Lutetium-
Transcript 5
06/08/2023 at 16:53 • 0 comments![]()
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Field day, 2 weeks, if you’re interested, go!![]()
Just a note that the U of Oregon has a ham club (N7DUX...)![]()
Mic shyness is a thing and it goes away over time. Don't let it put you off.![]()
if you’re in the Chattanooga area Devanooga will be hosting a station on Walden Ridge, details in the Devanooga slack![]()
@zonker.harris I'm aiming to be in Portland for Field Day will be fun to connect with some stations near and far.![]()
Well, thank you to all who participated today! Beau and I were typing furiously, but without your help, we wouldn't have made it to the end!![]()
Go get a license, get on the air!![]()
Need to get younger kids exposed to ham radio volunter to demonstrate i schools for STEM.![]()
Bouncing radio signals off the moon was also mentioned, and yes, people really do that.![]()
Thanks for all the advice and resources. Cheers /waves![]()
Some ham get into tracking space probes in orbit around the sun mars or the moon.![]()
OK all, let's say thanks to Mark and Beau and call it a day. Thanks guys! And thanks to everyone who came out and made this a super-lively chat. Good luck to @Tom Nardi going through the transcript for his summary article on Friday ;-)![]()
So as it goes, Be Excellent and get on the air, if you already have a license please use it and bring someone new on the air to try it out. If you are thinking about please stay curious and see where it takes you.![]()
fun chat, thanks folks & 73![]()
Transcript coming up, BTW![]()
When I helped out at a local amateur radio booth for a local fair I remember one father and son duo that came by. Both licensed. The boy was 5. :)![]()
Hope he uses GPT4!![]()
Thanks @Dan Maloney for inviting us here today!Thanks guy! 73
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73's de KE6WOB![]()
Heresy! Hackaday content is 100% meatspace-generated![]()
I'll be clear on @xBeau final.![]()
We need a followed up to this chat so that those who were here can come back and tell us they went out and got their licence. :)![]()
73 de VE3SYB![]()
And since those that know, probably didn't know to ask yet. 73 is the ubiquitous sign off in Amateur Radio, meaning I've got nothing else, end of communications and see ya!![]()
73's & 88's![]()
for the QRP enthusiasts, 72. :)![]()
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@Kevin nice one, I look forward to the QRO crowd chiming on the 74![]()
@xBeau We won't start a flame war about whether it should or should not be pluralized.![]()
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I would join a ham discord![]()
I need to go. I have some documentation I'm supposed to be writing.![]()
for luls it's an interesting dive in to "Q" codes, which is the short hand derived from CW.And one more shout out, QSV which means shall I send a series of V's. There's a group of us HAMs that Hack which have take'n on the abbreviation for some of adventurs.
..._ ..._ ..._ ..._
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Hi, I have joined a bit late. This is ea4gmz from Madrid, Spain.![]()
Also, Q codes aren't always need when using voice modes. It can often be easier to say what you want to say without the use of Q codes than with them.![]()
You're 59. Please repeat your last. ;)![]()
Totally, plain English is the preferred trend, there's a bit of a local slang that becomes part of the vernacular.![]()
Good luck to those of you who are going to go for your iicence. It is a fun and interesting hobby. -
Transcript 4
06/08/2023 at 16:52 • 0 comments![]()
Are you in SoCal?![]()
Back in my day, we had to know CW at FIFTEEN words a minute to even look at a radio!![]()
@Mark J Hughes You also don't need a calculator during the test session.K6FID in Northern California
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which, incidentally, is why I didn’t get general until 2005![]()
Getting together with other hams is also useful. Passing the test is just step one. Learning operating procedures, using the equipment is also a big part of it. The tests can't cover much as the hobby has so many options.![]()
@Mark J Hughes -- Although I will say studying for the test taught me an awful lot. Passive learning, I guess. Plus I researched terms and concepts I heard about while practicing![]()
@Andre Lewis GQRX is a good linux software for it. Or if you're really brave, you can play with GNURadio.![]()
To add to what @Mark J Hughes said: https://hamstudy.org/![]()
Old novice CW requirement was only 5 WPM!![]()
@hamsterdave I had to learn CW too!!!!![]()
@Dan Maloney Oh, you should absolutely learn theory. I'm just saying don't let that be a barrier to getting licensed.![]()
@Kevin you are absolutely correct.![]()
Yeah I agree, almost everything on the test is better learned once you’re on the air. Pro tip: actually learn the frequency limits while studying for the test though. A lot of modern radios don’t have band limits built in and you don’t want to wander out of the bands![]()
@kjansky1 I think Technician Plus (HF) was 5 WPM too.![]()
@Rikke Rasmussen exactly, was just pulling up the link. You can take practice tests for all levels, and they are from the actual questions you'll see on the test. It will also walk you thru any questions you missed and the what/why of the question. I just took the Tech again and managed to pass with a 88% some of the wording gets a little tricky.![]()
Anyone here doing moon bounce?![]()
It's been an hour, and I could try to tap the brakes on this thing but I think it'll put me through the windshield, so to speak. We'll keep going as long as you want...![]()
Sounds good @Dan Maloney I've got some extra time.![]()
@Dan Maloney I'm good to keep rolling a bit too![]()
Not long after getting General I was politely informed by a another ham that I was operating illegally by accident.![]()
Thanks for a great HackChat. I have to hop off.![]()
Maybe we can spend a few minutes on targeted topics -- seems right now we're talking about passing the tests -- can anyone provide additional apps / study guides we can put in the official transcripts?![]()
73's @fid![]()
I was blowing smoke RE the 15wpm thing. It was for general when I started but I only had to do 5wpm when I got mine in '05![]()
@kjansky1 I figured we would get around to that a bit, I haven't done it myself yet and getting more interested. Just met with some folks last night that are quite adept at it. A favored technique involved using 1296 MHz. To do EME, Earth Moon Earth communications.![]()
we needed some "old codger" vibes in here![]()
@hamsterdave Get off my lawn!![]()
Thanks! Yes I have looked at gnuradio, but got bogged down in defining my own filters... which is to say I didn't get very far ;)![]()
For any Canadians that may be here (or that are reading the transcript), you can take a look at the RAC website for study guides -> https://www.rac.ca/study-guides-2/![]()
GQRX is my go to for SDR on linux![]()
I tried GNU radio. Best advice is to use Pentoo L:inux. I recycled an old PC for it.![]()
@Andre Lewis GNURadio is.....well....just too much for most people. Yeah you can decode anything under the sun. But I'd rather not. Although, we might get GPT4 to write some python code for us to import into GNURadio!![]()
Thanks @Kevin![]()
I settled on GQRX. I found GNURadio too complicated unless you really want to experiment and/or do development related to radio.![]()
Next topic we should probably cover is "What Radio Should a Newbie Get?"![]()
For anyone interested in EME but without money to burn, check out K1JT’s article on 70cm EME on a budget. The station is a technical challenge but definitely achievable for anyone able to build antennas, and it can be done fairly cheap, especially given newer LDMOS V/UHF amps![]()
That was a typo right, Radio(s)![]()
Gordon West books are good: https://a.co/d/a7UZqhM![]()
Dan Maloney provided some links earlier on. But I'll toss out the Anytone AT-D878UVII -- it's around $300![]()
@xBeau it'a getting pretty late on this side of the Atlantic, so I'm gonna bounce - thanks for hosting the chat!![]()
It will still run you a grand or two, but that is way below the $10k+ 2m phone monster stations![]()
The Icom ID5100A is a nice mobile rig.![]()
Get a radio you can afford. You don't have to spend a fortune on one. There are plenty of used radios around so don't feel you have to buy new.![]()
Radio newbie? QRZ-1 Explorer. Affordable and good to go![]()
@Kevin Good advice!@Mark J Hughes many options for radio.. but I learnt very soon that getting a well placed antenna makes experience much better, than the radio.
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That should probably be our next topic @Kaushlesh Chandel "What antenna should I use with my radio?"![]()
really, for an HT, the baofengs get a lot of hate but they’re fine for an intro rig. Just know that having an HT as your primary will probably result in things getting a little samey pretty quickly. You can do sats with one and an RTL-SDR though. I’ll also second the 878UV, lots of bang for the buckI started with a Baofeng, then got a $150 Anytone .. But only after I put a J pole in attic, I started enjoying the hobby more :)
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IC-7300 and a simple EFHW and I’m talking to Chile from New York, 100 watts, no prob![]()
I'm a big fan of used gear, craigslist, swaps etc, you usually get come interesting accessories or antenna combinations that keeps it interesting.![]()
That's an option. Get an inexpensive radio and put the money towards a better antenna. On the other hand, sometimes something as simple as a bit of wire for a dipole, or inverted L can be all you need. Available real estate can be a limiting factor.![]()
You can buy antennas, some are great fun to build as well![]()
And the answer is anthing you can put outdoors -- the higher the better. But just get off the rubber ducky that comes with your radio.![]()
I've used verticals because I don't have the space for a dipole.![]()
That is if you are going HF. Handhelds for 2m or 70cm don't need anything much more than the antenna on the radio.@xBeau I got a 20W Anytone mobile radio, and I grabbed a Mirage Amplifier on ebay for $80.
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@xBeau Tell us about Parachute Mobile!![]()
parachutemobile.org is yet another interesting way to play radio, just add some sky diving@xBeau used stuff is great to start with. Then one day you can buy fancy ICOM waterfall stuff :)
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For beginners w a technician ticket for getting on vhf 2 meters or UHF can't beat a cheapo like the Baofeng handhelds.![]()
Can you just send the radio up with a parachute and have someone kick it out the door?![]()
We just did Mission 43 and did two VHF jumps and one 20 meter HF jump. So you've basically got a transmitter slowly floating down from 13,000 making as many contacts as they can![]()
I would say if you're going to get a Baofeng -- get a programming cable and chirp (free), then download a codeplug for your area.![]()
@xBeau I just remember the other acronym I was trying to remember. JOTA (Jamboree On The Air) is the event where Boy Scouts get introduced to amateur radio.![]()
Well we have a meat bag strapped to the radio and parachute for FCC compliance![]()
@xBeau are you in #redditnet?![]()
guy in there has done parachute mobile.![]()
For people who like hiking and/or mountain climbing there is SOTA (Summits On The Air) where people take radio equipment high up in to them thar hills and operate portably from on high.![]()
@Kevin gotcha, at the last big West Coast event Pacificon we got some JOTA to Parachute contacts going![]()
Another issue to talk about is "emergency power" -- how will you plan to charge your batteries / use your radio if you're hiking, during an emergency, etc.![]()
@hamsterdave good to know, I'm not familiar with that one![]()
How about SOTA for the outdoor hams Summits On The Air contacts.![]()
SOTA / POTA are great, Parks On The Air have been getting active as well. And both are quite common for QRP (low power)![]()
@hamsterdave That's a new one on me. I have not heard of that before. I do know I won't participate in the jumping side of that.![]()
SOTA is great!![]()
I've been hearing a lot of POTA activity at the upper end of 10m.![]()
oops... 20m.![]()
I was recently at the top of Mt. Diablo and made some contacts to Montana and Colorado, there was also a big event in Kentucky at the time chattering away.![]()
I'm a big fan of converting everything I own over to Anderson Powerpole connectors and then using one of these to haul around for drive-to spots. https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_MTBA890?impressionRank=9![]()
But you wouldn't want to hike with that.![]()
They sell PowerPoles at NAPA? Today I learned...![]()
LiFePO4 batteries can power your rig for much longer than a Sealed Lead-Acid battery. https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/bip-blf-1206a![]()
And that's at least in the realm of "I can hike with this."![]()
Really depends on how much transmitting and at what power, since receiving doesn't usually take much juice.![]()
Then pair that with some energy producing device (like a solar panel) and you'll be able to talk for a little longer anyway.![]()
Well if anyone is ever coming thru the bay area, please pass along a hello and there's a few regular groups and HAM activities going on I can point you to. I'm also a regular on the N6NFI repeater on the hill behind Stanford next to the "Big Dish". I host a net there every other Thursday morning as part of the long running 9amtalk.net and you can you join us from anywhere using EchoLink via the W6REK-R node.![]()
For anyone interesting in the contesting aspect of amateur radio, the provincial (Canadian) and state (American) QSO parties are a good way to get your feet wet. They are more relaxed types of events than things like CQ WW or other major world wide 2 day event.![]()
BTW -- you can convert a Anderson 75 Amp to an Anderson 25 Amp via 10 AWG wire and connectors.![]()
And you can get the anderson powerpoles here: https://powerwerx.com/![]()
Invest in the proper crimp tool, too -- you won't be sorry you did![]()
Good call Dan!![]()
Any comments about hamsats?![]()
There are quite a few of them up there.![]()
That's true, another thing that I think is awesome about the HAM community is that it shares a lot of the general spirit of hacking, and is intended to be open and inviting to all. While you can buy or collect all of these things, you can likely connect with some local folks that will be happy to share and introduce you to all kinds of things.![]()
I agree with @xBeau , as we get older, and other friends fade away, Amateur Radio gives us an opportunity to make new friends, learn new things, and maybe help out our neighbors in an emergency.![]()
The new(er?) Phase III satellites were meant to make it easier to work through satellites. Now are there are also a bunch of microsats being put in to orbit.![]()
Sure are its too bad we don't have a Geo over NA the Europeans have the QO100 with 2GHz up and 10Ghz down we are really way behind them.![]()
Any final questions or thoughts from the crowd?![]()
It can be really intimidating to make your first contacts. It was only a few years ago that my hands would be shaking so much I couldn't even hold the push to talk button steady. You gotta try it though, and keep at it. It won't take to long to connect with someone. It's also great to get out in person, particularly some of the out door events like Field Day coming up. And lets get more RADIO ACTIVE for Supercon 2023![]()
-
Transcript 3
06/08/2023 at 16:51 • 0 comments![]()
Are there any questions we've missed?![]()
There are several organizations dedicated to QRP. Not sure if they are still around as I haven't checked in a while. There is (or was) G-QRP in the UK, and one based out of Michigan. Forget the name right now.![]()
Hello. Have Tech ticket. Found that 2m FM y area is cricket town. Does any one have baby step guide to digital?![]()
@mykelove --I'll self-plug again: https://hackaday.com/2021/02/10/the-50-ham-digital-modes-with-wsjt-x/![]()
QRP is cool, that's short for Low Power, general 5 watts or less output. There's a group here in the Bay Area that meets up Friday afternoons and uses the salty flats of the bay as a great ground plane to optimize the signal. They're often able to contact Japan with just a few watts![]()
It documents at least some of my first steps into WSJT-X. Might help you out![]()
Thank you.![]()
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I've seen an article on how an RPi can be used for digital mode (WSJT?) using little more than a shirt piece of wire for the transmit antenna.![]()
A ham radio station contest build would be great![]()
IIRC, G-QRP (or was it SPRAT) that said they try to have a minimum level of technical articles in each issue.![]()
@mykelove Absolutely! So you'll need a way for your radio mic/speaker to connect to your computer speaker/mic and a way for the computer to control the radio. These things are called "Terminal Node Controllers" and the cheapest I'm aware of is the Digi-Rig.![]()
@Kevin -- I did almost that -- used a Pi and an Si5351 module and made a WSPR beacon![]()
https://hackaday.com/2021/04/15/the-50-ham-a-simple-wspr-beacon/
The $50 Ham: A Simple WSPR Beacon
I was having a chat recently with someone, and it surprised me that she had an amateur radio license. I suppose it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise; after all, getting a ham radio license is a pretty common rite of passage in the life of a hardware hacker.
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I hate to keep plugging my articles, but you know...![]()
The Wee Willy is a great small circuit![]()
Any thoughts about possible takeover of more ham bands for 5G use such as the 10 ghz microwave band?![]()
@Dr. Cockroach -- you said an amateur radio contest would be cool. You need to check out Go Boxes. I absolutely agree!!!!![]()
@Dan Maloney It is a good set of articles.![]()
Going back to SDR, I really think that's a great way in with our without a license. You can start to find and listen to local traffic for less than $30 with a USB RTL-SDR dongle.Also even cheaper, in the online SDR's I think Kiwi is super handy and listen in from all over. You need to learn a few things on how to dial in what you want:
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Will do![]()
Mark: Thanks to you too. Will that work on FM portable radio?![]()
Nice job on the WSPR beacon @Dan Maloney !!!!![]()
Oh, Field Day is coming up soon. Find your local amateur radio club and drop by their field day site to meet other hams, see the activities going on, and possible get a little time on the air (under supervision from a licenced ham).![]()
So related to WSPR, that has really pulled in me into some other interesting facets of HAM.![]()
@mykelove Yes - you can even plug the digirig into a baofeng -- you lose the ability to control the radio frequency (have to change that manually) but it'll work with any radio really. Provided there's someone on the other end to communicate to.![]()
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Best way to counter spectrum loss is to use it
Check out Walter Clark's DROplexer
http://ham-radio.com/sbms/presentations/Walt_Clark/DROplexer.pdf
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Absolutely @hspil![]()
Use the spectrum!![]()
sf-hab.org has been launching balloons and we have one K6EAU-11 on it's second lap around the world sending telemetry on 20 meters with a WSPR beacon now powered by a RP2040 chip. It's been up for a few weeks now, and the red tail shows the last few days, all of the pins are stations around the world receiving the signal. It only transmits when it has sunlight to power it, and just got to the end of it's day on it's second approach to the coast of Africa.![]()
I don't think ham use of bands has anything to do with it its only the $$$$$$$$ raked in by the cell phone Co's that the FCC will listen to!
@xBeau So its way past of being shot down :)
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I've also really gotten in to hidden transmitter hunts, which teaches you how to do direction finding based on the radio signal. It turns out that the weather service loves launching balloons, and there's over 1,000! every day that get launched. There's a large community project that tracks and collects all this data. A number of us then go out and try to recover ones that have landed. Check the launches daily 4am & 4pm Pacific time and the balloons are transmitting for about 2 hours in the air https://sondehub.org/![]()
I'm going to take this pause to plug www.boondockecho.com -- if you're a licensed Ham, we've got a device that will allow you to record & transcribe all of your contacts, and we created it for the Hackaday Prize. In fact @Kaushlesh Chandel and I met in a Hack Chat! We're looking for 20 beta testers for the first batch -- probably do US only for now.![]()
It's already possible to connect AI with amateur radio. @Kaushlesh Chandel has done it Hehe...![]()
@Mark J Hughes Already opened that link in another tab. The website is lacking information. Not even really anything about what it is supposed to do. I don't like signing up to send an inquiry with so little information on the page.@Kevin Here is the hackaday.io page
https://hackaday.io/project/186791-project-boondock-echo
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Where is the fun in having an AI for ham radio operation.![]()
@Kaushlesh Chandel just like the AI in Illuminae.![]()
@Kaushlesh C. ( KD9VFU ) Thanks. I'll have a look. The web page should include that link.![]()
@Kevin Yeah -- sorry about that. We don't have it ready yet, so deleted all but the contact form. Let me direct you to https://hackaday.io/project/186791-project-boondock-echo for an overview.![]()
The unsatiable thirst of cell CO's for more bandwidth has even lost most allocated UHF TV channels to 5G.![]()
@Kevin The fun is that AI can do things humans can't. Like denoise, translate, etc.![]()
@Kaushlesh Chandel we really don't have issues with that sort of thing, was a bit worried about how it could affect launches. We are pretty clear what we are doing and there's a quite active group with a couple dozen active long distance Amateur Radio balloons floating around at any given time![]()
There's a really big Balloon Launch event coming up that will be fun to watch![]()
@Mark J Hughes Translation of languages would be useful.![]()
How long would it take to get the VE certificate to be able to assist with Amateur Radio license testing?![]()
I just checked the dates. Field day is the weekend of June 24 and 25 this year.![]()
For the US people here -> http://www.arrl.org/field-day![]()
Could AI identify an otherwise unknown digital mode? I hear something but can't figure out exactly what it is.![]()
There's also the big annual event Field Day coming up for the last weekend of the month. This is a great chance to find a local station. A lot will be setup in local parks and such and typically have a GOTA, which means Get On The Air, and you don't even need a license and try things out on the air yourself.![]()
Thanks @Kevin exactly, and there's a map to find spots near you http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator![]()
"Amateurs Face Growing Challenges in the Microwave Bands" https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Development/Spectrum%20Defense%20Newsletter%202012%20Issue%20I.pdf![]()
And lots of people eager to help you start your journey.![]()
@vincent.e.leveque You wouldn't even necessarily need AI for that.![]()
Usually. There's always some grumpy old dude at a field day setup that doesn't want kids on his lawn. Ignore that guy![]()
I thought GOTA was Guides On The Air (or is that a different event?).![]()
@fid it's mostly a matter of shuffling the right paperwork. I am interested in that as well. I think the best thing to do is go to a local test and as the Volunteer Examiners there how to get involved.![]()
@Dan Maloney Absolutely Dan -- don't let the negative people impact you.![]()
@Kevin I'm not familiar with that particular version, Get On The Air is definitely the Amateur Radio flavor.![]()
@xBeau Thanks. I think a local test session is coming up in a few weeks. I'll check it out. I have the Extra ticket.![]()
@hamsterdave !!!!![]()
Welcome!![]()
Yes. Also try and avoid a field day group that treats it like a regular contest and wouldn't want some newbie interfering with their making as many contacts as possible.![]()
Greetings!![]()
AI would be amazing for that. I've been in that boat many times. Like, What song is that, Google, but for digital radio modesKN6KZF/OZ DE K6EAU
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Thanks for the GOTA link! There is a session 15 min from my home. I had no idea!![]()
@hamsterdave great to see you too, thanks for taking part in our Supercon Tape Masure Yagi antenna build![]()
@xBeau The GOTA I remember is for the Girl Guides to get some of them interested in ham radio just as their is an on the air event for Boy Scouts.![]()
there's one near me, @Mark J Hughes would be pleased![]()
My tape measure yagi from SuperCon is within reach.![]()
Just so it's on the transcript -- I'll say it again -- you don't need to know CW, and you don't need to understand electrical theory. You can get apps and study the exact answers to the exact questions on the test. So when you get in the testing session, you can say "Oh this question, the answer is C"![]()
/waves![]()
(new to Hackaday chat, forgive the testing noise)![]()
The other contributor to Boondock Echo is here -- @Jesse R . Welcome buddy!![]()
/me waves![]()
Whats a good sdr frontend for ham in Linux?![]()
@Fid -- what's your call -
Transcript 2
06/08/2023 at 16:49 • 0 comments![]()
@Norbert - in the US at least, there's a big chunk of the 6-meter band devoted to RC. Not sure if anyone uses that anymore though![]()
@Dan Maloney There are study apps in the google play store and iPhone store. You can get the actual questions and actual answers as flashcards.![]()
Is it " know CW (Morse Code) requirement" or "no CW (Morse Code) requirement"?![]()
Work a few a day.![]()
@Kaushlesh Chandel great question, HF can cover extremely long distances, so you generally won't be making contacts with anyone local, although that is a thing as well, if you do a search for repeater [your area] 6m or 10m you'll likely get some hits.![]()
@Peabody1929 no CW requirement in the US -- unsure about others.![]()
Technician has privileges' on 10M and 6M, and you can do moon bounce, satellite, space station and other neat stuff--not as limited as many make it out to be![]()
Morse code should work for robot control as well in case it is not allowed here in Germany.![]()
@Kaushlesh Chandel Just listen! If you don't already have an HF receiver, a software-defined receiver (SDR), like the SDRplay, is an inexpensive investment.![]()
Yeah guys I really don't have experience with hacking or anything but i do have the passwords of my cheating ex insta/snap/gmail/facebook and private pics/vids and she doesn't know that I have the passwords.And no im not going to try to ruin her life or anything because it's still someone i once loved. I was wondering if anyone who knows about this kind of stuff would be interested about talking with me what kind of harmless pranks can be pulled with having access to her accounts
So if anyone wants to have a lil chat about it msg me, ill be happy to talk.
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@hspil I was excited from a young age. I think I got my license when I was 15 or 16 (last century). This was before cell phones and my buddy and I could talk to each other. I also built all sorts of stuff -- inductors, capacitors, antennas. And got old gear at a yard sale. My poor parents had a giant Yagi and rotator mounted to their chimney.![]()
I was surprised by how much a technician is allowed to do in the US.![]()
Wrong place for that @rezsikderspam. Take it elsewhere@xBeau Thanks! I stand corrected. I meant to say... how do I find; that in my locality, what frequency is active, and people are making contacts on?
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@Kaushlesh Chandel for "DX" long distance contacts, there's a cool thing called WSPR which gives you a lot of propagation info and idea of where you can get signals to and from on different bands. Beyond that it's learning how to read and follow space weather for more day to day variations and conditions.https://www.hfpropagation.com/
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I also like using WSPR reports https://www.wsprnet.org/drupal/wsprnet/map![]()
And... he's gone![]()
Kaushlesh, have a look at https://www.repeaterbook.com/index.php/en-us/, that's how I found my local repeaters. Now I listen with an SDR![]()
@Kaushlesh Chandel I find the most active sources are generally club nets conducted on VHF & UHF frequencies, is there a particular band or type of communication that you want to focus on. It sounds like talking to people in your area?![]()
Another great resources is RadioReference -- you can load all the frequencies of interest right into your scanner or radio. Makes using the radio so much faster.![]()
Can I get started with just an SDR?![]()
Shameless plug for my "$50 Ham" series: https://hackaday.com/series_of_posts/the-50-ham![]()
I wasn't active for a few years. I find the 2m band here in southern Ontario, Canada seems mostly dead lately. I think the repeaters may have changed to digital operation which makes my 2m/70cm equipment obsolete.![]()
@Norbert Heinz I wouldn't necessarily use CW for robot control. There are plenty of digital modes with much higher data bandwidth. CW is limited to around 20 WPM, Even slow data is 1200 Baud -- which is many times that number.![]()
@Kaushlesh Chandel There is a designated calling frequency for each band where you can expect some activity@xBeau I am preparing for my General. But I want to start listening to HF bands. But don't know where to start? 6M, 10M? I just sit, and keep turning the VFO, till i hear something..
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@GregK SDRs are a great place to start! But they're usually receive only (until you start paying for more expensive SDRs). You don't need a license to receive. Just buy it, plug it in, and go!![]()
I'm Alan KM6AXY. I studied like @Dan Maloney and took the tests at the Ham Radio Swap Meet in Redondo Beach three months in a row. I got licensed up to Extra, but I've never set up a radio or transmitted. I listen in on the PAPA system but I haven't tried to join the conversations. Part of it is I don't know the etiquette and the other part is I don't know what I have to talk about.![]()
For HF I prefer 40M or 75M![]()
FYI, there are no code requirements in Canada. Knowing the code is still useful. I remember one day listening to someone trying to access the autopatch on a local repeater. They kept getting a response of dah di di dit dah dah di dit. They didn't seem to know morse code so they didn't know they were being told the autopatch was busy.![]()
KD9VFU - this site will tell you which bands are open -https://www.dxmaps.com@vincent.e.leveque Thats sweet! Thanks.
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@Kevin Yeah -- 2m isn't as active as it used to be. But you can link repeaters around the world -- talk through your local repeater to, say-- germany :)![]()
@hspil as far as sparks, I was initially intrigued by the idea of APRS, which is a digital packet system data for sending location and small amounts of information. This was before GPS was really common or any other means of directly communicating over the are was common.I ended up focusing more on earlier cell phones (NOKIA) with BlueTooth enable GPS and building on my system for experimentation.
Later I had the opportunity to do a free testing session at toorcamp 2018 and passed the tech test. It was then some years before I figured out what to do with it. And during the lock down I found it a fantastic way to "meet" new people with the built in effect of safe social distancing...
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I feel like I won't be a "real ham" until I learn Morse and actually use it for a QSO![]()
Technical Question: I have a Kenwood TS-520. Bought it new. Has not been turned on in 35 years. Should I do special maintainence before I plug it in and turn it on? Capacitors?![]()
CW has always been my go to mode.![]()
VOACAP is a handy tool for propagation as well. https://www.voacap.com/![]()
my obsession as of late has been BALLOONS, I started chasing weather balloons and now and spending some more time launch High Altitude Balloons (HAB) as well. sf-hab.org for some of the more recent advenctures.![]()
@Mark J Hughes Currently I only know that ham radio exists and the closest I have been to a device is the huge antenna I remember from my childhood days on my neighbor's lawn....you trigger something in me ;-)
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Peabody1929 - I'd SWAG a good visual inspection would be a start point. Look at those caps, if any appear to be leaking or deformed - time to dig deeper.![]()
@Mark J Hughes I know that one repeater I used to use is gone. Another one is too far for me to reach but I used to be able to hear it. The local one I used to use was quite active but they went digital according to the website for it so I can't talk to the people I used to talk to on that one any more.![]()
So in the USA you need a Technician level license to talk to Satellite? are There any geostationary satellites repeaters aren't run by the US military's?![]()
I'm going to try to organize a forum on methods for learning CW for the next Dayton Hamvention.![]()
not aware of any geostationary sats accessible from the US KE7FEF
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@Scubabear -- Well, it's pretty common to be scared of making your first contact -- or first of several contacts. The first thing to remember is this. "Nobody gives a crap if you screw up. Nobody is going to remember 30 seconds later." PAPA is a members-only system, but they're find with guests coming around too. The general etiquette is to not interrupt an active conversation. Wait for a pause, and then issue your call sign. See if they hear it, if they do, they'll say "KM6AXY, go ahead" and you can just say. "Hey, I'm a new HAM, and this is my first contact. Nice to meet you!"![]()
Someone mentioned listening. That is a good way of doing things. My speed improved from just casual listening to morse via a shortwave radio. Find some code that sounds like a comfortable speed.![]()
@Kaushlesh Chandel gotcha, ya that's a great way to go, just start scanning around. It's not just the frequency it's also the time of day. Not for propagation though, there's usually a regular time and day of the week that local area groups will get on a frequency and talk.![]()
@mandrejko - AFAIK, we in the US don't have anything like the QO-100 geosync satellite the other side of the world enjoys. Think it covers all of Europe, most of Asia, and a lot of Africa. Maybe a bit of West Australia too.![]()
https://hackaday.com/2019/03/18/eshail-2-hams-get-their-first-geosynchronous-repeater/
Es'hail-2: Hams Get Their First Geosynchronous Repeater
In the radio business, getting the high ground is key to covering as much territory from as few installations as possible. Anything that has a high profile, from a big municipal water tank to a roadside billboard to a remote hilltop, will likely be bristling with antennas, and different services compete for the best spots to locate their antennas.
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Another thing you can do is wait for the first Sunday night of each month -- around 7:45 or so (not too sure), PAPA links the entire system together and does a directed net. You'll hear a bunch of call-signs. Keep an ear out towards the end they'll ask for visitors, drop your call there, and say "new HAM, first contact." and they'll likely welcome you with open arms.![]()
@Mark J Hughes Thank you, that sounds like a good way to go. I guess it's like starting up any new conversation...![]()
@scubabear https://papasys.com/![]()
I've made one contact via the birds which was somewhat surprising as I didn't use anything more than a handheld on 2m and a transceiver tuned to 10m.![]()
Listening to a radio is a good way to get morse practice. If local conditions won't allow this, try WebSDR. There is an SDr somewhere that can get clear morse at your speed.![]()
Or just show up to breakfast sometime and meet the other members in person. You'll find someone who is willing to help you.![]()
In my humble opinion, it would be easier for me to teach a Raspi Zero morse than for me to learn it.![]()
@mandrejko Yes, there are a few. Not much though.![]()
@Peabody1929 I'd do a quick search of any common issues with that rig. Caps are definitely something to watch out for. As long as you've checked for major water damage and such you should be able to give a quick smoke test without too much risk.![]()
Thank you!![]()
@scubabear I did my first contact on a local repeater. I kind of felt at ease as these were folks around my area :) Good luck with contacts.
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@Mark J Hughes I tend to listen in on their Wednesday net tests. And I wanted to do a breakfast but they stopped for the pandemic. I'll check if they have since restarted somewhere near me. Thanks!![]()
Mic shyness is real -- it's why I favor digital modes![]()
Communicating through a geostationary satellite eliminates the issue of dealing with doppler shift on the transmit and receive frequencies.![]()
@mandrejko I haven't seen too much geostationary that you can get to from the US. The ISS is pretty interesting, it now has to Amateur repeaters, one for voice and one for data, and you can use them with just Tech privelages![]()
@scubabear - Long time no see! Welcome back!![]()
@Kevin Some radios can track the frequency shift for you so you don't have to have your hand on the dial trying to zero-beat.![]()
@Dan Maloney Absolutely is!@Dan Maloney I got a digital yaesu HT ( 5DR ) . I regularly use 2M. How can I start on digital modes?
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The other thing you can do is just lurk and wait for a couple of guys to finish their call and jump in as they're signing off.![]()
@Mark J Hughes Yes, but I didn't have anything that could do that.![]()
Call 'em out by call sign.![]()
@Dan Maloney Thanks! But, you can actually contact the ISS with a Baofeng??![]()
I find people who are driving are particularly willing to just chat.]![]()
@Kaushlesh Chandel - start here ;-)![]()
https://hackaday.com/2021/02/10/the-50-ham-digital-modes-with-wsjt-x/
The $50 Ham: Digital Modes With WSJT-X
As it is generally practiced, ham radio is a little like going to the grocery store and striking up a conversation with everyone you bump into as you ply the aisles. Except that the grocery store is the size of the planet, and everyone brings their own shopping cart, some of which are highly modified and really expensive.
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Gpredict sat tracking software will do the doppler calcs and setup if the sat has all the base info in the database![]()
qrp and dsb homebrew![]()
@scubabear You can probably do satellite with a baofeng and a good antenna. But it would be challenging for a new HAM to be successful at it with the cross band setup.![]()
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On 75M and dipole at 2 watts about 150 miles typical -
Transcript 1
06/08/2023 at 16:48 • 0 comments![]()
Hi all -- Hack Chat coming up in about an hour:![]()
https://hackaday.io/event/190942-getting-started-in-ham-hack-chat
Getting Started in Ham Hack Chat
Mark Hughes and Beau Ambur will host the Hack Chat on Wednesday, June 7 at noon Pacific. Time zones got you down? Try our handy time zone converter. If you were to scratch any random hacker from the last 100 years, chances are pretty good you'd find an amateur radio operator underneath the surface.
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Woohoo!![]()
Remind me @Dan Maloney What Comes before Part-B?![]()
Ummm --- Part-A?![]()
Woohoo! You heard it from Dan Maloney! Time to Party!![]()
This is gonna be a fun hack-chat.![]()
Fell for it. The shame...![]()
BTW Dan -- we've got a Boondock Echo with your name on it sometime in the next few weeks.![]()
Hey hey, looking forward to it. I'm definitely going to talk more about this is a study aid, and that PDF looks great as well. Was just taking a look at some Amateur Extra questions, great to see things have gotten modernized a bit and it's not a load of tube diagram questions. Going to try to blaze thru a practice test for tech and see how I'm holding up https://hamstudy.org/![]()
Cool. As an aside, I'm doing a little field trip next week for an article about the SNOTEL network here in the West. Lots of remote telemetry stations to monitor snowpack levels, they use meteor bounce comms at about 40 MHz to hit a central office about 500 miles away in one bounce.![]()
What? That's amazing Dan!![]()
Oh that's a nifty one, will have to throw out some EME as well, and remembering to break down the acronyms, Earth Moon Earth (EME). I just learned the first amateur to astronaut space shuttle contact was done by someone super into EME and was able to use their massive yagi array to make the contact.![]()
Yeah, looking forward to it. Just hope we don't run into any grizzlies![]()
I remember in the 90's I read an old article about EME where they did it with relatively low power (probably still >100W), but used a hella-long integration time. Something like 3-5 characters per minute.![]()
@XBeau -- I think I saw that in a documentary about hams. The dude was in Montana if I'm not mistaken![]()
So Dan -- are you going to put on snow-shoes or cross-country ski up to the locations?![]()
Hi folks! Got my license last september here in Germany and have not been on air since then unfortunatelyIt's being on hold because I do not get around to begin antenna building :) I've got some *very special* (read: fucked-up) neighbours that will not like the presence of an antenna in their view
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Ooh!![]()
Get Hackaday to spring for a helicopter.![]()
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My man's gotta ride in style.![]()
Just maybe don't turn on the lights while you're using it as an antenna, or your life is going to become more exciting than you'd like it to be.![]()
Hi @Jan Weber You can do a stealth antenna! Or mount one in your attic! not optimal, but doable.And for a long-wire, just pretend you're putting up holiday lights.
Just maybe don't turn on the lights while you're using it as an antenna, or your life is going to become more exciting than you'd like it to be.
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Can you imagine the pileup trying to talk to the space shuttle?![]()
Man, I would love to be part of that.![]()
In fact, I just bought a cross-band Yagi to try to hit the ISS.![]()
@Mark J Hughes I got the book by NT0Z http://www.stealthamateur.com/ but I have not decided which antenna I'll use![]()
All of them! Build 'em all!![]()
Every single one!![]()
(I might have self-control issues)![]()
;)![]()
I'd recommend building the fastest one first and getting on the air. Then you can start chasing the performance dragon.![]()
But it really depends on your environment.![]()
What you have room for![]()
And what will actually work.![]()
What did you hope to do? Voice, CW, data?![]()
Data + CW![]()
Well -- it won't be ideal, and it might be considered cheating, but you might sign up for a WinLink account (https://winlink.org/) and then you can get some data in/out over your computer (basic email and whatnot).![]()
The next question (for me anyway) is "what frequencies are active near you?"![]()
No point in building an antenna for a band not in use in Germany.![]()
(Just because the band is legal to use, doesn't mean people are using it.)![]()
Do you know about SDRs?![]()
Have not tried SDR yet![]()
So the cheap ones you get off amazon or wherever or only really good for recieve.![]()
But the nice thing is they give you an idea of what's happening over a huge range of frequencies.![]()
So I have read.![]()
https://www.hamradioqrp.com/2017/02/over-waterfall.html
Over the waterfall
After reading all the hoopla surrounding the ICOM 7300 with its nice touch screen and waterfall/spectrum display, it got me to thinking that I was missing out on something. When I first got my Electraft KX3 I hooked it up to HDSDR running on my PC and played around with the panadapter display.
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I've got an ADALM-Pluto here![]()
And you can actually see CW and data traffic! (It has a different appearance than voice)![]()
I've heard of that device but haven't used it yet.![]()
I prefer as basic and low parts count for my enjoyment. Doing with as little power as possible but yet keep the antenna a simple dipole or end fed![]()
My best homebrew phone xcvr is the Wee Willy DSB![]()
The higher the better -- but even in WWII, spys were hiding antennas in attics and whatnot! And you can get ham-stick antennas from the internet.![]()
I planned to build a multiband end fed halfwave antenna for 40 m and above, this would fit my property well, at least in length. The problem is actually the mounting height. But as you say - get on air and aim for best performance later ...
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ohai![]()
I once loaded into a window screen and worked Fl to TX with less than 3 watts![]()
Maybe get a mobile antenna going too? Ever heard of Parks on the Air?![]()
yeah, I like hiking so that would be a good match![]()
Summits on the air as well, if you are in an area with mountains![]()
Plenty of beach sand here Lol![]()
Well @Dan Maloney Let's start the Par-tay!![]()
Drum roll please....![]()
OK folks, we're already rolling, but let's put it in gear. I'm Dan (N7DPM) and I'll be modding today along with Dusan as we welcome Mark Hughes (KE6WOB) and Beau Ambur (K6EAU) to the chat. Excellent vanity sign Beau, BTW.![]()
Hi -- I'm Mark Hughes, KE6WOB. I'm a retired physics teacher (15 years), and active elecctronics engineer. Former writer & editor for AllAboutCircuits.com (https://allaboutcircuits.com/author/mark-hughes, and currently co-founder of project Boondock Echo -- an internet-backed recording & playback device for 2-way radios. If you want to monitor, denoise, transcribe, translate, and more, sign up for BoondockEcho's beta program at https://www.boondockecho.com/ (Learn more at https://hackaday.io/project/186791-project-boondock-echo)![]()
Hi and welcome everyone!![]()
Welcome to all that joined!!!! The purpose of the chat is to answer as many of your questions as possible and hopefully get you to make the commitment to getting your license!![]()
Amateur radio tends to skew towards an older demographic -- and when those people leave the hobby, we need new people to enter. Otherwise amateur radio will die, and the governments around the world will reallocate the space.![]()
Nobody wants that to happen.![]()
Thanks @Dan Maloney I definitely spent time noodling over that, and still dialing in the domain optimized variation to dedicate to Amateur Radio exploits. I still have to remind myself that I really enjoy keeping the Amateur in HAM and consider myself quite new, I really think in this field we are a bit novice as we rack up our first decade of experience in a life long journey.![]()
Except the government...![]()
Well -- and companies.![]()
Yup, use it or loose it![]()
Why Amateur Radio?1️⃣ Connect with a global community: Engage with like-minded enthusiasts worldwide, forming friendships that transcend borders and cultures.
2️⃣ Sharpen your technological skills: Dive into electronics, radio wave propagation, antenna design, digital modes, satellite communication, and more.
3️⃣ Serve your community: Provide communication support during emergencies, public events, and natural disasters.
4️⃣ Unlock global travel opportunities: Participate in contests, meet fellow hams worldwide, and operate from unique locations.
5️⃣ Lifelong learning and personal growth: Pursue certifications, master Morse code, explore satellite operations, and more.
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So -- what questions do you guys have? Or personal experiences with the hobby?![]()
And to Mark's point, it's been fun being the "young" guy in the room again, at over 40 years old. Seriously though, we hope to welcome and invite in the next generations to shape the future to come.![]()
At the last SuperCon there was chatter about possibly having a Ham testing session. There were a few people interested.Hi, Greetings everyone! I am a new ham, learning everyday.
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That chatter was started by Beau!![]()
How about a special event station at Supercon?![]()
I'm 59 and I still feel like the young guy when I go to swap meets![]()
Back in the day, I got a novice license. I was KA6AYH. I did not renew the ticket. If I take the current test and pass, what kind of license do I get and can I get my old call sign back?![]()
How long has it been Peabody1929? FCC grants a 2 year grace period.![]()
+1 on the testing at Supcon and special event station.![]()
The good news is that there's not CW requirement anymore.![]()
I taught a one-day Tech class at DEFCON last year and would love to ohear about other events where I might be able to teach such a class.![]()
@Peabody1929 - unless someone has taken it as a vanity since you lased, probably yes![]()
You can study the questions before hand .... not the content -- but just the questions and test to any level you want.![]()
But you have to start at the bottom and work your way up.![]()
Each level gives you additional operating privledges.![]()
@Peabody1929 these days, speaking for the US, it's a "Tech" Technician license, which requires a 35 question multiple choice test to get and know CW (Morse Code) requirement.![]()
I had the novice license last century. Makes me feel old.What's the best way to find what HF bands are active in my area?
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Would you be allowed to remote control e.g. a mobile robot with Ham radio? Just thinking...![]()
Technician is pretty limited, General gives you pretty much every privilege except a few edges of bands, and Amateur Extra gives you every part of every band we're allowed to transmit in.![]()
@Norbert Heinz Yes!![]()
I just started taking practice tests cold, no preparation. Dismal scores to start with, slowly improved as I saw all the pool questions, when I consistently scoring 90%+ I sat for the test. Aced it without any additional studying.![]()
there are some carry over privileges that you might still be able to get reviving an older license. You'll get a new sequential call initially assigned, and you could then file for your old call-sign as "vanity" to change it.What first got you interested in amateur radio e.g. a first project, or "spark"
What is your most recent obsession within the hobby
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Guess I am the OT from back in 1974, WN4JAT and then/still WA4JAT![]()
