I've been looking for a Linear Amp for 2 meters, 70 watts would be enough for what I need its just for those stations that are a bit further away... I do well on 20 watts but sometimes I just need a little bit more, even 50 watts would probably do the trick.
A lot of my radios are only 25 watts out and I don't like running them at full power, also something with a pre amp to boost the receive would also be a bonus.
I can't find anything on the bay other than CB stuff...
VHF Linear Amp
- ch25
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Re: VHF Linear Amp
6dB/1s unit means power x4
Maybe it would be better to take antenna out from basement and give it some breathing space?
Maybe it would be better to take antenna out from basement and give it some breathing space?
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You can't have too many antennas...
You can't have too many antennas...
- Agent 48
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Re: VHF Linear Amp
The two meter antenna goes outside but because there isn't really much elevation in a built up area the signal only goes about 15 miles give or take...
15'ish miles maybe a bit more, base station to base station unless the other station that I'm talking too is higher up then 30 miles or 5 miles base station to handheld.
The antenna is in the best place outside I can possibly get it so that is as good as its going to get, but sometimes I just need a bit more power just to reach those on the edge of my coverage range, plus if the amp had an RX booster even better.
15'ish miles maybe a bit more, base station to base station unless the other station that I'm talking too is higher up then 30 miles or 5 miles base station to handheld.
The antenna is in the best place outside I can possibly get it so that is as good as its going to get, but sometimes I just need a bit more power just to reach those on the edge of my coverage range, plus if the amp had an RX booster even better.
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Re: VHF Linear Amp
It isn't easy calculating range because other stations play a big factor...
I did an experiment, handheld indoors rubber duck antenna 5 watts achieved to a station 15 miles away up on high ground with a Diamond X-50 antenna, bearing in mind he lives on high ground with clear line of sight.
My station, halfwave dipole or Slim Jim outside just above the roof line on 20 watts to the same station, there isn't really a huge difference, its just because I've got 20 watts instead of 5 watts that there is an improvement in signal. I'm just not up high enough.
I'd need a Diamond X510 on a pole where I am to get comparable results to those who chat on 2 meters because a simple halfwave dipole or even X50 or Slim Jim isn't going to cut the butter where I am... OK an X50 is a bit better I find but its not a huge difference. 20 foot from the ground in a built up area surrounded by tall buildings and dense trees, no line of sight.
I have no true idea on what my range is... so lets say I'm doing 5 miles with my 20 watts and halfwave dipole above the roof line... but a station 30 miles away is hearing me loud and clear... this doesn't mean I am putting out a range of 30 miles it just means the other station can pick me up because he has bigger and better antennas and is much higher up where he will be receiving stations from all over the place.
The question is what would be my true range... now if somebody was standing 3 miles away from my station with a handheld or even somebody with a similar setup to mine from 3 or 5 miles away with no high ground/elevation, would I be making the trip? That is the real question...
Its the same story with accessing repeaters... there could be a repeater 10 miles away but your range might only be 1 mile and you'd hit that repeater easy because its high up.
People say to me that if I can get them on a hand held indoors... or an antenna indoors then I'd be banging out with an outdoor antenna, but when I put an antenna outside there isn't really much difference and I'm never "banging out" regardless of what I do... I do ok but I'm only ever going to be a weak station where I am.
I would really like to do some range experiments to get a true idea of my range so I can see how poor my station really is or whether its better than I thought...
I did an experiment, handheld indoors rubber duck antenna 5 watts achieved to a station 15 miles away up on high ground with a Diamond X-50 antenna, bearing in mind he lives on high ground with clear line of sight.
My station, halfwave dipole or Slim Jim outside just above the roof line on 20 watts to the same station, there isn't really a huge difference, its just because I've got 20 watts instead of 5 watts that there is an improvement in signal. I'm just not up high enough.
I'd need a Diamond X510 on a pole where I am to get comparable results to those who chat on 2 meters because a simple halfwave dipole or even X50 or Slim Jim isn't going to cut the butter where I am... OK an X50 is a bit better I find but its not a huge difference. 20 foot from the ground in a built up area surrounded by tall buildings and dense trees, no line of sight.
I have no true idea on what my range is... so lets say I'm doing 5 miles with my 20 watts and halfwave dipole above the roof line... but a station 30 miles away is hearing me loud and clear... this doesn't mean I am putting out a range of 30 miles it just means the other station can pick me up because he has bigger and better antennas and is much higher up where he will be receiving stations from all over the place.
The question is what would be my true range... now if somebody was standing 3 miles away from my station with a handheld or even somebody with a similar setup to mine from 3 or 5 miles away with no high ground/elevation, would I be making the trip? That is the real question...
Its the same story with accessing repeaters... there could be a repeater 10 miles away but your range might only be 1 mile and you'd hit that repeater easy because its high up.
People say to me that if I can get them on a hand held indoors... or an antenna indoors then I'd be banging out with an outdoor antenna, but when I put an antenna outside there isn't really much difference and I'm never "banging out" regardless of what I do... I do ok but I'm only ever going to be a weak station where I am.
I would really like to do some range experiments to get a true idea of my range so I can see how poor my station really is or whether its better than I thought...
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Re: VHF Linear Amp
I am around 140 foot above sea level... some may think this is good but... when your only 20 foot from the ground surrounded by big buildings and dense trees, being 140 feet above sea level means nothing without line of sight so my theory is that my signal gets very scattered and only a small part of it makes it out so it be like running miller watts instead of 20 watts with a line of sight.
A scattered signal could also explain why I can reach certain areas that are further away in a certain direction.
A scattered signal could also explain why I can reach certain areas that are further away in a certain direction.