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HAM Radio…

D_JEEPER said:
If you want to get into the HF part of HAM, check out the XIEGU G90. It is cheap enough but has SDR technology. Only 20W, vs 100W for many others, but also a fraction of the price.
I just picked one up from marketplace for $300 with a bunch of accessories.:beer:
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You can go across the pond with 5w and the right antenna on HF.

I've got a FT-817, but if i was shopping now it would be an SDR rig like the Xiegu or a commradio CTX-10 (Which is US made)
 
kf4zht said:
You can go across the pond with 5w and the right antenna on HF.

I've got a FT-817, but if i was shopping now it would be an SDR rig like the Xiegu or a commradio CTX-10 (Which is US made)
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If I was looking for a SDR in the $1000 range, I would be all over the Lab599 Discovery TX-500. SUPER sweet piece of compact equipment.

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I've been trying to check activity on my local 70 and 2m bands (440 and 146) but nothing is really happening. I'm guessing this area isn't popular for operators in the morning, and I'd need a mobile 25+ watt unit to get someone to talk to.

I have no way of knowing if the bands open to Technician are more popular locally, or if people just don't chat on the way to work.
 
D_JEEPER said:
If I was looking for a SDR in the $1000 range, I would be all over the Lab599 Discovery TX-500. SUPER sweet piece of compact equipment.
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Havent seen that one. Main reasons I like the commradio are that its made in the US and has internal batteries. But it doesnt have the screen features of the TX-500.
 
RunningProblem said:
I've been trying to check activity on my local 70 and 2m bands (440 and 146) but nothing is really happening. I'm guessing this area isn't popular for operators in the morning, and I'd need a mobile 25+ watt unit to get someone to talk to.

I have no way of knowing if the bands open to Technician are more popular locally, or if people just don't chat on the way to work.
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Did you look up your local repeaters and monitor those or just general scanning?

All of the traffic will be on the repeaters. Also most repeaters will check in every so often and at least give you some audio. Other than repeaters it will be on the national simplex frequencies - for 2m this is 146.400

You can look up your local repeaters here: RepeaterBook.com: Quick Search for Amateur Radio Repeaters

This data can be directly downloaded into Chirp if you have a radio that it will talk to.
 
My local repeater (KB4ZIN) has a 'Coffee and Radio net' every morning at 0900. It is a very popular repeater for the area. (We are also echo link / Allstar enabled).
I would be surprised if you dont have a local repeater that does a similar thing...if not daily, then once a week or so. Hams are a chatty group.

ALSO! Don't hesitate to call out on the 2m call frequency (146.52 simplex). Usually people are listening!
 
kf4zht said:
Did you look up your local repeaters and monitor those or just general scanning?

All of the traffic will be on the repeaters. Also most repeaters will check in every so often and at least give you some audio. Other than repeaters it will be on the national simplex frequencies - for 2m this is 146.400

You can look up your local repeaters here: RepeaterBook.com: Quick Search for Amateur Radio Repeaters

This data can be directly downloaded into Chirp if you have a radio that it will talk to.
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Local repeaters. Used RepeaterBook and the local club list. 147.210 + 100.0. Just not much activity. I think everyone went to Facebook for communications or the GMRS stuff where you don’t need a license because your buddy said so.

I DID listen to a net for some of a local net one day. They ended up doing communications for an ultra marathon I did. I hopped in and thanked them for volunteering.
 
RunningProblem said:
Local repeaters. Used RepeaterBook and the local club list. 147.210 + 100.0. Just not much activity. I think everyone went to Facebook for communications or the GMRS stuff where you don’t need a license because your buddy said so.

I DID listen to a net for some of a local net one day. They ended up doing communications for an ultra marathon I did. I hopped in and thanked them for volunteering.
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I think 2m/70cm is very location dependent. Around me there is very little traffic and only a couple of weekly nets. However, when I travel to the mountains in Colorado there is much more traffic. I've also gotten into a few digital repeaters and talked to guys from Japan and New Zealand. My local repeater that was internet connected went down a few months ago and the guy that owns it is not interested in the HAM hobby any more, so I don't know if it will ever get fixed.
 
665.0coupe Yeah I keep wondering if I should go Tech, but it requires studying more, I want to finish the Jeep and the primary reason I went with a HAM is 10 years ago the local forum was all about using HAM for trail communications. Now, like forums, it seems outdated. Cell service or non-license requiring communications seems popular. I still sometimes want to give it a try. It might just not be as popular now.
 
RunningProblem said:
665.0coupe Yeah I keep wondering if I should go Tech, but it requires studying more, I want to finish the Jeep and the primary reason I went with a HAM is 10 years ago the local forum was all about using HAM for trail communications. Now, like forums, it seems outdated. Cell service or non-license requiring communications seems popular. I still sometimes want to give it a try. It might just not be as popular now.
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Tech or General?? I think HAM is still popular, just different aspects. I enjoy using APRS when I go on trips, and it allows me to have another means on communication to people back home if I don't have cell service in the mountains. Last weekend I also heard a guy on the Colorado Connection repeater system call in a wildfire near him campsite because there was no cell service. I need to get my General so I can get on HF. POTA looks like it would be a fun activity.
 
Just to ring the bell again... Tech license is a really straight forward exam. It is super simple and most swinging dicks (or curtains) with a heartbeat can pass it if you spend a couple days browsing through Hamstudy.org practice tests (which are the EXACT question/answer pools the exams are chosen from. The order of the answers on the test questions are the EXACT order as the practice exams.)
Start here and just go through the questions and answers. If it makes sense to you, move on. If you have a question, then click to find out more.
Technician: Technician pool, section T1A

DO IT :grinpimp::beer:
 
So I got two Rugged Radios (GMR2) along with the Yaesu.

While they don’t have a ton of options I’m really happy with them.

Wife and I tested them in this thick foliage we have in western Pennsylvania and they reached 889 yards before it got a slight bit of static. Understanding UHF/VHF a little more now this seems pretty decent.

Obviously not as amazing as out west on a mountain top, but it will work great for trail radios, and my dad can radio back to the house while hunting if anything goes wrong.
 
So I did a thing haha. I wanted a less expensive HF radio to drag around to POTA/SOTA type of things. This little G90 is impressive as hell for 20W output. I got it for $300 from a guy who used it, like 2 times. Came with the cooling stand (upgraded the fan to Noctua) and the Data link cables so I can run FT8, Winlink, etc from my Surface. I already upgraded the power connector on the radio to Anderson PowerPoles. I have been playing with this G90 so much that I have not even used my IC7300 in a few weeks.
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D_JEEPER said:
So I did a thing haha. I wanted a less expensive HF radio to drag around to POTA/SOTA type of things. This little G90 is impressive as hell for 20W output. I got it for $300 from a guy who used it, like 2 times. Came with the cooling stand (upgraded the fan to Noctua) and the Data link cables so I can run FT8, Winlink, etc from my Surface. I already upgraded the power connector on the radio to Anderson PowerPoles. I have been playing with this G90 so much that I have not even used my IC7300 in a few weeks.
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What are you going to use for POTA/SOTA power?

When you are ready to throw the 7300 in the trash, let me know. :flipoff2:
 
665.0coupe said:
What are you going to use for POTA/SOTA power?

When you are ready to throw the 7300 in the trash, let me know. :flipoff2:
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Haha, For a really light transport deployment, I have a couple of 8 cell 18650 packs that I just built/threw together with 2 4 cell cradles in parallel.
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It gives me about 15.5V (Op voltage for G90 is 10.5-16.5). I tested that and get about 1.5 hours+ on digital modes. Since I have like 30 18650 batteries and the G90 amp draw is so low even at full power on digital mode, it is a nice go-to.

I also have a 15ah LiFePO4 battery that I use with my solar panel.
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Ic7300 is not going anywhere :flipoff2::flipoff2:
 
Learn CW and you can use 28.000-28.300 and go further :)
: ..-. --- ..--- :
 
Tonight is our monthly club meeting. It sounds like we are actually going to do something during a meeting.

There is an event organized by the Boy Scouts coming up ad the local scout office has contacted us to come set up radios so the scouts can get on the air. Tonight is a test run of sorts. A bunch of us are bringing antennas and radios and setting them up in a local city park.
 
665.0coupe said:
Tonight is our monthly club meeting. It sounds like we are actually going to do something during a meeting.

There is an event organized by the Boy Scouts coming up ad the local scout office has contacted us to come set up radios so the scouts can get on the air. Tonight is a test run of sorts. A bunch of us are bringing antennas and radios and setting them up in a local city park.
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I love the Scouts on the Air activity. I am a "Hunter", in terms, during the event. I think it is a great way to get the kids on the radio. I think the hardest part is making Ham Radio seem relevant since most of them are sliding out of their moms with a phone in their hand, mid-tweet. "Bish just kicked me out, wtf..."
I do POTA activations and have had some kids come out to see what I was doing with their parents. I make sure I pause my contacts to explain things. I give them examples of natural disasters taking out cell phone towers or prioritization of the "available lanes" in towers preventing calls from going through.
 
Just wanted to say hi. Love ham radio, gave up on trying to convince offroaders to get into it. Doing cqp this weekend if anyone will be participating. Multi single from Tehama County looking to set the all time multi single expedition record. Will be operating under N6T look for us!

On another note, every offroader should get into ham for aprs. Easily the most useful tool for us.

73 de k6tlr
 
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