Over the last few years I've done business with DXE, Baluns, 43' Vertical, Patch cables and more. Excellent products, great customer service, you really do get what you pay for. For example, DXE's stainless steel harware, the good stainless, patch cables.. terminated correctly with Silver and Teflon connectors. Swept here in the shack, come up with a perfect reading as to loss or high reactance at the f/o. Most Ham shacks I visit would be way better off using cable terminated by DXE to eliminate poor braid contact, a very common problem. Poor connections mean RF is floating all over the place on transmit and man made noise is entering the cable during receive. Spend a few extra bucks at DXE you will be glad you did !

As much as we'd like to see you stay in hobby and be a part of the Ham community, you have to remember what you get out of anything in life is what you put into it. Ham radio is not for everyone..but there are many facets to this hobby that don't require you to belong to a club, group or support a repeater. May I suggest you try PSK-31 on HF for instance ?
You don't need a kilowatt or an expensive antenna system, just your rig, laptop with a free PSK soundcard program, an interface between the two units like a "Rig Blaster" and your on. Unfamliar with this mode, then Google PSK-31, you'll find a lot of help there.
I'm 40 years in the hobby, not everyone I've met has been welcomed me with open arms either, I just move on. On the other hand I have friends made over 30 years ago through Ham radio that continue to this day !

73/de K2JX

I think there are way too many Hamfests in a concentrated area like the NYC suburbs. During the Hamfest season there's one every weekend geographically separated by 20 miles or less. The suggestion has been made several times to combine all these local Hamfests into a "mini Dayton" say twice a year in the Spring & Fall.

That would result in larger crowds and hopefully better items for sale both old and new. Also that may attract those sorely needed vendors of new equipment
Just my 2c !
de K2JX

Hi Larry,

You might check out QTH.com on the 'net. Scott has a great web site that offers free classified Ham ads.
You can search the listings for used equipment. Try searching for another NC-303 receiver. If one is listed you can pretty much tell what yours might be worth depending on it's condition. If you sell your receiver on QTH.com, please make a donation to Scott so he can keep this site "free".

GL, Jack K2JX

Hello Frank,

I have been operating mobile HF about 6 years.
Using Hamsticks "tuned " with an MFJ 945E tuner as suggested by a previous post works well. I am using that set-up with a Kenwood TS-50 xcvr and have worked DX and Conus without any problems. My favorite QSO's are mobile to mobile across the "pond".
 Follow the usual good engineering practices when installing your rigs and antennas.
 Just a tip, 10,12,17, meters seem to be the best for Hamsticks. 40 and 80 meters are not the best bands to operate with a Hamstick due to high radiation loss. On occasion I do work those bands with some success. 17 meters is my band of "choice ". There seems to be a lot of mobile Hf'ers there.

My antenna is mounted on the bed rail of my 2003 Siverado pickup. Do not use a spring mount it will de- tune the antenna as it bends in the wind. My present HF set-up was previously installed in a 1992 Ford and a 1999 GMC pickup with equally good results.

73, Jack K2JX