Radio Preppers

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: rah on July 03, 2012, 06:31:31 PM

Title: FNG
Post by: rah on July 03, 2012, 06:31:31 PM
Hello all.  I'm rah from western Montana.  I'm a semi retired cattle rancher and have been enjoying
ham radio for the past three years.  Currently I am General Class operating a Yaesu FT 897 from an 80
meter dipole at 30 feet.  I've logged many good and memorable contacts on HF phone.  Just getting ready
to try my first contact on CW.  I, too, believe comms is one area folks are not prepping for enough.
Title: Re: FNG
Post by: rah on July 04, 2012, 01:42:59 AM
Thanks Gil. Thanks for starting this site.  Glad you enjoyed Montana. If I understand correctly, you're studying
Morse Code.  I'm looking foreword to making contacts with you.

Title: Re: FNG
Post by: gil on July 05, 2012, 08:32:13 AM
Hello,

Certainly.. I have about half the alphabet down now, but I need to increase my reading speed. I try to avoid seeing dots and dashes, and translate sound directly to letters, but it is hard. I am doing well keying though..

When I pass the license exam and can copy Morse code, I definitely want to try contacting everyone on this board who uses CW! Maybe we'll have our own preppers net!

Gil.
Title: Re: FNG
Post by: rah on July 05, 2012, 08:49:54 AM
Hi. Was going to say you're up early.  But, being from Florida, guess not.  I'm in about the same boat with Morse.
Ive got al thel letters, numbers and puncuation and most pro-words.  Copying at speed is challenging.  I guess all we can do is practice.
Title: Re: FNG
Post by: Jim Boswell on July 06, 2012, 03:07:09 PM
Rah,
     Hello to you. I dismantled my home station to use the gear for Field Day. This weekend I hope to re-assemble my station and start some radio repairs. I have several HF rigs to repair and get them ready to sell. When I get my pick-up back from the repair shop I need to do the radio install as I have road trips planned for the end of July and August. Always something needing work. The next big project is to set-up solar power for my radio shop. After that is finished the HF tower in the backyard will the big job. Slowly I have collected all the pieces, time to dig the hole, and do the cement work. What are your plans?  73'S  KA5SIW
Title: Re: FNG
Post by: rah on July 07, 2012, 05:43:10 AM
Hello Jim and thanks for the welcome.  I think I'm pretty much where I want to be with my home station,
and i have installed 2m/land mobile radios in the ranch trucks.  What I need to begin working on is a portable
HF/VHF setup.  Not sure what route to go.  I'd sure appreciate input.
Title: Re: FNG
Post by: Jim Boswell on July 16, 2012, 06:20:24 PM
Rah,
     Will this be a truck instal? Do you plan to buy new radios or go with used gear? For my mobile, I plan to use an Icom 730 with a MFJ mobile tuner and hamsticks for antennas. If I had an Icom 735 I would rather use that. My last mobile HF used an Alinco HF radio and that was nice and compact, but the noise blanker was of poor design.
     For mobile HF work be sure and use a noise canceling mic. With SSB the cab noise will make your voice hard to understand. A good extension speaker is a must. You might consider a 2nd battery. That would also decrease the noise some. I ran 20 meters mostly, sometimes 15 meters. 80 meters is hard to load-up as the antenna bandwidth is very short. Guess if I needed nighttime use I would try 40 meters.

Hope this helps you out,  73'S  KA5SIW
Title: Re: FNG
Post by: rah on August 07, 2012, 10:35:23 PM
Jim,

Sorry for the long delay. I've been summer busy.  Really, what I've been considering is the whole tent, table, cot thing.
I've recently picked up an old Army field desk. It's wood and steel and heavy, but should hold all of the radio gear plus
ground wire, dipole, rope, log book, pad and pencils, etc.  Pretty much a complete package except for support poles.  I
figure on having enough poles to get dipole up 30 feet at center and both ends. Of course, trees at either end would be
a great plus.  The only issue I have is with a single point ground arrangement and a way to find good ground.  Ground
rod at every location, radials, what?  Insight would be helpful.