Buy pre-made or build 'em yourself...personal choice. I have done both. BUT...(and everyone has a big but)...if you aren't technically capable to build your own, surrender your amateur license and take up stamp collecting or something less technically challenging!
WOW! Really?? How rude!!! This is the attitude that makes people surrender their licenses, not because they are "technically challenged".. But then you can't see that, can you? Great "Elmer" you are... Before making that statement did you consider a blind person? Or one without fingers/hands or even arms??? Seems they should not become Amateur Radio Operators according to you...
@KD8CDG I do belive that all of us "a little bit old school" will cut a break to a blind or handicaped ham fellow. That's not what's it all about. It's about the lack of will to even try to do things yourself. To many not even bother to Google a bit, when there is a problem. Just throw the question out in a forum and await that someone else, that has actually cared to learn something, serve the answer on a silver plate. With a comment like yours, I do belive we have reached roads end in the discussion. I rest my case, and won't comment or answer you more. Have fun on the Zed .. I have to go and do a bit of soldering on my antenna rotator remote control project.
Yes, we know it's your choice but the question was why do you choose to buy them rather than make them since, as @W6MQI put it, it's "as basic as it flippin gets." I assumed you had an answer more responsive than "I chose to..."
Misleading and very disappointing "news" story. I was expecting to see something about that coax clamp holding things in place for soldering connectors that is pictured in the lead post. I do enjoy making up my own cables with the aid of the DXE coax strippers and prep tools which make most of the task a breeze. The only part of the process that is tedious is wrestling stiff Times Microwave coax so that I can solder the four holes in a PL-259 at a proper angle---so when I saw that reddish zig-zag shaped cable clamp pictured I thought "Oh, goody!" Now that would have been a "cable building tool" I could really use; but no, nothing to see here, folks---just another bit of promotional fluff here. I appreciate all that QRZ does and is---and realize they have to make money to keep the site afloat---but in my opinion, it would be best for things like this to have a new section outside of real ham radio news; perhaps a QRZ New Products and Services page for soft advertising such as this, eh? 73, Jeff
Well I knew I'd get at least one reply in disgust. Of course I make exception to anyone with any type disability...and yes, I'm a great Elmer (or at least dozens of hams thought so or they wouldn't have kept coming). SE3X (interesting call LOL) had it right. I'm speaking of the person who somehow missed the essence of ham radio being a hobby where the individual learns by doing rather than not attempting (or asking for help) to do something himself. He's missing out on one of the true passions a ham should have (and be proud of). It's also one of the tenets I always instilled in prospective hams I was helping. Read between the lines. There. Done.
My 2 cents. I think it is beneficial for a new ham to learn how to make cables for many reasons. I think one is crazy to not learn. 1: If something breaks, you can fix it 2: Many of us start off with one antenna and a radio. Soon enough, a new ham might get more than one antenna, an antenna switch, amplifier, and tuner. Throw in dummy loads and SWR meters, you now have plenty of cables needed. 3: Moving stuff around, rearranging your shack. Who wants a 12 foot cable when you only need a 3 foot? 4: Entrance panels. Some do not allow a Pl-259 connector to pass through, some do. I made custom cables for mine. I had to put the connectors on after I ran it through. I can think of others. Just a good skill to have, and not a terribly difficult one to master (for personal use). But, to each their own. Whatever makes them happy in the hobby, and it is their hobby to make of it.
Let's see the progression (I know I've missed some things, but you get the jist of it): REAL hams use spark. These young whipper snappers ain't real hams. REAL hams grow their own. These young whipper snappers ain't real hams. REAL hams use CW. These young whipper snappers ain't real hams. REAL hams use AM. These young whipper snappers ain't real hams. REAL hams don't use computers. These young whipper snappers ain't real hams. REAL hams rest on their laurels and complain about how "These young whipper snappers ain't real hams". If I was old school coding, there would be a "GOTO" command back to one of the earlier lines... And so on, and so on, and so on. Variety is what make this hobby nice. Old farts complaining about newbies within earshot of newbies could be the death of it. Hmm. Old farts complaining, period, could be the death of the hobby. I know it's turned off a lot of the people I welcomed on my repeater when they were run off of other repeaters by old farts. I felt bad that they were hesitant to "ham" just because of some old farts. Have I used the term enough? If you want to save the hobby for yourself, don't kill it with a holier-than-thou attitude. -Just my two cents worth. Just as much value as your two cents worth... ;-)
You might consider "walking the talk". If all new hams have the attitude you demonstrated with that laundry list, it might not be worth saving.
This is very serious stuff for 11 meter users. SWRs are priceless, If you want good meter swing. I like to support DXE so the Hot Rods keep smoking.
Tnx. I used bulkhead adapters (similar to Amphenol pn 83-1F) thru the brackets (carved from 1/8" aluminum angle), and right-angle adapters (similar to Amphenol pn 83-1AP) where appropriate. The brackets are attached using HD stainless steel worm-drive hose clamps: The band is wider & thicker than others, and the four tabs prevent it from falling apart when tightened. Industrial suppliers such as McMaster-Carr have 'em for a coupla bucks each. To prevent the threads from galling, I first injected anti-seize compound, using a hobby syringe. Connectors are sealed using HD 3/4" heat shrink tubing (3:1 shrink ratio) w/ heat-activated sealant inside. McMaster-Carr has it.
