Hello everyone.

Can anyone recommend a good handheld/mobile ham radio capable of dx-ing? I'm just getting into ham/learning and I am looking for radio advice.

I'd like to transmit 400-500 km (skip) and keep the costs reasonably low. I plan on buying 4-5 of the same unit to give to remote family for emerg comms (want to avoid use of repeaters).
Yes, they will be licensed in Canada

Thanks,

NIM

What class of license do you have? What band or bands do you plan to use?

To get that kind of range you're probably looking at an HF rig; the one I'm lusting after is the Icom 7000 or possibly the Yaesu FT-857D (US model numbers, don't know if Canadian market products are different).

You can do it all in a man-portable (not handheld) format with a Yaesu FT-817.

The right antenna is absolutely critical for any sort of DX application. It's even more important in mobile and QRP.

I recommend you get MUCH further into ham radio before investing in units for family. You'll know more about the limitations.

And you could probably never really overestimate the lack of interest the family members will have in dealing with the limitations of the radio.

I'm all for the learning of radio skills but I've found in my 40 years of being licensed that the enthusiasm for it isn't very contagious.

Hi Unimogbert,

I laughed when I heard your advice. So true! My family is aware that the house of cards is falling though and are progressively getting more prepared. We were also cut-off via the North Eastern blackout. You are right though. I plan on having them buy their own units.

Thanks!

Peace,

NIM

I plan on having access to all HAM frequencies eventually. Licensing is pretty easy in Canada now (or so I'm told)

You don't think a handheld unit could support DX applications? I've heard of a friend who had a handheld unit that he tossed a wire up into a try and could DX. Lost the contact info for him and any HAM search includes information overload at my current state of ignorance.

Rawles makes reference to a small unit from Elecraft in his new book "Survivors".

My fingers are crossed.

Yours truly,

NIM

I'm just remembering my early enthusiasm about getting my friends to get their licenses and then we could talk 250 miles like we were on the phone - NOT. Even the 1 who did I basically couldn't reach with modest equipment and even worse antennas.
(but we've both been licensed for about 40 years now and the learning was a great thing)

Ham radio over a 500 km path isn't reliable like the telephone. It's reliable like shortwave radio or the pony express. They mostly work after their fashion but have limitations that modern folk would find frustrating.

Local repeaters and even networked repeaters are much better. (If you have that coverage)

Step 1: I recommend that you get your licence (if you haven't already) and ensure it allows you access to HF bands. You'll need HF to communicate over such a long distance.
Step 2: Borrow an HF radio, or find a local ham who can demonstrate one. Or spend hours researching before buying a Yaesu/Icom/Kenwood/whatever. I like Yaesu, and I have an FT817, but maybe you want more power.
Step 3: Once you have a licence every ham is your friend. Find someone in the vicinity of your remote family and make arrangements to try and establish communication. If you can do it, then you know it's possible (and how hard it was). Now you are in a great position to advise the remote family what to do.

It's a great hobby. Expect to spend hours dabbling.

(Actually, once you have made contact with the remote ham you're pretty much done. Get your remote family to buy him (statistically it will be a him) a crate of beer/side of venison/fine wine or cigars and you'll be set if an emergency hits).

(Only half-kidding).

PS It's hard to do this "mobile", but it makes a difference if you mean in a vehicle (correct use of "mobile" in ham terms) or on foot ("pedestrian" in ham terms).

The hardest part is the antenna.

If you want a small antenna, so you can walk around and then set up the radio wherever you stop, then a reel of wire in your pocket will do, but then you need to string it up from a tree or something (which takes time to set up and take down).

If you want to talk while walking you could build an HF Man-Pack, which is a backpack radio set up with a tall whip antenna, but it could be bulky, and the whip is quite long.

On a vehicle, an HF whip is still long, but it can be left permanently installed.

Everything is a compromise, but with experimentation comes experience, so you can find out what works best for you.

NIM, from my limited knowledge, I would recommend talking to the personnel here: http://www.aesham.com/. They can make recommendations after listening to your needs and they have deals going on all the time with a variety of equipment.
I have visited their LV store and have purchased a few handhelds from them.


I would also recommend getting some training from a local HAM club or SAR group to learn capabilities and "tricks".

hth

I don't follow the latest gear as much any more, but the Icom 706 line of mobile HF/VHF radios is probably the best value for what I think you want to do (HF mobile and probably some 2 meters). They've been around for quite a while and it shouldn't be too hard to find a decent used older model.

If you really want to start doing HF, avoid low-powered QRP radios like the Yaesu FT-817 to begin with. 5 watts just isn't enough for SSB except as a novelty. Start with a 100 watt radio and you'll have a lot more success.

Hamstick antennas (and their clones) seem like a great deal but for the lower bands, especially 40 and 80 meters, they're not very efficient. For home use, the good old G5RV is still the winner. For mobile, a 20m hamstick is a decent start. For 40 or 80 meters, something with a bigger diameter coil like a Hustler or "bug catcher" will help a lot. But mobile HF is tricky. Depending on the vehicle, you might end up needing to do some work to eliminate RF noise and electrically connect more of the body and frame together.

Good luck and 73s!