ya mite try some of the nets for fills, like the century club ( on several bands, ssb and cw and rtty too I think or at least PSK31) and the HHH net on 40 meters. Jump in and say hi for a couple nites, they are all nice folks..

For around $300 you can pick up a nice used ham radio like a Icom 730 or 720 or a yaesu FT-840 and such. These will be all solid state, not tubes to tune, and you can unplug the mike and use them as a good Ham band reciever, , most recieve from 1.8 to 30 MHZ all the way across and only TX in the ham bands.  

This way if or when you get your tech with code, or your general you are ready with a rig and not a now unusable recieve only radio.  Just my opinion, but that is what I would do.. 73 and good listening.

I guess the government of a country can set what ever standards they choose and visitors must follow them.  This could be a left over from the Viet Nam war, or a personal quirck of the ruler of the country.

We are used to doing what we want in relative freedom here in the majority of the western world, and find personal restriction of our freedoms some what limiting and unusual.  I've lived in lots of places around the world, but choose to live here.  Thank goodness for the democratic system.

73  tom N6AJR

I love my ft-1500 and have used it for a couple years with out a problem. I like the unique mount, and  I usually velcro to my Power supply fixed use, and velcro it into a pocket in the dash for mobile.. good job guys...tom N6AJR

I use HRO Oakland, Ca. and have nothing but praise.  Mach, who is retiring soon and Mark who used to be there and is taking over for Mach is also a good guy.  I have had excellent service, bought tons of gear and never had a problem.  

Thanks for the good service guys.  I even got some stuff from them as door prises for our local radio club.  These folks have mt business., and shipping over night is their norm.  

Thanks for treating me like a customer...  tom N6AJR

Ahhhh  the truth is  like they say in real estate...location, location, location.

I have friends in the concord area (30miles away) and friends in the San Francisco Oakland bay area ( 50 miles and a range of hills) and a friend in Pacifica (70 miles and right on the side of a 800 foot hill looking over the ocean. I live in the area next to Travis AFB.


We will all tune in to a signal, and you would not belive the difference.  The pacifica fellow does better on pacific rim stuff, but so does the concord guy, amd I ma usually 3rd or 4th in S strength.  On U.S. calls, I usually do well an concord #2, Pacifica #3, and SF bay area guys 4th.  If you are talking about east coast , africa, europe etc, the SF guys are usually 3 s units better, then concord, then me , then pacifica, but sometimes the pacifica station recieves the best.

I think some of it is location, and local noise level and structure blocking a specific direction, and some of it is jusy wacky propagation. For instance one nite I was working a guy in Kuwait, and a friend in Kwajalien caled me and I worked them both, not 2 minutes apart, and that is  weird propagation, unless they were both coming over the poles, but it didn't have that echoy sound to it.

My reccommendation is to put up as much antenna as you can and enjoy what you do work  ( do an elmers search on FAN DIPOLE here.) Wire antennas are cheep and effective.. tom N6AJR

good amp but expensive because you are buying the power supply too, I have several large power supplies (50 and 70 amps) so I bought a used als 500 for $300 and use it just fine, It is made for mobile use but works fine as a base unit.  They don't do real good with the ten meter kit installed, ten is really sensitive to even minimal swr, it kicks it off.  

I usually drop the input to 25 or 30 watts on ten meters and get about 300 out.  I find a good honest 300 watts is usually all you need , it gets you out of the noise, so run your rig at 75% out and save a bit ov extra unnecessary power.  73  tom N6AJR  

the apps ar KL-400  or KL-500

 it is a kl-400 or a kl-500 either on.

The only draw back to the 840 is the amp problem.  I found a rf sensing amp and when I key, it turns on , so no problem.

Rm- klv 400 or klv 500 will work, cheep and available on ebay new $250 or so.  Max input is 12 to 20 watts ssb, and autosensing  so you don't need a rly line. pull the case off and move the jumper to pins 1&2

I find new 6lq6's for a lot less than that on Ebay.  Some folks sell them there and guarentee them too.  I think you can also use 6je6 and 6mj6 's also.  I don't remember at the moment but the 3 are interchangable, me thinks.  do a search for them on ebay.

some times on ebay you see the RM amps in the 500 and 400 watts version.  these will work 80 -10 but better on 40 - 10.  open the case it just slides off,  and put the jumper on pins 1&2.  it is that broad banded.  It gives a clean output if you dont over drive it  ( 12 to 20 watts input on ssb  max.  ) these are the red or black amps that look like a face plate and all heat sink.  Not the square boxy type like the klm.  they rf autosense, which is why I use one mobile behind my ft-840.  the 840 won't key an amp , no rly  so I tried one of the black ones ( I think its a klv 500) which puts out 600 watts pep.amd has a 6 position power switch.  they should sell new for around $250 or so.  hope this helps..

I had good luck with the Ameritron 811 and also used cliperton L's.  the tubes for the 811 are much cheaper and easier to find.  I find that usually 300 to 500 watts is pleanty. I very seldom use more.  for 6 meters try to find a good used solid state Mirage amp or similar.  usually 6 meters is ok with 100 watts or so, when it is in , you can work qrp on a wet noodle,  and when its out... 1500watts and a 10 ele beam doesn't help...73  tom N6AJR

I couldent get it to work..