One of the serious parts of a ham radio arrangement is the antenna. You could have the costly and the powerful engineer on the market these days but your signal goes nowhere w/out a good setup antenna arrangement.

There are a lot of different kinds of antennas for the operator of ham radio. There are antennas like the quad and yagi 00004000 and non directional antennas like the vertical. Each of these kinds of antennas have their own place. There are wired antennas of all sizes and types depending on the occurrence being utilized and how much space you have to put an antenna up.

The yagi antenna type is directional and has a few elements that are designed for 1 frequency. There are antennas that will tune to 2 or 3 frequency bands but drop some bandwidth and power in the design. These kinds of antennas are intended to be mounted on a pole or tower support type with a means of putting them in the place that you like the signals to go. They are so popular with the critical hams because of their capability to transmit and receive radio signals in the preferred direction.

The quad antenna, like the yagi antenna, is also a directional antenna. These directional antennas tend to be so large at some occurances. They are so effective directional antennas if you've the place to put them up. Quad antennas are created of wire and some other kind of supporting formation such as fiberglass or bamboo poles. They're mounted so they can be turned into the preferred direction as well.

Antennas that are wire, for the most part made with a particular frequency. They could be so simple in design like a dipole, which is 2 pieces of wire lined in the center and placed between 2 supports and comparatively flat or assisted by 1 pole and the sides inclined like an upturned aVa shape or assisted by 1 pole with the wire inclined in the position that you like the signal to go. These antennas are so simple to tune, design, and install and are so popular with starting operators of ham radio. Wire antennas could be so complex with a lot of pieces of wire, coils, signal traps, tuner and insulators components.

Such antennas are the commonly used Ham Radio Antennas types. Antenna tuning, design, and installation could use a lot of the operator's time, but it is so rewarding when these signals come in and out where you like them to, with the utmost power transfer.

IF DSP First in its class.

Digital IF filter, manual notch filter, digital twin PBT and more. The latest digital features are incorporated in this compact radio from two DSP chips that deliver superior processing performance. Of course, those features work on all ham bands, from HF to the 70cm band.

AGC loop performance controlled by DSP

You will never experience AGC pumping from a signal filtered out by the DSP system. The digital IF filter and manual notch filter are inside the AGC loop, so you will not encounter AGC blocking. The AGC time constants are flexibly adjustable from slow, middle, fast (or AGC-off) for each operating mode.

Digital IF filters

All the filters you want at your fingertips! You will never have to purchase "Optional" filters as the IC-7000 has adjustable digital filters. You just dial in the width you want and select whether you want a sharp or soft filter shape for SSB and CW modes. Then to pull-in the the weak ones, with a quick turn of the concentric twin PBT knobs, you can either narrow the IF passband, or shift the entire passband to eliminate the QRM.

2-point MNF (Manual notch filter)

Pull out the weak signals in crowded band conditions with Icom's NEW two-point MNF (manual notch filter). Apply 70 dB of rejection to two signals at once! Notch width is adjustable-wide, medium, and narrow - and an auto-tuning notch filter is available, too.

Digital noise reduction

Noise reduction reduces background noise and improves signal-to-noise ratio. The noise reduction level is adjustable in 16 steps. It improves the readability of voice and data signals.

Digital noise blanker

The noise blanker reduces pulse-type noise such as engine ignition and sparking. The NB level and width (blanking duration) are adjustable in 100 steps.

35W output in 70cm band

High power MOS-FET amps supply 35W output power on 430/440MHz band as well as 100W on HF/50MHz bands and 50W on 144MHz. It provides stable, high quality output with low IMD and low spurious emissions even during high duty cycle and extended operation.

High stability crystal unit

The IC-7000 incorporates a high-stability master oscillator, providing 0.5ppm (-0°C to +50°C). A must for data mode operation.

DDS (Direct digital synthesizer) circuit

Icom's original DDS (Direct digital synthesizer) circuit improves the C/N ratio, providing a clear, clean transmit signal in all bands.

Compact, all in one package

The IC-7000 sheds 20mm (25/32 in) of depth compared with the IC-706MKIIG. Its compact body is easy for carrying outdoors or mobile operation.

User-friendly key allocation

Eight of the most-used radio functions such as NB, NR, MNF, and ANF are controlled by dedicated function keys grouped around the display for easy visibility. One quick touch turns the function on and off. A longer touch activates adjustment of the function-s setting.

Digital voice recorder (DVR)

Record your callsign, CQ, or other information in 4 transmit playback memories with alphanumeric labels. A total of 90 seconds is available for the four memories. A front panel REC control allows you to record incoming signals for up to 25 minutes (99 channels)*. The DVR makes portable contesting or mini-expeditions a breeze!
* Up to 120 seconds per channel

Built-in RTTY demodulator

The RTTY demodulator and decoder are built-in. External units and PC are no longer required for decoding. The twin peak audio filter reduces interfering signals overlapping the tones and the tuning indicator helps you zero-in with accurate tuning.

Remote control microphone, HM-151

The HM-151 has a 10-keypad for quick channel selection. The triple band tacking register memorizes the last three frequencies and modes used on each band. Push the band button once to three times to recall the channel setting. The F-1 and F-2 buttons are programmable as shortcut menus of your often used functions.

2.5 inch color TFT display

The 2.5 inch color TFT display presents numbers and indicators in bright, concentrated colors for easy recognition. You can choose from 3 background colors and 2 font styles to suit your preference, in addition to a large operating frequency readout. And more, the Video output jack on the rear panel allows you to view a magnified display on an external monitor*.
* 3.5(d) mm monaural cable is required for connection.

SSB transmit bandwidth adjustable

The SSB transmit bandwidth is selectable from 100, 200, 300, 500Hz at the high-pass edge, and 2500, 2700, 2800, 2900Hz at the low-pass edge respectively. 3 types of high and low combinations can be set in the quick set mode.

Ham Radio and Antique Radio Collectors are growing in numbers. The old radios 00004000 from years ago become more valuable with age and the selection is getting smaller and smaller.

Collecting Ham Radio Equipment is much like collection old cars. Remember the first car you had and how you wish you could have another one just like it now? The same goes for Shortwave Radio's. Many Hams when they started in radio back in the 60's are now trying to rebuild their first stations.

Visiting Hamfests and Flea Markets is a good source for these old or as a Ham would call it, Boatanchor Radios" meaning heavy and tube type receivers and transmitters. Lots of people shop and search on ebay looking for the best bargin however you need to be careful with what you buy on ebay. Many sellers will sell things knowing they are not working so be ready to do a little repair work if you want to get some of them working. An easy and fast way to search for Used ham Radio is at www.hamradiofinder.com they have made it simple and easy to search for equipment. there are also many Ham Radio Classified sites on the internet and usually have new ads being posted everyday. My favorite site is www.hamkey.com because you can list what your searching for on their site and when someone lists what your seeking, their system will send you email within seconds of the item being listed. Its always nice to be the first one to respond to an ad for a very rare piece of equipment. I can't tell you how many times I have called on ads and were told it was sold just before I called. How I wish I was the first one to know it was posted.

No matter what your looking for you are sure to find it in todays worlds of ebay, online classified ads and all the flea markets operating around the country.

Have fun in your search for that old radio you used to operate.

The use of radio on dangerous missions of exploration is not just a safety issue. Explorers learned quickly that regular news reports created public interest in their expedition making it easier to raise funds for the future. This had been illustrated by one of the early expeditions to the Arctic, the Macmillan expedition.

In the mid 20's with the great depression looming, raising money for Arctic exploration wasn't easy, but the public imagination was captured when transmissions from the Macmillan expedition were received, not by a carefully setup ground station, but by Arthur Collins, a 15 year old radio amateur from Iowa who then relayed their information to Washington.

One participant in the McMillan expedition was Richard E Byrd who claimed (some have disputed his account) to have been one of first men to fly over the North Pole.

In 1928 Byrd set off on an expedition to the Antarctic and in 1929 became one of the first men to fly over the South Pole. His expedition was the first under the American flag since 1840 and was recognizably modern, making use of planes, cameras and snow mobiles as well as the all important radio communications equipment.

News of his polar flight and the discovery of Marie Byrd land (which he named after his wife) stimulated American interest; his regular (Morse code) broadcasts also made a genuine difference to Byrd's fund raising for his next expedition. Over $150,000 was raised, most in the form of gifts from thousands of donors all providing small amounts.

Byrd, a descendant of John Rolfe and Pocahontas, had first hand knowledge of the power of publicity so he sold newspaper and photographic rights as well as advertising on his newest initiative; weekly voice broadcasts broadcasts from 'Little America' the base he had established on the first expedition. His ability to organize was remarkable, his first two expeditions to Antarctica being completely funded and organized by him with no official government involvement.

The first voices from Antarctica were heard on 1st February 1934 and thereafter a weekly broadcast was sent out on the CBS network. On March 28th the final tractors left the site of the expedition's advanced base where the plan called for Admiral Byrd to remain alone throughout the Antarctic winter. The sun set on April 19th leaving the Admiral alone in the cold and the dark, the rest of his team over 123 deadly miles away, but securely connected to him by radio.

His schedule called for meteorological observations every day and three radio calls a week to Little America. Four months of darkness also provided an ideal opportunity for observations of the aurora, but things did not go well. The hut at advanced base was not properly ventilated and over time Byrd was affected by carbon-monoxide poisoning. He collapsed during the radio call of May 31st and remained extremely ill for more than a month. His radio transmissions deteriorated and became 'unusual' alerting Little America to the situation.

Attempts at rescue at the height of the Antarctic winter failed at first, however the doctor and two others finally reached advanced base on August 10th, by which time Byrd had been ill and alone for more than four months. He was too weak for the journey back to Little America and so his rescuers remained at Advanced camp until October 12th when the Antarctic Spring made it possible to fly the Admiral to safety.

It is likely that without rescue Admiral Byrd would have died at advanced camp. Despite the fact that his health never fully recovered from the ordeal, and his self-esteem took a severe blow he owed his life, as well as his now heroic reputation to radio.

After much thought, you have made the decision to obtain your Ham Radio license. What steps do you need to follow now to verify that you have what you need in order to start broadcasting and transeiving on your new ten meter radio?

There are three different types of licenses that you can obtain and two of them have specific requirements in order to obtain them. The first license is the Technician’s License. This license has few requirements one of which is passing a short test in order to confirm that you understand how to broadcast properly. The other license is the General license, and the third is the Extra Class license.

In order to start your journey into the world of Ham radios, it is suggested that one start with the first license while learning how to properly broadcast over the FCC regulated airwaves. The Technician’s license was designed to cover this situation. You don’t need to qualify beyond one 35 question multiple choice test that evaluates your basic understanding of how to operate a radio. Almost anyone can now qualify for this test and it is free because it is sponsored by the government.

The second license is the General license. This license is a little harder to obtain, because you need to learn to transmit Morse code at a rate of 5 words a minute. The general license allows you to broadcast on a wider band than the Technician class license. You are allowed to broadcast over 27 bands and you will be allowed to use two meter and 10 meter radios. Two meter radios allow you to be mobile while ten meter radios are meant to be stationary.

Our third license is the Extra class category. A license like this allows you to broadcast over the available service bands and facilitates the use of the radios that are available to amateur radio operators. Again, this license is free to the public with minimal testing and a Morse code rate of 5 wpm.

Choosing the proper radio is also very important for your new hobby. A two meter hand held radio is an inexpensive way to stay in contact with your other ham radio buddies while you are on the go. You can transmit from your boat, your car, or from your favorite lakeside fishing spot. 10 meter radios are made by a variety of manufacturers and are offered at a wide range of prices, depending on the features that you choose. The prices range form 150 dollars for the two meter hand held to 800 dollars for the top of the line home base 10 meter radios.

Choosing to become a radio operator is a very simple decision. It is a fun and exciting way to stay in touch with the world and can actually prove to be a life saver in emergencies. Another option is to start small with a handheld or portable device. These radios do not cost much and you can get a lot of bang for your buck.

Ham Radio Outlet

Although a ham radio outlet can be a challenge to find, the effort necessary to find one is well worth the effort. There are so many ham radios available that withouth tracking down a ham radio outlet it will be difficult to decide which one is the ultimate ham radio for you. In addition you are sure to find a better price at a ham radio outlet than you will find anywhere else. I highly recommend using an online ham radio outlet such as this one however since the overhead is typically much lower for an online ham radio outlet than you will find in a brick and mortar style ham radio store.

Now in your quest for a ham radio outlet be sure to consider the Ebays and the Amazons of the world since there are not only used ham radios available there, but new ones as well. No matter what you seek you are sure to find a ham radio outlet that can supply what you need. Not only will you need a ham radio outlet to supply your 2 meter or radio that operates on another band but you'll need an antenna, pehaps an amplifier, an antenna tuner or even books that can aid you in your effort to acquire your ham radio license. If you poke around here you ar
e sure to find a ham radio outlet that has everything you need to set up your station.

We have even acquired a ham radio outlet in various locations for particular pieces of equipment that you'll be on the lookout for. Just be sure that the ham radio outlet you choose has a good reputation and the ability to allow you to return your equipment if you are not satisfied once it arrives. Don't underestimate the importance of this trait in your ham radio outlet since there are many issue that could arise causing you to want to return your equipment. If your ham radio outlet does not allow you to ruturn your merchandise than you are at the mercy of the gamble of the equipment being up to par sight unseen.

Now that we have discussed the importance of a good ham radio outlet youll be better prepared to make the decision as to what to look for in a ham radio outlet. This will ideally set you on a path of satisfaction when you decide which ham radio outlet to utilze. Once you have gained confidence in this ham radio outlet, subsequent purchases will create an even lowe level of stress as the process of ordering through this particular ham radio outlet will be well known by you.