New FlexRadio owner

ve3cw

Hello Everybody!

I recently picked up a new-to-me FlexRadio 6700. This is my first SDR, and surely will present quite the learning curve. Glad to see a community available to assist, and lots of great information already posted.

I have the radio hooked up and receiving right now. Antennas are all on the ground, but should be up again in spring. Currently running the 6700 hooked to a mobile 4-band vertical with a mag-mount attached to my BBQ.

Hoping to get some time to play with it over the holidays, hook up a mic/key/DAX and see if I can round up a QSO or two for the log.

Thanks
73/72
Jeff - VE3CW / VA3JFF
Welland, Ontario

Neil D Friedman N3DF

Jeff,

Don’t wait until spring. Replace that awful antenna with a couple of dipoles.

ve3cw

Hi Neil.

I have a really small lot - room for one dipole - but I don't do rooftop work.

I did get a rope and tennis ball stuck on the roof last week however lol.

73/72
Jeff - VE3CW / VA3JFF

Mike VE3CKO

Jeff, welcome, that's a heck of a radio. Was in Port Colborne til 5 years ago, now in Ridgeway, still kinda neighbors with you. I just love the 6700 and eventually got the whole FlexRadio ecosystem, PGXL, TGXL and Antenna Genius. My first few years I used a Butternut 9-band vertical as I had a small city lot then. You may want to look at some sort of multi-band vertical, you will be pleasantly surprise with it's performance.

ve3cw

Thanks Mike. I literally grew up in NPARC from the mid 70s on, and was an exec member with them back in the day after I got licenced in ‘92.

My beam lost a fight with the neighbour’s tree a few years ago, and I’ve been antenna minimal since. I have a satellite set ready to up (and trimmed back the neighbour’s tree to the property line this summer). Antennas will go up and get me back on the air soon. I also have plans to resurrect my AP8A vertical to get me on the air.

73/72
Jeff - VE3CW / VA3JFF

Erika - KØDD

Congratulations on the 6700, that should take good care of you. As far as the BBQ Antenna goes, That's one step below my fresh out of college 1970 Road Runner backed up to the parking space outside of my ground story apartment with an RG-8U unrolled from the trunk lip mounted Newtronics hustler whip. at least i had a 17 foot long ground plain.... Verticals with a lot of wire stretched across the snow work wonderfully with simple antennas. one of my more creative all banders was a " hey the system doesn't like a standard ham radio term "**** anchor" as in coiled steel wire for securing to the ground or welded disc with rod and eye, a ground rod, wire across the yard. Quantity 4 Five quart ice cream pail lids with holes drilled around the lip and one dead center... Up the center a 40 meter wire to an insulator and rope shot over the big oak tree.... around the lip wires for each band.... all coming to a common point at the bottom an insulator and the coax attached center leg to the cluster of antenna elements, the shield to the ground radial cluster. That antenna could easily handle full 1500W and worked very well... Had wide bandwidth. It did take slight tuning just like any other multiband vertical. Start with your highest band and work your way down. I did tune 40 first though. Should work a lot better than a trapped crapper.... In the meantime be careful searing ham steaks on that BBQ with your antenna on top. Erika DD