Quote:
Originally Posted by cstone
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cstone
FCC or NFA
EIEIOQuote:
Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo
The only acronym on my list of clubs to join is the KMA [LOL]
If anyone else is thinking about getting into this, I bought this book on Monday at lunch and was able to pass the Tech test last night: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._prd_ttl_sol_0
big congrats to Kiwiracer and cstone!! Way 2 go!
Yep congrats on joining the ranksQuote:
Originally Posted by Singlestack
For all you Baofeng UV-5 type radio users, I found a much better manual.
http://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/...rs_manual.aspx
Have to ask, whats with the sudden increase in interest in ham radio, and even echolink? Just curious what compelled many of you to get into it, or start studying this year, and not last year?
Funds went up, prices went down. At least that was part of it. Plus, more people I wanted to potentially talk to got radios. No point of having a radio if you have no one to talk to and I'm not interested in making new friends. ;)
I've been told that ham radio operators get all the women.Quote:
Originally Posted by streetglideok
This.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian
Sent from my pocket
lol think its more a matter of last year, everyone buying every 22 round they could find, all the primers, powder and guns. Now this year they're spending on other stuff
I've always been interested but was put off by what I thought was the high cost. My discovery of the $40 hand holds is what tripped my trigger.
Cell phones and land lines go down. During the high park fire hand helds, kept responders in communication with each other. Especially when the cell towers went down, or the area (as with mountainous terrain) was not available.Quote:
Originally Posted by streetglideok
As 9-11 was unfolding land and cell service was nowhere. IF i was dialed in with the SW community, i could have been in touch with folks back east.
Handhelds can be found cheap, and are useful but as you use them you will find their limits. Adding a mobile rig is only a moderate cost and with a decent antenna you get a lot more range, and capability. It's really only when you get into HF that the costs shoot up, and can skyrocket if you go balls to the wall. When or if work improves(currently work under a gun grabbing liberal "Christian", calls to the owner would do wonders to move this idiot out) then I'm going to work on an all out go kit with a portable antenna, coax, etc., and work on an HF rig.
All the cool kids are doing it.Quote:
Originally Posted by streetglideok
I'm kind of a follower you know.
I noticed it didn't say "Pretty Women"..Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian
I am in the same boat as many others, I am sick. I swear working in a school is worse than working in the medical field. This is my third time this year, and every year I have taught in schools I am sick. In 15 years in EMS I was sick once.
Anyone know a good spot to get an NMO antenna mount done on a truck? Does HRO do install stuff at all or just sell goods?
Thinking about a getting a mobile rig in the spring to put in the truck once 4x4 starts again.
I am pretty sure they do not do installs. I think getting the headliner on and off is probably the hardest part... that and taking a hole saw to your roof, which kinda makes one hesitate a little. They also make cool little plastic caps to cover the mount when it does not have an antenna on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by kawiracer14
Quote:
Originally Posted by rbeau30
Yes, drilling the hole makes me nervous. NMO is pretty low profile with no antenna on, and I plan on keeping the truck for 10+ years so I'm not worried about resale issues really.
I know High Country 4x4 does CB installs so maybe they can do an NMO as well when I get some work done there.
If I was to not do it myself I would probably ask a CB or 4x4 shop. A buddy of mine put 3 on his roof with no issues, he just put masking tape to center the hole, and over the area he drilled. They also make a bit specifically for doing this... but it is a little expensive. http://www.k0bg.com/options.html#holeQuote:
Originally Posted by kawiracer14
Quote:
Originally Posted by rbeau30
I can't really be trusted with a drill around a brand new truck. I'll talk to HCP. Plan on doing a hood channel mount for a CB antenna and then NMO on the roof probably for ham. Now to find a place to mount all this in the truck.
Why not the bed instead of the roof?
I wouldn't go roof mount. Bad things happen to roofs when something low hits the mounts.
Talk to Radio Service Center here in Lakewood - Sheridan and Kentucky - they will do installs. Antenna and Radio. Professional too. Not sure about the costs though.
If you're local, bring it over to me and we'll figure it all out. Been doing it for years. (not that I know what I'm doing) haha
Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
I still have a Geotool, stake mount that I need to get installed. My antenna isn't even on the roof and I was lucky i only broke my antenna when I drove inside the garage.
Have a hard tonneau cover on the truck bed with a bike and ski rack on it so I can't use the stake pockets.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
Sent from my pocket
Once I lift the truck I won't be getting it in garages any more but I would like to avoid ripping a huge hole in a new roof.Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
Sent from my pocket
I am local - Edgewater so just up the road. Once I get a mobile for the truck I'll be in touch.Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
Sent from my pocket
Been running an NMO roof mount for 2 years, no issues here. I'm even lifted now, and go on trails as well. You don't need a tall antenna to work good either since it's an efficient mount. I'm running a Diamond 72NMO IIRC, so pretty low profile but works very well. Use a 3/4" hole saw( I think that's the size), and mark your spot.
I've seen an NMO mount on a truck cab roof, get hit and stripped a slot right down the roof like a shear would do. Tough mounts, I just don't like roof mount. I've had issues before. Minivan roof mount hit garage door that didn't go all the way up, bent over into the roof - everything was loosey goosey after that. Added a large washer to the inside of the roof helped, but never could use the mount with anything other than a rubber duck. :(
I've got two of these, used on multiple vehicles, easy to mount or move to another vehicle. No holes. No leaks. :)
http://www.diamondantenna.net/k400photos.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by gnihcraes
This is what i have.
CALL SIGN PROCURED! The last time I checked a website this often was when I was waiting for Texas CHP.
A number of events over the past decade or so...Quote:
Originally Posted by streetglideok
I used to spend half of each year in South Florida and managed to be there for the many hurricanes of 2004. Cell towers were knocked out and many of us in the town I lived in communicated via marine vhf (every waterfront home had a boat and every boat had a radio). Marine vhf isn't kosher when inland so the wife and I got our ham licenses and a pair of Yaesu FT-60 handhelds that will still do their full 5W with the AA battery packs.
I listen to the 146.670 (http://www.repeaterbook.com/repeater....Pf2dwWBZ.dpbs) repeater daily for traffic, while scanning all the others on the other side of my radio. If anyone wants to chat around 0800L and 0830L or 1700L and 1730L and test out their radio programming skillz.
I may hit you up on that Monday... need to memorize my call sign!Quote:
Originally Posted by rbeau30
Yeah about as far as I've gone so far is to put the little baofeng on scan and see what I can pick up. Not much is coming in well yet, but it could be the antenna or the time of day. Either way, I haven't had a chance to put any effort into it yet. Heck it took me 10 mins to figure out how to turn on the fm radio. Ouch. :)
So is it fair to say the only time you're actually likely to pick up any regular traffic to listen in on is during daily commute times?
145.145 has traffic all the time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian
I hear traffic in the am and PM commutes and during the nets. W0tx.org has a list of all the statewide nets.
I got my call sign yesterday, so about 10 days from test to showing up on the ULS site. Pretty good by government standards.
Now to start studying for the Extra [Coffee]
Can't remember, is that a CRA repeater or a Colorado Connection repeater? I believe that is one of the linked system repeaters up there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving