When I decided to get into the more advanced part of the hobby, it meant buying more gear. It also meant figuring out how to operate away from home. In figuring out the kind of radio gear I would need for HF work, there were a lot of considerations: size, cost, versatility and power capability to name a few. There is also other peripreal equipment that needs to go along with the radio, and you have to consider how you are going to power it if you are operating away from home. 

 

Although I previously got permission to put my VHF/UHF antenna in a tree next to my condo (see my earlier post It’s a Good Day for Ham (Amateur) Radio in the Gallaher House! about getting my antenna in a tree), HF antennas are larger and I wasn’t sure I would be able to get more latitude than I already had. Also around that time, we decided to go on a cruise of New England and Canada, and I thought it would be interesting to try to communicate from the ship. So the combination of the cruise and the possibility of not being able to operate from home led me to another long project of figuring out what gear to get, how to make it portable and how to operate it.

 

For the benefit of my radio friends, I wound up getting an Icom IC-7100 with a compatible tuner and power supply. I got a plastic case similar to a carry-on suitcase that would qualify as carry-on luggage. The IC-7100 comes in two parts–the main radio and a control head connected with an ethernet cable. This allows you to place the main radio out of reach and still be able to operate it with a much smaller control panel. I wanted a radio that would operate on the HF bands and also VHF/UHF, so that I only had to fit one radio into my limited space. Although the 7100 compromises some performance compared to other radios, it is moderately priced and met my requirements.

 

One of the limitations of the 7100 is that it does not have a graphic panadapter–a display that makes it easier to find other operators broadcasting. I had read of some ways to modify the 7100 to allow me to connect it to my computer through an SDR (software defined radio) receiver and to use software to give it the panadapter function. There was some risk of voiding the warranty on my new radio, but I decided to take the risk and have a professional make the modification. It was a good decision. It makes it much easier and enjoyable to operate the radio and the cost was very reasonable.

 

At that point, in 2018, my initial rig (yes, that’s what hams call their gear) consisted of the 7100, a Samlex power supply, an LDG 100 tuner and an end fed long wire antenna with a matching transformer. I also acquired a refurbished computer to dedicate to the radio for $60 and the cost of a larger hard drive. I’ve been using that setup until recently and I’ve been pretty happy with it. I’ve recently switched radios, but that’s another story.

I never did take the portable setup on the cruise. The process of getting cruise line and Canadian approval was kind of daunting, and Janie’s mobility had declined such that taking a bunch of heavy gear in addition to an electric wheelchair and other stuff just seemed like too much. I haven’t really used it for portable operations either, so all those earlier considerations weren’t really necessary.