W2MC

Antennas - make your own wire antenna. An example is here: http://www.eham.net/articles/28661. You can also make non resonant, but perfectly functional antennas, but you need a tuner (ditching the tuner is the advantage of the resonant antenna). I used a W3EDP antenna for several years with good results... Many places .. Google w3edp ... But here is one design http://www.qsl.net/w5rin/Projects/Antennas/ae5vv/W3EDPAntennaHandout.pdf Tuner - if your antenna is reasonably resonant, you don't need one. If you do, a manual can be obtained used n cheap, if the rig you buy doesn't have an internal one. Coax - (actually feed line - can be coax or twin lead): truthfully depends on what you're trying to do....if you are going, say 50 to 100 feet from your HF radio to a resonant wire antenna, inexpensive rg-8x is fine. If you are running a non resonant antenna, twin lead or ladder line between your antenna and a Balun (for balanced to unbalanced) to convert to coax (which is what the transceiver uses). A tuner usually has a Balun built in, or you can buy or make a Balun. Coax is easier, however. Do you have a similar distance to a VHF or UHF antenna? Get some rg-8...less loss at higher freq. Rig - Alinco's are fairly cheap. I had a 2 meter fm that worked good, I also had a dx70 that worked ok, but I liked the Icom ic-706 much better, and was a better rig, overall. If I were starting out all over again, I would be keeping my eye open for a good older rig; there are many many many of them out there. I would also be looking for a 20 amp 12 volt supply, because most rigs run on 12 volts, and you'll need one anyway. If I were starting out again, I would be looking for something like an Icom 706, a yaesu 857, or something like that....that does most everything pretty well. If not that, I would be looking for a decent HF rig-transistor finals, no tubes- and a 2 meter fm mobile. Either of those combinations will give me what I do 90% of the time. I would also add a 2 meter handheld...a basic one, for use when I am going to hamfests and such to keep in touch with my friends. For an antenna, I would erect some sort of tower or mast ... 20 feet at least ... or use a tree, to get a wire antenna up in the clear (for HF), and cap it off with a vertical for 2 meters and perhaps 440 MHz. Eventually I would add a beam for 10, 15, and 20 meters...used, with a used rotor...if I continued in the hobby.

I think you misunderstood me, Carcano. I'm not down on 10 meters....its a fun band. Newtonian was asking about the 10-meter-only rigs. While there are a few good ones out there, most of them are built for the 11 meter (CB) operator who is looking to run illegal. Those rigs are mostly overpriced junk, and rather than limit himself to 10 meters, he would be better served by spending a few dollars more on a good second-hand rig, such as the Yaesu FT-857 you mention. Another (similar) option is an Icom ic-706. I've owned several (still have one) and I think they are good rigs for a new operator- a bit easier to figure-out than the yaesu 857 and covering 160m all the way to 2m (mark 1 and mark II) and 70 cm (mark IIG). The only minus is they are no longer available new (unlike the yaesu).

Very good price for basic 9 pellet OO buckshot Test some out; at least a 25 round box....I have had problems with Estate ammo and primers being set too deep on 12 gauge clay target loads. Estate made good on the ammo, but I second the concern expressed earlier...make sure there's no problems before you depend on it!

guys I know who shoot benelli's like em....a lot

Don't waste your money on a 10 meter-only transceiver. You'll rapidly find it too limiting (esp if you rapidly make General, which you should), and half of 'em suck, anyway. Get a good general coverage transceiver; one that does 10-160 meters and puts out about 100 watts. Almost all of the newer ones do 6 meters, too. Any recent vintage Icom, Kenwood, or Yaesu will do...if you want reviews, look at the review section in www.eham.net . As with any internet review...sometimes you need to read 'em with a few grains of salt handy, but you will be able to figure out what is good and what isn't. There's also a lot of value in the second hand market...but you need to know what you're looking at. The eham.net reviews can help there

Sorry for the slow motion.....Thanksgiving and Deer Week intervened. I have a bunch now and will be mailing them out shortly Jon

That poor pumpkin never had a chance!

Absolutely gorgeous! Congratulations and use it well!

Truer words have not been spoken...

You'll love it...I got one last year and I am amazed at what it can do. A couple of clicks to get it centered on-target at 100 yards, and it keeps cheap PMC and American Eagle 55 grain .223 ammo (brass case) in a pie plate group at 100 yards. I haven't even tried the "good stuff" yet...

And finally, you can watch the gun broker site...they usually have several floating around in your price range...this tag is set to check all "over under shotguns" for sale in NJ: http://www.gunbroker.com/Over-Under-Shotguns/BI.aspx?State=NJ

There's also a guy that has been trying to sell a valmet 412 on the New Jersey Hunter list for awhile. Asking $500 but "negotiable". What's interesting about the valmets is that they can also take rifle barrels; turning them into a double rifle.

Although I have heard of firing pin issues via the web (and noted by Ogfarmer and others) I was amazed watching a newbie shooting a 20 gauge Stoeger Condor. She was doing very well - and this was only her second time out, using a borrowed Condor. The gun's owner, an avid shooter, said he's never had a problem with the shotgun.

LOL!

Now that everyone has shiny new safes.....who's selling their old ones? W2MC - AKA "Bottomfeeder"

A similar frustration....."self-service checkout" -- I pointedly will NOT use them. What gets me is the human checkout ppl who praise the things...thats your JOB going away!

Now yer talkin

I am working on getting a small pile of QSTs to send out. I should be picking them up on Sunday

X2 I am big on walnut and polished steel, so I was a bit hesitant on buying an AR. Do it! I bought a S&W Sport NJ Special for under $600, and it's an unbelievable shooter. Pick up a few extra mags at $12-15 dollars, and it happily shoots PMC .223 ammo, which is plentiful at $6 to $7 a box

Ethernet??? For a Safe???

concur....Bullseye is unobtainium

Yes...

I have a half dozen or so magazines....I am asking club members here for more.

A current example of what ham radio operators do....in this case the snow up in Buffalo. Right now they're (thankfully) not doing much, but they are ready if needed. http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-volunteers-on-alert-in-mammoth-new-york-snowfall-s-aftermath One thing to know about the snow depths, and you'll see it alluded to in the article....how does the National Weather Service get their snowfall depth numbers? Via something called Skywarn. How are most of the numbers reported to Skywarn? Via amateur radio.....

Oh, and I have a stack of QST magazines (the ARRL publication) that I am about to toss out. Want em? They would be good reading Jon W2MC