Ham Operators, Check In

Clingman ham fest this Saturday if anybody wants meet up. Swing by Buck Shoals FD and get some chicken while you're there!

Be a busy day. Start cooking chicken at midnight, hunt early Saturday morning, then the ham fest, then a soccer game at 1, then anniversary date night.
 
Picked up a couple radios at our get together this afternoon. $20 each. Never messed with 6m, guess I am now lol.

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I have done 6m meteor scatter ...... that was fun!
ALSO
Right now I'm on a qrp kick .....10 watts on 80m and 20m ssb.
This morning 5-7 watts on 80m ssb.
 
Lizooki said:
I have done 6m meteor scatter ...... that was fun!
ALSO
Right now I'm on a qrp kick .....10 watts on 80m and 20m ssb.
This morning 5-7 watts on 80m ssb.
Click to expand...
I've been on the QRP kick as well. Been running my FT818 which is 6W. I've been doing a lot of experiments with antenna height. Been getting a lot of distance off of a 20m dipole 4ft off the ground.
 
Need to take my license test.
Any tips?
Recommended places to go for the exam? (im in asheville)

also finally doing something with my gmrs license. just received a 10w gmrs midland repeater setup, so working on getting that installed
 
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ckruzer said:
Need to take my license test.
Any tips?
Recommended places to go for the exam? (im in asheville)

also finally doing something with my gmrs license. just received a 10w gmrs midland repeater setup, so working on getting that installed
Click to expand...

Online is a good option now. Otherwise, I really suggest going to a Ham fest. It's good fun, you'll learn something, take your test, and probably waste some money!
 
ckruzer said:
Need to take my license test.
Any tips?
Recommended places to go for the exam? (im in asheville)

also finally doing something with my gmrs license. just received a 10w gmrs midland repeater setup, so working on getting that installed
Click to expand...
I found the Online study courses worked well. HamStudy.org is a good one as well as QRZ.com. QRZ.com will present the entire question pool and quiz you on them. It may take a bunch of test questions to see all the questions but you will see all of them. HamStudy seems to use the same questions over and over again but it might have changed since I used it for my tech and general tests. I used QRZ for my extra (along with the Gordon West course).

You can use Ham Study to find an exam session in your area when you are ready to take the exam. We are having a test session in Wentworth Nov 16th. I'm a Volunteer examiner and a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator) I'm sure you can find one closer to you though. I'm pretty sure that the Blue Ridge Amateur Radio Club ahs exam sessions in the Asheville area on a regular basis.
 
Any recommendations for an ideal HAM base station setup?
Radio, mast, antenna choices?
 
Radio depends on what you want to do with it and if you plan on going further in licensing. For technician class, get something that is dual band, and I recommend dual receive. A Kenwood TMV71a, Yaesu FT500 or the likes with a good power supply gives you base operations and the ability to go mobile. If you want to go with digital, find out what the repeaters in your area are. The FTM500 is System Fusion, the Icom's are usually DSTAR then there is DMR.

For an antenna, it's hard to beat a Comet or a Diamond Dual Band vertical. They don't take up a lot of space and usually have great performance.

For HF, lots of good choices, Kenwood, Yaesu, Icom, hard to go wrong with any of their offerings. A G5RV antenna is a popular choice for 80M-6M and isn't terribly large. For Field day, we have used end fed 1/2 wave with good success.
 
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cranbiz said:
Radio depends on what you want to do with it and if you plan on going further in licensing. For technician class, get something that is dual band, and I recommend dual receive. A Kenwood TMV71a, Yaesu FT500 or the likes with a good power supply gives you base operations and the ability to go mobile. If you want to go with digital, find out what the repeaters in your area are. The FTM500 is System Fusion, the Icom's are usually DSTAR then there is DMR.

For an antenna, it's hard to beat a Comet or a Diamond Dual Band vertical. They don't take up a lot of space and usually have great performance.
Click to expand...

I taking test for both tech and gen
 
Better to have a receiver that does digital AND analog? Or better to have an All Band?
Struggling to find a receiver that does it all.

what about this receiver?
Yaesu FT-991A

Get the dual 2/70 Diamond or Comet antenna you mentioned for one antenna port. Get a Yagi for the second port?
I also want to get on 40 meter

Can you recommend a good antenna pole and mount?

As far as goals. Ultimately my first goal is to be able to talk to someone in Mars Hill NC (I am in Asheville NC)
 
ckruzer said:
Thanks
Consistently getting 95%+ on the practice tests. I think ill do alright
Click to expand...
You'll be good. Take the general while you're in testing mode! Even if you don't pass this time, you'll know what you're in for.
 
What Joel said. It doesn't cost any extra to take the extra exam if you pass the technician exam.

Good luck.
 
Lizooki said:
I have done 6m meteor scatter ...... that was fun!
ALSO
Right now I'm on a qrp kick .....10 watts on 80m and 20m ssb.
This morning 5-7 watts on 80m ssb.
Click to expand...

Now I have an itch to “shoot for the moon” and try some 2m EME otherwise known as moon bounce.
 
Welcome to another major league money drain!
 
Im looking at the yaesu multi mode hf/vhf/hf transceivers that offer both dx and analog. The price is ok.

What are y’all’s thoughts?

Specifically looking at the yaesu ft-991a
 
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