XPost: rec.radio.amateur.misc

Amateur/Ham Radio

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Is it good practice to use "zed" instead of "z" while saying your callsign?

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 01:14 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/va5l8r/is_it_good_practice_to_use_zed_instead_of_z_while/


Just got my technician ticket this week. My callsign suffix starts with z.
Is it preferred to use "zed" instead of "z" while identifying myself?
submitted by /u/Broadway--Joe
[link] [comments]

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What is the weirdest thing youve heard over the air?

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 07:06 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/vabz7i/what_is_the_weirdest_thing_youve_heard_over_the/


Or what about something that’s made you laugh? submitted by /u/Start_Transmission_
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6 Meters is open

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 06:09 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/vab1c0/6_meters_is_open/


I was just checking FT8 activity and 6 meters is open. 10 meters is open,
12 meters and down open also. submitted by /u/Ham-Radio-Extra
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Field Day QRZ'd? I can bearly hear you.

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 12:20 AM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/v9s8gf/field_day_qrzd_i_can_bearly_hear_you/

submitted by /u/Hot-Illustrator5011
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Nagoya UT-72. I purchased the antenna from Amazon and the whip wasnt in the loading coil. There doesnt seem to be threads to screw out back in. Is this
a fake antenna?

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 12:53 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/va5618/nagoya_ut72_i_purchased_the_antenna_from_amazon/

submitted by /u/Explr233
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Antenna for POTA activating and hunting

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 03:27 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/va85f1/antenna_for_pota_activating_and_hunting/


Hi group. I’m looking for an antenna system for both activating parks and hunting at home. I’m in an HOA so antenna has to be temporary. I have a FT-891 with the FC-50 tuner.
I’m currently using a hamstick with mag mount for activating and either a 20/40 fan dipole or the same hamstick with a ground spike and radials.
I’ve looked at the eagle one and the wolf river coil. I’m interested in multiband and the ability to go full 100 Watts.
I’d appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks!
Frank N3NGU submitted by /u/werkjerk
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Rainy evening porch shack

Posted: 10 Jun 2022 05:53 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/v9m2uo/rainy_evening_porch_shack/

submitted by /u/kevin762
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SRX 2200? What's the deal with these?

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 12:37 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/va4vam/srx_2200_whats_the_deal_with_these/


Was offered a trade, 3 SRX 2200s for around $500 of value. I noticed a few
of these radios selling for crazy prices, but does anyone actually use
them? Can they be used? Anyone here know about them? Id likely sell 2 and
keep one.

(note these are I think the 1st gen ones - without a screen) submitted
by /u/mucschwartz
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Found a Yaesu ft-900 at Goodwill For $19

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 01:33 AM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/v9t84j/found_a_yaesu_ft900_at_goodwill_for_19/


i was wondering how do i go about testing it? id like to get into HAM radio
as a hobby. Im going to read up about all the rules and regulations, I just want to see how I can even start by powering it on.
https://imgur.com/a/T02O8NT
https://imgur.com/a/rRwTzQn
https://imgur.com/a/sASl03p
How much are these radios worth? submitted by /u/FuzzyDifficulty4882
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Hey, I see ham tags on your Jeep, are you a ham?

Posted: 10 Jun 2022 06:58 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/v9n7iw/hey_i_see_ham_tags_on_your_jeep_are_you_a_ham/


I recently moved, and my neighbors saw the ham tag on my Jeep. They saw me outside one evening and asked if I was a ham. I replied "yes" and they proceeded to tell me that the guys father was a ham and that theyve gotten
rid of most of the equipment but had an "old radio" they couldnt give away
and asked if I wanted it.
This is what showed up about 48 hours later. I was expecting an HF radio,
not a whole HF setup. Im considering if I want to keep the radio setup, or possibly pass it on and get something newer thats solid state and a single
unit without all the side cars. But then again, the side cars make it
unique and interesting.
Moral of the story, be nice, be respectful. The neighbors even said I could string a wire antenna up and use some of the limbs of their tree on the property line. https://preview.redd.it/cf4ka6n0gw491.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4444d2ca85374d1bd2bb4cb602c390b314dc0fa
https://preview.redd.it/71lch5m0gw491.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0721883430c3ed3007839f9e2981462a4ee5f368
https://preview.redd.it/3wbnq9m0gw491.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a267d2329355c8bd5d8127cd5d6065be0c67d25
https://preview.redd.it/da85s5m0gw491.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bf241af5329e9253d2cc94533ce5ce1b14fe3652
https://preview.redd.it/kgadmqm0gw491.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1a1fc1c3f3555c4864d78ef1f282871f40fff7b
https://preview.redd.it/8rxc0cm0gw491.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=77f9169542eb070aa9e2da42034baa32c9217aca
https://preview.redd.it/v9359gm0gw491.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5fcc41aba3c44685d46bdcf18b9ef94e7a7b766
https://preview.redd.it/95432km0gw491.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0347d88f4e52173252f95ff7a1a7814a5f0bbb8a
https://preview.redd.it/g9e1mom0gw491.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5978311333e8840e0d0fc8df96ceafc7a92682eb
https://preview.redd.it/w7741vm0gw491.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fee9e39c89abc74d0e2da16ad5c69a186fe348ee
submitted
by /u/tk42967
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Yaesu FT-65R in the car?

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 10:46 AM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/va2o58/yaesu_ft65r_in_the_car/


I have ordered a Yaesu FT-65R that I plan to use for hiking, etc. I’m in
the car a lot, and I’d like to use it mobile. Will it work OK in the car
with the included rubber duck antenna? I’m mostly scanning/listening to repeaters and occasionally transmit.
Thanks! submitted by /u/drewmc
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CP200 cable?

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 02:09 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/va6nid/cp200_cable/


I have software Im told will work but nothing recognizes the radio. I have
a 6 in 1 cable that shows up itself when I plug it in but actually
attaching the radio doesnt change anything which is why I think its the
cable. Anyone done this?
I also heard they stopped making the cp200, is that true? I work in TV in
nyc and we all still use cp200 not 200d, id be surprised they havent
upgraded submitted by /u/Someguy-Somewhere
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FT5D and Pi-star

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 12:35 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/va4twm/ft5d_and_pistar/


Hello, I have a dual hat hotspot running Pi-Star and I am unable to get the FT5D to connect to the Pi-star. submitted by /u/alcanjp
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They thought it was a computer or something lol.

Posted: 10 Jun 2022 07:08 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/v9ndt9/they_thought_it_was_a_computer_or_something_lol/

submitted by /u/donnaber06
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Setting up an MMDVM hotspot (DMR) with Pi-Star on a Raspberry Pi | Accept Defaults

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 01:13 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/va5kw7/setting_up_an_mmdvm_hotspot_dmr_with_pistar_on_a/

submitted by /u/VariXx
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sdr antenna diy

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 01:34 AM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/v9t8gp/sdr_antenna_diy/


First of all, I am trying to start amateur radio (in preparation for certification).
Completely newbie (and English) (thanks Google!)

I have a question about the antenna.
Im trying to make my own multi-band sdr antenna (diy)
An antenna that only receives
And when I investigated the dipole antenna, there were many cases where
trap was applied.

question
Can I use trap on the receiving antenna?
Can Yagi Antenna be made into multiple bands?

(Translated by Google from Korean) submitted by /u/AcletHui
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[OC] Smith, the chart to end all charts ...

Posted: 10 Jun 2022 06:00 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/v9m787/oc_smith_the_chart_to_end_all_charts/


In the time that Ive been a radio amateur not a day has gone by without learning something new. Today was no different and this time learning took
me both by surprise and delight. I realise that being delighted by charts, since thats what were talking about, might not be something that comes naturally, but I can highly recommend that you use this as an opportunity
to explore.
So, which specific chart am I referring to?
The venerable Smith Chart, something which Ive seen from a distance many
times in the past decade, but never actually understood, or to be honest,
even looked at with anything more than a glance and a shudder.
My first exploration started with a book published in 1969 by the person
who developed the chart, Phillip Hagar Smith, an electronics engineer. The book, over 250 pages, is dense and frankly my reading of the first part of
the book did not fill me with delight, but based on what I discovered afterwards, I might revisit it.
The purpose of the Smith chart is to visualise complex mathematical relationships. Instead of filling your worksheet with a litany of
calculations, you can draw lines, circles and read the answer straight off
the chart.
For example, given the impedance of an antenna system, determining the
standing wave ratio becomes a case of putting a dot on a chart, drawing a circle through the dot and reading the VSWR straight off the chart.
It gets better.
If you have a digital Smith chart, like the one shown on a NanoVNA or a RigExpert antenna analyser, you can read the antenna impedance in relation
to frequency, use a tuner to change it and see the chart update in
real-time in direct response to you changing inductance or capacitance by twiddling the knobs on the tuner.
One of the main things that a Smith chart solves is to visualise a chart
with infinity on it, twice. In radio a short-circuit is one extreme and an open-circuit is another. Coming up with a way to show both those conditions
on the same chart is a stroke of genius.
The chart has evolved over time, but in essence its a circle with an
amazing set of arcs drawn throughout. The very centre of the chart has the number 1.0 next to it. Thats the point at which the VSWR is 1:1, the
reactance is zero and its called the prime centre. A dummy load should show
up as a dot in that spot, regardless of frequency.
The Smith chart is normalised. It doesnt matter if youre using a 50 Ohm or
a 75 Ohm antenna network system, the middle of the chart is 1.0. Follow the horizontal axis to the right and youll discover 2.0, that represents twice
the resistance. If youre using a 50 Ohm system, 2.0 represents twice that,
or 100 Ohm. Go to the left, find 0.5 and that represents half, or 25 Ohm.
The far left point on the horizontal axis represents zero Ohm, or a short circuit, the far right represents infinite resistance, or an open circuit. Positive reactance, or inductance is shown above the horizontal line,
negative reactance, or capacitance is shown below the line.
Going back to the middle of the chart, youll discover a circle. All along
that circle the resistance is the same, that is, on a 50 Ohm system, all of that circle represents 50 Ohm. If you look directly above the prime centre, youll discover another 1.0 on the edge of the chart. The arc coming from
that point represents an inductive reactance of 50 Ohm all along its path. Similarly, at the bottom of the chart youll see an arc coming from a 1.0, representing the capacitive reactance.
Before you pack it in with all this inductive and capacitive reactance,
think of it as another attribute of your 50 Ohm antenna system. You dont
need to precisely know how it works in order to use it.
Remember how I mentioned that you could just read off the VSWR from the
chart?
Drop a point on the chart, anywhere is fine. You can read off both the resistance and reactance following the two arcs through that point. If you
draw a circle through the same point with the centre at the middle of the chart, the VSWR of that system is the number that you can read, where your circle crosses the horizontal axis.
Before I go, there are plenty of YouTube videos on the topic, but there are
a few that Id recommend you explore. Among an amazing array of RF
educational videos, Rhode and Schwartz made a ten minute presentation
called "Understanding the Smith Chart" which walks you through how to read
the chart and you dont need the prerequisites to follow along. In Part two
of his "Smith Chart Basics" series, Carl Oliver shows how to look up the
VSWR in three easy steps and Alan W2AEW has several videos showing the
chart in action with several vector network analysers or VNAs and Id
recommend that you look at videos 264 and 314 to get started, but theres
plenty more of his handy work to explore.
If you take away anything from this, it should be that the Smith Chart isnt scary, theres just lots of stuff there, but spend a few minutes looking at
it and youll discover just how useful it can be in your day to day amateur antenna tuning adventures.
If youve come across other interesting resources on the topic, dont
hesitate to get in touch.
Im Onno VK6FLAB
TL;DR This is the transcript of the weekly Foundations of Amateur Radio
podcast - for other episodes, see http://vk6flab.com/ submitted by
/u/vk6flab
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sdr ham radio transceivers

Posted: 11 Jun 2022 03:37 AM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/v9uw2j/sdr_ham_radio_transceivers/


Are SDR transceivers practical? I never used one, I am interested in their
band scanning feature - do they have function like list of active
frequencies in last 30 minutes? submitted by /u/Trader-One
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How can I plug my scanner into my pc?

Posted: 10 Jun 2022 11:49 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/v9rt6y/how_can_i_plug_my_scanner_into_my_pc/


I just bought my first proper radio, its one of these. And its the greatest thing since sliced bread for me. Only one problem, it has an aux outlet and
i can use my headphones wit it, but how can I listen to my pc sounds as
well as the radio (if its possible)? Is there a physical adapter i can get?
I have an aux cord which i can connect to my pc, so if there is a program
that lets me do that, that would be cool.
Thanks.
P.S. Sorry for asking a lot of questions lately, I am new to this :P
submitted by /u/AdoptedEgg
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EFhw - can receive but transmit on digital modes fails

Posted: 10 Jun 2022 07:56 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/v9o734/efhw_can_receive_but_transmit_on_digital_modes/


Hi all,
Just got an end fed half wave (40m) antenna, and tried to do some FT8 work.
I made a contacts before I started encountering an issue where wsjt-x would start transmitting, and then stop after 7 seconds and a Hamlib error “communications bus error… elapsed=7895ms while getting current vfo frequency”
My setup is an icom 703+ —> 3ft coax cable —> efhw transformer / antenna
On the data side, laptop —> digirig (singalink like device) —> serial / audio connection.
My immediate thought is the antenna is too close and probably causing
issues when it resonates to my pc and the sound card. I’m also planning to get some ferrites and see if that helps. Wanted to see if the community had
any other ideas just in case. Thx! submitted by /u/red-radiotwo
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Minimum Test Equipment for Constructing a VFO

Posted: 10 Jun 2022 08:34 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/v9oung/minimum_test_equipment_for_constructing_a_vfo/


Im working on a VFO for a homebrew radio. Ive finished most of the design
work and want to begin prototyping. Sadly for the summer, I am separated
from my university ham radio club and all of the test equipment I could
borrow from them. I was wondering what the minimum amount of equipment youd recommend for testing the circuit. The VFOs range is from 1.44 MHz to 2.5
MHz so Im not dealing with insanely high frequencies.
My multimeter has a frequency counter rated to 1.5% accurate at 10 MHz.
Thats still an error of 150 kHz. I know that there are cheap frequency
counters available, but Ive been thinking about getting a spectrum analyzer instead.
Ive considered picking up a TinySA spectrum analyzer. Ive seen both good
and bad reviews for it. I understand that its not professional quality, but would it be good enough for my purpose?
I dont have access to an oscilloscope. Id considered getting a USB
picoscope, but considering some of the reviews Ive seen I think Id prefer
to save up for a good quality scope. Im not sure that the waveform from the
VFO matters all that much anyway.
Any recommendations or advice would be appreciated. submitted by
/u/lkbirds
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Receiving ARRL digital bulletin w/ fldigi and Linux

Posted: 10 Jun 2022 03:19 PM PDT https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/v9j4v4/receiving_arrl_digital_bulletin_w_fldigi_and_linux/


The ARRL website says that the digital bulletin will be transmitted at 1800
and 2100 EDT Monday - Friday, and that on Fridays, the bulletin will be transmitted in the order PSK31, Baudot, MFSK-16. Im tuned to 14.095 MHz
USB, Ive got fldigi running, its receiving audio from my rig, and its in BPSK-31 mode, but I dont see any coherent decoded text. Ive never played
with fldigi before; am I doing it right? Running fldigi 4.1.20 under KDE
Neon Linux. submitted by /u/popefelix
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