What did you do today with your radio (or amateur radio related)? - Page 8

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What did you do today with your radio (or amateur radio related)? (Page 8 of 10)

Posted: 2/17/2017 9:33:37 PM EDT

[#1]

Came home to my new FT-60 HT. Now I'm working on programming some favorite freqs/repeaters.

Posted: 2/18/2017 6:45:16 AM EDT

[#2]

I've got a lousy short wire antenna in a terrible rf location.

Listening to N2IC in NM running JAs on 3507 (in the ARRL CW DX contest) - No, I can't hear the JAs.

Posted: 2/18/2017 3:00:06 PM EDT

[#3]

Took the General exam and passed.

Posted: 2/18/2017 4:21:04 PM EDT

[#4]

Tried to make a first HF QSO with a newly minted ham but failed.

Propagation is a harsh mistress©

Posted: 2/18/2017 4:21:29 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
Took the General exam and passed.

View Quote

Congratulations!

Posted: 2/18/2017 10:37:26 PM EDT

[#6]

I have a new piece of test equipment coming, won't be in until after the holiday

Posted: 2/18/2017 11:08:34 PM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:
Took the General exam and passed.

View Quote

Posted: 2/19/2017 8:00:32 PM EDT

[#8]

Made a couple of SSB QSOs and started studying for the Extra exam. Plan is to take the exam in Xenia.

Posted: 2/19/2017 8:51:22 PM EDT

[#9]

I ordered a new TV antenna rotator and made a PVC mount to put my 3 element 6m beam and my 2m/70cm Elk log periodic on it. Now I have to decide if I want the Elk horizontal or vertical. Would be nice to reach out to some repeaters I can't hit with my N9TAX slim jim, but I've never made a 2m SSB contact. Hmmmm....

Posted: 2/20/2017 4:09:51 AM EDT

[#10]

became a /AE (well yesterday, but close enough)

Posted: 2/25/2017 6:57:50 PM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
became a /AE (well yesterday, but close enough)

View Quote

Congrats!

Posted: 2/25/2017 7:31:58 PM EDT

[#12]

Got a PDC-1 kit on order from HiResCom.com. It is a peak hold circuit originally designed for use in Collins station consoles. The board is aprx. 2"x1.5" and can run on 6-12v nominal sources. I plan to install it on the 998 when it gets back from MFJ.

Nick

Posted: 2/25/2017 10:03:00 PM EDT

[#13]

Put PowerPole connectors on the power cord of my new IC7300. Redid the foam in my Pelican case to hold the new radio and tuner.

Posted: 2/26/2017 5:18:45 AM EDT

[#14]

Made first QSO with new BitX 40,

Posted: 2/26/2017 10:05:20 AM EDT

[#15]

I tested APRS on my kenwood v71, aprsdroid and mobilinkd from Phoenix to Albuquerque. 25watts, 20min intervals.

I had to bump up to 50watts between Holbrook and Gallup in a few spots, but was still able to get a couple emails & texts out.

Aprs.fi pic

Attached File

The offline maps version is very detailed and a great resource.

One of the things I'm fighting with aprsdroid on is the app seems sluggish to activate gps as a background process. So when aprsdroid calls for gps coords on a 20min timer, if the tablet is slow to get a lock on gps, it misses sending that packet.

Posted: 2/27/2017 4:24:28 PM EDT

[#16]

Today I was a guest on a podcast giving a really rough intro to emergency amateur radio comms. 40minutes goes by quick

https://thearmsroomvom.podbean.com/e/radio-communications/

Posted: 2/27/2017 9:28:19 PM EDT

[#17]

I started watching youtube videos on RTTY since I have never done it before. The contest last weekend got me interested since it was so active.

Posted: 2/27/2017 11:54:30 PM EDT

[#18]

Switched out the old Wilson UHF/239 roof/hole antenna mount on my wife's 2000 Expedition for a Laird brass NMO mount. I just use a HT in it on trips and it is capped most of the time but now that I have switched this one all of the antennas we have are interchangeable (all NMO). I like the Larsen NMO150 but the wife does not as it drags the ceiling at the bank drive through LOL. She says I can keep the 1/4 wave on it

Truck is bulletproof. Has 180K 5.4, Eddie Bauer and looks like new.

Posted: 2/28/2017 1:02:23 AM EDT

[#19]

I just checked my winlink email

Posted: 3/4/2017 12:02:45 PM EDT

[#20]

Working on programming my new DMR radio (MD-390) slowly figuring out codeplugs,contacts, talkgroups, chanels,zones,scan lists and the like. And of course the local DMR repeater ---Seven Springs PA-- which is normally busy as heck has gone dead silent since I wrote the last iteration of the codeplug to the radio.... nothing at all going on now. just to make sure I turned on the another HT to monitor the repeater since normally you hear all kinds of digital "static" when its active but today not a peep all morning.

Posted: 3/5/2017 3:31:07 PM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
I just checked my winlink email

View Quote

Did you get any mail?

Posted: 3/5/2017 3:33:14 PM EDT

[#22]

Last night I worked 2 Ukraine contacts in 40m. Also Bulgaria from the East coast.

Day before Moldova and Peru and Brazil.

100 watts and inverted Vs

Posted: 3/5/2017 6:14:07 PM EDT

[#23]

I drove 800 miles to pick up a beautiful Yaesu FT-1000. Now I'm sitting here with the manual trying to figure out how to use this monster.

Posted: 3/5/2017 6:51:19 PM EDT

[#24]

Began working on a 2M base antenna to put up on the top of my flag pole.

Just a 1/4W ground plane but heavy duty.

Posted: 3/7/2017 1:25:26 AM EDT

[#25]

I changed my antenna wire configuration. I also uploaded to lotw for the first time.

Posted: 3/7/2017 9:37:05 AM EDT

[#26]

Not today, but I took advantage of a 10M band opening from South America on Sunday to work four separate contest stations - two in Aruba, one in Curacao and one in Panama. There was one station in Santiago, Chile that I could hear, but he couldn't hear me. I just upgraded to General last month, and those contacts have me pumped. Those are the longest transmissions i've made so far in my life.

I also built an ugly balun.

Posted: 3/7/2017 8:12:19 PM EDT

[#27]

Sent myself an email to my Winlink address and received it via a RMS channel on 40m.

First time I've tried doing that.

Posted: 3/10/2017 12:31:51 AM EDT

[#28]

Picked up a used Yaesu FT-7800R. Seemed like a decent enough price and looks to be a pretty decent little radio. Except for the mic. It would be mucho bettero if it had a Kenwood style mic.

Posted: 3/16/2017 1:35:45 PM EDT

[#29]

Got my QST magazine for March. a few weeks ago. It was their Annual Antenna Issue. There was an article in there, describing a broadband dipole for 80 meters, that covers the entire 80m band. They guy had decent results with it, so I decided to build a similar antenna.
He basically used two dipoles connected to the same feed-point (with a 1:1 current balun). The dipole were roughly perpendicular to each other.
Thankfully, I put a pulley with a long rope to support my existing 80m. Inverted V. Bringing it up and down was easy and I did not have to climb the tower. I kept the balun but completely removed the old antenna and replaced it with two antennas cut to resonate at 3.550 Mhz and 3.850 Mhz. I used an insulated, 16 Gauge, stranded, copper clad steel antenna wire from the Wireman. Thankfully I bought 1000 ft. from him a few years ago.
The new antenna is up in the air, in "Inverted V" confiruration, with a feedpoint at around 60 ft above ground. It has two distinctive dips in SWR (down to about 1.7) on top and the bottom of the band. SWR stays below 2:1 almost on the entire band. There is one spot in the middle of the band where SWR climbs to about 2.4. No bid deal. The losses are acceptable. My amplifier can tune up to 3:1 SWR, so it works like a charm.
Last night I made several contacts on SSB Voice and CW. So far all the reports were great, at S9+. The antenna seems to be working.

Posted: 3/16/2017 1:44:59 PM EDT

[#30]

Quote History

Quoted:
Not today, but I took advantage of a 10M band opening from South America on Sunday to work four separate contest stations - two in Aruba, one in Curacao and one in Panama. There was one station in Santiago, Chile that I could hear, but he couldn't hear me. I just upgraded to General last month, and those contacts have me pumped. Those are the longest transmissions i've made so far in my life.

I also built an ugly balun.

View Quote

Congrats! You'd be surprised about what happens when 10 meters really opens up. You can work very distant DX stations with less than 1W, on a wet noodle instead of an antenna. The last two Solar cycle maximums were lousy, especially the last one. I remember the openings in the late 80's. It was truly amazing. I worked the whole world with my Radios Shack 10m, mobile, 10W radio and a small, mag-mount mobile antenna.

Posted: 3/16/2017 10:52:46 PM EDT

[#31]

I got a Ham Radio 360 hat, in ARFCOM approved digital camo.

Posted: 3/20/2017 10:53:18 PM EDT

[#32]

We are out camping on my friend's 900 acre hunting property. I brought my KX3 with me, thinking I'd enjoy some QRP CW. Got my end-fed antenna up and running.
Guess what? The touch paddle key is refusing to cooperate. I've used it before with good results.
This time I did not bring a spare key. :(
Murphy's law never fails. Darn it!

So far I made one SSB contact with a W2 station. He could barely hear me with 5 Watts.

Posted: 3/22/2017 1:12:20 AM EDT

[#33]

I ordered one of the new Btech 25W mobile radios. I have an older version that is a little quirky but the new versions look like they have a nice feature set if the firmware isn't riddled with errors. It also comes with a TRRS jack on the back panel with spkr/mic and PTT so it could interface with a phone for APRS use. If it's any good I will order a second one and build it into a go box.

Posted: 3/22/2017 3:03:52 AM EDT

[#34]

Got my 2x2 callsign to go along with my Extra Class upgrade that I accomplished last month

It is a vanity callsign similar to my original 2x3 callsign: the first letter K of my original callsign is now an A, and the final letter is gone

Posted: 3/22/2017 9:49:13 AM EDT

[#35]

Moved my mobile radio into the garage where it will be used more, also stuck a j-pole up on the back of the house. Hopefully I can get back on HF towards the end of the year.

Posted: 3/23/2017 1:39:02 PM EDT

[#36]

Started studying for my extra exam, did some more studying of CW, and ordered a LiPo battery to put in the dead 1ah battery case for my PRC-320.

Posted: 3/23/2017 6:59:29 PM EDT

[#37]

Received my LOANER KX2 from Elecraft today. It's tiny, now to read the manual! Nice hat Frostbite!

Posted: 3/23/2017 9:29:01 PM EDT

[#38]

Operated portable today on 20m SSB on solar power in a local park. Made DX contact into Canaray Islands with EA6/Rm5m plus IL and MI from MA

Posted: 3/24/2017 10:24:55 PM EDT

[#39]

Researched and think Ive found a way to make a tape whip VHF/UHF for a manpack I want to build. This may have already been done, but I havent found it.

Posted: 3/26/2017 11:36:27 AM EDT

[#40]

Tying to re-learn to use paddles so I can jump back and forth between them and my Vibroplex "bug". I haven't touched them in over 3 years.

Posted: 3/27/2017 7:16:31 AM EDT

[#41]

I taught a special needs and blind young man how to pound out a few letters of his name on my straight key. While it would be difficult to understand his voice on a radio, his morse code letters sounded identical to mine. The "problem" is, it took me days to learn what he learned in 30 min.

Posted: 3/27/2017 11:23:57 AM EDT

[#42]

I added two pieces of wire, turning the 10M dipole I built for my son into a 20M dipole.

I then used that dipole to work a bunch of contest stations from Central and South America, Europe and Africa on 20M over the weekend! First 20M contacts!

Posted: 3/27/2017 4:28:56 PM EDT

[#43]

Worked a contest station in Caracao on 15 meters yesterday

Posted: 3/27/2017 4:56:43 PM EDT

[#44]

Drove to DX Engineering and picked up an AL-80B, a Palstar AT2KD, dummy load, and a high power 1:1 current balun. Got it running on 240V, and did the super complicated 10m mod.

Posted: 3/28/2017 11:01:10 PM EDT

[#45]

Quote History

Quoted:
Drove to DX Engineering and picked up an AL-80B, a Palstar AT2KD, dummy load, and a high power 1:1 current balun. Got it running on 240V, and did the super complicated 10m mod.

View Quote

Lucky bastid....

Posted: 3/28/2017 11:02:46 PM EDT

[#46]

After hours of flailing around Friday and today finally got a AllStar Link node set up at my house.

Playing around with the Raspberry Pi was kinda fun, I may have to order another one.

Posted: 3/30/2017 12:33:36 AM EDT

[#47]

I received an MFJ 150W travel tuner that I ordered a few days ago. Finally got time to sit down with it at 10 tonight after the family is all off to bed. This is the 3rd MFJ product I have purchased, and they do have a reputation for needing a little end user QC.

So I opened it up and was satisfied that all the solder joints were ok, and had to tighten a loose nut on one of the tuning cap shafts and adjust the position of the tuning knobs on the shafts so that the capacitor vanes were fully meshed at the correct dial position.

I will try it out another day.

Posted: 3/31/2017 9:52:48 AM EDT

[#48]

Made a couple of (somewhat) long distance 20m SSB contacts on the vertical last night, KE0MPH (Merlyn) in SD and HP4RWE (Ron) in Republic of Panama. They were running the Spider Web Net on 14.347. I think these are the first >1000 mile contacts I've made on the vertical on 20m (I'm usually running one of the FWL's).

Nick

Posted: 3/31/2017 3:29:55 PM EDT

[#49]

Not today, but yesterday, got on the air and right away heard the 3905 century club night and checked in without hesitation. Then I went to google it and found out the purpose of the daily net was to make contacts and exchange QSL cards (which is a requirement). DOH! I don't have QSL cards, so I tried checking out, but apparently my AC unit right next to my antenna had different ideas and I couldn't hear shit from then on out. So, sorry if anyone was checked-in and had to listen to net control call #44 (i think) with no response.

Posted: 3/31/2017 3:59:58 PM EDT

[#50]

Shipped off 4 boxes of IC-4KL. Because it was insured, I had to tell them what was inside. Told them 4 separate times "Ham Radio Amplifier Parts". About half way through the transaction, a blonde working the other till looks outside, points, and says "Look, someone put fishing rods on their car!". I glance over, realize it's my car. I comment "...or antennas". Older brunette who's handling my package (

) comments that in her day, she's guess antenna too. I nod and smile.. "Yep, it's an antenna. That's my car."

Hustler VP-2 with a 20M and 80M whip. I got a good chuckle.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What did you do today with your radio (or amateur radio related)? (Page 8 of 10)

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