Our local club has begun planning for Field Day. I'm interested in, and have
been put in charge of, the Get On The Air (GOTA) station. The purpose of a
GOTA station is to allow new or inactive hams an opportunity to operate HF.
My hope is that it may spur some folks to set up their own station. My
question is what rig should I use?
I had originally planned on using my Omni VI (opt 3). You all know the
benefits, but my main reason is that it's an easy rig to operate and short
of someone taking an axe to it, it will stand up to operator error.
However, I'm having second thoughts. Omni VI's are going for around $1K and
the VI+'s for $1500 or more. I concerned that potential new HF operators
would think that yes, I've had a great HF experience with the GOTA station,
but I can't afford $1100 - $1600 (assume $100 for antenna and accessories)
to set up a station. Would an older (and thus less expensive) rig be a
better choice. I just saw a Delta 580 listed on the reflector for $340.
That's a much more realistic amount for someone starting out.
I also considered the Pegasus, but think I want to stay with a radio with a
real front panel. The problem with the Jupiter is again, the high cost.
73,
Mark
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