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One further thought. Here's a way to get on the air for $200 or so:
1. Get your ham license;
2. Buy an older used rig in good condition (e.g., an Atlas 210X or 215X, or one of several other small transistorized rigs); cost should be less than $200. Get a set of big alligator clips and clamp them onto your house battery to power the radio.
3. Build a monoband vertical dipole for the amateur 20-meter band. This is the most useful band for long distance communications, day in and day out. You can build a dipole for pennies from scrap materials or you can build a really robust one which will stand up to heavy use in the marine environment for less than $50 or so.
4. Get on the air and use your radio. Check into the MM Net on 14300 kHz USB...it runs most of the day. Learn to use the radio well on this one band...learn its quirks, etc. Mostly, be amazed that you can make long-distance contacts any time you wish, including jumping the big pond.
Here's a little secret: the guy you're talking to at the other end will absolutely not be able to tell whether you're using a $200 used ham radio or one of the slick new all-frills ones that cost 10 to 20 times that amount! In fact, with the vertical dipole you'll have a signal so strong most folks will swear you've got a beam antenna and/or are running high power.
How do I know? Well, I've used vertical dipoles on sailboats since 1970, both domestically and in some exotic locations abroad. And, I've chartered a bunch of sailboats beginning in the 70's. I'd carry my Atlas 215X and a 20m dipole with me on the airplane, clamp the alligator clips onto the battery of the chartered sailboat, run the dipole up on a spare halyard, and be making solid long-distance contacts less than 20 minutes after stepping aboard.
For those who aren't yet convinced, go ahead and spring for the $200 and try it. Later, when you KNOW it works and when you hanker for something a bit more sophisticated and versatile -- and when your wallet is a bit fatter -- think about more expensive alternatives.
Bill
WA6CCA
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