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BigHustle posted:Here's some Helldump action on Karol: http://www.ve7kfm.com/ That page is approaching as bad as he in, just in the other direction and (or maybe somewhat the same) just not on air. It's people like this and emcomm whackers that give the bulk of the rest of us a bad name and reason for embarrassment.
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Jul 4, 2014 01:33
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| # ? May 28, 2024 17:32 |
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Do whackers know they are whackers? What do they think about other whackers and other hams?
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Jul 4, 2014 03:15
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The emcomm people are tolerable here at least. Like I'm glad I have my radio in the event of a really bad natural disaster and I do usually take it hiking if I'm going to be outside of cell range, but the people who think they're the Red Cross Baofeng Division are simultaneously funny and insufferable. I'm glad to help out in any way I can if something bad happens but I try to distance myself from the people who charge into any lost-hiker event with their 5-watt HTs blazing, ready to save the day instead of y'know, the SAR guys up in the helicopters with the IR cameras.
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Jul 4, 2014 03:29
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I've listened to those people on 14.313, if I remember right, Karol somehow managed to run a 15kw linear at one point. I took notes for awhile (in 2008?) trying to piece it all together, and I just gave up. It's all the worst sort of trailer trash incoherent nonsense you'd expect to find in a truck stop bathroom. It's a shame though, they all have great signals. Best to just spin the dial.
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Jul 6, 2014 05:11
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So what are you guys using for portable "Go" type operations, if you hit the field for clubs or emcomm? At the moment I have a marine battery box with 28Ah of 7Ah batteries - of which I have a backup set of 4 batteries but they're not in a box at the moment, all wired with fused links and power poles. I have a pad of Velcro on top of the box, and a VHF mobile tucked on top of the batteries which I can pull out and stick to the top. All the latest EmComm stuff now though is MT63/VHF, and having a dual band in there (or at least the ability to quickly detach mine from the car and toss it on) would be nice. Is anyone running that sort of thing? Is there a negative to trying to get those battery boxes chained into my vehicle's power system so they're always charged? I have an apartment so most of my "ops" are grab and go. Still working on a portable antenna tripod that isn't those military masts, since they take up a bunch of space I don't have for storage. Bunch of the guys have the aluminum ones with that tripod adapter, and the club managed to buy like a pallet load of the fiberglass ones, yet again I'm talking about wanting to put up a small vertical without 9999 radials or guy wires.
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Jul 6, 2014 20:16
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I put powerpoles on an automotive "jump start box." It runs my radio for a while, has it's own built-in charger, handle for easy carrying, and bonus flashlight. Plus it's a nice thing to have in the car for it's intended engine-starting and tire-inflating purposes.
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Jul 6, 2014 20:24
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440 amp-hours of deep-cycle lead acid, fed by a 60-amp 4 stage charger. 6500w Onan if I need to plug in an amp. (Okay, i'm cheating with a motorhome.) Seriously though, solar is down to about $1.60/watt in 100 watt quantities, and I am definitely considering putting 200w on top, just to kind of keep batteries topped off more / slow the bleed without needing AC charge power as much. Partycat posted:Is there a negative to trying to get those battery boxes chained into my vehicle's power system so they're always charged? I have an apartment so most of my "ops" are grab and go. Check and make sure your alternator doesnt exceed the float voltage; other than that, no problem. Make sure there's a diode in line or a switch so the car can't discharge your go pack.
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Jul 6, 2014 22:34
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I thought I got the idea of a phased vertical array, but I now realise I don't, not fully anyway. I get the idea that two antennas transmitting out of phase will cancel each others signals. I also get the idea that two antennas transmitting in phase will add their signals to make a bigger signal. However when you have two antennas in phase but a half wave apart, they should cancel in the direction of their seperation and get gain perpendicular to this. Now here's the part I don't get, where they add up it should be the amplitude of both waves added together, right? However since the transmitter power is split between two antennas, surely each antenna gets half the transmitter output, so wouldn't the sum of those waves be the same as if it was coming out of one antenna? Clearly that can't actually be right so what am I not understanding?
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Jul 7, 2014 23:30
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Total output power can never be increased obviously, but your EIRP can increase in certain directions. Whatever's illuminated by the center of the antenna lobe will see the same power level as if you were using a isotropic antenna (dipole gets pretty close) at your actual power level multiplied by the antenna gain. If you measure outside of where the array is pointed you get far less signal, so the total power level is always the same, just directed differently. Sort of like comparing a light bulb and a laser, a 1mW laser looks bright as gently caress when it hits your eye with directed energy, but if you took that 1mW of light energy and spread it in all directions it'd be ridiculously dim. longview fucked around with this message at 17:05 on Jul 8, 2014 |
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Jul 8, 2014 17:01
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I just took my technician level exam yesterday (I didn't have the foresight to also prepare for the general, since they would've let me take it in the same sitting) so now I'm looking for my first radio. With all new things, price-vs-performance is always a concern. I know the Baofeng radios are well regarded for new people. My research seems to bring up the UV-5RE as the current favorite. Is this true? I was planning on ordering the UV-5RE and a Nagoya NA-771 antenna and then look into updating to general in the next month or two. I'm on the first floor of an apartment, so any HF will likely have to happen by stringing up wire in a tree and hope no one says anything about it...or hiking somewhere and doing the same. Thoughts?
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Jul 21, 2014 18:51
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I have UV-5Rs and UV-B5/B6s. The B5 and B6 don't have as nice of a screen, but they have noticeably better-performing receivers. You didn't at least try to take the general exam when you were in a testing session? If you go for the general later, definitely take a stab at the extra too. It doesn't cost any extra and you could get lucky, even without any prep.
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Jul 21, 2014 20:41
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eddiewalker posted:I have UV-5Rs and UV-B5/B6s. The B5 and B6 don't have as nice of a screen, but they have noticeably better-performing receivers. No, I didn't attempt it. I took it at a conference and had some people waiting for me. I'll check out those radios, though. Thanks! Macintosh HD fucked around with this message at 23:30 on Jul 21, 2014 |
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Jul 21, 2014 21:49
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Whatever you do don't get Tyt radios, all the ones I've heard sounded like poo poo, so much that everyone who bought one where I live have replaced them with at least Wouxun grade gear
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Jul 24, 2014 15:30
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Baofengs are cheap, but they are not the best. If you aren't sure what your want, they aren't bad for .7/1.2/2 meter HT. It is no substitute for a proper base or mobile.
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Jul 24, 2014 22:40
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Standing on your roof, straining to check into a boring weekly "no traffic net" is a rite of passage. A Baofeng can get you there cheap.
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Jul 25, 2014 00:06
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longview posted:Whatever you do don't get Tyt radios, all the ones I've heard sounded like poo poo, so much that everyone who bought one where I live have replaced them with at least Wouxun grade gear Partycat posted:Baofengs are cheap, but they are not the best. If you aren't sure what your want, they aren't bad for .7/1.2/2 meter HT. It is no substitute for a proper base or mobile. eddiewalker posted:Standing on your roof, straining to check into a boring weekly "no traffic net" is a rite of passage. A Baofeng can get you there cheap. Well, I ordered a UV-5RA and a Nagoya NA-773 antenna for it and it arrived earlier today. It can get me to the local repeater, so that's nice. My license isn't yet in the FCC database (took the test on Sunday), so I'll have to wait that out. Once I get to General, which might be within a month or so, I plan on buying a Yaesu FT-817ND. Of all the various amateur radio activities, hiking somewhere and throwing a wire up for some 5W long range contacts appeals the most to me.
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Jul 25, 2014 03:03
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QRP HF is a difficult way to start. Not impossible, but difficult.
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Jul 25, 2014 03:14
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Motronic posted:QRP HF is a difficult way to start. Yeah, I've heard that. Sitting at home blasting to an antenna that I'm likely not allowed to have outside anyway (apartment) doesn't really appeal to me much. The POTA and SOTA stuff seems pretty cool. What is difficult about QRP? It seems pretty cut and dry, but I may be mistaken. It seems to just be building a dipole out of wire and make sure it's the correct length? Maybe the solar cycle will affect things, but I think that stuff is usually reported online?
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Jul 25, 2014 03:17
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Macintosh HD posted:Yeah, I've heard that. Sitting at home blasting to an antenna that I'm likely not allowed to have outside anyway (apartment) doesn't really appeal to me much. The POTA and SOTA stuff seems pretty cool. What is difficult about QRP? It seems pretty cut and dry, but I may be mistaken. It seems to just be building a dipole out of wire and make sure it's the correct length? Maybe the solar cycle will affect things, but I think that stuff is usually reported online? The difficulty with QRP is just that it's challenge mode. That's also what's fun about it. But when your'e first starting out there are so many drat variables that beginning on a full power rig sure makes it easier. Not to mention mobile QRP so you're breaking down and setting up every time so you can't play with variables one by one (antenna position, etc). And the "oh, poo poo, I forgot this or needed this and didn't even know it now I'm on a trail somewhere and this was just a hike instead of getting to play nerd communicator". If you have antenna restrictions at home it makes a lot more sense, but it's still gonna be hard. But definitely doable. Just get on the air. If you don't have much luck try scheduling with somone here or elsewhere to listen for you/verify you're getting out and all that. Motronic fucked around with this message at 03:35 on Jul 25, 2014 |
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Jul 25, 2014 03:33
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Motronic posted:The difficulty with QRP is just that it's challenge mode. That's also what's fun about it. But when your'e first starting out there are so many drat variables that beginning on a full power rig sure makes it easier. Not to mention mobile QRP so you're breaking down and setting up every time so you can't play with variables one by one (antenna position, etc). I imagine there are other HF transceivers that can do more than 5W if desired, but selecting a HF transceiver is difficult, anyway. When trying to find a low cost UHF/VHF radio for beginners, the Baofeng is universally recommended. There doesn't seem to be such a recommendation for HF.
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Jul 25, 2014 03:37
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Macintosh HD posted:I imagine there are other HF transceivers that can do more than 5W if desired, but selecting a HF transceiver is difficult, anyway. When trying to find a low cost UHF/VHF radio for beginners, the Baofeng is universally recommended. There doesn't seem to be such a recommendation for HF. There isn't, and to complicate that if you want to be able to carry it around you want something small/light that doesn't eat batteries. Which is why the 817 is a good choice for that. There are certainly others, but that fits the bill at a good price. There just aren't really any off-brand crappy Chinese HF radios that are down to the Boefeng price point yet. And may never be. They sell the poo poo out of those things all over the world for construction crews, etc. That demand doesn't exist for an HF radio. I mean, there's this but it's still $400 and largely unproven to date.
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Jul 25, 2014 03:45
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Motronic posted:There isn't, and to complicate that if you want to be able to carry it around you want something small/light that doesn't eat batteries. Which is why the 817 is a good choice for that. Are there even any obvious HF recommendations for newbies that don't break the bank, even if they're not QRP? QRP aside, what do new hams usually buy for HF?
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Jul 25, 2014 04:35
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Macintosh HD posted:Are there even any obvious HF recommendations for newbies that don't break the bank, even if they're not QRP? QRP aside, what do new hams usually buy for HF? Second-hand is a good option for HF.
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Jul 25, 2014 04:52
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Macintosh HD posted:Are there even any obvious HF recommendations for newbies that don't break the bank, even if they're not QRP? QRP aside, what do new hams usually buy for HF? If I didn't spend all of my money on a big expensive house I'd be buying something like this http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/hf/706/specifications.aspx used
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Jul 25, 2014 15:37
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PuTTY riot posted:If I didn't spend all of my money on a big expensive house I'd be buying something like this The 706MKIIG is hands down my favorite all purpose rig. It's mobile, it's a base, it's luggable. I've camped with it, used it to check into the maritime mobile net (while on my commute). Great radio, I haven't had a single complaint since I bought it in 2003ish.
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Jul 25, 2014 23:10
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So what do I need to get started with DMR? It looks like the XPR 6550 is the eBay favourite, and it's not ludicrously expensive from TwoWayDigitalRadioCom. But in order to program it myself it looks like I'd need a subscription to the programming software? There is a pretty expensive option to front panel program the 6550, but that's probably a big pain in the rear end for programming future DMR repeaters...
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Jul 26, 2014 09:31
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While I'm still trying to find an entry level HF radio, the FCC did finally acknowledge my license. It's still technician, but I'll be working on upgrading that in a couple weeks. If you're still updating the OP with callsigns, you can add mine (KD2GZH)
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Jul 30, 2014 03:41
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Macintosh HD posted:While I'm still trying to find an entry level HF radio, the FCC did finally acknowledge my license. It's still technician, but I'll be working on upgrading that in a couple weeks. If you're still updating the OP with callsigns, you can add mine (KD2GZH) Did that thing.
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Jul 30, 2014 23:20
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SoundMonkey posted:Did that thing. While you're at it, I got a vanity callsign now: KA8ONG
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Jul 31, 2014 02:12
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SoundMonkey posted:Did that thing. Mine changed too. I picked up AC0TW when I got my Extra.
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Jul 31, 2014 03:25
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It looks like the UV-5R is a winner. I managed to get my first contact tonight via the local repeater, which is part of a linked system. I was 4.5 miles from the repeater and my contact was almost 8 miles from his repeater and had the same radio as mine. We had a pleasant chat and it was nice to know that my radio is actually working.
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Jul 31, 2014 05:43
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grilldos posted:While you're at it, I got a vanity callsign now: KA8ONG Did this thing then deleted your old callsign without realizing you were just adding a vanity one, what was it?
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Jul 31, 2014 22:33
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grilldos posted:While you're at it, I got a vanity callsign now: KA8ONG
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Aug 1, 2014 00:52
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SoundMonkey posted:Did this thing then deleted your old callsign without realizing you were just adding a vanity one, what was it? Was KE5ZYN. nmfree posted:Will you be able to put me in touch with a man who can help? I don't know, Quickdraw.
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Aug 1, 2014 01:21
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grilldos posted:I don't know, Quickdraw.
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Aug 2, 2014 06:42
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Since I work in LMR communications, my technician license (KK6HHO) is pretty useless, so I'm going for my Extra as well as the GROL. Anyone have one or comments on its viability in the communications industry?
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Aug 15, 2014 18:06
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Jose Pointero fucked around with this message at 06:24 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Aug 19, 2014 04:21
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Well, you can't say QST isn't being honest with their headlines.
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Aug 19, 2014 06:25
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Finally sat down this past weekend to build the Elecraft KX3 kit that I bought at the ARRL National Convention. I'm missing one standoff that keeps the battery holder in place and the VFO knob won't change frequencies.  They're supposed to be pretty good about supplying parts that were or go missing, but I really should have bought the assembled version.
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Aug 26, 2014 22:29
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| # ? May 28, 2024 17:32 |
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fordan posted:Finally sat down this past weekend to build the Elecraft KX3 kit that I bought at the ARRL National Convention. I'm missing one standoff that keeps the battery holder in place and the VFO knob won't change frequencies. Elecraft has amazing customer support. Just email support@elecraft.com and they will reply pretty quickly. I built a KX3 a few weeks ago and I love it! I will be going up to canada in a few weeks and will be operating from the great white north as /VE4
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Aug 26, 2014 23:11
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