Ham radio - I'm W8BBS

[Varmint]

Royce said, in relevant (post #19) part:
"I have a collapsible mast and a j-pole antenna that I use while camping."

My reply:
J-Poles are great. I've used them for fm voice, APRS, terrestrial packet, and satellites. They're so great, in fact, that it would be wise for all hams to keep a "roll-up" version of one of these, easily made with TV Twin-Lead and a short hunk of coax (I use '174 for this). Keep it rolled up, along with a lenght of line and sinker to toss it up into a tree, and your only limit would be the tree and/or coax length. Line loss is insignificant in shorter lengths. I used to keep a couple on hand. Great for bicycle mobile and camping/fishing.

By the way, I don't need a normal slingshot....I use a small pouch with two rubber bands mounted on my thumb and index finger to launch the sinker/line. Don't underestimate how powerful this is....I once hit a guy upside the head and decked him with a 1/2" hollow gumball. I like 1/4" rubber bands used to wrap celery stocks best, but I've used really huge ones over a foot long and 1/2" wide. Be careful with this. It'll kill small critters, even with small bands. This is also stored with the antenna.

Never under-estimate the j-pole.
73 de kc8lcy

 

[Royce]

Bruce,

I still have everything packed away for the winter but the J pole is like this one:
http://www.n7qvc.com/copper-cactus-dual-band-super-j-pole-antenna-project/
I stash it behind the couch in the Minuet in transit, and the mast is this one:
http://www.jackite.com/product_info.php?products_id=132
I made a PVC socket for the bottom with a spike and tie it to the A-frame when parked.

I am not as happy with the mast as the top two sections are not that usable, they are to spindly. There was a Ham that made an aluminum one that was much better but I have been unable to find one of those.

With that setup and the J pole about 22ft off the ground I have been able to communicate without being on top of the world from a camp site at about 9,000 foot to COS at about 6,500 ft 50 miles away. Have to be careful how the J pole is turned to get the best transmission. To be fair the line of site is sorta down a pass from that camp site.

 

[Baloo]

I have been looking into getting licensed. I bought a handheld (icom) and really need to make time to taken the test. Then maybe I will install a base station in the ambo.

 

[psytechguy]

I finally got my license, but only after after procrastinating for 50 years or so! I'd wanted one ever since I was 10, after listening to my neighbor chatting with folks in Germany while sitting in his ham shack in TX.

I put a CB in my truck last summer, and discovered just how bad the CB airwaves have
gotten since I last used them in the mid-70's. That prompted me to go ahead and get the
Ham license.

Passed Tech and General in March and then went ahead and got my Amateur Extra ticket this past April.

I would advise anyone who's boondocking and traveling extensively to at least get their Technicians
license so they can access 2 meter repeaters. Very handy for emergency situations.

 

[highdesertranger]

good for you psytechguy. it's on my list of to do things. highdesertranger

 

[psytechguy]

good for you psytechguy.  it's on my list of to do things.  highdesertranger

Thanks!

DO IT!!!!

Just get the ARRL study book for Technicians license and practice with the online tests.
There are several sites with them, QRZ.com is one that I used.

Tech test is easy, 35 questions, very simple electronic formulas and FCC regs, basic operating procedures, etc.
You can read through the pool of questions they draw the test questions from, too. Makes it very easy.

General is not that much harder, and it's easy to study for it once you're into the Tech material. Also 35 questions.

Extra will make you sweat! It did me, anyways. 50 questions. Gets into the more advanced stuff, RC formulas, propagation, antenna tuning, etc. Made me dig up all that old stuff from back in electronics school that I haven't used in 30 years and re-remember it. Extra gives you full band privileges, and as long as you keep your license renewed you'll never have to take another radio test.

Now, I've just gotta get on the air!  

I'm getting ready to spend the summer in the mountains of NM. I'll be trying to make some contacts from up on the Continental Divide.

Them ra-did-io waves roll downhill, right?  

 

[Baloo]

good for you psytechguy. it's on my list of to do things. highdesertranger

Same here!

 

[offroad]

Two meter radio (145mhz frequency) is good for five to twenty five miles on typical power available to ham radio users. Most counties have a ham radio tower for emergency communication, as well as the police-fire radio systems.

At night many locals do a NET CHAT kind of scheduled activity to make contact with others.

 

[eDJ_]

I carry a Short Wave Receiver and wire for a dipole and a pack of insulators if I set up an array.

I have a list of Stations I monitor and the UTC for when they are on.  My HAM buddies are always on me
to go get my no-code but I keep putting it off.   I'm in "8" here.

The ol analog I carry along looks about like this

 

[highdesertranger]

I used to listen to shortwave all the time when I was in the boonies. however in the last 10 or so years there doesn't seem to be as many stations. I remember a pirate rock and roll station that was based in the Caribbean some where, I remember listening to sporting events on armed forces radio. I am not sure but I think the AFR and VOA are off the air. of course the Russian and Chinese propaganda stations still come in loud and clear. I still enjoy the BBC every now and again. anyhow happy listening. highdesertranger

 

[66788]

Radio Habana, Cuba is good listening. Both en español and English. Surprisingly, better content than our mainstream media propaganda.

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

The tech license is very easy, 8 year old kids have passed the test. 

One thing every licensed ham should know is that in a life or property threatening emergency, it is legal to broadcast on any frequency at any power necessary.  So for emergency use, the tech license is all you really need.

 

[eDJ_]

66788 wrote

Radio Habana, Cuba is good listening. Both en español and English. Surprisingly, better content than our mainstream media propaganda.

Interesting you mention Radio Habana, It's one of my favorites to tune into for music. (Fusion Jazz especially)

And I agree about the quality of programming one will hear on Short Wave from other parts of the world.
I guess about as close to it as we have is NPR. But once people learn that there is so much more outside the
AM & FM (bread & circuses band) LOL they will have a difficult time going back to the mind numbing top 40 and political rant radio air waves.

 

[MikeRuth]

The tech license is very easy, 8 year old kids have passed the test. 

One thing every licensed ham should know is that in a life or property threatening emergency, it is legal to broadcast on any frequency at any power necessary.  So for emergency use, the tech license is all you really need.

Two things, an 8 year old these days is a smart whip! at 50, 60 or 70 years these tests can be more difficult but certainly attainable. 

In an emergency I don't need a license I need a contact on the other end that can help! If you can deal with operating the radio use it!

 

[grumpygrizzly]

OK boys and girls. I've been an Extra Class for about 15 years now.

Get a copy of the question pool, make a list of ONLY the right answers and study them while you're sitting on the throne. Study, study, study but, ONLY the correct answers.

Take a few practice tests for both tech and general, see how you do. Study a little more and then, go take the dang test.

 

[Baloo]

Happy to say I am licensed Ham now, just a technician for now. More of a license to learn. There is so much more to ham radio than I ever thought there was. I make it a point to sit in the ambo (my ham shack/rv dwelling) and talk on local repeaters and some simplex with my local ham buddies. Defiantly worth getting a license! If you are thinking about it, just study and take the test. One of the more rewarding things I have done in a long time.

 

[ZoNiE]

Just got mine this week. I used hamexam.org to study. It has flashcards and practice tests.

Looking to fire up the Icom 706MKIIG and have some fun.

 

[Patrick46]

Get a copy of the question pool, make a list of ONLY the right answers and study them while you're sitting on the throne. Study, study, study but, ONLY the correct answers.

Take a few practice tests for both tech and general, see how you do. Study a little more and then, go take the dang test.

So, where do I get these??

 

[vtwinkicker]

So, where do I get these??

Search the internet for ham practice test or ham question pool and several sites will pop up with the information. If you decide to go for the license try studying for the general as well. You can take both tests at one test session for the price of one ($15 I think). Might as well go straight to the general license and get the most out of it. The extra license gets into technical electronic detail and will take a bit more learning. In my opinion you should be able to pass tech and general just by studying, as someone mentioned, only the right answers to the questions. When you go to take the test the right answer will be familiar to you form the multiple choice options. I have my general and am amazed that with a simple home made wire dipole antenna I can listen and talk to stations around the world. I have taken it on the road with me and by throwing a line up in a tree and hoisting up the antenna you can have a lot of fun with it.
Vtwinkicker

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Got 6 and a half hours and enough bandwidth?

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