AM PORTABLE 40 M

[LEE BAHR]

I feel the same way, Wilson.  $149 for one frequency at 2.5 watts of AM is 
crazy.  Who would even want to run an AM handheld unless you are one in a 
million guys, anyway?   Why not convert and old CB radio and learn something 
or do as you say, fix up an old novice set-up?  I am also a QRPer and just 
saw a computer defined QRP  CW transceiver kit is now being sold for one 
band at $149.  To run it you need an additional computer and you now can run 
5 watts CW on one band!  Single band or dual band QRP CW transceiver kits 
are being sold at over $200 now.  I say nuts, crazy, you have to be kidding. 
For QRP I have gone back to etching my own boards and building simple 
transmitters or receivers.  You can also buy inexpensive PC boards for 
projects from FAR Circuits.  I am satisfying my needs these days by doing 
the above and  fixing up old Novice type transmitters and receivers.  These 
small QRP radios for $150 to $200 are not in my "buy list" these days.

As a side note, the ARRL is crazy too!  The cost of their publications is 
through the roof.  As a 12 year old kid in the 50s doing baby sitting and 
doing a paper route allowed me to afford buying their publications.  Today I 
am retired, have a nice comfortable living and don't feel I can afford or 
justify buying their books.  It will be a cold day in hell when I pay $50 
for a $10 book.  They have little in them I am interested in, anyway.  (I 
already know how to put on a coax connector or arrange my gear on a table 
top).  You are better off buying old ARRL handbooks from the 40s, 50s, and 
60s.  I spend a lot of money on ham radio but it is not on 2 watt AM one 
frequency rigs or on mostly useless expensive books.

Lee, w0vt

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wilson Lamb" <infomet at EMBARQMAIL.COM>
To: <BOATANCHORS at LISTS.TEMPE.GOV>
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 12:21 PM
Subject: Re: AM PORTABLE 40 M


> What's the point?  Sounds like a useless piece of gear to me.  Use the 
> $149 to buy a Heathkit xcvr that will work the world and talk to your buds 
> with the 2m HTs they already have!
> WL
>.html 

-----------------------------------------------------------
This list is a public service of the City of Tempe, Arizona
-----------------------------------------------------------

Subscription control - http://www.tempe.gov/lists/control.aspx?list=BOATANCHORS
To post - BOATANCHORS at LISTS.TEMPE.GOV
Archives - http://lists.tempe.gov/archives/BOATANCHORS.html