Great helpful responses. I am going with N connectors and adapters to SO 239. I now realize there are a variety of N connectors that are right for LDF4-50. I am assuming any of them will work and that I need to buy the andrews "tool" to get the right result.

Thanks much guys!
Bob
K7VO

I recently acquired some Andrews LDF4-50, half inch hard line. I cannot find anything but DIN or N type connectors on the Andrews website. UHF (PL 259) must be available or do I need to get an adapter from N type to PL 259? Any advise on my first venture into hardline? Do you have any of these male connectors?
Bob
Olympia, WA
K7VO

I am on a highbank saltwater front property that currently has a 5 element 20 meter beam at 60 feet at the edge of the saltwater.  The highbank is 95 feet high. Trees at edge of bank provide spots for my KT 34 to be placed at 85 feet, back from the 5 el and tower on the bulkhead. Another choice is to place a 2 element multiband (40,20,37,25,10) on another tree at the 95 foot above the house and 185 feet above saltwater. High enough? Get the picture and choices?

So, do I do all three and have fun or go for the KT 34 at 85 feet and "stack" and phase them to get a bit of diversity and a bit of gain. Or, do I go for 3.5 Dbd of gain at 185 feet to add gain and diversity of received angle to the 5 element monobander on 20?

What are the stacking and phasing considerations? what would I need to make them play well together? The main challenge would be phasing, since they are not really "stacked", just proximate.

thanks for input. I am considering the Canadian made B245 for my 2 element at 185 feet.
Bob
K7VO Olympia,WA

I am looking for about 5 or 6 12 foot three inch diameter sections with at least 0.125 wall. Anyone have some laying around? Anything close. Outlets for boom and element material other than retail.
Bob
Olympia, WA

Over the past several years I have developed a lot of respect for Steve, WB2WIK, and Lon, W3LK, based on their posts on eHam.

The ranting and raving here is not very effective.  This thread is now an excellent endorsement of Vertex-Standard and Yaesu products.  The only person complaining comes across as a lunatic.  Would this thread dissuade me from buying a Yaesu product?  Heck no.

BTW, I've owned Yaesu gear for 21+ years now.  I've never had to send anything back for repair... yet.  When I did call for parts for very old radios I was pleasantly surprised to find Yaesu had stock.  I found their customer service excellent and they charged by credit card in an entirely appropriate way.

73,
Caity
K7VO

P.S.:  Learn the code.  There is nothing hard about it.

The FT-817ND is a great choice for what you want to do.  I wouldn't want a CW-only rig.  Sometimes it's nice to check in on a local repeater on 2m or 70cm.  Sometimes it's nice to catch a 6m band opening. Sometimes SSB can work just fine at 5W on a wide open band.  17m and 15m when open are especially good for that.  I like CW to be just one of my options, not my only option.

I will join in the chorus recommending the Palm products, either their paddles or, if you like a straight key, their PPK is really, really nice.  For an antenna tuner the Elecraft T1 is the best out there for size and weight.  If you prefer a manual tuner then I'd spend the extra to go with a Mizuho KX-S9 Sky Coupler.  It is smaller and much more solidly built than the MFJ 971 and will tune things the MFJ will have problems with.  The KX-S9 also covers 6m and the MFJ does not.  Yes, the price (aorund $179) will take your breath away but these things are built like little tanks.  The Mizuho tuners can be purchased new from Waters & Stanton in the U.K. at http://www.wsplc.com  I've ordered from them, given a credit card number, and had my product just a few days later.

Assuming you are thinking hotel room portable for at least some of the time I'd carry two antennas:  a length of wire thrown out a high floor hotel room window with a tuner will work better than an ATAS-25.  Some hotels, though, have windows that don't open and very little space to run wire.  If you'll be traveling internationally and using a CEPT reciprocal license remember that some European hotel rooms in major cities are truly tiny despite being expensive and well rated.  One hotel with a wonderful location in Paris immediately comes to mind  Anyway, for those situations an ATAS-25 isn't a bad choice at all.  There are times you really do need to compromise.  At least the ATAS-25 is sure to get you into local repeaters better than the little whip provided with the FT-817.

Good luck, whatever you choose.  QRP/portable can be a blast.

72/73,
Caity
K7VO

I disagree with the idea of selling the FT-817ND and replacing it with an FT-857D.  You lose the portability and low power consumption when you want it.

Tokyo Hy-Power makes an outstanding amp for the FT-817, the HL-100BDX.  It is not heavier than an FT-857D, is designed for the ham market and is clean, and it will give you >100W on 80m-6m.

Talk to some of the people on the Tokyo Hy-Power reflector who have bought these.  See:  http://groups.yahoo.com/tokyohypower

As for the legality of importing these amps please see this post from early 2001 where members of the FT-817 reflector queried the FCC: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FT817/message/1747

Here is the relevant part:

"I have now had FCC Rules 97.315 and 97.317 clarified by the FCC. The following summarizes what I was told.

97.315 (b) preamble is really addressing manufacturers rather than hams. Exceptions are provided in 97.315 (b)(1)-(5). The interpretation is that we (hams) may use or operate uncertified external RF amplifiers as defined in this section. We may also build them ourselves except from a kit. It is noted that 97.317 does not apply in this case and 97.315 stands separately.

The matter of THP amplifiers can be stated as (i) THP can not legally import to the USA since the little amps can not pass 97.317, (ii) Customs can confiscate them, and (iii) hams CAN use them if they can get them. Once in the "amateur system," 97.315 (b)(4)&(5) apply and allow legal sale between dealers and hams. It is of course the amateur's responsibility to be sure the amp meets the emission requirements.

[...]

Bottom line is that if you can acquire a THP or like amp, you can use it. The rules are to control (primarily) manufacturers, not hams it turns out. Good news for those wanting more power."

I am not aware of anyone who has had even the slightest problem importing from THP.

The official Tokyo Hy-Power website is at:  http://www.thp.co.jp/thp%20hp%20Eng/amateur_eng/hf_eng.htm

Most hams who import THP amps are now reporting delivery in 3-4 days.  The HL-100BDX is absolutely the best solution for you.

73,
Caity
K7VO

I use a Diamond K-400 trunk lip/hatchback mount and did when I drove an SUV (Ford Escape).  No getting around the antenna being roof-high.  The nice thing about the Diamond antennas is that they do fold over very nicely.

There are only five repeater channels on 10m.  You never worry about local repeaters.  The idea is to work distant ones.  Don't write off 10m FM.

73,
Caity
K7VO

Yaesu, Icom, and Kenwood have all sent buggy products to market.  So has Ten Tec, for that matter.  Dave, I wouldn't be an early adopter of any new radio.  I've been burned before.

73,
Caity
K7VO

Hi,

I'm a huge fan of Tokyo Hy-Power products.  Buying from them is like buying from Ten Tec:  exellent customer support and they back their products years and years after other manufacturers turn their backs.  The HL-1.5K *IS* FCC certificated.  My understanding is that factory authorized service in the U.S. is available in California though an e-mail to THP is probably in order to confirm that is still true.

THP is in the process of re-entering the U.S. market, hence the push for certification of their products.  I wouldn't worry overly much about the availabilty of service or, in the future, dealers.

I should point out in all fairness that I own own their small amps and transceivers, not a 1KW amp.

73,
Caity
K7VO

Among FM-only mobile rigs the Yaesu FT-8900 offers the most for the money, period.  You'll scan 6m and 10m FM (not just local frequencies) in your 800 memories and when the band is open you'll talk to someone halfway across the country through a repeater or on simplex while driving to the market.  Great fun!  I'm using a Maldol HMC-6S so that I can also use an HF rig now and again modile.  If I was doing just the FT-8900 I'd probably be using a Diamond CR-8900A.  I've had great experience with Diamond's mobile antennas, particularly the C-224A (2m/222) and CR-320A (2m/222/440).  They're durable and perform exceedingly well.  A repeater tied to Echolink does away with that problem with cliques Alan was referring to.

Having said that if you truly need the frequency range you listed you probably are best off with an FT-857D.

73,
Caity
K7VO/9

Hi,

You don't need to spend a lot of money to get into HF DX.  With a decent antenna a 10W radio will do just fine.  The 10dB (~2 S-units) offered by a 100W radio can be more than compensated for by improving your antenna.  I started with a 10W radio and have never been impressed by more power.  More antenna, OTOH, can give me more ERP (effective radiated power) than a 100W station with a less than brilliant antenna.  Bottom line:  with a 10W rig and a Cushcraft R-4 vertical I am working the world on a regular basis.  Do I bust pileups?  Heck, no!  Well... not often, and I rarely try.  Do I work people in interesting parts of the world?  Yep.

The best bands for DX right now are 20 and 17 (SSB) and 40, 30, 20, and 17 (CW/digital).  A new Icom IC-703Plus HF/6m rig is under $600 and includes a built-in autotuner.  It has a far superior receiver to it's big brother, the IC-706MkII, thanks to a pretty much complete redesign and superior filtering.  A small 4.5A power supply is all you need to run it.  Used HF rigs, good ones, that run 100W, 50W, or 10W, can be had in the $200-$300 range.  A big budget is certainly not required.

Between 6m and 10m at the bottom of the cycle (where we are now) you'll find that 6m is open more than 10m since it's more prone to sporadic E.  However, DX happens very irregularly and while it doesn't require a lot of power a good antenna (read beam, as high as possible) is a must.  The occasional low power or modest antenna DX CW QSO is possible and I've done it on multihop Es, but it's really something you might get a chance to do once or twice a year at most.  An F-layer (international DX) opening is still far more likely on 10m.  Most 6m enthusiasts a very happy to work halfway across the country at this point in the cycle.  We're years away from worldwide openings worked with peanut whistle stations.

Most monoband 10m rigs are warmed over CBs.  Quality of rigs by Ranger and MFJ, the folks who stil make monoband 6m SSB/CW rigs, is questionable at best.  For the same money you can get a good used HF rig and have far better results.

73,
Caity
K7VO

Of those two I personally prefer the FT-857D.  It's newer technology, I find the menus more intuitive, and it's smaller and a bit lighter weight.  Both radios are just mediocre performers due to a high receiver noise floor, OK for casual operation but not much beyond that.  The IC-706MkIIG is quite prone to front end overload when used on a big antenna (read: HF beam) while the FT-857D stands up in that circumstance just a bit better.  I think the Collins mechanical filters available for the FT-857D are also better than the Icom FL-100/FL-101 CW filters.  Icom moved away from the FL-100/FL-101 in the IC-703 and it made a huge difference in performance.  The FT-857D costs a whole lot less as well.

73,
Caity
K7VO

The Par OA-50 is omnidirectiomal.  Unless you intend to use a rotor and have enough space to turn the antenna within your attic then you want an omni loop and the Par OA-50 is a very good one.  

Another excellent choice is the square loop by KU4AB which I use.  It's $59 and comes ready to go.  It's built from solid rod and is quite durable.  In the last VHF contest my KU4AB SQ-50 whcih was only up 20' at the time netted me 131 QSOs in 65 grids.   Band conditions were very good, of course.

73,
Caity
K7VO/9

I'm another longtime original FT-817 user who has had zero problems.  I agree with Steve, WB2WIK/6, whom Alan, K0BG has accurately paraphrased.  I also agree with Alexandra, NS6Y, that the Elecraft T-1 is the best autotuner for the FT-817.  

Since you're in the U.K. if you want a manual tuner give Waters & Stanton a call and pick up a Mizuho KX-S9 Sky Coupler.  I have the KX-QRP (previous model) which W&S also still carries.  The KX-S9 is 6m capable (the KX-QRP is not) and has a tuning indicator that the KX-QRP lacks.  The difference in price is very small.  These tuners were designed specifically with the FT-817 in mind and are built like little tanks.  In the U.K. they cost little more than an MFJ-971 and are of much better quality.

I, personally, prefer the Mizuho tuners to anything else I've tried with the FT-817.

72/73,
Caity
K7VO/9