Amateur Radio

[JohnA]

How many Hams do we have on the forum??  I just got my Technician and I know of one other.  KQ4HXX

[billybob]

Gary over at rtm thread.. don't know more. Maybe he will say, or not.

 

[Marvel]

Always wanted to, John. I spent all my money on guitars. My brother was, and I occasionally let him burn me with a soldering iron while I held parts and wires for him.

[HiFi Heaven]

NØCRE "Can't Remember Everything" near Minneapolis

100 watts SSB 20/40/75M + 50 watts FM 144/440 MHz

 

 

[JohnA]

Cool!  I only have an HT, for now, and am finding more local repeater all the time.  We have over 30 repeaters in the area.  With so many, few are active.  The 8 or 10 GMRS repeaters are much more active. 

 

I've already figured out an HF antenna will not work on my tiny lot, plus, no one else in the subdivision has an external antenna.  I have a CB antenna with sloping radials in the attic that works great.  The GRMS antenna up there, not so much.  I'm looking at a 6m/2m/70cm Comet, but it is over 8' tall plus tower.  Any suggestions are welcome.  The primary objective for 6m will be talking to the Nashville area. 

[the real Duke Spinner]

I have a full set of Drake RX/TX equio from the early 1980s. 🙂

[billybob]

9 minutes ago, the real Duke Spinner said:

I have a full set of Drake RX/TX equio from the early 1980s. 🙂

They made good electronics. Made satellite receivers, not inexpensive.

[the real Duke Spinner]

1 hour ago, billybob said:

They made good electronics. Made satellite receivers, not inexpensive.

Not inexpensive.  But it lasts ..

My stuff is early 1980s

Never been touched other than Alignment

 

 

[JJkizak]

I remember that the experimental over the horizon radar at Fox Main (Canada) in the 27 meg range was raising hell with all of the hams around the middle 60's.

JJK

[Invidiosulus]

On 4/25/2023 at 10:04 PM, Marvel said:

Always wanted to, John. I spent all my money on guitars. My brother was, and I occasionally let him burn me with a soldering iron while I held parts and wires for him.

Rick had quite the setup.

 

Last fall a couple of my kids got to help set up a radio tower at their middle school and the class got to use it to talk with astronaut Robert Hines on the International Space Station.

[JohnA]

LOL!  Most of that stuff fits in one box, now.  But, now I see why they call them shacks.  And the retailer's name......

[Marvel]

9 hours ago, JohnA said:

LOL!  Most of that stuff fits in one box, now.  But, now I see why they call them shacks.  And the retailer's name......

My late brother Rick, in the back right, had quite a collection, and like audio folks didn't use a lot of it. IIRC, he did a lot of 6 meter work, with a Yaesu, perhaps the one on the upper shelf in front of him. Miniaturization also meant most hams were no longer required or needed to build their own gear, nor could most given the complexity and density of the transceivers. That actually may not be his 'shack', as I don't remember that large a window. I was remembering more in the basement.

[the real Duke Spinner]

19 hours ago, Invidiosulus said:

Rick had quite the setup.

 

Last fall a couple of my kids got to help set up a radio tower at their middle school and the class got to use it to talk with astronaut Robert Hines on the International Space Station.

I am old enough to be familiar with that vintage equipment. 🙄

Built lots of Heathkit, including a 1KW linear

[Travis In Austin]

This was my Dad’s call sign, he would have been a senior in high school at this time. 
 

Can someone explain what all of this means on this post card?

 

[tube fanatic]

On 4/26/2023 at 2:01 PM, JohnA said:

Cool!  I only have an HT, for now, and am finding more local repeater all the time.  We have over 30 repeaters in the area.  With so many, few are active.  The 8 or 10 GMRS repeaters are much more active. 

 

I've already figured out an HF antenna will not work on my tiny lot, plus, no one else in the subdivision has an external antenna.  I have a CB antenna with sloping radials in the attic that works great.  The GRMS antenna up there, not so much.  I'm looking at a 6m/2m/70cm Comet, but it is over 8' tall plus tower.  Any suggestions are welcome.  The primary objective for 6m will be talking to the Nashville area. 

Wire antennas can be extremely effective, and can easily be arranged for HF on small lots.  You can get some ideas here:

 

https://www.qsl.net/va3iul/Antenna/Wire Antennas for Ham Radio/Wire_antennas_for_ham_radio.htm

 

I spent my youth under the tutelage of “old timers” who knew more electronics than the EEs in many cases, and I was involved in countless antenna projects.  
 

Maynard

[tube fanatic]

7 hours ago, Travis In Austin said:

This was my Dad’s call sign, he would have been a senior in high school at this time. 
 

Can someone explain what all of this means on this post card?

 

Not difficult to interpret:  W6IYD is the guy your dad spoke with.  QSO is a conversation with the date and time specified (on 28 mHz voice in this case). The signal report of 59 can be interpreted from this:  http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~maxwell/RSTInfo.html

 

The guy’s transmitter used push pull 807s to produce 70 watts, and his receiver was a converted military surplus unit (very popular and readily available after the war).

 

http://www.tuberadio.com/robinson/museum/command/

 

Hope this helps!

 

Maynard

 

 

[tube fanatic]

Some may be familiar with using the 807 in audio applications.  Here’s an example of how the ham operators used it;

 

https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Short-Wave-News/Short-Wave-News-1949-11.pdf

 

 

Maynard

[Travis In Austin]

4 hours ago, tube fanatic said:

11 hours ago, Travis In Austin said:

This was my Dad’s call sign, he would have been a senior in high school at this time. 
 

Can someone explain what all of this means on this post card?

 

Expand  

Not difficult

 

4 hours ago, tube fanatic said:

Not difficult to interpret:  W6IYD

W6IYD was my dad, he got his unlimited Class A in high school, I think he was 15. He got his 2nd class radio after he graduated from high school.
 

He had those cards printed up which I guess was a big thing back in that day because there are 100s on eBay?
 

I assuming the communication was by Morse code, not voice? These cards were exchanged to verify things like signal strength, the Transmitter power of signal being received? 
 

 

[Travis In Austin]

4 hours ago, tube fanatic said:

The signal report of 59 can be interpreted from this:  http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~maxwell/RSTInfo.html

Now I know where “reading you 5 by 9” comes from. I have a amateur magazine of his that is devoted to converting the military Command brand receivers, so I know what that’s about now.

 

Thanks

 

 

[Thaddeus Smith]

13 minutes ago, Travis In Austin said:

He had those cards printed up which I guess was a big thing back in that day because there are 100s on eBay?

 

Still is. My FIL is a HAM and continues to send/receive them as he works other HAM's around the world. The radio work and science behind it is a big driver of the hobby for him, and dovetailed into his career. But there's also a geography and collecting/cataloguing component which overlays with the hobby and drives him to keep up with it.