Looking for advice on British PT-320 radio

Quietus · 10-11-2011, 18:19

I am a newbie FCC licensed General class amateur. Am interested in radio, as a more reliable option to phones and email. I am at the bottom of the learning curve, learning to make FE antennas for my HT Wouxon. I am studying USMC manuals on signal propagation and the making of antennas, for when I buy an HF radio and start to learn about making antennas for it.

I want to buy a portable HF radio. My homework so far has shown the Icom 7200 as maybe best option for modern radios for my needs. Then I came across the British Clansman 320 radio. It is old school and heavy at 23 pounds or so. The get of this radio for me, is that it comes soup-to-nuts: CW key; headphones; 2.5m vertical whip; a long feedline; two wire reels for antenna; a counterpoise reel of wire; antenna switch; balons, and other things. It is a 30w radio, goes down to 5w. It runs on 24v.

I don't know code yet, but will learn it the best I am able, the learning of it is on the old age bucket list. My wants for range, are not real much. Maybe a couple hundred miles with the right FE antenna. I want to learn more about NVIS, that's about the use I intend. The radio's 30w capability for DX is of lesser importance for me, but is something I will want to learn. I will not be buying any home antennas, just want to learn how to put out the correct amount of wire in the right way... on my place, I can probably run wire on the fence posts of existing fence lines. Lose a lot in theory, gain in practicality, and maybe learn how I screwed up while trying such.

My wants in an HF radio are about 90/10 for a decent field radio v a home amateur radio. Use, would be dragged out of a USA 12v truck on USFS lands or packed on a horse. It would be nice if a USA truck could support a 24v battery, but I have not studied that yet.

Mainly, I was wondering about the radio itself. Have any of you had experience with the British 320 manpack HF radio?

albeham · 10-12-2011, 06:16

Go to yahoo groups for a group that talks about this rig and other learning lessons about backpacking systems, rigs, etc.

As for the other stuff Google is your friend.

You may contact me for any learning you need.

AL KA1FFO

PS QSL

glebo · 10-12-2011, 06:23

I was gonna say, see if there's any Amature radio clubs in your AO..but then I saw you are from Wyoming...probably not to many there...

albeham · 10-12-2011, 06:29

There must be a few..two or three right?

AL

Badger52 · 10-13-2011, 08:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by albeham

There must be a few..two or three right?

AL

Sparsely populated piece of '7'-land. albeham is right; Yahoo has a user group for most contraptions, mil radios included. Congrats on your ticket. Put the CW tool in your bag. I've gone further with less power in worse conditions CW on HF than any other mode.

There is a mil-radio aficionado up in St Paul who apparently has experience with this rig; perhaps grab his email off qrz.com and inquire if you may pick his brain. Hams love to talk about their stuff & mil-radio collectors even more so.

albeham · 10-13-2011, 11:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quietus

I am a newbie FCC licensed General class amateur. Am interested in radio, as a more reliable option to phones and email. I am at the bottom of the learning curve, learning to make FE antennas for my HT Wouxon. I am studying USMC manuals on signal propagation and the making of antennas, for when I buy an HF radio and start to learn about making antennas for it.

Mainly, I was wondering about the radio itself. Have any of you had experience with the British 320 manpack HF radio?

Where did he go?

AL

We going to start a HF net soon?

Quietus · 10-13-2011, 18:36

albeham: Still here, still learning. I've been getting some other advice on this model of radio. One piece was "Why do you want to paint yourself in a corner?" There is a lot to consider if I am going to buy this one.

Biggest thing, is that it is USB only for voice. May not be good. I would probably want the 80m use more than any other band... that being said, I chose my corner early on to paint myself into, and say yeah, I'm going to get competent with CW real quick. Competence probably won't come quick.

From what I've read on this radio away from the vendor's page, it does not appear to be much of a deal for a knowledgeable person to convert it to LSB, and that could probably be done in England prior to sale. Downside to that, is the resultant shift in frequency from what's dialed in. The shift would have to become second nature in the aging brain. Other downside, is that the conversion goes to all bands, including the bands where USB is used. So I'm thinking that this conversion to LSB-only, is not such a smart thing to do.

I'm finding that I can get a voltage converter installed on my truck that will charge 12v to 24v. Am getting other advice to go with two 12v nicads that would be charged normally off the truck or in house, then connected in series. Am getting solar panel advice also on 24v, but have not read into that yet. It appears that keeping power to the radio is not an insurmountable problem for a newbie. The main consideration, is whether or not that non-LSB for the lower bands is the breaking factor for buying this radio. It is tempting to buy, since I can get just about everything issued to a British Army radio operator, for the price of an Icom 7200 only.

albeham: I appreciate your offer to contact you for the learning that I need. There's a bunch needed, and there will be contact. Badger52 has been real helpful in getting me off the mark to cram for testing, and for directing me to a couple of USMC manuals on antennas.

I've said enough here, or far too much maybe. I respect this forum for its standards, that's why I mostly read instead of type.