I'm Excited!

[Keith Thompson]

Just came home today from Ham Radio Outlet in Salem, NH, with a brand-new Icom IC-7300 in the backseat. They also fixed me up with a power supply and a 140' dipole antenna. Now the challenge is to string the antenna between two trees on my heavily-wooded lot and hope I can make contact.

Still three weeks before I sit for my license exam, so till then I'll be listen-only, but the guys at the store assured me I can learn a lot from just listening to how other hams conduct communications. It'll also give me a chance to familiarize myself with the controls and the menus.

Gonna be fun.

 

[Tallman]

Just came home today from Ham Radio Outlet in Salem, NH, with a brand-new Icom IC-7300 in the backseat. They also fixed me up with a power supply and a 140' dipole antenna. Now the challenge is to string the antenna between two trees on my heavily-wooded lot and hope I can make contact.

Still three weeks before I sit for my license exam, so till then I'll be listen-only, but the guys at the store assured me I can learn a lot from just listening to how other hams conduct communications. It'll also give me a chance to familiarize myself with the controls and the menus.

Gonna be fun.

You are going to have some fun! Nice radio too! How many bands can you tune into with the 140' dipole?

 

[RoadRanger]

Nice radio
Good Luck on your Exam.

 

[Keith Thompson]

You are going to have some fun! Nice radio too! How many bands can you tune into with the 140' dipole?

That's a good question. At the store we did some rough calculations and this dipole is a bit longer than it should be. I was basically drinking from a firehose for the hour and forty-five minutes they spent with me, so I don't remember what band he was calculating for.

It'll take some experimentation to find out, since I'm totally new at this. The first trick will be to get it up high enough using the trees surrounding the house on my wooded lot.

The second obstacle will be when my wife realizes what I'm about to do. I suspect clearing the first hurdle will be easiest.

UPDATE: the antenna package says 160-10 Meters, 140' and handles a full kW on all bands.

 

[Keith Thompson]

Nice radio
Good Luck on your Exam.

Thanks. It's a lot to absorb. I'm checking in with a very active local club at their meeting early next month, so I'm hoping to get some advice and help.

 

[Tallman]

What is the antenna make and model? Also you can put up a fan dipole that would be resonant on multiple bands. The antenna you bought might have a matching network that will resonate on multiple bands.

 

[w9cll]

How many bands can you tune into with the 140' dipole?

All HF bands...with a tuner

 

[Keith Thompson]

What is the antenna make and model? Also you can put up a fan dipole that would be resonant on multiple bands. The antenna you bought might have a matching network that will resonate on multiple bands.

The antenna is a Cobra UltraLite, manufactured in Northwood, NH, so they're local. Ham Radio Outlet had one strung behind their store and seemed pleased with its performance. The model I have is the UltraLight Senior (160-10 meters, 140'). According to the package, it covers more bands than G5RV, black marine ABS insulator blocks, center or end supported, handles a full kW on all bands, stainless hardware. Says it goes up fast and easy on trees (we'll see about that; got lotsa trees). It's still in the package, but looks like the horizontal portion is three-wire, with a ladder-line in the middle.

The gentleman in the store mentions adding a shorter piece in a shallow V to aid in additional bands. That might be an option in the future, but right now I want to keep it simple while I'm learning and just get licensed and on the air.

 

[Tallman]

Nice! Maybe when you get your ticket we can make contact on the air.

 

[Keith Thompson]

Nice! Maybe when you get your ticket we can make contact on the air.

I look forward to it.

 

[w9cll]

It will require a tuner for proper operation. Per their website:
Do I Need a Tuner?
All Cobras require a tuner. In most installations, the auto-tuner built into your transceiver should provide sufficient tuning range. Because the Cobra presents a balanced load, we recommend installing a 4:1 current-style balun at the station end of the feedline (many external tuners provide a built-in balun).

 

[2RT307]

Congrats on the new rig and antenna, and best of luck on your exam! I have a friend that had ran a Cobralite for many years, and I think his was the jr. He told me it worked very well with his tuner, but that 80 meters was quite a stretch, and performance was so-so. 40 and up worked great for him. If I remember right, he had it up for about 12 years with only a couple of minor repairs, and only recently changed to an end fed multi bander due to a new qth.

I think you will be pleased with your antenna and rig combo. The Cobralite is pretty stealthy, but the ladder line may not make your wife happy.

73, and welcome to the hobby!
Brett

 

[Keith Thompson]

It will require a tuner for proper operation. Per their website:
Do I Need a Tuner?
All Cobras require a tuner. In most installations, the auto-tuner built into your transceiver should provide sufficient tuning range. Because the Cobra presents a balanced load, we recommend installing a 4:1 current-style balun at the station end of the feedline (many external tuners provide a built-in balun).

Appreciate the feed back. The Icom IC-7300 has a pretty decent antenna tuner built in and the store supplied me with a balun, so I'm sure it's adequate for the antenna (haven't taken it out of the box yet). If the internal tuner isn't adequate, then I'll add an external tuner as necessary.

 

[Keith Thompson]

Congrats on the new rig and antenna, and best of luck on your exam! I have a friend that had ran a Cobralite for many years, and I think his was the jr. He told me it worked very well with his tuner, but that 80 meters was quite a stretch, and performance was so-so. 40 and up worked great for him. If I remember right, he had it up for about 12 years with only a couple of minor repairs, and only recently changed to an end fed multi bander due to a new qth.

I think you will be pleased with your antenna and rig combo. The Cobralite is pretty stealthy, but the ladder line may not make your wife happy.

73, and welcome to the hobby!
Brett

Thanks for the info. Glad to know the store probably steered me in the right direction. I think this will be a good starter rig once I get it set up. I'll be checking in with a local club early next month and I'm sure they'll have plenty of help and advice as well.

Hope to start setting up soon, once I pick out a couple of candidates for the antenna from among the trees.

And you're right about the wife. She has only the vaguest clue what's coming. She hasn't yet spotted the long-line antenna I strung across the back yard from an upstairs window last night.

 

[firerunner]

Congrats on the new radio and getting your license. I have been looking at the cobra in the 73' length for a camping antenna . I think i can put it up in the length of my Motor Home in an inverted V. Like to hear how it works for you.