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Progressive JPEG posted:What did you use to get the chart? I've got a fancy rigexpert with usb output but I haven't tried that out yet My brother used a https://www.anritsu.com/en-US/test-measurement/products/s331l I am on disability so i cant afford good things.
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Sep 7, 2018 21:46
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Looks fine at 26 and 41MHz. 
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Sep 7, 2018 23:20
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psh, my doublet's above 10:1 on a few bands. tunes up fine and works FB. i run 120 feet of 450 window line to the shack window, then it hits a 9:1, a 1:1 and whatever tuner i'm feeling like. My 746 autotuner will actually do the job on all bands but 75, but i dont operate much on that trash band so who cares
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Sep 8, 2018 06:28
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Jonny 290 posted:psh, my doublet's above 10:1 on a few bands. tunes up fine and works FB. i run 120 feet of 450 window line to the shack window, then it hits a 9:1, a 1:1 and whatever tuner i'm feeling like. My 746 autotuner will actually do the job on all bands but 75, but i dont operate much on that trash band so who cares I havent set up counter poise for my antenna yet so hopefully it will be better at 40, 20 meters.
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Sep 8, 2018 19:25
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Oh yeah you gotta have something for the antenna to work against. get some copper on that other side and i bet it'll start to play nice
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Sep 9, 2018 04:53
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Michael Jackson posted:I am on disability so i cant afford good things. Good things? That's a $7,000 analyzer. That's crazytown for personal use, but pretty drat awesome. I'd be excited to have access to something like that.
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Sep 9, 2018 16:42
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Following the advice in this thread I'm going to take the General when I take my Tech exam. If I were to pass the Tech and fail the General, could I take the CSCE from my Tech exam and use it to take the General with another group the next day? I guess my concern is that since the groups administering the exams are different, I might end up in a situation where the General results are processed first and that would cause issues since the Technician wasn't yet in the system. Is that actually something I need to be concerned about or will it all work out eventually? I'm not that worried about failing the General since I've passed every practice test, but figured I'd check just in case.
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Sep 11, 2018 17:50
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I don't see why you couldn't. The CSCE is your proof that you completed the appropriate test element, but not having an assigned callsign would probably complicate the license modification. They would probably just have to make a note to withhold the paperwork until your technician license and callsign shows up in the ULS. If in doubt, just point it out when you take the test. I'm sure they'll understand, and they will probably want to take note of it.
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Sep 11, 2018 19:24
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when i went for my extra, i literally just checked the "Yeah i have my 5wpm CSCE" box, having lost the paper 20 years ago, and got Extra with nothing but writtens no problem (this was the last test session before they dropped 5wpm) They're pretty loose with it, i've heard of very few problems
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Sep 11, 2018 23:31
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Luckily it didn't end up being an issue, I passed the Technician and General (and bombed the Extra). Now I just need to figure out what's next
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Sep 15, 2018 02:45
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The Extra is one of the most intimidating tests I've seen in years. I think it's way harder than the GRE.
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Sep 15, 2018 02:57
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I am borrowing IC-77 from the local radio club and i am going to try to get it to communicate with usb signalink. microphone connector to ethernet lol.
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Sep 19, 2018 19:03
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Michael Jackson posted:I am borrowing IC-77 from the local radio club and i am going to try to get it to communicate with usb signalink. microphone connector to ethernet lol. update: i bought an elecraft kx3 and i am now sending EMAIL through winlink (ardop).
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Sep 30, 2018 20:56
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I now own a CS700 as I got it cheap. My MD380's internal mic failed. But I like using it with the MD380 tools. The promiscuous listening is great for punching in local TBRO systems and identifying talk groups and things once you guess the color code. These radios are all more or less the same thing functionality wise. The CS700 has the same bootup tone and a text based splash screen, so I assume these things all are from the same origin as far as codebase or chipset are concerned. The programming software is also the same thing with just a different name on it. I guess I'm a bit disappointed that Connect Systems just seems to whitelabel Chinese products, but, they are maybe doing some quality control and warranty support. That's worth some money, even if they aren't innovating or designing products themselves. There's a local person or persons that I heard through one of the local repeater clubs, who was running a string of DMR repeaters. They had a coverage map posted, but, turns out they're just MMDVM based stuck in their attic or something, so they have a coverage range of bupkis. Has anyone worked with MMDVM ? The Zumspot or similar is pretty cheap for a hotspot, but, I"m not opposed to building something more complex if it could be collocated later at a repeater site or put somewhere else and be more capable.
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Oct 1, 2018 03:05
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Michael Jackson posted:update: i bought an elecraft kx3 and i am now sending EMAIL through winlink (ardop). Does the kx3 come with a sound card or are you using an external box?
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Oct 1, 2018 06:02
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Partycat posted:Has anyone worked with MMDVM ? The Zumspot or similar is pretty cheap for a hotspot, but, I"m not opposed to building something more complex if it could be collocated later at a repeater site or put somewhere else and be more capable. I know people who used to have D-Star repeater setups using sound card modems/DV-RPTR cards have converted them to DMR with MMDVMs instead. IIRC 2xFT-7800s were pretty popular since they have 9600 ports and I think they work with DMR too. Huge list of compatible radios here: https://wiki.brandmeister.network/index.php/Homebrew/MMDVM Operating in simplex/DMO it would be a far better access point than a little 1mW hotspot, and just add a second radio + duplexer and you have a proper repeater.
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Oct 1, 2018 20:39
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Progressive JPEG posted:Does the kx3 come with a sound card or are you using an external box? i am using usb signalink for winlink use. But it is only mono sound output and i want IQ data for HDSDR, so i am going to buy a regular usb sound card that complies with USB 2.0 FULL SPEED so i can put it on a galvanic isolator for USB 2.0 FULL SPEED. edit: lol i posted about the isolator i bought thinking it was usb 2.0 hi speed (480 mbps i think) Michael Jackson posted:bad news, an 12 mbps isolator wont work with airspy or rtl sdr. I have decided to try out an raspberry pi powered by battery instead. Big Mackson fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Oct 1, 2018 |
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Oct 1, 2018 21:05
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Michael Jackson posted:i am using usb signalink for winlink use. But it is only mono sound output and i want IQ data for HDSDR, so i am going to buy a regular usb sound card that complies with USB 2.0 FULL SPEED so i can put it on a galvanic isolator for USB 2.0 FULL SPEED. Instead of isolating the USB, maybe isolate the audio ports? You can get cheapo stereo isolators for like $5 on amazon. I use a pair of them taped together for audio stuff with my KX3. Also make sure your sound card can do stereo input, and can support the full bandwidth for the IQ signals coming out of the KX3. I picked up a Xonar U7, and it works pretty well with the KX3's IQ out
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Oct 1, 2018 23:31
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Yeah, don't rule out $10 old USB sound interfaces for this type of stuff. A lot of the dongles are hardwired to only eat one channel of mic level input. I found a $5 M-Audio MobilePre at the thrift that still loads up on windows 10 and has full stereo line in/out. Optical to line converters at the radio with glass to your computer would break the ground loop, too.
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Oct 3, 2018 15:36
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Yep. And er, I meant "Sampling rate" -- if you get a sound card that can do 192 kHz and is relatively flat across the whole width, you'll be able to visualize just about all of what the KX3 puts out on the I/Q port.
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Oct 3, 2018 16:33
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manero posted:Instead of isolating the USB, maybe isolate the audio ports? You can get cheapo stereo isolators for like $5 on amazon. I use a pair of them taped together for audio stuff with my KX3. Yeah, i tried to make IQ show up in HDSDR but nothing worked until somebody told me the specs of my usb signalink :P The reason i bought usb isolator was for RTL dongle and airspy. But now that i have a stand alone radio unit then i can just isolate audio ports instead.
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Oct 4, 2018 15:06
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i ordered a high speed usb sound card so you better be right about them thar stereo isolators!! edit: Behringer U-PHORIA UMC202HD
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Oct 6, 2018 15:36
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I’ve never needed such a thing , nor seen anyone use one with various Kantronics, and signalink products. If there’s a filter to filter out people keying the windows error ding sound link me that though. Also aside from the cable being kinda stupid TS-480 rules that you can just jack in the sound card, crank that crystal filter up and go to town on PSK transmitting your computer and antenna spec macro.
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Oct 7, 2018 03:59
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OPERATOR MODEL: 1946 LICENSED: 1959 My ic-703 came with the 500hz filter and boy howdy is it good for digimodes. only thing is you gotta either twist the PBT or deal with it being centered at 1500hz. not a problem tho
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Oct 9, 2018 02:29
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Getting a ham license is something I’ve thought about for years, and I decided to do it. I’m studying for my Technician license; exam is on 11/3. I’m studying with a mix of practice tests, the Dummies guide by Ward Silver, and the “no-nonsense” guide that’s available for free. The club that offers the exam is also offering weekend classes, but I’m getting passing scores pretty consistently on the practice exams and wondering if it’s worth it. Also debating whether I should try for General at the same time. Should I get any other study resources, especially if I try for General? There’s the ARRL manual and also a Gordon West study guide that is recommended by the local club - they use it for their class. To take advantage of the additional HF bands that General grants access to, would I need to invest in an antenna + better transceiver? At the moment I just have a cheap Baofeng BF-F8HP with an extended whip. I have to admit that I’m already thinking of places at home or work where I could mount an antenna. I have access to a tall monopole and a second-story roof in a very flat area, with cable paths already in place...
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Oct 13, 2018 16:41
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mentalcontempt posted:Getting a ham license is something I’ve thought about for years, and I decided to do it. I’m studying for my Technician license; exam is on 11/3. I’m studying with a mix of practice tests, the Dummies guide by Ward Silver, and the “no-nonsense” guide that’s available for free. The club that offers the exam is also offering weekend classes, but I’m getting passing scores pretty consistently on the practice exams and wondering if it’s worth it. Also debating whether I should try for General at the same time. Regardless of your antenna, you're definitely not going to get into HF bands with the Baofeng you mentioned, because it's only for the 2m and 70 cm bands, which are VHF and UHF, respectively. There's not much of a step up in material content or difficulty between Technician and General, so I'd say study the General material and go for it. There's enough additional material for Extra that I haven't gotten around to it yet, and I haven't met many Extra class hams who aren't involved with the testing process. If your materials are primarily practice tests or question banks, make sure you've got something that covers the actual theory and puts everything together. That helps with developing a real understanding instead of just rote memorization.
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Oct 13, 2018 17:31
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Right, thanks for the clarification on the radio. I do want to understand the theory and I’m not just drilling with the test bank; I’ve been using the practice tests to gauge how well the studying is going. The Dummies book has been my primary reference so far. The content is fine, but I don’t like the way it’s organized - I find it a little tedious to search for references such as the different bands and their frequencies and wavelengths.
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Oct 13, 2018 21:34
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mentalcontempt posted:Right, thanks for the clarification on the radio. The amateur radio handbook is laid out a bit better and has all the theory you could possibly want: https://www.amazon.com/ARRL-Handbook-Radio-Amateurs-Communications/dp/0872591832
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Oct 13, 2018 21:37
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If I do get my general, recommendations on entry-level equipment to access HF bands?
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Oct 14, 2018 22:32
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mentalcontempt posted:If I do get my general, recommendations on entry-level equipment to access HF bands? The absolute most antenna you can physically house/wrangle, then as much radio as you can get with the money you have left.
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Oct 14, 2018 22:45
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mentalcontempt posted:If I do get my general, recommendations on entry-level equipment to access HF bands? I don't have any HF experience (though that'll probably change when I buy a house), but there are three things that will likely change recommendations for HF gear:
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Oct 14, 2018 22:45
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Magnetic loop or a coil tuned whip if you can’t do anything more tuner or wire oriented The hustler radiators are good but only if you have the metal for counterpoise
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Oct 14, 2018 23:04
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Partycat posted:Magnetic loop No. Partycat posted:coil tuned whip Maybe. Partycat posted:hustler radiators Yes. (my opinions but you're really just going to be best suited by getting the biggest chunk of contiguous metal up into the air vertically as you can and spanning some wire radiators to each side of it and using a tuner. ) The core question is: do you have space (land) or are you living in an apartment (major challenge for HF)
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Oct 14, 2018 23:08
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I’m in a single-story house on a modest-sized lot in a residential neighborhood. Terrain is very flat, though it’s an older neighborhood and there are some tall trees around. I would be looking to set up a base station; doesn’t need to be portable. I’m ok with used gear if it’s in good working condition. I’m interested in digital modes at some point, but it’s not necessary to start off with. Voice/CW is ok for now.
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Oct 15, 2018 01:42
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mentalcontempt posted:I’m in a single-story house on a modest-sized lot in a residential neighborhood. Terrain is very flat, though it’s an older neighborhood and there are some tall trees around. I would be looking to set up a base station; doesn’t need to be portable. I’m ok with used gear if it’s in good working condition. Kick rear end then, you can more than likely get something up and not have your neighbors/HOA up your rear end about it if you cross your fingers A nice vertical with radials along the fence works great for me so what's your budget, roughly?
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Oct 15, 2018 02:04
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Sniep posted:Kick rear end then, you can more than likely get something up and not have your neighbors/HOA up your rear end about it if you cross your fingers $500-$1000, if possible? I don’t know if that’s realistic.
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Oct 15, 2018 03:53
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Absolutely doable. I'll go over new first, and this is just radios as antennas and shack infrastructure is worth its own post: IC-718: 650 bucks. solid as a rock. good receiver. you'll keep this radio around even after you have your fourth HF rig. https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0718.html Yaesu option: FT-450D. 750 bucks, but gives you the 6m option which is REALLY. REALLY. FUN. in the summer and (to a lesser extent) winter. Also built well. https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0452.html Kenwood sadly doesn't have a downline rig right now. Ignore the qrp kits, ignore them all, for now. I just bought a 10 watt IC-703 after 25 years of hamming, because i got the fire lit by actually being able to make contacts because i had 100-150 watt rigs. Don't listen to anybody that tells you to buy a ubitx or whatever straight out of the gate. It's difficult. You have to have a hella antenna set up and know the quirks of operating (IF shift/passband tuning, using your filters, having headphones, etc). Now on to used. An Icom 735 was $350 in 2002 when I bought mine. It's still $350 today. It does not lose value (inflation aside) because they run for-loving-ever. you all are probably tired of me wanking off over this radio, but i've had it for nearly twenty years of my life, and it just keeps running. It's never needed recalibration. I had to fix one wire in it twice over that period. The receiver is amazing, it'll shove 150-160 watts down a coax run, and it has an analog S-meter. it's the little things. The used market is tricky. Some rigs were gems, some were duds. The best I can suggest is to load up three tabs - one at rigpix.com, one at the ebay 'completed auctions' search screen, and then the third at eham to read reviews, and buckle in with a glass of wine for a few hours. For example,the IC-730 is only 'five less' than the 735, must be good, right? NEEEEEWP. Has a fucky band switch and is just old enough that it's pretty tough to repair, and it needs it regularly. People ask me "how the hell do you know so much about which radios to buy and avoid?" and the only answer is that i've spent many, many nights going through eham and reading reviews. Another example: the IC-271 is a mid 80s 2 meter all mode rig that I bought about 10 years ago, it rocks hard, but it does require the replacement of a couple of fixed capacitors and a couple trimcaps every few years. Now, there's a 70cm version too - the IC-471. Must be the same, right? Nope. This goddamn abomination of a radio was pushing the tech envelope too hard, and in order to do a full realignment and fixup, versus the small handful of caps I ennumerated in my 271- there are literally thirty-seven small value trimmer capacitors in the 471, all of which need to be not only replaced but properly adjusted every decade. I paid 250 bucks for my 271, and i wouldnt spend more than 75 on a 471. It is a radio full of tears and stress. Don't buy a tube radio, they require a special mindset and toolbox to keep running. They sound incredibly good, warm your shack with the best smell in the world, but are drifty and can kill you if you gently caress about in them. MAYYYYBE consider a hybrid (late 70s through early 80s, transistor everything except for tube finals). But you'll still have a learning curve there. I'll be happy to comment on individual rigs if you find anything interesting out there. swap.qth.com is good, the qrz classifieds are OKAYYY but kind of overexposed so everybody asks too much, and ebay is more expensive but gives you more buyer protection. Craigslist is actually ok if you're patient, the radio buy/sell traffic is low there, but you have the advantage of meeting the seller in person and avoiding any scams. Don't put up with any grandpas that say money order only. I got scammed for 650 bucks on a phantom IC-746 (incidentally, another great 'swiss army knife' rig that will give you 100 watts of 2 meter power alongside HF and 6m) and only Paypal's dispute process saved me. After i got my money back, i actually bought a real 746 and it's a perfectly suitable rig - flexible, not magical, but a good shack cornerstone for Phase 1. Jonny 290 fucked around with this message at 04:53 on Oct 15, 2018 |
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Oct 15, 2018 04:49
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I will highly recommend that, if you're looking at new radios, you check out Google Shopping or some other source that aggregates prices from different sites together. There's a surprising amount of variability in the pricing of transceivers compared to most electronics and it's always worthwhile to look around if you're dropping more than you'd spend on a low-end HT. Some of the larger retailers specializing in radio gear cycle through sales, and some radio manufacturers also cycle through rebates or sales, so that's possibly worth considering depending on your patience/budget. And for reasons I don't understand, Amazon usually has atrocious prices on any of the radios I've looked at which weren't high-volume Chinese imports.
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Oct 15, 2018 05:01
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Awesome; thanks for the detailed info!
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Oct 15, 2018 05:05
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Having an external sound card instead of built in realtek motherboard card did wonder for getting rid of noise. kx3 panadapter time! edit: audio isolator worked great. rx i/q data in hdsdr looks great. Big Mackson fucked around with this message at 19:59 on Oct 18, 2018 |
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Oct 15, 2018 16:42
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