[VHFcontesting] Asking for help in getting started on 220

[Kenneth E. Harker]

On Wed, Dec 17, 2003 at 12:13:35AM -0600, Todd and Sandy Sprinkmann wrote:
>    I am asking for advice on rigs to get started on 220.  I have the tower up, the antennas are being assembled and things are looking good.  I still need a transverter for 220, though, to interface with a Kenwood TS-850 I have.
> 
>    The only two places I've done some looking is at the SSB website and the DEMI website.  Seems that DEMI is on a long holiday/moving hiatus.  Too bad as I need this transverter in the next few weeks.  SSB's prices sure are a lot higher.  I'm curious about what I get for the extra $400-500.

There are really only three options nowadays for new 222 MHz transverters:
DEMI, SSB Electronics, and Elecraft (http://www.elecraft.com/)  The 
Elecraft transverters look really promising, but they are sold as kits,
so ordering one today and expecting to be able to build it and have it on 
the air by the January contest might be pushing it unless you are an
experienced builder with no day job or you get it before the weekend before
the contest and spend all weekend building.

If you need a pre-assembled 222 transverter by the January contest, 
and DEMI can't/won't sell you one of theirs (it is a fine product, BTW)
your best bet is to buy one used - which may be a challenge in and of itself
on your time schedule.

-- 
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Kenneth E. Harker      "Vox Clamantis in Deserto"      kharker at cs.utexas.edu
University of Texas at Austin                   Amateur Radio Callsign: WM5R
Department of the Computer Sciences          Central Texas DX & Contest Club
Taylor Hall TAY 2.124                         Maintainer of Linux on Laptops
Austin, TX 78712-1188 USA            http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/
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