An entry level CW Rig

[kf6vvq]

I am currently a Tech. class license holder. I am studying for my Tech. Plus license. In the mean time I would like to buy a simple, quick and dirty setup for listening to some Morse Code activity. I live in the L.A. county area. If someone could give some advice and point me in the right direction I would appreciate it. God Bless.

Joseph

[K7FE]

Try your local club in Long Beach.
Club (http://www.aralb.org/)

This club runs the station on the Queen Mary, W6RO.

Go to a meeting and ask if someone has a used one for loan or sale. #The club may have a loaner. #Ask about lowband radios on the local repeaters. #Let those hams know your interest. #Do not buy new or high priced used. #Wait until you have more experience and know better what you might want in the way of a radio.

You would enjoy the TRW radio swap meet. #TRW swap meet (http://www.w6trw.com/swapmeet/w6trw_arc_swapmeet.htm)

73,
Terry, K7FE

[kg4llq]

Here's my advise:
1. #Find a good, used of course, HW-8 Heathkit QRP rig. #It will operate on 80, 40, 20 & 15 meters & give you a good feel for basic CW work. #You'll need a 12-13.8 vdc power supply which you could build from a discarded computer. #Go to the ARRL web-site for a discussion on removing & modifying computer power supplies. #I did one & use it exclusively for my HW-8. #Down the road you'll probably want a DSP audio filter because the filter on the HW-8 is less than useful. #For an antenna, make your own 20 meter dipole out of 14 ga speaker wire, plexiglass or pvc insulators, rope and a length of RG-8 or 213 coax. If you buy a portable battery (i.e. from Auto Zone, etc) for about $60 you'll have a fully portable rig.
Your cost for this rig will be about: #$100 to $150 for a decent HW-8, $15 for the antenna material, $25 for the home brew power supply & necessary modifications plus your labor; about $35 for good 213 coax (about 25 ft) with PL-259s and of course $60 for the battery if you want to spring for it. #Idiompress makes the SCAF-1 Audio Filter, which is a kit & will cost you about $90 delivered. # #.............or.............
2. #Buy the Elecraft K-1. #You'll still need a power supply and/or battery, coax & antenna.
Knowing what I know now, I'd spring for the used HW-8 & enjoy!! It's basic but you'll gain a lot of knowledge & get a lot of enjoyment about setting up you own QRP station. #I've worked Iowa, Canada with my HW-8 & only use it once every 3 or 4 weeks!
Go QRP & have fun!!
73, #KEN - KG4LLQ

[n0xas]

A lot of what I'd recommend depends on your budget. If you've got a few hundred bucks to spare, it's hard to go wrong with any of a long list of commonly available used rigs. At the top of my list would be a TS-930S/AT, followed by (in no particular order) FT-757GX-II, TS-430 or 440, IC-718, IC-735, several Ten-Tecs, etc. I've never used a TT or Icom rig, but I'm told they're good. Any of these should be reasonably easy to find in the under-$400 range.

On a little lower budget, look for an HW-8 or Oak Hills OHR-400 (both QRP), maybe a TS-520S or some of the older Heathkit gear (SB-104A, HW-16/HG-10B, etc) if you're OK with tube finals and have someone who can show you how to use them. There are many others in the $200 to $400 range. Of course the older the rig is the more time you're likely to spend twiddling and/or fixing instead of operating, but sometimes that's not all bad.

Even cheaper than that you'll find a ton of monoband, usually QRP rigs. There are also truckloads of older tube and hybrid rigs available cheap, if you know what you're doing and can get them cleaned up, hooked up, tuned up and working right. Of course there's always the HTX-100 that will get you on 10 meters dirt cheap. DON'T get the HTX-10, it lacks CW.

Since you'll just be starting out with HF & CW, I'd recommend something newer rather than older, preferably all solid state. I really love my TS-930SAT because of its fantastic receiver and variable bandwidth tuning, audio filtering, etc. It's a great CW rig. Don't count on your first HF rig being your last; don't be afraid to buy, sell and swap to find the rig that's tright for you. And don't let anyone discourage you from QRP operation -- it's really not tough at all.

Hope this helps.

Like to build? I'd reccommend the elecraft K1. Otherwise, look around for a Heathkit HW-8 or there are scores of used all-mode hf rigs out there.

[K1ZC]

I can fix you up, shoot me an e-mail.

[K4TOR]

An Icom IC-718 is a good starter transceiver. I know several people that are using it, and they are very happy.