Any ham operators out there like to give me a make and model of a non-techie ham radio? Basically I,m looking for max range(wattage) in this classification.

-- Neil G.Lewis (pnglewis1@yahoo.com), September 28, 1999

Answers

non-techie ham radio?

Isn't this an oxymoron?

Since various degrees of technical proficiency are required for the licenses to operate various bands/modes, assume that all ham radios require a certain amount of technical expertise.

-- de (delewis@XOUTinetone.net), September 28, 1999.

The above comment is right on target. Note: effective radiated power depends on the power of the radio, the proper impedance coupling between the radio and the antenna (SWR - standing wave ratio), and the gain or lack thereof of the antenna. Then there is of course the position of the antenna (top of hill, bottem of valley, what frequency, etc.). Please note: 3db (decibel) of increase in antenna gain is the same as twice the wattage, 10 db of increase is ten times the power. Therefore, some idiot with an illegal footwarmer and a ho-hum antenna won't get out as well as a person with a moderate radio and a well installed high gain antenna. Of course antenna gain is a two way street, it will pick up signals better too.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), September 29, 1999.

I am not a ham operator, but I do have a nice older CB (142 Cobra,) good antenna (at 3500 ft) and lollipop mike. Do get "skip" from Texas and the south. I would be curious to see if some of us with CBs could connect on lower sideband. Haven't used my radio for over a decade - until now. Not a lot of local traffic on CB here. Don't know what channel would be good for an experiment in CB DX. Anyone game?

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), September 29, 1999.