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Hello goon hams, I got my (Canadian) amateur license with honours last year, but I have no hardware and no hamfriends. A couple of projects I want to do are: Recreate the 90s IRC experience by joining TARPN or something similar http://tarpn.net/t/packet_radio_networking.html Recreate the 90s BBS experience with a packet radio BBS I'm in touch with a local club that administered the licensing exam and they're having a swap meet this month that I'm planning to go to. I also live in a 15 floor condo on the 8th floor, with non-exclusive access to the roof so I could go up there to play but not leave anything there permanently. What should I be looking to get, in priority order? I was thinking of getting a HT (with built in TNC?) as my first radio. I'm ok with used and spending a few hundred on a good radio that I could basically resell for the same price.
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Nov 15, 2021 22:25
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Jonny 290 posted:welcome and hello to beep boop on magic waves central! Would you be able to put together a system diagram, bill of materials and instructions to build your setup? I have plenty of Pi's lying around but I don't know where to source anything else, particularly if specific models are needed. Not sure what a sound dongle is or how you've wired the Pi to an audio interface hat. Where does a TNC fit in? This is the one I've been looking at http://tarpn.net/t/nino-tnc/nino-tnc.html
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Nov 16, 2021 00:21
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So it seems like basically what I want to build 99% depends on what people in my geographic area are already using. Network effect and all. If I'm the first one, then I can set the standard.
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Nov 16, 2021 00:47
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Jonny 290 posted:Exactly. A little bit of listening to see what's out there, then decide what you want to do, and build from there. the sdr stick will be useful even after you get your radio...or your second radio...or your <looks in horror over at my pile> 27th Is this kit + a laptop is enough to get me started? https://www.rtl-sdr.com/product/rtl-sdr-blog-r820t2-rtl2832u-1ppm-tcxo-sma-software-defined-radio-with-dipole-antenna-kit/
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Nov 16, 2021 01:04
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Any Vancouver goons in here? I'm going to the Richmond swap meet on Saturday and want to know what to buy for my first gear.
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Nov 24, 2021 11:28
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After hours of reading, I think I've settled on looking for a Yaesu FT60R as my first radio. I think I want a dual band to have max versatility as my first radio, and it will be useful in the back country, as an emergency radio, and on forest service roads. I should be able to listen to these RR frequencies right? https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf11127.html Anyone got one for sale?
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Nov 27, 2021 01:32
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Kenwood TH-72A for cad$350 including rapid charger? Is it a good deal? Used with some scuffs
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Nov 27, 2021 19:47
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Well, I negotiated the Kenwood TH-D72 + rapid charger down to CAD$300 but hosed up closing the deal by not having cash on hand and the seller ghosted me after telling me to go to an ATM and come back with cash. Oops. So I just ordered a Yaesu FT-60R for CAD$200 to my cousin's house instead . My cousin should be bringing it up to Canada for me over Christmas! Doesn't have built in APRS or TNC, but it can do wideband scanning which I think is more practical fun than packet since I don't have any ham friends or any idea about packet activity in my area. Maybe I'll save the packet radio stuff for when I set up a base station with a computer.
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Nov 28, 2021 06:51
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Jonny 290 posted:aww dang. the big fancy kenwoods are neat but you will be very happy with the yaesu. Plus you can always jam a cable into the speaker mic jack and a raspberry pi or little portable TNC and do packet with that on the side anyways. After reading some more, it looks like the setup I want to do for packet is: Radio -> audio interface with PTT control -> computer (headless Raspberry Pi or laptop running Direwolf) In fact it looks like I can actually just go radio -> computer running Direwolf with VOX control, but the signals won't be as clean? So in the end I don't even need a built in TNC? Anyways, in the end it looks like the TH-D72 seller waited around for me in the parking lot but gave up. He emailed me and said it's still for sale. I don't really want it anymore now that I have another radio on the way and a path towards a packet radio setup. Is CAD$300 a smoking hot can't pass up deal where I should just get it "in case" or can I just let it go to the next user? I am interested in its full duplex capability but I don't have an immediate plan to use it right now. $300 is a lot to spend on something I'm not using so my gut is to let it go but I don't like passing up hot deals. Mantle fucked around with this message at 21:59 on Nov 28, 2021 |
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Nov 28, 2021 21:55
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Jonny 290 posted:Honestly, $235 USD really really is an amazing deal. You could probably turn that thing right around for 500 cad. Not like i'm guaranteeing it, but radios are extremely expensive and I don't think that fella's watching the market. So in the last 12 hours I have impulse bought $500 on radios. The guy threw in two microphones for the Kenwood as well. I think I got a good deal. I'm going to play with this Kenwood until my Yaesu arrives and then decide which one I want to keep. First thing is to try to get onto Winlink.
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Nov 29, 2021 00:21
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thehustler posted:oh hai Great quality, what is your setup? Looks like the cut off the window where they were going to be flying over my city. I was planning to just go to the roof with my HT and rubber duck antenna and play squwaks into my phone to decode cause that's all I have. Is it doable for next time? Also what is EVA in this context?
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Dec 1, 2021 23:06
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thehustler posted:setup was a laptop with SDRPlay RSP1A SDR, then a V Dipole in 120 degree angle shape, it’s like a horizontal dipole for around 2M band and below but then the arms bent forward a bit So if I can use a dipole, the antenna that comes with the RTL-SDR will work too? I just need to go upstairs at the right time?
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Dec 1, 2021 23:27
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Anyone doing ham stuff this weekend and interested in helping a noob? I've been trying to do packet anything for a few days but I can't send an APRS beacon / message or connect to Winlink (MacOS). I was able to receive an APRS beacon though and connect to Winlink via telnet to get stuck at the password prompt. Anyone want to spend a few hours helping me out Saturday night PST?
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Dec 4, 2021 08:57
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When should I start getting concerned about buying batteries for a discontinued HT? The TH-D72 was discontinued recently in 2020 so there are still 3rd party batteries around (USD$50 - $100 seems kind of expensive) but how long should I expect that to be the case? I don't really want to end up having this HT in 2030 if the battery is shot and there's no viable replacement like HTs in the 1990s are now.
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Dec 9, 2021 00:32
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All the ISS pass predictions I can find are filtered by visible passes (at night). I want to try this during the day, is there a site that will show me daytime passes?
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Dec 15, 2021 18:59
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Anyone have a good setup to test sstv before the upcoming iss broadcast? I'm starting from scratch with nothing setup.
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Dec 20, 2021 02:31
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I have a MacBook, an rtl-sdr with dipole tv rabbit ears type antenna, and a TH-D72 with rubber duck antenna. I also have access to my apartment rooftop and could drive out into the mountains. I wouldn't have Wi-Fi on the roof but I could tether my phone for low bandwidth comms.
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Dec 20, 2021 09:23
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I was unsuccessful in getting a signal from the ISS this morning, following the instructions in this thread. Does it look like my SDR setup was right? I heard a lot of white noise so is it just the case that my noise floor was too high in the city center, even if I went onto the roof of my condo? https://imgur.com/a/LKAMZgz
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Dec 28, 2021 02:22
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Jonny 290 posted:it looks like you have a super strong carrier a few khz down, i'm wondering if that wasn't the ISS. They use a 50 watt transmitter and to state that you should be able to get ISS full scale with a wet noodle for an antenna isn't an exaggeration. How confident you are on the frequency/ppm calibration on this lil thing? I use the NOAA weather stations as that usually lets you get within a PPM or so. I had a listen to the other carrier and it sounded like packet to me. I have an idea what SSTV sounds like since I tested my decodes with some sample SSTV recordings. It could be that I just missed the window? I think the heavens above timings are just estimates right? When I checked reception of some broadcast AM radio it looks dead on. What is PPM in this context? I think every other setting is correct, NBFM, 12.5khz bandwidth, 145.800khz frequency?
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Dec 28, 2021 07:42
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This is exactly why I got my license. Can't find anyone near me to connect with though...
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May 17, 2022 08:33
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This may sound dumb, but I've been having fun with FRS recently. The barrier to entry is so low that it's way easier to get friends to play when we go on a hike that has no cell service they can just hop on and start using right away. Also the radios are smaller and lighter and it's so easy to just say oh go to channel 5 or whatever.
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Oct 17, 2022 07:03
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Achmed Jones posted:drat yall, you could at least provide the info I read somewhere that it doesn't actually have dual VFOs so there's still no replacement for the TH-D72A.
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May 24, 2023 18:24
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quote:Dualwatch *not actually at the same time
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May 24, 2023 19:29
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thehustler posted:in the U.K. we're somewhat rebuilding the network and trying to use it to actually learn stuff, also invent new and interesting activities and links and data stuff. A club with 150 active members sounds huge. Is this normal?
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May 4, 2024 01:49
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