Which member's are amateur radio operators?

[PatM]

My most memorable contact was in 1976.
It was the Centennial and we could use special calls during that year.
I worked AC1AW (W1AW) on 6 meter CW running 10 watts.
It was only after I signed, that I realized that I had forgotten to switch from the dummy load to my 6 Mtr yagi.
10 w at 1000 miles on 6 mtrs - using a dummy load that was radiating a signal.
I won't do that again!!

 

[cowboybob]

My most memorable contact was in 1976.
It was the Centennial and we could use special calls during that year.
I worked AC1AW (W1AW) on 6 meter CW running 10 watts.
It was only after I signed, that I realized that I had forgotten to switch from the dummy load to my 6 Mtr yagi.
10 w at 1000 miles on 6 mtrs - using a dummy load that was radiating a signal.
I won't do that again!!

Wow...!!

 

[dr pepper]

If you fancy vhf you can get puxxing handhleds from ebay for 16 quid brand new.
I havent used vhf puxxings but I have a couple of pmr uhf I use for boating and they seem ok.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

If you fancy vhf you can get puxxing handhleds from ebay for 16 quid brand new.
I havent used vhf puxxings but I have a couple of pmr uhf I use for boating and they seem ok.

I bought a little dual-band (2M/70CM) the other year, as it was nice and cheap

However, I lent it to a friend, and I've not seen it since

 

[large_ghostman]

That sounds like a cheap option to start with , I am looking at a couple of broken transceivers. I might try and get a cheap broken one, could backfire tho

 

[dr pepper]

If you want a broken one get an oldun, new stuff uses ultra small devices that are bespoke.

 

[hunstoer]

would it be better if you ask such question in professional radio forum, this is a comprehensive forum .

 

[dr pepper]

I think the op wanted comments from 'average electronicy' type people instead of commiting to a radio forum, he did say something like that in the original thread.

 

[JimB]

He asked HERE, and got ten positive responses.

He could of course have gone to a dedicated amateyr radio forum and got a positive response from 100% of the membership.
But the question was about HERE on ETO.

JimB

 

[large_ghostman]

I dont want to join a radio forum yet, I wanted to know which members here are radio operators, so when I get a license I can talk to people I have met on HERE. Some of the radio sites are a bit intimidating, on here I know alot of the people and feel more comfortable with them, sorry if I didnt make that clear in the beginning.
LG

BTW. I didnt win any of the auctions I looked at but I will keep trying. I did get dad to take down the ariel from the roof, its fairly short (about 2 meters long) fairly thick, No idea yet what type it is, but to my untrained eye, it looks alot like the one we had for the tractor two way radio's back in Devon.
Its way too windy today to go and put it up on my shed, as we are loosing trees in the wood! wind is very bad today! The shed moved a bit this morning, so I have now fixed it to the ground

 

[dr pepper]

Well put, just what I was thinking.

If there isnt a coil at the base of the aerial you can approximate its operating frequency by its length.

1 mhz is about 300 meters, aerials are often (not always) 1/4 wave, so 1/4 of 1 mhz = 300/4 = 75 meters.

So a whip about 2 meters would be a wavelength of 2x4=8m which would be about 38 mhz which isnt a freq you'd expect to be using for tractor to base comms so maybe its not 2 metres long or it has a coil at the base.

 

[JimB]

I did get dad to take down the ariel from the roof

A bit of spelling and preferred terminology...
In this context the correct spelling of "ariel" is "aerial".
Also a technically more generally accepted word to use for "aerial" is "antenna".

JimB

 

[JimB]

If there isnt a coil at the base of the aerial you can approximate its operating frequency by its length.

Not necessarily.
If the antenna body is made of fibreglass, all kinds of oddities can be hidden inside the fibreglass tube.

JimB

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I did a quick google LG, you might find this site helpful to you?

https://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk/index.htm

It's an RAE course.

 

[ghostman11]

Thanks Nigel I will let him know, when he gets in from chasing part of his shed roof across the field LOL 70 Mph winds (free), 6' section of flat roof panel from shed (also free), A13 year old running after it, catching it, then being dragged around a field (priceless!) I have to try and get this on cam!! I know it sounds cruel but i defy you to watch it on vid an not cry laughing!! maybe i should go take the trailer and strap it on for him........or maybe I will wait a bit

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Thanks Nigel I will let him know, when he gets in from chasing part of his shed roof across the field LOL 70 Mph winds (free), 6' section of flat roof panel from shed (also free), A13 year old running after it, catching it, then being dragged around a field (priceless!) I have to try and get this on cam!! I know it sounds cruel but i defy you to watch it on vid an not cry laughing!! maybe i should go take the trailer and strap it on for him........or maybe I will wait a bit

Oh yes - get the camera out and get it posted - one of the main advantages of being a parent is laughing at the kids

 

[ghostman11]

Oh yes - get the camera out and get it posted - one of the main advantages of being a parent is laughing at the kids

Its like a Cigar at Christmas, one of life little pleasures
I am afraid the shed has now reverted back to flat pack , if i was a good parent i would be out there putting it back up . But he insisted the wind wasnt a problem, although at the moment he is inside thawing out! Very cold and wet and has hair like i did in my pic lol except i have now shaved my head

 

[Externet]

Amateur radio operator since ~1980, hold 2 licenses from different countries.
Used to make many repeaters for clubs and commercial use using two radios, even 2 talkies. Now barely active on HF only with a Kenwood 440SAT. This message traveled over maaany miles airborne internet long-range microwave radiolink from the middle of a remote forest with this toys in my backyard :
----> https://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss323/Innernet/HFuWave.jpg

 

[nsaspook]

Worked too long in the 'donut' shop to have much interest in amateur radio but I could see it being a great hobby for someone where it was never a 'job'.

 

[dr pepper]

I did say 'aerials are often (not always) 1/4 wave'