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Goob posted:Woo, I got my call: KJ4LHZ. Although, I'm thinking I'm going to go for a vanity callsign and get my grandfather's old callsign. What call did he have? Even with a vanity you need to be a extra if you want a 1x2 or 2x1 call. Not sure if the family member clause trumphs this.
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Apr 21, 2009 20:20
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My IC-701 is just not getting the job done-- too much noise and no AM support, really coarse tuning (100hz increments). I think I should invest in a newer rig, but since I am still new to this, I'd like not to spend much more than $300 on it. Does anyone have any recommendations? I'm not finding any worthwhile deals on eBay or the QRZ buying/selling forums.  Anyone looking to sell a rig? And while I'm at it, anyone interested in the IC-701? It also has the computer control unit that lets you enter frequencies, sweep around the bands automatically, and store/recall frequencies. I've also got the matching desk mic. Once I do get a worthwhile rig, I hope to set up an antenna for somewhere around 40-10m in the little patch of woods behind my apartment-- it's not too long a coax run to the trees (somewhere between 60-100 feet) so I'm thinking I might be able to throw together an inverted V. I'm not so mechanically inclined so I'm considering buying a premade outdoor antenna for this purpose on eBay for $30-$40 that I can plug my coax into and spend more time fiddling with the radio, and less killing myself climbing through fields of thorns and dead collapsed tree chunks. Absolutely can't put up an antenna worth a crap in or right outside my apartment due to horrendous RFI from everyone else's apartment, and mine isn't helping. It's about a quarter-mile square stretch of overgrown forest, then a giant farm and some small houses 2/3 of a mile out. Think that approach will suit me well? The trees aren't climbable and I don't have a ladder, so I'll probably need to put something up by tossing wires over thick branches and trying to secure them somehow. Thanks for any ideas, goons. Looking forward to joining you on the air soon.  p.s. I *REALLY* like the looks of the Yaesu FT-747 / FT-747GX and its variant, the Heath SB-1400-- but having trouble finding one. These look pretty sweet; they'll let me do SWL listening on 100 KHz - 30 MHz, xmit on all the HF bands, use AM, SSB, CW and digital modes, and there's even some basic PC computer control. Plus an onboard LED frequency counter. Drooool. Now if only I could find one..
Epicenter fucked around with this message at 04:48 on Apr 22, 2009 |
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Apr 22, 2009 04:46
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I've sorted out my licensing requirements, so I'll have my standard license in six weeks or so, advanced a few months after. I'm planning on getting into software defined radio, is anyone else here using software radios? I was looking at the URSP2 with a selection of daughter boards. My research is primarily in the area of GPS, so I was wanting to play with the bands around 1.2-1.5Ghz so that I could get a better idea of data communications in that general band (I know I can't legally transmit on GPS frequencies, I have an EM shielded lab for that). As such I was looking at the 1150 MHz - 1450 MHz & 1.5-2.1 GHz daughter boards. Is there much voice communication in those bands? I'd love to get into voice stuff also, however work likely won't pay for "standard" voice comms hardware as that is out of my area of research. Edit: I've looked into it further, I should be able to construct TX/RX daughterboards for the URSP2 that do 1Mhz-250Mhz quite easily, however these only broadcast at 100mW or so, is it trivial to amplify that once the signal has left the device? I am a total n00b to this, so please forgive me for asking such stupid questions. yoloer420 fucked around with this message at 05:15 on Apr 22, 2009 |
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Apr 22, 2009 05:09
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Drano posted:That said, I'm a bit nervous about making my first TX - any advice? I think a basic script and identifying myself as a n00b will help but figure I'd ask. Try something like, "This is KD8KMI, testing this HT. Can anyone copy?" You'll almost always get someone to respond to that. Sometimes you won't though, and then seconds later you'll hear someone else jump on and start talking to their buddy as if you don't exist and it will make you sad and lonely and you'll hate their guts so much.  But in reality the guy(s) probably just jumped onto the frequency so don't worry about it too much.  2m is weird. A lot of cliques form because of the nature of the hobby - not many newbies, and lots of old (and sometimes VERY old) hats. If people are friendly then you can usually just jump into a conversation by inserting your call between other transmissions. If you monitor the frequency for a few days you can usually pick up on the regulars. If you hear the repeater owner then you can even ask him about the hardware since they usually like talking about it.
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Apr 22, 2009 15:13
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Man I swear. Just as I'm getting ready to buy an 857D, other costs just come out of no where. $400 down the drain just like that. Where did it go? What did it buy? Oh that's right... Click here for the full 704x528 image. Kenwood TS450S. Not quite as good as the 857D, but not a bad rig either. I need to get a 25amp power supply or a battery to run it off of and a good antenna going. Wonder how well the rain gutters will load up. Edit: It's sitting on my computer and the router is behind it.
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Apr 23, 2009 03:58
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 03:39 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Apr 23, 2009 04:07
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Does that Radio Shack power supply show up as $70 in the store or is it cheaper?
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Apr 23, 2009 15:09
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Goob posted:Does that Radio Shack power supply show up as $70 in the store or is it cheaper? For me it was labeled $100 but when I took it to the counter and had the guy check it was indeed $70. It seems like it is relatively quiet. I can't here it even when placing my G6 or VX-7R next to it and tuning through the HF and UHF frequencies. Now for a tale of awesomeness. So, I was screwing around with my new Kenwood and since I had it on, I had it connected to the 2M Jpole to provide some load in case I accidentally keyed it. Well Jose was screwing around on 20m which was open pretty late. I couldn't really get him, but I did find a guy booming in from Texas calling CQ. As an attempt against all course of thinking I even had a chance in hell, I went ahead and called back a few times. Eventually I got him. 44 Signal report, out of a 2m jpole which of course is non resonant on 20m. Now for this weekend is to get my ft 8800 installed into the car and see about getting a proper antenna for my TS450.
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Apr 25, 2009 05:32
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Well this morning was very exciting. Sporadic E season is here. We had skip from the Carolina's and Virginia into Atlanta this morning. It actually started last night, and I kept wondering why my radio was keying up. Then someone let me know this morning on the local repeater. No contacts made unfortunately. But drat is that exciting.
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Apr 27, 2009 14:07
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 03:40 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Apr 28, 2009 02:56
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What the Hell is an OF?
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Apr 28, 2009 03:35
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 03:40 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Apr 28, 2009 03:47
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ahh hahh. Must be a regional thing..
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Apr 28, 2009 04:02
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Hey hams, KF60IN here from the East Bay, CA. I originally got my technician's back in '97 along with some friends. This was back when it was considerably cheaper for us to have pagers instead of cellphones, so we had a fairly elite method of distance communication... until we all got cellphones, and all moved to disparate parts of the country. So, in short, I bought up some equipment, used it for a few short years, and for many years have had no reason to use it. My license expired in '07, so I'm renewing it with the FCC now. I still have an older Radio Shack mobile radio (guess it would be quite old now) and a fairly weak power supply, but my old J-Pole disappeared a few moves ago and I no longer have the cable for the antenna. It's likely I'll hook it up sometime after I get a house in a year or two. I also have a tiny, fairly weak handheld (Alinco DJ-S11T http://www.alinco.com/Products/DJ-S11T.shtml) that I'd like to twiddle with and start scanning. If I get more serious, I'll probably get a mag mount and pop the Radio Shack into my car or get a better handheld. I have a few questions: - Have there been any major band changes over the past 10 years that would have made my radios obsolete? My Alinco runs in the 144-148mhz range, which I think is where most technician hams operate. Actually, is there an online guide to the general ranges available to the license classes? - I gave my study book to my brother many years ago. The book recommended in the OP (http://www.amazon.com/Arrl-Ham-Radio-License-Manual/dp/0872599639), does it cover the basic theories behind amateur radio, or is it more of a study guide for the test? - Is there an online general guide to programming a ham radio? I never was 100% on what stepping + - things were, or PL tones, or anything of that nature, and now I'm completely clueless, so reading a repeater directory or programming my radios is basically futile. If a book does the job better, I'm happy to go shopping as well. - I have an old ARRL directory from '97, which is probably way out of date. Is there a free, reliable resource for repeaters and simplex frequencies on the internet?
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Apr 29, 2009 05:29
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doctorfrog posted:- Have there been any major band changes over the past 10 years that would have made my radios obsolete? My Alinco runs in the 144-148mhz range, which I think is where most technician hams operate. Actually, is there an online guide to the general ranges available to the license classes? http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/allocate.html Also, think about getting an echolink account. doctorfrog posted:- I gave my study book to my brother many years ago. The book recommended in the OP (http://www.amazon.com/Arrl-Ham-Radio-License-Manual/dp/0872599639), does it cover the basic theories behind amateur radio, or is it more of a study guide for the test? That only covers the technician class. It is also probably out of date by now. You may pick up a bit of theory, but most theory is in the extra or other books. doctorfrog posted:- Is there an online general guide to programming a ham radio? I never was 100% on what stepping + - things were, or PL tones, or anything of that nature, and now I'm completely clueless, so reading a repeater directory or programming my radios is basically futile. If a book does the job better, I'm happy to go shopping as well. doctorfrog posted:- I have an old ARRL directory from '97, which is probably way out of date. Is there a free, reliable resource for repeaters and simplex frequencies on the internet? Yes it would be seriously out of date for the most part. There isn't any good online, but you might check some of your local clubs webpages and ask a few guys. Welcome back to the hobby. Join the IRC channel and we can answer your questions as you have them. Jpoles are easy enough to make, and you can always use a mag mount on a cookie sheet. You may want to get a new HT that puts out 5watts and covers at least 2m and 440(73cm) (depending on location 440 can be more popular). If you really think about getting into the hobby, I really recommend 857D even more so then an HT. It's a mobile HF rig that also does 6m,2m,and 440. On the other hand, HT's are cheaper and can cover a lot of the technician range.
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Apr 29, 2009 05:50
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kc0ajy in Overland Park, Kansas - General
Junobug fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Apr 30, 2009 |
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Apr 30, 2009 22:53
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Just took my Technician test yesterday, passed with flying colors. I'm waiting for myself to show up in the ULS database now. Just curious, my CSCE has a misspelling of my first name, (first name is Christopher, and mine says Christophe, no R at the end). Is it the 605 form that I filled out that the FCC gets my name from, or the CSCE? Other than that, I can't wait to get my license and get on the air. I've got a local IRLP repeater that I could connect to, and I could always use Echolink, so hopefully, I can get on the air with you folks soon. I'll be posting my call as soon as I get it.
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May 7, 2009 04:16
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Phuzion posted:Just took my Technician test yesterday, passed with flying colors. I'm waiting for myself to show up in the ULS database now. Just curious, my CSCE has a misspelling of my first name, (first name is Christopher, and mine says Christophe, no R at the end). Is it the 605 form that I filled out that the FCC gets my name from, or the CSCE?
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May 7, 2009 07:03
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nmfree posted:I'm sure that the VEs in the thread will correct me, but as far as I know they'll use whatever you put on Form 605. And if not, you can just file an administrative update with the changes to any of that information, and they will update it and mail out a new license free of charge. Edit: Purely online, on their website, takes like 2 minutes... no paperwork or anything.
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May 7, 2009 08:07
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Sick, thanks for the info. It'll be good to talk to you guys once I get my license.
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May 7, 2009 10:39
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Not strictly ham related, but I figure some of you UK goons (like thehustler, who once threatened to sell my backpack  ) can help me out here.I have the opportunity to get my Grandad's old scanner. I don't know much about it except that maybe 10-20 years ago he used it to listen in on taxis, police, airplanes, even oldschool mobile phones. With digital and encrypted transmissions, is it worth owning a scanner these days? I don't really want to be a voyeur, but is there still a good variety of stuff on the airwaves worth listening to? I'd very much enjoy having one running in the background relaying whatever the hell is being transmitted but it's a lot of hassle and cash if the only thing to hear is some digital screeching and the BBC world service.
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May 8, 2009 03:04
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Crash Bandicoot posted:Not strictly ham related, but I figure some of you UK goons (like thehustler, who once threatened to sell my backpack
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May 8, 2009 03:25
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Yo, thinking about getting a ham radio, what is a good starter for $100 - $200?
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May 9, 2009 12:56
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Abderian posted:Yo, thinking about getting a ham radio, what is a good starter for $100 - $200? Yaesu FT-60R: http://www.universal-radio.com/CATALOG/ht/0060.html It works great on 2m and 70cm, is easy to use, easy to program (especially with a computer) and is quite rugged. I picked up a larger antenna for it and have no complaints.
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May 9, 2009 16:38
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angrytaxman posted:Yaesu FT-60R: http://www.universal-radio.com/CATALOG/ht/0060.html Thank you kind sir, now I will work on getting a license.
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May 9, 2009 18:04
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Crash Bandicoot posted:(like thehustler, who once threatened to sell my backpack Eh? Refresh my memory?
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May 9, 2009 18:25
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thehustler posted:Eh? Refresh my memory? Blackpool goonmeet, I left a bunch of stuff at your house. I didn't collect it so you threatened to put it all on eBay, you big meanie
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May 9, 2009 18:32
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Crash Bandicoot posted:Blackpool goonmeet, I left a bunch of stuff at your house. I didn't collect it so you threatened to put it all on eBay, you big meanie Ohhh! What year was that? And didn't someone pick up your bag? Or something like that.
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May 9, 2009 18:48
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The FCC granted me my grandfather's old callsign. Goodbye KJ4LHZ, I am now W8WEV.
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May 12, 2009 13:56
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I got my license about 5 years ago (KD5YSG), but have never used it. Now that I read the Morse code requirements have been revoked, maybe I'll go for the General. I really just did it for the vanity license plate, but haven't ever gotten that yet Maybe this thread will inspire me to actually buy some equipment. edit: These expire after 10 years, right? What do you have to do for renewal? TheLoveliestRedhead fucked around with this message at 17:35 on May 14, 2009 |
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May 14, 2009 17:20
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TheLoveliestRedhead posted:I got my license about 5 years ago (KD5YSG), but have never used it. Now that I read the Morse code requirements have been revoked, maybe I'll go for the General. I really just did it for the vanity license plate, but haven't ever gotten that yet Yep. Just file a renewal with the FCC a couple months before it expires or up to 2 years after it expires.
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May 14, 2009 18:22
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Got my license on ULS today. I am now [REDACTED], Technician class. I'm gonna go for the General sometime in the future, but for now I'm just gonna have some fun with what I can do as a technician. Feel free to add me to the list. Phuzion fucked around with this message at 17:08 on Jul 2, 2018 |
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May 16, 2009 05:48
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Just got back from Dayton, finally bought a HT so I won't be tied to a computer for Echolink every time I want to join the conversation on the local repeaters. I got a bit attracted to shiny and bought the VX-7R and a dual band antenna for my car (I can't see myself bothering to carry the rubber duck extension for 50MHz, so I don't feel the need to have it in my car either).
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May 17, 2009 01:51
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HFX posted:Whohoo. More hams for the airwaves. Didn't you read the warning label? It clearly states "Danger. Do Not Look into feed horn with remaining eye!"
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May 17, 2009 08:14
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Jose Pointero posted:
I was having trouble sleeping one night, at 0300 it's dark, the sun is way past down. I made a swing through the bands, out of the blue a Spanish station comes up on 10 meters. Neither station can believe it, conventional wisdom tells us that 10 meters is a daylight/high MUF band, KL7 to EA on 10 meters is rare enough when conditions are perfect...we had enough time for a decent ragchew before that window closed. Another wild one was a local 2 meter contact. I was tuning a 2 meter Gonset AM rig into a dummy load and one of the local guys asked me what was wrong with my radio, it sounded almost like I was transmitting AM. Well, yes, I was, low power into a dummy load, he shouldn't have heard anything, and he was 12 miles away as the crow flies. We chatted for a bit, until the Gonset decided to biff a cap in the finals and cooked the final tube in a spectacular manner. The tube sure turned funny colors...I'm probably sterile from the rays it must have given off just before it went supernova. The Gonset never functioned as a radio again, I ended up pillaging it for parts in a guitar amp I built for my older daughter.
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May 17, 2009 08:29
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) going down with the sun. He answers a call, gets the contact, and has a QSO from GA to TX. Now that's a contact to brag about, and I'm so jealous that poo poo like that never happens to me
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wolrah posted:Just got back from Dayton, finally bought a HT so I won't be tied to a computer for Echolink every time I want to join the conversation on the local repeaters. I got a bit attracted to shiny and bought the VX-7R and a dual band antenna for my car (I can't see myself bothering to carry the rubber duck extension for 50MHz, so I don't feel the need to have it in my car either). Sup just bought a VX-7R and live in Ohio buddy. I'm really impressed with it, coming from an old VX-5.
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May 17, 2009 15:22
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Hypnolobster posted:Sup just bought a VX-7R and live in Ohio buddy. Yea, I nearly bought a VX-5 used out in the flea market area, but when I wandered inside to get some cash I decided to stop by a few of the reseller booths and see what the price was on a new unit. Obviously I decided it was worth the extra money. Right now I'm sitting in my apartment monitoring 146.52 as I'm right along I-71 by the 271 split, so I have plenty of traffic returning from Dayton passing by. I don't think I've gone a half hour without making a contact this morning.
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May 17, 2009 19:38
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Just curious, since a few of us seem to live in Ohio, anyone live in Northeast Ohio? Cleveland, or Akron area? If we have enough of us, we could maybe have a meetup and get lunch or something.
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May 21, 2009 07:26
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Phuzion posted:Just curious, since a few of us seem to live in Ohio, anyone live in Northeast Ohio? Cleveland, or Akron area? If we have enough of us, we could maybe have a meetup and get lunch or something. I live in Litchfield, work in Hinckley and go to college in Akron. I'm a little screwed for time until school starts again, though. Work is pretty serious hell.
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May 21, 2009 22:24
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Hey guys, sorry I've been absent. Work has been being a major bear with many 10-12 hour days. Memorial day I went to visit my parents in New Orleans. I thought this would make a great expedition run. Turned out it was horrible. I was fighting a huge noise floor almost the entire time. S9 on 20m with two filters on the IF is not exactly fun. The only clear area I got was 10m and 12m with S2-S3 noise floors.
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May 27, 2009 13:23
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