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Radnor posted:Awesome! I'm going for my General level license on Saturday, and maybe Extra too if I can find time to And I passed, just waiting for the call sign to be approved, only foundation for now, as the club where I did the exam, didn't have the resources to do the standard. But I will be able to do that soon, and upgrade away.
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Oct 7, 2008 03:58
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 03:14 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Oct 7, 2008 04:25
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KL5A here, I wasn't a greybeard when I started this but it sure didn't take long! I confess to being not active at all lately. With me being in Alaska and the sunspots being what they are, it's sometimes hard ro get motivated to string wire through the trees here, but now that the leaves are down, maybe I'll get a nice 20m loop up. Time to freshen up the ladder line, hook up the big heathkit tuner and fire up the Dx70. Seeing as how it snowed today, it has all the makings of a hard cold winter.
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Oct 7, 2008 06:02
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I'm actually in a TERRIBLE location for radio, but this was our first home purchase, so I had to prioritize. I have a big (300 foot) hill/slope to my southeast, and a gentle slope to my northwest - it's much more shallow, but still gains 50 feet or so over a mile. Plus, we are in 50-year old burbs and the trees are all big and tall, so getting over the treeline is critical for my VHF and satellite work. the RFI situation here isn't too bad, it is decently quiet - 40m on my full size 1/4 wave vertical gives me about an S7 noise level, par for the course. I don't have any 75m antennas up but my last joint was surrounded by neons and I had S9+ noise across the whole band - it was awful. I got the vertical up to 15 feet feedpoint elevation, every bit is helping - I really can tell. I bagged Italy on PSK with 30 watts yesterday, and am getting more and more Euro traffic. The "guy wire radial The antenna is a Hy-Gain AV-18VS but I'll tell you right now, do not blow $89 on it, go to Texas Towers and buy four 6-foot lengths of tubing, it's perfectly sized to telescope. Slit and hose-clamp the ends, and bolt it to a chunk of PVC or something. It'll cost you about $50 or so and will be better constructed than this. And Gnomad, I feel your pain up there in KL7 land, but I will encourage you by stating that I do hear Alaskans every day almost on 20m down here in Arkansas. Get some wire up there before it's too cold to throw ropes in trees!
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Oct 9, 2008 17:12
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 03:15 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Oct 14, 2008 02:18
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Jose Pointero posted:There is a counterpoise wire running off of there, but you can't really see it in this pic.  vJose Pointero posted:
Jose Pointero posted:I tell ya what, I'm used to having about S5-S8 of noise when using HF. After hooking all this up, I turned on my radio, tuned to 20 meter, and I was reading S1! I was thinking "that can't be right, I probably messed this thing up somewhere". But then I started tuning around the band, and I am getting BOOMING signals from all over the US and South America. I used to only be able to hear about 3 or 4 conversations in the band at any given time...but now I can hear that the band is packed! Conversations everywhere, and PSK-31 is coming in strong and plentiful.  .
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Oct 14, 2008 19:23
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Protip: Gardeners use chunks of pantyhose to affix plants to non-organic structures. You can secure the wires with strips, get an old ripped pair from the lady and go nuts. It will stretch and let the tree grow. As far as lightning protection, I have a patented plan which I have dubbed "Dear God, It'd Better Strike the 60 foot Oak Tree" plan. I have a 400 foot FM broadcast antenna less than 1/4 mile away from me down here in the valley, so I am banking on lightning hitting hilltops nearby or the tower first. In all actuality, though, I disconnect my antennas when I'm not operating and hang the cables outside. The ends of my feedlines hang in free air, about six feet from anything, in this mode. Since I run exclusively verticals at this time, I am careful to unhook as static and lightning can show up with no warning.
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Oct 14, 2008 20:13
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nmfree posted:I'm sorry for having to constantly be a know-it-all, but I gotta ask: What's the counterpoise for? The End-Fedz website calls their antennas "1/2 wave dipoles", which are naturally balanced designs, and don't need a counterpoise. v I've been itching to get one of PAR's 10/20/40 End-Fedz. They suspended amateur orders for a while to focus on military orders, but they're opening back up next week. All of the eHam.net reviews for their wires are 5.0/5.0. I've been eyeing a few trees behind my place to stick one up, or even using something like this 31' Jackite pole which seems to be a popular option.
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Oct 14, 2008 21:00
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Par End feds are not dipoles. These are end fed half wave antennas. Instead of feeding at the current max, you feed at the voltage max (the end). Current max is in the middle still, and these antennas can and will use the coax feedline as the counterpoise. A simple analogy would be that your antenna is a lever, and the counterpoise is the fulcrum of that lever. If you use a pry bar to work something loose, you need something good to apply the force against. If there isn't anything solid there, you can still move things, but it will be less efficient and your lever (the antenna) will find whatever natural fulcrum it can find (counterpoise or if that is not present, your coax) to work against. Jonny 290 fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Oct 14, 2008 |
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Oct 14, 2008 21:11
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 03:16 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Oct 15, 2008 01:17
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Jonny 290 posted:Par End feds are not dipoles. These are end fed half wave antennas. Instead of feeding at the current max, you feed at the voltage max (the end). Current max is in the middle still, and these antennas can and will use the coax feedline as the counterpoise.  ), I thought that they were like a wire version of an A99, where one half of the antenna is coaxial, with the feed running down the center and actually feeding a true dipole in the middle.
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Oct 15, 2008 02:54
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My callsign has come in, VK3FBSD reporting  the funny thing is I take the standard exam this weekend, so I won't be using this call sign for long (the VKF3Fxxx is for foundation)
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Oct 16, 2008 02:43
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 03:17 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Oct 16, 2008 06:30
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Jose Pointero posted:Congrats! Where you from? I looked around a bit and can't figure out which country that call is from. What is the testing like...need to know code, etc? VK is australia the 3 is for the state of victoria. No need to know code, but I do want to learn the foundation exam is fairly easy, was going to do the standard at the same time, but the assessors didn't have enough time unfortunately. But at least I'm able to take the the standard this weekend. So my call sign will change soon.
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Oct 16, 2008 10:18
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cvisors posted:My callsign has come in, VK3FBSD reporting 
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Oct 17, 2008 04:45
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sklnd posted:With that call you had better be a beardy unix guy beardy no, guy no. just a unix geek.
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Oct 17, 2008 05:34
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 03:17 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Oct 17, 2008 18:18
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Whoo-hoo, thanks for the tip! Totally going to try this next time I'm on the road instead of just sitting on 520.
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Oct 17, 2008 21:56
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 03:17 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Oct 17, 2008 23:19
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This is KB3IOQ checking in, I got my tech license in '02 but I haven't been active for awhile. I just tried 144.390 and I hear squawks, I tried calling but I didn't get a response, I'm using a VX-7r with the rubber duck so its understandable. I'm really glad that this thread exists, it's nice to see people into radio that aren't super old (no offense to old people). I'd like to know the age that people here got their licenses at, but I don't want to screw up the thread. I got my tech license when I was 13, am I alone in getting it pretty young? I was really only active for around a year after I got it, and I just recently became interested in radio again (i'm 19 now). Southeastern PA Hamgoons represent!  Are there any others?
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Oct 18, 2008 00:12
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 03:18 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Oct 18, 2008 00:33
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Well as I mentioned I took my foundation license exams the other week, and on last thursday was granted my call sign (VK3FBSD) well it seems that I won't have this call for long, I've just taken the standard license exam (and regs exam) today and passed. So in about ten days new call sign, and a lot more privileges, 20 metres here I come
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Oct 18, 2008 11:03
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ReD_DaWn posted:I'd like to know the age that people here got their licenses at, but I don't want to screw up the thread. I got my tech license when I was 13, am I alone in getting it pretty young? I got mine at 12; right around my birthday in fact. I crammed hard for the test, tried Morse and never did get the hang of it, and decided to go for the no-code. Still have it.
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Oct 18, 2008 15:35
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I've got my license awhile ago - I'm interested in learning Morse code. Does anyone have any recommendations as far as software goes? You can add me to that frontpage list, but since I'm  I can't give out my callsign.
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Oct 18, 2008 15:51
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I received my Technicians license at 17, and just upgraded to General a few weeks ago (I'm 29 now).
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Oct 18, 2008 15:54
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I like G4FON's Koch Trainer, not that I have learned more than the letters in my own call sign so far. Set that puppy for 2 letters, 15 WPM and begin the struggle.
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Oct 18, 2008 19:02
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Eep, it's been quite awhile since I've been back in this thread, hasn't it? Chalk it up to STILL not getting the desktop rig unpacked, I suppose. Congrats to cvisors on picking up her ticket, and to anyone else I've probably missed since i last checked in here. Looks like the first post is in dire need of an update, so I'll do that soon too, promise. Three-Phase and others, I'll make sure to add you to the list of operators while I'm doing that. In other news, I finally got off my rear end a couple weeks ago and completed the ARRL/VEC open-book review to become an accredited volunteer examiner, so with any luck, I'll be receiving those credentials soon! If anyone else is interested in becoming a volunteer examiner (in this case for the ARRL), it's pretty simple. All you need to do is read the VE manual and complete an open-book review of the manual, and mail/fax it to the ARRL along with the application form and proof of your amateur credentials. The only "catch" is that to be a VE, you need to be at least a General-class amateur; to administer General- or Extra-level exams you must be an Extra. Either way, it's a great thing to have if you're at all interested in helping others get into the hobby. Here's the link to the VE manual page: http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/vemanual/index.html One more thing, while I'm contemplating a first-post makeover, does anyone have any suggestions for material you'd like to see added to (or removed from) it? Let me know.
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Oct 18, 2008 22:22
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Whew, first post updated. We're up to 48 hams in this thread, and 7 new to the service since the thread started!
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Oct 18, 2008 23:32
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Great thread, McRib! And Jose Pointero, cool tip on monitoring APRS squawks! Lowly tech checking in here. I only have an HT with various antennas at the moment, but a mobile unit is looking juicier every day. Aside from the occasional net check-in every couple of weeks, I'm not very active. Most of the hams around here are old guys who constantly tie up the local repeaters with discussions about their health problems, and hardly anybody will ever answer a simplex call. None of my buddies are hams, so I don't get much practice at all. It's a little discouraging. Also, some of you guys have some seriously killer equipment. 
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Oct 20, 2008 14:36
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Non-Potable posted:Most of the hams around here are old guys who constantly tie up the local repeaters with discussions about their health problems, and hardly anybody will ever answer a simplex call. None of my buddies are hams, so I don't get much practice at all. It's a little discouraging. Hey, sounds like my town! I often get no response when I key up a repeater to say I'm monitoring or mobile, but then again I do not usually respond when anyone else says that either so I don't really expect much. I'm either busy, or just too chicken to say anything for fear I'll have nothing to talk about. v v Try repeating your call too, or pausing a few seconds before talking. When I'm scanning 30+ channels I usually just catch the tail end of a call and miss everything else.Starting out a conversation from scratch can be intimidating if you have no idea who you're talking to. I think the trick is to ask a question instead of saying the standard "This is XXXXX, monitoring". I've never heard anyone not get a response to something like "This is XXXXX, testing my [antenna/HT/mobile rig]. Can anyone copy?" or "Does anyone know what time it is?" It gives people a jumping point to start talking about something they're interested in. More often than not I'll hear a response from the actual repeater owner so that gives you even more things to talk about. ...or you could wait until you're 70+ years old and then start discussing your colonoscopy results with everyone else. 
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Oct 20, 2008 14:49
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 03:19 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Oct 20, 2008 23:42
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Radnor, thanks for the suggestions. You're right, I've been phrasing all my calls along the standard, "XXXXXX listening." I'll try the question thing and see how it goes. If all else fails I might start calling "Good Evening" in a female robot voice. That seems to always get everybody's attention around here. Jose, it's not just the 2M guys - 6M, 222 and 440 simplex are also really quiet. It sucks because the repeater work isn't very challenging, and I'd like to learn a little more about the hobby than that. I do want to get a mobile, but don't really know what I want out of it just yet. The FT-817ND is reeeeally tempting, though.
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Oct 21, 2008 12:52
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Non-Potable posted:Radnor, thanks for the suggestions. You're right, I've been phrasing all my calls along the standard, "XXXXXX listening." I'll try the question thing and see how it goes. If all else fails I might start calling "Good Evening" in a female robot voice. That seems to always get everybody's attention around here. Heh, I had to chuckle a tad because our local repeater uses a female automated or robotic sounding voice to announce the time or say "good morning/afternoon/evening". Wouldn't grab attention here if you did that. One thing I'd like to try is doing PSK or something over 2-meters. I've tried it with a friend but his Signalink doesn't work properly, so we couldn't do PSK. The stereotype is true in this area: 60-year olds talking about their equipment and antennas.
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Oct 21, 2008 13:18
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I haven't even turned my 2M in the truck on for 3 months because of the same thing. The same 5-6 guys talking about "someday getting that 80M Inverted-L up and firing up the amplifier and reeaalllyyyy making some contacts!" or similar. I've decided to concentrate on HF stuff for now. My next project is to build an L-network so I can string up an end-fed halfwave since I can't get a di-pole up at my QTH. I'm going to start working on learning Morse as well.
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Oct 21, 2008 14:49
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This has been a fun thread to read. I have never been involved in this, but had a few friends over the years that have, but I never really inquired into it. Have to say that I am very interested now! Don't really have the time or the cash to get started, but maybe I'll try and pick up that ARRL manual and read a bit on everything and maybe take some license tests! So, thanks everyone, and I hope this thread continues
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Oct 23, 2008 08:22
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It's definitely an interesting hobby if you like electronics. There are so many different things to play with that you can keep yourself busy for a long, long time. I've even gotten back into scanning using the 2m/70cm j-pole I have up in the attic. Since obtaining my General license I've decided to learn morse code. I've read that more people have been wanting to learn now that the requirement is no longer there. And since ham radio involves building a lot of your own stuff I put together a built-it-yourself CW keyer from hamgadgets.com and have a tiny 40m "Rock-Mite" transceiver on order. Once I get that and my 10/20/40 End-Fedz I'll be all set to flood 40m with lovely morse code.  
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Oct 23, 2008 22:22
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Well last night while driving home, heard on our local repeater (VK3REC) that ISS was about to make a pass. Unfortunately, we had nothing to decode sstv in the car, but we heard it loud and clear on 148.8MHz.
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Oct 24, 2008 02:37
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cvisors posted:Well last night while driving home, heard on our local repeater (VK3REC) that ISS was about to make a pass. I heard Richard Garriott while he was on the ISS one morning. It was pretty  . There are lots of sstv pics and mp3s on this site: http://www.issfanclub.com/http://www.heavens-above.com/ is a great resource for making contact with the ISS and A0-ECHO/A0-51. Radnor fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Oct 24, 2008 |
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Oct 24, 2008 03:24
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 03:20 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Oct 25, 2008 10:14
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Jose Pointero posted:Me too. I'm not building a key though, I've got a key on the way that I bought from an estate sale for $15. So, how are you learning it? Right now I'm just looking around at the different methods, and I'm confused I've been working with this G4FON CW Trainer. The Koch method seems to work pretty good so far. quote:And now for something completely different: What the hell is wrong with these people? I can't imagine why anyone would want to do this. CB radio people are scary.
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Oct 25, 2008 14:34
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