Jeff's question about HF Handhelds, reminded me of probably the best and
most succinct discussion of the subject I'd run across in my whole ham radio
odisy.
I will quote below, *edited exerpts from a May 14, 2002, article which
appeared, on EHAM.net, and then developed into quite a thread,
(I'm not sure whether the article or the thread is still available in the
eham archives, but I'll be glad to forward the entire discussion, as taken
from the eham site several years ago, and kept in my pack rat Gmail, email
collection, to anyone who writes me off list, requesting it.
*Notes, *1, remember that _all prices mentioned, rig and parts availability,
and links to groups or contacts,
*Were *As Of May14,2002, and have likely changed.
*2, The thoughts are those of a knowledgeable young lady who had been a
respected ham for several years before this writing, was always very
helpful, patient, and kind, in her phone and email dealings with a number of
hams with whom I'm acquainted,as well as with _this lifetime blind longtime
ham;
but since then, who apparently has fallen on hard times, unfortunate
circumstances, and reportedly made some poor choices, which I understand
have cost some hams:
But nonetheless, I've found her information and observations quoted below,
to be "spot on, "
and she has made some _real contributions to the HF QRP and handheld radio
communities:
*3, in the 13 +years since that article came out, I've been in contact by
email, with Rodney Tom, KH7L, in Japan, Who's about as close to the overall
situation, in terms of Japaneese manufacturers as anyone I know of,
who says that the Mizuho factory closed in 2004,
and since then, genuine Mizuho parts, crystals, and accessories, are very
hard to get in Japan.
*4, Meanwhile, Tokyo Hy-power, has ceased business in both The HT and
Amplifier arenas, and possibly the commercial arena as well.
*5, Within the past few years, Youkits, a Canadian seller whose products are
made in China,
Has developed a couple of HF HTS. TennTec was handling them, but another
distributor is now handling the Youkits line.
*6, Ziegu is also manufacturing an HF rig which is about the same size, but
isn't exactly in an HT form factor.
*7, Since that article came out, I myself have owned and used both a THP
HT750, and a ten meter AEA DX Handy, *Loved them both, Outstanding units,
Hope to have a THP and maybe 17, 20, 40, or 80 meter Mizuhos some day
Meanwhile, I'm quite happy with my now bulletproofed/a subject for another
post, Yaesu FT817/not a real "blind friendly" rig, but quite a lil package
nonetheless.
*8, Happy reading, interest peaking, and subsequent hunting, hi hi!
Sincerely,
Danny Dyer, Wb4idu, Toccoa, GA, USA.
**********from a May 14, 2002 Eham.net article
*HF Handhelds, Radios That Go Everywhere.
"...For those
of
us who want better SSB/CW receiver performance, are willing to operate on
just a couple of bands on a given portable operation, and want long battery
life
and a lightweight radio, the HF handheld is the ultimate answer.
Mizuho MX-21S 15M SSB/CW HT
I am often surprised at how many hams, even avid
QRPers, aren't aware of the options out there for true hand-held operation.
Mizuho is probably the leader in the field. Their spartan little monoband
brick handhelds have been a staple of QRPers overseas since the first
generation
was introduced back in 1981. The radios were sold in the US by a number of
distributors and under a number of different names (Pico, AEA DX-Handy, and
Mizuho) between 1982 and 1994 and were never terribly successful. I
attribute that to two things: 1) the QRP craze hadn't really begun yet, and
2) these
rigs have no gee-whiz bells and whistles. What they do offer is solid
performance in a small package at a reasonable price.
(Current models put out
2W (1W
on 6 meters).
...
Versions for all bands 2-80 meters
(except 30 meters) turn up on the used market regularly, and range in price
from $75-$200, depending on age, model, and accessories provided. There is
an active reflector for Mizuho owners (which I happen to moderate) and
detailed
information on the MX series handhelds at:
http://www.qsl.net/ku4qd/mizuho.
Tokyo Hy-Power HT-750For the ham who wants more than one band, digital
readout, and a few more features, Tokyo Hy-Power Labs made the truly
outstanding
HT-750. The rig, sadly, is out of production, with THP citing parts
availability problems as the reason.
...
Still, plenty of them
were made between 1993 and 1999. The rig was only sold in the US in 1993 but
quite
a few hams imported them directly from Japan after that and they do turn up
on the used market from time to time. The rig is synthesized with a clear
LED
digital display and covers the 6, 15, and 40 meter bands. Output power is 3W
on HF, 2W on 6 meters. Receiver performance is amazingly good, as in better
than many of today's low end desktop HF transceivers. The only complaint is
that the receiver is somewhat subject to overload in the presence of very
strong
signals. Be prepared to use the attenuator on 40m at night if you want to
sneak in between the broadcasters. Typical US used prices range from
$300-$550,
depending on which accessories are provided and the condition of the rig.
Accessories can still be ordered directly from Tokyo Hy-Power in Japan. More
info can be found at:
http://www.qsl.net/ku4qd/thp.
A 10 meter synthesized SSB/AM/FM handheld which seems to be directed at the
outlaw CB market (after modification) is sold under the Titan RoadPro, Eagle
Spitfire 454, and Magnum names in the United States. Ouput power is a
whopping 7W. The battery consumption rate is pretty poor as you might
expect, and
receiver performance is just fair. This rig does not allow for CW. In
addition, the transceiver tunes in 1kHz steps. There is a clarifier (RIT),
but no
XIT, so transmitting precisely on a desired frequency where another station
is operating may not be possible unless the radio is modified. The mod,
fortunately,
is pretty simple and can be found at:
http://www.mods.dk/mods.php3?radio=other&model=misc&selectid=2017#2017.
Also, for FM operation, only a single fixed PL tone of 88.5 is provided. If
you can live within these limitations and can do the mod the radio does> a
pretty
good job on the air. The good news is that the radio is quite inexpensive at
$179. I've seen used ones go for as little as $75.
OK, you've decided to buy an HF handheld. You charge the batteries (or pop
in fresh alkaline batteries), you attach the loaded telescopic whip antenna
and
pull it up, you turn it on, tune around and hear the world. Brilliant. Now
you try and transmit and nobody seems to hear you. No, the radio probably
isn't
at fault. The pull up whips are very inefficient and really don't work well
at HF frequencies unless you add a quarter wave counterpoise. Yes, you may
look silly trailing a wire as you walk along, but at least you can get out.
Expect to do better with a dipole thrown up in the trees, though, or one of
the many somewhat larger portable HF antennas that have become popular since
the Yaesu FT-817 was introduced. Small antennas are a compromise, and the
smaller they are the more poorly they work. Radio manufacturers simply
haven't found a way to bypass the laws of physics just yet. The good news: I
have
made many contacts, including some DX, using a Tokyo Hy-Power or Mizuho
loaded telescopic whip with a counterpoise.
One more important note: while all these rigs will sound OK on the air, if
you want them to sound as good as your bigger rig at home you will need to
add
the optional speaker/mic. offered by Mizuho or Tokyo Hy-Power. (I'm not sure
if one is offered for the Eagle/Titan 10m handheld.) Be careful if you are
buying a genuine Mizuho speaker/mic. separately, as the ones for the current
(third) generation radios will not work with the older models and vice
versa.
Of course, aftermarket speaker/mics. can be wired for these rigs and often
sound quite good.
An HF handheld is truly the ultimate backpack radio. The small size, light
weight, and make them very attractive for the QRPer on the go or out
enjoying
nature. Which radio is best for you is a matter of individual taste. One
warning though: HF SSB/CW handhelds (and VHF ones, for that matter) are
addictive.
I currently have seven of them, with a Mizuho MX-18S for 17 meters currently
ranking as my current favorite."
|
