Up and Running

[NoiseBoy]

Firstly...Damned stupid bookmarks!! Ive been checking for the forum to come back for the past 2 months by clicking on a link in my bookmarks bar, turns out that it wasnt loading because the URL has changed so i only just discovered that the forum is back! Doh!

Anyway, some of you may remember i was talking about a Yaesu FRG-8800 that was up for sale. I picked it up sunday before last and think i got a bit of a bargain. Original box and manuals, immaculate FRG-8800 with the VHF card option AND an FRT-7700 ATU for £100.

Im only home for 2 weeks so for the time being i ran a random wire out my bedroom window on one side of the house, down to the guttering of the house opposite then back up to the 1st floor window on the other side of the house. its probably about 55'. Hope to get it a bit higher by attaching a rope to next doors TV aerial mast, that way i get a clear takeoff to the North, west and south. In the longer term i quite fancy the Comet CHA250B HF vertical and a nice fibreglass co-linear for VHF, but thatll be in the summer at the earliest depending on how things turn out.

Had some pretty cool QSO's so far, about different states in america, canada, most of europe, russia, kuwait, argentina, astral islands and guatemala. just wishing i can transmit now! the Frog is a lovely bit of kit, took the covers off the other day to clean it inside but put them straight back on as it looked brand new inside. i dont have much to compare it against but the guys at the radio club said they ran it up before i bought it and it was pulling signals that some of the transceivers werent hearing. £100 well spent id say.

anyway just thought id check back in and say hello with a bit of an update
-Paul

[5thElement]

Glad your enjoying it! sounds like the radio was a pretty good buy

[NoiseBoy]

its just the antenna holding it back now unfortunately but need to save for something better.

they go for about $400 for a less that perfect unit, + $100 for the VHF card and + $70 for the ATU so i definately did well.

[Panteneman]

Here's a review of the Comet CHA250B, clickerage here

Personally, I wouldn't really recommend it. It all seems a bit "Snake Oil" to me if you catch my drift.

I have also found an interesting find on eHam, the Hustler 6BTV vs. Comet CHA250B. If I were in your shoes, I would prefer to get the Hustler. Hustler vs. Comet - clickerage here.

It seems excessive to fork out this much on an antenna just for SWL alone, when a well placed G5RV or other variant of a wire antenna ideally situated will be perfectly adequate. That said, you do mention your wish to transmit and go in for the Foundation Licence in your post so maybe it is worth "gathering bits and bobs" for a future Amateur Radio setup.

[NoiseBoy]

cheers for that, i wont be doing anything until the summer due to being at uni so its a while off yet. Will hopefully do my foundation before then though and even if i dont have a station at least i have the licence ready to go when i get the money together.

It isnt really practical for me to have a di-pole so i think a vertical is probably my only option.

My bedroom is sortof up in the roof space of the house so the attic is like 3ft high and because of the watertank only about 10ft of it is accessible so no room for a dipole really.