I will second Drew on the FT-530. I picked one up for under $200 that was in awesome condition and it is the best HT I have ever owned (and I have been through a bunch). If you are even luckier, you might find one with the MH-29 speaker mic that has a LCD display on it. You can adjust the downlink frequency with this mic and even see the frequency on it. I also found some massive batteries from W&W manufacturing that make this radio run forever.
For some other full duplex options, you might consider a Kenwood TH-D72. I haven't tried one, but I have seen good reviews on it as a full duplex handheld. It's a little pricey ($500) and unless you want the APRS in it, I would seriously consider an FT-530 or the predecessor to the D72 which is the Kenwood TH-D7A which can be picked up on eBay or elsewhere for a decent price.
I would not recommend the Alinco DJ-G7 for full duplex. They are priced good and will do full duplex, but the receiver has a densense problem when you transmit on 2m. It's a good radio otherwise, but the full duplex performance is very poor unless signals are extremely strong (as in local repeater strong).
I first started using two FT-60s in the beginning and I understand Zach's problem with lugging everything in and out of the house. Two HTs work just fine, but if you are really serious about satellites, I would highly recommend a full duplex HT.
Good luck, Tyler Nicholas K5TDN
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 26, 2011, at 3:26 PM, Andrew Glasbrenner glasbrenner@mindspring.com wrote:
On 1/26/2011 4:00 PM, Ted wrote:
Zach, there are a lot of VUCC's out there that use exactly what you have...
Most here will argue that you HAVE to be duplex....a lot get by without it
No, just that it is a more productive and considerate way of operating. A lot of the congestion you hear on AO-51 is due to stations either not knowing, or not caring, that they are in competition for the uplink. Full duplex takes care of half of that. Things are also MUCH different when AO-51 is over the west coast with it's considerably lower density of hams.
To answer your question Zach, it's all about your personal budget and needs. Adding a 2nd HT is probably the cheapest route, but adds more complication than a single full duplex HT. Maybe you could try borrowing an HT to try it with two? If you want to go with a single full duplex HT, there are lots of older ones out there in good condition used. I saw an FT-530 the other day with a ton of accessories going for less than a new single band. That is one of the finest full duplex radios ever made for satellites.
Another trick is to take the Arrow off the tripod and hold it by hand where you can rapidly twist it to peak the signal due to polarity differences. With full duplex you can even do this while transmitting to clear up a ratty uplink. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTqjQ9xIQQE for an example of how much polarity plays in signal strength on AO-51 with an Arrow (or Elk, or any linear antenna).
73, and good luck on the air, Drew KO4MA AMSAT-NA VP Operations _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb