQ DOG X-RAY....

In the UK all 2 metre repeaters use a -600 KHz split (the user TXes 600 KHz lower than the RX frequency). All repeaters need either a 1750 Hz toneburst or the correct CTCSS tone to open them "from cold". Most also require some speech to stay open to discourage "kerchunking" - if you just key up the TX for a second or so with a 1750 Hz tone the repeater may well come up but only for a few seconds and you wont get a "T" or "K" (courtesy tone) or any ID. I believe a few repeaters don't yet support CTCSS but they are a small minority. The repeater channels start at 145.600/145.000 and go up to 145.7875/145.1875 in 12.5 KHz steps. You should TX with no more than 3 KHz deviation or some repeaters may clip or distort your audio. Check out the UK Repeater Management Committee website for some more info and coverage maps etc:

http://www.coldal.org.uk/channel2.htm

You can also get some 433 MHz (70 cms) info from the same site. I hope this gets you started.

73, Paul G4IJE.