Hams: anyone use HF?

[chris snell]

Does anyone here operate HF?

I bought a Yaesu FT-897D and a Buddipole antenna setup. I set up a 10-meter antenna today in my yard and heard stations from MI, MD, WV, FL, OR, Puerto Rico and Mexico. I was able to briefly communicate with the WV guy but didn't complete the QSO. The antenna position was kind of crappy and mostly surrounded by trees and houses.

I'm going to try to hike with my gear up onto a local peak tomorrow and see what I can hit.

 

[ptschram]

I have a pile of HF gear and a Hustler vertical. I haven't been on the air in a year at least.

My dad is on 75 meters every day. Speaking of which, I really need to get over to his house and restring his antenna for him.

 

[rovercanus]

I have a set up in the trail truck that will do HF but I really haven't messed with it much. I finally have some one I work with that will help me get it set up, the last time I tried I had an operator that could hear me tune up but not my voice. Could simply be mic settings but he really didn't want to help.

 

[chris snell]

I took the radio and buddipole up on top of a local peak on Sunday and made contacts from Canada down to South Florida. It was pretty amazing, for a battery-powered backpack radio.

 

[Ben]

I wanted to put an 817 in my Discovery with a buddipole for backpacking, but to use it for local VHF, I would probably need a little Mirage amp in the Land Rover to reach the repeaters from some areas and that brings the cost up like an 897 -- a little too high for me to be eager about it. VHF is popular with the offroaders around here, quite a bit more than CB. Most of the generals and extras are club guys dxing I guess. I never really got into it. I should have a radio in the Land Rover. I get by with my cell phone for now. Besides, my wife knows how to use the cell phone.

 

[Ballah06]

Was looking at the same exact radio to put in the truck; got side tracked. How do you like it, aside from what is already posted above?

 

[rcshauger]

With grey-line propagation you should be able to get into South America at about 4PM local time, at least down to Central America. 10M is opening up and you should be able to get out on a wet noodle. 73s

 

[chris snell]

I bought the wrong radio. Don't get me wrong, the 897 is awesome, but somehow I had the idea that this was a backpacking radio. It's most definitely not. It's over 8 lbs and that's before the 2-3 lb automatic tuner and a battery. That brings it up to like 12-13 lbs and damn, it gets heavy on a tough climb.

I think I'm going to pick up one of the 817's. I guess I'll use the 897 for a home base station if I ever build one. Fuck. What a waste.

 

[Mike_Rupp]

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/1817.html

Universal is including the super bad ass orange Yaesu urban case if you buy the 817 from them.

 

[chris snell]

I want the Yaesu mug:

But seriously, the 917 is sweet. Still, I'm going to hold off until the Elecraft KX3 comes out because it looks even sweeter.

 

[Mike_Rupp]

I want the Yaesu mug:

I've got one:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marupp/6351613946/" title="Yaesu mug by rupp62, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6216/6351613946_d5814c394c_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" alt="Yaesu mug"></a>

If I had the bag, it would be the super-geek perfecta.

That Elecraft looks nice.