Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

So, is it unreasonable or justified to install a third hand tool on a ram ball mount that can be quick attached in the truck for on the go soldering help....

 

Been done. Go for 4th.

 

Is robotic out of the question?

 

“ham”... /=

 

Oh.... I know....

 

Laughs is fldigi

 

I prefer HRD DM but that's not going to work on a raspberry pi haha

 

This software and tech stuff is foreign to me...

Well, maybe not....

 

Psk31 and Olivia have booth been really good for me. I like to rag chew and have more casual qso on there than phone to be honest.

 

Just passed tech and general on Saturday...I have a Baofeng UV-82WP (waterproof) that I used in my boat on VHF, figured I'd get the license so I can do more than just listen while on dry land. Heard about APRS on a podcast and was like, oh ya i need to get on this. I mostly wheel alone, so group comm is not a huge deal to me, but potentially life saving emergency communication is another story.

I'll post my callsign when i get it. This thread is massive! Would be cool if there was a table of contents on page 1 but at this point that would be a pretty big task. I'm sure there is tons of info on ways to utilize ham radio in the field so I'll be doing some digging. I think the next step for me is an external antenna or collection of antennas for various uses and then finally a permanent install mobile unit.

 

you can beacon APRS using a few passing satellites too, that’s a lot of fun. The ISS, FALCONSAT3, AISAT, and NO84 to name a few.

 

Welcome, and congrats.

APRS is great for boating as well. Is that UV-82WP only 1W output? Now that you can Tx you'll probably want to upgrade. HT units typically come in 5W-8W and mobile units typically operate up to 50W. Sounds like you're on the right track.

 

Congrats! Awesome job.

APRS is great. I use it all the time. All the info can be overwhelming at first, so if you have any questions just give a shout.

 

one of these days, I’m going to have to get you on 80m and talk about your set up.

 

Absolutely

 

Thanks guys! The UV-82WP does 5W and the UV-82HP does 8W. I really only used it at a lake that had a sheriff station on the water. I would talk to a buddy of mine in his boat and be able to hail the sheriff in an emergency.

please explain this magic...so you mean you can uplink to a satellite that will report your packets to the APRS system? Does this mean you could have global coverage?

 

overwhelming indeed!

my primary goal is a mobile unit in the truck. Since I have a general, should I go for tri or quad band or stick to dual? Is there a decent antenna I can get now that I can plug into my HT while I decide what to permanently install? Looks like the ones with digital capabilities are dual band and nearly twice the price of a quad band analog.

Do you guys talk much while mobile or mostly have it for trail comm and emergencies? Where do you listen in when on the road? So many questions haha

 

I chat nearly every morning during my daily commute. I'd stick with dual band. For trail use, I'd recommend a single band 1/4 wave nmo stainless whip for 2m. It will also work on 70cm. SWR will be a tad high, and the radiation pattern a tad wonky, but those stainless whips are flexible enough to survive tree branch strikes. Most dual band antennas are rigid. The ultimate is the nitinol whip from stico. Those are indestructible. I'd consider a dual band antenna while on the pavement and a 2m whip when in the woods. If you wheel in the desert, then stick with the dual band antenna all the time.

Buy an NMO mag mount base for now. I'd suggest drilling an NMO in the roof when you install the mobile.

 

For the Baofeng, toss the rubber duck antenna in the trash and install a 1/4 wave whip. I use a Nagoya on my 8FP. When I started out, I actually used the HT with a mag mount and headset when I was driving in my truck with very good results.

I currently use a Kenwood TM-V71a in my truck (vhf/uhf) that I’m on daily. There’s a local group (two actually) that I chat with during my commute. I basically have several local repeaters programmed that I monitor.

At home, I have an older Yaesu FT-847 all band (HF/6M/VHF/UHF) that I use when I get time.

 

There used to be a group of Offroad Hams that would get together on HF every weekend...