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Cb Thread

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Central VA Chapter

17 March Dyno Smyrna TN DTR

Meacham's Got Porta Power!

Did he ask you to move them ratchetjaws off the channel?



Hey Mark, I've got about 300' of 9913 Belden cable... don't need no more.



Anybody got any interest in amateur radio--I'll be glad to get you started. de W1ADE
 
Did he ask you to move them ratchetjaws off the channel?



Hey Mark, I've got about 300' of 9913 Belden cable... don't need no more.



Anybody got any interest in amateur radio--I'll be glad to get you started. de W1ADE



Hey Wade, I have been thinking about that fer a while,Maybe even a HF net for us Diesel Heads ( The Diesel Head Net)Oo.



W2GDW/whiskey
 
HOkay now it's the CB and Ham thread!

[the following is ham talk-- be glad to translate any of it for anyone interested]



N4HWL is a local ham and TDR member. He frequents 3. 980--home of the TN phone net. The old codgers there usually peter out about 9-10 pm. That'd be a fine place to talk about trucks and such.



But then I don't have an HF rig set up right now. And I need to rehang my wires. I had enough up for the Southeast, but I'd need a nicer installation to get back out to the Oregon guys. The Oregon net runs about the same time as the TN net (on 3. 980), and we can hear each other pretty good, but we carry on two nets without interfering with each other--the magic of SSB and manners. :p



I've had major HF set up in the truck. FT-900 and 6" coils on my TX bug catcher. Favorite contact was an old guy in the former USSR. Did that mobile between Tullahoma and Shellyville. Would like to have the 900 back in the truck as well as my 2m/70 and the 220. Have a Hi-Q that's never been installed. :rolleyes: When I have the 2m going, I monitor 146. 910 the most. I'm pretty close to Short mtn. So I can use John's (WR3S) 2m linked system or 145. 49 with equal ease.



Missed the biggest peak of the last solar cycle (that thing that has spotted Al Bore all screwed up in the head). But then 10m gets all covered up with 10-10 stuff. I'm bored with 10-10. Just like nice clean phone contacts to little bitty places far away. Don't chase paper either. Not going to fight the QSL issues. When they go to electronic certification, I might play. Until then I'll just put a pin in the world map and maybe enter it into a log book.



Have contested, but usually on someone else's setup. Multi-op is fun. Busting the pileup is fun. Field day is fun. We used to T-hunt as well.



Suppose I'll go whole hog CW when the all the phone bands get plugged up. Want to run some PSK and other such digital modes as well. Used to receive SSTV back when I was working on my first upgrade.



Now Advanced class and I think I'll leave it that way. No need in being confused with a no-code Extra.



W1ADE, over
 
you should try the hi-q. been running mine (2. 5 i think)for about 4 yrs. works better than anything i've seen yet. i use it with an icom 706mk11 g. tunes great and has a high q!happy motoring,mike w4mwj
 
Just never got around to building a mount for it. Then I changed trucks. Planning on building a mount that slides into the crossmember of the receiver hitch.



I had the BC mounted in the center of the bed of a ford and had guy "wires" on it to the corners. A real eye-catcher with the cap hat!:-laf :-laf :-laf



My plan for the HF mobile is to use the Hi-Q as a "daily" driver (hamsticks for rough conditions/neighborhoods), and to use the 6" BC for special events. Yes, I have the 160 coil too!:eek:



Wife is a ham too. And her Mom and step-dad and such. (K4MZP, KF4GKN, NY4T)



Gotta get the 2m and or 220 going again. Radio coverage is SO much better than phone coverage! And the circuits don't get busy and the battery doesn't crap out etc.
 
working on getting my tech license right now, A friend of mine gave me a Yaesu FT-2500, got it hooked up inmy truck right now but dont have a mic for it, been looking everywhere and no luck yet, anyone have an idea where i might get one, i believe it is a MH-31C or a MH-26.



As soon as i get back from germany i am taking the test for tech, then we will see where it goes from there



Eddie
 
working on getting my tech license right now, A friend of mine gave me a Yaesu FT-2500, got it hooked up inmy truck right now but dont have a mic for it,

Eddie

You don't GET A MIC until you get the license. :p :p



It's illegal for anyone to talk to you on those freqs without one. And they won't.



But I can help you track one down--right after you pass the test:D .



There are HF trader nets where I can probably find anything quick. Then there's the FM trader nets.



Best thing to do now is read up and listen up. AND BE AWARE that just because you hear it on the amateur freqs. IT IS NOT necessarily good amateur practice. IOW don't repeat it just because you hear it.



SeventyThirds--is not a cute or equivalent way of saying "seven-three" or "seventy-three"... that's example number one. I can come up with more, but don't want to sound like a big hardass. I'm not:rolleyes:





There's a good page on that somewhere--maybe I can find it.



Hard to explain the spectrum of activities on ham radio to those who aren't interested... but I try.



I suppose that when they hear me talk about my own interest in 10 or 15 different aspects of ham, they think that I'm into ALL OF IT. I'm not. That's less than half of the goings on.



It's a great hobby and you just cain't explain it all at once. ;)
 
After 25 years in the military i am well versed in the proper techniques of talking on the radio, be it military or amateur, I also run a motorola that has the local emergancy freq's in it and have used it plenty in my few short years in the fire deptment and rescue squad.

I also know that it is illegal to transmit on any radio that requires a license without one, and i will not do that, as said earlier, as soon as i return from germany i will be taking the test to get my license, that is the earliest date i have found without driving 2 to 3 hours to take it.



thanks for all the info advice and offer for help with finding a mic, as soon as i get my license i will get back with you on the mic.



Thanks Eddie
 
Hell, I just thought it was funny that you got a radio without a mic.

Anyhoo, nothing personal Eddie. I've heard that sort of stuff enough times that I don't assume that anyone is competent.

Especially folks with the CB background and THAT IS exactly where I came from. But I've heard folks "key up" and try to talk to us (licensed amateurs) several times. Which can be done with a "control operator"...

Columbia is a good place to test. There's usually a test every single month in Middle TN. You're just a tad west. I don't know what your drive times would be. Maybe Clarksville or Jackson? Anywhere there's a ham club, there'll usually be "VE" testing every couple or three months. Cookeville, Lebanon, Manchester, Murfreesboro, Nashville... all have testing. Heck I took my first test in Shelbyville. Then Columbia, then Murfreesboro and I was living in Murfreesboro.

MOF there's a hamfest in Cave City, KY this or next weekend, I'm sure there's testing there. There is at every hamfest I've ever heard of. Except for Cedars.

over. oh and this is W1ADE--on the air since 1996. :D

And gimme your phone number, I can get on the 91 swap net and ask for a mic for a 2500 and tell 'em to call you.

After 25 years in the military i am well versed in the proper techniques of talking on the radio, be it military or amateur, I also run a motorola that has the local emergancy freq's in it and have used it plenty in my few short years in the fire deptment and rescue squad.
I also know that it is illegal to transmit on any radio that requires a license without one, and i will not do that, as said earlier, as soon as i return from germany i will be taking the test to get my license, that is the earliest date i have found without driving 2 to 3 hours to take it.

thanks for all the info advice and offer for help with finding a mic, as soon as i get my license i will get back with you on the mic.

Thanks Eddie
 
Got a lead on 40ft. of free standing tower with hinge plate today!! Supposed to have first dibs on it! Oo. Oo. Couple of bags of Qwikcrete and no need to worry about guide wires! :D :D :D



Also supposed to have a room FULL of CB equip including two Galaxy 99V's brand new in the box! :--) Its a friend of mines deceased uncle's stuff that his aunt has no idea what's worth, and want's an honest person who knows to come look. Oo. Oo. :-laf :D
 
Got a lead on 40ft. of free standing tower with hinge plate today!! Supposed to have first dibs on it! Oo. Oo. Couple of bags of Qwikcrete and no need to worry about guide wires! :D :D :D



Couple of bags MY ARSE! How many towers you set? Check out the manufacturers recommendations on concrete-- to heck with antennaes--you don't want the thing tipping on a climber. And letting a tower down on a hinge plate is a serious operation too.



I don't know, you may have done it 50x. I've never put up any of the Rohn tower I've accumilated, but I've helped with plenty.



The best non-commercial tower installations I've ever seen are pretty close to you Mark. Tom has 11 or 12 towers on top of "Music Mountain". That's north of Gallatin on 109. It's a serious contest station and repeater site. I haven't been up there in a while, and wouldn't want to be NEAR the place today. :D



Anyway, he has the recommended amount of concrete in the ground--and it's a BUNCH. MOF he regularly makes a trip to the hot-dip place and has tower re-galvanized. W4CAT is the station call. Tom is K1KY.
 
Anybody got any interest in amateur radio--I'll be glad to get you started. de W1ADE



I don't know enough about it to know if im interested. What are some good websites to look at? What would be a good mobile setup? What do you have to know to get your license?



Ok, basically i don't know sqat about it. Could you explain the differences in ham and cb?
 
Couple of bags MY ARSE! How many towers you set?



I don't know, you may have done it 50x. I've never put up any of the Rohn tower I've accumilated, but I've helped with plenty.



The best non-commercial tower installations I've ever seen are pretty close to you Mark. Tom has 11 or 12 towers on top of "Music Mountain". That's north of Gallatin on 109.



None. Got a buddy who is as tall as Chris Newsome, and stout as an 'ol ox who's done a couple and is going to help. Really helps that he works for Arbon Equip. and has a company truck with a crane, welder, and just about any tool you can think of. :D :D :D



All that tower your talking about Wade, is it on Portland Ridge on 109N? I know there's a guy directly on the ridge that has a killer tower right next to a power line tower or something similar? :eek:



We're going to look at all the candy one afternoon next week. I got the word today that I'm definately getting the tower!! Oo. Oo. Oo. :-laf



EDIT: Still have 120ft. of RG 8X coax I'd make someone a good deal on. Has good sheilding on it, and got the thumbs up as good stuff from my tech in Gallatin.
 
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I don't know enough about it to know if im interested. What are some good websites to look at? What would be a good mobile setup? What do you have to know to get your license? Ok, basically i don't know sqat about it. Could you explain the differences in ham and cb?



Tons of good information out there, don't have time to screen it just now. Good mobile setup is a 2-meter radio (50 watts and about $150 for used one) and a 5/8 antenna (30-50 bucks). That's it. Oh, and a license.



The license test is pulled from "question pools" over various areas of Rules, Procedure, RF safety, Basic electronics and radio theory. Stuff like that. The morse code has been eliminated. There are online practice tests and books published with all the questions and all the answers. How hard can that be?:-laf



More later.
 
more later is now

eham.net Is an all-around ham website. The first link below is the info for new hams or folks interested in ham.



http://www.eham.net/newham/



West GA site:

http://wgars.com/newham.htm



Another one, more extensive.

http://www.k8zt.com/hamhelp.html



There's A LOT of information because amateur radio is a HUGE field of activity. You only have to participate in the areas you like. It's hard not to be overwhelmed with the mass of info, but don't be. You only have to learn a little bitty bit to get a license. And then you have 10 years to learn if you want to renew the license. ;)



What I do on ham now (pretty much, when I fix my feedline): I keep up with friends all over middle TN (many of whom I've known for years and have never actually seen in person, several more I've met--heck I married one) and offer info to those traveling through. I take part in organized weather watching/reporting linked directly to the National Weather Service. I patch into the regular phone lines and make phone calls where cellular service doesn't exist. All of this is one the basic 2-meter mobile setup.



That's what you start with. One radio, one band, one antenna--lots of frequencies and repeaters and folks to talk with. Some folks don't do anything else. You don't have to.



Then you get a radio at the house (same kind). And a bigger antenna. Then you get a radio for another band, or most of the other bands. Then more antennas, and tuners, and amplifiers!!! OH MY! It can be like bombing a diesel truck. :rolleyes:



Other things I have done: Fox hunts, ARRL Field Day, Contests-multi and solo-op stations, CW-morse code, slow-scan television, DX'ing, nets, and more. And there's PLENTY I haven't done. Did I say amplifer? (see if Mark is still reading) While the "rule" is that no more power than necessary for the contact should be used, the max allowed for hams is 1,500 watts. And I've done that. Not on my equipment, it was a contest--at Music Mountain no less. And there were TWO of us stations operating almost elbow to elbow with 1500 watts each at the same time on antennas only hundreds of feet apart. That simply cannot be done on citizens band AM and not because the legal limit for cb is 4 watts. It has more to do with the modes of operation and the frequency separation... but I don't want to get over tech... :p :D



Arrighty then, I gotta go to bed.
 
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