/HAM/ Amateur Radio General

[Anonymous No.1716314]

Send your voice across the world edition
>NEWBIE FAQ - READ THIS FIRST IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
ftp://50.31.112.231/pub/radio_FAQ_Preview9.htm
>Getting Licensed / Exam Information
>Online Practice Tests:
http://aa9pw.com/
https://hamstudy.org/
https://hamexam.org/
> Exams are FREE through Laurel VEC
https://www.laurelvec.com/
> Previous Thread
>>1708200
>>1708200
>>1708200

[Anonymous No.1716323]

FT8 sounds straight up Satanic when you come across it knob-twiddling.

[Anonymous No.1716324]

Knock...Knock...Knock...
grandpa? are you still alive in there?
hello?

[Anonymous No.1716326]

>>1716314
I'm the guy who did FPGA stuff in school from the other thread, btw.
>>1716323
Satan's chirpy birds.
>>1716324
I wish we know what the context of that photo was. There's no way that guy is alive anymore.

[Anonymous No.1716327]

>>1716326
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fhe.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F%25D7%259E%25D7%2599%25D7%259B%25D7%2590%25D7%259C_%25D7%2592%25D7%2595%25D7%25A8%25D7%2593%25D7%2595%25D7%25A1&edit-text=

[Anonymous No.1716333]

>>1716323
Apparently you've never heard Thor or Hell

[Anonymous No.1716334]

Official /ham/ radio coming through!

[Anonymous No.1716347]

>>1716334
It's going to be fucking g

[Anonymous No.1716349]

>>1716347
reat

[Anonymous No.1716351]

>>1716334

[Anonymous No.1716356]

>>1716351
>poorfag licenselet cope
Also, the the spelling and grammar errors in your modified brochure are atrocious.

[Anonymous No.1716358]

>>1716334
it looks cheap.

[Anonymous No.1716361]

new thread
groundhog day

[Anonymous No.1716369]

>>1716358
Not cheap enough for you, apparently.

[Anonymous No.1716371]

>>1716361

[Anonymous No.1716373]

>>1716369
I am not the one you answered to, I don't like moder radios where everything is in a menu and you have two buttons. I have poor antennas and EM conditions so I need to optimize every contact with shift, power, notch, etc. the most modern Tx I have is a FT-900

[Anonymous No.1716377]

These lil niggas love expensive SDRs.

[Anonymous No.1716437]

>>1716233
Yeah you can work along those lines, that new Russian SDR receiver the Malachite is doing similar. 16-bit audio grade ADC with 160 kHz bandwidth.

[Anonymous No.1716457]

>>1716373
>FT-900
Early 90s ham rig, interesting. If your setup is marginal, you need to either get better local noise rejection (Improve antenna, or phase cancellation like MFJ-1026); or improve the receive side with IF-DSP or similar. For the cost of all that, you could probably just get a 450D.
Band conditions are one thing, but noise levels are much worse now than even when I was a kid in the 90s. Modern electronics have barely any shielding, and Switching PSUs / Wifi / etc. mean you have harmonics of harmonics all over the place.
> Muh buttons
The day of the knob came and went. Modern radios wouldn't function without a menu system, plus that's less buttons to possibly break. The "lots of extra knobs" niche is still there in radios like the 7610. A lot of newer hams just use PC control, and you can have an entire screen of buttons if you want.

[Anonymous No.1716465]

>>1716437
>160 kHz bandwidth
enough for a pocket radio

[Anonymous No.1716470]

>>1716465
Yup, it's a cool product and I like the way they implemented it, fuck paying 200 dollars for one though.

[Anonymous No.1716479]

>>1716470
>>1716465
>minimum frequency: 1 MHz

into the trash bin it goes

[Anonymous No.1716485]

>>1716465
Interesting, it's a Mirics MSI001 based device like the SDRPlay. I'd love to play with them in my own designs but apparently sourcing one here in the west is a PITA.

[Anonymous No.1716488]

>>1716485
The 001 and the 2500 are both available via AliExpress, whether they work or not though is anyones guess.

[Anonymous No.1716493]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2U_BLM1PMU
Please like and subscribe and share!

[Anonymous No.1716494]

>>1716493
Mais non.

[Anonymous No.1716499]

>>1716494
Sorry wrong thread

[Anonymous No.1716571]

I think I'm in love with the Lab599 Discovery TX-500.

[Anonymous No.1716575]

>>1716351
OMG that's literal gold!!
Gonna print it and sneakily post on the local hamradio notice-board

[Anonymous No.1716583]

>>1716571
Russia again:
Lab599, inc. doesn't seem to exist. Website points to https://artica.ru
lab599.com has address 37.140.192.228
lab599.com has IPv6 address 2a00:f940:2:2:1:5::61
lab599.com mail is handled by 10 mx.yandex.net.
228.192.140.37.in-addr.arpa domain name pointer spl61.hosting.reg.ru.

[Anonymous No.1716624]

Decided I am going to build my own ham, have alot of embedded experience so I'm thinking about going the SDR route. Currently doing a teardown of a baofeng uv-5r and have been picking apart the RDA1846 transceiver.

https://www.arrow.com/en/products/rda1846/rda-microelectronics

https://github.com/phishman/RDA1846/tree/master/Datasheets

My question is, are there any good chip transceivers to look for? Digikey and Mousers RF section is almost exclusively wifi and cellular. Google hasn't been much help and the only other chip available i've been able to find is the Dorji vhf and uhf models.

http://www.dorji.com/products.php?CateId=14

[Anonymous No.1716629]

>>1716575
>samefagging this hard

[Anonymous No.1716630]

>>1716624
>RDA1846
Don't know if you've seen, but NiceRF sell a complete module for that.
https://www.tindie.com/stores/nicerf/
>>1716624
>My question is, are there any good chip transceivers to look for?
The Lime LMS7002M is on Digikey.

[Anonymous No.1716649]

>>1716571
Fuck I hope that's not vaporware. Thing looks cool as fuck

[Anonymous No.1716682]

>>1716351
the entire ham radio hobby in a nutshell.

[Anonymous No.1716702]

>>1716351
kek

[Anonymous No.1716710]

>>1716356
Those Jap's English translation was worse.

[Anonymous No.1716759]

>>1716437
>Yeah you can work along those lines, that new Russian SDR receiver

Fuck my life, their PR is super strong, that receiver is every fucking where. This guy should be hired to meddle with the upcoming presidential election.

On a more serious note I'm just looking for a better alternative to RTL-SDR. It's kind of fine but I want more dynamic range. I got super strong AM radio stations across the band and ham signals are drowning in noise. I'd love to get extra 20 dB or so.

The rtl sdr has two ADC streams (I&Q). Both 8 bit, 2.2-2.4 msps at max. In order to get 1 extra bit you need four time the bandwidth. Getting 3 extra bits (11 bits) would result in ~ 75 khz BW.

With STM32F4xx ADC's you are getting 1++ msps 12 bit ADC. You can get 13 bit resolution and end up with 250khz BW. That's just +2 extra bits, not so much but better than RTL SDR.

[Anonymous No.1716768]

>>1716624
>My question is, are there any good chip transceivers to look for?
Are you looking for something like AD9866?

[Anonymous No.1716880]

>>1716759

Bits DR
08 50dB
12 74dB
14 86dB
16 98dB
18 110dB

Chip-sets are worthless without a PCB that reduces spurious signals, the plague of digital radio. Unless you're in a quiet zone you will also need input filters. This is why you now leave out the dongle phase and start with RSPx or airspy instead.

[Anonymous No.1716996]

>>1716880
>Bits DR
You are forgetting bandwith & sample rate.

[Anonymous No.1716998]

>>1716880
>Unless you're in a quiet zone you will also need input filters
I run LPF + HPF filters (3 + 22mhz, both 5th order chebyshev), + band filters before the up converter.

[Anonymous No.1717202]

>>1716437
Where is the alleged 16 bit audio ADC hidden?

[Anonymous No.1717206]

>>1717202
I've not seen a BOM for the thing, was going off of what was published here.

https://www.rtl-sdr.com/the-malachite-dsp-a-195-russian-made-portable-wideband-sdr-with-touch-screen/

[Anonymous No.1717339]

Newfag here, sitting for my Technician license at 10AM tomorrow and I know basically nothing. Do I have a chance? Any tips to help me?

Right now I'm taking the practice test over and over, is that the best thing I can do or are there better resources to study?

[Anonymous No.1717350]

>>1717339
What are your scores? At this point, that's your only option. Hamstudy.org.

[Anonymous No.1717392]

>>1717350
Usually like 60 so far but I haven't been studying long.

I'm using AA9PW right now, is hamstudy.org any better?

[Anonymous No.1717398]

>>1717392
Never used AA9PW; they're the same question pool. HamStudy has explanations. You need to get it up to 80 if you want a chance in passing.
It's easy shit, what are you failing?

[Anonymous No.1717401]

>>1717398
Mostly just radio-specific terms and acronyms and stuff, like what is a "PL-259" connector or a "ferrite choke". Also anything to do with rules and regulations

[Anonymous No.1717427]

>>1717401
Just worry about the context. PL-259 and SO-239 are just commons coax connections.
The right rule is the one that makes sense. That's why it's there.
You've touched hundreds of ferrite chokes. Pic related, just think of them as a bouncer that knocks out anybody not invited to the party.

[Anonymous No.1717431]

>>1717427
I know that now, I'm researching everything I'm failing on, those are just the kinds of questions that get me

[Anonymous No.1717434]

>>1717431
Good, I don't know how else to help.
If it were me, I'd binge all night on taking the quiz and memorizing answers.
Ours were paper tests with only a few versions, I suspect they all mainly contained the same, common questions.

[Anonymous No.1717440]

>>1717401

If the practice tests you are taking are showing which portions you are passing and which you are failing, bone up more on the ones you are passing. There are just a few questions from each portion so just cut your losses with the ones you can't get and plan on the ones you know being that ones that will carry you through.

[Anonymous No.1717445]

>>1717434
>>1717440
Ok, I'll keep that in mind.

I guess the thing I was hoping for most was any kind of tips or rules of thumb that I could fall back on when I am stumped. For example, I've noticed that when they're asking a question about rules, the answer that says the rules are most restrictive is usually right.

Are the practice questions on HamStudy the exact same questions as in the real test?

[Anonymous No.1717448]

>>1717445
The practice questions on HamStudy are the exact same questions as the real test.
My default choice when I didn't know was to go for the longest answer that sounded the most complex.

[Anonymous No.1717452]

>>1717440
>>1717339
What really helped me was taking a cram course immediately before the test. There was several questions that I saw that I only knew because we had just gone over it a few hours ago, and the ones I already knew were even easier to recognize the right answer.

Before the cram session I was getting typically 26-28 right, and on the exam I got 34/35 so it did pay off. Even more so since it was a free session lol.

[Anonymous No.1717456]

I'd just like to say that I posted here to bring this thread one closer to dying. thank you.

[Anonymous No.1717500]

>>1717445
>I guess the thing I was hoping for most was any kind of tips or rules of thumb that I could fall back on when I am stumped

I used just little things. Like meteor scatter is on six meter and meteor has six letters. Series and current go together because S's and C'S can have the same sound. And wattage is power from that song "50,000 Watts of Power" from Swordfish. Also PIE.

[Anonymous No.1717527]

>>1717202
>Where is the alleged 16 bit audio ADC hidden?

The topmost QFN package is very likely some kind of I2S ADC.

[Anonymous No.1717535]

>>1717500
>I used just little things. Like meteor scatter is on six meter and meteor has six letters. Series and current go together because S's and C'S can have the same sound. And wattage is power from that song "50,000 Watts of Power" from Swordfish. Also PIE.

2020 is the year of hitler, because if you add 2+0+2+0 you'll get 4, and that's precisely the number of tits if hitler had 2 extra.

Your logic is jus like that.

[Anonymous No.1717579]

>>1717500
Will the old hams laugh at me for having a Baofeng?

[Anonymous No.1717585]

>>1717527
Everything on that board was talking via SPI, Raw IQ data was going to the audio DAC, which then went to both audio out (le speaker) and the micro on GPIO lines. with the waterfall being generated in the STM micro. I might be wrong about how the micro is getting IQ data but I did only glance at the schematic for a little bit. It's an interesting idea on making a low cost, decent performance "universal" 0-1000 Mhz receiver
>>1717500
Most of the electronics questions on there are basic enough, you should be fine. I literally passed the technician test when I was 12. The real challenge was remembering bands and operating procedures. General was easy too, extra not so much for me.
>>1717535
Mneumonics to help pass tests aren't meant to be logical. ELI the ICE Man and Transistor man would like a word.

[Anonymous No.1717591]

After studying the Technician level practice tests for a while I think I've come up with some quick and dirty tips for passing your Technician license. Maybe we could put something like this in the sticky?

Learn:
>Electrical circuit symbols
>Metric prefixes (mega/kilo/milli/micro/etc.)
>Decibel math (change of 3 dBm = 2x signal strength)
>Voltage math (Volts = Amps x Ohms, Watts = Volts x Amps)

And remember:
>If the question is about rules, usually pick the answer that says the rules are the strictest.
>If "Transistor" is one of the possible answers, it's usually correct.
>When all else fails, the longest or most technically complicated answer is often correct.

With all that in mind you could probably pass the exam without knowing much at all about radios.

[Anonymous No.1717646]

>>1716361
Ground yourself?

[Anonymous No.1717654]

>>1717527
>The topmost QFN package
Could well be, that's the codec.
Top right in the image is the frontend section with a switchable BGA614 preamp (D2), below is the filtres section (one LP and 7 BP, and switches). All filter outputs have an corresponding input on the tuner IC MSI001 (D7). It generates 4 I/Q signals that lead to the codec NAU8822 (D12). After that, the speaker.

[Anonymous No.1717683]

>>1717654
>the image
this one

[Anonymous No.1717726]

Hard to see, but my 6/10/12/15/17/20/40/80 vertical wire antenna with pully at top to raise a dipole or other vertical experiment is almost strung up. AKA the DX Commander clone.

[Anonymous No.1717774]

>>1717535
Seriously, the weirder the mnemonic the better it works.

[Anonymous No.1717791]

Very relaxed and very Russian kit building session with some nice quirks.
https://youtu.be/BeyAX3jv_LM

[Anonymous No.1717796]

>>1717726
Just wired it up to test (no ground plane) and it blows the dipole out of the water.

[Anonymous No.1717809]

>>1717339
How'd you score?

[Anonymous No.1717835]

>>1717809
He's probably still awkwardly sitting waiting for them to finish grading lol.

but seriously
>>1717339
what's the verdict?

[Anonymous No.1717935]

>>1717579
I have one and just started listening locally. I heard an old boomer say he had a UV-5R on the local clubs repeater and nobody commented on it, but that might just be their daily protocol. Personally I don’t care what they think, I’m not learning about ham to impress them.

[Anonymous No.1717989]

>>1717654
>that's the codec
The NAU8822 is sold as a 24-bit Stereo Audio Codec with Speaker Driver.
Its ADC is specified to an SNR of 90 dB which means 14 effective bits.
Close enough to the '16 bit audio ADC', $11.76 for 10 at alibay.

[Anonymous No.1718068]

Would you all run more than 100 watts through 14AWG stranded?

[Anonymous No.1718071]

>>1717796
Try using the fence as a ground plane, heh. Glad to see your vertical is working a lot better! May the DX gods accept your offering and reward thee with rare grid squares.

[Anonymous No.1718127]

>>1718068
Yes, but it seems that the problem here is insulation, arcs formed between the cable and the screws isn't it ?
Why the green cable isn't coax ?

[Anonymous No.1718148]

>>1718068
You have arcing, and RF can make high voltages. That insulation is probably rated for 600V; air has a dielectric breakdown of 3kVe / mm; so you either need to change the design with more spacing; add dielectric insulation, or find out why you're getting high voltage at that point. I've made antennas that take 100W out of 28 awg wire, it really does depend on the voltages you're generating.

[Anonymous No.1718158]

>>1718127
>>1718148
Lol, hopefully you aren't seeing the black and associating that with electrical burns, that's soot from shrinking the heat shrink. I was assembling it and it hasn't seen action.
Here's the concept - SO-239 to the antenna and shield to the radials.
I'm the vert mast antenna newb.
>>1717726
>>1717796

[Anonymous No.1718159]

>>1718158
you shrunk the heat shrink with a lighter ???

[Anonymous No.1718176]

>>1718159
Actually a kerosene lamp which seems to throw off as much soot as heat. Minus the soot, probably the same heat as a heat gun.

[Anonymous No.1718204]

>>1717427
>>1717440
>>1717448
Thanks guise, I crammed until 2AM and then passed this morning

>>1717935
There were a bunch of old hams hanging around where I went to take my test today, and I saw at least 4 UV-5Rs, so I guess I have nothing to worry about

[Anonymous No.1718208]

>>1717726
this is neat anon, got any plans?

[Anonymous No.1718220]

>>1718204
Got any tips for better reception with UV-5R? Mine came with what I think is a knockoff NA-771 antenna.

[Anonymous No.1718224]

>>1718208
>Have a maternal grandpa who builds a purple martin birdhouse with a 10' mast using a 2" galvanized plumbing pipe pinned with 2 buried pipes
>Maternal grandpa sells house and his SIL (my dad) salvages the birdhouse and pole
>Sit in garage for nearly a decade untouched
>Paternal grandpa dies
>Reminisce on grandpa's life and our experiences
>Remember him mentioning he could hear German AM radio stations at night using his clothes line
>Laugh at the old man, remembering antennas are super fancy corporate devices - Dish®, Ford®, etc. I always remembered assuming he was pulling my leg or was misinformed - maybe a deflection of another antenna? I was around 10 ... 2 decades ago.
>Oh shit, grandpa was a radio operator in WW2 and spent the next 40 years in the industry repairing TVs and electrical devices. Maybe he knew a thing or two.
>Do research
>Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
>Find ARRL and want to TX whether gramps did or not.
>Become General.
>Need antenna.
>Call dad.
>Get that 10' sewer pipe from his FIL.
>Need a way to anchor it.
>Rummage through recently deceased grandpa's garage with dad and bond as we salvage 10' of thick metal he probably salvaged 30 years ago (product of the depression and ate out of pig troughs as a youth ...)
>Threw it in nearly a ton of concrete mixed by hand
>Realize a 10' mast is bullshit and grab another 10' from the store.
>Slip on a few pullys and live with dipoles for a few months that point East to West.
>Naw, this is gay
>Add another 10 feet with spare fencing poles from a bygone project
>Dig and bury 200' of conduit by hand in 90 degree weather.
>Drill every 5 feet of the mast for all thread
>Mimic a ship's mast
>Add pullies on each side
>Throw up wire
>??????
Maybe I'll talk to Germany one day like grandpa dreamed about.
I'm just making it up as I go and have a 50 year old transceiver. The mast is 27' long and has 8 pullies which I'm going to tweak and play with.

[Anonymous No.1718256]

>>1718158
All is well if it's just from heat shrink, haha. You are "probably" fine, but until you smoke test who knows desu. I like your fence radial, did you try it out yet?
>>1718204
Welcome to the hobby anon. Don't freak out if some 80 year old guy calls you and says something about traffic nets and wishing you welcome; but I'm not 100% sure they do that anymore.
>>1718220
Try a 13" ABBREE, or a mobile antenna. Otherwise Height and repeaters are your friend, same goes for any VHF/UHF radio. If you're interested in theory and "how does x work?" type radio questions, pick up an ARRL handbook and give it a read. I can answer questions too, so can many other hams here. Also, check out ham radio concepts on youtube, they have a lot of stuff.
>>1718224
My current antenna is pic related, and 62 feet of the cheapest copper wire home depot had. All of this is draped out a 2nd story window and into a tree outside. Works great on 40 meters and no issues, albeit I'm only running 10W. Can and have worked EU countries on digital with my janky end fed half wave.

[Anonymous No.1718258]

>>1718224
>Drill every 5 feet of the mast
>27' long and has 8 pullies

[Anonymous No.1718259]

>>1717591
>>When all else fails, the longest or most technically complicated answer is often correct.
It worked in the uni and also for the DMV test.

[Anonymous No.1718260]

>>1717791
We should start banning everyone for advertising this shit.

[Anonymous No.1718262]

>>1717796
Looks good. What SDR is that?

[Anonymous No.1718331]

>>1716351
Hits hard bros. Hits me hard.

[Anonymous No.1718339]

>>1718224
>da tall ones shoot farda

[Anonymous No.1718387]

>>1716470
How would you design something that does the job without being so expensive?
Genuinely curious, not ironical. Also, from earlier threads:
http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/elecraft/2019-October/271002.html

[Anonymous No.1718396]

>>1718387
>How would you design something that does the job without being so expensive?
I bet the BOM for the receiver is like $50 (disregarding the case & the battery)

[Anonymous No.1718402]

>>1718396
Can you do a quick sketch of what you would need for such a transceiver?
And would it be single band or full coverage HF?

[Anonymous No.1718417]

>>1718256
I did play around with the fence radials, couldn't get the SWR under 1.8, but it is temporary. I have a radial plate coming today and gathered +/- 700' of wire to start off with.
>>1718258
2 pullies at 10', 15', 20', and 25'.
>>1718262
Just CubicSDR and RTL-SDR with an inverted L antenna.

[Anonymous No.1718420]

>>1716351
>You're going to be so cool when you go to your local neighborhood park that's 20 yards outside your house, dragging a 30 foot random wire antenna tied behind your walker. Everyone in your NET will want to be you. Everyone in your neighborhood will want to be with you.

[Anonymous No.1718430]

>>1718420
green selfie

[Anonymous No.1718442]

>>1718396
Open Source. You could buy the PCB (4-layer?) and bom all else from your own suppliers. Then you know.

[Anonymous No.1718487]

>>1718402
I was replying to the guy and I was commenting on SDR receiver.

Going trx route there are three major options.
1st, use audio DAC + ADC + dedicated I/Q mixer for up/down conversion (like mcHF).

2nd, use ADC/DAC for DDC/DUC, like IC-7300 and other top-notch rigs. The best performance but the highest price. Chinese sell lots of FPGA boards for the price much lower than the bare FPGA IC's. I cant fathom how do they do that. But if you rely on that kind of magic you can easily design a full featured SDR TRX for under $200.

3rd, use some kind of a micro controller with high speed ADC (nxp has 12bit @ 80 msps, triple-core MCU's) plus something for TX (the MCU may have high speed DAC but that's unlikely, probably a dedicated upconverter / mixer is needed).

The 3rd option is the cheapest. lpc437x is $3.5 @ 10ku, add antialiasing filters / bandpass filter you are good to go (that's the receiver part).

Price wise you can look at centsdr, it should have similar or better performance as the russian sdr receiver but for 1/2 the price (IIRC the kit was sold for $100).

[Anonymous No.1718488]

>>1718417
>Just CubicSDR and RTL-SDR with an inverted L antenna.
Up converter or direct sampling + BPF?

[Anonymous No.1718527]

>>1718488
I haven't added either. The RDL-SDR is advertised from 500 kHz up to 1.75 GHz.

[Anonymous No.1718752]

Is there any reason why a cheap SDR can't listen to 315mhz?

I'm trying to 'listen' to my cars tpms. Tire pressure sensor.

[Anonymous No.1718758]

>>1718752
They can

[Anonymous No.1718763]

>>1718758
Okay. I had it near my tires and I couldn't pick up anything. Just replaced the older front two sensors and the rear ones I know are working. Odd I can't pick up any signal.

[Anonymous No.1718765]

>>1718763
You are doing something wrong

[Anonymous No.1718772]

>>1718765
Okay I'm not sure. I'm have to look at it more. The thing is playing fm radio.

[Anonymous No.1718795]

>>1718772
Place SDR's antenna close to TPMS and wait. It doesn't transmit all the time, TPMS transmission could be triggered by either low frequency transmitter when you turn on the ignition or when the vehicle is moving above some speed (like 20-30mph or so).

[Anonymous No.1718885]

>>1718763
Are you sure it's 315 and not 433?

[Anonymous No.1718904]

>>1718885
Yes, 315 millihertz.

[Anonymous No.1718911]

>>1718904
Yes, indeed.

[Anonymous No.1718912]

What if I make up my own call sign and start working CW? What do I do with QSL's? Just promise to send them yet do nothing?

[Anonymous No.1718928]

>>1718885
>>1718795
Yes it says 315 Mhz on the sensors I put in. The old ones I took out say the same. Not triggering until above 20mph is a possibility. Makes it more of a pain to test, but I'll try it.

[Anonymous No.1718990]

>>1718912
I suppose it's possible, but you're fucking with autists who have nothing better to do than learn CW and sit in their basements beeping each other.

[Anonymous No.1719067]

Would something like this be a cheap solution to tune and trim antennas? I don't have $200 for an (eww) MFJ.

[Anonymous No.1719163]

Keith Perron is a Canadian that runs a shortwave radio station in Taiwan by the name of PCJ international. Is this a government information operation? It appears to have been setup as VOA Asia coverage was in decline.

[Anonymous No.1719166]

>>1718904
>millihertz

[Anonymous No.1719176]

>>1718928
What you need is a good ole hackRF with portapack and a decent amplified antenna. Make sure you install the [havoc] firmware, then you can 'capture' anything and even replay it! So it's real easy to 'capture' any RF signal around 315 MHz. HackRF is cool to shill for because they are open source hardware and don't afraid of anything.

[Anonymous No.1719192]

>>1719067
I've got one. It's finicky, but should work.

[Anonymous No.1719193]

>>1719192
Worth the $40 or should I hold out for something better? I don't need much, just wanna do some entry tuning and find resonance.

[Anonymous No.1719279]

>>1719067
>>1719193
These are best used with the PC Software, try NanoVNA-Saver. Once you learn how to use it, it'll put any of the MFJ devices to shame. It'll run from USB, but get a battery off amazon if for some reason it didn't ship with one. If it doesn't come with a calibration kit and wires, don't bother.
> Something better.
I mean, you can wait for NanoVNA 2.0 next year that'll go to 3Ghz+ but if you just want something to tune antennas in the 0-500 Mhz range; this thing is already overkill. I love mine. Best $50 I've spent.

[Anonymous No.1719284]

Hi hammies, I have a yagi on my roof that I connect to a 4g modem for home internet, Is there a controllable mount I can get to change its orientation remotely?

[Anonymous No.1719286]

>>1719284
Yes.
https://www.amazon.com/Channel-Master-CM-9521HD-Complete-Antenna/dp/B07CH3WJZ3

[Anonymous No.1719289]

>>1719284
For something that small, literally any antenna rotator will work. Amazon, friendo.

[Anonymous No.1719306]

>>1719176
$300. No.

[Anonymous No.1719307]

>>1719306
You can get a clone for $70.

[Anonymous No.1719359]

>>1719307
how well do they work?

[Anonymous No.1719365]

i have 2 102" whips, is there a way i can use them together, they are both threaded, but im not sure how to get them together

[Anonymous No.1719393]

>>1718990
But I can work QRP and pretend to be a DX.

[Anonymous No.1719394]

>>1719192
>It's finicky
That's cause you failed to calibrate it

[Anonymous No.1719395]

>>1719359
RTL-based SDR's have enough sensitivity and bandwidth to pick up the TMPS stuff.

[Anonymous No.1719401]

Anyone got a download for the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual 4th Edition?

[Anonymous No.1719408]

>>1719394
Which is extremely easy to do because it's an exposed, small unit not a enclosed desktop one.

[Anonymous No.1719425]

>>1719401
> See OP post and FAQ.
Library Genesis if you want to download books. The manual is good, but many people just use the practice tests and drill them, since the practice questions are the same as the test.

[Anonymous No.1719493]

Does anyone know if you can use a VX-6R or UV-5R to use FSK411? I'm having trouble telling if you have to have a SDR dongle, or if you can just plug in your HT to your pc like APRS.

[Anonymous No.1719513]

>>1719408
Nope, if you are the person who tried to measure an antenna of some kind (for VHF/UHF or whatever) and got SWR less than 1.5 across the band then you likely used 50 ohm load instead of open load for OSL calibration.
It's got nothing to do with the unit being enclosed or not.

[Anonymous No.1719514]

>>1719493
I guess if you can hook up your audio card for rx & tx then you are good to go.

[Anonymous No.1719592]

>>1719514
Let your voice be heard around the globe:
https://www.sigidwiki.com/images/1/13/HC-265_HF_2x120Bd_FSK.mp3

[Anonymous No.1719656]

>>1719365
Hold one in each hand, plug penis into radio

[Anonymous No.1719663]

>>1719656
ive obviously already tried that, but people seem to have trouble understanding me.

i know i could buy something like this, but was trying to think of what i could make.
https://www.k1cra.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=K1DMOUNT2

[Anonymous No.1719707]

>>1719663
Read this: http://cbradiomagazine.com/May%202007/Dual%20Antennas%20-%20looks%20aren%27t%20everything.htm
Then, it's as easy as using (pic related) to connect the antennas to your feed line. Use whatever 3/8" mount (sill, clamp, ball, chassis, etc.) that suits you best.

[Anonymous No.1719715]

>>1719707
Antennas are like light bulbs. If you want two you simply connect them in parallel.

[Anonymous No.1719770]

>>1719707
pretty neat. i should have added, that i was looking for a semi permanent home setup with these.
was going to use it for 6/10m with a tuner
was thinking it would be somewhat directional

[Anonymous No.1720202]

>>1719715
Do you phase match your light bulbs??

[Anonymous No.1720204]

>>1718912
>What if I make up my own call sign and start working CW?
Intelligence agencies will suspect you are a covert station and locate you before paying you a visit. The cold war still lives on in this world.

[Anonymous No.1720218]

>>1720204
Why would they visit me? Are they going to bring some pizza? I fucking like pepperoni pizza (and beer).

[Anonymous No.1720246]

[Anonymous No.1720251]

>>1720246
crap crap crap crap
okay

[Anonymous No.1720287]

>>1720218
As I wrote, cold war rules are still there, just like number stations are still operative. They would want to check what you do and why you do it.

Agencies are really twitchy and punishment can be severe: >>>/g/73662169 If they believe your activities support any possible potential enemy you will have your future sorted out for you.

[Anonymous No.1720322]

>>1720287
You don't have the clearance to talk about that, citizen suspect.

[Anonymous No.1720820]

>>1720287
>As I wrote, cold war rules are still there
Is this board full of paranoid men?

It's 2019. No fucking one cares about ham and their activity. The number of ham of declining, more and more people spend their free time playing video games and shit.

I'm slowly collecting the parts for the SW trx. I guess I should be able to rig something up in few weeks.

[Anonymous No.1720846]

>>1719425
Checked, it is not there,

[Anonymous No.1720899]

>>1720322
You might not in the land of somewhat free. Here in Europe this is well know, probably because a lot of hams have military background.

[Anonymous No.1720920]

>>1720899
The Secret is the same, everywhere.

[Anonymous No.1720922]

>>1720920
"""secret"""

[Anonymous No.1720929]

>>1720920
Military secrets come in two categories:
- technical secrets: not much on these really, the laws of nature is the same in the US as in China and even NK has nuclear weapons.
- officer mistakes: numerous and highly classified with code names that would embarrass a novice Hollywood script writer. Make one of these mistakes public and you will get the proverbial ton of bricks.

[Anonymous No.1720941]

Quit that "secret" shit guys. You are only embarrassing yourselves.

[Anonymous No.1720942]

>>1720202
Yep, and all of my friends do the same. I can't imagine anyone who would run the bulb unmatched. It's common practice to phasematch the bulbs and run them in phase locked mode. Coherent light is the best light!

[Anonymous No.1720967]

>>1719307
fun fact: there are good reasons you pay $300 a $300 unit.
the $70 cheap clone just wiped out everything it could while maintaining software compatibility and a decent output in optimal conditions.
Chinks do this all the time (and large OEMs often switch to chink clones for their own spare parts to save money).

>>1719493
someone should tell Baofeng Pofung we want a cheap SSB radio with APRS, FT8, QRP modes, USB charging/powering (even if 500mAh only), and a couple pins to use a canonical Morse key.
I bet it'll go for less than $30 and possibly even sporting some FPGA access.

I'm sick with saving hundreds or even a grand to get some equipment.

[Anonymous No.1721016]

>>1720967
God please. That would probably be great for satellite too.

[Anonymous No.1721020]

>>1720967
>cheap SSB radio
Niche market. HF requires antenna. Poofung does not.
>>1721016
Satellite can be done with Poofung.

[Anonymous No.1721047]

This line intentionally left blank.

[Anonymous No.1721086]

>>1720967
>cheap SSB radio with APRS, FT8, QRP modes, USB charging/powering, and a couple pins to use a canonical Morse key.
>possibly even sporting some FPGA access
>I bet it'll go for less than $30
This is one of the most delusional things I have ever read.

[Anonymous No.1721105]

>>1721020
I'd say it wouldn't be niche if people could afford it, but BauFag and the lack of local traffic would say otherwise

[Anonymous No.1721148]

>>1716314
Can you guys shill this to me some more? What other value is in this for me except to satisfy some prepper urges? Talking to boomers who want me to register to uncle sam? How far would i come with a Baomeme?

[Anonymous No.1721153]

>>1721148
No, go away. Stay away from radio. Everyone hates you. In conclusion, kys.

[Anonymous No.1721163]

>>1721020
Yes, except that minor part where it can't do SSB/CW.

[Anonymous No.1721172]

What resources are there for building a radio reciever if the parts were just layed out in front of you? I have a basic radio and electrical knowledge

[Anonymous No.1721177]

>>1721172
Read crystal sets to sideand. It's a free book.

[Anonymous No.1721184]

>>1721177
Thanks, will do

[Anonymous No.1721237]

just got my ham license last month, bought an IC-2730A today that i'm going to install in my car this weekend, my dad has an SWR meter so we'll be able to do it properly

been playing around with a UV5R lately, I'm surprised the range I can get out of it with a 15" antenna, I've been able to hit repeaters 50KM away on one watt

first time i've been to this general, is it fairly active?

[Anonymous No.1721243]

>>1721237
Congrats for the license !

I discovered that thread not a long ago, it is slow but comfy.

[Anonymous No.1721589]

>>1721153
Is pic related you perhaps?

[Anonymous No.1721590]

>>1721237
No, go away. Stay away from radio. Everyone hates you. In conclusion, kys.

[Anonymous No.1721638]

What are the best times and bands for DX?
80 Meters
>You will meet lots of "local yocals" and make some very good friends with the "local" gang that hang out here.
40 Meters
>Many nets frequent 40 meters both day and night.
>20 Meters
At the bottom of the sunspot cycle, openings to other continents are short, rare and few and far between!
15 Meters
> On the down side, at the bottom of the cycle, 15 may not open for days.
10 Meters
>This can be a FUN band, when it is open!

[Anonymous No.1721730]

Here I was worried CW was dying...
It's almost too much!

[Anonymous No.1721743]

>>1721589
First day on chinz? (pic related)

[Anonymous No.1721787]

>>1721730
Pixie-channel in use.

[Anonymous No.1721789]

>>1721730
It's a contest
https://www.cqww.com/

[Anonymous No.1721796]

>>1721730
check out muh 200 ft long wire

[Anonymous No.1721799]

>>1721796
>200 ft long wire
is it a straight line ?

[Anonymous No.1721800]

>>1721799
Yes, although it drops the last 15 feet into the balun (which itself is 25 feet up in a tree). The whole thing averages about 50 ft above ground.
It hears VERY well with an RSP1A

[Anonymous No.1721872]

TPMS guy here.

A recap:
I have Honda Fit and put two new TPMS on my front wheels. Back are fine. Despite my every effort the low pressure light is still blinking. Today I lowered the pressure on both tires and brought it back up, hoping to activate the sensors. They are programmed properly to the computer. Despite this the light still blinks after a test drive and I haven't got any signal from them on 315 Mhz. I figured my SDR just isn't capable of doing that.

So frustrated at home I saw some guy on youtube just reading the signals for shits and giggles at this house with some ham antenna. So I stuck my antenna on the window and let it be.

I got a signal, but from some random Ford. So I guess it does work at 315, but none of my car's TPMS is producing the signals.

[Anonymous No.1721898]

>>1721872
Adding to this. Should be noted in that pic the laptop went into sleep mode, so that is why it gave all the weird error messages.

Found something interesting. The manufacturer of the TPMS for my Honda is TRW. They and other TPMS makers use a 125khz activation signal on their sensors. I wonder if that is because it is RFID based! Pic very related. Could this wake up TPMS? Very cheap and worth a try.

[Anonymous No.1721919]

Got the chance to get my radial install started today

[Anonymous No.1721932]

>>1721919
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrZR2tnJtGw

[Anonymous No.1722149]

I want to get into Ham radio, even have my license test set up. I study every day. However, I live in a duplex with no power plug-ins outside. No idea what to do with an antenna. My options are limited. Help!

[Anonymous No.1722151]

>>1722149
https://slickdeals.net/f/13597129-baofeng-uv-5r-plus-uhf-vhf-long-range-dual-band-ham-amateur-two-way-radio-black-23-99?v=1

[Anonymous No.1722153]

>>1722151
This seems kind of small, but I appreciate the link. Can this be used like any other ol' ham radio?

[Anonymous No.1722154]

>>1722151
Only issue seems to be the cost of the Baofeng usb programming cable. Cheap clone ones have issues with drivers and the more official ones are like $20, which right now is the same as the cost of the radio itself!

>>1722153
>Can this be used like any other ol' ham radio?
Yes and it is very popular so a lot of support. The usb cable is needed because it is too hard to program it on the device.

[Anonymous No.1722304]

>>1722149
>power plug-ins
>antenna
Keep studying

[Anonymous No.1722316]

Once upon a time I got my technician-class license.

I was gifted an old Icom PCR-100 AM/FM receiver. I spent a couple evenings listening to airport traffic and that was that. 17 monts later it's still collecting dust because its control software requires the old deprecated Java8.

Then I was gifted a Baofeng UV5R. In 10 months I only used it once to show my six years old niece how radios work, and a few times to listen to some FM broadcast, and that was that. Well, I could use some repeater to make some random stranger (99.9999% probability it's a dude) hear my voice and possibly reply: hey, I'm also toying with radios and I can't discern a particle accelerator from a resistor, but hey! I'm a hamradio just like you!

Then I was gifted a RTL-SDR. I've been toying a few days with the dump1090 ADS-B decoder, and then left it there to collect dust. The raspi crashed and it took me a full week before disconnecting it and rebooting. Oops, it won't boot, I've got to reinstall. Will do later. (Months go by, whatever).

Hamradio is not anymore what it used to be in 1970's. I was a child, yet I clearly remember gramps and his friends excited about repairing a receiver, mounting a homemade antenna, proudly showing off their QSL's, endlessly talking about who bought what, tubes, cables, mics, amps. And they talked so proudly about friends who they never met in person.

Now in my late 40s I still can't get it. The internet (and the endless "hw/sw upgrade" rat race) killed the hamradio, that is, the "infrastructure" killed the hobby that didn't need an infrastructure. And that's sad.

[Anonymous No.1722318]

>>1721743
cringe

[Anonymous No.1722325]

>>1722316
In the 1970's, the hobby was head and shoulders over any other consumer technology at the time.
In an era before wireless landlines, cell phones, satellite phones, cell phones, computers, internet, gps, or wifi, ham radio was, in essence, capable of filling these roles.
Then, as these technologies came into common day use, it seems the hobby wasn't proactive, but tried to shoehorn their crowning achievements of the 1970's into the new technologies
>Digital? Look! You can now exchange your callsign through beeps ... like CW, only now digital and 1/10 the speed!
>GPS? Oh! Here's APRS
Yes, the hobby has been on the decline. What was once the pinnacle of consumer technology has long but faded away, as witnessed by things like the ancient websites, online QSL logging dbs, multiple weeks to receive your callsign ...
I can't picture another hobby though with so much possibility and so much potential and power being wasted the way it is.
With your callsign, you in essence get a free cell phone plan, free gps, monitoring services, and heaven only knows what else. It's a pity the industry didn't keep up and help to drive the hobby and implementation.
Maybe it's time to abandon the ARRL for an organization that doesn't want to shill rehashed magazine subscriptions, but actually be interested in advance the art, science, and enjoyment of Amateur Radio.

[Anonymous No.1722363]

Dumbest newbie question of the thread:

What the fuck does 50 ohm cable as opposed to 75 ohm cable even mean? How can a cable just be a certain impedance regardless of length? I thought resistance increases with length--so a 1 foot cable should always be lower resistance than a 10 foot cable, for example, because there's more material there that provides resistance?

Is there some standard length for measurement, so cable sold as "50 ohm cable" means it's 50 ohms per 100 feet or something like that?

My google fu has failed me, everyone just assumes you already know

[Anonymous No.1722372]

>>1722363
Characteristic impedance (Zo) is the most important parameter for any transmission line. It is a function of geometry as well as materials, and it is a dynamic value independent of line length; you cannot measure it with a multimeter.

[Anonymous No.1722380]

>>1722316
ok boomer

[Anonymous No.1722389]

>>1722380
ok loomer

[Anonymous No.1722392]

>>1722304
In technical terms: There's no way to get a feed line from the antenna to the inside of my house.

[Anonymous No.1722405]

>>1722392
No hole, no cable. Magnetic loops are excellent indoor antennas.

[Anonymous No.1722413]

>>1722405
Do magnetic loop antennas work for UHF/VHF? Most I've seen are either super expensive and/or HF only...

[Anonymous No.1722430]

>>1722316
You're just lazy and expect something from little to no work. Amateur radio is not a hobby for people who can't be bothered to put forth some effort. Laying on a couch, with a Baomeme HT, kerchunking repeaters sounds about your zenith.

[Anonymous No.1722431]

>>1722318
You love it.

[Anonymous No.1722437]

>>1722363
The term you're looking for is impedance.

Reading:
* https://www.quabbin.com/tech-briefs/why-cable-capacitance-important-electronic-applications
* http://www.standard-wire.com/coax_cable_theory_and_application.html

[Anonymous No.1722438]

>>1722392
>No windows, doors, holes
How do you get in, transporter?

[Anonymous No.1722444]

>>1722438
I have windows and doors, of course. But it's not possible to keep those open to run a feed in those all the time.

[Anonymous No.1722472]

>>1722149
You only need to poke one small hole to the outside, to get an antenna(s) going.Do you have a basement? Get a spade bit, and drill a hole through the sill. No basement? Use a window. Drill a small hole in the base of a window screen and run it out through that. You can do the same with a small scrap of wood and close the window over it so you won't get any drafts.

[Anonymous No.1722482]

>>1722405
But your suggesting you plug in an antenna to a power recepticle.

[Anonymous No.1722483]

>>1722444
>>1722472
>It's impossible to run a wire into the house!

[Anonymous No.1722540]

I have a confession to make. I had a hyperfag moment. A few weeks ago I was bitching about needing to know about satellites, and I was wrong. Amsat is fucking awesome. Presently working on making a 2m/70cm yagi, and my goal is to make a qso with the ISS.

[Anonymous No.1722568]

>>1722149
Use a loop antenna place in or around the window. Examples:
https://youtu.be/Al3ZJipFq6k
https://youtu.be/adJp1zO9qfo
https://youtu.be/0DQyLMkSk5I?t=229

[Anonymous No.1722598]

>>1722472
>>1722483
The problem is that I rent, not that I'm not capable of figuring out a workaround.

[Anonymous No.1722601]

All this hobby seems like to me is some way for companies to sell their stupid radio shit. So I get a tech license, join my local club(which) has about a half million bucks worth of antennas and radio equipment from the looks of it), and go to a few meetings. I think I'm gonna learn how to build shit. Nope. For the most part, my presence is ignored. Any questions I ask are answered with 4 basic responses:

>gotta get dat dere Icom 7300
>mobile? you need this here 900 dollar Yaesu
>handheld? gotta get a Yaesu
>where to buy stuff? 3x overpriced shop 2.5 hours away

Basically get ignored on their repeater too. There is the morning and afternoon commute rag sessions with old men complaining about work and chores they need to do. I have built a few antennas and installed a Btech 50x2 in my truck, but overall it's pretty gay.

[Anonymous No.1722665]

>>1722598
Your predicament is you are not willing to figure out a workaround because you don't want to figure out a workaround.

[Anonymous No.1722775]

>>1721796
Impressive. How did you match the wire to the receiver?

[Anonymous No.1722811]

>>1722665
Well, pal, I'm on here trying to figure shit out and I'm new to this shit, so gimme a fuckin' break asswipe.

I've considered running a feed like through a window and just putting foam down on the window, creating a block in the foam for the line. That could theoretically work.

[Anonymous No.1722841]

>>1722568
>dyke and underage as examples
kys

[Anonymous No.1722844]

>>1722601
please refer to:
>>1721590
and
>>1721153

[Anonymous No.1722874]

>>1721919
looks like your install is coming along! Cool

[Anonymous No.1722893]

>>1722844
Hams are mighty big faggots. Im too old to care if I'm not liked. I'm just pointing out how gay it is.

[Anonymous No.1722898]

>>1721919
>Those crimps
Solder them all anon.

[Anonymous No.1722908]

>>1722893
It's not gay if balls aren't touching.

[Anonymous No.1722910]

>>1722841
This might come as a shock to you but those videos are about antennas, not sex.

[Anonymous No.1722938]

>>1721919

[Anonymous No.1722963]

>>1722601
It's been somewhat similar here, but I'm getting into amsat where two UV-5Rs and a yagi go a long way. Local sources might be shit, but online has tons of videos on diy shit.

There's one guy who does a ton of retro diy QRP rigs too, been thinking about building a tube reciever and transmitter for 40m. No one know's you're in your mid 20s when you talk in dits and dahs.

[Anonymous No.1722976]

[Anonymous No.1722999]

>>1722963
Something like this

[Anonymous No.1723013]

>>1722910
There's like 6 million videos out there, and you choose pedo bait and the lesbo, that ham incels fawn over. You knew what you were doing.

[Anonymous No.1723028]

>>1722898
Soldering solid, crimped copper? I guess I could when it's all said and done.
I'm about 2/3 of the way complete with one round of radials, but due to obstacles like trees, shed, and fence, I've only gotten down about 500' of 14awg with only 1/4 being 60+ feet.
Should I include the fence as part of the counterpoise?
I wasn't overly impressed last night, still haven't heard DX stations excluding Latin America like I could when I was mobile.
/blog

[Anonymous No.1723031]

>>1721872
theres a program for linux that does this as well,i hooked my sdr to my discone and was getting tire pressure from cars i couldnt find. but not the one in my driveway.

[Anonymous No.1723038]

>>1722540
>my goal is to make a qso with the ISS.
mine too>Presently working on making a 2m/70cm yagi
mine sharing the plans? i have a bunch of old tv antennas, im wondering if i can make them work.
building a azimuth elevation rotor sounds pretty tough, especially because im pretty retarded

[Anonymous No.1723040]

>>1723028
what are you going to cover that with?

[Anonymous No.1723046]

>>1723040
I wasn't planning on it. Are you thinking about weather or human damage?
If weather, I could hit it with some shellac/marine goop, but all the parts are stainless.
If human, I can count the number of times I've had guests in my backyard on one hand, and I'm only running 100 watts for now.
I guess I could get something like pic related, but it seems like it'd just contain water and become a pool.

[Anonymous No.1723052]

>>1723038
I was thinking using stainless steel TIG rod, and a 5/8" square dowel with holes drilled through so the rods can slip right in. I'm not super worried about transporting the thing so disassembly isn't really an issue.
If it works well I might splurge and upgrade to a piece of stainless square tube, and tig it all together.

Was thinking maybe using a bic pen or similar to insulate the working arms from each other. Will address that when it comes down to it.

[Anonymous No.1723119]

I passed the al three elements of the exam on the first try in 2017

Fast forward a year and I ended up gettibg pulled in by this pastor type which degenerated into only using echolink which then became using the zello app.

Question to thread, I no longer have my base station set up which was solely VHF/UHF mainly because my sister would go into the room and unplug everything and also claim that every tine I keyyed up the mic she would he a Hi-pitched noise.

[Anonymous No.1723142]

>>1723119
you never asked a question, but yes you should unplug your sister.

[Anonymous No.1723175]

A video with a close look at the details of FLR-9:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvOUbDri2KM

[Anonymous No.1723178]

>>1723142
And plug in your pastor

[Anonymous No.1723341]

What modes are that on the pic? How do I decode that shit?

Tried WSJTX, JT65/JT9/FT8 and got nothing. Tried USB/LSB. Still nothing. I'm frustrated.

[Anonymous No.1723383]

I have a uv-82 that I'm programing with chirp on a w7 64bit pc with a ftdi mirkit multi programming cable. I'm finally able to query from repeaterbook with todays update but get few result from chelan washington. Unfortunately i live a few mile up the Chumstick in a valley so the query is basically useless.

My questions are is there a uv-82 dumbass video guide for chirp and the vip software from start to programming. I've found a few who touch on the subject but assume some competence.

Besides the repeaterbook political query how or can i get more results like our local fd, pd, train, and perhaps air frequencies?

since I live a few mile up the chumstick valley what antenea setup would work for not only my baofeng but maybe also my usb sdr.

thanks beforehand.

[Anonymous No.1723450]

This line intentionally left blank.

[Anonymous No.1723469]

>>1722601
Local clubs are hit or miss. When I was a kid in the 90s / early 00s, they were a lot more active. You had more people working on fun projects, and less of the coffee club boomers who don't want newcomers around. I live close to a college that has a heavy RF engineering presence, you see a lot more home brew and interesting projects show up.
> Repeaters suck
It depends on your area. A lot of people stopped using repeaters once cell phones became cheap. Again, don't let the coffee cup boomers ruin your day because their goiter was acting up.
> Radios are expensive
It's always been that way. There's a used market, but be wary for nicotine stained barely working gear, and don't be mad when it's not as good as a modern SDR rig like a 7300. The 7300 literally made a lot of other radios obsolete in the sub 1k market overnight.
And don't let boomers shit on you for having a baofeng either. Yeah, it's cheap and made in china. It's also on par with "name brand" handhelds from the 90s that cost 10x as much.
> Where to buy stuff
HRO, DxEngineering, and Universal Radio; to name 3 off the top of my head. US retail is dying in general, and if you want anything interesting, go online. Nearly all of the chain electronics / radio stores are gone, and the fact is you're going to pay more, and have less selection in person. Really the best place to find fun things and used gear are Hamfests like Dayton. I don't know how it is now, but for a long time you could find nearly anything computer or radio related at them.
>>1723028
Crimps are fine but I would have used marine heat shrink over them. Radials don't need to conduct perfectly to function well. I hope it works awesome when everything is said and done anon.

[Anonymous No.1723484]

>>1723383
5 minutes on youtube with the search "uv-82 programming" will help you more than here, unless you have a specific problem of some kind. There are plenty of guides online, and CHIRP programming isn't that complicated.
>Antennas
For receive only SDR, anything will work. A wire out a window. Try a 13" or 26" ABBREE tactical antenna for a decent upgrade over the stock Baofeng.

[Anonymous No.1723501]

>>1716314

[Anonymous No.1723566]

>>1723501
I want to believe

[Anonymous No.1723569]

>>1723341
no one?!

[Anonymous No.1723625]

>>1723341
You need to zoom in a little on those signals, or provide an audio sample (filtered)

[Anonymous No.1723626]

>>1723383
>chelan washington
https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=2961

[Anonymous No.1723787]

>>1723484
Thank you. I did watch a few videos though not much content for the vip software. With chirp, since I've already made a backup, can I clear the preinstalled frequencies and upload (program?) all new ones without bricking it?

>>1723626
Thanks! The chirp query result doesn't have most of these. Is there a way to get chirp to get all of the frequencies to upload to my radio or will I need to manually c&p all the fields into the program?

Thanks again fellas for being friendly and helpful. Totally new to this and heard the community could be harsh to us noobs.

[Anonymous No.1723809]

>>1722444

[Anonymous No.1723838]

>>1723341
cw and ft8.

[Anonymous No.1723884]

>>1723031
It is the same program with windows and linux versions. rtl_433

[Anonymous No.1723932]

>>1723809
Came here to post this - slam and lock your window. You still have an antenna link. Get an end fed - no excuses.

[Anonymous No.1723965]

>>1723838
>>1723625
I reinstalled WSJT-X and it fixed everything. BTW WSJT-X 2.1.1 was released two days ago.

[Anonymous No.1723974]

>>1723965
Are you sure your clock wasn't off?

[Anonymous No.1724020]

>>1723974
I'm more than 100% positive it's spot on. I used NTP server to sync the clock before launching WSJTX. Audio level was also spot on.

I installed new version and that's it.

[Anonymous No.1724030]

>>1722601
>overpriced
You can get a Pixie kit from China for 3 dollars. And you can make a proper LPR for it for a few dollars more, well within reasonable cost.

[Anonymous No.1724310]

>>1718339
Based WAAAAAAGH

[Anonymous No.1724345]

got my hole drilled and my gland fitting installed, ready to land wiring for antenna and power now

[Anonymous No.1724414]

>>1724030
Pixie kit looks interesting. What I'm really looking for are some suggestions on a capable enough HF rig and a reasonable antenna. I live on top of a hill, not many trees, and a roof mount is acceptable. I already have a dipole and a cb antenna up there.

[Anonymous No.1724416]

>>1724414
>capable enough HF rig
Look at a uBITX kit or something, 129 dollars but it's cheap for a multiband SSB rig.

[Anonymous No.1724419]

is there even any point in doing HF at the 11 year low of sunspot activity?

[Anonymous No.1724462]

>>1724414
>and a reasonable antenna.
build that shit, nigga. its fucking wire.
out of this hobby, its really the only thing i partially understand

[Anonymous No.1724490]

>>1724419
Nope, better off killing yourself, bro.

[Anonymous No.1724503]

>>1724419
I'm in the same boat.
Is it the winter season? Is it the sun cycle? Is it my gear? Beats me, but I can't hear shit.

[Anonymous No.1724508]

>>1724503
post antenna

[Anonymous No.1724511]

>>1724508
Oh, you want to see my massive rod, you homo?
I can rx up to 2,350 miles, but I'm greedy and want to listen to other countries. NETS are gay.

[Anonymous No.1724549]

>>1724511
>I can rx up to 2,350 miles
.>doesnr post 'tenna

[Anonymous No.1724576]

We're getting close to new thread time. I usually put a new one up around 300. Any requests for things to be added to the OP post(s)?
>>1724419
> Be me, have FT-450D
> Half wave end fed dipole sticking out of 2nd story window into trees. Antenna is $10 of copper wire from home depot.
I worked NZ from the Northeast US on 40 meter SSB a few days back. 6000 miles on 25 watts. It was marginal, but workable. Digital modes and CW are much easier than phone, but with IF-DSP and old school RF gain tweaking, you could pull him out of the noise floor. Check out these MUF charts, when the MUF rises, both DX and lower bands start to open up.
>>prop.kc2g.com/

[Anonymous No.1724587]

>>1724576
There are lots of people praising QRP and they show off their achievements every single time. Yet they don't post any info on the antenna set up.

Yes you can go QRP and talk to the other side of the pond. However you have to have multi-element antenna and you have to work with similar set up. Plus the conditions should just right.

[Anonymous No.1724592]

Meme this

>$10,843.01 for this

[Anonymous No.1724608]

>>1724587
> Yet they don't post any info on the antenna set up.
What part of "Half wave end fed dipole out a 2nd story window" is unclear? It's approximately 61 feet of wire sticking out a second story window, draped on some trees outside the house. No radials, no tower, no yagi; Just the cheapest copper wire home depot had and a matching network
> you have to have multi-element antenna and you have to work with similar set up.
No, you don't. Those setups are great and all, but 90%+ of hams don't have anything like that and work DX just fine.
> Plus the conditions should be just right.
You can wait for 'perfect' or work contacts now, up to you.

[Anonymous No.1724641]

>>1716327
Christ almighty this guy was a part of history. Truly a HAM legend!

[Anonymous No.1724669]

>>1724549
Just about any antenna on HF should be able to do that, 2K miles isn't anything to brag about. California to Florida is 2,800.

[Anonymous No.1724671]

>>1724669
That's my problem. All I can hear is 'Happy Turkey Day!' from every state-side State.

[Anonymous No.1724694]

Who said 6M is dead?

[Anonymous No.1724719]

>>1724694
>how do band conditions work?

[Anonymous No.1724720]

>>1724671
gg, fag! (pic related)

[Anonymous No.1724915]

>>1724608
Who were you working with? What was his set up?

The only strong signals from other contents come from the big gun guys.

[Anonymous No.1725124]

>>1724720
We settled in for the night my baby and me
We switched 'round and 'round 'til half-past dawn
There was fifty-seven stations and nothin' on
Well now home entertainment was my baby's wish
So I hopped into town for a satellite dish
I tied it to the top of my Japanese car
I came home and I pointed it out into the stars
A message came back from the great beyond
There's fifty-seven stations and nothin' on

[Anonymous No.1725128]

What would it take to 'borrow' someone else's callsign halfway across the world, use a fake accent, and laugh at the pile up?

[Anonymous No.1725129]

>>1725128
balls

[Anonymous No.1725271]

Hello, gentlemen, it's the guy making the mock DX Commander in his backyard. Thanks to someone's endorsement last week, I sprung for a NanoVNA.
First the antenna - I talked to someone in Croatia today on 20M, 5,000 miles away, and my second DX! So antenna works - on to adjustments.
I realize I have a lot to learn analyzing these results, and I'm going to put the legwork in, but can someone start me off in the right direction as to where to start and what to focus on?
Pic attached is the Nano displaying 11MHz-15MHz through the tuner (bypass) and +/-85' of coax. Keep in mind at the end is 8 wires : 80/40/20/17/15/12/10/6.
I suspect this reading isn't as meaningful as the next since there are too many lengths and potential.

[Anonymous No.1725273]

>>1725271
Here is about where I was tuned when I talked to Croatia.
11.28MHz has 1:1.45
14.3MHz has 1:1.85

I didn't think the SWR was that high on the SWR meter at the time, maybe closer to 1:1.2

[Anonymous No.1725274]

>>1725271
>>1725273
And for fun, as low as I could get 14.26MHz with the tuner was 1:1.71

This is going to open a whole new level ... when I can understand the what, when, and why. Looking forward to checking coax, connections, and wire lengths.

[Anonymous No.1725282]

>>1725271
>>1725273
>>1725274
Alright, I'll shut up and start researching lol.
SWR:
3.5 1.46
7.08 1.71
15.24 2.4
19.3 1.38
20.9 2.3
22.3 1.5
25.4 1.2
30 1.1
40.2 2.7
43.3 1.8
47 2.5
50 1.3

[Anonymous No.1725357]

any deals on equipment this weekend?

[Anonymous No.1725392]

>tfw broke my yeasu ftr60 because im a retard, who tried to something a complicated as replacing the lcd, which is to complicated for retards.
I broke the interconnecter by pushing too hard.
why am I so stupid

[Anonymous No.1725406]

listening to two old guys talking about gold mining on 7189.9 absolutely riveting stuff.

[Anonymous No.1725409]

a couple of guys talking about traffic jams they once experienced so interesting 7134.8

[Anonymous No.1725410]

>>1725392
Well on the bright side cyber monday is around the corner, so maybe you'll get a good deal on a new one.

[Anonymous No.1725411]

two guys waving their antennas at each other on 7149.8 god I can't believe the excitement.

[Anonymous No.1725418]

>>1725406
>>1725409
>>1725410
>>1725411

Yeah where's all the good shitposting frequencies on HF? I'm only a tech now, but uhf/vhf is fucking boring.

[Anonymous No.1725419]

>>1725418
Amsat is where it's at fæm.

[Anonymous No.1725420]

>>1725419
>Amsat
>need fancy antenna and azimuth rotor
why tho

[Anonymous No.1725426]

>>1725420
I was picking up AO-91 with my tape measure 70cm yagi, ducktaped to a wooden dowel. I've ordered some welding rod to make a more proper yagi, but the shit's not rocket science.

My plan is setting a UV-5R as a reciever on the 2m band, and my Yaesu VX-6R on 70cm for my transmitter. The yagi will be 1/8" welding rod, that goes through a wooden dowel with the UV-5R attached to the base of the antenna so I only have to hold my VX-6R. Tracking will be with my hands. Azimuth rotors are for lazy fuds.

Also yagis are useful for hitting faraway repeaters so it's a win-win.

[Anonymous No.1725431]

>>1725426
>Azimuth rotors are for lazy fuds.
yeah, its pretty cold and snowy during winter. im not doing that all fucking winter.
been sourcing parts to build my own, but im pretty fucking stupid
>Also yagis are useful for hitting faraway repeaters so it's a win-win.
you gonna stand outside with that every time you want to have a chat?

i have some booms/elements that i can reuse, just dont have time until first snowfall

[Anonymous No.1725454]

>>1725431
Repeaters don't move, just attach it to a tripod. Shit's not rocket surgery.

[Anonymous No.1725459]

>>1725271
Keep in mind you'll never see a 1:1 SWR, because that would mean infinite return loss. 1.2 :1 is a whopping 0.8% loss, which at 100W is literally <1W being reflected back. Also, your own body is affecting measurements. Not as important at HF frequencies, but can matter a lot when you get to the microwave range. I love my NanoVNA; but NanoVNASharp is a lot easier to use than the UI right now, btw. Welcome to the world of RF Engineering.

[Anonymous No.1725468]

>>1725431
>Repeaters don't move
ones in the sky do.

[Anonymous No.1725519]

>>1725468
No, they are geostationary.

[Anonymous No.1725594]

>>1725519
>geostationary
Only one so far, Es'hail 2 / QO-100. All others are on 10 minute orbits, including the ISS.

[Anonymous No.1725626]

QO-100 nb activity
https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

[Anonymous No.1725774]

>>1725626
HI DE QO100 QRA DL50AMSAT
decent population

[Anonymous No.1725829]

>>1724419
I'm making lots of contacts. Might be you. Get on 80/60/40meters.

[Anonymous No.1726003]

NEW THREAD
>> 1725994
>> 1725994
>> 1725994

[Anonymous No.1726006]

I guess I can't 4chan today.
>>1725994
>>1725994
>>1725994

[Anonymous No.1726134]

>>1716314
die

[Anonymous No.1726255]

>>1726134
U1st