VK3MRG   Amateur Radio
  • Blog
  • About
  • Equipment

A Top Range HT for SOTA or a $600 Hand Warmer?

22/7/2014

2 Comments

 
I love having a hand-held radio with me whenever I go cycling, hiking, camping or SOTA activating. I often carry one when strolling around on weekends. I like to carry one around major public events, using it like a scanner to listen behind the scenes. Like a classic RF geek, I have listened to race crews communicating with their drivers during the F1 Grand Prix and spoken with other amateurs for hours in Bass Straight whilst maritime mobile. I've communicated with people while flying in light aircraft and used satellites and IRLP to talk around the world from relatively remote places. All of this from a little radio that fits in the palm of my hand. Simply remarkable. Although an HT is not the answer for everything, I'm still amazed at what can be done with a cheap radio that can be clipped on my belt or hidden in a pocket. Next to my FT-817ND, for portability and maximum usefulness when out and about, there is no doubt a half decent HT is the next best thing.

I have been considering the purchase of a high-end brand name hand-held transceiver for a while. I think some of the additional features available on some more expensive models could be very useful for my SOTA activations and regular wanderings into remote areas. But is the substantial additional cost of these rigs versus the brilliant value from some of the Chinese HT offerings worth it? Maybe, but we need to assess our use and needs and play with some of these radios to see if the value is really there.

I'm no stranger to dual-band hand-helds. The first one I owned was a Wouxun KG-UVD1P. This unit was a fantastic first radio. I treated it with no respect whatsoever. It was dropped, scratched, booted about, left outside in the rain and thrown around for over 4 years without much love. It continued to work reliably even when the display would fog up with condensation in extreme weather and I couldn't see what frequency I was using. Other than a breaking the original antenna, nothing stopped working other than the built-in LED torch. After years of torture the display finally died before my eyes when using it on a SOTA activation. I still have this radio and it is still usable without the display. I have all VK3 and VK7 repeaters programmed into the memory and can simply put it in scan mode until it finds a repeater. The female voice option still tells me what channel I'm on an her strong Asian accent. She now lives as a spare in the car just in case. I reckon that the original purchase price of about $130 was a steal and this unit has served me extremely well.

I also own a Baofeng UV5R purchased online from Hong Kong for under 50 bucks. An amazingly small price and a worthy contender against my first Wouxun. With a higher capacity battery and a solid feel, it is almost the perfect throw-away HT, however two major things let this radio down. The stock antenna as supplied isn't the best performer. The receiver also suffers from a lack of selectivity. The squelch opens and it frequently farts, pops and comes to life with interference from various unwanted sources, even in some remote areas where such noise would not be expected. On the positive side, it's tiny size and reasonable TX and RX audio quality are very good.

When the display on my original Wouxun died, I considered much pricier radios to replace it such as the Yaesu VX-8R and the Kenwood TH-D72A, but I'm glad I held back. After much deliberation and wanting to stay on the right side of my wife who fails to understand why I need such an expensive HT, I purchased another Wouxun, a KG-UV6D this time. Accessories such as the speaker mic and the batteries from the other one were interchangeable (but not the antenna as the SMA connector is reversed).

The KG-UV6D seems to work marginally better overall on both 2 metres and 70 cms than the other two units. It also has a higher IP rating to better resist moisture. Up to 200 memories can also be programmed rather than 128 memories of the others. Apart from cosmetic appearances, these three radios are all fairly similar in use and practicality. Should I lose or destroy any of these radios while out in the wild, I wouldn't be too upset for the money spent. It makes around $600 for a dream HT from one of the big brands look extravagant, regardless of the extra bells and whistles. Bang for buck from these Chinese radios are excellent and they all deliver the features I expect of a amateur HT with DTMF, dual watch, broadcast FM reception, wide band receive capabilities and more. The keys on all models are illuminated well and are easy to navigate. I can read the displays on all on all three without my glasses. The nice bright LED torch function is a useful additional feature on all three models, however it is a shit that these nice bright LED torch lights all died within the first month or so of ownership. Fortunately their primary function as reliable communication devices has never been an issue.

A while back I put these radios up against a Yaesu FT-60 and the results were surprising. Did the FT-60 perform twice as well as the others, considering it's price? Unfortunately not. The basic features, huge memory capacity and solid build were there but it on RX performance it was deaf outside the amateur bands. Whilst we could hear police, SES and CFA on both Wouxuns and the Baofeng, the FT-60 struggled. It also lacked the battery capacity and ability to receive broadcast FM, a nice feature to have if you want to tune to the latest news, weather reports, listen to Triple J or ABC FM on the way down from that SOTA summit.. Other than that, it was on par with the others but not worth the extra cost, especially if I wanted to buy any accessories at four times the price of of the others.

More recently I've been playing around with an Icom IC-91AD, kindly on loan from a member of my local radio club, the EMDRC. It has some features that I desire in the perfect HT. An exceptionally wide RX coverage from 0.495–999.990 Mhz. D-star capability is the major capability and selling point of this radio. As a D-star device it works as expected, apart from the quirky menu and initial programming and setup. I was disappointed with the display and the dim illumination of the keypad – all hard to read compared to most other hand-held radios I've played with. Maximum RX volume in D-star mode is quite low.  I appreciate a bit more punch from the speaker in some situations. It has a solid cast aluminium body and looks and feels the part for a high-end amateur HT but has little more to convince me of spending around $600 to own the current equivalent model, the IC-92AD, which is similar in most respects.

If D-star is your thing, fair enough. I have found the hype about D-star doesn't really meet my needs or expectations. That's not to say that I haven't found it interesting to play around and explore the possibilities of the mode. I find it thwarted by latency and dropouts, garbled and robotic sounding voices from time to time and barely worth the additional expense. There are current concerns here in Melbourne for the long term survival of the major D-star repeater and gateway. This is a worry for anyone considering the purchase of a D-star capable radio for the future. Sure, the ability to talk to others around the world is a bonus. But then again worldwide contacts via IRLP and Echolink are easily accessible through more repeaters on most handies at a fraction of the price and without any prior configuration by simply using the DTMF codes from the keypad. In my introduction to D-star, the mode seems to be quirky and awkward to configure in some radios. It is strange that I have spoken with more people using dongles plugged into their computers rather than a radio on D-star, possibly because the Internet is more reliable and has greater range than the local D-star repeater. Go figure?!!

The Icom IC-91AD has another unintended advantage in the snow or extreme cold. It is a wonderful hand warmer. It would be great on those higher SOTA peaks in mid-winter. Compared to most other handholds it gets very hot – almost too hot to hold comfortably if blathering away on long overs. RX also suffers terribly from intermodulation and interference on 2 meters – far worse than even the Baofeng at a tenth of the cost. On the upside, It is a strong and capable transmitter with good reports on audio quality and modulation in both FM and D-star modes.

Would I buy one?  No!   I expect a much better user experience and features for that sort of money. APRS and GPS capability built in to the radio would be a start. Some higher priced brand name handholds have these capabilities but often need an expensive plugin accessory to be fully functional. My ideal radio would need the highest available IP rating (submersible) as well as wide-band RX. These would be my minimum requirements for a high-end HT. My requirements therefore rule out several currently available high end models.

These additional features and their usefulness is limited by the type of radio a HT is. A HT is designed for use on the move, not just for when you've arrived at your destination or operating spot. In terms of coming close to broad band receive capabilities, put a Yaesu FT-817 or an Elecraft KX-3 with a few metres of wire for an antenna against any HT and the HT will fall a long way short. Most hand-helds lack sensitivity and cannot resolve SSB signals. Many lack an internal bar antenna for improved reception of the AM broadcast band. Like many compact 'do it all' devices, certain features like GPS will do the job but may disappoint in degree of usefulness when compared to a dedicated device like a Garmin or even a smartphone that can render your route, waypoints and current position on a map.

The GPS units on some HT radios lack sensitivity or can be awkward and expensive in use, with an additional external unit that attaches to the radio. APRS coverage is by no means guaranteed everywhere, nor can it be relied upon any more than your mobile phone might work as intended in a remote area. D-star or any digital mode of transmission will only work when in range of someone else with the same capability or a repeater capable of the same mode. Using these extra features will chew through your battery much faster than a radio without these fancy bells and whistles.  

Out of the latest HT radios on the market, I'm most interested in the newest offering from Yaesu, the FT-1DR. From my research it seems to have everything I desire of such a radio. It costs around the same as all the other top range units from other manufacturers and packs APRS, GPS, wide-band RX and can stand the adverse weather and moisture well. The new digital mode may not yet have the following of D-star or be compatible with DMR or P25 digital protocols but in time may find acceptance in the market. It promises better audio quality than D-star and the ability to communicate in digital mode with FM analogue transceivers through repeaters equipped with the Yaesu Fusion digital system. Rumour says that Melbourne could have a Yaesu Fusion digital repeater operating in the eastern suburbs in the near future. All this while the future of the VK3RWN D-star repeater system and gateway is looking uncertain. Regardless, I don't see the digital capability of the radio as the selling point for me, just a potential bonus that the other top offerings in the market from Yaesu and the other brand names do not have. Before taking the plunge with purchasing a high end HT I'd like the chance to play with a few more models before making any choice. It's all too easy to send yourself crazy on the Internet looking at www.eham.net reviews, downloading owners manuals and specifications from manufacturers websites.

So is it all worthwhile? Sure, I guess if you're one that has to have everything, a yearning to explore new possibilities and you're not afraid of what your wife may think investing a decent amount of money in another aspect of your hobby. After all, exploration, personal discovery and satisfying our own jollies are some of the reasons we play with radios.  I would like to thank Susan VK3ANZ for the opportunity to explore and play with the Icom IC-91AD. I also welcome comments, opinions and reviews from anyone using any of the afore mentioned high-end HT radios. Are they really worth the extra loot or should I continue to abuse my cheap Chinese radios and marvel at the way they still work at all after the punishment I give them?
2 Comments

Mt Graham - Sugarloaf Reservoir

16/12/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
I have been quite busy over the past few weekends and having activated most of my nearby SOTA summits, the next best thing to do as time permits is to operate portable close to home.

Mt Graham is not a SOTA summit but it is at least as good as several SOTA peaks I have visited and is a good place to go for a dry run or to test out equipment before embarking on a full scale multiple summit activation. The Summit is at 250 m and the base is at 196 m. It had been on my “places to check out” list for a while and the allure was strong as I share my surname with this hill.


Situated in the Sugarloaf Reservoir Park, Mt Graham is easily accessed from the Eltham - Yarra Glen Road in the Christmas Hills. Enter the gates and drive across the dam wall and park at The Saddle Dam picnic area. The Chris Phillips walking track begins here and runs parallel to the perimeter fence before turning left and following the shoreline . At this point simply continue straight ahead and follow the fence line over native grasslands, through fern thickets and a rough fire track to the summit. There are good views back across the reservoir from the lower parts of the hill but the views from higher up are partially obscured by tall timber. None the less there is sufficient clearance to string a wire so I elected to deploy the doublet antenna as I was not in any particular hurry to activate and move on.

 I was a little late getting on air to catch any of the SOTA activity from earlier in the day – most would be on their way home. However there were still several people to talk to on 40 metres including regular SOTA chasers VK3PF, VK3DET, VK3CAT, VK2UH among others. I was hoping that things might be lively on 20 metres but it was quieter than I hoped. Ability to work several repeaters easily also kept me amused with the HT. Filtered shade from the tree canopy and ease of access make this a nice place to visit and I intend to return at a future date possibly with some portable beams for 2 metres and 70 cm.

sugarloaf_reservoir_map.pdf
File Size: 333 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Picture
Aside from climbing Mt Graham there are a number of activities to do here including fishing, sailing observing wildlife, swatting flies and hiking the 18km track around the dam. A permit is required from Parks Vic to access remote parts of this walk. There are a couple of sheltered picnic facilities with barbeques and plenty of quiet places to explore with the family if doing the radio thing bores the rest of your clan.



0 Comments

A little QRP can go along way.

22/9/2013

6 Comments

 
The local weather forecast was looking rather uncertain for the past week but it seemed to have turned out better than expected. With the close of winter and the days getting warmer, it has been a good time to get out and make the most of the bonus points on some of the higher peaks. This seems to have fuelled a fair amount of SOTA activity including a string of midweek activations from Mitch VK3FMDV and Rik VK3KAN. I was fortunate enough to be handy to the radio at home during the week and bagged some worthwhile chaser points.

The weekend was busy with a few multi summit activations from Tony VK3CAT, Andrew VK2ONZ and Kevin VK3KAB all appearing a number of times in my log. Some of these contacts I made from home and I was fortunate enough to pack the gear out on both Saturday and Sunday aftternoons for some portable operating.

On Saturday I went to Warrandyte State Park and set myself up in an elevated spot near Pound Bend. I managed to get the doublet strung between a couple of trees just the way I wanted and had some good contacts on 40 metres as well as a few more summits when they appeared on the band.

I've heard reports that we are on the downside of the current sunspot cycle and that it is not going to last as long as some previous ones, but propogation conditions seem most favourable to me lately. When things quietened off a little on 40 metres mid afternoon, I decided to have a tune around the bands. There was no joy on 15 metres but from mid afternoon 20 metres was jumping with DX.

My first DX contact for the afternoon was Andy RG4F who came back to me with a 55 report. Shortly later things really started to pick up and I had a very comfortable QSO with Andy SP8BRQ in Poland who surprised me with a 58 report. Next was Angelo IS0FDW with a 57 report followed by Victor RX1A in St Petersburg who gave me a 54 report. These were all contacts where I had to jump in and battle with much larger stations in the pileup but still managed to get through. Before packing up for the day, I found a quiet spot on 14.208 Mhz and put out a single CQ call. Ralf DL3EA came straight back to me with a 56 report.

This was the best DX session I have had operating DX with nothing more than 5 watts. I amazed myself as well as most of the stations I worked.

Sunday was similar. I was in need of a decent walk and took off towards the city and ended up at the Studley Park Boathouse. The area was packed with people so I left the car there and went for a nice hike along some of the river tracks and found a nice elevated spot away from the RF and people noise and set up the HF vertical antenna and had a short play on 40 meters. I had one SOTA contact with Kevin VK3KAB on VK3/VN-002 before packing up and walking around Dights Falls and eventually back acrossthe foot bridge near the boathouse aroud the park land past the Yarra Bend Golf Club.

Following the road across the Eastern Freeway, I found another elevated spot high up overlooking the Merri Creek and errected the vertical antenna once again. Signal reports on 40 metres this time were better and again I tried 20 metres.

Most of my portable DX contacts have been on the doublet in the past and I have really only worked a couple of ZL stations before with the vertical. Today was different. I wasn't expecting to do quite as well but I bagged the following: Janez S51DX in Slovenia with 59 both ways, Peter DL5SAM who dropped his power to 5 watts with 56 report sent and 57 report received, Oleg RY3D with a 55 report, Rene DD2VO giving a 54 report and Ivan OE3DIA in Vienna with a 57 report.

It was a fitting end to my afternoon of radio with the last contact being another portable station, Lucy M6ECG/p about 90km northeast of London who was operating from the beach at low tide near her home, QRP with a vertical antenna. It's a constant surprise to me how well 5 watts can work and what is possible when the bands are open.

6 Comments

Sugarloaf PeakĀ  VK3/VN-011

25/5/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Activated 25th May 2013

Another worthwhile SOTA day all round. I have been doing most of my activating of summits on a Sunday but today was different. I had some work related commitments in the morning but was free in the afternoon. It turned out to be another pleasant day and I wanted to make the most of every opportunity to activate as many summits as possible before the depths of winter really hit.




Between my work related obligations this morning I was able to play chaser and work a few SOTA summits from home. The first was VK3KAB/p just prior to the UTC rollover on VK3/VT-026. Later at lunchtime I scored another 3 summits: VK1RX/p on VK1/AC-035, VK3WAM/p on VK3/VN-015 and first time activator, Hiro VK3EHG/p on VK3/VC-030. Hiro was getting out very nicely on 2metres FM with limited power and I received him 59 at my home QTH. I hope we hear a lot more from Hiro on summits in the future. I have seen some of his equipment which includes a KN-Q7A SSB QRP transceiver kit that he has built – the perfect 40 metre SSB kit for SOTA activations.




I convinced my two daughters and XYL to accompany me to the Cathedral Ranges State Park to activate Sugarloaf Peak. It has been probably about 15 years since I last visited here, well prior to having an amateur radio licence. My wife had fond memories (pre harmonics) of our last climb to the peak and agreed it would be a worthwhile afternoon. We left home around 1.00pm and drove the scenic route through Eltham and the Christmas Hills down to Yarra Glen and then across to Healesville and The Black Spur, a delightful drive at any time of year.





Picture
Cerberus Road is the main drag through the Cathedral Ranges State Park. It is a well formed gravel road thanks largely to the logging activity around the lower reaches. As it climbs towards the Sugarloaf Saddle carpark, accessible by any reasonable 2wd, the corrugations can be fierce and but be prepared for a teeth-chattering ride in parts. Upon reaching the carpark, walking tracks diverge in several directions. From here you have two routes to the peak. Take the Canyon Track to the left and follow the orange markers. The Cave track to the right will also get you there but if your'e lugging a backpack full of gear as I was, this route will present a tough challenge, especially if you are wider than your pack which is likely. The Canyon track will still present you with a number of rocky ridges to traverse, easy if travelling light, but with a backpack full of HF gear you will find yourself climbing, clawing and scrambling and feeling every kilo of carried weight trying to unbalance you. I wouldn't recommend this peak for a beginner but the rewards however are great. Some of the nicest views in all directions from this summit and some of the most comfortable rocks to sit and operate from. Pick an easier summit if wet or the weather is not optimal. There are a few others nearby.

Now about the activation. According to the SOTA web stats, there have been only two previous activations, both by Wayne VK3WAM/p with all contacts on 2 metres. I was able to get several repeaters easily with the HT which meant some very likely simplex contacts into Melbourne. All my 18 contacts today however were on 40 metres. Unfortunately I didn't log any S2S contacts. I received good reports using my vertical antenna and The FT-817ND and worked VK3, VK7, VK1, VK5 and a station in VK2.

Band conditions were very good. This was proved by the fact that my first two QSO's were with only half a watt of power to VK7KO and VK1MA. In my haste to get on air, I tuned on lowest power and forgot to crank the FT-817 to the maximum 5 watts. A couple of subsequent stations I worked that had been listening from the outset commented that they could hear me with half a watt but the 5 watts made all the difference. I'm sure my half watt would have worked even better if I used the doublet in this case but this may also demonstrate the effectiveness vertical antenna. I operated from 0606 to 0640 UTC. Not too long as I was aware of the sun setting. By the time I went QRT, packed up and got back to the carpark with the family, it was almost dark.

So there is another varied day. Managing to satisfy work duties, get outdoors, play radio and keep the family amused all in a day. Getting to the next summit in a timed and orderly fashion is no guarantee. I'll get there when I can and at little or no notice!








0 Comments

Pedestrian Portable HF - Kew

6/5/2013

0 Comments

 
4th May 2013

Today was one of those regular Saturday Morning family orientated run-a rounds where I had to get some household shopping done and drop one of my daughters off at choir practice while my wife was also working.

I was keen to make at least one contact with Paul VK5PAS on one of his summit activations during the week. Until now my work commitments precluded me from any HF radio play so as soon as I had dropped of my daughter at choir, with a window of opportunity of one hour, I went to find the closest parkland possible to set up the FT817 and vertical HF antenna.

I was quickly set up but S6 noise blanketed my reception on 40m – similar to the level I have to endure at home. None the less, I found Paul just coming through the noise floor and logged a contact with him on summit VK5/NE-028.  I then moved to another frequency and put out a couple of calls and then made contact with Greg VK2FGJW/p in the Blue Mountains. Light drizzle started then started to fall so I quickly pulled the station apart and packed up.

I only logged these two contacts this time in the space of 10 minutes of air time but it was still a worthwhile exercise in testing out how quickly I could set up, make contacts, pull the station down quickly and move on in trying conditions.

0 Comments

    Author

    Marshall  VK3MRG.
    Someone who likes to mix outdoor activities with radios at every opportunity.

    Blog Roll

    VK1DA
    VK1DI
    VK1NAM
    VK2DAG
    VK2FPJR
    VK2IB
    VK2JI

    VK2IO
    VK2LAX
    VK3BQ
    VK3IL
    VK3PF
    VK3YY
    VK3ARR
    VK3BYD
    VK3HRA
    VK3KAB
    VK3WAM
    VK3ZPF
    VK5LA
    VK5AKH
    VK5PAS
    VK7TW

    Archives

    December 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    Categories

    All
    Bicycle Hf Portable
    Pedestrian Hf Portable
    Portable Antennas
    Sota


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.