HF Equipment

Basic Equipment to Get On The Air with HF Radio 1.  A transceiver radio      -  Most new ones range in price from $600 to $5,000 2.  An antenna      -  $20 (do-it-yourself wire dipole) to $500 + + +      -  Antenna systems range from very simple to extremely complex and expensive. Complexity and expense have little relationship to how efficiently it transmits signals. Different needs (eg portability, multi-band, shape and size, directional vs non-directional) dictate decisions about which to get. A simple dipole is a good start. 3.  A DC power supply with at least 20 Amp continuous capacity      - $50 to $125      -  Some say a “switching power supply” is not recommended as it may produce some interference noise in your receiver. Others disagree. 4.  Battery power for portable work      - $100 to $160      -  Lithium-Iron-Phosphate types (LiFePO) are excellent for small size, light weight, steady discharge, long shelf life between charges (available in sizes approx. 6”x4”x2”). 5.  Antenna “Tuner” (AKA: antenna matching unit, or antenna coupler) to match antenna/transmission line impedances to the 50 ohm output of radio      -  up to about $150      -  Dedicated tuners are needed for most multi-band antennas. Some transceivers have built-in tuners, but most are limited in capacity for handling large mismatches between antenna and chosen frequency. 6.  Transmission Line      -  Some common ones in order of expense and inverse order of loss: RG58 (least expensive), RG8X (some referred to as “LMR240”), RG8 (some referred to as “LMR400”)      -  Loss on HF frequencies is less than on VHF/UHF frequencies. If transmission line is under 100 ft. long, loss (dB/100 ft) is not significant      -  For portability RG58 or RG8X may be best (lighter, thinner and more flexible). 7.  Accessories (optional)      -  CW key, headphones, mic, log book, connectors, amplifier and other “stuff”. The information on this page is provided courtesy of Pete Harris, KE6ZIW. Images on this page are courtesy of Wikipedia.