Hi all, after 4 years as a general class operator, I finally buckled down and actually managed to pass the extra exam! Very happy about this.

I wanted peoples opinions on vanity call signs. Why did you get one? I know they are better for Morse code, but I don't do CW and to be honest have no interest in learning. Other than that is it just sort of a badge of honor? If I do decide to go for one, is there a list of available ones or do you just sort of guess? Thanks-I haven't given any thought to changing my call sign till now but might just keep the one I have now if there's no huge difference. Thanks all

I am using a 450Ah 12V bank if AGM batteries as backup for my radios and WiFi. It is charged by a West Moubtain Radio Epic Powergate. I recently connected 2x 100W solar panels (linked in parallel)to the unit. I noticed that the power supply stops charging the batteries when the panels are plugged in. The PWRgate manual does not indicate the maximum solar current or voltage the unit can take. Anybody have experience with this? Is there a better option to the PWRgate for this setup?

At 1.440 GHz, using a Gps patch antenna

Let’s talk about the “standard” size of QSL cards. I know it’s 3.5x5.5 inch, or about 90x140mm. I’m curious on where this size is coming from, since I couldn’t find an approximate equivalent in either US or international card/envelope/paper sizes.

I’m printing my cards at home and it’s a pain to cut the paper to that size, either from a letter size paper or a 4x6 photo paper. Not the end of the world and I got a system down, but I just wonder if someone knows the history/reasoning behind that size.

73 and thanks!

I am setting up my small basestation and at the same time I’m building a raspberry pi for this:

https://www.flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/build/

The question I have is this. Can I use my existing tri band antenna for this or do I need to invest in a separate antenna.

Here is my antenna:

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/cma-gp-15

The build calls for a :

1090 MHz Antenna An indoor antenna can be purchased to start. If using the FlightAware USB adapter be sure the antenna has an SMA connector. If you use a telescoping mast antenna be sure to collapse it to a quarter wavelength of 1090 MHz (6.9 cm) to maximize reception

2 of these Motorola CM200d radios were at my local pawn shop. Being sold as CBs, working great and hearing repeaters 50 miles away!

So my home has a lighting rod system copper rods ever 10 feet at ridge of home as well as 1 on the chimney, at 4 locations the thick copper wire runs into the ground. I have a diamond discone antenna mounted on the chimney where the old TV antenna was once mounted. Is it safe or ok to tie the antenna ground into the lightning rod system? Or should I run a separate ground wire back down the house. Either a 4 foot run or 30 foot lol

Dotted yellow line is power lines/feed into the house.

White X is radio room.

White line is the current coax run. (100ft)

Orange line is an EFHW cut for 40m.

The yard is like 6 acres, which seems like such a waste of space.

I REALLY want to put up some kind of balanced antenna. My roof is metal, so balanced feed line is out, also, I have a "normal" tuner. The problem is that my house is in the center of what feels like a friggin desert. anybody got any advice? The dream would be a fan dipole or a skyloop.

https://preview.redd.it/1si5uzy3yszd1.png?width=490&format=png&auto=webp&s=82af100f554459015f12e3464262f1fcbe35dcd8

What are we using for mobile mounts in the truck? I'm specifically looking at a Proclip mount and then a lido radio mount attached to the proclip. Anyone running this combination or recommend a different solution?

I'm not sure if this sub is an appropriate place to ask, if not please kindly redirect me and I will delete.

My brother and friend both have older Midland gxt1000 radios, all 4 can talk to each other. Last year I purchased another pair of gxt1000, hoping to use them all together. My 2 walkies can talk to each other, their 4 walkies can talk to each other. But my 2 newer walkies cannot talk to their 4. We tried multiple channels and privacy codes, went through every menu option to make sure they matched but nothing worked. We used channel 5, privacy code 10. Channel 5, privacy code 0 allowed 1 way communication. Help please, Midland self help has been anything but, user manuals have not helped.

I've recently set up an AllStar node using an interface from Kits for Hams and a Raspberry Pi, but I was informed I'm kerchunking the repeater to which I'm connected. I thought I could use DCS to prevent any radios not sending the DCS tone from opening the squelch on the FT-818, but it doesn't seem to be working like I thought.

I'm reading page 23 of the FT-818 manual here.

The setup:

• I have menu #23 configured to use DCS code 23 on the FT-818
• I've pressed the TON key 3 times so DCS is shown on the display

The manual indicates:

The receiver will remain muted until a matching DCS code is received on an incoming signal.

It seems like this is referring to the receiver on the FT-818, but maybe I'm wrong.

From my HT (FT-65), I can set the TX DCS tone to anything, or off, and if I key up, it opens the squelch on the FT-818. I've also tested going the other way (TX from the FT-818 to the FT-65) setting the RX DCS tone to something other than 23 on the FT-65, and the squelch is still opened.

I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding how this works or if I'm just not configuring something properly. Ultimately, my goal is to tone protect my AllStar node so it's not kerchunking.

Hello all, apologies if some of my questions sound silly. I am new to the hobby and stuff have a lot of learning to do.

The question I have is how to I access the frequency used by my local P.P. Radio reference states that they are park of a talk group within the RCPSCS, how would I listen into the RCPSCS and better yet how do I listen into a specific T.G.

As most casual enjoyers I utilize a UV-5R but am willing to utilize other equipment for this as well if needed.

For reference this is purely to listen in and avoid unnecessary attention while spiritedly driving along some of the roads in the area.

Having trying for a few it appears to be down…..

I got my Pi-Star hotspot up and running a few years ago and want to get back into it. Where can I find the list of Talkgroups and their time slots and colorcodes. I.e.talkgroup 31068 Northern California, colorcode 1, repeater slot 2 (assuming repeater slot is the same as time slot). I have been all over the Brandmeister site and can see everything about the people online, but not what I need to check my existing code plugs and add more. Repeaterbook is just giving me the local repeaters that support DMR. Sorry for such a basic question, but certain things you just can't recall after a few years.

Hi everyone been a little since I popped on the radio and bam! Hit with a contest raging on 20m, pile ups everywhere, so my question is are contests annoying for you or do you love them, I'm personally on the fence as I've tried doing a few contests in the past and found them to be a little lacking and I always forget when they are on and sometimes I just want to play on the radio but I get overshadowed by massive radio stations running a million watts.

Not able to load it for 10 minutes now

I have seen reports that the range of CB radios is better when using AM compared to FM on the same carrier frequency and same power output. I am trying to wrap my head around why this is, or find out what it is that I am wrong about. Can anyone eli5?

Edit: here is where I was seeing AM distance is better than FM: https://www.cobra.com/blogs/news/faq-fm-for-cb-radio#:~:text=The%20main%20advantage%20of%20AM,communication%20based%20on%20their%20needs

I passed my technician just my memorizing the question bank and I don't want to do that for thr general class test. I'm currently using the hamstudy app but I feel like it's just getting me to memorize the question bank. Any recommendations for videos to watch that explain the concepts and application of the general class material?

I am planning to get the YAESU FT-991A this holiday season, (crossing fingers for Black Friday special) and starting to set up my shack...I plan to use the G5RV-JR Antenna but I am not sure which power supply I should get. The radio says it draws 23 amps max. Does it matter if i get a more expensive MFJ power supply like this: https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/mfj-4225mv or can I buy a cheaper one like https://www.amazon.com/TekPower-Analog-Display-TP30SWI-Switching/dp/B01MQ2PGYO, and does it make a difference? Thank you!

Hello folks,

I've bought one of these and I'm totally unimpressed so far. I can't even decide what kind of antenna this is. It looks very much like an EFHW but then it should have a 1:49 unun, not a 1:9 as it has.
It's sometimes referred to as "non resonant" which would point at a random wire antenna and matches the 1:9 unun, but 20m sure is an unexpected wire length for such an antenna.

It's said not to require ground radials, and every attempt I made to add some did push the SWR up indeed. So I've decided to use it an an EFHW, choking the coax cable at the transceiver's end so that it's used as the counterpoise. I brought it up as a sloper, feed point a bit less than 2m high and other end about 10m high, it gave me mediocre SWR readings on 20-10m bands: around 2.0. Performance didn't look great either.

Only help I got from seller was that a new version of this antenna had been released with a modified unun for "easier tuning". Really not the kind of reply I was hoping for!

Any M0CVO LW-20 users here? are you happy with it? how do you use it?

Best 73s to all.