Amateur Radio FAQ
- Thread starter K31
- Start date
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- Dec 30, 2012
- 7,001
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gamer_jim
Podcaster
This is my shack. There are many like it but this one is mine.
Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk
This is my shack. There are many like it but this one is mine.
Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk
Shacks are like gun safes.
You can never have one big enough.
Nice FT-450D. I will get one, some day. I even have better radios... still want one!
Here is a video I made, this past week. I really have had great luck with this antenna, so I made a video about it. (HL1ZIX / KE0EYJ). I worked Massachusetts and Michigan on it (from Korea), two days ago!
Here is a video I made, this past week. I really have had great luck with this antenna, so I made a video about it. (HL1ZIX / KE0EYJ). I worked Massachusetts and Michigan on it (from Korea), two days ago!
gamer_jim
Podcaster
Fantastic video! Very well produced.
The 450D seems like a great first HF rig for the price. I wanted something with 6M so this was the lowest priced entry rig. It is packed with features and filters I still do not understand how to use.
I haven't had a chance to use it yet as my antenna from myantennas.com will probably arrive tomorrow. I'm still trying to get the computer set up and linked to the 450D.
Keystone70
MSI Executive Member
I have the 450D and have been using it for two months and 39 counties. I have the computer hooked up, though I don't really use it. I need an signalink yet to get into digital. Having too much fun on phone, right now.
I'm using a random wire right now and have had good results, so far.
Don't worry about getting everything at one time. Just work with what you got and adjust from there.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
I'm using a random wire right now and have had good results, so far.
Don't worry about getting everything at one time. Just work with what you got and adjust from there.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
gamer_jim
Podcaster
I've been fighting with my 450D all morning. I'm having trouble connecting via serial to latest Ubuntu. At first it was a permissions problem on the serial port device. I got that cleared up and now it just times out when I do rigcat.
This makes me suspect I don't have the right cable. I have a RS232-USB cable plugged into a f-f rs232 cable. I suspect the f-f isn't straight through.
I see the LED on the RS232-USB cable blink once when I try connecting to it.
Anyone have suggestions before I purchase expensive Yaesu cable?
This makes me suspect I don't have the right cable. I have a RS232-USB cable plugged into a f-f rs232 cable. I suspect the f-f isn't straight through.
I see the LED on the RS232-USB cable blink once when I try connecting to it.
Anyone have suggestions before I purchase expensive Yaesu cable?
Keystone70
MSI Executive Member
Not familiar with your cable and I'm running Windows 10. I bought my cable from HRO. Rtsystems USB-63 cable for $30
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
I've been fighting with my 450D all morning. I'm having trouble connecting via serial to latest Ubuntu. At first it was a permissions problem on the serial port device. I got that cleared up and now it just times out when I do rigcat.
This makes me suspect I don't have the right cable. I have a RS232-USB cable plugged into a f-f rs232 cable. I suspect the f-f isn't straight through.
I see the LED on the RS232-USB cable blink once when I try connecting to it.
Anyone have suggestions before I purchase expensive Yaesu cable?
I think this is the cable I used for an FT847 if it is wired the same:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008634VJY/
I can check tonight.
EDIT:
I checked both manuals and the 450 manual says it takes a "straight" rs232 cable while the 847 manual says it takes a null modem "not straight" cable so the above won't work. At least, not as is.
Last edited:
Keystone70
MSI Executive Member
I've been fighting with my 450D all morning. I'm having trouble connecting via serial to latest Ubuntu. At first it was a permissions problem on the serial port device. I got that cleared up and now it just times out when I do rigcat.
This makes me suspect I don't have the right cable. I have a RS232-USB cable plugged into a f-f rs232 cable. I suspect the f-f isn't straight through.
I see the LED on the RS232-USB cable blink once when I try connecting to it.
Anyone have suggestions before I purchase expensive Yaesu cable?
Not sure what you plan; but,I don't see any reference to Ubantu or any other operating system but windows in the Yaesu site. I know Ubantu is popular; but, I think most of the software out there is going to be for Windows. I could be wrong, and I'm sure someone will be along to point that out.
I would recommend a separate computer running Windows 10 that is just for you HAM radios.
You're right that most amateur radio software seems to be written for windows but there is a lot out there for Ubuntu and Linux in general.
Chirp
Logging programs
SDR programs
Digital encoders/decoders
Satellite prediction
Slow Scan TV
Trusted QSL
FT8/JT65 programs
- Jan 31, 2009
- 3,285
Doesn't matter for that one. It floats inside the plastic box (old GE Master II speaker)
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
gamer_jim
Podcaster
Got my antenna yesterday; It's from myantennas.com EFHW.
I thought I had a spare 30 foot feed line. I forgot that I ordered that for my VHF rig so the connector was type-N. I had two 6 foot SO-239 lengths that I had also bought with my rig in order to connect the rig to an antenna switch and the other to connect to the dummy load. I stretched them out and was able to get one of the 6 foot sections outside and connected to the antenna.
Because I didn't have the correct length of feed line I couldn't get the antenna where I wanted. Instead I got it as far up as I could, about 10' off the ground. Then ran the wire between 2 trees zig-zag.
I was able to hear a lot of good signal on the radio early in the evening. When I first turned on 20M in the digital frequencies I was overwhelmed by the signals. After an hour or so I struggled to find any signals.
What sounded like mostly RTTY I could not get enough signal to fldigi in order to decode. I don't know if I didnt' have the radio configured correctly or if it was fldigi. It was frustrating seeing the signal but not being able to decode it.
I heard virtually no PSK31 after 9PM, is that normal? I surfed all of the bands in the lower parts of the bands that I had access to.
I feel like I don't understand fldigi, nor my radio, enough to understand what I'm doing and feel comfortable with it. It all still seems like black magic to me.
I thought I had a spare 30 foot feed line. I forgot that I ordered that for my VHF rig so the connector was type-N. I had two 6 foot SO-239 lengths that I had also bought with my rig in order to connect the rig to an antenna switch and the other to connect to the dummy load. I stretched them out and was able to get one of the 6 foot sections outside and connected to the antenna.
Because I didn't have the correct length of feed line I couldn't get the antenna where I wanted. Instead I got it as far up as I could, about 10' off the ground. Then ran the wire between 2 trees zig-zag.
I was able to hear a lot of good signal on the radio early in the evening. When I first turned on 20M in the digital frequencies I was overwhelmed by the signals. After an hour or so I struggled to find any signals.
What sounded like mostly RTTY I could not get enough signal to fldigi in order to decode. I don't know if I didnt' have the radio configured correctly or if it was fldigi. It was frustrating seeing the signal but not being able to decode it.
I heard virtually no PSK31 after 9PM, is that normal? I surfed all of the bands in the lower parts of the bands that I had access to.
I feel like I don't understand fldigi, nor my radio, enough to understand what I'm doing and feel comfortable with it. It all still seems like black magic to me.
E.Shell
Ultimate Member
Congratulations!!
K31 is good people. Helped me get my licenses with this thread and a study guide.
LOL, the fun begins.... Over at the ArfCom Ham forum, they call it "BRD" (Black Radio Disease).
Do it ASAP, it's easier than you think and as K31 suggests above, do it while you're in the learning/testing mode.
Congratulations to you too!!
Ugh....
Until you have a quart ziplock full of adapters to get Bananna plugs to BNC and BNC to SMA and SMA to UHF and UHF to UHF and BNC to UHF and UHF to N and SMA to N and N to....AND THEN male to male and female to female in all the above, you're really not spending as much on this stuff as you could be.
Ditto with cables. Every time you turn around, you need a another piece almost exactly different that whatever you have on hand. You might as well get a spool of LMR400 and LMR-240 and start making your own cables now, instead of spoonfeeding it with bought jumpers over the next few years.
This is pretty typical of any band at times. You'll hear someone one minute like they are standing next to you and the next you are struggling to hear them with the volume cranked up.
It may be solar weather on that particular day or it may be the propagation mechanism that the signal is being received by.
20M tends to be a good day/early evening band. People may have moved to 40M or 80M but probably they just gave up for the day. Week nights traffic goes down considerably in general.
There is a bit of a learning curve with digital modes like PSK31. I struggled between the radio, software and computer settings (particularly this) before it fell into place.
- Dec 30, 2012
- 7,001
Was able to listen to a few contacts from Prescott Az on my Baofeng ht (with just a whip antenna), on satellite AO-91 this afternoon as it passed by . I'm gonna make a sat antenna in a few days so I can attempt to make contacts.
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