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http://www.websdr.org/ has got a new receiver in Sweden. As you can hear, there are a lot of Russian and other slavic hams on 80 meters, but I've never gotten a response from Russia on this band yet. Maybe they're used to 80 meters being local only, so they're not prepared for English QSOs. Have you ever come across the "anti-bandplan" activists? Apparently the ARRL, the FCC or the ITU has no say in our God-given right to transmit anything anywhere; also the suggested band plans are illegal because they are tantamount to selling off the frequencies.  I've heard such characters jamming frequencies a couple of times too. It's the weirdest of causes. I can understand pirates who are against all regulation of radio, but why would you obtain a license, respect the band edges, identify properly, but fly into furious rage because you can't have an AM ragchew in the digital segment or because a scheduled traffic net asked you if you could please move a couple kHz down in the band? It's just an aberration though. Everyone else I've talked to both on HF and repeaters have been very nice people, happy to help with an audio check, talking about their interests, etc. Radio Nowhere posted:I just made contact with someone who participates in something called "Summits On The Air".  From two pages back: eddiewalker posted:I don't completely follow your ground radial idea, since I thought radial just went along with vertical, flagpole-style antennas, but it seems like something I could easily try later if I just left a foot of extra feedline by the chimney. On a related note, I'm almost finished making G3UKV's version of the ZS6BKW multiband HF antenna. I haven't actually trimmed the ends to length yet; I've only used it with my auto-tuner. While I've been able to get one end up into a ~10 meter tall rowan tree, the other end is supposed to be supported by a ~15 meter tall pine tree, out of range of my tennis ball and racket method. I could have built a powerful slingshot, but it would likely be illegal under our weapon laws. I'll end up climbing the pine, I think, but I'll be getting some safety gear first; I have to check the roof of our house too so it won't be a pure ham expense. Curly Shuffle posted:What's the status of SAARS? For more old school, we could set up a CWirc room. 
Vir fucked around with this message at 23:14 on Apr 23, 2012 |
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Apr 23, 2012 23:11
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Sammus posted:I went out to the garage today to clear a space, and low and behold I stumbled upon some of my dad's old ham radio stuff. Could you guys tell me what I've got here? There might be more stashed in the garage that I need to look for. You got a bunch of vintage boatanchor poo poo that will work until the heat death of the universe, that's what you got. Super cool, i'm jealous. My antenna tuner is the only Kenwood thing I own, it's an AT-230. I think it was meant to be paired either with that generation or the one after. Please don't let some wheeler and dealer tell you "oh it's old, i'll give you $50 for the pile."
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Apr 25, 2012 10:12
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 05:39 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Apr 25, 2012 13:07
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UPDATE: So I'm programming Kenwood TK-270's (not the G version) and it requires DOS based software instead of the really awesome KPG56 software. My cable is a USB cable with drivers that emulate the serial connection. You can see my problem. Turns out running a Windows Virtual PC with Win 98, the virtual PC using the COM port that the cable is assigned to, and turning on "wait for modem command to open port" works fantastically. And when I say fantastically I mean it works in the way that programming LMR's normally does which is generally a terrible experience (I'm lookin' at you Motorola...) Also turns out I can program the Kenwoods below 150 so now I'm sitting here scanning HAM bands while trying to finish the rest of this stack of radios. Are there any national VHF bands that get a lot of traffic that I should be scanning?
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Apr 26, 2012 06:20
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 05:39 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Apr 26, 2012 18:34
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Jonny 290 posted:You got a bunch of vintage boatanchor poo poo that will work until the heat death of the universe, that's what you got. Super cool, i'm jealous. Thanks, that tells me pretty much exactly what I wanted to know. I have no intention of selling the stuff, and I think I might even want to one day get it into working order. Not to use regularly, but just incase I ever need it. It would be good to have it set up to where it's flip a switch and be ready to go.
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Apr 27, 2012 00:51
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I just programmed ~20 handhelds. Theoretically, if I were to charge, how much should I have made? I think the local guy charges us $40 but I'm not too sure. Also, screw entering frequencies into a DOS based program, I forgot how horrible that whole thing is when you're doing more than a few channels. By the way the whole virtual-pc setup I mentioned above works really really well.
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Apr 27, 2012 09:33
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invision posted:Also, screw entering frequencies into a DOS based program, I forgot how horrible that whole thing is when you're doing more than a few channels. invision posted:By the way the whole virtual-pc setup I mentioned above works really really well. Or I suppose I could just buy an all-serial cable and use the serial expansion card I have, but 
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Apr 28, 2012 01:23
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nmfree posted:Could be worse, you could have to enter the frequencies in hexadecimal. :iamafag: If you've got a cheap programming cable from eBay like I bought for my vx-8, it's probably got a Prolific chipset or knockoff thereof. http://wouxun.us/Software/USB%20Drivers/PL2303_Prolific_GPS_AllInOne_1013.exe That driver works for me. Wouxun.us lists that as their "all else fails" driver. Works for both my cheap vx-8 cable and my Baofeng.
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Apr 29, 2012 15:00
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If anyone chases countries, Yemen is going to activated for the first time in quite a while for a couple of weeks, starting this afternoon. It's number 5 on the DX News Most Wanted List. Even if you don't consider yourself a DXer you may want to try to work this one. It could be years and years before this happens again. Expect a zoo on frequency for the duration of the DXpedition.
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Apr 30, 2012 17:05
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While I am waiting for my $25 RTL USB dongle to arrive - do we have an SDR thread? Or perhaps we have enough SDR users in this thread?
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Apr 30, 2012 22:59
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Tovarisch posted:While I am waiting for my $25 RTL USB dongle to arrive - do we have an SDR thread? Or perhaps we have enough SDR users in this thread? r/RTLSDR on reddit is pretty active, and is way less swamped with "internet culture" than the rest of the site.
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Apr 30, 2012 23:42
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I have a type acceptance question that no one on the local repeaters is willing to answer for some reason: At work I get a Moto Radius handheld that's set up under a business band license for (5 frequencies around 463mhz, for 10 units at 5 watts each) My Baofeng uv-3r covers our freqs, is part 90 certified, and only puts out 2 watts. Can I use it at work with my employer's permission?
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May 6, 2012 20:13
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 05:41 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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May 7, 2012 18:42
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Jose Pointero posted:Pretty sure it's not kosher, but I did this exact same thing with my old Yaesu VX-7R at 5 watts a few years ago. But this radio, and I believe the Wouxun that's so popular, have been certified under part 90. I know my Yaesu isn't. This morning I took my Baofeng to the local Motorola dealer who files every business license in town. They looked at the FCC ID and couldn't find anything wrong with my plan, so long as I have permission to operate under the business license. The list of freqs and DCS codes I was handed by an engineer-in-charge counts for me. Even talking about it got me treated like a criminal on the local repeater.
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May 7, 2012 23:42
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 05:41 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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May 8, 2012 00:08
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Dumb question from a new operator...... How can some HF verticals get away with ground radials that are only 3 or 4 feet long rather than 25 or so feet?
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May 8, 2012 01:42
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eddiewalker posted:This morning I took my Baofeng to the local Motorola dealer who files every business license in town. They looked at the FCC ID and couldn't find anything wrong with my plan, so long as I have permission to operate under the business license. The list of freqs and DCS codes I was handed by an engineer-in-charge counts for me.  tells me that it really is Part 90 certified, so go nuts.FYI according to the FCC documents the radio is only in compliance of Part 90 if it's programmed by authorized personnel or the manufacturer, but I won't tell if you don't  eddiewalker posted:That driver works for me. Wouxun.us lists that as their "all else fails" driver. Works for both my cheap vx-8 cable and my Baofeng.  v Not a big deal, really.SiB posted:Dumb question from a new operator...... How can some HF verticals get away with ground radials that are only 3 or 4 feet long rather than 25 or so feet?
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May 8, 2012 07:56
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Am I correct in assuming that the questions in the NCVEC pools are all sample questions, and you end up with something different on exam day? I've been spending more time memorizing rules and regs than any practical theory (RF engineering professionally), so I was thinking about going straight to General or Extra (combination of Element 2, 3 and 4 question pools, right?)
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May 11, 2012 21:45
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The question pools are *ALL* the questions that may appear in a test. Every test is different, but they all take a certain number of questions from each section of their respective pool.
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May 11, 2012 23:09
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mwdan posted:The question pools are *ALL* the questions that may appear in a test. Every test is different, but they all take a certain number of questions from each section of their respective pool. Oh, ok! For some reason I thought it was an obnoxiously huge pool of practice questions or something. Looks like I have over a thousand practice questions to work through! Like the MCAT all over again, except I know it quite well! 
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May 11, 2012 23:45
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movax posted:I've been spending more time memorizing rules and regs than any practical theory (RF engineering professionally), so I was thinking about going straight to General or Extra (combination of Element 2, 3 and 4 question pools, right?)
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May 12, 2012 01:38
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Speaking of exams, is there a place to check to see where the most current randomly assigned callsigns are for a given area? I'm curious to see what sort of callsign I'd get if I were to pass a General Exam these days.
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May 12, 2012 02:58
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manero posted:Speaking of exams, is there a place to check to see where the most current randomly assigned callsigns are for a given area? I'm curious to see what sort of callsign I'd get if I were to pass a General Exam these days.
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May 12, 2012 04:04
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Just a side comment on the repeater chat, yeah, never ever talk about anything outside of the book with HAMs which aren't public safety or emergency preparedness focused. It just ends up bad. I mean I'll admit it - all my radios are not to spec - but I never abuse that privilege. I just like having GMRS and FRS freqs and the like available to me in case I NEED them. It's not like being a pirate and stealing movies or software, it's a matter of if I ever am in a ditch and somehow a repeater i can reach isn't on you're drat straight that I'll be "breaking the code" and using any freqs within my power to summon help, shy of public service frequencies I am not authorized on, and even then, if I'm going to die otherwise I'll just give up my license for the trespass 
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May 12, 2012 04:10
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All of my radios are busted wide open. My 735 can transmit (albeit inefficiently and probably blowing up the output filters) anywhere between 0.1 and 30 MHz, and I actually have a Jurassic-era Alinco that receives unblocked 800 though nothing's been up there for ten years. It's up to you to do the right thing and not be a shithead with the powers you have.
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May 12, 2012 09:25
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Ok guys -- time to decide: Do I go with an IC-7410, or a Flex 3000? Anyone have any experience with the two?
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May 14, 2012 02:19
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Complete newbie question: I want to get into Ham Radio but I know next to nothing, is the Ham Radio License Manual Revised 2nd Edition what I want to purchase as a starting point? Adeptus Mechanicus fucked around with this message at 05:36 on May 14, 2012 |
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May 14, 2012 05:33
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Adeptus Mechanicus posted:Complete newbie question:
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May 14, 2012 08:27
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 05:41 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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May 14, 2012 13:59
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Pixelboy posted:Ok guys -- time to decide: I've used a Flex before and honestly the receiver performance seems to be pretty good, but I could never get over NEEDING a computer to operate a rig. I've had a couple of QSOs with a Flexer in which they simply disappeared because their computer locked up. Instead of a 7410 have you considered a Kenwood TS-590? The receiver performance is way better, it's a better rig on CW and the price is around $350 less.
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May 16, 2012 14:16
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I don't see this on this page: The FCC wants to hear from human beings about ham radio use in emergency situations.The FCC posted:the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC or Commission) Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau seek comment on the uses and capabilities of Amateur Radio Service communications in emergencies and disaster relief. As set forth below, comment is sought on issues relating to the importance of emergency Amateur Radio Service communications and on impediments to enhanced Amateur Radio Service communications. Stakeholder entities and organizations, including the Amateur Radio, emergency response, and disaster communications communities, are particularly encouraged to submit comments. Deadline TOMORROW, Thursday 5/17.
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May 17, 2012 00:13
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I built a mobile 10 meter antenna yesterday! It's built out of a section of fiberglass tent pole, the whip+ferrule off an old 2 meter 5/8 wave, a 3/8"x24 bolt and a 1/2" NPT brass fitting. It will tune as low as 12 meters but right now I have it centered on 28.3-ish MHz. Heard a couple freebanders, no legit hams though. I hear 10's still on the way up, however.
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May 17, 2012 10:57
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Any goon hams in Dayton this weekend? I just got here tonight staying for 2 days. Have never been before, already see some hamsexy and I'm just at the hotel! Can't wait for tomorrow, hopefully I don't spend too much.
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May 18, 2012 03:49
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 05:42 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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May 18, 2012 05:19
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So I am on holidays, eastern Canada.... I was on Signal Hill (St. John's, Newfoundland) today with a Radio and I contacted a friend of mine back home on the west side of Canada. Whats so great about that? On 12 December 1901, the first transatlantic wireless transmission was received here by Guglielmo Marconi in an abandoned fever and Diphtheria hospital, which has since been destroyed by fire.[1] The transmission, in Morse code, originated from his Poldhu Wireless Station, Cornwall, UK. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_Hill,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador Ya I had a radio geek moment 
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May 19, 2012 04:41
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Speaking of radio geek moments, I was just up in MT, and got my first readable APT RX with a homebrew QFH antenna on a stupidly-named radio called the FunCube Dongle Pro. Said antenna was elevated to 2 meters by hanging it from a tree. This strikes me as cool because it's the first antenna I've made, and my 2nd antenna overall (also it receives satellites!). I can feel the greying of my beard along with the ailing of my health, and will be taking the next available tech exam. Totally Reasonable fucked around with this message at 06:37 on May 19, 2012 |
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May 19, 2012 06:26
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That is awesome! I've always been meaning to dabble in trying to receive WX satellite stuff but have never gotten around to it.
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May 20, 2012 03:16
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Hamvention was great.... managed to pass my Extra, and bought some coax to finally get around to setting up an HF station.
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May 20, 2012 18:22
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Congrats! Someday I hope to get there; Nine people from my local club went this year.
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May 20, 2012 18:34
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