I already owned an ICOM-V8.
Might think about a decent vehicle mounted one, but not this year.
GG
Possible HAM course. Any interest?
- Thread starter sdillen
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
I already owned an ICOM-V8.
Might think about a decent vehicle mounted one, but not this year.
GG
I would be mighty tempted by one of those $118 US Yaesu FT2800s from Hamcity.com - cheap as a cb, and 65 watts! IIRC, they're "built to" mil spec, so they should take a splash of water as well.
BTW, I noticed your post on BC4x4 mentioning you were still interested in getting your HF - consider giving hamstudy.com a shot. For $20 it's so much easier than studying from the book. I think it would really re-inforce what you got out of the ham cram and quickly fill in whatever else you need.
My bro in law saw my radio set up and decided he wanted in, so I gave him hamstudy, an antenna, and paid for his test for his birthday. He worked through it and got 94%.
(I think my sister in law wants to kill me, as he now wants a base station and a giant Yagi beam in the back yard...)
Are you the devil 
tempting me with such idea's, then setting your brother up to microwave the community.
That Yaseu sounds like a great deal, and your right, the time to jump in is now while the synapses are still lucid. I think I'll give hamstudy a shot. If I could remember anything of the block diagrams I'd be scoring much higher.
Thanks for the prod!
GG
tempting me with such idea's, then setting your brother up to microwave the community.That Yaseu sounds like a great deal, and your right, the time to jump in is now while the synapses are still lucid. I think I'll give hamstudy a shot. If I could remember anything of the block diagrams I'd be scoring much higher.
Thanks for the prod!
GG
Stop all this talk about HF... I can't setup an HF ant. at home
Stop all this talk about HF... I can't setup an HF ant. at home
Hang one off the truck!! That's where mine is going just in case I get stuck out in the boonies.
If you're looking to upgrade, download the virtual test on line at the Radio Amateurs of Canada website. I used that and the book and got 89% on the first try. Be careful though as the virtual test has some errors in it.
Just got my call sign VA7DRW and my radio arrived this afternoon
Excellent Drew!
I guess I'll be a couple of days behind,
GG
I guess I'll be a couple of days behind,
GG
Well after 8 hours of installing I now have a Ham radio in my truck... now to figure out how to use it before next weekend.
8 hours?! Wow, slightly more involved than my "quick, bolt it in there and turn it on" approach! Can you access the head unit controls easily in that location?
Did you get it from Radioworld? I ordered a VX-6R from them, it apparently showed up a couple of hours after I left for a 6 day bike trip. Picking it up tomorrow.
Did you get it from Radioworld? I ordered a VX-6R from them, it apparently showed up a couple of hours after I left for a 6 day bike trip. Picking it up tomorrow.
Had to keep it clean looking and avoid all of my other electronics with the antena cable.
Controls are all easy to see and get too. Now I just need to start playing with it. Yes, I ordered it from Radio world and had it 3 days later with no shipping charges.
Controls are all easy to see and get too. Now I just need to start playing with it. Yes, I ordered it from Radio world and had it 3 days later with no shipping charges.
- Thread starter
- #72
Good to hear so many radios getting installed. I ordered a VX7R from RW a few days before the ham course started -- I'm still learning how to program it (not exactly intuitive until you get the hang of it!)
For an HF antenna -- I've never had anything better than a long wire (strung around the rain gutter of my house so my wife wouldn't yell at me) or the 8' cb whip on my truck (and a tuner). From the wire, I've hit California, Arizona, Iowa, Texas, etc. My best contact on the whip was a JA station while driving across the Haney Bypass one day last year. I also got into an XE station from the driveway....and can regularly hit the southwestern US. You don't need much!
For an HF antenna -- I've never had anything better than a long wire (strung around the rain gutter of my house so my wife wouldn't yell at me) or the 8' cb whip on my truck (and a tuner). From the wire, I've hit California, Arizona, Iowa, Texas, etc. My best contact on the whip was a JA station while driving across the Haney Bypass one day last year. I also got into an XE station from the driveway....and can regularly hit the southwestern US. You don't need much!
Steve, do you know about the VX-7 Commander software?
http://www.kc8unj.com/
I downloaded it for the VX-6R, it has a pretty good rep. You need a USB adapter, I got mine from these guys:
http://www.ttl2usb.com/
Got the cable to program my FT8800, as well as the FTB8800 software (a whopping 18 bucks as opposed to the free Commander software...). Now I just need to try it...and get SOME idea of what I should be programming in them!
I'd like to see your mobile HF in action some time.
I just got a VX-6 from Stan today and the programing cable. I downloaded the Commander software and then imported the CSV file I made for my 8800. I now have about a 100 repeaters loaded in SW BC.... now I just neet to make an adaptor from the VX-6 Cable to the FT8800 so I can program it in a few seconds.
Now I just need to find someone to talk too
Now I just need to find someone to talk too
Drew:
I guess you know this but I'll say it anyway for the sculkers. If you are going up an active logging road, or mining road, get on their VHF frequency and announce your presence.
Example: "Blackdome Gold, Blackdome Gold, private vehicle entering at kilometre zero and heading up to your office." Then, every couple of kilometres let them know where you are such as, "vehicle coming up at kilometre 7."
~Bill
I guess you know this but I'll say it anyway for the sculkers. If you are going up an active logging road, or mining road, get on their VHF frequency and announce your presence.
Example: "Blackdome Gold, Blackdome Gold, private vehicle entering at kilometre zero and heading up to your office." Then, every couple of kilometres let them know where you are such as, "vehicle coming up at kilometre 7."
~Bill
Last edited:
Bill, that only works if you've modded your radio to transmit outside of recognized ham frequencies!! Most forestry road traffic is transmitted above 150Mhz and ham is between 144 and 148 Mhz. Most ham radios can listen in so you'll know that they are coming but you cannot transmit so they know you're coming.
Bill, we know you wouldn't break the law and mod your radio now would you?
Cruiser_guy:
Of course I would never do anything illegal or modify my radio in any way whatsoever. I was told this procedure by someone who felt that it was better to be alive safe, rather than dead right. If those Coalmont mining trucks are coming down that narrow road, you'd better watch out and get out of the way fast, otherwise you're road kill.
Of course I would never do anything illegal or modify my radio in any way whatsoever. I was told this procedure by someone who felt that it was better to be alive safe, rather than dead right. If those Coalmont mining trucks are coming down that narrow road, you'd better watch out and get out of the way fast, otherwise you're road kill.
Last edited:
I'm with you on this and if it would mean a "different" radio then so be it! I just wanted to let you and others know that the forestry roads use different frequencies than standard 144-148Mhz ham frequencies.
In most radios it is just removing one diode to give you full range. I have heard from several sources that there has been a lot of radio checks this year for modified rigs, expecialy on active forestry roads. I will be modifying my HT to access the additional frequencies and leaving the moble alone. If I ever get checked I don't think they will be looking for a second radio.
Lots of info on this on the web. I can find this information for my radio easily. Does anyone know if these modifications would be permitted for those with an "Advanced" license? I'm not asking about the legality of using it in the modified state, just the legalities of doing the mods and having a modded radio?