Author Topic: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?  (Read 250551 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline Radio Tech

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 942
  • Country: us
  • KC4UMO Buddy
    • Hobby Forum
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #75 on: June 24, 2013, 02:48:16 am »
I'm on HF almost every day. Most of the time I operate HF mobile these days, with all of the time I spend on the road with my day job.

Here's a video that was shot last weekend, showing me making a contact to NC from our local club's hamfest in NJ, using just 5 watts of RF power.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=CTYHujmTuGg

Nice contact.
Anyway I love your vids. And your projects. Anything you have to do with scopes are great.  The RF sample and DEMOD circuit is great. I built 3 of them. One for each bench.
Keep making those great videos

Buddy / kc4umo

Online xrunnerTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7496
  • Country: us
  • hp>Agilent>Keysight>???
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #76 on: June 24, 2013, 02:56:09 am »
I'm on HF almost every day. Most of the time I operate HF mobile these days, with all of the time I spend on the road with my day job.

Cool. I'll get there, I just gotta get the equipment.

I found the box that had all the QSL cards I got when I was a novice using CW back in '74 - '75. Lots of memories.
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Offline SeanB

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 16272
  • Country: za
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #77 on: June 24, 2013, 04:28:37 pm »
My 2m antenna is a slightly shortened FM antenna, without the reflectors and directors, mounted on the roof and connected with 75R sat downlead. Inside a BNC to the HT works well enough.
 

Online xrunnerTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7496
  • Country: us
  • hp>Agilent>Keysight>???
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #78 on: June 24, 2013, 04:31:22 pm »
Hey dumb question - do people still send physical QSL cards or has the internet relegated that to history?  :-\

If not I need to order some new ones.
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Offline dr.diesel

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2214
  • Country: us
  • Cramming the magic smoke back in...
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #79 on: June 24, 2013, 04:37:46 pm »
Hey dumb question - do people still send physical QSL cards or has the internet relegated that to history?  :-\

If not I need to order some new ones.

Many still do, but some prefer electronic cause it's easier to search etc.  I'd go ahead and get some, their cheap enough.

We should make our own EEVblog branded cards!

Offline vk3yedotcom

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 612
  • Country: au
    • vk3ye dot com (radio articles and projects)
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #80 on: June 25, 2013, 09:32:47 am »
Hey dumb question - do people still send physical QSL cards or has the internet relegated that to history?  :-\

Both. 

You can either send paper cards direct (postcard in the mail) or via a bureau.  Local radio club or national society may include bureau membership making it cheaper to send and receive cards (although it is slower).

Electronic cards or confirmation of contacts can be done via Logbook of the World, eQSL or qrz.com

If you contact someone look up their QRZ profile which tells a bit about them (if they've filled it in) and how they like to QSL (if at all). It can also help finding things to talk about if you find a common interest they've mentioned there.
NEW! Ham Radio Get Started: Your success in amateur radio. One of 8 ebooks available on amateur radio topics. Details at  https://books.vk3ye.com
 

Online xrunnerTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7496
  • Country: us
  • hp>Agilent>Keysight>???
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #81 on: June 26, 2013, 12:20:59 am »
Talked to the local morning crew on 146.84 from the top of my roof today. They said the signal was great.  :)

I have some RG-8/U cable on order to run from my hobby room to the antenna I will mount on the vent. Did a little work up in the attic today but by 0900 it's already too hot to do any work in the attic.

We'll get there ...
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Online xrunnerTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7496
  • Country: us
  • hp>Agilent>Keysight>???
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #82 on: July 02, 2013, 09:36:47 pm »
Got the dual-band VHF antenna mounted. I can't transmit yet because I don't have the PL-259 installed at the other end, but I used a test- lead to clip the other end to the HT antenna and the RX signal strength is way better now.  :clap:
« Last Edit: July 02, 2013, 09:38:48 pm by xrunner »
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Offline MikeK

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1314
  • Country: us
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #83 on: July 03, 2013, 01:45:53 am »
Nice looking antenna.  Is it clamped to the DWV stack?
 

Online xrunnerTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7496
  • Country: us
  • hp>Agilent>Keysight>???
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #84 on: July 03, 2013, 02:01:02 am »
Nice looking antenna.  Is it clamped to the DWV stack?

Yea, it's a clamp made specifically for a stack pipe. I also thought up a trick (which I later found other people used also) to run the coax up to the ant. You drill a small hole into the PVC pipe from inside the attic and simply run the line right up the pipe about 8 inches and presto - there it is out the top. I'm going to seal around the coax from inside the attic as soon as I get all the slack taken out the way I want it. I still need to trim about 20 ft. from the length where the coax will be terminated inside the house and instal a PL-259. Then I'll be in hog heaven.
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Offline MikeK

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1314
  • Country: us
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #85 on: July 03, 2013, 03:16:30 am »
Have you tried it on 70cm?  Probably works just as well as 2m.
 

Offline cthree

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 258
  • Country: ca
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #86 on: July 03, 2013, 04:24:01 am »
It used to be sitting up all night talking to people on the other side of the world for free was a big deal. Now, here we are.
 

Online xrunnerTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7496
  • Country: us
  • hp>Agilent>Keysight>???
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #87 on: July 03, 2013, 11:46:04 am »
It used to be sitting up all night talking to people on the other side of the world for free was a big deal. Now, here we are.

Yep, it used to be something amazing, but I don't think young people today would consider it anything all that great. We've kinda got into that before in this thread. Of course I can't do that on 2m or 70 cm, but even using repeaters and HTs it's not anything better than what cell phones can do around town with less equipment (no mobile ant. or installation required). In fact it's LESS capable than a cell phone because I can't send pics, take pics or video, send texts, make calendar entries, use a calculator, play a game ... I suppose in some sense a ham HT would work in an emergency, provided the repeater had power of course. 
If the repeater had no power an HT theoretically could talk to someone else - if anyone was listening that could do anything to help you. Right.  :( If there was that kind of emergency, the answer back would probably be something like "We hear you and we'll get to you after we get the power back to the cell towers"

If I go on trips around town what do I make sure not to leave behind - my cell phone or my HT? There's you answer. ???

But, it's a hobby so I'll press on because I remember when it really was something few people could do any other way. Oh the memories.

Have you tried it on 70cm?  Probably works just as well as 2m.

Only receiving. I should have the whole setup working by the end of the week.
« Last Edit: July 03, 2013, 11:48:01 am by xrunner »
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Offline Radio Tech

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 942
  • Country: us
  • KC4UMO Buddy
    • Hobby Forum
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #88 on: July 03, 2013, 12:09:25 pm »
2 meters and 70cm can be fun.  Even more fun on SSB.  Back before Floyd took my stuff down in 1999 I was heavy into v/uhf. It was nothing to walk in the shack early morning and make a contact to Florida or New York.  One advantage I guess for living on the east coast. I had built a quagi antenna. It is a cross between a Quad and a yagi. Antenna was around 13 foot. Was vhf on one side and uhf on the other.  When I mounted it on the tower I used a hinge mount with a small actuator to switch from vertical to horizontal.  The antenna boom was made from wood and coated. I sure miss that one.
Here is a couple of pics before mounting on tower.

Online xrunnerTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7496
  • Country: us
  • hp>Agilent>Keysight>???
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #89 on: July 03, 2013, 06:13:39 pm »
2 meters and 70cm can be fun.  Even more fun on SSB.  Back before Floyd took my stuff down in 1999 I was heavy into v/uhf. It was nothing to walk in the shack early morning and make a contact to Florida or New York.

Cool. I've shown one of my neighbors my antenna, but I can't mention it to the old man who lives right next to me. I was told by the neighbor that there was a ham who lived right on the other side of the old man (he was of course younger then) once and he was always claiming the ham was causing interference. Whether that was true or not then, he can easily conjure up a scenario where I would be the cause now. Let's just say you'd have to meet him to understand.  :palm:
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Offline SeanB

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 16272
  • Country: za
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #90 on: July 03, 2013, 07:25:12 pm »
Like old man Simpson on steroids........... I have met those neighbours before. Smile, be nice, listen attentively (or a good facsimile thereof) and agree with him. Then walk away before you give in to the urge to do something that will involve a spade and pickaxe and a 2m deep hole in a secluded spot.
 

Online xrunnerTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7496
  • Country: us
  • hp>Agilent>Keysight>???
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #91 on: July 03, 2013, 11:19:46 pm »
Like old man Simpson on steroids........... I have met those neighbours before. Smile, be nice, listen attentively (or a good facsimile thereof) and agree with him. Then walk away before you give in to the urge to do something that will involve a spade and pickaxe and a 2m deep hole in a secluded spot.

You know him too?  :-DD

I got all my work done on the ant. install except for the final PL-259. I got the first one soldered on OK, but it really needed more thermal mass applied to get it soldered than I had available with the irons I own now. It just took too long and I don't want heat applied too long to the coax. I have an 80W iron coming in the mail, so I'm just going to tough it out and wait a few more days until I can use that.
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Offline MikeK

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1314
  • Country: us
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #92 on: July 04, 2013, 01:04:30 am »
So does that groundplane antenna require grounding?  You said the stack was PVC?  I thought DWV stacks were always cast iron.  I think PVC has a high temp expansion coefficent.
 

Online xrunnerTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7496
  • Country: us
  • hp>Agilent>Keysight>???
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #93 on: July 04, 2013, 01:09:33 am »
So does that groundplane antenna require grounding?  You said the stack was PVC?  I thought DWV stacks were always cast iron.  I think PVC has a high temp expansion coefficent.

Mine are PVC (built in 1970). I will have a true independent Earth ground where my equipment will be located. The room where my equipment is has a water faucet with copper tubing right outside the wall. I have attached a grounding wire to this copper and will be able to use that for my station. Any other suggestions are welcome though.
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Offline MrRedHat

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 31
  • Country: us
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #94 on: July 04, 2013, 03:37:04 am »
I have several friends that have Ham radio licenses and they tried getting me to get one in the 90’s, but I never bothered to study. Just recently someone else tried getting me interested, so I’ve been reading a book and studying.

I’ve basically lost interest again. I’m getting pretty board with things like, “What type of control is being used for a repeater when the control operator is not present at a control point?”  or “What type of control is being used when transmitting using a handheld radio?”

All I can think to myself is, “blah, blah, I couldn’t care less that it’s automatic and local control”. I think that’s what goes through most people’s heads and that’s why they don’t get it.

I can see that in the future that people will allow the FCC to sell the bands to the highest bidder. Just tell them they’ll get faster YouTube on their iPhone.   

I wish I had interest, but it's going away very quickly. :(
 

Offline dr.diesel

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2214
  • Country: us
  • Cramming the magic smoke back in...
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #95 on: July 04, 2013, 11:01:17 am »
I will have a true independent Earth ground where my equipment will be located.

You don't want any grounding to be independent.  There are lots of resources online regarding this, but make sure all station equipment is grounded to the same spot (don't daisy chain grounds) then out to a ground rod that is bonded to the mains ground, with the heaviest wire #6 or better wire.

Online xrunnerTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7496
  • Country: us
  • hp>Agilent>Keysight>???
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #96 on: July 04, 2013, 11:40:52 am »
You don't want any grounding to be independent.  There are lots of resources online regarding this, but make sure all station equipment is grounded to the same spot (don't daisy chain grounds) then out to a ground rod that is bonded to the mains ground, with the heaviest wire #6 or better wire.

All I mean is I have a ground wire for the equipment that isn't used for other things, but it's connected to the copper water pipes which is a very good ground.
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Offline dr.diesel

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2214
  • Country: us
  • Cramming the magic smoke back in...
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #97 on: July 04, 2013, 11:44:11 am »
But is that mains ground connected as well?

Online xrunnerTopic starter

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7496
  • Country: us
  • hp>Agilent>Keysight>???
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #98 on: July 04, 2013, 11:54:16 am »
But is that mains ground connected as well?

Huh? Of course it is. All the copper is grounded.
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Offline dr.diesel

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 2214
  • Country: us
  • Cramming the magic smoke back in...
Re: Whatever Happened to Ham Radio?
« Reply #99 on: July 04, 2013, 11:59:34 am »
This guy outlines most of the important stuff:

http://www.w8ji.com/station_ground.htm


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf