LOL! Maybe it was intentional! Nah...

Sometimes I hear faint CW on the radio. I turn the knob to zero-beat it, and the tone doesn't change.. Because it isn't there!  :o

Gil.

I meant "Signalink" sorry.

Gil.

I don't think batteries need protection...

Gil.

How would I make my own glass mount transformer?

Gil.

Hello,

I just got a laptop with Windows on it and installed RMS Express. I don't have the Winklink box yet but will get one soon and set-up a radio email address!

Gil.

Anything between 20 and 500 miles is a challenge... I can have  QSO 800 miles away using 100mW on CW but not being able to reach someone 50 miles away. Case in point, Tim and I have tried a few times, unsuccessfully. 30 miles is the maximum line-of-sight distance.. Though ground waves and other weird propagation modes can extend range without ionosphere bounce.. 2m SSB can get you 250 miles, but requires power and a beam antenna. NVIS works once you find out how to set-up your antenna, by trial and error..

Luke, would that 4x70' square loop work 20' off the ground?

Gil.

Well, since Geek is going to start with a Tech license, I think that 2m FM and 10m SSB are the way to go...
There are plenty of Radio Shack HTX-10 for sale on Ebay, very cheap. Worth a try..
AND you can make the same antenna work for CB and 10m!

Gil.

QuoteThea solution can be as complicated/expensive, or as simple/inexpensive as your budget allows.

I usually tell people that you can start Ham radio with $100...

Gil.

Sounds a bit like an old Hartley!
Awesome.

Gil.

Quotethere are those of us on here who ONLY use Morse, because it is SOOOOOO amazingly effective

Like this morning, Ray and I chatted over 830 miles using 100mW!  :o
A tenth of a Watt!!! That's 8000 miles per Watt.
1000miles/Watt award? Oh please  ::)

Gil.

Interesting, because I am a pilot and have done a lot of cave diving..

Gil.

You got it, that's pretty much it.

You can go on some parts of HF with a tech license, but with Morse code only, parts of 80, 40 and 15m.
The only exception is 10m voice (SSB or AM or FM) between 28.3 and 28.5MHz.
The range on 10m can be more than CB (11m), because the band is less noisy and you can use more power.
When conditions are good, 10m can give you intercontimental communications.
The tech license gives you all privileges above 30MHz.

Once you have learned enough and got your Tech license, the General isn't much harder, just a bit more material.
Lots of people pass the Tech and General the same day, but you don't have to. It does save you $14 and a bit of time.

Gil.

Quote2m SW radio with SSB is recommended

2m is not shortwave, it's VHF. Shortwave means frequencies between 1.8 to 30MHz. 2m is 144 to 148MHz.
2m handhelds and car radios do not have SSB, they use FM. Only 2m base stations have SSB.
Some HF+VHF car radios have 2m SSB, but they are expensive ($900+).
You can find 2m FM & SSB base radios on Ebay for about $300, but they are pretty old.
That said, 2m FM should give you 30 miles with good antennas mounted high enough..

Look at the Yaesu FT-270R and FT-2900R, the later could be used at home and in a car, and has 75W in FM.
Best thing is, they are cheap and rugged.
The handheld will only give you a few miles. Of course there are repeaters, but not to be excessively relied upon..

Also get a shortware receiver... That way you will get a better understanding of what's going on on HF.
Short wave and HF means pretty much the same thing.

Gil.

QuoteGil, the link for the CB handheld seems to take me to a radio that has SSB, but it looks like an AM radio, not a CB radio.  Am I misinterpreting the ad?

Yes.

30 miles is pretty far and would be practically impossible with a CB. Even with a Ham radio, it won't be easy. Car antennas are too small and too low for good results at that distance, except if you use a repeater on 2m. I'd say start with 2m for local stuff. It's cheap. Yaesu makes great handhelds and car radios. With a good antenna, maybe a Yagi, you might get your 30 miles. When you're set-up with 2m, get into HF and pass your General license. Then the whole world opens to you.
Don't be in a hurry to buy a radio right now. You need to learn a bit more to make the right choice...

Gil.

Well, I am a little bit clandestine as well... My antenna is a black wire up a tree. You can't see it unless you really look, and it's in the back of the house, which is surrounded by trees. I also use my magnetic loop antenna, and that is inside. Even my Buddistick has worked fine inside the house on the second floor. It is certainly possible. With a tuner, one can even load things that are not meant to be antennas. When I get the ATU for my KX3, I intend on trying to load everything I think might work..

Gil.