Wondering what other hams do about covering the cost of a DX station to respond to a request for a QSL card? Most don’t indicate anything on QRZ.com about remuneration. Yet I think it must be expensive to respond to QSL card exchanges. What do other hams do about this on a routine basis?

I am brand new to Ham Radio and I need to get my first radio. I'm not sure exactly what to get. I would like a hand held but i am open to other options. Since I'm just exploring and learning the hobby I would like a more budget friendly option. Any recommendations would be great, Thank you.

As the title says my dad just got his radio license and I would like to get him a setup as a Christmas gift. He was looking at the Yaesu FT-2980R, Pyramid PS14KX power supply and some cheap $12 dollar T shape antenna. Are these good choices? I'm tech savvy and definitely know how to hunt for a good deal, but I know nothing about ham radios. Would like to get the best quality setup that a budget of $450 will buy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Update #1

I need to make a correction, turns out The $12 antenna wasn't an antenna at all, but some kind of an adapter he wanted.

Thanks for all the suggestions folks! All the info is super helpful. It has certainly peaked my interest and made me want to get my license. I've always been a gadget and tech guy and I particularly like how much you can customize a setup! Any benefit to having a color display? What are some of the benefits of getting a larger display besides displaying more information ? Keep the suggestions and info coming and I'll be sure to update you guys again!

300,000 people had no communication with the outside world. No Wifi, no cell, no phone. For DAYS we couldn’t even drive out to see what happened. The only people communicating into/out of the area were HAM operators and Starlink-with-generator. I do not have a HAM license. Once I made it out of the area to safety I learned one important tip: if you get a WiFi signal you can keep track of the situation by listening to traffic on HAM repeaters. You guys did a great job.

Hello, I'm a ham radio beginner who has just bought a basic scanner for listening to 2m & 70cm in the UK... (uniden-ubc-370clt)

I'm thinking of buying another antenna to put on my balcony and feeding the wire through the ventilation if it will fit through the small hole.

Would one of those cheap and cheerful portable SDR Dipole Antennas still be compatible with a normal (not SDR) scanner please ?

I'm very grateful for your opinion, thank you.

I need some advice on troubleshooting a Tx problem on a new rig (Yaesu FTM-200DR) in a new rig (Super C motorhome). The size of the MH prevents me from taking it somewhere to get help. So I need to figure this out myself.

I'm a General class operator, but I have lots to learn. The new motorhome was prewired for a CB radio. I used the power, antenna feed and antenna mount to base my installation of a Yaesu radio and a Diamond dual-band NMO base antenna. Everything was purchased new.

1. I don't have an SWR meter for UHF/VHF. I do have one for CB. Could I use that?
2. I don't know what type of antenna feed the manufacturer used, but it would be difficult to fish a new feed to the location needed. It looks like standard RG8 with a PL259 termination
3. The antenna mount is attached to the side mirror bracket and has a ground wire running to it.
4. Radio appears to function properly. I get power. I can receive from my other radios and I can hear NOAA broadcasts. But transmit does not get out except if I'm right next to the other radio.
5. I'm located in Nor Cal 925 area code, in case anyone is local and would be willing to help.

Thanks in advance for reading and offering suggestions.

In an efhw antenna how can the counterpoise serve as a return path for the current? It's much shorter than the radiating element so it's impedance is very different from the radiating element's impedance and thus the currents can't be equal and if the currents are not equal the difference returns as common mode current on the outside of the coax's shield. Maybe the role of the counterpoise is just to decrease the common mode current but not entirely eliminate it. Please explain this to me, thanks a lot :)

Found this at in a loft and plan to use it

I picked up a Powerwerx SS-30DV out of a free bin at a hamfest awhile back with the caveat that it was an unknown problem. Got it home to find no fuse in the slot. Loaded it with the proper size/amperage and after about 30 seconds it blew, therefore the first thought would be a short somewhere.

Fast forward to today when I finally decided to bench it and see what’s up. Started with the MOSFETS, on to the caps, and so forth. Only thing left before I ran out of time is the transformer. There was no visible damage anywhere and nothing showed a short and no burns were visible on the board or traces. So I’m stumped at this point.

Has anyone else had issues with one of these? I guess they’re also branded under MFJ and others and from what I’ve read appear to be made by Samalex. I’ve heard they have flaws but no real answers, the documentation on them appears to be made from unobtanium as it’s nonexistent. I’d like to get it working as it’s compact and has Powerpoles on the front plus the lugs at the rear making it ideal for a secondary supply for Field Day versus dragging an Astron off of the shelf.

Hello! I just got my technician a few months ago. I just scored a great deal on a Kenwood 430S, it comes with literally everything except a power supply. The specs on it are 13.8 V 20.5 amp max.

I’m looking at a few power supplies on eBay and Amazon but I am unsure on a few things.

There is a meanwell 12v 30 amp for ~$35. Is 12 V enough for this radio?

My other choice is a TopPower 13.8 V 30 amp for ~$80

I’m open to other suggestions within this price point. Thanks!

Editing to say I’m looking for something cheap to test this thing out 😃 I plan on getting a battery eventually… just spent the savings I had for a new radio on this radio lol

Hello,

I was reading up on calculations for line of sight propagation for VHF/UHF signals and I reached several portions that confused me. Hoping some people can help.

1. Referencing the distance to horizon calculation, when looking at 2 points (h, H), and having h as 2m and H as 100m. It roughly comes out to d(h)=6km and d(H)=41km. Does that mean theoretically, that both points could transmit and receive up to or less than 47km from each other?

2. Is there a simple calculation for line of sight with power without going into EIRP or Path-loss and RX/TX gains? Or is the wattage generally negligible to the distance calculation without the TX/RX gains etc.? (Example: 5 vs 25 vs 100 watt transmitters)

3. Is it beneficial to factor in Atmospheric refraction and how do you determine your k value? I was reading the wiki and this k-factor can change from its average value depending on weather. Is there good reference how to calculate that and incorporate it into your LOS equation?

Thank you for any help!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-of-sight_propagation

I have my technician exam on roughly a month and I been practicing on ham radio prep and I’m just curious if that’s sufficient or if there is something better out there.

This was my first HF receiver in 1985. I used a Heathkit DX 100 transmitter with the receiver, which destroyed my dad’s TV. Still works, but it’s due for a recap, and a new lens cover. Should be a fun winter project

Hi y’all, I’m new to ham radios and looking into getting a decent aprs enabled radio. Mainly I want one that does gps and sms. I have a price range of about 150$ can any of y’all make good recommendations. And if I need, and only need to (because I know it’s a lot of you get what you pay for) I might be able to bump it to 200$

Gents,

I scrolled through the previous posts, but was a bit unsure about this.

A local repeater near me has a freq listed as 146.XXX- PL 146.2. I understand the offset and TX/RX requirements. When inputting the PL tone do I need to put it in BOTH the encode AND decode section or is this just the encode to "unlock" the repeater?

Do I leave the decode blank? Is there a standard value? Use the PL tone?

Thanks in advance.

When I follow the directions for the chirp software on the spreadsheet, I have all of the frequencies and offsets set properly. When I go to upload it to the radio it uploads everything except the frequencies for every channel. All channels end up the same 145.470. Why will the frequencies from the spreadsheet not upload to the radio properly?

Any recommendations on EDC/go bags for HT’s? Would like it to be large enough to hold 2 different HT’s with their chargers, spare batts, a speaker mic, antennas, various connectors, roll up J pole, repeater directory, etc. - but not huge either

Bonus for things that do not look too tactical! Low profile is good

Thx

Hey everyone!

After taking a bit of a break (read: a decade due to some Navy and life fun), I recently jumped back into writing with a new mission: introducing kids to the world of HAM radio! Building on Prepper Pete & Friends, part of this new chapter aims to make amateur radio fun, accessible, and a launch point for meaningful discussions between kids and adults. Bridging generations, etc.

The first Ham Radio book (No. 5 in the series), Radio Rick Relays Relief, was released in October. Survivalist Sam Saves the Day, a collaboration with Chris Weatherman (aka, Angery American) will be released on 12 Dec - the fun part is that it's based on a true story he told during and interview with Ham Radio 2.0.

I've got a ton more in the works—including POTA Pam Activates a Park, Prepper Pete and the Ham Exam, Chuck Morse Taps into Trouble, and even Prepper Pete and the Sad Ham (trust me, it’s gonna be good!).

Took me a while to find a new illustrator, but my hope is the stories will spark curiosity, and these books are perfect for introducing young readers to Ham radio or for sharing your love of the hobby with family during the holidays.

You can check out the series and learn more at https://www.prepperpeteandfriends.com/hamradio/

QUESTION: Would love to hear your thoughts and feedback. What would YOU want to see in future Ham radio-themed stories for kids? I've got the above books on the slate. I'd maybe like to make a chapter books series, etc. Please let me know. Feel free to reach out directly or below.

God bless and 73,
Kermit (KZ4CD)

#HamRadio #KidsBooks #HolidayGifts #AmateurRadio #EmergencyPreparedness #POTA #HAM

Dose anyone have a olywiz GTS-813 program softwere ?

Looking for any help on any hams in southeast colorado.

Specifically, I'm looking for any hams in this area that are experienced and can work on Coax ( Cutting, installing adapters).

I assume that this is CCrane's flagship product. I don't understand why they have the ability to listen to the 2-Meter band, but not the ability to listen to shortwave and/or SSB ham convos on HF bands. Anyways, I was just curious if these were worth getting.

Is the $3.99 HamStudy.org app good for learning General and Amateur Extra? I had a book for the General test, but seem to have lost it. Is this app good for studying for the General test? I obviously already have my Technician license. Thanks.

Hi all, im recovering an old bc-348 m receiver.

does anyone have a schematic or diagram with the voltages present on the resistor boards ?

mine has the voltages messed up on the tubes and im trying to trace the problem back, a voltage reference would be great.

thanks all

jorge

In an efhw antenna (in an ideal scenario) should the current in the radial be the same as in the radiating element? (if they are not the same the difference must return via the coax's shield and this doesn't sound like an ideal scenario, if not how can the currents be the same if the radiating element and the radial are not the same length)

This question is theoretical i just want to understand the electrical behavior of the antenna.

i'd really appreciate if you explain the currents in this whole system

Thanks a lot for answering :)

So I'm getting my technician license tomorrow, and after that I need to get a transceiver. I'm thinking maybe the kenwood ts 680s seeing as it has hf, so I can use it after I get the general license. My budget is around 350$, so tell me what you think and if you have any other recommendations.

I'm looking into getting long range walkie talkies for my friends for Christmas. We all live in Manhattan and in around a 10 block radius. Ideally I'd like a radio strong enough to work in a 3-5 mile radius though. I know buildings and other emergency radios will probably have an effect on communication. Can someone point me in the right direction for a make and model of walkie talkies that would safely and reliably work for this environment?

I have a ts-520v that lost receive a couple weeks ago. Was listening to a net, heard a crackle in the speaker and lost audio and transmit both. It will work flawlessly, at times, for hours, otherwise it randomly cuts out. Sometimes it is dead on turn on, other times it fires up great. Tried heat - nothing changes. Tried freeze mist when it's out - no difference. Wiggled and poked and prodded everything I can. Either it stays working or it stays dead until it decides to function. Cleaned all controls, bandswitch, etc - still a sporadic issue. Bandswitch coupler not broken and all in alignment. Any thoughts on what to check next? Thanks, Bob

I received my VE badge yesterday. I'm thrilled to be at the next step in the hobby. The only issue is I'm not 100% clear on how to become active at the VE level. I currently aren't a member of a club, however I keep in close contact with members of a local club. 73- WB1V

TL:DR New VE wants to become active in the role of. a VE