RE: [amsat-bb] 1st rigs and antenna building.

[Tony Langdon <tlangdon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I would like to say Thank You for all the great getting 
> started info and
> emails. The number responses really caught me off guard.
> 
> I am looking at getting my first radio and my budget will 
> allow $200. I was
> looking at the Yeasu FT-1500M 2 meter.

This will limit you if SO-35 goes back to Mode B (70cm up, 2 down), but
should be fine for the current crop of Mode J birds.

> I figure that with that and my ICOM scanner, I might have a 
> shot at getting
> one of the FM satellites.

Certainly worth a shot.

> Can you all suggest something else in that price range for a 
> starter? I
> figure anything that will get me to a satellite will have no 
> trouble on the
> Houston repeaters.
> 
> I was also looking for plans for a 70 cm receive antenna to 
> use on my ICOM
> scanner. Any thoughts? Homebrew is what I would like to do as 
> I tend to
> learn more with "Hands On".

For portable use, one can't go past a beam of some sort.  For high elevation
passes, a 3/4 wave (2m 1/4 wave) for 70cm does work well.  Also worth trying
other eggbeaters or turnstiles, though they can lack gain for these
frequencies.  

Another project worth building, especially if you're going to run a bit of
feedline on 70cm is a low noise preamp, which should be mounted at the
antenna.  It will lift your received signal considerably when there's a long
coax run.
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