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Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

Discussion in 'Sports, Hobbies & Interests' started by The Traveler, Jan 29, 2013.

  1. Sep 5, 2014 at 3:29 PM
    #901
    Crom

    Crom Super-Deluxe Member

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    I'm using a Tram 1185 Amateur Dual-Band Magnet Antenna. For $16 it's surprisingly well made.

    Most antennas will have the PL-259, so most likely as in this case, you'll need one of these adapters: RF coaxial cable SMA female to UHF SO239 PL259 female RG58 20 inches | Made in the U.S.A. by MPD Digital (TM)

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Sep 5, 2014 at 8:23 PM
    #902
    License2Ill

    License2Ill Woke like a Coma Toyota Tacoma

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    It's a dry heat thou, AZ
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    That's sweet! Does the TinyTrak do the same thing? I was looking at those...


    I'm using a Diamond SPM-NMO w/ a 18" Comet SS460SBNMO antenna. The set-up isn't cheap ($100). But I'm able to hit and talk to my buddy on 2 watt MURS from 16 miles(1200 ft above me in altitude).
    And on 5 watts, in a valley(800ft above sea level), ctcss a repeater(5W) 50 miles away with a mountain in-between the direct line of sight (Both Mtns are about 7000 ft.)
     
  3. Sep 5, 2014 at 10:28 PM
    #903
    Crom

    Crom Super-Deluxe Member

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    Yes. But there are notable hardware differences between the product offerings. The TinyTrak products are nice and they have their own strengths... Like a turn key system.

    I like the mobilinkd product because it enables me to use off the shelf Android tablets / phones as the map / GPS display. And the interface between the TNC and tablet / phone is Bluetooth. I should be able to mount the radio/TNC out of sight and the tablet somewhere on the dash with only one wire (power cable). Nice and clean!

    When it comes to cost, if you have the components I listed previously, it would appear that there is no cheaper way to implement an RF APRS solution. At least none that I'm aware of. :)
     
  4. Sep 5, 2014 at 10:33 PM
    #904
    jeverich

    jeverich Well-Known Member

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    About an 18 hour day today.. Have a little break until the next trip, not leaving to midnight..

    Finally got my Yaesu 897 Jerry-rigged to the HF antenna on the boat (not a good one), this radio is freakin' awesome!
     
  5. Sep 6, 2014 at 10:13 AM
    #905
    License2Ill

    License2Ill Woke like a Coma Toyota Tacoma

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    Yeah? What are you picking up?

    I just got the 857 (basically same innards) but haven't plugged into the HF side yet...
     
  6. Sep 7, 2014 at 2:54 PM
    #906
    maineah

    maineah Well-Known Member

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    Listen on 17 meters all thought he is east coast you might hear him he is a master on a cargo ship his call is N1ZZZ I have talked to him often he is on quite a lot.
     
  7. Sep 7, 2014 at 7:49 PM
    #907
    87Tcyota

    87Tcyota Paiza RIder

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    can someone point in the right direction as far as what radio to buy? I dont know anything about these things just that you press the button and talk. Last night I was with a group of truck and I was lent a hand held radio that worked great! just wanna know what would be a good all around option that would work good when meeting up with a bunch of other trucks like last night.
     
  8. Sep 7, 2014 at 8:37 PM
    #908
    License2Ill

    License2Ill Woke like a Coma Toyota Tacoma

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    You may want to start looking into getting your Amateur radio license first. So you're not illegally using that radio.
     
  9. Sep 8, 2014 at 5:59 AM
    #909
    maineah

    maineah Well-Known Member

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    Yes and he may learn about radios before buying one by just studying for the exam! The little hand held radios that can be had at Walmart etc. can be used without a license but are fairly useless. The only way you can legally use an amateur radio is with a licensed operator sitting right next to you.
     
  10. Sep 8, 2014 at 8:28 AM
    #910
    Chipskip

    Chipskip N7MCS

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    Well, I had a lot of fun working the bike race in flagstaff. Unfortunately we had a perfect example of why we are out there and what we are capable of doing.

    I was driving escort for one of the ambulances and we had hams stationed ever couple of miles, depending on the difficulty of the section of road and/or major turns at intersections. My ambulance had already responded to one crash with minor head injury and talked to a couple of other crashed riders with only scrapes and bruises only two hours into the event.

    On a down hill section, right in front of a ham, a rider crashed and hit his head. The ham was able to dispatch one ambulance within seconds. Luckily for the victim, a trauma surgeon heard the call for an ambulance as he passed a different ham station and stopped. That doctor turned around and headed back up course to help. At this point my ambulance was dispatched to help. We went as fast as we safety could against the racing bicycles. Within a minutes of us getting there, net control had figured out an LZ and me and the other ham working with the ambulances had figured out our route and were able to guide both ambulances to the LZ were the helicopter was waiting. While we were moving to the LZ, the hams around the course had traffic stopped making us able to move quicker.

    In these extreme sports there is always the danger of these accidents happening, our volunteer work is one way to help these people do their thing safely. The group I am with works very hard to be ready for these events. The event coordinators and net control operators have trained and practiced so much that everything went smoothly. All operators stayed calm, got the right messages across so that the right people could respond/act as needed.

    I am happy to say after that accident, we didn't have any more calls. The next six hours were peaceful.
     
  11. Sep 8, 2014 at 8:38 AM
    #911
    Chipskip

    Chipskip N7MCS

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    My after action for myself.

    -I have already ordered a second battery for my HT. I have the AAA battery case as a backup, but one of my kids (or wife) seems to have taken the AAA batteries out of my back. So I was tethered to my truck while the battery on the HT charged.

    -My clipboard broke, so I ordered a new "unbreakable" clipboard. The bullet proof clipboards looks cool and would be cool to tell people I have, but damn, I am not paying THAT for a piece of hard, flat to write on.

    -I need to get some sort of light bar or add led flashers to my truck. I was able to barrow one guy's light bar for this event, but I want my own. I don't want my truck to look like am so crazy person with all these lights on it. Just enough that I am more than visible when needed to. I know they make or use to make a module that plugged into your vehicle and made your headlights and taillights flash, I need to look into that.

    Other than that, it all went smoothly. Next event is in three weeks up on the rim. Taking my wife and making a long camping trip of it. Have a few projects to have completed by then, but nothing major. Hopefully that event will go as smoothly without any actual injuries.
     
  12. Sep 8, 2014 at 9:49 PM
    #912
    RevAdam

    RevAdam Impressive Member

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    Just don't become Hamsexy...
     
  13. Sep 9, 2014 at 6:09 AM
    #913
    maineah

    maineah Well-Known Member

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    Careful about head lights flashing it's illegal in most states makes the cops very angry they are the only one allowed to do that.
     
  14. Sep 9, 2014 at 6:53 AM
    #914
    Chipskip

    Chipskip N7MCS

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    Construction vehicles use them all the time around AZ. Blue is never allowed, red flashing can only be rear facing for none emergency vehicles. I have no plans on getting anything other than amber and white, not going to push my luck. I don't plan to run them any time other than when I am working on an event. I don't want people to see the lights any other time.

    I come from a LEO family they will give me shit for them, but the are legal here. Remember that I live in the Wild West :D

    I work about 2 events a month from now until March. Not all involve drive the course or even being near my truck, but a good portion of them do.
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2014
  15. Sep 9, 2014 at 8:23 AM
    #915
    RevAdam

    RevAdam Impressive Member

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  16. Sep 9, 2014 at 8:39 AM
    #916
    Chipskip

    Chipskip N7MCS

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    Haha, that site is awesome. There are a few in our group that could have their rigs posted on there.

    I have no plans to go to that extreme. As a matter of fact I am going to go to great extremes to not look like that. I can tell you that this last weekend I was "racing" up a dirt trail against the bike riders, while kicking up dust... I wish I had more lights to make myself stand out more. There was more than one time I thought that I was going to take out a bicyclist while trying to get the medical team to the victim. It was really a case that seconds mattered.

    When I am not working an event, I want my truck to look like any other ham truck, completely normal with about three or four antennas :anonymous:
     
  17. Sep 9, 2014 at 7:18 PM
    #917
    LouisLouis

    LouisLouis KD4VH

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    Google Route 66 Ham radio. Special event stations along the route,, I got several on 20 m tonite
     
  18. Sep 9, 2014 at 10:26 PM
    #918
    Jiveydude

    Jiveydude Well-Known Member

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    Hey Chipskip, I got a magnetic roof mount amber light that plugs into the cigarette lighter somewhere in the garage if you want it. I used it for a bit on the flight line back in the day, it's pretty bright and annoying. Let me know if it could be of use and I'll go digging for it.
     
  19. Sep 10, 2014 at 4:51 AM
    #919
    maineah

    maineah Well-Known Member

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    We came down off Mt Washington after the Climb To The Clouds race I was following a SUV of some type he I think sold lighting any way they were so irritating when we stopped on the ride down I got out and asked him to turn the damn things off! He did but he was sure proud of his lights guess there is a time and place for any thing.
     
  20. Sep 10, 2014 at 6:44 AM
    #920
    Chipskip

    Chipskip N7MCS

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    I could definitely use it. Let me know if you find it and how much you want for it. Thank you.


    You are absolutely right, time and place. I escorted the ambulance around all day, the only time I had the lights on was 1) we were driving on the actual race course 2) We were in a hurry to get to a call and driving down the one and half lane roads and I was trying to get the on coming vehicles to yield.
    Any other time, I had them off, I didn't want to be THAT guy.
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2014

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