I agree.  I use a DK-3 and an ATAS 120 on the truck , the ATAS 120 is for use while driving down th road as I can tune it with the push of 1 button while still driving. The DK-3 is used for when the truck is parked and I caan look at the meter to tune it. I also use the  DK-3 for 80 meters mobile as the ATAS won't go there.  I use  only the ATAS 120 on the car as it fits in the garage. I don't think I have actually ever seen one of those "stealth" antennas in the flesh.  I say go with what you know.

I agree with the long sit.  I posted a suggestion that most of the "local " awards could be done at thier home venues and perhaps a quick note that So and SO won Such and Such as a brief note at the convention.

 I have been going for probably the last 6 or 8 years and enjoy it a lot.  some years you get folks from 6 or 7 dxpeditions speaking like the one from the tsunami in india or Martti Laine on his radio acarly stuff. always a fun time to be had. It was  nice to see you  in person, Alan.

any thing is better than nothing.  start with this and  see how it does, then improve antennas as you can.

I just run my cables over the top of the rain gutter along with the ground wire and rotor cables.  it works just fine and has been laying up there for 7 or 8 years.  remember that most likely lighting strike wil probably hit a street lamp or power pole first as they are much higher than your roof  tripod.

And you could always use a piece of steel or aluminum from under the drivers side rear corner. weld or bolt it to some of the steel chassis and mount the antenna on the short piece sticking out the side. works well and on the drivers side, it is away from little fingers on the sidewalk and trees are higher in the middle of the road.

no pictures, He just swung by and said HI..  I was surprised.  They did a bang up job at the Visalia DX convention this year.It was at a new, larger venue and was exceptional.  And a good time was had by all !!

I was at the Visalia DX convention this weekend and some  fellow wearing the call sign K0BG showed up at  our dinner table..  Hi Alan, nice to meet you.  tom  N6AJR..

call alpha/ rf concepts and talk with them, they are the experts

no, it only costs more money.

what kind of tune do you mean?  if you are tuning the physical antenna for length etc, I say start with the lower freqs (20 m) and tune up ( 10 meters). for the least interaction.   if you are tuning with a tuner  for a particular frequency, then it does not matter.

first off, for hf, ( especially on the low bands) you can use coax all the way to the antenna.  the better the coax, the lower the losses, so lmr400 or at least rg8 u will work.  build your self a dipole ( or fan dipole)  for starters. This is very cheap.  get some 18 g wire, and stretch it out, and hook on side to the center and one side to the shield.  then try it, and go from there.  A large loop at 30 or 40 feet will also work ( preferably with an autotuner) or there are several verts that are cheap, and they work better with the radials.  contact a local club and see what they use, or just try  different home made  antennas.  have fun.

look up home brew antennas on the net.  as a new tech, you will only have 10 m available for  ssb on hf, and several other bands on cw. so you need a  decent 10 meter antenna. you can make a 10 m dipole ( or inverted v, just drop the ends) with a coax going up the  pole and 2 wires , about 8 feet 4 inches on each side, with on hooked to center conductor and one hooked to shield..  Or get a cheap CB vert and use it ( or shorten it just an couple of inches) or get a hustler 4btv and add radials when you can

http://www.hamcq.com/


hi sierra parts.

put up a decent vert for fm repeater work, then get a 2m/440  beam ( there are several dual band  3 or 5 element beams available cheep) and use these on a small rotor for point to point use.  most folks who do distance work on 2m / 440 mhz they use either ssb or cw. but the beams work good on fm too.

I have had many many amps over the years. everything from sweep tube amps, to clipperton L to alpha 76a's, to ameritron 811's, 811H and als500, als600, als 1200 , IC 2-KL's tl922's and so on. The one I kept and use is an alpha 87a. full automatic operation, self tuning, autoband switch  and solid as a rock.  I got it for $5500 used, and never had a problem in 6 or 8 years I have had it.  Alpha may even have a used one or to in stock.  call alpha first and see what they have.  they are the absolute best I have ever owned.  Nice to look at too. good value for the $$$. great service.