Amateur Radio FAQ

[Jaybeez]

any recommendations on a budget friendly mobile rig, w/ crossband repeat?

 

[chale127]

any recommendations on a budget friendly mobile rig, w/ crossband repeat?

Define budget friendly.....
Look at Alinco, typically very good bang for the buck


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[awptickes]

Don't bother buying "budget" ham gear. When you decide to sell it, you won't be able to sell it. Buy good stuff and you'll be able to sell it for almost what you paid.

 

[garym]

any recommendations on a budget friendly mobile rig, w/ crossband repeat?

Yaesu FT-8800R is a great rig with cross-band repeat. Some of those "budget" ChiCom radios have some pretty crappy specs and you will probably get frustrated with it.

I use the 8800R in my mobile primarily to access the AARC repeater network. Other than that for mobile I primarily use the IC-7000 for HF mobile.

 

[pez34a]

Columbia Amateur Radio Association will be conducting a two day technician license class on the weekend of March 8 and 9.

Classes begin at 8:00 and end at 4:30 on both days. There will be a one hour break for lunch each day.

The course will be given at the Howard Community College club station, W3HCC. Parking is available in the surface lot across from the station, or in the nearby parking garage.

To reach the campus, take Rt. 29 to Broken Land Parkway, west. Take Broken Land to the first light, which is Hickory Ridge Road. Take Hickory Ridge to the campus entrance, which will be on your right.

The station is located in a trailer building, which will be the first structure on your right after the campus athletic and fitness center. The link below provides a map of the entrance to the college and of the station location.

There is no charge for the course and course materials will be provided.

For further information, contact Steve Buzckowski, KB3RRJ, at kb3rrj@gmail.com

Map: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwGFyopxqmdKbldqNGxadDZlQ1U/edit?usp=sharing

 

[tourrider]

For those that might be interested....More license training in the area.

From ARRL.ORG
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Maryland-DC Section
Section Manager: James E Cross III, WI3N
wi3n@arrl.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------

The following are four Technician classes and one General class starting
soon in various parts of the MDC Section. If you know someone who is
thinking of obtaining an Amateur Radio license, please direct them to
one of these classes. Clubs, please let your members know.

===================

The Montgomery College Chapter of the IEEE and Montgomery Amateur Radio
Club are planning a public free Technician Class licensing class on six
successive Saturdays starting March 1, 2014.

Location:
Science Center, fourth floor, room 424
Montgomery College
51 Mannakee Street
Rockville, MD 20850
dates: Saturdays, March 1, 2014 to April 5, 2014
time: 9 AM to 12 Noon
fee: Free (zero, nada, null)
instructor: David Bern, W2LNX, and friends
suggested book: The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual Revised 2nd Edition
(Book and CD-ROM), ISBN: 978-0872590977
class registration and further information: David Bern, W2LNX
education@marcclub.org


===================

CARA, the Columbia Amateur Radio Association, will be conducting a two
day license class on the weekend of March 8 and 9.
Classes begin at 8:00 and end at 4:30 on both days. There will be a one
hour break for lunch each day.

Location:
The course will be given at the Howard Community College club station,
W3HCC in Columbia, MD.
To reach the campus, take Rt. 29 to Broken Land Parkway, west. Take
Broken Land to the first light, which is Hickory Ridge Road. Take
Hickory Ridge to the campus entrance, which will be on your right. The
station is located in a trailer building, which will be the first
structure on your right after the campus athletic and fitness center.
The link below provides a map of the entrance to the college and of the
station location.
Parking is available in the surface lot across from the station, or in
the nearby parking garage.

There is no charge for the course and course materials will be
provided.
For further information, contact Steve Buzckowski, KB3RRJ, at
kb3rrj@gmail.com

Map:
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwGFyopxqmdKbldqNGxadDZlQ1U/edit?usp=sharing>

===================

Location: Hagerstown Md.
Start/End Dates: 03/07/2014 - 03/09/2014
Times: Friday 7 PM,
Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM,
Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM
Number of Sessions: 3
Class level: Technician
Morse code offered: No
Pre register required: Yes
Fee: $35.00
Pre Study required: Yes
Class Type: Weekend/Fri Evening, Sat all day, Sunday all day
Exam offered: Yes
Sponsoring Club/Organization: Antietam Radio Association
Instructor: KD3JK
Contact: Robert Long KD3JK
Phone: (301) 745-4932
Email: <rjlong61@myactv.net>
Location: Washington County Sheriff's Office,
Patrol Division
500 Western Maryland Parkway
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Additional Information: Contact KD3JK at:
<rjlong61@myactv.net> for full details.

===================

Davidsonville, Md.
Start/End Dates: 03/08/2014 - 04/12/2014
Times: 9 AM to Noon
Number of Sessions: 6
Class level: Technician
Morse code offered: No
Pre register required: No
Fee: $0.00
Pre Study required: No
Class Type: Traditional
Exam offered: Yes
Sponsoring Club/Organization: Anne Arundel Radio Club
Instructor: KK4GV
Contact: Rick Creager KK4GV
Phone: (301) 855-2278
Email: <kk4gv@arrl.net>
Location: Davidson Family Recreation Center
3789 Queen Anne Bridge Road
Davidsonville, MD 21035

===================

Davidsonville, Md.
Start/End Dates: 04/26/2014 - 06/14/2014
Times: 9 AM to Noon
# of Sessions: 6
Class level: General
Morse code offered: No
Pre register required: No
Fee: $0.00
Pre Study required: No
Class Type: Traditional
Exam offered: Yes
Sponsoring Club/Organization: Anne Arundel Radio Club
Instructor: KK4GV
Contact: Rick Creager KK4GV
Phone: (301) 855-2278
Email: <kk4gv@arrl.net>
Location: Davidson Family Recreation Center
3789 Queen Anne Bridge Road
Davidsonville, MD 21035

---


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[MDGolom]

I just had an interesting contact. I'm running an Elecraft KX3 with an 30' EARC end-fed wire antenna wrapped around my 3rd floor balcony. I had a 59 report from a station in Curacao which is about 1,900 miles from Baltimore using 12 watts.

 

[K31]

I just had an interesting contact. I'm running an Elecraft KX3 with an 30' EARC end-fed wire antenna wrapped around my 3rd floor balcony. I had a 59 report from a station in Curacao which is about 1,900 miles from Baltimore using 12 watts.

I've heard good things about the KX3. This sounds like a good application for a loop if you are confined to the balcony and running the KX3 barefoot.

 

[gamer_jim]

Anyone monitoring during the storm tomorrow? If so, what freq?

 

[MDGolom]

I've heard good things about the KX3. This sounds like a good application for a loop if you are confined to the balcony and running the KX3 barefoot.

I have the Alex Loop for portable. The problem using it in the house/balcony is it needs to be constantly tuned manually when you move a little up/down the band.

 

[Docster]

I have a chance to buy a President HR 2600. These units seem to have a special history. Anyone here knowledgeable about these?

 

[garym]

hey new hams, don't learn the hard way, don't ever climb a telescoping tower that his not 100% retracted and secured!

Although this article claims he is a ham those antennas don't look like ham antennas.

http://m.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_90f0170b-c09a-5dbb-8c06-402d30eabb48.html?mode=jqm

 

[K31]

Two people were killed in WV last week working on a tower.

 

[tourrider]

Serious stuff. Never stick your limbs in anything that is not secure with a jack post, cribbing, or other hard lockouts. Do not trust ropes and cables alone.

There are no do-overs.


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[Pinecone]

hey new hams, don't learn the hard way, don't ever climb a telescoping tower that his not 100% retracted and secured!

Although this article claims he is a ham those antennas don't look like ham antennas.

http://m.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_90f0170b-c09a-5dbb-8c06-402d30eabb48.html?mode=jqm

Quad antenna. Fairly common in HF.

 

[ke3gk]

Although this article claims he is a ham those antennas don't look like ham antennas.

Qualifications for being a 'Ham Antenna'.

1) The antenna is being used by a Ham
2) Any piece of metal apparatus or wire that will effectively radiate at a given frequency used by Hams

 

[E.Shell]

Qualifications for being a 'Ham Antenna'.

1) The antenna is being used by a Ham
2) Any piece of metal apparatus or wire that will might effectively radiate at a given frequency used by Hams

FIFY

 

[Shazam]

Looks like a a "Moonraker" CB antenna.

 

[chale127]

I have a chance to buy a President HR 2600. These units seem to have a special history. Anyone here knowledgeable about these?

GREAT 10M rig as long as it hasn't been abused and hacked up by a CB'er
If it has been worked on by "Doc" or "Rogerbird" recently, it's GTG
If it's bone stock, even better

I Have a 2600 that doc tuned and aligned, has a beautiful signal on a Spectrum analyzer and with an old Turner Mic, most can not tell the difference between the HR and my Yaesu with a Heil mic on 10M

 

[Docster]

GREAT 10M rig as long as it hasn't been abused and hacked up by a CB'er
If it has been worked on by "Doc" or "Rogerbird" recently, it's GTG
If it's bone stock, even better

I Have a 2600 that doc tuned and aligned, has a beautiful signal on a Spectrum analyzer and with an old Turner Mic, most can not tell the difference between the HR and my Yaesu with a Heil mic on 10M

Thanks for the feedback!