Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

I ordered a Comet SSB-224 and found the best price here:
http://www.randl.com/shop/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=1200&products_id=30162

I checked reviews on eham.com to see how the various products perform and hold up and this one had good reviews.

 

Nice. I'd run the same one I think. Hey I read up on the radio, over here:. http://www.miklor.com/COM/Review_50X3.php

The radio is part 90 FCC certified. This is good.

Looks real good from Miklor's mini review.



Reviews are mixed on Amazon though

 

Thanks!

 

Got my technician license a month ago. Call Sign KL4KT. I bough a cheap HT, a UV-82HP and BTECH APRS-K2 cable to start running APRS off of it. Once I graduate I'll try and get a mobile unit with tunable antenna for the truck. Until then this will do.

I analyzed the stock antenna that came with my radio, wasn't expecting to be blown away, but I thought you guys might like to see my results.

These are showing on a Smith Chart. Closer to the center is the best and represents a SWR of 1:1, halfway out of the center to the edge is a SWR of 3. The lines show a sweep of frequencies, the full VHF and UHF frequencies shown on the bottom of the antenna.

VHF Spectrum, the marker shows 144.390 MHz, or the APRS freq.
Swept from 136 MHz to 174 MHz


UHF Spectrum, swept from 400MHz to 520 MHz

 

Never expected to see a Smith Chart on Tacoma World!

 

How did you get a 2x2 on a tech ticket?

 

And once again... I am confused...

 

I had to look this up. KL is a special prefix allocated to region 11, which is Alaska. The sequential call signs assigned for General or Technician licensees in Alaska use KL, NL, or WL for the prefix, a single numeral 0-9, and a two-letter suffix. See http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=call_signs_1&id=amateur

 

Now I really want to move to Alaska

 

Finally APRS'd via a LEO satellite tonight. Using a 4w baofung, mobilinkd tnc and the $2.50 version of ISS detector for android.

http://www1.findu.com/cgi-bin/pcsat.cgi

At least two more APRS Sat's are to be deployed later this year.

 

Might be nice for anyone wanting to relay cords to love ones w/o a digirepeater near by.

 

I just got my APRS to work on my BaoFeng UV82HP today. Volume on radio was about 1/3, on phone was between 1/3 and 1/2. VOX preamble 3000 ms, Squelch 1, VOX 2. I used the

$23 Btech-APRS-V01 BTECH APRS-K1 Multi-Function Universal Audio Interface Cable - Supports APRSpro, APRSDroid - Android & iOS Compatible - Supports BTECH, BaoFeng, TYT, Wouxun, AnyTone, Kenwood, and More

Btech-APRS-V01 cable.

 

I've never tried to relay through satellite. I have Mobilinkd/APRS Droid. how did you configure this to bypass digipeaters and just use satellites? Did you just change the path?

 

Path settings. PATH VIA APRS is: ARISS. That'll get into the ISS, PSAT and PCSAT. No WIDEn-N needed. They'll all digipeat you to an iGate.

 

Ah. Also satellites don't use the ground based 144.39. The ISS Detector app lists the uplink/downlink freqs.

 

So I'm looking at begin the process to lightly dip the very tips of my toes into the amateur radio pool. I am looking for the cheapest handheld that has APRS in it already.

Does anyone have any good recommendations?

I found this one on Amazon. Says it has GPS. Is that the same as APRS?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P7P5F2Q/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3FW0F7WHK60QB&coliid=I1QWL5Q4FMX9MX

 

While it has GPS, it does not have built in APRS and I doubt it has any way of giving GPS data to an external TNC. It probably just tells you your GPS location. Kenwood TH-D74A is an all-in-one radio/gps/tnc with a lot of other bells and whistles. Not cheap either.

I've said it before and some may agree and others may not, but I'll say it again. Buy a dedicated radio to talk with and a dedicated radio for APRS.
APRS can be very inexpensive. A

$63 Baofeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio (136-174MHz VHF & 400-520MHz UHF) Includes Full Kit with Large Battery

Baofeng BF-F8HP, an upgraded antenna, mobilinkd TNC and an old Android phone will get you started.

 

This is probably the least expensive HT with APRS built in.
http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-014545
I have one but I have a FTM-400XDR in the Taco. Haven't played around much with APRS but will be soon.

 

You're the second person that has brought up that idea to me. Might have to look into that method and pick up a cheap burner or something.

 

Passed technician license test on Saturday and ordered radio, antenna and mount for truck on Sunday. They asked if I wanted to take the general test as the cost is the same. I said sure I will try, but had not studied and knew I wasn't ready. Scored 21 on the general.