As much as I would like to try HF (new to the hobby) I am curious how far your contacts have been. Can you find people across multiple states/provinces or is this only what HF is meant to do?
I just built a DB4 antenna and it works really well for UHF channels. However, it doesn't pick up one particular channel that I want. From RabbitEars.info it looks like it has a Display Channel "08-1" and Physical Channel "7.3".
From looking, it seems like I can add a dipole either above the antenna, or I can just add the dipole right in the center where the balun connects to the wire on both sides. I like the latter option because I don't need to do anything extra to my existing antenna.
Either way, how long does each side of the dipole need to be? I've looked around and it seems to be 17" on each side, but I wanted to check here.
Anybody get this to work?
I've tried the following:
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Pat + HamLib/Rigctld + Direwolf - Pat works fine but can't get rigctld to connect (says "rig_open: error = Invalid parameter"). RigctldGUI won't connect either. Weird because WSJT-X (which I think also uses hamlib) connects just fine. Also, Pat says "AX.25 support not included in this build" so it may be a dead-end anyway.
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Crossover - Winlink Express and Soundmodem both run fine - but I've been unable to map the USB ports to a com port in Crossover.
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Parallels - Winlink Express and Soundmodem both run fine and I've managed to map the USB port for CAT control of the rig. Everything LOOKS like it's working. I can transmit and receive - but I can't connect to any of the local gateways - none of them respond.
So I have a very simple RCA HD antenna with its basic plug in amplifier. Patched into a coax going down to my laundry room connected to my AirTV.
Testing either when it’s on my AirTV or directly to a TV, I’m getting plenty of UHF channels from what I can tell. However, I’m unable to obtain any of our PBS stations and some business/international which researching I believe is all VHF that I am not getting. Our ABC affiliate is VHF too but they setup 8.4 which is UHF simulcast of their 8.1 VHF. However 8.2 is a 24/7 live radar which I would also like to get.
So PBS, international news, and a 24/7 radar channel is enough for me to upgrade my antenna.
Is there a not so expensive solution to either split and keep my existing HDTV antenna and split with VHF antenna. Or a reasonable UHF/VHF antenna I can easily place or mount inside my attic. I do not want to install anything outside if that’s acceptable for VHF.
Edit: PBS here is actually UHF but even thouhj I’m the same distance as other UHF stations, I’m not able to receive this particular one. Maybe I need a better antenna all in one. Still not getting VHF channels with this antenna including international news and our local ABC’s main VHF and radar feed.
ARRL VHF contest is this coming weekend, Jan 15th and 16th. What rig, antenna setup will you be using? QRP? FM? SSB? Beam antenna? SOTA?
Hi everyone,
new ham here tinkering around.
I'll be making a yagi pretty soon for satellite work but I also happen to have a bunch of heavy gauge speaker wire hanging around.
Is there anything cool I can make for a VHF/UHF HT with thick speaker wire?(I already have a jumper and BNC splitter for attaching it to something)
Can't find any designs so far, the closest is big random wire stuff for HF
Would like some suggestions for a UHF/VHF HT that's durable and between 50-100 dollars? thanks
Hello everyone, I'm hoping someone has resources to share about how to use winlink with a handheld, specifically a ft60r. I've been interested in trying this for a while but the nuts and bolts of making it work are hard for me to figure out. Thanks!
I have a 2014 Xterra. On my last install I used a gutter clamp but the only place this would fit would be on my hood. Trying to decide if I should mount it to the roof cross bars or down on the hood with the clamp mount.
https://imgur.com/a/9QFibWd
I have two YAESU VX-150 radios but lost the antenna during my move. What companies in Finland (Pori, Tampere), stores specialize in antenna sales. Antenna range needs to be 143-174 MHz with female SMA connector.
Anyone aware of any? I stare xband repeat for vhf/uhf, but are there any mobiles that can xband repeat on vhf/vhf or uhf/uhf?
They keep tempting me on eBay and I keep trying to tell myself that I DON’T need one, but with the prices being what they are… I kinda want one just for fun.
But realistically, what fun, if any, can really be had with 100 watts on VHF that can’t be had with 50? The only things I can think of are VHF contest days or more chances of making contacts on 146.520. It could make for a very beefy APRS beacon, but I don’t really need that either.
Just looking for people to talk me out of or into one of these.
Going back and forth between our house in Illinois and our place in Michigan I've been bringing my FT-991a with me. I don't really like doing that so I'm going to buy another rig to keep either up there or down here.
I like my Yaesu and I'm sure I'd be happy if bought another but I hear such good things about the IC7300 I kind of want to get one of those. (I'm a guy. I like new gadgets to play with.) Thoughts on which would be better? And I know I'd also need to get a separate VHF rig. Any recommendations on one of those?
I have not yet attained my technician license. I don’t transmit.
I have a handful of handheld radios (Yaesu, baofeng, Radiodity, Wouxun). The Radiodity and Wouxun are gmrs handhelds with the ability to receive others.
I can receive traffic from a vhf ham repeater about 16 miles west of me, but I’m unable to receive traffic from a different repeater 11 miles east.
I have an NOAA weather station very close to me. I can see it from my yard - my range finder says it’s 1,780 feet away from my front door.
Could this weather broadcast station be causing interference with my ability to receive repeater traffic?
Thank you.
Thanks so much in advance. I've done a bit of searching and I suspect that my antenna is just not great for high-vhf, but I'd really appreciate some feedback.
In clear weather, all the desired channels show full strength in the Tablo channel scanner. I don't have any real signal strength numbers. I have spent some time aiming the antenna based on compass readings and signal strength (again, in Tablo). However, the two high-vhf channels, 8-1 CBS & 10-1 ABC which are coming from the same direction, drop out periodically and it seems to be connected to rain and cloud cover. I hope that isn't just me jumping to conclusions but it seems related.
The current antenna is this one mounted outside on the second story roof on a pole:
https://preview.redd.it/xjqopor7mwb81.jpg?width=679&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=092f6329ac3a830baed7b69e91cea3c74af504fa
The antenna is not quite above the roof peak, but it is on the side of the house toward the signal.
https://preview.redd.it/scopvp63mwb81.png?width=1139&format=png&auto=webp&s=0a5cbe710a099d2468d056e1bdd32348f9ac0748
The cable run to the receiver is about 30 feet and seems to be decent but I'm not sure if it is RG5 or RG6. I can try raising the antenna, but it's as high as I can easily place it and I suspect it might be easier to replace that antenna on the same pole. I don't have any filters, splitters, or amps in-line.
Thanks again for any suggestions.
I’m a pilot and novice ham. Tonight on 123.025 I experienced heavy interference (static) when flying over one specific area. This is strange because I fly of this area regularly and am always monitoring the frequency and have never encountered this issue. The interference was only over a very limited area and I experienced this each time I flew by over the course of 6 hours. There was no interference on 123.050 or 123.000. This interference was constant with no breaks.
First, I want to state for the record that I have been working with high power R.F. transmitters and countermeasures sets, radar, communications, deception repeaters and jammers since 1973, and am quite experienced with in-flight dynamics of VHF signal propagation from both low altitude and high altitude aircraft, both civilian and military. Now, the average person is not too familiar with voltage standing wave ratios, or effective radiated power, insertion or line losses, reflected power, antenna gain factors or for that matter antenna radiation patterns on aircraft, as I am. I have extensive experience in these matters and have the actual aviation experience in a wide variety of aircraft, with regard to everything from H.F. long haul communications to millimeter wave jamming or ECM systems, radar, and navigation equipment. For this discussion we are going to talk strictly about 130 MHz, not 2 MHz, not 17 GHz, and the beam pattern and directionality and effective ranges of these systems on both commercial and military aircraft, both below and above the 12,500 pound weight category.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with path loss nomographs for 130 MHz, I would like you to make it a point to study the diagram below. Notice that no assumption is made for effective radiated power, or system gain factors, and there is a reason for this.
This diagram is shown to illustrate the fact that, contrary to assertions by JREF and Unexplained Mysteries bloggers, radio waves do not just "keep on propagating" outwards at their original radiated power levels, without being attenuated over distance. When the path losses and other factors exceed the transmitter power and effective radiated power, as well as minimum discernible signal sensitivity of the receiver system, on any radial from the aircraft, and any angle of incidence, there is no possible communication then. Does this mean that the signals just stop moving thru space? Absolutely not.
But what this does mean is that as the distance increases to a point whereupon the signal power level decays below any possibility of detection by even triple conversion receivers with very selective front end circuitry that have incredibly high (-148 dBm or thereabouts) minimum discernible signal capture capability (which ACARS does not, nominally have, at it’s fairly robust –107 dBm), then beyond that range, detection and demodulation by any terrestrial, high gain
... keep reading on reddit ➡Fellow HAM I'm new to this hobby, I just want to ask if I can put my quarter wave VHF antenna in my attic, because I'm afraid that my antenna will be destroyed by lightning or strong winds. My concern is that does putting it there changes my swr significantly? (I have no swr meter I just bought this antenna with 1:1 swr). 73
I have been having trouble hitting some repeaters in my area that I was once able to get pretty well. I was wondering if anyone knows if the bands have been worse off than normal. I have tried with 3 different radios and all 3 seem to be having trouble .
I was thinking of buying an all-band HF/VHF/UHF base station transceiver like the Icom 7100 or the FT-991A. This seemed like a good choice (assuming I have the money available) in order to be able to have as many options as possible for the lowest total price.
Speaking to someone, he mentioned that he felt a combined transceiver would have some significant tradeoffs compared to dedicated HF or VHF/UHF transceivers.
I can understand how this could theoretically be true, or may have been true in the past, but is that true right now? I know I'm not being too specific here, but that's intentional - I would like a unit which is fairly general-purpose and capable. I don't want to limit myself too much, but it seems like an annoying to purchase several transceivers if it's like audiophile-level differences in quality.
From looking at the spec sheets, I can't quite see any obvious tradeoff the all-band units mentioned above make, compared to e.g. an ICOM-718 plus some other VHF/UHF transceiver.
Would I be losing any notable features or quality with the all-band units?
So I found out over Thanksgiving what a paramotor is.
https://paramotorplanet.com/paramotor-faq/amp/
When I actually graduate college and start making money, I really want to get one to VHF contest with, haha.
How far do you think you could make contacts with like 25 watts up a mile in the air?
Hi group. I have searched the web high and low to find out what happened to my Toshiba FireTV. For the last year I've had good reception on an unamplified antenna, but my VHF stations have had sub-par reception. FireTV went through a system update and the VHF stations went from sub-par to zip. The stations are 32 miles away per antenna maps. I'm in a very flat area of the US and can see the towers from my house.
We have a basic HDTV in a back bedroom that picks up all the VHF stations crystal clear on an RCA amplified digital rabbit ears antenna. I decided to upgrade antennas on the FireTV to a flat square amplified RCA antenna (didn't want rabbit ears in the living room). No VHS, so I returned it for a GE amplified antenna that sits on top the TV. Got more UHF channels, but still no VHF. Tried the amplified rabbit ears from the back bedroom TV and still no VHF.
Has anyone else heard if the Fire update did something to the TV to prevent VHF to come in? I'm so confused on why those channels no longer show up after an update.
*BTW, I am cross posting this question in r/FireTV.
First, I want to state for the record that I have been working with high power R.F. transmitters and countermeasures sets, radar, communications, deception repeaters and jammers since 1973, and am quite experienced with in-flight dynamics of VHF signal propagation from both low altitude and high altitude aircraft, both civilian and military. Now, the average person is not too familiar with voltage standing wave ratios, or effective radiated power, insertion or line losses, reflected power, antenna gain factors or for that matter antenna radiation patterns on aircraft, as I am. I have extensive experience in these matters and have the actual aviation experience in a wide variety of aircraft, with regard to everything from H.F. long haul communications to millimeter wave jamming or ECM systems, radar, and navigation equipment. For this discussion we are going to talk strictly about 130 MHz, not 2 MHz, not 17 GHz, and the beam pattern and directionality and effective ranges of these systems on both commercial and military aircraft, both below and above the 12,500 pound weight category.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with path loss nomographs for 130 MHz, I would like you to make it a point to study the diagram below. Notice that no assumption is made for effective radiated power, or system gain factors, and there is a reason for this.
This diagram is shown to illustrate the fact that, contrary to assertions by JREF and Unexplained Mysteries bloggers, radio waves do not just "keep on propagating" outwards at their original radiated power levels, without being attenuated over distance. When the path losses and other factors exceed the transmitter power and effective radiated power, as well as minimum discernible signal sensitivity of the receiver system, on any radial from the aircraft, and any angle of incidence, there is no possible communication then. Does this mean that the signals just stop moving thru space? Absolutely not.
But what this does mean is that as the distance increases to a point whereupon the signal power level decays below any possibility of detection by even triple conversion receivers with very selective front end circuitry that have incredibly high (-148 dBm or thereabouts) minimum discernible signal capture capability (which ACARS does not, nominally have, at it’s fairly robust –107 dBm), then beyond that range, detection and demodulation by any terrestrial, high gain
... keep reading on reddit ➡
