Andybrown
Member
Now y'all newbies can work on your CW proficiency.
73 es DX de K3**
73 es DX de K3**
Amateur Radio FAQ
- Thread starter K31
- Start date
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CrazySanMan
2013'er
Today I put up a 2m j pole, discone for my SDRplay, and a 70cm slim Jim.
This week I'll get the Titan DX assembled and hopefully have it up next weekend.
This week I'll get the Titan DX assembled and hopefully have it up next weekend.
I was using CW encoder/decoder in HRD which is cheating for you old school cool guys.
This morning on 40m and tried to respond to a few CQ’s as well as initiated a few of my own CQ’s. I looked up a few call signs that I could hear from Florida but I couldn’t get any responses to my calls. It could be my setup since much if this is still relatively new to me.
Looks like you’ve got quite an antenna farm going up there. I wish I didn’t have to deal with an HOA. I’m going to put up a Diamond 200 dual band anyway but there is no way for me to put up an HF antenna. I’ve got a 60’ offset dipole zig-zaging through the atic but I’m not sure I’m really going to be able to make contacts with this configuration.
fightinbluhen51
"Quack Pot Call Honker"
- Oct 31, 2008
- 8,974
Commiefornia....is apparently at odds with amateur repeater owners.
https://offgridsurvival.com/california-officials-declare-ham-radio-no-longer-a-benefit/
https://offgridsurvival.com/california-officials-declare-ham-radio-no-longer-a-benefit/
gamer_jim
Podcaster
" the state claims Ham operators no longer provide a benefit to the state or public safety. They claimed that “constantly changing technological advances” has made Ham radio obsolete during an emergency. "
Except just a year or two ago hams were embedded with forest fire fighters because the cell towers burned up.
I wonder if the FCC has jurisdiction here and could order CA government to allow reasonable accommodations on public land for repeaters.
They are probably at odds with big Beltway-bandit tech companies that want to sell their ecomm "solutions" to local and state governments. What these governments fail to realize is that the costliest part of just about anything today is people and I doubt they are thinking about volunteer labor to operate the "solutions".
- Feb 4, 2013
- 28,175
In the past, it required 20 wpm code test. Which was the major hurdle, not the written test.
It only allows extra bandwidth on HF bands.
If there was only a thread somewhere with a post at the beginning that answered such questions...
Keystone70
MSI Executive Member
While contesters do tend to stick to the General regions. Some DXers will use the advanced and extra regions of the bands. Some countries have band plans below our extra region. Have to watch out for that.
The thing that got me to upgrade was when I picked up a signal I wanted to respond to and then looked at the vfo and said "damn", can't go there.
Just recently I heard a DX station transmitting below our permission range but was running split up 10 which put his listening freq into our extra range.
So, yes, there are benefits to getting extra.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
CrazySanMan
2013'er
I have a grounding question. I have a split level home and I'm building my shack in the basement. I have a table/work bench built that is right below a ground-level window and I have one of the MFJ window pass through panels in the window. I'd like to put a ground rod as close to the window as possible but the window is actually under a 5' tall deck so I can't put an 8' ground rod straight down into the ground directly in front of the window.
I see 3 different options. (1) Put an 8 or 10 foot long ground rod at an angle so I can get the impact hammer on the top of it to drive it in, (2) put a 3-4' ground rod outside the window and an 8' rod just outside of the deck (about 6' away), (3) put an 8' ground rod just outside the deck (about 6' from the window) with a heavy braid or strap running from the window panel to the ground rod. I plan to use male to female lightning arrestors on the outside of the window panel between the antenna cables and the panel.
Which is the best grounding option?
I guess I should note I am going to put a Titan DX vertical antenna in my backyard and will be installing ground rods every 8' from the window to the antenna base to ground it to the rest of my shack.
I see 3 different options. (1) Put an 8 or 10 foot long ground rod at an angle so I can get the impact hammer on the top of it to drive it in, (2) put a 3-4' ground rod outside the window and an 8' rod just outside of the deck (about 6' away), (3) put an 8' ground rod just outside the deck (about 6' from the window) with a heavy braid or strap running from the window panel to the ground rod. I plan to use male to female lightning arrestors on the outside of the window panel between the antenna cables and the panel.
Which is the best grounding option?
I guess I should note I am going to put a Titan DX vertical antenna in my backyard and will be installing ground rods every 8' from the window to the antenna base to ground it to the rest of my shack.
Just a thought... with 5 feet of clearance, use a post hole digger and dig down far enough to get the g-rod vertical and then install. I put one of mine in a basement window well and was able to put it into the ground a couple of feet just using my hands. I then used mechanical persuasion to drive it the rest of the way. It helps if the ground is moist... and not frozen (noting your location).
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CrazySanMan
2013'er
I've thought about starting with a post hole digger but I believe the poles are about as tall as the deck. Plus, my soil is very thick bentonite clay. I have to use a mattock to dig any kind of hole, a shovel doesn't cut it after a few inches are dug.
I don't know if it will help with your particular type of soil but there are YouTube videos about using a DIY "water drill" to dig holes for ground rods.
I can't find the one I originally saw which was a drill to make the hole and then insert a ground rod. The ones I did find use the Cu pipe that does the drilling left in the ground as the ground rod. That probably makes a great ground rod but is also way more expensive than a Cu clad rod I'm sure.
CrazySanMan
2013'er
I've seen a few videos of the copper pipe method, but they all say thick clay soil will bend the pipe.
- Jan 31, 2009
- 3,285
Angle is fine if that's what it takes
Very important to bond it to the house ground also so you don't have two separate grounds
Pretty easy to do that
Easiest way to drive it is a hammer drill with a ground rod pounder head on it
Winged Pig
Active Member
Good advice.
It's not fun putting a ground rod into clay without a hammer drill. I did six with a maul as I didn't have a proper bit for my hammer drill and didn't want to wait. I figured, "how hard can it be?" Forgot how old my Grand kids are. Got reminded rather quickly, but was stubborn enough to finish. Not fun...
Don't be like me, be smart and use a hammer drill.
- Dec 30, 2012
- 6,999
So I'm scanning the dial today on 20 meters & happen to hear a guy calling CQ on 14.313 for a propagation report. He's coming in strong so I answer him. Turns out he's in Victoria BC, so I give a signal report, trade a little small talk, & sign off. Immediately afterwards I hear a guy saying "go away moron" & a few other invectives. I'm kinda on the ball today, so I look the guy up on QRZ & Google his name. Well, seems as if he has quite the reputation, going back many years as a felon, crook, child abuser, & general ne'er do well. There are also quite a few videos on YouTube concerning this guy, as he stays strictly on that frequency & it's easy to find by looking for 14.313. His call is VE7KFM, if you guys are so inclined. It's really wierd what you find on the radio.
- Dec 30, 2012
- 6,999
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