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We can branch out into other areas of clothing, as seen at Hamsexy...
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Feb 3, 2011 09:42
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I love it. Perhaps change the frequency on the radio to something wildly inappropriate for emergency work. EME weak signal band segment? 144.125?
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Feb 3, 2011 13:49
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Skyssx posted:I love it. Perhaps change the frequency on the radio to something wildly inappropriate for emergency work. EME weak signal band segment? No, if you really want to piss people off do something like 144.000 (CW section of the 2m band), 144.20 (2m national calling frequency), or anything in the 440 band. I don't know if its like that everywhere, but around the STL area 70cm is treated like the slums of the repeater world. 'Oh, you're accessing the net from the UHF link?' <-- Smug Meter pegged at S9
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Feb 3, 2011 14:08
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No one uses CW on VHF, though. 6.52 wouldn't work, because that's going to be a very popular freq if SHTF. Maybe it's too regional to say one freq. Perhaps 4.390 with a broadcast type boom mic next to the radio. Maybe APRS Hotspot pants, with the yellow patch over the crotch.
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Feb 3, 2011 18:37
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Has anyone been able to work the VP8ORK DXpedition? I haven't been able to hear squat.
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Feb 3, 2011 18:46
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Here's an article about why amateur radio isn't very helpful in the Egypt situation, due to the strict control and low affordability of amateur radios there: Ham Radio Not a Viable Option for Egypt Some people are still listening though, in case the Internet goes down again. Vir fucked around with this message at 18:54 on Feb 3, 2011 |
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Feb 3, 2011 18:46
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This may be a shot in the dark, but I'm interested in combining my passion for information systems with radio. I'm looking at building out an electronics workshop in a collective space, and want to start experimenting with software radio (a la GNU Radio), but don't want to black-box anything along the way. I'm talking a complete DIY radio setup that is meant to be a teaching resource for others who may be interested, with the ultimate goal of building out city-wide communications infrastructure that can handle both analog and digital broadcasts. Any resources anyone might be able to steer me towards in terms of building a radio from scratch? Any particularly stable, tough-as-nails, broadcasting setups that'd be worth scrounging?
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Feb 5, 2011 00:09
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No black box means no integrated circuits - only discrete components, right? (Like transistors and tubes?)
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Feb 5, 2011 03:41
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I'm not against ICs, but it'd be nice if it was an open-source hardware platform.
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Feb 5, 2011 15:47
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Which would be like wires and tubes and analog components and poo poo right? I don't understand what you mean by a "community broadcast network" anyways. You can do Part 15 blanketed stations, maybe? So I'm exploring the void which is VHF packet radio. I'm looking at the "eastnet packet net" map, and find myself unable to connect to the station that should be local (N2YDF) but I can almost connect and talk to WA2CAM , he's about an S1 so, lol. It takes like a bazillion hours to accomplish anything  cmd:c WA2CAM *** CONNECTED to WA2CAM oh yeah
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Feb 5, 2011 20:44
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Having given up on the VHF packet for the time being I focused my efforts on UI-View32. Ham software and getting it working is always a ball, but, after clicking around about 2349823904823904823904982390482 web pages and gathering information, I have it set up, it gets maps from Expedia, I'm able to see stations all over the area, I can talk to them, my beacon goes out, and the IS beacon from APRSDroid on my phone is gated out to RF by the station. I'd say that's p good for the evening.
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Feb 6, 2011 00:01
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I don't get BBS type packet. It's not 1988 anymore. UI-View is deprecated. The source code was all destroyed when the author died. You'd do well to not get too attached to it. The APRS WG is trying to keep things functional with UI-View for now, but that'll only last for so long.
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Feb 6, 2011 01:32
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Skyssx posted:I don't get BBS type packet. It's not 1988 anymore. If people are still running poo poo on DOS and Commodore computers then, do you really mean depreciated as in "Its not going to work for this because someone has changed the protocol (probably some open source type person)" or as in there are better programs or whatever? Aside from being a pain in the rear end like everything else, it seems to work just fine, installed it "straight up" on Windows 7 and have no issues. Also as I wrote somewhere, if not here a club mail, since there are not a lot of digipeaters around you could use the known fixed station positions to work on building directional equipment and seeing what you can pick off since they are known targets.
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Feb 6, 2011 02:31
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Going by the TAPR/APRS listserv, every minor change to APRS is hosed up by UI-View breaking. They make a change or addition to APRS but then put in some code to the packet that lets UI-View function. Eventually, all parties in play are going to say 'gently caress it', and ditch the cruft, horribly breaking UI-View in the process. I think this will happen within a few years. e: People, including W4APR, want to do much more with APRS, but are limited at each step because they have to consider what the change will do to UI-View.
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Feb 6, 2011 02:47
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Yeah I'm reading a bit as to what it can do, but yeah a bunch of the extended functions don't do jack with UI-View. I wonder as to what the VX-8 and various kenwood jobbers do with goofy traffic.
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Feb 8, 2011 01:12
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Well, W4APR wrote the software for the Kenwoods, pretty much. Plus, the computer software for them is free.
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Feb 8, 2011 01:35
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Skyssx posted:Well, W4APR wrote the software for the Kenwoods, pretty much. Plus, the computer software for them is free.
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Feb 8, 2011 03:26
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Since my suffix is VD, I think I may make up a special certificate to mail out in place of a QSL card, and go thru all the bands on Valentines Day, kind of like a special event station without a special call sign.
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Feb 8, 2011 03:30
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You've got VD?
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Feb 8, 2011 03:41
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Went to the Richmond Hamfest (Frostfest) last weekend.  Honestly, I think the only hamfests worth going to are Dayton, and then the huge regional ones like Huntsville, Orlando, etc.
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Feb 8, 2011 13:54
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Skyssx posted:e: People, including W4APR, want to do much more with APRS, but are limited at each step because they have to consider what the change will do to UI-View. WB4APR (W4APR isn't allocated) doesn't have much room to talk in this regard, unfortunately. While some don't want to break UI-View, with Bob you can't break the Kenwoods. Attending the APRS forum at Dayton is fun, though. Bob's an idea machine. I think last year the idea was a RFID mat with tags on your shoes that'd announce your position as you crossed it to APRS.
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Feb 8, 2011 16:15
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Please see my previous post about trolling with pants that have yellow circles on the crotch.
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Feb 9, 2011 04:45
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Stopped by AES Cleveland today as I was in the area. Got ninja jumped by a salesman who would just not leave us alone. I was looking for a 2m only Arrow GP vertical. They only had the J-poles and a breakdown yagi. I'd have bought a breakdown OSJ, but no such luck. Despite telling the guy three times that I didn't have the money to buy a HF rig today, he couldn't stop talking about them and how much the K2 sucked. :???: Apparently I should look at the TS-590 if i'm thinking of a K2, even though it's three times the price. Anyway, every radio was half the size I thought it was except the FT-2900. That was right on. FT-8900... holy poo poo tiny faceplate. Sub-chicklet sized keys. Same with the V71A. The only mobiles with decently sized controls are the D-STAR and APRS specific radios. So here's what i'm thinking. FT-2900 - base station APRS/Echolink-L, TS-480HX and TM-D710A mobile, some SDR for base station HF, K2 portable. I need to find a new job.
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Feb 9, 2011 20:47
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I hear you on the new job, a fuel line replacement killed my purchase of an FT-817ND, and with a timing belt and head gasket replacement looming, it is going to be a while longer.
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Feb 10, 2011 02:00
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Ugh. I just paid the price of an 817 on a 30k mile service + 4x4 maintenance. I'm done with dealer services, though. Every time I find the simplest things that were ignored during the service. Like, I know my tires were rotated for sure. How do I know that? Because the fronts were 33 PSI and the rears were at 30, the exact opposite of what they should be. Then the check-list sheet noted tire pressure set to 34 all around, wrong again. Then the windshield sprayer system was marked "ok", not "maintenance recommended" or "required", and the passenger side doesn't work at all. And I TOLD them that when the vehicle was dropped off. AND, parts are on order by the technician to FIX THE PROBLEM! I'm loving done giving money to this pencil whipping service department. It's not worth the hassle to me to go around retorquing and checking everything after each service. gently caress car dealers.
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Feb 10, 2011 02:30
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Heh, where I live there is only one Certified Subaru Mechanic for 2 1/2 hours. They are my only choice, well short of learning to fix it myself. I am good with computers, mechanics not so much at this point (though you can always learn!). To get back on topic what is your current rig?(or do you have one?)
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Feb 10, 2011 02:45
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Xenpo posted:Heh, where I live there is only one Certified Subaru Mechanic for 2 1/2 hours. They are my only choice, well short of learning to fix it myself. I am good with computers, mechanics not so much at this point (though you can always learn!). To get back on topic what is your current rig?(or do you have one?) Nothing in HF, which is fine, because I haven't got any (real) privileges there. General upgrade in the next few months.
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Feb 10, 2011 02:52
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I don't have any problems whatsoever operating the FT-2900 controls. I'm able to work them while driving, without looking at the radio, while wearing my beloved deerskin gloves. It is a solid radio, I highly recommend it.
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Feb 10, 2011 10:58
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Ft-2900: price $154.95. Now that I can do, and finally get on the air (at least locally). Thanks for the suggestion. Any suggestion for antennas to go with it? I have a Subaru Forester with ski mounts on the roof, and from what I've heard for highway speeds I don't want a mag mount. I've also seen very tall antennas on other hams' cars and don't really want to bust my bridge clearance (how do they work that anyway?).
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Feb 10, 2011 15:06
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Xenpo posted:Ft-2900: price $154.95. Now that I can do, and finally get on the air (at least locally). Thanks for the suggestion. Any suggestion for antennas to go with it? I have a Subaru Forester with ski mounts on the roof, and from what I've heard for highway speeds I don't want a mag mount. Universal Radio has them in any configuration you could want, luggage rack, hatchback, bumper, and roof mounts. Depends on how much drilling you want to do, if any. There is one thing I will definitely recommend for any mobile install, and that's making sure you have a proper ground plane for the antenna. The easiest way to ensure a good connection to ground is to install grounding straps between the doors, hood, and trunk/hatchback and the body of the car. With the flat straps like the ones I linked, you can either connect them in-line with the bolts holding the door/trunk/hood or attach them seperately with self tapping screws. Either way, make sure to scrape the paint off of the connection area to ensure good metal to metal contact. I know a lot of people disagree with me on that step calling it unnecessary, but there are gaps in the body panels and the panels and nuts/bolts are painted, reducing the effectiveness of the ground. quote:I've also seen very tall antennas on other hams' cars and don't really want to bust my bridge clearance (how do they work that anyway?). They scrape the poo poo out of the bottom of the bridge and the top of their antenna. I do know a few CBers who tie down their 102" whips when not in use, but I don't see many Hams who do that for their equipment.
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Feb 10, 2011 16:04
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I'm an idiot... I have a FT-7900 not a FT-2900.
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Feb 10, 2011 16:37
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From what I hear, a Larsen NMO 2/70B will probably outlast you. The black one with the open coil whip is able to strike things and flex where the chromed one with the enclosed coil will crack at the coil. There are bunches of people on eham.net that have had them for decades at a stretch. https://www.k0bg.com has so many tips on mobile operation, it appears to be a one stop shop. Larsen true New Motorola mounts are waterproof by themselves, and you can put on a larsen cap with rubber grommet for even more protection in car washes. Big Hustle - you can use piercing fasteners to get good contact with the metal without compromising the rust proofing under the paint. Protection from salt is very very high on my mobile set-up ideals.
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Feb 11, 2011 01:49
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BigHustle thanks for the mounting and grounding advice and Skyssx thanks for the information/website! AbsentMindedWelder thanks for the radio suggestion! I know this is going to take much more research on my part however. I have never done a car install of anything at all, and will most likely look for some local Hams to see if they can assist me as well in this process. I build computers (IT guy) and have never worked on (or attempted to) a car.
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Feb 11, 2011 19:13
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Hmm... I just got owned by Cleverbot.
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Feb 13, 2011 11:23
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I drove from Cleveland to Lansing and back and didn't get gated once. Time to seriously rethink my APRS situation.
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Feb 14, 2011 21:26
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What's your "pathyola" ? Also, trying to determine if 6 meters is worth while looking into. Again from speculation you can put up an outbacker and work HF but then you get into 6 meter and go nowhere on a vert because it is VHF... so .... its a pain in the rear end or what:?
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Feb 15, 2011 01:51
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wide1-1,wide2-1
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Feb 15, 2011 03:20
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Partycat posted:What's your "pathyola" ? I have never once heard anyone on 6M. Never. It's frustrating because, limited as it may be, at least it'll throw farther than 70cm (which is PACKED by comparison, here). I really want 6M to be the VHF band that people flock to but it seems to be the exact opposite. Whyyyyyy?
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Feb 15, 2011 05:10
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Skyssx posted:wide1-1,wide2-1 afaik thats what it looks like after digipeater here, so, maybe wide1-1,wide2-2 ?
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Feb 15, 2011 05:19
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| # ? May 27, 2024 06:20 |
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Catastrophe posted:I have never once heard anyone on 6M. Never. It's frustrating because, limited as it may be, at least it'll throw farther than 70cm (which is PACKED by comparison, here). I really want 6M to be the VHF band that people flock to but it seems to be the exact opposite. Whyyyyyy? 6 meters has very few openings this time of year. Things will pick up in the spring and summer.
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Feb 15, 2011 12:46
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