Any amateur radio operators?

I just got the ICOM 705 and Chameleon magnetic loop 3.0 antenna single and double loop.

 

I've a venerable second-hand Icom 718 with a VersaTuner II and a 102' G5RV in an inverted V up in the trees.
73 de KO4ZHU

 

Brings back the past! Wonderful experience!

 

With streaming TV now, you don't need to worry about wiping out the neighbor's broadcast front end when you key up at 500 watts....

 

Ha! Ha!

 

I have seen some critical reviews of the Icom 705 but the bottom line with those critics is power-they belong to the 100+ watt crowd. QRP per Wikipedia, means the challenge of low power transmission. The Icom 705 puts out 10 watts when plugged in to external power or 5 watts battery power. QRP means "transmitting at reduced power while attempting to maximize one's effective range." With my Yaesu VX-6R (5 watts) on 2 meters I contacted one day an amateur radio operator in England, and on another day one in Germany. They linked onto a Michigan repeater and at the time picked up their transmission. So interesting things do happen. I chose the Icom 705 and the Chameleon 3.0 magnetic loop for travel. I can set up anywhere quickly. The radio is small and easily transported.
Also many criticize Amateur Radio today in the light of cell phones and the Internet. If power goes down totally, taking out cell towers and internet, the only thing left is Ham radio. Skywarn and other emergency services get on the air. With the current climate changes, and the possibility of an EMP attack (electromagnetic pulse), which can take down the grid totally, people would have a problem. The Chinese balloon-what do you think it was testing? More than signal intel.

 

Ham radio and microwave point to point towers.....the doomsday communications links.

 

After studying videos since last Thursday, got the radio operational yesterday evening. I was stuck on 20 meters but resolved that issue this morning and can navigate the bands I can use. On 20 meters though I got crystal clear incoming from Dallas TX, Phoenix Arizona and Florida. I am in Michigan. The antenna was a good choice. I cannot transmit on 20 meters because I am a Tech working on General. Overall right now I am quite pleased. Will plug in wall current which will boost to 10 watts.

 

Icom here too, cant remember the model, 100k-10m, has sweet filtering. My fav transmitter is an old double sideband modulated Drake that I modified the back end. (beefed it up)

Brings back fun memories.... found out that thou shall not leave el cover off of amp while testing new build. This is before cable was popular, I left the cover off of a 2000w class B amp while testing and discovered I turned everyones tv black with interference for 5 blocks around (parasitics) till I put the cover on and got the filtering corrected. The whole neighborhood was ready to string me up when my sexy voice came over their tv sets. lol

Every so often I drop by the 11m band for a radio check on AM just so I could listen to everyone tell me my radio was broken when their meters would go from a signal level of 1 then swing up to bury their needle when I said hello, 10x10 lol

Hey I still have a couple brand spankin new 5000 watt water cooled eimacs for sale too, that top out at 110mhz, its a lifetime tube cuz you can idle them back to 2000, they will last forever then pass em on to the grand kids. Also got a tailtwister posi lock rotor and controller for sale, I think its 3", if the antenna dont move the house will

Havent played with any of that stuff in close to 20 years.