A couple days ago I turned on my K2 and pressed the TUNE button. The ATU went through some clicking and ended with a 1.5:1 SWR, not bad... Then I realized my 25' coax cable wasn't plugged into anything! The Elecraft ATU had matched my coax cable!

Gil.

Hello Tess.

A ground rod has nothing to do with the mode you use, and is not the antenna or any part of it. Well, not really. It is just a six foot steel rod covered with copper that you pound into the ground and connect to a lightning arrestor, which is like a double female coax plug with a ground lug. If lightning strikes the antenna, the current is redirected to the ground rod instead of your equipment. That's the theory anyway. I don't know how well they work. It also provides somewhat of an RF ground and can help the antenna to radiate properly. Also, it can prevent RF to go back to your shack. I did not have to install one, but lightning is very common here, and my end-fed dipole is just a few feet from my bedroom window, so.. I never leave my radio plugged-in when not in use, but you never know, I might forget sometimes..

Gil.

Here's the type of arrestor I used:

Hello Tess. It probably does... Unfortunately I never was very good at music. Morse code just will take a long time for me. It is what it is.. I need to practice more, that's for sure. Keep at it!

Good night  :)

Gil.

Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing this.

Gil.

I use another tactic: Slow-as-molasses code, which is easily decodable, but nobody has the patience to do so. Well, except Ray sometimes, I don't know how he does it...

Gil.

What the difference between a Winlink message and a peer-to-peer one?

Gil.

I wish.. With the economy the way it's going, I don't ever see saving enough money to buy land..

QuoteInsert 100 foot tower(s) here ---^

I'd never use a tower, too visible...

Gil.

Good morning Luck,

I am thinking of Idaho too, but I hate being cold, so that's going to be a tough one...

Gil.

Hum, I couldn't display it because it's not under my account... Sorry...

Great video. I used to fly ultralights, three-axis.
I have a gyrocopter frame in my living room...

Gil.

Well, I'm the only one who can do that.. To anyone wanting to post a Youtube video, just post the link, notify me by private message and I'll add the code...

Gil.

QuoteCan anyone tell me how to set my email notification for this forum?  I'd like to be on top of responses to my posts. 

Note the "Notify" button, top right corner of each thread/page...

Gil.

Quoteim guessin the older ham's like that arent totally compatible with today's ham tech, like echolink?

You can... It's just a matter of getting the right interface and buying or making the right connectors..
The biggest problem with older rigs are parts breaking and electrolytic capacitors leaking.
I have an old Gonset Communicator, and although it works, I am replacing all those caps..

Gil.

QuoteI prefer a stand along hf or hf/6meter rig and then a 2meter/440 HT.

Not to mention that this way you can listen to both at the same time!

Gil.

Hello Ttabs,

Welcome aboard. I visited your state last year, and It was one of my favorites! I have read "Patriots" also  ;) I am even contemplating spending next summer there. Ray here suggested McCall...

On top of the IC-7000, you might want to get a radio with a very low current draw on receive... Maybe an MFJ-9440, or an Elecraft...

Gil.

Quotehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Heathkit-SB-634-Ham-Station-Console-/160918283577?pt=US_Ham_Radio_Transceivers&hash=item25777a2539

Heathkits are good but they are old. I am not sure the one you mentioned is actually a transceiver.. I wouldn't suggest something that old. You want a solid state radio for starters, Icom or Yaesu, Kenwood or even Ten Tec as Tim suggests.

You'd be better off waiting a bit and getting something reliable..

Also look at something like the MFJ-9420X, brand new is less than $280, but one band only.

Gil.