If ya got the money, spend it on what you want. Personally, I am happy going portable with my FT-891 and a 20-meter dipole with the ability to add wire to it to make it a 40/15 meter dipole. (I just use 14 gauge female/male connectors to add to the 20 meter dipole to make it 40/15. I can do this up to 80 meters). Since I never leave home without my antenna analyzer I do not really care about a tuner. I will adjust the dipole once I am at the site. Just add a battery and some snacks. Everything fits in a simple day pack. I would never ever spend 130 bucks for some wire.
heh! Agreed. And options are good. I just hate to see newcomers hoodwinked into thinking that commercially manufactured antennas are The Way to go. An antenna is basically just some metal that conducts electricity and radiates RF. In the case of the product in the OP, it happens to be insulated wire. Whoop-de-do and fancy that! Even at today's escalating copper prices, $130 will still buy a lot of wire - unless you're talking multi-multi-strand, ultra flex weave, super strong kevlar and super slippery teflon coated stuff. I should just admit to having the dinosauric belief that fiddlefarting, though not spelled out verbatim in FCC Part 97 or ARRL publications, is still an integral part of ham radio. Or amateur radio. Or HAM, hAm, or whatever. At least a few of us still fiddlefart around: https://wb3gck.com/tag/antenna/ https://robs-blog.net/category/amateur-radio/construction/antennas/ https://www.qrz.com/db/k2mij "If it's metal, load it up." - Rod Newkirk, W9BRD
What's next? A ground rod "specially designed" for use with a particular rig? Or maybe a chair specially designed for you to sit on while you're operating a particular rig? How about a shirt specially designed for you to wear while operating such-and-such rig? The possibilities are endless....and very, very tiresome.
Yea, copy that. It's a brave ham that can admit to spending that much on a WIRE antenna. Take a look at Tim's website at www.n6cc.com
Once again, I'll posit that the 705 is an excellent TRAVEL radio (I own one for this purpose). It is NOT a great SOTA / hiking radio. Far lighter radios on the market that fill that niche. Also, the 705 auto tuner is far overpriced for a QRP remote tuner. Other options on the market that are more weather resistant and support higher power. Just my 2 cents.
I love my IC-705 and would strongly suggest to pass on the Tuner and just pick up a Sotabeams 40 and 20 meter dipole. Comes with everything you need - ground stakes, feed line, nice carry bag . . . Super portable, easily changed over with alligator clips to be resonant on either band. Works like a champ with the IC-705.
I totally get that. Yup. I'm still a bit miffed that I forgot to bring a set of alligator clips and some wire to a SOTA activation (Reddish Knob in VA) this Spring so I could connect the metal parking lot rail to my KX2 to see if that would load up. It was two separate sections, oriented in a more or less "L" arrangement. The intersection, where the gap was located, was a perfect spot to set up. (not my pic, dunno who this guy is) That's my main interest in radio to be honest, but I've come to realize that is not what many people want out of their hobbies. I came face to face with that in the gun world when I ran into people with no interesting assembling their own AR15 (it's freaking simple). I was like, "why wouldn't you?!?". I read the first blogger and even stole his giftcard insulator idea ('cept I used an expired credit card because it was handy). I bookmarked the 2nd one. Hmm, I just remembered an old rusty barbed wire fence that passes through a section of a local POTA-legal park. Maybe I'll see if it'll load up. Chris
I am not either... 'cuz I am already lugging the 891, tuner, 15ah battery, and 50 ft of rg8x with me...what I'll do for 100 watts and side band! Just bagged 20 SOTA points with it on Saturday...yes, I am bragging. I agree with @W5CJA . I really like my 705, but it functions a lot more like an awesome receiver for me. I have given up on the idea of it being a SOTA rig, never really thought of it as such anyway. I think the cage is a necessity. I feel a lot more secure with it on the radio. I like radio wavz antennas a lot (they are my portable go-to), but if they are monitoring this, can you please design some strain relief for the 20M endfed? I will be soldering up another ring connector for a broken radiator again today. Mindy
My opinion: Yes, it and many similar products are overpriced. And it is possible to homebrew much more efficient wire antennas. BUT, it and products like it are useful for beginners on HF. Remember, many newbies do not have much mentoring, and none of them have the apprenticeship experience that the Novice license provided us old folks. It allows them to get on the air with an antenna that is easy to erect and can work pretty well. The alternative is often discouragement and throwing in the towel. Heck, the things work a whole lot belter than some of the items I tried as a Novice 60 years ago!
Well, single-band QRP radios have been available for more than 20 years from OHR, MFJ, TenTec and Wilderness Radio, also the TT Argo 556 multi-band. I got my first commercial QRP radio in 1971, a TenTec PM3A and it was certainly portable Photo from FD 1971 in Minnesota, WA0VIS at rig. Glenn AE0Q
I forgot about some of the QRP radios from MFJ and the like. Though, if you went into HRO and said you wanted an HF radio for backpacking, you'd be shown a Yaesu 817 or maybe an Icom 703. Also, weren't the OHR and Wilderness Radio examples kits? I'm pretty sure OHR was, but not sure about Wilderness. MJF wasn't a kit, but it might as well been given the work many folks have to put in after the fact. That said, I was talking about *portable* QRP rigs in the class of the 817, KX2/3 etc. You know, rigs that would fit in your backpack or day pack with room to spare. The rig in the pic above is nearly as big dimensionally as my 746Pro (though probably lighter). Granted, anything is portable if you're strong enough... Chris
