Posted: 8/27/2015 10:13:37 PM EDT
Bands are in poor shape. Solar storm continues with M2.9 solar flare. Hide your radios in a metal trashcan. Leave the trashcan outside and email me your address.
Read moar info on the solar storm at www.solarham.net |
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Might as well play VHF then. Great lakes region looks to be a slam dunk. Look at all that pretty red blob.
http://aprs.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ |
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Quoted:
Might as well play VHF then. Great lakes region looks to be a slam dunk. Look at all that pretty red blob. http://aprs.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ Going to sound like a stupid question but what frequencies are you typically using to make these contacts on VHF? I am limited currently to my mobile TM-V71A or at home my TM-281 but I don't have a really good antenna set up for this currently/yet. Are you picking Simplex channels or are Repeaters getting some good distance now? I normally just hang out and listen to the repeaters in my area but I should venture out more on the Simplex side. Thanks back to my reading of General Book and studying since I am stuck at work until 4am. |
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Quoted:
Might as well play VHF then. Great lakes region looks to be a slam dunk. Look at all that pretty red blob. http://aprs.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ Hear near KC vhf is of the chain. The sheriff's repeater has been locked open with other agency traffic off and on all evening. |
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Quoted:
Going to sound like a stupid question but what frequencies are you typically using to make these contacts on VHF? I am limited currently to my mobile TM-V71A or at home my TM-281 but I don't have a really good antenna set up for this currently/yet. Are you picking Simplex channels or are Repeaters getting some good distance now? I normally just hang out and listen to the repeaters in my area but I should venture out more on the Simplex side. Thanks back to my reading of General Book and studying since I am stuck at work until 4am. Quoted:
Quoted:
Might as well play VHF then. Great lakes region looks to be a slam dunk. Look at all that pretty red blob. http://aprs.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ Going to sound like a stupid question but what frequencies are you typically using to make these contacts on VHF? I am limited currently to my mobile TM-V71A or at home my TM-281 but I don't have a really good antenna set up for this currently/yet. Are you picking Simplex channels or are Repeaters getting some good distance now? I normally just hang out and listen to the repeaters in my area but I should venture out more on the Simplex side. Thanks back to my reading of General Book and studying since I am stuck at work until 4am. Good question. I've had good luck on 2 meters using 146.52 and 146.550. Those 2 should be in everyone's radio scan list. I also have some of the repeater pairs programmed in with no PL tone and if I can hear DX repeaters reasonably strong (say S4 and +), I will pop their tone on the radio and bring those up calling CQ. It gets to be fun when the DX is calling a net and you check in.  I've done that to a couple nets, and know of a few from 100 miles out to 200+ miles that have done that to the local nets. On our local saturday noon swap net on 146.82 the guy that usually calls it has gotten to the point that occasionally he will make a call for DX stations only, then call for check ins. When you check in just say your call and location. That will get their attention. It also gets you some "slack" on nets if your signal isn't full quieting. If they come back and say too noisy to copy just hang back and watch the meter. Band conditions may improve. If you can see another S unit or 2 try again toward the end of the net. Keep Tx short. If bands are not quite there you wont be bringing up static for long, and if they are good it may motivate others listening to check in right behind you. ( I did that to the Lincoln, NE. (65 miles) club a couple weeks ago on their nightly net. A guy from Grand Island (90 mile or so) checked in right after me). Surprised the heck out of their net control.
I made a list of repeaters that use 146.82 and 146.94 with their location and tones for a 250 mile radius. It does speed up things. Listen, listen, listen, and listen. Then pounce. It takes me a while to figure out which repeater I'm hearing. Sooner or later I'm going to learn CW for those pesky stations that CW ID only. The stations that voice ID makes it easy. As for my station set up, I'm just running 50 watts on the Yaesu into the arrow j pole. I did get a Arrow 4 element back pack portable 2m beam and a 21' painters pole and bagged a contact a couple weeks ago on 146.52 at 291 miles (my best 2 meter DX so far)  Granted the guy I talked to is using a 14 element (I think) quad stack and a couple hundred watts, but I did work him.
If its a simplex station I hear I'll reply at S2 (or so) and +. Some of those guys have a quite impressive set up and will do most of the work. Know what grid your in for simplex. |
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You can do pretty good on VHF with simple equipment when the conditions are right. There are plans online for converting TV antennas into 4 and 5 element 2 Meter Yagis if you want to go the DIY route.
The HF bands have been screwed up all week. Did manage some fairly good 40 Meter contacts last weekend in spite of fading and S7 noise levels, including Manitoba and Oregon, running 50 Watts into a dipole. I'll be glad when Winter's here so I can chase DX on the bottom end of 40 with my K1. |
