17 Apr
2011
17 Apr
'11
5:21 p.m.
Yes, I remember reading about people could sometimes talk a world away
on the 6meter and that is damned cool! :-)
We're right in the middle of the next big solar spike so communications
will be wonky, temps with suddenly spike (I'm sure Al Gore will love
that) and we'll probably see some brown outs and power grid anomolies...
oh joy! ;-)
Tom wrote:
At 09:24 PM 4/16/2011, you wrote:
Hi Dave,
I know I need a license, but I'm just starting to dig into things,
obviously want a 2 way system, kinda hoping I can do an attic based
antenna if at all possible, I remember a bit from when I was a kid
about atmosphere bouncing and such, but I have a lot of rust to scrap
off my memories... why do you have some gear you're looking to part
with and any chance you coming up to VCF East?
I lived in a typical Milwaukee 2-story duplex for several years, with
those wonderful walk-in attics. Even tho I was on the first floor, I
was able to drop a fishing sinker down the outside of the sewer vent
from the attic. A little jiggling on the line got it to fall all the
way through to the basement. I then pulled down a heavy duty polyester
pull-string, and then some coax.
I put a wire dipole up there for six meters (50Mhz) and a few 2 meter
yagis and dipoles. The yagi was on a cheep TV antenna rotator. Once
when I had to be in Arlington Height and Rolling Meadows, I called my
wife (also licensed) on 2 meter simplex. It was choppy but perfectly
copyable.
Now I live in a one-story home with high ground all around me. I have
a 12-foot tower on the roof with about eight feet of mast sticking
out. I have 6m, 2m, and 70cm antennae up there and do alright, but
definitely not spectacularly.
Many of us old 6-meter fans are awaiting redemption. We have been in a
long trough of low solar activity, which normally ramps up and then
down again on an 11-year cycle, but this one we're going into isn't
setting the ionosphere on fire yet. Not by a long shot. Six meters is
often called "the magic band" because of how it sometimes acts like a
local/regional band and then goes nuts and lets you chat with folks
several countries away.
I used to play with aurora-mode on six. Any time there's reports of
strong aurora borealis up north, I'd turn my antenna north, bounce a
signal off the aurora, and chat with folks almost due west of me. I've
worked people in Colorado and Nevada, from SE Wisconsin, with my beam
pointed north. The raspy whisper of aurora mode takes some getting
used to.
Someone else will have to talk about the ping jockeys that bounce a
highspeed morse signal off the ion trails left by the almost
continuous rain of small meteors hitting the atmosphere and burning
up. I've never tried it but it's an amazing mode.
Hope that whets the appetite a little.
Curt
Dave McGuire wrote:
On 4/16/11 9:07 PM, Curt @ Atari Museum wrote:
432 . [SF] Dimissed! --Janeway. B...but.. --Neelix. That's Starfleet
for "get out." --Janeway (The Cloud)
NEW: a50mhzham at gmail.com ? N9QQB (amateur radio)
"HEY YOU" (loud shouting) ? Second Tops (Set Dancing) ? FIND ME ON
FACEBOOK
43? 7' 17.2" N by 88? 6' 28.9" W ? Elevation 815' ? Grid Square
EN53wc
LAN/Telecom Analyst ? Open-source Dude ? Musician ? Registered Linux
User 385531 Any HAM radio operators here? I'm interested
in getting some equipment
to setup a HAM radio transmission/reception system and possibly
look to
hook it up to a terminal for text transmission too. I'm totally in the
dark on this, so I'm looking for anybody who can point me in the right
directions, thanks.
I'm not a licensed amateur radio operator anymore, but I was for
many years. My license is long since expired. I've always planned to
get back into it, but I've not yet managed to do so. I do miss it.
Have you had any exposure to ham radio? You're aware that a license
is required to transmit, yes? Do you have any knowledge of
bands/local vs. distance/modes etc?
-Dave