Hurley's Gold

I passed my General level Amateur Radio test yesterday

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  • Sock Puppet

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    Mar 8, 2015
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    Y'all make me realize I need to get off my butt and finally get my general. Don't have a huge desire for HF, but would like to have the option. Plus, I've been licensed long enough that I think I should do it already.
     

    no2gates

    These are not the droids you're looking for.
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    Aug 31, 2013
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    Grand Prairie, TX
    I have the rt systems software for it used a lot in my company truck as emergency communications believe it or not there are places within 40 miles of midland you can’t use a cell phone
    I used that years ago. Found CHIRP about 6 or 7 years ago and use it since I can use the same program to program all of my radios.
     

    DD130

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    Devil's Backbone
    It’s amazing how far away you make a radio contact with 100 watts of power and 20 or 40 meter wire antenna

    Or even 35 watts... check this one out I had from last week. 35W from an FT-991 and a G5RV wire antenna about 20' off the ground:
     

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    Cob

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    Apr 21, 2021
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    Midland texas
    Congratulations to you sir
    That’s great my g5 is about 35 feet but out here in Permian Basin I can’t get any thing to work well but over in runnles county same set up Works great don’t understand it but I’m working on it
     

    Cob

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    Midland texas
    Then I remember there are about 30 thousand oil wells In midland county and almost every one of them has an fm transmitter on it plus this place is a basin even commercial
    Am isn’t very good out here but it’s still fun to try
     

    vmax

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    I’ve pretty much stopped trying HF for now that I’ve gone digital. I can and do talk around the world whenever I want to on DMR
    I even take my setup with me in the truck and talk mobile.
     

    DD130

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    Devil's Backbone
    I’ve pretty much stopped trying HF for now that I’ve gone digital. I can and do talk around the world whenever I want to on DMR
    I even take my setup with me in the truck and talk mobile.
    I have the FT3-DR and have been monitoring and dabbling in Texas NEXUS channel for the last 12 months or so. It's interesting to hear people from Europe on our "little" digital room lol. Yeah, it's pretty interesting for sure. I have a little hot-spot I built and tossed in the corner of the office for my onramp to digital.

    I'm mainly doing digital on HF though too. A lot of FT8 (popular) but I actually prefer FT4 for the shorter transmit duration. I've tried to find people operating other modes but I've not hear anyone. I've done a little phone on the HF bands, mainly 20m but I'm collecting some wallpaper right now and HF digital is pretty efficient at making confirmed QSOs (I have about 800 confirmed of 1250 contacts since April).
     

    vmax

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    I have the FT3-DR and have been monitoring and dabbling in Texas NEXUS channel for the last 12 months or so. It's interesting to hear people from Europe on our "little" digital room lol. Yeah, it's pretty interesting for sure. I have a little hot-spot I built and tossed in the corner of the office for my onramp to digital.

    I'm mainly doing digital on HF though too. A lot of FT8 (popular) but I actually prefer FT4 for the shorter transmit duration. I've tried to find people operating other modes but I've not hear anyone. I've done a little phone on the HF bands, mainly 20m but I'm collecting some wallpaper right now and HF digital is pretty efficient at making confirmed QSOs (I have about 800 confirmed of 1250 contacts since April).
    pm me and we will get together on TX NEXUS
     

    Tnhawk

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    Awesome! The 7300 is supposed to be a great rig. I bought the FT-991, which I think is pretty good, and with the VHF/UHF and digital is great all-around but I'm working a lot of HF now and the mute waterfall on the 991 (which is *not* an issue on the 7300, plus it has a larger screen), is a major PAIN. I got a good deal on the 991, but I'd really like to have the 7300.

    Congrats and hope to hear you on the air soon!

    - David
    KI5GFU
    I've been very pleased with the Icom 7300 and 7100. Usually Icom runs a rebate on thier equipment. I managed to contact most of the states using these 100 watt redios and a inverted V at 33 feet. After adding an Acom 1010 linear amp I finally managed to work all 50 states.
    AK4SZ
     

    Wolfwood

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    For study I went clear to Extra without buying any study material. I used the practice tests on QRZ.com. Ran through the question pool, found the areas I was knowledge deficient and studied those researching with Google. There are a lot of different directions the study can be attacked from. Many just cycle the question pool over and over until they memorize the answers but that will not gain you a lot of knowledge, just get you through the tests.
    my elmer told me to memorize the pool, get a ticket, and then begin the quest for knowledge.
    he line of reasoning was "you learn more by doing than by reading, and dont worry, you will get stumped, the reading will come naturally and will not feel like studying, you will be searching for a solution to your problem, and you will learn a lot more"
     

    no2gates

    These are not the droids you're looking for.
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    Aug 31, 2013
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    Grand Prairie, TX
    It’s amazing how far away you make a radio contact with 100 watts of power and 20 or 40 meter wire antenna
    I've only used 100 watts max and have contacted over 60 countries on all continents except Antarctica (heard the McMurdo station there once, but they couldn't hear me).
    That's using a small end-fed antenna not very high up since I live in an HOA restricted area.
     

    Wolfwood

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    I've seen some really nifty stealth antennae on the web. But it sounds like you are doing OK!

    Anyone here contact ISS?
     

    no2gates

    These are not the droids you're looking for.
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    Aug 31, 2013
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    Grand Prairie, TX
    I've seen some really nifty stealth antennae on the web. But it sounds like you are doing OK!

    Anyone here contact ISS?
    I tried a few times but never even heard them. You can do it with a ground plane antenna theoretically, but a 2m/70cm directional antenna is strongly advised.
    When there's an opening, it only lasts for about 7 minutes, so you've got to be fast as it streaks across the sky.
     

    Tnhawk

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    I just passed my General exam today. A week ago, I bought an IC-7300 in anticipation of getting my General.

    So now I just have to get it all set up, including getting the coax run into the shack. Can’t wait to get it all fired up.
    Congrats on passing General exam and the IC-7300. I've have an IC-7100 and added an IC-7300. Both are good radios.

    AAK4SZ
     

    vmax

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    I'd still like for some of us to get in contact over Texas Nexus if any of you guys are doing DMR or have access to a fusion repeater.
    I'm usually on that or America Link
     

    Wolfwood

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    I tried a few times but never even heard them. You can do it with a ground plane antenna theoretically, but a 2m/70cm directional antenna is strongly advised.
    When there's an opening, it only lasts for about 7 minutes, so you've got to be fast as it streaks across the sky.
    From what I understand there isn't always sitting at the window with the radio, you have to get lucky.

    I'm thinking I might build a yagi and give it a couple shots
     
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