VSU_4runnin

so ive got my book and started studying, but ive been looking for radios and honestly I dont know even where to begin, Corey your radio sounds and looks like a great one but its a tad out of my price range for a radio, especially since ive got an air locker, 10K lb winch and a tjm t-15 bull bar in the works of purchasing. where should I start with a good radio for under $450 that can get all the HF/VHF/UHF freq.?

Corey

iTrader: (1)

There are a lot of good dual band 2 meter and 70 cm (440 MHz) radios that Yaesu has that are a lot less than my 857D.
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/fm_txvrs.html

7800, 8800, and the quad band 8900.

I went with the one I did even though it was a lot more as I can grow into it in the future, and not end up selling one to upgrade later.
For just two meter and 70 cm, the 8800 is nice.
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...xvrs/0080.html

And you can get the kit to disconnect the head from the radio like I got.
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal.../21610080.html

Do a search on YouTube for the both the 7800 and 8800.

That 8900 for quad is nice at $419.
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...xvrs/0890.html
Plus they throw the head disco kit in for free.
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal.../21610890.html

VSU_4runnin

awesome.. looks good, thanks!

khoopes

Corey,

The meter I mentioned was not for mounting. There is really very little reason to mount an external meter on a rig like yours because if you go throught the menus you can pretty much get all that metering right on the radio. The one I mentioned was for setup-- and is MUCH more useful for seting up than the other.

VSU - for $450 I would buy a used Icom IC-706. It comes in 3 varieties, original version, Mk2 and MK2G. get the later gen if you can but they are all good. The main difference is power output on UHF and the later ones have DSP processing. It will do all of those bands AND all modes and if you watch ebay and qth.com you can probably snatch one.

Almost all of the dual band and tri or quad banders are FM only. They have to say ALL MODE to include single sideband and AM.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Kristopher.

My Yaesu 857D and duplexer arrived yesterday.
What a beautiful radio.
And I was shocked at how heavy it is.
It is much smaller than my big Cobra 129 CB, yet it weighs more than twice the CB.
The power cord for it is huge too.

Not sure when I will get in all installed.
I will also be picking up the Yaesu VX-8r HT to mess around with.

khoopes

Hah! Yes your Yeasu is like 5 CB's and a linerar amplifier all built into the same package as 1 CB. Alot of circuitry and they gotta have heat sinks to get rid of all that heat from 100watts of RF output power. In am modes your are only running probably 50-60% efficiency so 100Watts / .5 = 200watts power consumption. 200 watts max and at a possible 12V with the vehicle turned off you are looking at max currents of 200W /12V = 16.7amps possible consumption so better have 12 gauge or better on the input cords and a 20 amp fuseable link somewhere...

When I run external amplifiers, say 170 watts, then it is fused at 30 amps.... all the sudden we need big alternators or HID's instead of incandescent offroad lamps, ehh?? :-)

Corey

iTrader: (1)

The power wire included is HUGE, and two 25 amp fuses on it.
I will run it to my aux Bluesea fusebox in the passenger footwell.
It is 10 gauge from it to the stock battery, and I will throw in a 30 amp fuse into the box for that circuit.

VSU_4runnin

what about running the power straight to the battery?... also in order to power a ham, 2 antennas, and about 6 off road lights, should i look into an optima blue top deep cycle marine battery, or just a normal red top..
Btw, i took my ham test on saturday and passed with flying colors. I also took the general class just for the hell of it and missed passing by one question oh well, i should have my callsign within a week or so.. also ive got my setup ordered, i did a yaesu ft857-d like you got corey, and i did a diamond SG7900A antenna (http://www.universal-radio.com/CATAL...antm/0142.html) and a tarheel HF antenna (http://www.tarheelantennas.com/model_100a_hp). Hopefully i should be on the air within 2 weeks

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Congrats on the test!
Testing is next Saturday in my area, but I am not ready yet.
Have not had the spare time to finish the book.
Hopefully in December I can.

This will give me some time to try and get some of my install done.
I am in no hurry though.

Congrats on the 857D too.
You will like it, it is one tough looking little unit.

khoopes

Good job VSU, that's great! I guess I need to get out and get my General class I just have been too lazy. When my wife goes in for her Tech I guess I will go for General. Right now all I have is an Yeasu FT-317 and an old Kenwood TR-751A. The Yeasu is HF, 6 meters, 2 meters, and 70 Centimeters but is only 5 watts on each band. I actually bought it for my airplane. I will have to check out the newer units, I had a great time with the Icoms. The Kenwood is a 2 meter only 25Watt ALL mode. By the way, don't forget to buy a preamp if you get into SSB fun.

toyospearo

I have that exact Diamond antenna!
I had a Randall Larson prior to the Diamond and the Larson didnt have the range this Diamond does.
Conrgats on the test
well done

khoopes

A Side note, I am looking at renting a shop building for my business and it may have an interesting perk-- a 120' tower on location!

VSU_4runnin

wow khoopes sounds great!, I saw a guy, i cant remember the link ill go find it, but he made a v antenna with the apex at nearly 80 feet from some cheap wire and a coat hanger.
Corey, i didnt really look at the book, im really studying it now that I have the license, but the practice tests are word for word like the test they are so helpful, if you take a bunch of them you might be reaady in time.
toyospearo, where did you mount it, and how? do you have any pics, im trying to get ideas, i was thinking mounting it to the hood, in the gap btwn the hood and the car, but i cant figure out where to put the tarheel antenna, i was thinking of mounting that to my brushguard and then transferring it to a bull bar when i get it.
but what do yall think about the battery? cause i have an old AAA battery but its probabally atleast 8 years old or more, i bought the truck used in jan, so idk.....

VSU_4runnin

heres the coat hanger thing

http://www.kr1st.com/hfcoath.htm

toyospearo

I dont have a pic. I would go take one right now but it is dark and pouring rain. I mounted it to the right side of my front bumper. It is mounted almost exactly the same as Corey's on his FJ.
I had to order mine with an NMO mount and a Larson adaptor. I used a step drill with a 3/4 hole and ran the coax through the engine comp. and then trough the firewall into the cab.
It works great! Full quieting on all the repeaters in the area.

VSU_4runnin

does the coax pick up any engine, or electrical interference? (what all did you have to ground yourself, if anything)

Corey- I was looking at some pics of the 857 and saw that there were 2 inputs on the back for a uhf/vhf antenna, and a Hf antenna, but one of the inputs looked different from coax, or is it just a regular coax input that just looks different?

Corey

iTrader: (1)

I am pretty sure they are the same, at least it looked like it when I was examining the radio.

VSU_4runnin

alright sounds good, but have any of you heaard anything about an optima blue top vs. the red top, cause i dont want to do a 2 battery system

toyospearo

I built one of these a while back after I saw a write up in QRZ magazine. It works very well.
http://home.comcast.net/~jbperkins/a..._whine_filter/

VSU_4runnin

so mearly placing the filter in the power route can cancel out the alternator whine, or what about souldering a wire to the alternator and then screwing that into the body?