Posted on 02/22/2024 6:56:05 AM PST by silent majority rising
I too have boundless toroids and magnetic wire for making transformers, et al. but For your fellow Freeper, using the ham study test apps for iOS or android is the simpliest way these days. Later he can get geeky like the rest of us and have a collection of “stuff”
I might also recommend in the very short term to pay the $35 for an FCC GMRS License. (NO TEST!) Your area may have a vibrant GMRS community for emergency communications. I have friends that are both licensed Amateur and GMRS. SOme are sgtarting to play around with ALLSTAR Link nodes for GMRS. How cool is that?
I am a recently licensed amateur (2018) and currently a General. At my age, that’s pretty much good enough to DX around the world and enjoy everything I want to enjoy.
These days I am taking to making mini baluns/ununs for portable work with my Xiegu G90. 20w chinese rig that has a killer antenna tuner built in. suddenly realized I have five acres to play around on portable, so I don’t have to go anywhere—so I have my shack inside and now my outside shack!
73 N6(XXX)
Oh and one additional antenna....its a variation of the Rybokov. measure out 17 foot six inches of cheap speaker wire. Then measure out say four lines of 15 foot wire as your radials. Get a 4:1 Balun or Unun, (Both work) Attache the antenna line and the radials to the transformer.
The antenna line taped going up one of those telescoping squib poles of appropriate length. It will tune on 20, 17, 15, 10 and yes, even 12m. One can talk around the world on that set up....the design is from K4OGO. He calls it the 17-5.
I first got my license as I said I was “Over 60 and Overweight.” You can memorize the answers for both the Tech and General license tests. (I did) The Extra requires actually knowing something. (hi-hi) In the meantime, you can get your GMRS license and connect with those around your ocmmunity Check out MYGMRS.com for repeaters in your area. That will let you know if there are operators in your locale.
Amateur with a general license will get you out of your local and region to across the world. As for radios, thats a whole ‘nother question and deserves its own post. But eham.net will give you reviews on equipment old and current.
For HF antennas, the inventory includes verticals using Wolf River coils, an MCC from Chameleon and DX Commander. Still in the box is a 27 ft vertical with a 4:1 unun. I need to dig and pour a footing for that one. Wire antennas include EFHW with lengths supporting 40m and 80m. A few non-resonant 9:1 EFLW good to 40m. On deck is a broadband terminated dipole using principles supported by the HF ALE community. The designs done by Bonnie Crystal are pretty good approaches for a broadband antenna.
Verizon and TMobile use AT&T’s system. They purchase the Service at a discount and sell AT&T’s service at a profit. They own nothing but a Corporate business name.
Ha! like kids pulling out their marbles for comparison. Yup, the Xiegu 90—the Yaesu Ft 891 and 991A and the FT DX 3000. (Don’t know how I ended up being a Yaesu guy). I like my DX Commanders and have three different ones, the Sky Scrapping Nebula, the Classic and the Rapide.
I am noticing that DX-peditions are going more toward DX Commanders for their field work. Makes sense. Callum has re-fined a nice bit of kit there.
I also have the Kenwood v71a, Alinco 235 and 6m mono-banders. Oh and a Kenwood 700a various handhelds (Yaesu and Kenwood)
Two different battery boxes. one for the Xiegu 90 and one for the 891....
I picked up the G90 aroudn Thanks givign when they were running a bundle sale. Got the radio, fan stand, another stand and the data connection dongle for $400. Couldnt beat that. Now the G-90 is running closer to $600 today?
I am liking that little Chinese radio. But having the hardest time to get it working properly on FT-8. I guess I will continue to use the 891 for that one.
think I have a radio addiction....
We have AT&T… Didn’t take but a few minutes for the scammers to start sending out scary emails about our payments…
Do you remember when you could hear and understand every word, sigh, moan, hiccup without any delay or hesitancy from your phone ? Back when we had full duplex ?
#40 fl8r
Technician class is easy-peasy, and a pair of Baofeng UV-5Rs can be had for around $50. Add a couple of decent antennae for pocket change and learn to hit your local relay.
Great info, thanks!
Yup, and one can send emails over the air via those Baofengs and Winlink!
I really want a good, fixed vertical, but the expanse of grass and dogs make a set of radials as a permanent fixture a very difficult endeavor. I just pull the radials out when using the Wolf coils and roll them back up when not in use.
well, the radials don’t have to be long—maybe 3.5 to 5m—about 4 elements to a connetor should do you from 80m one down (or up)
You can take those elements and put them in some pvc and bury that pvc with the ends of the elements popping up to the plate. Make that plate removable.
I slip it all over a pvc post out of the ground—sounds like you might too because of dogs. Just unloosen the coax attachement connector from the plate and lift it all up leaving the radials etc on/in the ground....easy peasy!
I use DX Commander style radials for my WRC and works just beautifully. I watch the meter as I add the radials to the post there and the SWR just keeps dropping.
But I notice they've been pushing to get people away from landlines lately.
LOL!
gotcha!
Absolutely wrong
+1
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