A Tri-Band Conversion of a More Modern Radio

I would like to share a literally untapped source of commercial SSB/CW transceivers that can be retrofitted as modern ham transceivers. 

It is no big secret that many commercial SSB radios can be made to work, and nicely I might add, on our ham bands. Yet there doesn't seem to be a lot of information on specific radios and details of the conversions. 

Radios that are great candidates often are the ones operating in the 2 to 12 MHz range and Crystal controlled. These are often really cheap, because they are not frequency agile, (read crystal controlled) and not on the top of the want list. Many Marine SSB radios are also good candidates and have direct frequency entry. SEA has marine radios listed on eBay and that cover from 80M through 15M and have the direct frequency entry. Don't overlook the Collins AN/PRC-47 which is that same 2-12MHz, 20 Watts, USB topology.

Eleven years ago, I spotted a Ten Tec Model 150A, 8 channel, 2-12 MHz SSB/CW radio for less than $100. It is a 100-watt radio, all solid state, has selectable sidebands and a noise blanker. It was in operational condition... I did the buy it now! 

The Manual for the Ten Tec Model 150A is HERE.

TT Model 150A W/N6QW Mods

SEA Marine SSB

SEA Direct Entry Radio

Northern Radio 12 CH Marine Band

Back to the Model 150A... This is not a conversion that can be undertaken by the typical newly minted/anointed 45 Minute Extra as you really have to have a significant background in electronics to be successful in the conversion. Let me explain.

The 1st approach was to have an 160/80/60/40/30/20 Meter radio under the control of a remote-control box as seen below. The box had an encoder and also you could up/down tune the radio using two of the keypad keys. The 8X2 LCD gave you all the info you needed to operate the radio. You could also choose the step tuning rate via the keypad.

Remote Control Box

This conversion had to be "engineered" as no one had done this before to this radio (as far as I know) and it was not some kit to be installed.

The tasks were many, starting first on how to generate the code for the digital LO so Key #1 = 160M and so on. Following that, how and where to inject the Digital LO and BFO signals into the Model 150A. 

Now the radio had 8 channels that you could select via a band switch (BSW). But that BSW also selected a bank of band pass filters so that position 1, liked the 2 MHz frequencies and position 8 was for the 12 MHz frequencies. A matrix in the manual identified the correlation. The first problem here was to take the Position 8 filter which maxed out at 12MHz and move that to 15MHz to cover 20M. Lots of time was spent with LT Spice to find the filter constants. I changed those constants while the boards were installed in the radio.

I mentioned that the Model 150A had selectable sideband (USB/LSB), there was even a front panel switch for that selection. But USB was standard for these commercial radios and LSB was optional. No, it was not a matter of finding a LSB BFO crystal as TT used the separate USB and LSB filters with a common BFO frequency. The Filter CF was around 12 MHz. I tried to find a 12MHz LSB filter... no luck. On a posting to a reflector one ham worked on commercial SSB products and he sent me a matching USB/LSB set of filters at 16MHz. I popped those in the radio but some of the IF stages couldn't be twizzled to cover 16MHz.

The Model 150A filters were not the stock ladder type you see in the Ten Tec ham radios but were from Network Sciences in Phoenix. A call to that company actually found the guy who designed the 12 MHz filters, and he told me that the filter was so good you could use two separate BFO frequencies... you just had to find them. I did and the Si5351 generates two BFO frequencies that are panel selected. 

I soon found that the remote-control box was like in the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner... an albatross around my neck. I 68'd the box. BTW the term 68 is from the Mafia. You bump the guy off and bury him 6 feet down and 8 feet away. 

The next step was to build the digital LO inside the Model 150A and make it a tri-band rig, 80/40/20M. The Model 150A had a front facing internal speaker which I removed and used that space for the Digital LO/BFO.

Tri-Band Model 150A

The board for VOX and CW was not installed, but I do have the schematic and could fab a board, but this is not a burning issue for me.

It is so nice to have a modern tri-band rig with amenities like selectable SSB, Noise Blanker, Digital LO, 100 watts and all solid state. The total bill after modifications was $150 including the radio. 

Them that know, can make it go. There is a 22-page document I prepared covering the nuts and bolts of how to convert the Model 150A. If you would like a copy, then send me an email to my QRZ.com address. This document has the LT Spice simulations and was made when the Keypad was the control medium.

If you read the document, then you will see that knowing the techie side of the hobby makes possible the creation of radios useful on today's bands and for little money. This is where ham radio started and the now "no need to know anything technical license" is killing the hobby. The Model 150A Remote Control Box adventure was the seed that enabled me to grow a Remote-Control Box for the Triton II as seen on the https://www.n6qw.com website.

73's

Pete N6QW

When Hams were Hams and not just operators/contesters!

At one time hams were experimenters. How do you think radio was invented? There was this Italian guy named Marconi who was an ardent experimenter. The story goes as he was expanding the range of transmissions (as there were no Baofeng UV5's at that time) he would send out assistants with receiving equipment and shot guns. As they moved further away from the transmitter, they would fire a shotgun to let Marconi know... I can still hear you! 

That spirit of experimentation lasted maybe 70 or 80 years until the ARRL came up with schemes like incentive licensing and giving away ham licenses. Essentially the ARRL forever changed ham radio and at the same time excised the experimenter aspect from the hobby. QST directly removed the techie side of the hobby from it pages and now if you want techie you have to go to QEX. The pages of QST are now filled with dribble about contests, operating and advertisements for radios made in the Far East.

Today I want to share an experimenter's story from the 1960's and it involves the Heathkit Monoband SSB transceivers. Some smart marketing guys at Heathkit produced the $100 SSB single band kit radio. Friend N2CQR shared his 1st appliance box SSB radio was an HW-32A, the 20 M version. When I was out on Midway Islands, the station on Eastern Island KM6CE ran a HW-32 into a 13 dB gain Rhombic Antenna pointed on the US... needless to say KM6CE was always heard stateside.

Now to the smart part, as an op if you wanted other bands, you spent another $100 and if you wanted triband you spent $300. That is until some experimenters realized that the main differences among the three versions were 4 coils... L2, L3, L5 and L4. If one somehow installed 3 band switches and then added the heterodyne crystals and second BFO crystal to any one of the monobanders plus have a set of all three coils of the L2-L5 you would have an instant Tri bander. Actually, the 80M version did not have an L5 nor a heterodyne crystal.

\

N6QW's Heathkit Tri-Band Transceiver

In fact, a limited run of modification kits was made by a 3rd party and now suddenly there was a Heathkit Tri-Band transceiver. It would be possible to just collect the parts, skip the kit and have at it. I spotted one of these Tri-Banders on eBay (It was less than just a Tech Special, as the term basket case was more like it). I got it for $50. It had a complete set of tubes. 

Short story long it was a basket case. But with a bit of magic, it is now working on receive on all bands and I managed to get 60 watts out on 80 and 40M and maybe 2 watts on 20M. One of the critical 20M coils has a stuck core and I can't get it to budge. The LSB signal on 40M sounds pinched and that I attribute to the BFO crystal as there is no trimmer to net the crystal. USB sounds FB. Kind of an interesting byproduct, as the radio has to use the USB BFO to produce LSB on 80M as the mixing process creates a sideband inversion. 

Beyond a basket case was one filthy radio. Two tribal knowledge tips: Ultrasonic jewelry cleaner for the knobs and Krud Kutter (a tip from N5OLA) for the font panel. Both available at Bozos (BoJack and Bezos).

Bottom line for the 1960's, it was an amazing feat. Today one of the SDR police on 40M complained about my restricted BW. Let us not lose site of the fact of the experimentation that was involved to create an "acceptable Tri-band radio" by 1960's standards. Bravo guys!

We are 14 months into the 2.0 presidency and so has anyone seen the new manufacturing revival. Has anyone asked the hard question how many manufacturing businesses have actually closed their doors since January 2025? BTW according to copilot about 50% all manufacturing businesses have 10 or less employees. The 2.0 tariff is a contributing factor.

Them that know can make things go! 

A Real Knack!!!!

73's

Pete N6QW

Nobody likes to hear the phrase I told you so. Well, here it is...

You have spent a most difficult 45 minutes taking the three ham license tests and you now are an Extra Class and then took another 5 minutes to apply for a Vanity call sign. Knowing nothing technical you now need a station so you can operate and participate in contests. Thankfully you have AI.

Today

What is the best selling commercially made ham radio set, best ham beam antenna, best ham wire antenna and best vertical antenna.

Here’s a clear, well‑organized breakdown of the best-selling and top‑rated ham radio gear based on current expert reviews, user ratings, and market popularity. I’ll also include a product carousel so you can explore the top options directly.

📡 Best-Selling Commercial Ham Radio Transceivers

Across multiple review sources and sales rankings, two models consistently dominate:

1. Icom IC‑7300 (Top HF/All‑Band Seller)

• Frequently ranked #1 in HF transceiver sales and reviews.

• Direct-sampling SDR architecture, excellent filtering, intuitive touchscreen.

• Extremely popular among both new and experienced operators.

Tri-Band Yaesu VX-6R Submersible Amateur Ham Radio Transceiver (144/222/440)

This product has a rating of 4.6 stars from 314 reviewers

4.6 (314)

Amazon.com

Current price: $284.60

$284.60

Baofeng UV-5R Dual-Band VHF/UHF Two-Way Ham Radio

This product has a rating of 4.7 stars from 40512 reviewers

4.7 (40.5K)

Power Output and color options available

Amazon.com

Current price: $29.99

$29.99

2. Yaesu FT‑991A (Top All‑Mode, All‑Band Choice)

• Covers HF/VHF/UHF with C4FM digital.

• Often bundled and highly rated in 2026 buyer guides.

• A favorite for operators wanting a single radio for everything.

3. Baofeng UV‑5R (Best-Selling Handheld Worldwide)

• Not the highest performance, but unquestionably the best-selling ham handheld globally due to price and accessibility.

🎯 Best Ham Beam Antennas (Yagi / Directional)

Beam antennas vary by band, but these models consistently top expert lists:

1. Diamond A144S5 (2m Yagi)

• High-gain, 5‑element aluminum Yagi.

• Frequently listed as a top performer for VHF base stations.

2. TWAYRDIO 2m/70cm Yagi

• 8‑element dual‑band beam with 9.5–11.5 dBi gain.

• Lightweight and easy to tune.

3. Optibeam / Momobeam HF Yagis (HF Premium Tier)

• For HF, brands like Optibeam and Momobeam dominate high‑end performance categories.

🧵 Best Ham Wire Antennas (HF)

Wire antennas remain the most cost‑effective and versatile HF solution.

1. End‑Fed Half‑Wave (EFHW) Antennas

• Brands like Par End‑Fedz, MyAntennas, and PackTenna are consistently top-rated.

• Multi‑band, easy to deploy, great for limited space.

2. Off‑Center‑Fed Dipoles (OCFD)

• Popular models from Buckmaster and Alpha Delta.

• Excellent multi‑band performance with minimal tuning.

3. Simple Resonant Dipoles

• Still among the most effective antennas per dollar.

• Recommended heavily for beginners.

📡 Best Vertical Ham Antennas (HF)

Verticals are ideal for limited space and omnidirectional coverage.

1. GOOZEEZOO / Wishcolor JPC‑12 (Portable HF Vertical)

• Editor’s Choice in multiple 2026 reviews.

• Covers 40–6m with low SWR and excellent portability.

Wishcolor JPC-12 Portable Shortwave HF Antenna for Ham Radio

This product has a rating of 4.5 stars from 143 reviewers

4.5 (143)

Amazon.com

Current price: $136.90

$136.90

2. JPC‑350 HF Vertical (80–6m)

• Expanded frequency coverage vs. JPC‑12.

• Highly rated for emergency and field use.

JPC-350 HF Vertical Antenna For Ham Radio 80-6 Meters, 100W Portable HF Radio Antenna 7Mhz-50Mhz 8-Band With Upgraded Slide Regulator, Suitable For

This product has a rating of 4.6 stars from 15 reviewers

4.6 (15)

Amazon.com

Current price: $219.00

$219.00

3. Hustler, DX Commander, and Butternut HF Verticals

• These brands dominate fixed‑station vertical performance categories.

📌 Summary Table

Category	Top Choice	Why It Stands Out
Best-Selling Radio	Icom IC‑7300	Market leader, SDR performance, user-friendly
Best Handheld Seller	Baofeng UV‑5R	Most purchased worldwide
Best Beam Antenna	Diamond A144S5	High gain, durable, widely recommended
Best Dual-Band Beam	TWAYRDIO 2m/70cm	High gain, lightweight
Best Wire Antenna	Par End‑Fedz EFHW	Multi‑band, easy setup
Best Vertical Antenna	JPC‑12	Portable, multi‑band, top-rated

If you want, I can also recommend the best setup for your specific operating style, such as HF DXing, VHF contesting, POTA/SOTA, or limited‑space home installations.

Limit the responses to HF bands only

Absolutely — narrowing this to HF‑only makes the picture much clearer. Below is a clean, HF‑focused breakdown of the best‑selling and most‑recommended HF transceivers, HF beam antennas, HF wire antennas, and HF verticals based on current expert reviews, amateur radio community consensus, and market popularity.

No VHF/UHF gear included.

📡 Best‑Selling HF Transceivers (Commercially Made)

These three dominate HF sales and reviews year after year:

1. Icom IC‑7300

• Widely regarded as the best‑selling HF transceiver of the past decade

• Direct‑sampling SDR, excellent filtering, intuitive touchscreen

• Extremely strong performance per dollar

2. Yaesu FT‑DX10

• Higher‑end HF SDR with superb close‑in dynamic range

• Often ranked #1 in performance shootouts

• Very popular among contesters and DXers

3. Yaesu FT‑991A (HF + VHF/UHF, but extremely popular for HF use)

• All‑band, all‑mode with strong HF performance

• A top seller for operators wanting a single radio for everything

🎯 Best HF Beam Antennas (Yagi / Directional)

1. Hexbeam (various manufacturers: K4KIO, NA4RR, DX Commander)

• The most popular HF directional antenna today

• Lightweight, small footprint, covers multiple HF bands

• Excellent gain and front‑to‑back ratio for the size

2. Optibeam HF Yagis

• Premium, high‑performance multi‑band Yagis

• Extremely rugged, contest‑grade engineering

• Used by many serious DX stations

3. Mosley TA‑33‑M

• A classic 3‑element tribander

• Decades‑long reputation for reliability

• Still one of the most widely installed HF beams

🧵 Best HF Wire Antennas

1. End‑Fed Half‑Wave (EFHW) — MyAntennas EFHW‑8010 / EFHW‑4010

• The most popular HF wire antenna today

• Multi‑band, easy to deploy, tuner often not required

• Excellent for limited‑space installations

2. Off‑Center‑Fed Dipole (OCFD) — Buckmaster OCF

• Very popular multi‑band HF wire

• Broad coverage with minimal tuning

• Extremely reliable and well‑built

3. Classic Resonant Dipole

• Still the best performance per dollar

• Simple, efficient, and predictable

• Ideal for single‑band HF performance

📡 Best HF Vertical Antennas

1. DX Commander Classic / Expedition

• The most popular multi‑band HF vertical system

• Uses multiple quarter‑wave elements

• Excellent efficiency and bandwidth

2. Hustler 6BTV / 4BTV

• A long‑time favorite for fixed HF stations

• Covers multiple HF bands with traps

• Very durable and widely supported

3. Butternut HF9V

• High‑performance multi‑band vertical

• Excellent efficiency for a trapped vertical

• Popular with DXers who can’t install a beam

📌 HF‑Only Summary Table

Category	Top Choice	Why
Best‑Selling HF Radio	Icom IC‑7300	Market leader, SDR, great price/performance
Best HF Beam	Hexbeam (K4KIO/NA4RR)	Multi‑band, compact, excellent gain
Best HF Wire Antenna	EFHW (MyAntennas)	Multi‑band, easy, extremely popular
Best HF Vertical	DX Commander	High efficiency, multi‑element vertical system

If you want, I can also tailor recommendations to your operating style (DXing, POTA, contesting, HOA restrictions, stealth setups, etc.) or your available space.

Add in the best ham HF Linear Amplifier

Here you go — adding the HF linear amplifier category rounds out the full HF‑only station lineup nicely. I’ll keep everything clean, organized, and focused strictly on HF gear.

🔥 Best HF Linear Amplifiers (Commercially Made)

Among HF operators, three amplifiers consistently dominate in sales, reputation, reliability, and performance. These are widely considered the top choices depending on budget and operating style.

⭐ 1. Elecraft KPA1500 — Top High‑End Solid‑State HF Amplifier

• 1500 W output, fully legal limit

• Automatic band switching

• Exceptionally quiet and efficient

• Works seamlessly with any HF transceiver

• Highly regarded for reliability and serviceability

Why it’s #1: It’s the most modern, operator‑friendly, and trouble‑free legal‑limit HF amplifier available today.

⭐ 2. ACOM 1500 / ACOM 1200S — Most Popular Worldwide

• ACOM 1500: 1500 W tube amplifier (3CX1500A7)

• ACOM 1200S: 1200 W solid‑state LDMOS

• Extremely rugged and tolerant of high SWR

• Very popular with contesters and DXers

Why it’s loved: ACOM amps are known for being nearly indestructible and forgiving — perfect for real‑world antennas.

⭐ 3. Ameritron AL‑80B — Best Value HF Linear Amplifier

• 800–1000 W output

• Uses a single 3‑500Z tube

• Affordable, simple, and easy to repair

• One of the best‑selling HF amps of all time

Why it’s iconic: It delivers near‑kilowatt performance at a fraction of the cost of high‑end amps.

📡 HF‑Only Gear Summary (Updated)

Category	Top Choice	Why
HF Transceiver	Icom IC‑7300	Best‑selling HF SDR, excellent performance
HF Beam Antenna	Hexbeam (K4KIO/NA4RR)	Multi‑band, compact, great gain
HF Wire Antenna	EFHW (MyAntennas EFHW‑8010)	Multi‑band, easy, extremely popular
HF Vertical Antenna	DX Commander Classic	High efficiency, multi‑element vertical
HF Linear Amplifier	Elecraft KPA1500	Best modern legal‑limit amp

If you want, I can also build a complete HF station recommendation tailored to your space, budget, and operating goals — from 160m to 10m.

Unllimited budget

If you’re building an HF‑only station with an unlimited budget, you can assemble a station that rivals world‑class contest superstations. Below is a refined, HF‑exclusive list of the best transceiver, beam antenna, wire antenna, vertical antenna, and linear amplifier — all chosen from the absolute top tier of commercially available equipment.

I’ll give you the “no‑compromise” option in each category.

🏆 Ultimate HF‑Only Station (Unlimited Budget Edition)

📡 Best HF Transceiver (No‑Compromise Choice)

Elecraft K4D (or K4HD)

• Direct‑sampling SDR with contest‑grade dynamic range

• Modular, expandable, and built in the USA

• The K4HD adds high‑dynamic‑range front‑end roofing filters

• Designed for serious DXing and contesting

Why it’s the top pick: It’s the most advanced HF SDR transceiver available today, with performance rivaling or exceeding high‑end radios like the IC‑7851 at a fraction of the size and power consumption.

🎯 Best HF Beam Antenna (Unlimited Budget)

Optibeam OB17‑4 or OB18‑6

• Massive, high‑performance multi‑band Yagi systems

• Contest‑grade engineering

• Exceptional gain and front‑to‑back ratio

• Used by major DXpeditions and superstations

Why it’s the best: Optibeam’s large multi‑band Yagis are considered the gold standard for HF directional antennas. If you have the tower height and space, nothing beats them.

If you want the absolute top of the top:

• Stacked Optibeam arrays (e.g., 20m stack, 15m stack, 10m stack)

• Rotating tower systems (e.g., AlfaSpid or Prosistel rotators)

🧵 Best HF Wire Antenna (Unlimited Budget)

SteppIR UrbanBeam or SteppIR 40m–6m Dipole

• Electrically adjustable length elements

• Perfect SWR across all HF bands

• Performs far above any fixed wire antenna

• Ideal when you want wire‑antenna simplicity with beam‑like performance

If you want a true wire antenna instead of a SteppIR:

Beverage or Beverage‑on‑Ground (BOG) receive antennas

• The best HF receiving antennas ever designed

• Used by contest superstations for low‑band DXing

📡 Best HF Vertical Antenna (Unlimited Budget)

SteppIR DB‑36 or SteppIR BigIR Mk IV

• Fully adjustable vertical covering 80–6m

• Perfect SWR across the entire HF spectrum

• Extremely efficient compared to trapped verticals

If you want the absolute best vertical performance:

• Install a full‑size 80m or 160m vertical with extensive radial field

• Add phased vertical arrays (e.g., 4‑square for 40m or 80m)

This is what major contest stations use for low‑band dominance.

🔥 Best HF Linear Amplifier (Unlimited Budget)

⭐ OM Power OM4000A or OM4000HF

• 4000 W output (legal limit in many countries outside the US)

• Extremely rugged

• Automatic band switching

• Uses a pair of 4CX1000 or 4CX1500 tubes

• Built for 24/7 contest duty

If you want the best legal‑limit amplifier in the US:

Elecraft KPA1500

• 1500 W solid‑state

• Fully automatic

• Quiet, efficient, and nearly bulletproof

If you want the most powerful solid‑state amp available:

Expert 2K‑FA or 1.5K‑FA

• LDMOS solid‑state

• Automatic band switching

• Compact and extremely reliable

🏆 Ultimate HF‑Only Station Summary (Unlimited Budget)

Category	Best Choice	Why
HF Transceiver	Elecraft K4HD	Highest‑performance SDR, modular, contest‑grade
HF Beam Antenna	Optibeam OB17‑4 / OB18‑6	World‑class multi‑band Yagi
HF Wire Antenna	SteppIR UrbanBeam	Adjustable, perfect SWR, beam‑like performance
HF Vertical	SteppIR DB‑36 / BigIR Mk IV	Most efficient multi‑band vertical
HF Linear Amplifier	OM Power OM4000A	4 kW class, contest‑grade, top of the market

If you want, I can also design a complete HF superstation layout for you — including tower height, rotor selection, feedline choices, grounding, lightning protection, and antenna switching systems.

Thankfully not all of your credit cards are maxed out and you just know you are getting the Trump Tariff Bonus Check... the bill is only about $20K... so order up.

I told you so...

73's

Pete N6QW

Money for nothing and the chicks are free.

Those iconic words are from the British group Dire Straits. We have free info available to us from the blog stats and data from you tube. Sorry no chicks but the info is free.

Firstly, the you tube stats were an eye opener for me. There it was telling me all of the time why I am running an inefficient you tube channel. I have 2500 followers (a paltry number) and 368 videos. The single biggest viewing group are those 65+ and the smallest is under 40. Even the group between 40 and 65 is not that big.

Well 1st you would say that the ham population is older and so that would follow. Problem one is that those 65+ today by statistics will become smaller each year. The 2nd piece is the under 40 group is unimpressed with homebuilt stuff. In time they will be the 65+ and so what happens now is not suddenly going to change. If the under 40 group is not looking now, they won't be later.

The under 40 group has to be constantly stimulated with new unboxing video's, new rig reviews, and treks by good looking YL's up a mountain to operate their FT710's from a summit. Couple that with the license requirements that are void of anything technical, the hobby focus is totally shifted to contests and operating.

Very few hams under 65 could care anything about a homebuilt Hybrid SSB transceiver. There is no waterfall, no noise blanker and no identification with the "in crowd" as owning an IC7300 or knowing Menu 27 item three adds presence to your sound. There are no menus in the Hybrid Wireless set. Really significant: no interest in hams who design and engineer their rigs. The standard question what kit is it, shows their ignorance of the connotation homebrew.

The blog stats are another key indicator. Beyond the US viewers the next substantial viewership is from Germany and Vietnam. Combined over a 7-day period these two countries are 1/2 the number of US viewers. I am still scratching my head over that.

Blog viewership is down and I attribute that to content with my focus on older technology like vacuum tubes, projects that are too complex and perhaps my disgust and commentary with how this country is being run. We all are facing higher prices, but folks don't like to be reminded, and this is a turn off. 

The same factors as the you tube stats I would suggest prevails. My blog readers are an older segment of the ham population and little focus on the latest, brightest shining objects does not attract younger hams. 

Gulp a realization that my content is boring!

While putting my thoughts to the digital world is also a schedule filler and a challenge to my creativity, these days the effort exceeds the small number of readers. So, I will be posting less frequently if only to prove I am still alive.

It is like a notice I got in an email from my local Catholic church. No, my Catholic membership card was not canceled; but one of the masses has been eliminated from the schedule. There was a 5 PM Mass on Sunday evening. I think this was originally established for the Saturday night party goers who had a hangover on Sunday morning but by 5PM Sunday they were back to normal. The message was we are sorry, but the mass is cancelled as there were maybe less than 100 attending that mass and the church was empty. The same applies for this blog.

Too bad as I have an exciting project on the bench today that I won't be covering on the blog... too boring for the under 65 hams. 

Them that know will stop letting you know.

73's

Pete N6QW

Yesterday I bought a Yaesu FT710

 Yaesu FT710 with Tax about $1300

IC7300 Mark II with tax about $1600

FLEX 6700 about $3300

Yesterday I got an urge to buy an appliance box as I reached the point of not wanting to engage in building yet another SSB Radio. I wanted to feel the excitement of being the 45 Minute newly licensed Extra Class Awardee and go through the whole schmeer of making the unboxing video and running a BYOTA (Back Yard On The Air) contest for Zip 91320. It was exciting. Lest I forget the operating part, where in every QSO I mention my new radio and how good it works and sounds. Next in line may be a Mercury Amplifier.

As usual I looked at three bids and did a measured evaluation: Scanning You Tube Videos, looking at Groups.io and Discord Servers and in the process created a spread sheet of evaluative factors. The three contenders were the Yaesu, ICOM and FLEX appliance boxes.

I was amazed to find a core (read Pareto Principle) set of factors like 100 watts, good signal handling capability, small footprint, good for BYOTA, good reviews, compatibility with poor eyesight, FFS and diminished hearing and of course price. 

The winner and low bid from this analysis was the Yaesu FT710 coming in at full delivered price with tax at $1300. This is quite a step up for me as the last NIB radio I bought was 30 years ago and that was a Ten Tec Omni VI Plus. Plus, many blog readers know my penchant for rolling my own. If I can do it, then maybe good friend N2CQR will one day follow my lead and buy a NIB SDR radio.

I anxiously await the arrival of the FT710.

So, OK I didn't buy a Yaesu FT710 yesterday but did spend $1300 for 8 feet of wooden fence that blew down with the Santa Ana winds. The former fence posts made of wood had rotted and the whole structure simply fell over. The replacement posts are 3-inch steel box channel and won't rot. A seasoned crew of two did the whole job in 4 hours and was turnkey. Yes, that is a real orange tree of edible oranges

8 Foot of Fence with Gate $1300

Those prices I quoted for the ICOM and FLEX radios were actual alternate bid prices for the same fence task. It is imperative to get three bids and have a common set of evaluation factors.

I apologize for the bit of a ruse but in fact while I was on vacation in Denver last summer, I stopped at a ham store and twiddled the knobs of the FT710 and I was impressed. BTW the FT710 is #3 on Rob Sherwood's list of receiver test data, thus the low bid is high in performance. So, if N6QW were to buy an appliance box it would be the FT710. But $1300 did blow my budget for radio buys for 2026.

Them that know, now don't care if you know.

73's

Pete N6QW

Switching Sidebands in a Transmitter.

Most commercial built ham SSB radios made during the 1960' often touted as being cost effective (read cheap), provided coverage of the ham bands with only one choice of sideband. The SWAN 240 gave you LSB on 80 and 40 and USB on 20. The Hallicrafters SR-160 and even the National NCX-3 and NCX-200 had the same deal. Today that is viewed as a shortcoming.

It was the uptown radios that gave you a choice of sidebands. Even the venerable Bitx40 had only one sideband choice. I found a way to install USB/LSB on the Bitx40 by switching the LO from 5 MHz to 19 MHz for USB and that did the trick. Obviously with FT-8 you would like USB on 40M.

I had never thought of the way to do the USB/LSB process by using a fixed Mixer oscillator frequency to switch sidebands. This was not apparent to me until I saw the block diagram of the B&W 6100 produced during that time period.

This is really an interesting approach and although two blocks are labeled Balanced Modulator #1 and Balanced Modulator #2, the second one is a Mixer stage.

What happens is the standard Balanced Modulator (#1) with Carrier Oscillator at 3.2 MHz and an Audio signal from the Mic Amp, produces an output that is fed to an Upper Sideband Filter. Thus, all SSB signals start as Upper Sideband. 

From here the USB is fed to the Mixer (BM#2) and combined with the fixed crystal oscillator signal operating at either 12.4 MHz or 6 MHz. This is where the magic happens.

In the case where the Mixer oscillator frequency is at 12.4 MHz a subtractive mix is 12.4 - 3.2 = 9.2 MHz and the sideband is inverted. The signal now passes to a 9.2 MHz IF stage and is LSB.

In the case where the Mixer LO is at 6 MHz then the mix is additive so 3.2 + 6 = 9.2 and the sideband is not inverted thus we have a 9.2 MHz USB signals passing through to the IF stage (ALC).

Two more frequency translations occur with the VFO signal and a frequency translator operating in the 40 to 60 MHz range. The ultimate result was all band coverage (80-10M) with selectable sideband. This was leading edge technology, with vacuum tubes in the 1960's. 

I don't think many ham shacks had a B&W 6100 and in time B&W folded their tent. 

Most Crystal Filters for commercial radios are not USB only filters. However, I know that in the Drake Lines and in some of the oddball Swan gear they have separate USB and LSB Crystal Filters. Some of the homebrew filter topologies favor LSB and so this might be a trick to use with those filters. 

Things I never knew until today. But let us not pass too quickly over what was just presented. Looking at it today, there were some mighty smart designers here in the USA during that time. (Proudly I state that B&W was located in Bristol, PA.)

There is a reason why at that time so much leading-edge stuff originated here in the USA, and it is pure and simple. Our hobby had a strong technical grounding unlike today's 45 Minute Extra Class License awardees. Homegrown in the USA technical innovations in our hobby has been surrendered to the offshore manufacturers. You need only look at the top of Rob Sherwood's receiver test data list, and the radios are from Yaesu and Icom. A tip of the cap to the ARRL. You own it!

Them that know, now don't care if you know. 

73's

Pete N6QW

Magnetic Loop Antennas

 I know absolutely nothing about Magnetic Loop Antennas! The OT's used to say if you want to make contacts then build a dipole, put it in the clear, up 100 feet in the air and you are there. The thought of a 40 inch in diameter copper loop sitting 2 feet above ground does not sound like a DX antenna, or any kind of antenna. 

Gulp! A $2500 Mag Loop from Italy sold by DX Engineering

The best analogy I thought of for those using a loop: Taking your cousin to the prom and convincing yourself... she is a YL; but in truth is sort of unattractive, not a 44DD and your cousin.

So, why Mag Loops? I did do a bit of research on Mag Loops and found in truth they do work and are good in high noise environments and where hams are subject to space limitations or HOA's. They are not a one for one substitute for dipoles in the clear, at 100 feet so don't get too excited!

Basically, a Mag Loop is really two loops with the outer loop being in the range of 10 to 15 feet in diameter with the better performing loops being at least 0.5 inch in diameter copper tubing with the ends connected to a HV Variable Cap. The best caps are vacuum variables. More on that.

The second loop is 1/5 the length (20%) of the main loop and this connects to your transceiver or transmitter. Now the configurations seem to vary but most common has the smaller loop at the top dead center of the larger loop, and the feed point at the bottom of the smaller loop. The Variable loop tuning cap is at the bottom of the larger loop. The larger Loop is supported at the bottom typically on a small stand or tripod often only a few feet above ground. One feature of the Mag Loop not easily done with a wire dipole at 100 feet... it is rotatable for nulling out noise.

Now for the shocker: the loops are Hi Q with a limited tuning range once set... like 20-30 kHz (or smaller range). So, if you QSY (move frequency for the BTE's) outside that range you need a retune. 

The other big shocker if you run 100 watts into the small loop, the circulating current in the big loop might be 10 to 15 amps and the voltage across the Variable Capacitor might be the close to 3500 Volts. That is the why of the large transmitting cap or vacuum variable. The reason is that the two loops form a step-up transformer where magnetic coupling (the Mag part of Mag Loop) connects the two loops.

VK3YE, Peter Parker had a good solution for the HV capacitor problem and that is a chunk of LMR coax. Coax cable has a certain capacitance per foot. His trick: Find an approximate length of coax to resonate the loop and solder each conductor at the ends of the outer loop and at the other end of the coax it is open. Two feet is maybe like 50 to 60 Picofarad. But this limits you to one band and one small tuning range.

Below are two you tube videos. I must have sampled about a dozen how to make it You Tube Videos and for someone unfamiliar with how to build one, these two seemed to hit the mark.

The second one answered a question for me. So, you got the expensive copper tubing, and now the problem how you make it into a perfectly round circle? His answer was he covered his dining room table with newspaper that was taped down. Then using a stick as a radius went around the newspaper with a felt tip pen forming a visual template. The final step has the tubing follow the pattern. Nice. 

Bozos has 0.5-inch copper tubing in a 10-foot coil in the $50 range. A 40 Inch in diameter loop is 40X3.14159 in circumference or 125.7 inches. Divide that by 12 and you get 10.47 feet. The open ends of the outer loop are connected to the capacitor, so you make that opening 5.64 inches (use an insulated spacer) and you have a perfect 40 inch in diameter loop.

Reference #1

Reference #2

So after watching the two videos most hams conclude that it is too hard to build one (only 1% of hams homebrew) and so what can you get for less than $2500. Here is one commercial loop that is about 20% of the Italian offering.

Here is a link to the Alpha antenna website. By the time you are done adding in everything to make it work likely you will have spent close to the cost of an ICOM IC7300 (earlier version). But the Mag Loop may be the only solution for those who have significant noise issues and where other antennas may be impossible to install, such as an apartment or where there are prevailing HOA restrictions.

Safety Precautions: That circulating current can cause serious RF burns. Keep your hands off the loop while transmitting. One install caused me to shudder. The loop was made of large diameter copper > 1 inch in diameter and was installed on the ceiling of a shack centered over the operating position. I saw a high risk of frying the operator's brain... well, I think he WAS from the W5 call area.

Them that know, now don't care if you know.

73's

Pete N6QW