Just talked to Australia

[Killer]

that is cool

[BuckySWT]

So im running a Yaesu FT 818ND with a Z817 tuner.

Antenna is a sparkplug EFHW with a 65’ wire going up to a buddipole mast thats lashed to the railing on the upper balcony. Set up as an inverted vee. I’m guessing its up close to 40’. The goal was 33’ so I could get it a quarter wave above ground on 40m. Could hear plenty on 40m but 20m was awesome last night for my set up.

Tested it out in my HOA in NB and I heard more with that set up than anything I’ve experimented with in my short time as a ham (Feb 21).

I was amazed at how quiet the noise floor was compared to my home location. Sad we have to head back today [emoji23]

This was my first successful portable ops with this little kit and im tickled.

[Ætheling]

Clear skies.

[Benno]

My phone can do that too.

Lmao! And the guy in room 206 can speak with an Australian accent.


Seriously, how does this work? With the curvature of the earth atmosphere conditions would have had to have been perfect for the signal to reach each other.

[BuckySWT]

Lmao! And the guy in room 206 can speak with an Australian accent.


Seriously, how does this work? With the curvature of the earth atmosphere conditions would have had to have been perfect for the signal to reach each other.

You generate RF through an antenna and use the F layer in the ionosphere to skip that signal around the world

Solar activity helps propagation and it opens and closes. Predictable but still random. Im a rookie at this, but am learning tons.

Im a big nerd, so this os cool atuff for me, but I like being able to communicate even if cell signal is gone.

HUGE connection between firearms and amateur radio too.

Hiram Percy Maxim.

Son of Sir Hiram Maxim.

Machine guns, silencers and radio repeaters. [emoji3590][emoji3590]

[MLAH]

^

[Bucknaked]

That’s cool as hell

From what I hear- Hell is Not Cool!

[BuckySWT]

Back in the days of CB's in pickups, we used to have Galaxy radios with side bands and linears, could talk all over with them. Was pretty cool to be able to talk all over the state and other states while driving around.

My wife’s Pappaw was a CB’er
He had all kinds of radios and amps in his garage, I was told. TX Grasshopper was his call

[BuckySWT]

That's awesome Bucky. Didn't you buy some of your radio stuff from me? I'm glad you are able to reach that far. My dad was always super excited to raise people from across the oceans. It was a lot of fun for him.

Its possible….

Lol

Its as bad as archery or hunting [emoji23]
Always buying and trading stuff!

I sure love the activity!!

[BuckySWT]

My antenna.

It all winds up on a kite winder.

[Abcdj]

Looks like your fishin off the third floor.
Cool stuff!

[Benno]

You generate RF through an antenna and use the F layer in the ionosphere to skip that signal around the world

Solar activity helps propagation and it opens and closes. Predictable but still random. Im a rookie at this, but am learning tons.

Im a big nerd, so this os cool atuff for me, but I like being able to communicate even if cell signal is gone.

HUGE connection between firearms and amateur radio too.

Hiram Percy Maxim.

Son of Sir Hiram Maxim.

Machine guns, silencers and radio repeaters. [emoji3590][emoji3590]

Interesting, even though you lost me at solar activity. I could only assume lots of preppers are into this also.

Forgive me if some of my terminology is wrong. When transmitting are you on a certain bandwidth, are you able to search for others on numerous bandwidths at one time? I’m picturing this like like a suped up CB.

[BuckySWT]

Interesting, even though you lost me at solar activity. I could only assume lots of preppers are into this also.

Forgive me if some of my terminology is wrong. When transmitting are you on a certain bandwidth, are you able to search for others on numerous bandwidths at one time? I’m picturing this like like a suped up CB.

Cb works the same

CB is in the 27 Mhz range or 11 meters
No license required.
Ham radio is everything else just about and does require a license through examination thru the FCC

We all had CB’s as kids in our trucks.
Ham radio is even more fun for me.

Whereas CB worldwide stuff required thousands of watts of power, amps, etc (and you can absolutely go high power with amateur radio…my current HF rig is low power. 6W max on DC power. 2.5w on internal battery.

I have my stuff in a little shoulder sling. With that, and a loooong fishing pole, I can set up pretty much anywhere and talk hundreds, if not thousands of miles and talk to folks who are some of the nicest out there.

Yes, there’s some old curmudgeons out there, but we got those too here [emoji6] you just turn the dial and let em be.

I love experimenting and building stuff too and this hobby encourages it.
Plus, theres a trac for almost anyone to explore. Direction finding, satellite comms, heck…you can bounce a signal off of the moon….weather balloons, all the solar stuff, auroras, digital stuff….did you know you send text and email, pics and video over radio?

I started with my GMRS license back in the late fall this year. With that license, theres no test and you pay a fee every 10 years and you’re entire family can use your call sign. I have a gmrs base unit in my radio station at home, and with an external antenna, can talk to my wife just about anywhere in NB.

Fixing to set it up as a repeater, I think.

So GMRS is another option for folks.
You wont get the distance of a ham radio, but its another option. I have all 3. CB, ham, and gmrs and use all 3 still.

I’m still a rookie in all this but have learned a ton!!! I just completed the American Radio Relay League’s (ARRL) summer teaching institute a few weeks ago and have almost a semester’s worth of info to take back to my computer science and robotics kids at NBHS this fall.

Amateur radio is 100% STEM (sci, tech, engineering, math). Its hands on, and engaging for kids of all ages. My son is hell bent on learning morse code. We practice listening in the evenings before bed time.

Talking on local 2m repeaters in town is fun too!

[BuckySWT]

This is my go pack.
The pole is a $25 graphite telescoping “canepole” basically. Its a Japanese style rod, no eyes…buy weighs less than a pound and I just carry it.
Battery boc is from a company called PowerWerx. Itll hold a big ol 40 amp per hr lithium 12v, but right now its just got a little 9a/hr lithium in it that also fits in the pack.

[BuckySWT]

Looks like your fishin off the third floor.
Cool stuff!

I got some REAL funny looks when I started pulling out big black tubes and screwing em together [emoji23][emoji23]

I have a pic from the beach….its freakin ridiculous. Looks like a huge outrigger!