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Sure, I'll join the club. Dues are  at joining for a lifetime membership, right?
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Jul 17, 2010 21:47
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I don't even have a radio (yet) and I'm down for a goon ham club. Speaking of radios, I'll be getting a brand new Yaesu VX6-R in August. Gotta wait for the Yaesu back order to fix itself. Edit, some geography might be useful if we start a Goon club... I'm in North Delaware. AbsentMindedWelder fucked around with this message at 22:04 on Jul 17, 2010 |
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Jul 17, 2010 21:52
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I'm all for it once I get my license, I even have a radio with a HF setup (well, my father does, but you know how it goes). I'm in new england if it matters.
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Jul 17, 2010 22:12
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YAY! Pics! This is the future home of my antenna farm. The antenna on the chimney now is an old, lovely TV antenna that will be removed. I'm blessed with a big, tall house. The windows on the bottom of the pic are actually the 2nd story, and the window above that is obviously the 3rd story, or my attic. Also, the chimney is pretty clear of any tree branches all around it. The flat roof makes for easy access to my chimney with a relatively short ladder! (I estimate I'll need a 15-20 ft ladder, haven't been on the flat roof (yet) to measure it).  And to make my life even easier to put up an awesome antenna farm, I can access that flat roof right from the 3rd story window with no ladder!  Safety first! Gotta have fall protection for this kind of poo poo. I picked myself up a French Creek harness and double attachment point lanyard (Made in USA!). The harness also has the two side D rings on it, just like the old style telephone lineman's belts, so you can hang off a pole, ladder, etc hands free while you are working. I'll need to make a lanyard attachment point near the attic window so I can safely crawl through the window and get on the flat roof safely. I'll then probably use some chain and a D-ring wrapped around the chimney for another attachment point while doing the antenna work on the chimney. Also, the ladder can be easily tied to the chimney in both the middle and top to minimize risk. Once you are on the ladder, in addition to the lanyard being tied to the chimney, you can hook a strap around the chimney to your harness D-rings, lean back and enjoy the view, hands free. I didn't buy the fall protection JUST for putting up antennas (although it's a good excuse). I do welding/shop maintenance for a living now, and it's only a matter of time at my current job I'll need to do something off the ground. 
AbsentMindedWelder fucked around with this message at 23:20 on Jul 17, 2010 |
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Jul 17, 2010 23:15
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ok everyone who wants in on our Goon Ham Radio Club email me and i'll get the ball rolling. kyle.hamilton AT gmail.com Rev Quackers KG6BXW
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Jul 18, 2010 01:34
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 04:23 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Jul 18, 2010 01:36
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Rev Quackers posted:ok everyone who wants in on our Goon Ham Radio Club email me and i'll get the ball rolling. Done!
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Jul 18, 2010 01:46
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Jose Pointero posted:Put up two antennas on the roof and call it a day.
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Jul 18, 2010 12:57
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Anyone have a suggestion for a dual-band HT antenna? I'm not getting very good 70cm performance on my FT-60 and I'd like to see if I can improve it with a new antenna.
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Jul 18, 2010 20:28
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Jacob posted:Anyone have a suggestion for a dual-band HT antenna? I'm not getting very good 70cm performance on my FT-60 and I'd like to see if I can improve it with a new antenna. nmfree posted:I use this whip; it's another Nagoya, see above re: lovely & cheap but works decently. Actual rubber ducks are only worth the tears they produce.
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Jul 18, 2010 20:42
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Jacob posted:Anyone have a suggestion for a dual-band HT antenna? I'm not getting very good 70cm performance on my FT-60 and I'd like to see if I can improve it with a new antenna. I have a Comet SMA-3 on mine and it gets better reception than the rubber duck that came with the radio. I picked that one over the SMA-503 because I got myself confused when looking at radios and had picked that one before I changed from a VX-7R (tri-bander) to the FT-60R. To stress what nmfree said, make sure to get an antenna with a SMA connector. The last thing you want to do is get a BNC or other connection and try hooking up an adapter. That's the fastest way to gently caress up your antenna connector.
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Jul 18, 2010 20:56
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Thanks, nmfree and BigHustle. Is there a reliable source to get information about things like this? As I scan the specs, they seem to be fairly similar antennas. It's hard for me to understand the differences.
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Jul 18, 2010 21:13
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I have some of my grandfathers older radio (probably early - mid 90s) gear. He passed in about 2000 and at the end of his life he was obsessed with Ham and primarily buying new gear throughout the 90's. Interesting old man part: He was engineer working with Robert Watson-Watt though and worked with the crew that created anti aircraft radar in the UK during WWII. Anyhow I have in my possession 1- icom HF Transceiver IC-735 Larger shelf mount box. 1- icom HF Transceiver IC-u2AT (Hand Held) 1- icom HF Transceiver IC-281H (Looks Car mount style 1 Advanced Electronics Apps PK88 Packet Controller 1- MFJ Deluxe Versa Tuner 11 Model 949 D 1-Archerrotor Model 15-7225B As well as a few Mics and cables. I really don't know what anything is worth besides a cursory pass through ebay so what's the best place to try and get rid of the gear,and how much I should be looking for for it. I know at the the time he spend a shitload of cash on it, so with the exception of the had-held it's barely used. Hell I don't even know if maybe it broadcasts on frequencies where are call for a CRTC/FCC death squad to come and gently caress with you on. I wouldn;t mind getting what they are worth out of them but a big part of it is there's so much sit in that house used by no one and depreciating. (this stuff hasn't left shelf in the basement of my dad's place since my grandfather passed. I didn't primarily post this looking for a buyer here, more suggestions on where to cell/value. As AFAIK ham isn't really a popular hobby lot of people get into anymore. (Of course part of me want's to save it till the inevitable collapse of civilizaton I'm on Vnacouver island in case anyone cares
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Jul 18, 2010 21:29
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 04:23 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Jul 18, 2010 22:40
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I'm still looking for a rig myself if you're looking to get rid of it. I don't have anything yet so I'll need the works (rig, power supply, balanced tuner...) I'd definitely be up for something at the right price.
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Jul 18, 2010 23:04
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Rev Quackers posted:ok everyone who wants in on our Goon Ham Radio Club email me and i'll get the ball rolling. E-mail sent!
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Jul 19, 2010 02:38
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BigHustle posted:The last thing you want to do is get a BNC or other connection and try hooking up an adapter. That's the fastest way to gently caress up your antenna connector. Could you elaborate a little bit on this? I've read some baseless rumors of SMA being less robust than BNC (likely spread around by that single guy who sells his handmade BNC-SMA adapter), but how does an adapter actually ruin your connector? bokchoi fucked around with this message at 04:35 on Jul 19, 2010 |
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Jul 19, 2010 04:33
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Jacob posted:Thanks, nmfree and BigHustle. Is there a reliable source to get information about things like this? As I scan the specs, they seem to be fairly similar antennas. It's hard for me to understand the differences. You'll want to check the transmit frequencies and compare them to what you need the antenna for. With the two I listed, the SMA-3 will transmit on 2m, 1.25m (220), and 70cm (440) while the SMA-503 will only transmit well on 2m and 70cm. If you have a radio capable of transmitting only on 2m and 70cm like the FT-60R, there's no point in going for the tri-bander unless you want to upgrade to a tri-band radio in the future. It's like buying premium fuel for your beater. It'll work just as well as the regular unleaded, but it has the potential for more. As far as references go, generally speaking if you Google a piece of Ham gear you'll get a link to the eHam review for said product. It's just like reading Amazon reviews though, so you have to wade through the retards to find the good opinions. bokchoi posted:Could you elaborate a little bit on this? I've read some baseless rumors of SMA being less robust than BNC (likely spread around by that single guy who sells his handmade BNC-SMA adapter), but how does an adapter actually ruin your connector? Certainly. My comments aren't about robustness issues or raging against the SMA machine, it's simply physics. The SMA connector is smaller in diameter than a BNC and can be more easily damaged. For example, the FT-60R comes with a 7" rubber duck antenna with a recessed SMA connection. The antenna's outer casing comes into contact with the base of the connector and offers some stress relief. The Comet SMA-3 has an SMA connector, but it is flush with the bottom of the antenna casing. When it's on the radio, there is about a 1/8" gap between the base of the antenna and the top of the radio. If something were to catch the antenna and wrench it in any direction, there is no stress relief in place and all of the strain will be placed directly on the joint where the antenna connects to the radio. If you add in a 2 or 3" adapter to convert a BNC to an SMA you have an even bigger problem since the added weight is going to throw it off-balance and give another few inches of height to get caught on something. It also looks horribly ghetto to have a bunch of adapters hanging off your rig. Doing that to cobble together an emergency antenna or to make an on the fly repair is one thing, doing it because you bought the wrong antenna for the job is totally something different.
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Jul 19, 2010 10:11
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Anyone into contests? It looks like ARRL's Rookie Roundup (http://www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup) might be interesting for those of us inspired to be licensed from this thread. ARRL Website posted:Full Contest Details
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Jul 19, 2010 22:09
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Excellent ! All bands I don't have equipment for yet. Looks like I'll have to buy some more. Mail sent on that clubyola
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Jul 20, 2010 20:27
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I've been searching the internet for plans on how to build a matching device for a homemade vertical antenna. (Specifically I want to make an 11 meter 5/8 wave vertical right now.) The internet thus far has not been useful, so I'm trying here. (I should probably just go buy the ARRL Antenna Handbook, I'm sure it's in there... is it?) I realize ground planes are nice and simple, but I always have to do things the complicated way, plus I want the lower angle of radiation. 
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Jul 21, 2010 00:14
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dv6speed posted:I've been searching the internet for plans on how to build a matching device for a homemade vertical antenna. (Specifically I want to make an 11 meter 5/8 wave vertical right now.) The internet thus far has not been useful, so I'm trying here. (I should probably just go buy the ARRL Antenna Handbook, I'm sure it's in there... is it?) Here is a site with an antenna length calculator and a few tips re: materials and here is a dude who shows detailed instructions on how to build one. I'd like to see pics when you're done. I'm thinking of making one myself.
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Jul 21, 2010 05:34
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Jose Pointero posted:IC-735: Hey, it's Jonny 290's rig. Depending on condition, $250-400 I would say. Hell, I might be interested in that myself. Have you tried turning on any of this stuff? It's hard to sell ham stuff without it being tested. Thanks for the advice, I'm not a big e-bay fan so I'll see what I can do locally. If anyone is particularly interested feel free to PM me or e-mail me at sampleuser at that email place that starts with a g. I know none of it's been heavily used, but I'm not a radio hardware guy so I'm not quite sure I can test it (will do what anyone asks).
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Jul 21, 2010 16:21
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dv6speed posted:Words about chimney mounting and Pictures This is me, but I would think twice about mounting to a chimney. This is all coming from ham forums on the internet, so take it as you will. Chimneys are not designed to hold an antenna and/or people. I know people have done it (I have), but its probably not the safest place to mount an antenna. The wind load of an antenna could easily topple the chimney, esp. if the chimney is old and has weakened over the years. Also if the chimney is being used to carry fireplace or furnace fumes to where they need to go, these fumes could be corrosive to the antenna. I say all of this, but when I was growing up I put a vertical Antron-99 CB antenna on my parents chimney and it stayed there for 10 years or so with no problem. I just wanted to make sure you knew the risk of putting an antenna up there. If you do something small, (2m vert) you will probably be OK. I would be REALLY scared of putting a ladder on it and climbing up there though.
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Jul 21, 2010 17:16
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Quackers, any progress? I haven't heard anything back, which can make a fella wonder if his e-mail got to the right person.
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Jul 21, 2010 18:26
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Club station for the Empire State Games is setting up locally here. I knew there were people roaming around, then I heard "There's a guy out there climbing a tree", and I knew it was Ham radio. I volunteered to be a safety point for a couple of events, do something with my radio, help out. I'll see what happens, hopefully no emergencies.
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Jul 21, 2010 21:01
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TC the Giant posted:Quackers, any progress? I haven't heard anything back, which can make a fella wonder if his e-mail got to the right person. He's a plant from the ARRL, collecting our info in order to spam us with even more poo poo than they already send.  EDIT: We need a decent name for the club. Something ARCful Hambeast Amateur Radio Club BigHustle fucked around with this message at 22:15 on Jul 21, 2010 |
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Jul 21, 2010 21:11
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Well what's our angle ? If we pick something funny it will probably automatically position a good portion of AR users into thinking we're a bunch of goof-offs, then they won't find out that we are that for themselves. That and Ham radio seems to make enough jokes for itself that we may not need to help them along. Do we have something that we plan on doing in particular ? Organizing meetups/trips to major fests or events ? HF net ? Some sort of Echolink disaster ? Perhaps, as suggested earlier in the thread, we have some sort of obnoxious radio based MS paint competitions via SSTV? Does it have to have "amateur radio club" in it? That or "amateur radio association" seem to be of the highest usage. Perhaps we could be "The Gentleman's Wireless User Society" or something odd. "Far America Telecommunicationist, Amateur Satellite Service, and Electronic Students"
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Jul 21, 2010 22:25
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Surely the callsign is even more important? N0OG is taken. So is N0OOO.
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Jul 21, 2010 22:56
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I was going to suggest n0ob but.. it's taken too. http://www.qrz.com/db/N0OB
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Jul 21, 2010 23:51
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What was wrong with AG0ON?
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Jul 22, 2010 00:16
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xergm posted:What was wrong with AG0ON? That would be good, if it's available. Sorry for forgetting.
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Jul 22, 2010 01:52
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Vir posted:That would be good, if it's available. Sorry for forgetting. AG0ON was available when I posted it. I was looking for vanity signs. Also, NO0OOO is available if you like your lamentations drawn out.
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Jul 22, 2010 02:11
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dv6speed posted:You know you've spent too much time on SA when the first thing that you see in a technical diagram is someone bent over with their rear end in the air.
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Jul 22, 2010 03:55
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TC the Giant posted:Quackers, any progress? I haven't heard anything back, which can make a fella wonder if his e-mail got to the right person. yep I got everyones emails, sorry this is the last week of summer school so I'm in the home strech. I have printed up most (I think all) of the stuff we need at work. This is my weekend project, sorry for taking so long.
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Jul 22, 2010 07:51
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Well up until yesterday nothing was really piquing my interest in Ham radio until they started running this event. I've been listening to the net all day for the event, and its been interesting to say the least, lots of coordination and control. They have APRS running on volunteer medical vehicles so I can watch them roam the area online, its actually pretty cool considering.
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Jul 22, 2010 20:48
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So this is my first Friday living in Portland and I have some concerns. Are all the ham bands totally dead this weekend for some weird reason or is the pacific northwest just a dead zone compared to the jam-packed east coast where I used to live? I hope this move didn't kill my new hobby if there are no operators out here.
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Jul 24, 2010 08:41
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Catastrophe posted:So this is my first Friday living in Portland and I have some concerns. Are all the ham bands totally dead this weekend for some weird reason or is the pacific northwest just a dead zone compared to the jam-packed east coast where I used to live? I hope this move didn't kill my new hobby if there are no operators out here. I noticed a large decrease in ham traffic since I moved from NJ to MO, at least on UHF/VHF. I have a stack of repeaters programmed into my handheld, but have only had one conversation since moving here. I need to try and fix the FT-101 so I can get on HF, since I know I'll at least find something out there.
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Jul 24, 2010 23:38
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So what is the best procedure to go about tuning a dipole? I got all my poo poo to put up a loving huge dipole tommrow, including an SWR meter Do I make it a little bit long and shorten it as necessary? How do you know which side of the dipole to shorten? Any other tips/advice/methodology?
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Jul 25, 2010 00:17
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BigHustle posted:I noticed a large decrease in ham traffic since I moved from NJ to MO, at least on UHF/VHF. I have a stack of repeaters programmed into my handheld, but have only had one conversation since moving here. I need to try and fix the FT-101 so I can get on HF, since I know I'll at least find something out there. Same thing here in Denver, there was quite a bit of traffic comparatively in OK when i was there, here in CO however other than a few weekly traffic nets that are over as soon as they start, and nobody hangs out afterwords, there is silence pretty much on all the repeaters. It sucks.
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Jul 25, 2010 00:19
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