KK4AMI Finally got his HF/6m Transceiver

[KK4AMI]

I sold off some of my scanners and my old Cubic RT-1131. Had enough money to get an ALINCO DX-70T in cherry condition and a Chinese MegaWatt S-350-13.5 Switching Power Supply. I think I just entered the Amateur Radio Hobby the cheapest way I could go. I liked the DX-70T over the DX-70TH because I can still get the PA Transistors (2SC2904). The DX-70TH uses the MRF255 which is pretty much extinct!

[N8YX]

Excellent! Who ended up with the Cubic?

[KG4CGC]

How long before you are ... OTA!?

[KK4AMI]

A Guy at the Manassas Hamfest. He might be getting in touch with you. He's looking all over the internet for help. I decided to dump it because the DX-70 has tons of info and mods on the internet!

[KK4AMI]

I have a shortwave listeners antenna, gotta change that and I'm waiting for the power supply in the mail. About a week I guess.

[ki4itv]

Hey-that thing has 6m.
You should see if you can catch the Central Va 6m SSB net www.50215.net (http://www.50215.net/) in the mornings. Somebody usually starts asking for early checkins just after 7am local time. I'll typically say hi at least once a week, and usually right before the net starts...

It's not uncommon to have a few checkins from your area. There is (or was?) also a 6m repeater set up in Buckingham county somewhere....

Give us a shout if you can and will. :)

[KG4CGC]

Canj you get your hands on an antenna tuner or are comfortable with building one?
Might be easier to just throw up a couple of monoband dipoles or dual band dipoles.
You might be able to cover 3 bands with a dipole cut for 20m. 40/20/10.
Keep the power output down to about 50%.

[KK4AMI]

I have a little MFJ-901B tuner that I used with my R-71 receiver. I'm thinking of changing my 134 ft center fed dipole into a 90 ft folded terminated dipole. Got the 4:1 Balun, extra copper wire, pvc spacers, and termination resistors. All I need is gumption to put it together and hang it!

[KG4CGC]

I call antenna hanging, Squirrel Fishing.

[W2NAP]

alinco not to bad. I wouldnt trust anything Chinese

[KK4AMI]

I call antenna hanging, Squirrel Fishing.

You know it. Baitcasting Rod, 1/2 ounce weight and 12 lb test.

[KK4AMI]

alinco not to bad. I wouldnt trust anything Chinese

I was kind of wondering about the power supply as well, but there were nothing but good things to say about it in the eham. reviews. I'm going to add a cheap voltmeter to it to track voltage. You can't beat a 13.5 Volt 32 Amp supply for $55 including shipping.

[NQ6U]

Apparently, the rig has a problem with diodes on the filter board going bad. If you notice problems with poor RX sensitivity and low TX output on HF while 6m seems fine, the diodes are most likely the culprit. Luckily, it's not too hard to fix.

[KK4AMI]

Apparently, the rig has a problem with diodes on the filter board going bad. If you notice problems with poor RX sensitivity and low TX output on HF while 6m seems fine, the diodes are most likely the culprit. Luckily, it's not too hard to fix.

I read about some of that stuff. That is what I like about this radio, it's well documented on the Internet. I could not find squat on that old Cubic RT-1131. I'm even going to pick up spare parts for the Alinco, including a matched pair of 2SC2904s. Plus the DX-70 is easily modified to include the 60 meter band.

[PA5COR]

^good luck with the new radio ;)
Hope it will sefve you for lots of troublefree years to come.

[KG4CGC]

So what ended up happening?

[KK4AMI]

I moved the Alinco into my truck with an LDG AT100PROII and two whips, one for 10 to 80m, and one whip for 6m. I can't say it works anywhere near as well as it did as a base station, but I just listen most of the time. My home station is now a TenTec Argonaut V on an 102 ft center fed doublet.

[KC2UGV]

Excellent! I think I'm the only one around these parts with no 6M ability. Must soon rectify that.

[N8YX]

Excellent! I think I'm the only one around these parts with no 6M ability. Must soon rectify that.
I've worked a number of modest (50w, 3-6el directional antenna) Buffalo-area 6M SSB stations over the years during contests. I'd even venture a guess that you and Tim (suddenseer) could make a go of it on FM simplex, given the terrain between Euclid and Buffalo.

[KK4AMI]

I've worked a number of modest (50w, 3-6el directional antenna) Buffalo-area 6M SSB stations over the years during contests. I'd even venture a guess that you and Tim (suddenseer) could make a go of it on FM simplex, given the terrain between Euclid and Buffalo.

No, No, No. Modest is 10w into a 54 inch whip. Repeaters are my best friends if I can find one on 6 meters.

[W2NAP]

Excellent! I think I'm the only one around these parts with no 6M ability. Must soon rectify that.

i dont have 6m ether... course dont have HF anymore as well. only time i got to work 6 was couple field days ago at a local club

[N8YX]

No, No, No. Modest is 10w into a 54 inch whip.

Not on SSB it isn't. That setup would be termed "ineffective" due to polarity-difference losses between it and the fixed stations.

Even a full-wave horizontal loop is far better for 6M (or 2M) SSB than a vertical at the same height.

[KK4AMI]

Not on SSB it isn't. That setup would be termed "ineffective" due to polarity-difference losses between it and the fixed stations.

Even a full-wave horizontal loop is far better for 6M (or 2M) SSB than a vertical at the same height.

Nah, 6 meters is about as far as I plan to venture into the world of VHF. I would use it on FM/AM for local stuff. Mostly just listening now. Hard to go horizontal on my truck.

[KA9MOT]

I have a little MFJ-901B tuner that I used with my R-71 receiver. I'm thinking of changing my 134 ft center fed dipole into a 90 ft folded terminated dipole. Got the 4:1 Balun, extra copper wire, pvc spacers, and termination resistors. All I need is gumption to put it together and hang it!

Better late than never....

There is nothing wrong with that 134? foot OCF Dipole. I run one here (130 Feet). It allows me to operate 80-6M, and does a very good job.... Not so good on 10M and 6M, but works.

[N8YX]

Hard to go horizontal on my truck.
It's actually fairly easy. Let me point you to some material later this evening.

[KG4CGC]

It's actually fairly easy. Let me point you to some material later this evening.

I recall what I referred to as a laundry basket antenna for 2&6m ssb mobile.

[W3WN]

It's actually fairly easy. Let me point you to some material later this evening.I miss my Saturn HALO antenna!

No, really. I tried running 6 meter AM back... well, quite aways back... had one of those mounted on the back bumper of my AMC Ambassador (only car I could afford at the time). Made it easy to find in mall parking lots!

[KG4CGC]

I miss my Saturn HALO antenna!

No, really. I tried running 6 meter AM back... well, quite aways back... had one of those mounted on the back bumper of my AMC Ambassador (only car I could afford at the time). Made it easy to find in mall parking lots!

The Ambassador ... was that the Matador's uglier cousin?

[KA9MOT]

The Ambassador ... was that the Matador's uglier cousin?


BOOOOOOO!!!! HISS!!!!!!!! I had a 1967 AMC Ambassador SST in the late 70s. It looked nothing like a Matador. More like a cross between a Galaxie and a Coronet. Mine was black with red stripes, with Keystone Klassics all around. It had a cammed up 343 V8 with headers and a big Holley Double Pumper.... The damn thing was beautiful and ran like a raped ape. After that I had 3 AMC Javelins. 1 an AMX. I miss AMC!

[KK4AMI]

I like my Chameleon V2L Whip and Stainless 6 meter whip. They are about as invisible as you can get. Although lately VDOT is saving money by not trimming trees over the roads around here. My whips have been whacking a lot of branches and leaves lately. Its a great wake up call for an old driver.

[W3WN]

The Ambassador ... was that the Matador's uglier cousin?It was a 1974 Ambassador 4 door sedan, bright red. I nicknamed it the Cherry Bomb. But it was $500, back when that was real money, and the best I could afford at the time.

Pretty, it wasn't. (I really wanted a Mustang at the time -- although the only things I could find where the Mustang II's, which esthetically speaking when compared to the original, sucked. Probably just as well, I really couldn't afford one anyway).

Somewhere, I have a Polaroid of me sitting in that thing, talking on my HW-2036A (which I still have), with my GF (now XYF) posing in front of the car. On second thought, I think that picture is going to stay right where it is, not to see the light of day ever again.

But if you want to talk about an UGLY AMC car, I have a better candidate for you:

Gremlin

[KA9MOT]

It was a 1974 Ambassador 4 door sedan, bright red. I nicknamed it the Cherry Bomb. But it was $500, back when that was real money, and the best I could afford at the time.

Pretty, it wasn't. (I really wanted a Mustang at the time -- although the only things I could find where the Mustang II's, which esthetically speaking when compared to the original, sucked. Probably just as well, I really couldn't afford one anyway).

Somewhere, I have a Polaroid of me sitting in that thing, talking on my HW-2036A (which I still have), with my GF (now XYF) posing in front of the car. On second thought, I think that picture is going to stay right where it is, not to see the light of day ever again.

But if you want to talk about an UGLY AMC car, I have a better candidate for you:

Gremlin

Awe.. the Gremlin was only ugly from the back. The Matador was even uglier than the Pacer. In the movie Cars II so many of the "Lemons" were AMCs..... It was distressing.

[N8YX]

The Javelin - with the proper motor - was a different animal altogether.

[KK4AMI]

If I remember correctly all Nor-Easter AMCs looked the same after about 4 years. Rust and Bondo being the primary color. None of them took well to road salt in the winter.

[ka4dpo]

The Javelin - with the proper motor - was a different animal altogether.

A good friend of mine had one, a 68 I think, with a 390 in it and it was pretty fast. I had a 67 390 Mustang that would smoke it in a drag race, it was lighter and the Ford motor would wind up quicker than the AMC iron.

[W3WN]

Awe.. the Gremlin was only ugly from the back. The Matador was even uglier than the Pacer. In the movie Cars II so many of the "Lemons" were AMCs..... It was distressing.The Gremlin always looked like a car that had been sawed in half and had a half-assed butt welded onto it.

The Pacer, IMHO, wasn't so much ugly (which it was) but odd. Very odd.

[KA9MOT]

My 72 Javelin AMX had a 401 with a 4 speed and I'm not sure there was much on the road at that time that could challenge it. My buddy Kyle's 68 Camaro (327/4 Speed) couldn't come close.

BTW, for those of you who might wonder..... The AMC AMX (1968-1970) was a Javelin that they cut 12 inches out of the middle, and was a 2 seater. All AMXs after that were Javelin AMX (engine and styling package) and were no longer called the AMC AMX. I always wanted the AMC AMX. A buddy of mine had a 1970 Rebel Machine (Factory Hot Rodded Ambassador) with a 390/4 Speed and the gauges were located on the back side of the hood scoop......it was very cool.

[ka4dpo]

My 72 Javelin AMX had a 401 with a 4 speed and I'm not sure there was much on the road at that time that could challenge it. My buddy Kyle's 68 Camaro (327/4 Speed) couldn't come close.

BTW, for those of you who might wonder..... The AMC AMX (1968-1970) was a Javelin that they cut 12 inches out of the middle, and was a 2 seater. All AMXs after that were Javelin AMX (engine and styling package) and were no longer called the AMC AMX. I always wanted the AMC AMX. A buddy of mine had a 1970 Rebel Machine (Factory Hot Rodded Ambassador) with a 390/4 Speed and the gauges were located on the back side of the hood scoop......it was very cool.

Those are still cool if you could find one but there don't seem to be many of them around. I wouldn't mind having one, it would be a great project car.