|
mkosmo posted:Does anybody know of any smaller online shops that have a good deal on a Yaesu FT-8800R? (Or any better suggestions? This rig just seems like the best option) I want to get one with the face detach kit for my car, but it seems like the prices on them are jacked way up. I haven't shopped mobile rigs in years, so I could just be crazy, too Unless you really want 10m FM, 6m FM, or crossband repeat, or can hear two channels at the same time, I'd just get the FT-7800R.
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2009 02:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 10, 2024 13:35 |
|
|
blugu64 posted:Unless you really want 10m FM, 6m FM, or crossband repeat, or can hear two channels at the same time, I'd just get the FT-7800R. Anyway, the 7800 is discontinued and replaced by the 7900, which looks like a pretty good deal itself.
|
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2009 03:25
|
|
|
Some people might be interested in this. I helped run SAG at a large bike ride in the GA mountains this past weekend. Cell phone reception is pretty spotty out there so we use radio instead, and even that is difficult in places. Our setup was to use two already established repeaters (2m and 440) in the area as the primary net. In addition to that, we setup a temporary cross-band repeater on top of one of the taller mountains that could reach a dead zone that went into the 440 repeater from a 2m signal, and also three 80m HF stations using NVIS to communicate from the bottom of one mountain to the top, two at the bottom of either side and one at the top to relay messages out. All in all the system coordinated about 10 drivers on a 100 mile course over the about 14 hours. There were about 2500 riders, of which we had to pick up and transport 100 or so. It was a blast and the sort of thing that I got into ham radio for. In other news, I'm studying to get my general class. I am going for a test next Thursday.
|
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2009 14:19
|
|
|
I helped with a bike ride here in southeast Texas this past weekend as well. I imagine yours went a lot more smoothly, as ours was a total clusterfuck. We have:
I ended up saying "gently caress this" and switching over to the public safety frequency the CERT group was using (yes, I'm allowed, etc etc). The fire department and CERT group had none of the same issues, as both groups have all had ICS training and have the common sense to know what traffic is pertinent to tie up the frequency with, and what traffic is bullshit. At the next club meeting, I'm going to present a motion (and I already have a guaranteed second) that all club members who wish to participate in events like that be required to pass ICS training, and submit proof of it to the club secretary before being allowed to join in. If there's no effort to fix the problems, I won't be participating in future events. tl;dr: Ham radio fails, public safety wins
|
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2009 17:53
|
|
|
That's too bad. One of the hams in the club is a sled dog musher, and she helped organize a sled dog race 2 years ago, that's an annual thing now. This past race was only our second, but it grew from three teams, to twenty in that one year span. Most of the racers are pretty big in smaller races like Beargrease, and the like, and a few have run Iditarod, and they all complimented us on how well we handled messages between checkpoints and relaying a 'heads up' report from points a few miles ahead of checkpoints so the handlers could get ready. I think most of us have taken the online FEMA ICS courses, and we work very closely with NWS for Skywarn/ARES here, so I think that makes it a little easier to apply ICS and general net control to other things for us.
|
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2009 18:41
|
|
|
Oh we had our problems. Such as net control going off air for 15+ minutes at a time. It eventually got to the point the we were just bypassing control, which of course cluttered the air. Towards the end, which is the busiest time, we had people just chatting away about nothing in particular. This was the first year the ham was used extensively and it was a major success, but plenty to be improved upon. Next year they are hoping to really expand the ride and it will be interesting to see if SAG can rise to the challenge. I'm hoping to get involved in the actual planning next year, I think there is way too much "we'll play it by ear" attitude. Overall though, it was a bunch of fun and it was nice to put my radio license to practical use. It's the reason I became a ham.
|
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2009 19:45
|
|
|
I just got my license yesterday, KD0IZN. I passed the General the first try. I tried to make first contact tonight at the University of Minnesota's radio club hamshack but the HF bands were all dead. Dead except for some truckers and rednecks too far away to reach, that is.
|
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2009 04:39
|
|
|
My FT-60R is on its way back to GigaParts. Being unable to get it delivered to my address at a time where I'd be at home seems to be impossible. On that note I went for a VX-3R I found for $145. I'll probably eBay the power adapter for my car and home so I can get the full 3w 2m, 2w 70cm. I'm not really looking for a powerhouse (my main hobby is computers) but something I can use to talk on the local repeaters. EDIT: The wide-band receive is a big plus too. I also already bought a new antenna (RH-77CA), SMA to BNC adapter, a BNC antenna window-mount (hooks onto your side window) and an aftermarket hand-mic/speaker. I figure all of this should be more than enough for a casual user. Harpsychord fucked around with this message at 16:59 on Sep 30, 2009 |
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2009 16:56
|
|
|
dethl posted:Shipping issues... Oh man, I have those same issues. The addressing system where I live is retarded. We're in an unincorporated area with PO boxes. That alone wouldn't be so bad, even though our physical addresses give an error if you try to put them into the USPS website. Combine that with our PO boxes being addressed to a town in a different county (not the closest post office), and I have yet to encounter a company that doesn't call me on the phone wondering  is up with my mailing address. A few have even refused to ship it to my valid address, as they can't verify it with USPS.It's enough to make me  sometimes, as we're instructed to include both our box number and our physical address if using any shipping method !USPS.
|
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2009 19:19
|
|
|
You guys should move to the middle of nowhere like me where USPS/UPS/etc just leave packages on the doorstep. It makes ham more interesting anyway 
|
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2009 19:31
|
|
|
UPS/FedEx/DHL/etc. have no problem leaving stuff on my porch (and USPS leaves stuff in the big locking cabinet things where my PO box is), provided that the sender doesn't require a signature for it...it's the companies I've ordered from (and for the most part, will never again) that have issue.
|
|
#
?
Oct 1, 2009 01:30
|
|
|
Storm moving though Dallas at the moment. If you're don't have a radio and want to hear what an ARES SkyWarn net is like. Here you go. http://www.namebrandhandle.net/amateur-radio/mars.m3u edit:Storm over, nothing to see here. blugu64 fucked around with this message at 04:01 on Oct 2, 2009 |
|
#
?
Oct 1, 2009 23:56
|
|
|
Got my VX-3R, sweet gentle jeebus this thing is tiny! I can hear repeaters quite well but haven't tried to make a contact yet. Gonna listen in a bit more then start talking.
|
|
#
?
Oct 3, 2009 00:31
|
|
|
KD0BTT-AE checking in 
|
|
#
?
Oct 3, 2009 19:52
|
|
|
mwdan posted:KD0BTT-AE checking in ohhh fancy congrats
|
|
#
?
Oct 3, 2009 20:20
|
|
|
thanks. I figure that's not too bad for only looking at the book for a total of maybe 8 hours.
|
|
#
?
Oct 3, 2009 20:30
|
|
|
Does anyone know of a good HT antenna with an SMA connector that covers 6m, 2m, 70cm? Preferably easy to carry around. I was looking at the Maldol MH-510 http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/2556 Edit: I ordered it. ReD_DaWn fucked around with this message at 01:41 on Oct 5, 2009 |
|
#
?
Oct 5, 2009 00:12
|
|
|
dethl posted:Got my VX-3R, sweet gentle jeebus this thing is tiny! I can hear repeaters quite well but haven't tried to make a contact yet. Gonna listen in a bit more then start talking. My god you're not kidding. My VX-3R just arrived and it's absolutely ridiculous.
|
|
#
?
Oct 7, 2009 16:38
|
|
|
I want to bring up a point that seems to have been glossed over in this thread. With all the new hams checking in lately and asking what sort of radio to get, universally the replies have been to get some sort of portable radio (mostly the FT-60R it seems). While I'm sure that those are good radios, it seems to me that there's been a lack of recommending mobile radios. I realize that a portable is more practical in some situations, but in my opinion, a mobile is much more robust and reliable. My experience with portables has been that they're decent for local (generally < 6-8 miles) repeaters when you're out on foot, and very well-suited for short range (< 1 mile) simplex operations. I've had friends try the mag mount external antenna thing before with portables, but honestly there are still issues with reaching repeaters at ranges where mobiles have no problem. For those of you living in areas where the repeaters are 500 feet up on a tower that's on top of a mountain or such, that's an exception rather than the rule (and you're lucky). I'd like to break from the rest of the thread and encourage new hams to think about what would suit their needs best. Do you actually plan on using a radio outside of the car? How about the local repeaters (height, terrain, etc.)? If you do a lot of driving, and plan to use a radio primarily while mobile, look into some of the many VHF/UHF mobile radios (and a nice antenna). If you live somewhere that has excellent repeater coverage, and you don't drive much or if you plan on using a radio while out on foot a lot, a portable is probably more appropriate.
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2009 05:29
|
|
|
TNLTRPB posted:I'd like to break from the rest of the thread and encourage new hams to think about what would suit their needs best. Do you actually plan on using a radio outside of the car? How about the local repeaters (height, terrain, etc.)? If you do a lot of driving, and plan to use a radio primarily while mobile, look into some of the many VHF/UHF mobile radios (and a nice antenna). If you live somewhere that has excellent repeater coverage, and you don't drive much or if you plan on using a radio while out on foot a lot, a portable is probably more appropriate. That's a good point, and I think the following applies, however: 1: Most people suggest inexpensive HTs because they are relatively cheap. New Hams seem to want new and shiny equipment (didn't we all?) instead of someone's second hand rig. It's not until after they get some experience (in general terms) that they realize the value of picking up a good used rig from an experienced Ham 2: Mobiles are great, but just IMHO, I'm on the HT as a first radio bandwagon. When I first got my Tech ticket, I poured over catalogs, websites and so forth looking at mobile and HT dual banders and multi-banders. And as a truely general purpose radio, I really think a HT is the right choice. Small, inexpensive (mostly), capable of getting your feet wet, and most important, portable. My first rig was an ICOM T-81a quad-bander. 2m/70cm/6m/2.4GHz... I only ever used it on 2m/440 and rarely on 6m, BUT it opened the much larger world of ham radio to me. On 2m and 440 at 5w out, I could hit most repeaters in my area, and with a good mag-mount, I could hit repeaters up to 100 miles away, given good conditions on 2m and maybe some ducting to help it along. On 6m (FM only) I could hit a couple 6m FM repeaters and I did from time to time. They weren't used much but honestly, the few contacts I made on 6M FM from my HT are what really got me to sit down and get my General ticket. I then (regrettably) sold my T81a and bought a Yaesu FT-8900 and a small Alinco credit card 440 HT and I used that setup for x-band when I was portable, and 2m/440 when mobile. I guess the point is, with a mobile, a new ham is limited to either setting it up in his/her house with some sort of antenna and power supply and talking there. OR mounting it in the car and either only using it while driving, or having to sit in the car in the driveway when using it. With the HT, a new ham gets much more exposure and air-time since they can use them just about everywhere. Don't get me wrong, you make some good points for getting a mobile as a first radio... more power out, better range, better audio, etc, but at the same time, being able to actually USE it all the time, as opposed to only in certain circumstances can make a big difference when you're just starting out and exploring the airwaves... And as a disclaimer, the only mobile I own right now is an IC7000 rig that's sitting on my desk not hooked up to anything at the moment. Still looking for a small, x-band capable dual band mobile that also has detachable face and isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg... AND, I'll correct one thing... I can think of one/two radios that I'd consider as mobile for a first timer.... the FT-817 or the IC-703... All modes on 70cm - 160m. only 5 watts out, but lets you do FM/AM/SSB/CW on all bands, PLUS, it's mobile AND portable!! And as a second disclaimer, I also have an FT-817 that's gotten me into a lot of countries at 5W on SSB...
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2009 15:19
|
|
|
TNLTRPB posted:I want to bring up a point that seems to have been glossed over in this thread. This point isn't glossed over at all. No one doubts that mobiles are, in many ways, superior to HTs. bladernr posted:That's a good point, and I think the following applies, however: Right, the reason all new hams are recommended an inexpensive HT is because a lot of people just plain can't justify the purchase of an expensive radio. Furthermore, a lot of people get licensed and still don't know if it's a hobby they want to take seriously. To spend hard cash on an expensive rig only to find out you're not really that into ham radio would be a major pain in the rear end. Don't take all the FT-60r hawking to newbies as some sort of disrespect to mobiles. In your post, TNLTRPB, you make a lot of good points, but they're mostly technical and don't mean anything to most people with a fresh callsign. The questions you ask in your final paragraph are very valid, but they are not questions someone who doesn't have much experience and doesn't even own a radio is ready to answer. This is why an inexpensive HT is being recommended. Don't take it personally.
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2009 18:10
|
|
|
One of my favorite benefits to starting with an HT is that it's easy to sit at the computer (or wherever) to program them. When I first got mine, I must have programmed 30 or so repeaters in because I didn't know which ones were used. Now that I've been listening for a while, I know which ones I like to use and/or listen to. And yes, I know that you can hook a mobile to a 12v power supply at your desk, but not everyone has one of those laying around. I wouldn't trade my ft60r as a first radio. Hell, I like it better in a lot of ways than a kenwood mobile I borrowed last weekend (and it was a nice one), but that might just be Kenwood vs Yaesu interface. Just my 2 cents. also, General test tonight. Hopefully it goes well. edit: And, I passed. Woohoo. thegreatcodfish fucked around with this message at 02:15 on Oct 9, 2009 |
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2009 20:54
|
|
|
TNLTRPB posted:I'd like to break from the rest of the thread and encourage new hams to think about what would suit their needs best. Do you actually plan on using a radio outside of the car? How about the local repeaters (height, terrain, etc.)? If you do a lot of driving, and plan to use a radio primarily while mobile, look into some of the many VHF/UHF mobile radios (and a nice antenna). If you live somewhere that has excellent repeater coverage, and you don't drive much or if you plan on using a radio while out on foot a lot, a portable is probably more appropriate. I got a VX-7R, then a FT-2900R mobile, and then a VX-3R in that order. The handheld was nice mostly because we've got a lot of repeaters that I can hit from home and around town with a HT without any problem. Even the VX-3R does a good job with such things. In retrospect the mobile radio would have been the better first budget minded option, but I tend to get into stuff in a very severe manner, so I would have ended up with the radios I have right now eventually anyway. I suspect that a portion of new hams wouldn't want to jump right in and throw a magmount antenna on their car, though.
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2009 23:03
|
|
|
Does anyone have a recommendation for a 12v power supply for an hf rig? I've got a friend who is going to let me borrow a radio, but I need a power supply for it. I'd like to keep it around $75 - $100. I can get the model number of the radio tonight if it is important to choosing one. I do know its Yaesu and does 100 watts.
|
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2009 16:58
|
|
|
thegreatcodfish posted:Does anyone have a recommendation for a 12v power supply for an hf rig? I've got a friend who is going to let me borrow a radio, but I need a power supply for it. I'd like to keep it around $75 - $100. I can get the model number of the radio tonight if it is important to choosing one. I do know its Yaesu and does 100 watts. If you're going to only receive (and *only* receive), then something in the 5A range will be good. I wouldn't go any smaller than that, since the smaller stuff tends to be of less quality.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2009 05:03
|
|
|
nmfree posted:In that price range you're not going to find anything suitable new, especially if you're going to be transmitting. If you're going to be using the transmitter, you're going to need something that can provide at least 25A continuously (no matter what the manual might tell you). If you get lucky, you might find another deal like this one, this is a good solid unit that went for just over $100 shipped (to my location). Astron generally makes good supplies, Pyramids are hit-or-miss. Eh, I was afraid of that. The guy I'm borrowing it from actually found an extra power supply so I'm up and running now. I'm borrowing an FT-840 with a 20m Ham Stick. I just finished listening to the BBC for a bit. Doesn't seem like much else is going on from a quick scan. Heard a couple other stations on a few other bands, but nothing on 20m.
|
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2009 06:37
|
|
|
thegreatcodfish posted:Eh, I was afraid of that. The guy I'm borrowing it from actually found an extra power supply so I'm up and running now. I'm borrowing an FT-840 with a 20m Ham Stick. I can recommend this guy if you can find them in a Radioshack. They may have been discontinued. It has powered both my Kenwood TS450 (HF rig) and Yaesu 8800 (2m/440 mobile) without issue and is very quiet (almost imperceptible between it and running off the deep cycle battery). Review: http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3036 You could also get a deep cycle battery and charge it (outside of course) and use it to run off of when you operate. Bit of a hassle, but its nice having a backup when the power goes out. I can also second the Astron. The Elektracraft I was operating on field day was powered by one. HFX fucked around with this message at 00:01 on Oct 13, 2009 |
|
#
?
Oct 12, 2009 23:55
|
|
|
Has anyone here successfully worked an FM repeater satellite like AO-51? I've been trying with my VX-7R and a Maldol antenna, but I haven't been able to hear anything.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2009 03:58
|
|
|
TNLTRPB posted:I want to bring up a point that seems to have been glossed over in this thread. Due to budget issues, I could only afford an extremely inexpensive Chinese HT to work 2 meters. With a 3db gain magnet mount antenna on the roof of my car, I can reliably hit a couple of powerful local repeaters at distances of 15-20mi on only 5 watts. From the signal report's I've gotten, I don't always come in with full quieting at those distances, but my signal is still perfectly copyable. It really doesn't matter though, because 2m is basically dead in my area when some local club net isn't going on. Even during peak drive time our two biggest area repeaters are basically silent. I guess it's another result of the aging ham population 
MullardEL34 fucked around with this message at 04:21 on Oct 13, 2009 |
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2009 04:13
|
|
|
ReD_DaWn posted:Has anyone here successfully worked an FM repeater satellite like AO-51? I've been trying with my VX-7R and a Maldol antenna, but I haven't been able to hear anything. Yes, but, patience, a compass, and a protractor using a plum bob are all very helpful.
|
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2009 06:00
|
|
|
MullardEL34 posted:It really doesn't matter though, because 2m is basically dead in my area when some local club net isn't going on. That's the biggest reason why I got out of ham radio, letting my license expire. The repeaters were mostly dead, and what little life they saw literally was the old-timers talking about ailments and weather, plans to go to Dayton or not, Windows 98, and the drat no-code technicians who were turning the two-meter band into the 11-meter band (yet it seemed like there was none to be found). This was before there was across-the-board no-code licensing, and I couldn't afford HF gear. elmwood fucked around with this message at 06:11 on Oct 13, 2009 |
|
#
?
Oct 13, 2009 06:08
|
|
|
elmwood posted:That's the biggest reason why I got out of ham radio, letting my license expire. The repeaters were mostly dead, and what little life they saw literally was the old-timers talking about ailments and weather, plans to go to Dayton or not, Windows 98, and the drat no-code technicians who were turning the two-meter band into the 11-meter band (yet it seemed like there was none to be found). This was before there was across-the-board no-code licensing, and I couldn't afford HF gear. Were it not for most of my buddies also having licenses, I'd probably let mine lapse and sell off all of my ham stuff. Being able to bullshit with my friends is probably the only reason I even bother with it anymore. It's an added bonus that most of them also are interested in digital voice, and own either P25 or DSTAR equipment. Tangentially related, some OF on the Saltgrass chewed my rear end for making the comment that I'm not overly concerned about the H1N1 flu and that I'm always skeptical of anything the media hypes up. It was amusing at the time, and so obviously once I knew it upset him, I couldn't resist working him into a tizzy over it. Thinking about it now, though, I'm reminded of why I usually don't associate with OFs and try to stick with talking to friends on simplex or unused repeaters. Edit: Hopefully this afternoon, I'll have an echolink node active here in Huntsville. The local VHF repeater is dead (again), and the planned UHF machine is having duplexer issues (again), so it looks like I'll be setting it up as a simplex node for the time being. I'll edit in the details for it later, if I'm able to get it up and working. Edit 2: Apparently within the last couple of days, someone brought the VHF machine back online (although it's still very problematic), so for the moment, echolink is running through it. The node number is 480526. Edit 3: New UHF repeater is on the air and working like a charm (covers our county and a decent portion of most adjacent counties), so the Echolink node is now running on it. TNLTRPB fucked around with this message at 19:22 on Oct 21, 2009 |
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2009 19:24
|
|
|
ReD_DaWn posted:Has anyone here successfully worked an FM repeater satellite like AO-51? I've been trying with my VX-7R and a Maldol antenna, but I haven't been able to hear anything. I've done it a few times using this Arrow antenna. I attached it to a camera tripod along with a compass and info from heavens-above.com. It was a little difficult to keep the antenna pointed and tilted at the right place in the sky but it's definitely doable with practice. The videos from this guy show a similar setup.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2009 07:13
|
|
|
NeerWas fucked around with this message at 21:43 on Aug 9, 2023 |
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2009 08:06
|
|
|
Radnor posted:I've done it a few times using this Arrow antenna. I attached it to a camera tripod along with a compass and info from heavens-above.com. It was a little difficult to keep the antenna pointed and tilted at the right place in the sky but it's definitely doable with practice. Yep, I've been using the same antenna and learned from the same video. I would recommend good sat tracking software as well. I've been using my vx-8r for this, and it's fantastic. Edit: I use MacDoppler for my sat tracking software. http://www.dogparksoftware.com/MacDoppler.html It's rather expensive; however, there are some free ones floating around the net. IonClash fucked around with this message at 16:55 on Oct 17, 2009 |
|
#
?
Oct 17, 2009 16:52
|
|
|
Well, I made my first HF contact today. Today was Jamboree on the Air so it was lit up like a christmas tree most of the afternoon. I tried for about an hour to get in at a couple stations, but gave up. Figured I just couldn't get through on a ham stick. Got back on a few hours later when it had quieted down a bit and got through to a station in NY on my first try. Quite exciting. Oh, it was on 20m @ 100w. GA to NY. All that to preface a question: What logging software is popular around here? I picked up Logger32, but it seems a bit much for what I want. I'm looking at ARRL's Logbook of the World, but can't use it until they setup my account. What does everyone else use? Or is good old fashioned paper still the way to go?
|
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2009 03:43
|
|
|
Anyone here work on digital modes? APRS perhaps?
|
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2009 04:09
|
|
|
Sindow posted:Where do you live because it would be great to talk to other people who aren't boring and only talk about radios. My 2-Meter broke and I pretty much didn't care because the only thing I could get were nets sometimes and the odd crazy old person group. I lived in Cleveland at the time I said "gently caress it." Tens and tens of repeaters in the area, but the two-meter band was silent except for the odd net and the old farts talking about dipoles, Dayton and diabetes during evening rush hour. A lot of them seemed fascinated by police and fire activity, too. Occasionally, I'd call CQ on a repeater, with no response. An hour later, some OF with a call sign like K8AC would CQ, and all the other OFs with call signs like N8AD and WA8B would come out of the woodwork. I'd love to live where you guys are, where there's some people under the median age of Buick ownership on the air. elmwood fucked around with this message at 04:33 on Oct 18, 2009 |
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2009 04:15
|
|
|
thegreatcodfish posted:Well, I made my first HF contact today. Today was Jamboree on the Air so it was lit up like a christmas tree most of the afternoon. I tried for about an hour to get in at a couple stations, but gave up. Figured I just couldn't get through on a ham stick. Got back on a few hours later when it had quieted down a bit and got through to a station in NY on my first try. Quite exciting. Oh, it was on 20m @ 100w. GA to NY. I use N1MM logger, it seems the most functional of the ones I looked at. I never heard of that logger32 program before, so I don't know anything about it. As far as paper goes, why log twice? Unless you're writing 'em down while operating at a buddy's place or something, just log electronically while you're going, since you're going to be putting them in LOTW anyway.
|
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2009 14:00
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 10, 2024 13:35 |
|
|
When Hamsexy meets There, I Fixed It: http://thereifixedit.com/2009/10/19/spy-truck-not-as-inconspicuous-as-you-think/
|
|
#
?
Oct 19, 2009 22:06
|
|