Hello Ray,

That's great! I highly recommend the Mighty Box from American Morse and the connectors kit from Small Wonder Labs. Both save you a whole lot of time..
You can also buy a 2SC799 transistor on Ebay to replace Q6 (R18=2.2 ohms - use a heatsink on Q6!) and get from 1W to 2W depending on DC voltage and chosen band.. It increases your chances of success.. It sure is a fun little radio. I have the 20 and 40m models, but I'm not done yet!

Gil.

Hello Bob,

20m is more open during the day, though it also can be open at night. 40m is more of a night band, or local day band. Right now we are at the top of the solar cycle, so 20m might be a good bet, given antenna length requirements as you mention.. We'll be good for another three years probably. 40m always work, so it is a difficult choice. If you don't want him to be up all night on school days, 20m is the way to go ;-)

Gil.

What do you guys think about eQSL?

Gil.

Hello,

I remember reading about building sailboats and came upon the saying from a famous sailor: "Go Small, Go Now!"

It can be applied to many things in life, radio being one of them. Sure, you might want to save up for a $1000 transceiver... But if you recently got or will get your license soon, you really don't need one right now. Hell, a $139 CB can get you started, without the license. What I want to draw you attention on however is QRP (low power) radios. You don't need more than a few watts to make intercontinental contacts, believe me. You just need a decent antenna, which could be a simple wire up a tree.

If you want to start really small, then there is Morse code (CW mode). CW radios are very small and very cheap. The Rock-Mite kit for example costs $29 and can be built by anyone with decent soldering skill which can be learned in an hour. See http://smallwonderlabs.com. There are more complex kits like the Elecraft K1 (http://elecraft.com). TenTec right now has two-band CW radios for sale at $188 (http://tentec.com) as well as mono-band kits. Learning Morse code can be a lengthy and frustrating process but for someone on a budget it is unbeatable. Making a first Morse QSO is something anyone can be proud of, even if it was just exchanging call signs.

For phone (voice) operations, the choice is more limited when it comes to radios under $300. MFJ has a great line of SSB radios, the MFJ-94xx series. Here is my favorite: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-9440X. It will do CW as well with an added module. 10W is plenty of power to work the whole World. If you like building, check out http://ozqrp.com and http://qrpkits.com. I have bought kits from both and can attest of their quality.



Believe me, putting more money in complicated radios will not make your signal go further or make you hear much better. You just get a ton of extra features which, however nice, are not needed to operate successfully. Don't even get me started about amplifiers... Band conditions and antennas are the main limiting factor, power comes third. From a prepping perspective, current draw and portability are very important factors, keep that in mind.

Go Small, Go QRP, Go Now!

Gil.

I have been working on something new... http://ruggedantennas.com

Does anyone know of a good numerically equipped machine shop?

Thanks,

Gil.

I received my first QSL card today! Didn't ask for it, but it was nice. I don't have one to send back  :-[

Gil.

I'm sure you could work out something with Marc the instructor here. He's not in it for the money..
I can get you started also if you have someone to practice with.. I may have others who might want to start as well...
Then, on to the regular class with confidence...

Gil.

QuoteGil, what open source/Linux type "ham" related stuff do you run (if any)?

Hi Tim, I have Fldigi on my laptop. I am sure there are more, I just haven't looked much, since I have been using my Mac mostly these last few months...

Gil.

Ham Morse on iPod, Fldigi on the Mac. Aether for logging.
See my post in "Antennas" about magnetic loops for software..
Spectrogram to align my K1, K2, and other kits.

I wouldn't touch Windows with a ten foot pole..

Gil.

Nah, never been in the military. I did have a bad motorcycle accident in 2004, broke my femur and dislocated my shoulder. I could not afford the physical therapy, so I picked up Russian martial art, "Systema." I had never seen anything like it!

The seminar this time will be oriented towards personal protection. Usually they cost about $200 to $250. If you are ever tempted to learn some really efficient hand-to-hand combat Russian style, we have a class here, Monday/Tuesday/Thursday night. Sometimes I do teach beginner's mini seminars, usually on Sunday afternoons, when there are enough people ready to go.. The regular class is taught by a certified instructor.

For learning hand-to-hand combat quickly and efficiently, IMHO there is nothing better than Systema. Some such knowledge should be part of any prepping plan.



Below is the guy who got me started, he would be teaching the February seminar:



Cool stuff, huh?

Gil.

Hello Qietus, and welcome aboard  :D

I had a great time in Wyoming last summer! Watched "Encounter of The Third Kind" at the base of Devil's Tower and did some horseback riding around Dubois..

Gil.

Ray, I can't thank you enough for your help. It's great for me to practice copying on paper and not feel bad about missing a few letters, because then I can ask confirmation by email. It is not always easy to find someone willing to slow down to 8wpm for long QSOs AND repeat himself often! The 2W accident was indeed very interesting. 2 Watts with an 8ft. antenna inside the house!! Still amazed. It shows that as you say, power is not the main factor; a few watts can do a lot, more than I thought in fact. I was worried about rarely making contact, especially with the Buddistick. Some comments on Eham did portray it as a "good dummy load." Now I know that these people have no idea what they are talking about... Probably the same guys that pretend QRP doesn't work and only leads to frustration and hair-pulling. Poor ignorant souls...

As to "doing it all in a short time," I have discovered that a big part of learning is not caring about failing. I often "jump in" projects or situations slightly above my comfort level, and that is the best way to learn. That is, when there is no risk to life and limb... I always tell myself "one thing at a time." But one things leads to another...

For TEOTWAKI, I believe in mobility. Not that bugging out is always the answer, especially if like me you have nowhere to go. But you never know if you'll have to. If I had to for instance, my IC-271A is not coming along.. I have much more important things to carry than a boat anchor. The K1 and the Buddistick are the first ones I'll grab.

Anyway, I still have trouble sometimes confusing W,U,D & G... I know them of course, but I lag in decoding them sometimes.

Time to turn the radio on for a bit around 7030... Good night ya'll  ;)

Gil.

Oh no Ray, it was the antenna I was promoting, not myself  :D
I think the last time success went to my head, I must have been around twelve!

QuoteI am amazed how rapidly you're advancing in your Morse code!

You wouldn't be if you saw my notepad  :o

Gil.

Nope, must have been a similar one, up in Montana or thereabout...

Gil.

I think I drove by that locomotive last summer!

Gil.