Almost Every New Ham in the US, it seems, begins their jump into the hobby with the Low-Cost Chinese handi-talkie (HT).  In many cases they soon find themselves looking for a more user-friendly option.  What features do they look for? What's important-what's not?

Ed Bradshaw, W4EDF, has some well thought out opinions on the subject and shares them with us in Episode 37.

You may remember mentions of Ed throughout our programs over the first season.  Well, it's Season 2 and here he is.  Like most of us new guys, Ed's working it all out for his specific end goals-with the obligatory stumbling blocks provided by the Game of Life.

This show was not an attempt to disregard the intro-level HT, but a means to help those along looking for an Upgrade.  We all like new toys, right?  After listening to Episode 36, Ed determined it was time to delve into DStar and purchased himself the ICOM I-51a Plus (shown above).

From battery chemistry and charging circuits, to display size and memory banks-we discuss the ins and outs of the higher end Handi-Talkies.  We touch on most current models and try to highlight their commonalities and differences.

Not all HT's are created equal, and if you've been licensed for any length of time, you pretty much know that.  Some new operators may need some help wading through the morass of spec's and that's the purpose of this show!

 



 

As Mentioned:

Linux in the HamShack Podcast

Episode 36-DStar

ARRL QST Magazine

KF7IJZ You Tube Channel
The ID-51A Plus uses 2.5A while transmitting 5W. The charger is rated at 2A.  That is the reason you don't want to use it for anything but charging.  You would probably be OK on lower power but it's best to have a dedicated power source.

Icom says that you can use the car charger for operation but the manual states: "NOTE: Up to 5 W (approximately) of maximum out-put power is possible when using external DC power. However, when the supply voltage exceeds 14 V, the built-in protection circuit activates to reduce the transmit output power to approximately 2.5 W."

So, as always, check your manual before using your charger during transmit.




 

Thanks for listening, sharing, subscribing, reviewing and supporting!

73 Y'all

K4CDN