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| Albrect AE2990 multimode |
Although I have used the FT817 handheld lots of times on 15 and 10m and had some excellent contacts with it using a small base loaded whip (a counterpoise definitely helps), I have no experience of the Albrecht unit, which looks like an oversized VHF handie.
Has anyone here used one seriously for handheld DXing? If so, how did it perform? The interesting thing is this unit can be programmed for 12m, CB or 10m use by changing some solder pad links under the PTT rubber.
I can imagine that this handheld could provide hours of fun during a summer sporadic-E opening, although I would expect results to be disappointing without a counterpoise if using it handheld with ether the supplied whip or a longer whip.
True handheld DXing can be quite a challenge, but great fun. Actually being able to move the handheld around to get the best angle can sometimes really help, especially on signals coming in at odd angles. Some time ago I was going to see how many countries I could work on handheld SSB, although I've not seriously tried this lately. I much enjoy handheld DXing when on holiday in Devon from clifftop sites overlooking the sea as in these locations many dB can be gained by chosing a nice location with a slope towards the sea. One of my best contacts was a YV station on SSB (8000km) from my late mother's back garden.
6 comments:
I got this shortly before I found I had a brain tumour so I have not had the chance to try DXing with it. The stock antenna is short, and ended up even shorter after pruning to resonance on 28.5MHz. It's too short to be useful for anything other than receiving. I have a longer telescopic whip from W&S which I use with a counterpoise and that makes a big difference to the signal.
Julian, G4ILO
The comment about handheld dx'ing reminded me
of some experiments I tried with thr FT817 and
attempts to make "rubber ducks" for the HF bands.
Some brief info can be found here:
https://sites.google.com/site/g0ftdradio/home/hf-rubber-ducks
I tried 18Mhz and 28Mhz and had some success.
What I'd really like in my dreams is something like
a Yeasu VX7R, but is really a multimode rig with 5w
output, that would be so cool !
I do sometimes use the VX7R on 6m AM, and it sounds very good.
Shame it doesn't allow AM tx on 2/70cm, but only 6m.
73 de Andy G0FTD
This Albrecht Handy Talky is being sold as Freebander rig. It's factory designed to be opened-up to transmit from 25MHz to 29MHz used by CB/FReebander pirates. Have a search on Youtube and look at video's from SimonTheWizzard and the like.
Is it worth the price?
73 Steve G1KQH
Bought one recently, the SS-301 version, didn't arrived on time for my summer vacations so I come to them with the FT817. Planning to use if with the MFJ whip antenna for 10M. Need to develop some interface to make it deliver CW (thru a tone on USB) since the rig doesn't have it natively. Pedro/LU7HZ.
An update on it. Received the rig, tested on the air and adapted to work in CW and PSK31 (yet to test it in WSPR, should work). Has a somewhat odd interface to operate it and an noticeable FM-ing problem in SSB which is cured when the power is reduced to abt 2W. Other than that it's a simple rig, no frills, which delivers a simple performance, no frills. Pedro/LU7HZ
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