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JohnA

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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. 

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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.

762AC706-EC4D-41B5-9296-72246878E2F5.jpeg.5a637beab70b08ef0dc5f9a5a64c6ee6.jpeg

 

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.

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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.

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19 hours ago, Invidiosulus said:

Rick had quite the setup.

762AC706-EC4D-41B5-9296-72246878E2F5.jpeg.5a637beab70b08ef0dc5f9a5a64c6ee6.jpeg

 

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

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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

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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?

 

B59E33D8-0BB5-457B-8672-0671F06D4492.thumb.png.c111b391780a5782be8852b069a554e6.png2A003681-16DB-4C68-86BC-18A94F91BE8B.thumb.png.7ce8bd14000ec465617b9499351df0be.png


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

 

 

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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?

 

B59E33D8-0BB5-457B-8672-0671F06D4492.thumb.png.c111b391780a5782be8852b069a554e6.png2A003681-16DB-4C68-86BC-18A94F91BE8B.thumb.png.7ce8bd14000ec465617b9499351df0be.png

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? 
 

 

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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

 

 

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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.

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