|
Post by Gene on Nov 5, 2012 4:50:00 GMT 9
:salute :salute
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Nov 5, 2012 5:24:00 GMT 9
Congratulations Mark! To be honest I didn't even know ham radio operators even existed anymore. Used to have several that lived around me, but it seems they are all gone now. Have fun with it. You must have been causing too much interference! Actually, the number of hams is going up. Check out these stats... www.ah0a.org/FCC/Licenses.htmlIf you click on one of the headers (Extra, Advanced, General, ...) it will show a graph for that particular license class. Note the jump in 2007 when the FCC got rid of the Morse code requirement. That was a big deal, but make no mistake, CW (Morse) is alive and well! And this is for everyone -- Thanks!! :thanks :salute P.S. Advanced, and Novice licenses are no longer issued, but there are still hams holding them. I'm not sure how the number jumped up one the last week of October though. It's confusing for those classes.
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Nov 8, 2012 1:54:22 GMT 9
Whoo Hoo!!! I just got my General Class Amateur Radio License!!! Well, I got my call sign issued. The actual license will show up in the mail in a few days I suppose.
I am now KF5SPP.
That was much quicker than I expected. Most sources led me to believe that it would be at least a week, maybe two before I would get into the system. I was a bit worried as I thought I would end up with the letters "5SS" in the call sign. Do you know how tough that would be in morse?
5 S S ..... ... ...
I can live with KF5SPP!
-.- ..-. ..... ... .--. .--.
I also found out late last night that my brother has sent me an early Christmas present. He won't tell me what it is, but it's being shipped in two boxes from a place called Ham Radio Outlet. One box weighs 22.5 pounds, and the other weighs 10 pounds! Okay...
Anyway, I'm in a better mood now than I was last night!
(P.S. Of course I had to change my avatar! At least for awhile!)
|
|
|
Post by lindel on Nov 8, 2012 6:28:39 GMT 9
You gonna get the obligatory HAM license plate?
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Nov 8, 2012 6:38:57 GMT 9
|
|
Jim Scanlon (deceased)
Senior Staff
FORUM CHAPLAIN
Commander South Texas outpost of the County Sligo Squadron
Currently: Offline
Posts: 5,075
Location:
Joined: July 2007
Retired: USAF NBA: Spurs NFL: Niners MLB: Giants NHL: Penguins
|
Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Nov 8, 2012 6:55:48 GMT 9
You really should get those HAM plates, Mark.
They identify you as a member of a pretty exclusive group of people.
Of course, it will mean eventually having to get a radio for your Dodge truck and a "long, long, whip antenna".
Be sure to put a Confederate Battle Flag on the antenna.
Or, you could put a Lone Star Flag on it.
That might offend just as many people.
Jim Too
:god_bless_usa
|
|
|
Post by LBer1568 on Nov 8, 2012 10:01:43 GMT 9
Does the Confederate flag go above or below the squirral tail?
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Nov 8, 2012 10:07:48 GMT 9
Does the Confederate flag go above or below the squirrel tail? Geez good buddy, it's Ham radio, not CB! We use raccoon tails! You get lower SWR that way!
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Nov 9, 2012 13:11:58 GMT 9
Just got an early Christmas present from my brother in Japan. I really can not believe him sometimes. He got me a VERY nice ham radio with all the stuff I need to get on the air. I have been truly speechless for the past few hours as I've been playing with the stuff that arrived today. It was sent in two packages from a major ham dealership chain here in the states. Today I got an Icom IC-7200 HF/50MHz Transceiver (100W), and a Samlex SEC-1235 Regulated DC Power Supply. (13.8 VDC @ 30A continuous.) www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/hf/7200/default.aspxThe rest of the gear is supposed to get here Monday, so it will be at least that long before I get on the air. It includes an LDG AT-100 Pro II Auto-tuner, and an Alpha-Delta Communications DX-LB 160/80/40 Meter Dipole Antenna. All I need to get is a mast, and something to secure it with. Numb. I'm just numb. I got the IC-7200 around 1:30 this afternoon, and after opening everything up decided I better at least make sure it powers up. I was out of solder (go figure with two teenage boys!) so I picked up some 63/37 rosin core, and on the way home wondered if my iron still worked. (It did, but I'm out of practice.) Anyway, I got the terminals soldered to the power cord, and everything works. (No, I will not fix your computer!) Now to hit the user manual. This is a photo of my brother's IC-7200. Same as mine. (Too much junk on my table for a decent photo.)
|
|
|
Post by lindel on Nov 9, 2012 14:13:46 GMT 9
Very nice Mark!
|
|
|
Post by lugnuts55 on Nov 9, 2012 21:40:50 GMT 9
Mark, Your brother sounds like a keeper. I feel bad when I hear stories about brothers not getting along. I have been blessed with two younger brothers. My middle brother passed away in 2006 at a young age. My youngest brother and I have been much closer since then. He can't buy me something like a ham radio but he did give me a shotgun that he took as repayment of a loan. We are going out for breakfast Monday morning. He takes me every Veteran's Day for breakfast. He never served but he was always very proud of my service and our brother's 20 years service. Sorry if I changed directions with my comments but I love hearing stories about siblings being close and doing nice things for each other. I am very happy for you, Mark. I suspect you love your brother without him buying something for you.
I also think it's pretty cool that you are getting into the Ham radio hobby. I know absolutely nothing about it but I sure was glad they were around in 1972 when I was in Thailand. They made it possible for me to talk to people back home a couple times. My folks never got a bill from anyone for that. I think the operator who connected us was in Indiana. I only think that because my mom said they got a phone call from someone there before we were connected. I believe you would do the same for a GI if it were you. With the internet and everybody having a laptop or access to one, communication with home is very easy. The MARS station was a great way for us to communicate in my era. :salute
|
|
|
Post by ma1marv on Nov 9, 2012 22:49:47 GMT 9
Great news Mark! Passing that test the first time up and getting your HAm liscense is great! It just happens that I HAD a liscense and somewhere I let it lapse. My call letters were WB0YL0 from the OLD days! Oh - somewhere I have a 2 meter "Vacuum Tube" T/R with a morse key and I still have a 10 meter, and 5 meter TR - both Vacuum tubes! One day I'll have to unpack them and get them up and running. Might just have to retake that HAM liscense - If a "Wrench bender/Crew Chief/ Flight Engineer" can do it - So can I!!!
KEEP on =QRS-QST!
MArv -- .- .---- .-. ...-
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Nov 10, 2012 3:40:15 GMT 9
One day I'll have to unpack them and get them up and running. Might just have to retake that HAM license - If a "Wrench bender/Crew Chief/ Flight Engineer" can do it - So can I!!! KEEP on =QRS-QST! MArv -- .- .---- .-. ...- I would definitely like to see those old "boat anchors" you have! With your background Marv you could easily pass those tests again. Probably worth taking all three at the same time, and getting your Amateur Extra. The electronics portion would be a breeze for you. I, on the other hand, need to really study. The basics are there thanks to my background, but that's just it -- the basics. I think all you would need is to learn some of the ham rules, and get the frequencies, and procedures down. That part was very easy for me with help from the study guides. Here's a link to all of the practice tests. www.eham.net/exams/I say go for it! -.- ..-. ..... ... .--. .--. P.S. I checked the FCC database and a guy in Albany, NY has your old call now. (Obviously lived in your Region ("0") when he got it.) He's a technician class.
|
|
|
Post by Jim on Nov 10, 2012 3:41:30 GMT 9
Beautiful.... Neat brother you got there..... Whatcha usin for an antenna? Or have things progressed so far that you are bouncing off a satilite? ?? Now all you have to do is build a power supply and go mobile with a big whip antenna
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Nov 10, 2012 4:34:20 GMT 9
Beautiful.... Neat brother you got there..... Whatcha usin for an antenna? Or have things progressed so far that you are bouncing off a satilite? ?? Now all you have to do is build a power supply and go mobile with a big whip antenna Radio and power supply are here. The antenna (and tuner) will be here on Monday. (Gives me time to read the manual for this radio!) It's an Alpha-Delta Communications DX-LB 160/80/40 M Dipole. www.alphadeltacom.com/pg1.htmlJust need to figure out what to use for a mast right now. I have a few ideas I've sketched out so it may turn into a weekend project!
|
|
|
Post by ma1marv on Nov 10, 2012 13:16:38 GMT 9
Thanks for the encouragement - I may - just have to find some time! Oh - For a home antenna - I used a 30 foot length of 2 inch drill pipe when I was living in Poteet, Texas. That was needed to get the antenna up to and above most of the surrounding trees! If you put a aluminum plate on the top, then secure your antenna to the plate you can get some very good SWR's and still be able to get the mast back down for maintenance or a change of antennas if necesary. If you use the guy wires as additional antenna with a couple of extra insulators you can have a nice large 10 meter half wave!! just be sure they are insulated from the tiedown rods with some good glass insulators. Ceramic would be even better especially if used in tandem with a second insulator. If you need more info I can send a diagram. You might have to check with local building codes if you live in a residential neighborhood. Drill pipe was cheep in texas! Marv :fire_missle_ani :patriotic-flagwaver :green-beer
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Nov 11, 2012 0:07:08 GMT 9
If you need more info I can send a diagram. You might have to check with local building codes if you live in a residential neighborhood. Drill pipe was cheep in Texas! Marv I could swear I sent a reply to this last night. :scratch_head Anyway, yes I would definitely be interested. Right now I decided to use some surplus, fiberglass, camouflage support system segments to make a pole for the dipole. The plan is to sink the base into the ground, and secure it about 8' up along the side of the house. I'll have to hang it as an inverted V, but that's okay. As far as the city, I'm limited to 20' above the apex of the roof, but don't want to go more than 7'-10' above with my current plan. (It's cheap, and only to get me on the air right now.) I like the idea about the drilling pipe. In fact, there is a drilling outfit literally a mile down the road from my house. I may have to go ask if they have any old segments taking up space in their yard! If not them, there are plenty of places in-and-around town. As much as I would like, it's much to windy here today (out of the south at 24, gusting to 36 right now) to do any antenna work. Thanks!
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Nov 13, 2012 1:39:15 GMT 9
Sorry I missed the Veterans Day chat yesterday. My heart was there. I was running around most of the day taking care of errands, and got a nice "Happy Veterans Day, Sir" from the two-striper manning the gate at Dyess on my way in for a commissary stop. That was neat. Anyway, I spent the better part of the afternoon making this 20 meter antenna. After looking for a suitable, something, I found a cheap cutting board, and cut it down for the feed point, and insulators. I drilled a 5/8" hole for the SO-239, and soldered in two 1/4 wave, 18 gauge segments directly to it, added some heat shrink, and filled it with epoxy. (In the photo that Gerber holster is holding the assembly level while the epoxy sets.) It was dark before I got the whole thing up, and by that time the 20 meter band was pretty dead. (Propagation, or poor construction?) Well, this morning it is working like a champ! I have it tacked up to the side of the roof for now, but am fixing to get out to the work bench and make some 2-3' wood extension masts to get the antenna up in the air more. It's hanging at just over 8' right now, so this will get it up to about 10'-11'. I'll have to wait until I get a proper mast to raise it up to 1/2 wave (~16'17'.) So far I've been easily picking up folks from both coasts, and down into Mexico (go figure) so I at least know my construction was sound. The problem is I really can't transmit out to far due to the antenna height. That should be taken care of soon. I am getting 1:1 on the radio's SWR, so that is good. (Perfect for a dipole in fact.) The "real" antenna, and tuner should be delivered in a few hours from UPS. Sorry about the photo. It's a cell phone pic, and I later discovered one of the kids had been playing with the brightness. (Oh well.) I tried to fix it a bit, but you should get the idea.
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Nov 13, 2012 7:52:49 GMT 9
Ugh. Got everything ready to install then realized I need something to use as a spacer to avoid crushing about 1 1/2" worth of the shingles overhanging the edge of the roof. (I've had enough problems with those shingles -- wind mostly -- so they don't need any help from me.) Discovering I need to use some patience to temper the excitement! I did get the rest of the gear delivered though. The tuner and antenna arrived this afternoon. The tuner works fine, and it looks like I may need one of those drilling pipes to hold the antenna. That sucker is HEAVY! My fiberglass system will not support it at the height I need to install this antenna at. Not even going to try. I did get a pic of all the inside components for ya! Tuner over the transceiver, and the power supply to the right.
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Nov 14, 2012 2:53:16 GMT 9
Okay. I just finished getting the antenna off the side of the roof, and into the air. The wire is just over 10' up in an E-W orientation. This should be a lot better, but it would be nicer if I had at least another 6 feet on it. Ah well, better try for some contacts... (Edit: I should have been more specific. I wish I had another 6 feet of height on this 20 meter antenna to get it up to at least 1/2 wavelength.)
|
|