HF - Now or never

I am now determined to get an HF radio and antenna setup this year after putting it off for to long. The last couple weeks (really years) I have been researching what to purchase and have a goal to have a setup by the end of summer. When I first got my Amateur radio certificate back in 2014 I was living in a condo high rise on the 3rd floor and was a little unsure or intimidated on getting setup for HF. I sold my condo in 2015 and now have a 4 story townhouse but I keep putting off getting things setup. My main hang up is what to do for the antenna. The townhouse is a free hold so I am free to do what I want but there is no back yard and the deck/patio is located over the garage. There is also a small balcony located on the 4th floor. I have done lots of reading about stealth antennas and about magnetic loops which seems to be a popular choice for situations like this. I have also looked into using the smart tuner SGC SG-237 and wire loop which could be a good option. SGC has a number of guides that outline stealth antennas that would work for my space.

SGC Stealth Book

SGC Stealth Kit

So instead of continuing to think about it and whether it will work or not I am just going to try. 

This is what I have decided on at this point:

Radio: ICOM IC-7300 but the new Flex-6400M looks so cool.

Power Supply: ASTRON RS-35M

Antenna: SGC SG-237 and wire loop

Updates

Thanks to Bob for showing me the club station and helping me make my first HF contact on 10 Meters to Barbados. I must say there is still a lot to learn but it is exciting.

I also decided to take the 10 week advanced class that M.A.R.C. is running and went to the first class on Monday.

Been researching HF radios and I like the looks and features of the new Kenwood TS-590SG. Doesn't have a fancy touch screen and display like some other radios in its price range like the Yaesu FTDX1200. But looking at it and reading reviews of the previous model people like the user interface. I will have to go to the local dealer and take a look to make a final decision.

Morse Code

Over the last few weeks I've been thinking about studying for the Advanced Qualification and I have decided to hold off on it until I have some experience under my belt. I think learning morse code is a better next step at this point and required to get into CW next year.

So far I have been using the Koch Trainer app on my iPhone. And once I get through all the levels I will try listening to W1AW code practice transmissions.

Koch Trainer Website

Koch Trainer on iTunes App Store

W1AW Code Practice Files

Three months as a Ham

It has been over 3 months since I passed the basic amateur radio exam and earned a "Basic with Honours" certificate at the end of August. I was proud that I scored 98 but I had been studying since February/March which paid off. I used a combination of the following study resources:

• Canadian Amateur Radio Basic Qualification Study Guide 8th Edition.
• Hamstudy.com
• Custom iPhone app I wrote to study the basic question bank. I did this because the question bank was updated after I started studying and the one iPhone app available was using the old questions and still does even today.

Shortly after passing I went out and bought an ICOM ID-51 and got right into using D-Star and checking into some of the weekly nets. I checked out a couple of the amateur radio clubs in the area and joined the Mississauga Amateur Radio Club in November. 

I currently live in a condo which brings with it all the restrictions/limitations of what I can do. The good thing is there are many other hams out there in my situation and have documented their shack details. I plan to move in 2015 but there will always be some restrictions living in the city but these limitations make it more exciting.

There are so many things that interest me. This is a list for 2015:

• HF - Hope to get my feet wet in 2015.
• CW - Just started learning morse code.
• Field Day - Looking forward to taking part in Field Day 2015
• Hamvention 2015 - I went to Dayton for Hamvention 2014

Things in general that I look forward to experimenting with:

• Solar/Battery power
• Digital Modes
• SDR

I am sure the lists will change over time.