Recent content by CW Spook

We're still 2 or 3 years away from the bottom of Solar Cycle 24, which has been the weakest in recent times. As we go into the summer, there will be occasional Sporadic E 10-11 meter skip openings, of the type being described, but long-term band openings above 14 Mhz will be very scarce for the...

Mic gain on the 447 is concentric with the power level control, just right of the band switch. It might be that the roger beep is controled by one of the switches on the concentric control for echo gain and delay next to the channel selector, but it's not so described in the manual and I...

No Roger Beep switch on the radio, just in the programming. It's either off, or on with your choice of about 7 different beeps. I hate beeps so I have mine turned off. You can also turn off or on the ASQ, a display of the squelch level, and an automatic display of SWR when you key the Mike...

There are no menu and band 'buttons' on the 447HPC2, nor is there a menu function on the radio. It's all switches. Just load the programming software, choose "HF" and write to the radio. In software you can also select automatic SWR monitoring, ASQ, CTCSS if you've installed the optional...

The frequency mod is done with the programming software available on the Stryker website. You will need their USB cable as well. It's about $12 shipped.

You pays your money and you takes your choice. A few meters of antenna are hard to string up indoors in a motel, or from the balcony of a resort condo, but they can definitely be more effective if you have the room to string them.

The SWR ruler is just for giving an approximate setting for the coil when you change bands. It's a starting point for fine tuning what is "Super" about the antenna is its portability. I have one, and the entire system packs into my Wilderness Radio backpack bag with my FT-817 and all of its...