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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2013 02:20am
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Dillio, I do have my Tigertronics Signal Link and also picked one up for my grandsons for Christmas along with the cable for his IC-718. Picked both of them up from DX Engineering, great outfit, and they had the best price.
I picked up the cable to use my rear ACC1 port, (Icom-746) but my W2IHY EQ and EQ Plus use it, so I will set up my Yaesu FT857D up in my shack and I also picked up the 6 pin mini DIN connector for my 857. It will still be my bug out/cabin/field day rig, but it will be used in the shack for digital modes. Should have it up and running this weekend.
This is my first venture into digial modes like this, so this hobby, though, expensive, you can never use the excuse "Its boring", just too many things to do with it.
I enjoy this "brotherhood" for sure.
73
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Dillio187
Member
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2014 06:44pm
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well, it's been a fun 6 months so far. I made it through winter, and have started to experiment with some other wire antennas. I made a ladder-line fed doublet that's about 110' end to end, it works really well with a tuner. The ladder line terminates at a balun right outside my shack, and connects to my tuner with a 6' piece of coax. I also have built a fan dipole that I need to hang up and check SWR readings on it, I strung the 10M and 20M elements up earlier today and they seem a bit long. Once it gets warm I should be able to get it dialed in.
We're moving into a new house next week, and I have 300' of antenna wire ready to go, I'm going to try out a full wave loop around the 1 acre. Lots of fun and experimentation to be had.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2014 06:52pm
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Dillio, good deal, more room for antennas at the new place. A tower in your future?
Anyone heard from Bevis, he was going to upgrade to General via the hamtestonline course. I havent heard from him as of yet. I'm curious as to how he is doing???
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basrijn
Member
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2014 10:18am
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Quoting: Dillio187 We're moving into a new house next week, and I have 300' of antenna wire ready to go, I'm going to try out a full wave loop around the 1 acre. Lots of fun and experimentation to be had.
My setup is very similar to yours. In addition to the dipole I have a 43ft vertical. Over the next little while I hope to use WSPR (http://wsprnet.org/drupal/) to get a feel for the patterns on both antenna's.
When the summer gets better, I'm hoping to convert the dipole in to a big loop
Bas
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cman47c
Member
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2014 10:44am
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I have built many wire antennas on my 10 acres. Dipoles for each band, doublets, plus a full wavelength loop for 80 meters, 284 feet fed with coax and a 2:1 balun. Works great, plus the loops are very low noise.
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basrijn
Member
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2014 03:04pm
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Quoting: cman47c I have built many wire antennas on my 10 acres.
Hi,
Have you come up with a fancy way for switching them? Or do you use the -puts-boots-on-dig-in-the-snow method?
Bas / VE7RIJ
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Dillio187
Member
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2014 09:50pm
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no tower for me, maybe a tilt over mast though!
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cman47c
Member
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:07am
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Bas,
I switch the antennas either by antenna tuner which has provisions for 3 antenna coax connectors or a coaxial switch which has 4 positions. I have 7 feedlines coming into the house.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 28 Aug 2014 12:06am
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My youngest grandson is also a ham. He became a general class operator at age 11. He is 12 now and did do field day with us at the cabin.
I told him, if he became a technician, I'd buy him a new VHF rig, he did, and then I told him if he did general, I'd set him up with an all new HF station, 30 days later, he was a General. So grandpa set him up real nice.
His gear:
My radio is the Icom IC-718
Power supply is the MFJ 45 amps
Antenna Tuner is the LDG Pro-II 100 watt auto tuner
Antenna is the G5RV-Lite from Radio Wayvz
SWR is done with the Diawa CH801HP fwd/ref pwr meter
2 Meter is the Yaesu FT-1900
2 meter antenna is the Cushcraft AR-2X 7.0 db
Microphone is the Heil PR-781 with the Heil windsock
Boom is the PL-2T from Heil
Keying is done with the Heil HS-2 hand switch
Heil boom mount is the desktop type or DT-1
HT's are the Yaesu FT270R with the Diamond Performance Antenna and Yaesu remote lapel mic
Boafeng UV-5R with Diamond performance antenna and remote lapel mic
Grandson operating the field day station.
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Grandsons HF station.
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Tarmetto
Member
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# Posted: 28 Aug 2014 06:00am - Edited by: Tarmetto
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Been licensed since April of 2013, so I'm a newbie. I had several radios and "listened" for a year or so before taking the test. Hoping to upgrade to general soon.
I'm an Icom guy...radios are 2200H. V8000, 275A, 475A, 737, 746 Pro, 718, 706mkIIg.
IC-2XL 500 watt amp-tuner-power supply, RM Italy 200 watt 2 meter amp.
45' tower, 11 element 2 meter yagi, 10 element 70cm yagi, 2 80/6 windoms set at 45 degrees apart running horizontal at 45'.
Just finished mounting a 45' military crankup mast to a trailer for DXpeditions and field day work.
Here's an older pic of my shack.
Astron RM-50M, Astron 35, Rigrunner-PwerGate DC distribution with battery backup
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 29 Aug 2014 09:08am
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Tarmetto, upgrade is a snap, or for those who aren't licensed, but want to, go to http://www.hamtestonline.com and pay the money for the course. Its all done online and with 1 hour a day, you will be ready for your test in 2 weeks and pass with a score of 90%+
This will cost you the same price as the ARRL study guides, dont try to get by with the free trial.
The extra will take you about a month. But tech and general, 2 weeks.
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Dillio187
Member
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# Posted: 17 Dec 2014 01:37pm
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impressive looking setups there!
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 17 Dec 2014 03:02pm
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Dillio, get the new 2X2 A#O## call yet? I have been checking also along with my cousins new tech license. So far, nothing.
Bevis, have you upgraded yet to General????
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Dillio187
Member
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# Posted: 17 Dec 2014 09:12pm
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nothing yet. That's OK, I've just been signing stroke AE when I'm in the Extra portion of the bands.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 17 Dec 2014 10:55pm
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Dillio, I was the first to sign your weblog. 
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Dillio187
Member
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# Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:13am
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the first and only so far!
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basrijn
Member
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# Posted: 18 Dec 2014 10:48pm - Edited by: basrijn
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Two now  anybody up for some HF contacts over Christmas? We'll be at the cabin Dec 25 - Jan 4
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:27pm
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What band and what time. I will be home and in the ham shack spinning the dial.
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basrijn
Member
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2014 01:46am
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Hi,
80m @ evening?
Bas
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2014 08:44am - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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I sent you an email. 
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obtusemoose399
Member
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# Posted: 21 Dec 2014 07:18pm
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While I only have my tech license, I'm starting to get the bug to do HF and will need to upgrade soon. Has anyone considered a "Small Cabin Net?" It would be wild to hear some check-ins from across the country!
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 21 Dec 2014 07:50pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
Reply
obtusemoose, that would be cool. We have quite a few in here now. Myself, Mt Don, Dillio, Bassrijn, cman47, Tarmetto, Mike on a Bike, Bevis. I know there is more.
I am going to meet Bassjam on (75 meters) 3.975 Christmas eve at 8AM pacific (0400 Zulu) to see if I can make a contact with him at his cabin. I always bring my field day box/gear with me to my cabin. I use a Yaesu FT857D with the LDG tuner made just for it and a G5RV antenna and my MFJ Mighty Mite power supply.
A great online course to get you on the air is hamtestonline.com. Go there, pay the money (its interactive, so dont share it and the free trial course wont work) for the general class course. Then start answering the questions. You will be ready to take and pass the test with 20 hours in it. Dont skip a day, if you can. Try to get no less than 30 minutes in if you are not up to it, otherwise, give it no less than an hour a day minimum. When you are up over 90% (see that by clicking "top score") start generating a few practice test in the program. The scores you get there is what you will get at the test center.
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cman47c
Member
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# Posted: 22 Dec 2014 08:09am
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I would also be available for some HF QSO's. I am in PA.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 22 Dec 2014 11:55am
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We can call it the "Cabin Net", maybe meet once a month.
Just ragchewing. Passing traffic, optional.
Cman, I am going to try to contact Basrijn Christmas day at 0800 pacific. He is 246 miles almost direct north of me. The bands have been good this time of the year. Stop by. Holler out.
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cman47c
Member
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# Posted: 22 Dec 2014 01:20pm
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I may not be able to get you on 75m at that time of day from PA but I will listen.
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basrijn
Member
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# Posted: 25 Dec 2014 11:14pm
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Hi toyota_mdt_tech
Heard you, but it turns out that my tuner has issues with my random length loop at that freq. Maybe we can move down some in freq? Don't have access to your email addr here at the cabin. Maybe mail me direct?
Bas
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 26 Dec 2014 08:48am - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
Reply
OK. How was my signal? I was running about 850 watts. (RS_) I didnt hear anyone else. I will email you.
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obtusemoose399
Member
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# Posted: 26 Dec 2014 08:30pm
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You guys are making me really want my general ticket! Though I think that I would be running QRP from my property.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 26 Dec 2014 08:55pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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obtusemoose, go to http://www.hamtestonline.com and sign up for $29.95 for General. In 20 hours of study, you will be ready for your general class upgrade.
(for those who are not licenses at all, you need to do "Technician" first, take also 20 hours and $24.95. Then to talk worldwide (HF privileges, you need to be General class or higher, this is where the fun really begins)
I do not run any amplifiers at my cabin. I use the FT857D and it is capable of 100 watts. But that is QRP as far as I'm concerned.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 26 Dec 2014 09:49pm - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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OK, Bas heard me well last night. We are doing 8:30PM pacific time (04:30 Zulu) contact tonight (12/27/14) on 3.780. If its busy, we will migrate up 5Khz. For you SWL'rs, this is LSB.
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