As has already been said, it's illegal to use modified ham radios on ANY other radio service, except MARS, and that requires a MARS license. Modified ham rigs are NOT legal for CAP.

Most of these mods are done by people who THINK they know what they are doing and wind up trashing a perfectly good radio.

If you have a legitimate need for a radio for public service frequencies, buy a used one designed for that service.

If you get on a public service frequency without proper authorization, that emergency better involve immenent loss of human life, and even then that agency may well file charges against you - and in these cases the offenders are usually found guilty.

Leave the radio alone.

You might want to try another brand.

Second Chance is being sued by several federal agencies including the DoJ and the Secret Service as well as a couple of dozen police departments for knowingly selling vests with defective bullet-resistant material.

They WILL stop a sharp stick, though. <g>

Seriously, no one was shooting at you; grounding questions are the number one question on eHam and 15 minutes of looking around and reading will answer virtually every question you have. No real need to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, when there are wheels laying around for the asking.

With all due respect ...

There are well over a hundred threads on this subject already on eHam. Do a search in this forum and the Elmers forum and you'll have all the answers you need on the subject of shack grounding.

And no, you don't have to insulate the ground wire where it goes through the wall.

73,

Lon - N3ZKP
Baltimore, Maryland

<<  I hope you read them quickly because they have been deleted. >>

No they haven't. The replies are in another forum where he also posted this question.

Then I would think you do have a problem with the finals, or maybe the driver circuit.

It's time to put it on someone's repair bench.

Sorry not to be of more help,

73,

Lon - N3ZKP
Baltimore, Maryland

What mode are you using to measure output? You need to use CW or FM, not SSB and not AM.

Are you using a real peak-reading wattmeter? Are you measuring into a 50 ohm dummy load or into an antenna?

Have you made sure the hi/low switch on the chassis (NOT the button on the face) is in the hi position? This is detailed in the manual.

If this switch is in the low position and the front panel button is in the low position also, the readings you have are not far out of line.

Incidentally, I run one of these mobile and another as my portable rig.

Lon

Mark:

<< The Larsen 2M 5/8 wave antenna works like a loaded quarter wave on 6M. >>

Interesting. I'll have to try that on mine.

Lon

There are some 6m/2m/440 antennas. I am unaware of any 6m/2m combos.

From what I have read, 6m performance on the tri-band antennas leaves a lot to be desired. A 6m Ringo Ranger will out perform any of the combo antenna.

Lon

<<Has anyone had experience with all of these models and could give me any thoughts on which might have the best HF receive capabilities? >>

In my opinion, none of them. HF reception with the typical HT antenna is an exercise in futility and frustration. Attach a resonant HF antenna and the front end will overload on just about anything.

If you want to listed to HF, get a radio designed to listen to HF. Even the $99 shortwave portables will run rings around an HF-capable HT.

Lon

I don't have an antenna farm, but I do have a rather nice garden.  It's 120' x 220' and is composed of excellent conductivity "soil" material - corrugated steel.

This is the roof of a two-story office building in the Inner Harbor section of downtown Baltimore.

I have a Butternut HF-6V, a 6m Ringo, a Comet dual band and a few other items of occasional use, all pretty much in the middle of the roof.

73,

Lon - N3ZKP
Baltimore, Maryland

The counterpoise kit is a ring of wires around the base of the antenna. It is (1) vastly overpriced, (2) vastly inferior to a real radial field, (3) better than nothing.

If that's the only option you have and you are committed to a vertical, then you have to decide if it's worth the money.

Just how much room do you have? 30, 25-30 foot ground mounted radials will run rings around the counterpoise and will cost just a few dollars and some time.

Lon

Lots of toroids on the line cord.

Better solution is to throw the touch lamp in the trash and use one with a real switch.

<< He has fiberglass insulation in the walls and ceiling, then that foil bubble wrap stuff fastened over it.

Am I crazy for thinking it might make a decent out of the way ham shack?
>>

You want to make the wall and ceiling your antenna and then sit INSIDE it while you are on the air?

Even if it would work, which I doubt it will, it's a REALLY dumb idea. Try calculating your RF exposure.

hmmm...

No name, no call sign ...

Yes, but using your modified ham HT on marine frequencies is illegal and you could easily lose your amateur license as well as be fined about 50 times what a marine HT costs

Get a proper marine radio and save yourself some grief. They are not that expensive.

73,

Lon - N3ZKP
Baltimore, Maryland