I’d been wanting an Icom-7200 for a while…so long a while, in fact, that the 7200 has been discontinued. Sure I can find them used but I really hate buying a product that is used unless I am intimately familiar with how it works and how to check it out to make sure it works. This is why, normally, I have no problem with used guns…Im familiar enough with thundertoys that I can tell fairly readily if a used gun is good or if its someones problem child.
The Icom-7200 was supplanted by the Icom-7300. Ok, thats at least 100 better than the 7200, right? Let’s order one up.
It’ll be here later in the week. I already have a power supply and cable for it, but I need to figure out an antennae (a word I can never spell right on the first go) for it. At the moment, I’ve no interest in transmitting…but I have a keen interest in listening.
As was said in Alas Babylon, “But Sam Hazzard’s principal hobby was listening to shortwave radio. He was not a ham operator. He had no transmitter. He listened. He did not chatter. He monitored the military frequencies and the foreign broadcasts and, with his enormous background of military and political knowledge, he kept pace with the world outside Fort Repose. Sometimes, perhaps, he was a bit ahead of everyone.”
My interest is in listening…taking in whats out there, examining it, and using that information as necessary. Maybe down the line I’d have need to send rather than receive, but for now I simply want to listen. And, yes, I need to get the license to transmit but thats a project for later.
If anyone has suggestions (and links) on the subject, I’d be very interested.
If all you want to do is listen, a long wire antenna is pretty near ideal….
And in this context, a long wire is just that – about 100′ of wire up in the air, the higher the better. Don’t forget grounding the radio itself (RF, not AC ground) and a disconnect when you’re not listening (lightning protection).
For transmitting, well…..the reason there are SO MANY different types of transmitting antennas is because there is no one best antenna. The ARRL antenna book is a good primer on some basic styles.
Congrats on the 7300. I think you will be glad you purchased it.I got one a couple of years ago and enjoy using it. it has a lot of settings and controls, and there are several good YouTube series out there that go through the basics to help you get up to speed. I learned a lot from this step-by-step series of short videos, starting with this one: https://youtu.be/m48WLp76ue0
You may have already discovered that opinions about the which antenna to use vary about which is “best.” But there are many inexpensive options that are “good enough.” A lot of it depends on the topography of your property and how much room you have to set one up. I use a G5RV antenna set up in an inverted-V (https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/mfj-1778). I can receive well on the 10m-80m bands and can transmit well on all but 10m and 12m.
I encourage you to take the operator tests. The Technician and General ratings are not difficult if you prep, particularly because the tests pull the questions from a set database, and you can study the questions and answers easily with study guides and flashcards.
I concur with the ease of studying/taking the test. A buddy had me do it towards the end of 2019. I forget what craziness was going on a that time (pre-COVID). Passed it with ease on 2/8/2020, just before with Wuhan flu ahut everything down.
Lots of apps with practice questions that you can download to your phone.
Except that puts you in THEIR database!
You’re ALREADY in their databases!
Heh….
I’m in ALL the databases, I think. Except no fly (so far)
CCW
Class-III holder
Veteran
Pilot
Amateur Radio
DEA Provider
Physician / VA provider
Merchant Mariner ticket
Credentialed teacher
POST
A lot to be said for listening. Can’t trianglate a receiver. If you wan’t to stay off the who is that list hitting a transmit button will end that. JMHO
When you get serious about taking the test, this will help:
https://www.kb6nu.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2022-no-nonsense-tech-study-guide-v2-20230204.pdf
If you can sit in front of the ‘puter, this might help more:
https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/prices.htm
I took a class at the local college to take the tech element – wish I’d spent $30 and did it online. Used the interweb version for my general and extra, and they took me 8 and 10 hours respectively, on my lunch breaks at work. We hams are a cheap lot, but I’ve never regretted spending that money.
Antenna is pretty simple if you’re listening – a long piece of wire strung between two spots will get you plenty of signal, You can lay the grounding element (counterpoise) on the ground and have success, most likely.
When you DO get a license, there are plenty of solutions for that. I’d encourage you to get a cheap antenna analyzer to measure your SWR to make sure you’re in the ballpark, and to TRY things. Lots of old sh*tbirds will discourage you from using a less than perfect antenna, but the IC 7300 has a fairly good impedance matcher (antenna tuner) in it to keep you out of trouble.
Depending on your noise level, you ought to be able to hear plenty.
Receiving only antenna is a lot less particular than one that transmits. You can get away with just a piece of wire.
Longer and higher is better of course.
American Partisan has quite a few articles on radio use/set up.
https://www.americanpartisan.org/
https://brushbeater.org/
and his books – on Amazon or direct, considers metals a payment option.
Lot of folks over at http://unchainedpreppers.com are into radio as well.
The first couple license books help you get an idea of what antennae to use. AARL’s Antennae Book would the be the third buy I would make. The first two help you understand the third.
Good for you..
Please consider adding analog/digi scanning options for local chatter.
The icom is great rig, mainly for regional/nationa/global info.
80% of what is gonna happen is gonna happen locally/regionally, that icom won’t do shit for that.
Save you money, and buy an sdr rig, long wire, laptop/pc and call it a day, RX w sdr sharp is easy.
Can do analog and digi traffic, NOT encrypted though.
Or, but a dedicated scanner like this: sds100
https://www.gigaparts.com/uniden-sds100-scanner.html?msclkid=017042b49c5711e59c09268b7d841823
650.00
go here for more info and great resources.
https://amrron.com/
btw..i second NC Scouts courses too..
ps…feel free to email me directly, i have been involved in emcomm (emergency commo) for some time now..
The only reason to get a license is to operate kit now, while you can, in a non shtf setting, before you get tossed into deep end, not gonna go well…
I guess I’ll add that a Yaesu FT60 VHF/UHF handheld is a great radio to have (if you’re cheap, a Bao Feng UV5R or equivalent) for monitoring.
Program in your local police/fire/mutual aid/municipal frequencies, local amateur radio calling frequencies and repeaters, air traffic control frequencies within 150 miles, GMRS/FRS, MURS, etc and start listening. You’ll likely hear a LOT more than you can on SW simply because there’s more traffic…and it’s in your local area. When things go south, it’ll likely be on the VHF/UHF frequencies first – very few of the above radio operators have much discipline in jabbering.
You should work on monitoring digital signals when you get comfortable – a lot of traffic is now on those modes. Quite a bit is not encrypted, just digital and available for monitoring. Easiest for me was to learn on ham freq’s then move to other types.
I recognize you just spent some coin and have a lot to learn, but HF is not as ripe for gleaning good info as it was up until the 00’s. Get a (few) good scanners with digital capability. Steep learning curve, but local info is important too. I like whistler, but very steep learning curve and ymmv.
For some Frequencies to Monitor:
Research your local EMCOMM frequencies and nets – depends on where you are located. State level typically, and may be under guard/mil section of websites.
HF/VHF/UHF Public Service, Air, Ham, Business try RadioReference.com
HF (Ham) Nets – ac6v.com/nets.php
Repeater Frequencies – repeaterbook.com (some 50 MHz)
BBC – short-wave.info
(I don’t social compute, but)
– Twitter has some groups – e.g., MilAirComm-Military Radio Frequencies – MilAir
– reddit has r/amateurradio
MonitoringTimes.com
If you get more ambitious look into ADS-B, and Raspberry Pi/SDRs running SDRSharp, etc. to snoop and really deep dive. Low cost of entry, steep learning curve again.
Licensed and Listening in AZ
Singular: antenna. Plural: antennae. Simply the old/elderly Latin geek in me.
Ref low profile: depending on which particular flavor of fresh hell you anticipate, consider that in Formerly Great Britain, one must pay a tax/have a license to operate a RECEIVER. (Such as TV or broadcast radio). I have read that whoever is The Radio Police, in FGB, will drive down the street, “listening” for the (very weak) signals from the receiver, at the intermediate frequency (455 khz), and cross check against license lists. Something for a End Times radio monitor-er to consider.
Those TV detector vans have their own legend. Supposedly there is no technology that allows you to point a device at a house and ‘read’ that a television signal is being received. The vans are subject to a mass perception that they ‘work’ but they may be more of an intimidation than actual science.
Yes there is but highly expensive and difficult to place. Relatively easy to defeat without direct/near access but cost/benefit to “them” puts the secret-squirrel vans in the same class as empty police cars parked in weird places. On the other hand, to some, high cost is a benefit. “Gotta get them Trumpies; the only good Trumpie is dead”. And a laser bouncing off glass to pick up sound from inside is easy and cheap enough
Radios, televisions, computers, and cell phones have internal oscillators that radiate small amounts of RF. Each oscillator has a unique “fingerprint” that can be recognized with sophisticated equipment – be it in a van or a satellite. If you want to be truly anonymous, you need to go COMPLETELY off grid. No phone or electronic communications transmitter OR receiver of any kind.
Yep! After watching SNOWDEN, there is just no way all electronic communications aren’t monitored and recorded. They may have to target someone SPECIFICALLY to see what you’re listening to, but don’t think they CAN’T. God Bless you all!
It’s simple. Antennae are for insects. For radio it is antenna (or antennas if plural). I was a professional antenna engineer so either I’m correct or I got it all wrong for 30 years.
Antennae is the plural form of antenna. Insects have a pair, hence antennae.
http://Www.qrz.com great website for practice ham radio tests and studying for same. They use the same questions as on the actual test, if memory serves.
Make sure you have them do the Mod that opens all the frequencies. Not legal to transmit, but nice to have in a emergency. In a real emergency it is ok to call for help
The IC-7300 would have been a $6,000 radio 15 years ago, it makes my FT-857d seem like a piece of garbage both in user interface and performance. In side by side testing with the same antenna it’s not even close.
That said it doesn’t do everything my 857 does and I still love that old Rig.
Look into the Buddipole antenna system, they are pretty slick, I describe it as antenna legos.