My Week in Radio
- replaced my RG-58 cable with KMR-400
- $90 for 100ft, terminated
- tested individual cables and combinations
- nanoVNA “through measurement”
- Wayne suggested
- improved my 6.5dB loss to 3dB loss total
- doubled power!
- Radtel RT-880G HT got a firmware upgrade
- APRS beacons “just work” now.
- still likes to show scrambled chinese for packets it doesn’t read well
- might next look into using it for a personal digipeating APRS.
- this weekend
- 3D printing show in Belair MD
- WW RTTY contest - lots of fun previous years
Others
- W1RC, Mike:
- learning a new radio and its menus with the manual
- W8CRW, CR:
- 985 and local nets
- flying drone to hang some ropes for another ham
- WA3VEE, Ron:
- attended Antique Radio Show in Kutztown: vintage broadcast radio and audio
- Joe emailed photos
- get on Joe’s email list
- WA3KFT, John:
- running 6m and 2m nets
- 700+ QSOs so far this year
- AB3AP, Mike:
- attended breakfast
- expecting to be at WFD doing 20-25wpm
- NA3CW, Chuck:
- PMAM net sunday night, good conditions.
- working on a transciever for James, a new member
- replacing a memory battery
- tower at Joe’s is basically finished.
- KB3ILS, Keith:
- picked up a nice small Elekraft radio
- 5w, EF wire, 50 QSOs on CW
- AF3Z, Jim:
- W3GMS website can send event reminders too,
in addition to Joe’s emails.
- good reminder for hosts of nets
- some CW
- Saturday, tried working some other people besides his normal sked.
- finally finished up photos for Longs Park festivals
- W3GMS website can send event reminders too,
in addition to Joe’s emails.
- KC3OOK, Bill:
- 985 nets, Simplex Net on Saturday, Welfare Net on Sunday
- Joe’s tower
- vhf.dxview.com said VHF was open to Canada and east coast
- KD3AIS, Tim:
- progress on radio in the truck
- had the wrong mounting bracket
- help from KC3NZT, Harvey
- KD3APR, Paxton:
- operating in a house without power
Questions
- AB3AP, Mike:
- Winter Field Day sounds like it is 20-25WPM, and that’ll be comfortable. Faster requires lots of extra listens. What are others’ comfortable speeds?
- W3DIB: 0
- AF3Z:
- keyers set to 35wpm, spacing is usually wider.
- 20-25wpm is more comfortable
- try to get contact info before the call
- W3DIB, Greg: N2HM, Bob is amazing to watch
- KB3ILS, Keith:
- don’t worry about speed on WFD. people will slow if you need.
- just skip people who go too fast.
- working closer to 20wpm will get you more contacts
- managed first straight key contact at about 6wpm at last field day
- “we’ll help you copy, just try”
- WA3KFT, John:
- passed test with 13wpm for advanced
- no longer that fast, out of practice
- taught code in classes
- first learned it in boy scouts
- NA3CW, Chuck:
- slower, took 2 attempts to pass 13wpm
- 15-18 today
- KD3EE, John:
- morsle.fun: 25-30wpm if i can hear it multiple times
- keyer at 20wpm, but leaving some space
- I’ll hope to get help copying at field day
- AF3Z, Jim:
- flags in boy scouts
- passed 13wpm in 1967
- barely passed 20wpm in 1979
- practicing with a sked qso
- 35wpm seems impossible, but he’s getting there
- being retired gives him time to practice
- W3DIB, Greg:
- KB3ILS, Keith:
- use computer programs
- also just listen to others’ QSOs on 40m
- WA3VEE, Ron:
- use a websdr to listen
- KD3EE, John:
- ARRL code practice files and podcast
- KB3ZIM, Bob:
- hearing signals from south pacific right now on HF
- practiced and learned at 59 years
- always intended to use it
- bought the CW paddle before a transceiver
- doesn’t want to inconvenience others
- prosigns are baffling
- practice sites don’t necessarily demonstrate prosigns
- seeing dots and dashes slowed us all down
- KD3EE, John:
- chase POTA to practice CW
- KB3ILS, Keith:
- relayed my message, and recommended spotting from pota.app.
- AF3Z, Jim:
- SKCC hangs out on +50khz and events, so good to listen there
- simple exchanges
- don’t do CW if you don’t like it.
- KD3APR, Paxton:
- Seeing some repeaters offering “auto-patch”. How’s that work, and how’s it sound?
- W3DIB, Greg:
- Univ Del had an autopatch.
- you’d need to get permission and get the code to be able to use it.
- it would place the phone call.
- it would leave the TX up the whole time the phone was on.
- WA3VEE, Ron:
- it’s been years.
- other person would need to know to say “over” since the carrier stayed up even when remote is transmitting, and on one would otherwise know when the other person stops
- got to use it once in the 70s to call for road help
- AF3Z, Jim:
- needed to remind the phone side that the communication is being transmitted
- don’t do business.
- NA3CW, Chuck:
- you just can’t use the radio for your boss, “under ordrers”.
- running a business vs doing a transaction.
- KB3ZIM, Bob: