CB and HAM'S radio equipment looking to buy

[Tarrel]

I concur with Highlander on the Amateur front. my base station is an Icom IC730, which is not quite as sophisticated as the 735, and I picked it up including power supply for less than £200 from a dealer, with a guarantee. The thing you'll need to watch once you go above your 10 Watts (Because you're not going to stop at your foundation license, are you?) is power-provision. 100W radios take upwards of 15-20 Amps at 12V when transmitting. Obviously less on lower power levels, and much less on receive.

I agree with the point on antennae. A low power rig in the right location with a great antenna will get you much further than a high power running running flat-out into a duff antenna. Won't do the rig much good either. Good doesn't have to mean expensive. Read up on the internet. There are some fantastic home-brew antenna designs around. It's a good learning experience as well. I have a Yaesu FT817 low power multi-band portable (5 Watts). I've happily reached Northern Sweden on 40m from a hill in Berkshire, using the internal battery and a home-made inverted "Vee" dipole supported on a fibreglass fishing pole! (Yes, you read that right - 5 Watts. Others have done better).

Highlander, can you tell me if there is a radio equipment dealer in the Highlands (say, Inverness?). Cheers.

73's 2E0BBS