Ham bands

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ve1hup

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Posts
60
John In Detroit said:
Happened again: I went out to my "Ham shack" (Hams call the radio room the "Ham Shack" Even if it cost 100,000 or more :) ) and the tire pressure alarm was very well alarmed, A glance at it showed the Right Rear tire on the towed was F!L!A!LT!!! I mean ---PSI
Click to expand...

Off topic, but what bands do you work while camping John? I am a "hamper" and work everything 80m and under while camping.

73,  Darryl
VE1HUP
 
Hi, Darryl

Glad to see a bit of HAM activity on this forum.

Don't want to butt in  with your query to John, but want to ask you a question.

Tell us about your set-up, especially antennas that you use on all those bands.

I am VE7WCX/W4. originally from B.C. and now retired in Florida. Have all my gear operational and intend to -someday- put it into my Winnebago 32. If I can learn from you, I might prevent re-inventing the wheel.
73
carson FL

PS: ex VE6VF, VE7KE, VE7CER, since 1958.

 
The main station is a Kenwood TS-2000, Since I was a Tech for 40 years I tend to work mostly 2/70cm FM but I at the very least scan the low bands from time to time.  I'm still learning the radio.  I normally make my best effort to check into an 80 meter net every night.  The KAT-1 Tuner covers 160-10 but not too well on the end bands.  I have other antennas for six 2 and 70cm.

Lately I've been hanging out on 40 and 20 PSK too.
 
I like to mostly work 40 meter CW and sometimes SSB on my Yaesu 857D.  I forgot to bring it along on my cuyrrent trip and already miss it.  for 40 meters I use a pair of hamsticks, operating as a dipole, mounted on a pole that is attached to my ladder.

Smoky - W3PY
 
Sorry for such a late reply Carson.  I had forgotten about this post and don't ofter get over to this board.  I am using portable gear, with nothing hard wired into the trailer.  My radio is a Yaesu FT897D, which I run from a stand alone group 31 deep cycle I drag along with me when boondocking.  I have used a number of home brew antennas for both VHF and HF.  The best home brew antenna I used was a short windom (66') which I could hoist into a tree (using a modified slingshot and fishing reel) or I also carried a portable, telescopic 30' fiberglass mast when trees weren't available.  I also needed a tuner for that setup.  I would often run into space constraints using that antenna on some campsites.  A couple of years ago I invested in a buddipole and have been very pleased with it.  Setup in about 5 min and will work in very small spaces.  No tuner needed as well.

There are a lot of hams that camp and I have often thought it would be neat to have a camper's net on 20m. Perhaps one already exists, but I have never heard it.

73, Darryl
VE1HUP
 
Darryl & all

I've gotten reinfected, have a g5rv up up here in NY and just bought a IC-746Pro.

I've been thinking about taking it camping.  I'm concerned that the neighbors will see the antennas go up, have tv problems & come knocking.  Is that an issue?

66' Windom & slingshot.  Inverted V? Sounds like a plan.

Joel
KC2CUX
 
joelmyer said:
I've gotten reinfected, have a g5rv up up here in NY and just bought a IC-746Pro.

I've been thinking about taking it camping.  I'm concerned that the neighbors will see the antennas go up, have tv problems & come knocking.  Is that an issue?

66' Windom & slingshot.  Inverted V? Sounds like a plan.
Click to expand...

Joel,

If you see lots of TV antennas in the neighborhood, you could be introuble.  If you see cable TV drops and satellite dishes, you should be safe.  If you put up an antenna in a camping area, always tell people that it is for a Homeland Security drill.  :)

Phil
 
Phil said:
If you see cable TV drops and satellite dishes, you should be safe.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't bet on it. I have seen some pretty bad TVI with cable TV. However, it usually comes down the shield and is easy to get rid of with a few raps of the TV cable around a ferrite core, as near as possible to the TV. Usually, a high pass filter doesn't do a thing because most of the TVI comes down the outer shield.

And the ferrite core usually works so well that the HP filter doesn't change anything that's noticeable if it's used or not. IOW, don't waste your time with the high pass filters. At least that's been my experience.

                                                        73, Don AA6GA




 
Darryl and others,

Quote: There are a lot of hams that camp and I have often thought it would be neat to have a camper's net on 20m. Perhaps one already exists, but I have never heard it.

    Thanks for your reply. I agree with you, it would be nice to monitor a frequency in one or more of the bands for like-minded folks like us. Especially if all would be RV.Forum (framily) members.

There are several clubs,etc with designated frequencies but I have not been able to successfully find any of them on the air. Maybe more patience is required.

You may want the look at this website, which lists a bunch of them. ARRL website also has info on that.

Would be nice if we could agree on a specific frequency to monitor, maybe with a special identifier during calling cq or qrz. Framily is a bit too generic, maybe you can think of a distinctive word.

I have now officially put you in charge of this project, hihi.

Let me know what you, or anyone else reading this post, think

carson FL. 

ex-VE6VF  (RCAF late 60's)
ex-VE7KE  (BC-Canada)
ex-VE7CER (BC-WA,USA)
now- VE7WCX/W4 ( Florida, USA)

(Status: legally operating in FL, Kenwood TS520-barefoot, Vertical ant-1 each band, RTTY, PSK,SSB, (CW is too rusty now).


73



 
carson said:
There are several clubs,etc with designated frequencies but I have not been able to successfully find any of them on the air. Maybe more patience is required.
...

Would be nice if we could agree on a specific frequency to monitor, maybe with a special identifier during calling cq or qrz. Framily is a bit too generic, maybe you can think of a distinctive word.
Click to expand...

I've also been unable to catch any of the listed RV nets actually on the air.  Some smart puppy pick a time & frequency.  The name is easy "Calling the RV Forum net..."

Joel
Kc2Cux
 
Well,,, I've looked at the G5RV and the Carolia Windom, both look "Interesting" but I'm thinking not for RV use (Too long)

I run a 75-100 foot long wire off a KAT-1 Antenna tuner with my TS-2000 (KAT=Kenwood Antenna Tuner, the KAT-1 is a MARINE grade unit, so it's mounted out in the weather which seems to bother it not at all)  I've gotten lots of comment, but no complaint.

But then I tend to avoid operation during Prime Time,  It's not so much avoidance as.. "Otherwise occupied"  I do a net around 6-7pm and sometimes make a PSK contact (10 -40 watts of power is all) and then get involved with other things for a few hours, like the campfire, computer, Virtual Campfire, and so on  By the time I get back to the radio it's past prime time.

Plus with PSK you don't overdrive the rig,, In fact you drive it till you see ALC action, then back down on the audio drive till the ALC is not doing anything, no processing, so you are running 1/2 power or less, no distortion that way, no SPLATTER

I'd really like to hang an 80 meter dipole though, or the G5RV  Which just sounds like the antenna we Motor Homers should be using don't it (Pun very much intended)
 
joelmyer said:
I've also been unable to catch any of the listed RV nets actually on the air. 
Click to expand...

West Coast RV net 7 to 8:30 am Pacific time on 7.263.  They move to 7.268.5 at 8:30 Pacific time.
 
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