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PVC is the hardest to get up due to its weight and its flexibility. It is also the least UV resistant.
PBS pipe is lighter and stronger. When you are in the store hold a long length of pipe by the end and see how much it flexes.
For a bit more money there are fiberglass masts that are much more stable and easy to put up.
W6DRZ has about the best station on websdr. It is like a reverse beacon for SSB. If you can hear yourself you can work the CA Net at 7250 from 5:00 to 6:00 AM PDT. They are very friendly and seem to like working weak signals from the East coast.
At 6AM PDT Asian BC lights up the band from 7100 – 7300. We complain about 1 or 2 BC stations on 40m, they must have 10.
The “Gordon West” (CRC40) net is also at 7250 from 8:30 to 9 PDT. By then it is 11:30 AM in NH and beyond my reach.
If you read the notes for each websdr station you will find only a few have high gain antennas.
I’ve been think about renting a hill top for my tower, maybe I should add dairy farms to my list. 😉
On the serious side it is useful there is an ongoing development of measuring devices, research linking soil type to conductivity, and the USDA and NH are building high resolution data bases. I’m starting to think the “1” in our call signs is the soil type.
Lowering the bar to get a license will have a long term negative impact. The preveliges that are granted with a licenses are considerable. We operate in un-channeled bands with various modulation types, we can use high power homebrew transmitters that are not type certified, remove the covers and modify our purchased equipment, and can transmit over 15kW ERIP (includes antenna gain) in the public air space. All for $15 and awswering 35 questions. I’m concerned if we lower the bar, the incidences of interference to other services and other Hams will increase, and our current preveliges rolled back as a result as it is nearly impossible to revert to a more exclusionary condition these days. Also current Hams will leave the hobby.
The one change that makes some sense to me would be to add limited HF QRP privileges to the Technician license. A couple of bands and some narrow segments and a cap of 10 watts. With 10w they would have to gain the skills to field a good antenna and CW would be their friend for long haul DX.
There are currently QRP rigs available at various price points and we would see more offered. We would have a inventory of used lower cost rigs for the next wave of Technicians, as these folks moved on to General Class privileges. I remember the shelves of used novice gear in the late 1960s, that’s where I shopped as a kid.
Today right at 50% of all license are Technician Class. Many get the license, sample the local repeater for a while and then move on to a new hobby. I believe with a taste of HF a lot more of them would be back for their General. After stringing a few dipoles, using a radio in the HF band, and hearing traffic they can’t reach they will have a headstart to passing the General test.
Hello Mike,
It took me a few minutes to discover the following features.
While you can switch to a straight key to send, messages must be recorded using a paddle.
The picokeyer detects the straight key by sensing the second ring on the key plug is grounded. This happens when you plug a mono jack in. If you use a stereo jack with a straight key leaving one wire disconnected it will not recognize the straight key.
Hamilton K1HMS
Anita sent me the link for envelops ( http://www.airmailpostage.com) and I placed my order. The envelops arrived in less than a week and were perfect.
Frank sent me the link for UX5UO for QSL cards. UX5UO’s name is Gennady. I sent him my QSL design and he emailed back suggestions and edits.
[attachment file=”K1HMS_1.jpg”]
After two more back and forth emails we were ready for the printing press one day after our initial contact. The amazing part is he always responded within a hour or two even when it was 3AM in the Ukraine.
In less than 3 weeks I had 1000 QSL cards for $76 including shipping. [attachment file=7937]. There were 100 5 Ruble stamps (~$8.00) covering 4 sides of the box.
Payment is handled by Pay Pal via his USA representative in North Dakota.
Gennady has nearly 700 hits on eHam and a perfect 5.0/5 score which he deserves.
73
Hamilton K1HMS
This is a a good safety measure if you have a receiver or receive only port on a transceiver and either one is using a receive only antenna. It protects the receive from “over the air” RF from the TX.
A transceiver sharing an antenna with both RX and TX needs a T/R switch, even at QRP power. The limiter uses diodes that go to a near short under RF drive to protect the receiver. A short across your coax during TX is a problem.
I’m part way to SO2R. By setting HDSDR to “sync to Omin-Rig” a click on the panadapter tunes the SDR and the rig. While listening to the SDR you are free to tune the rig without effecting the SDR. I can monitor the SDR for my call on a net, an opportunity to jump into a pile up, or rag chew while tuning the rig around the bands. When the time comes a click on the panadapter returns the rig to the freq and mode, stomp the foot switch and your on the air. I’m get better at hitting the A/B switch on the rig before clicking the panadapter so I can return to where ever I was before selecting the SDR.
Lately I select both HDSDR sync “to” and “from” Omni-Rig where a click or knob spin tunes both radios. I’ll set VFO A to a 40m freq and B to 20m freq. Now the A/B switch on the rig will toggle the panadapter between the bands. If I see something close by I’ll QSY with the knob, if it is a ways or I want to signal surf I’ll do it on the screen.
You have me thinking about a project……
Here is the switch: Search eBay for “2:1 remote antenna switch DIY cheap SO-239 KIT” These switches are $29 each, you’ll need two. Which a little braid ground strapping the isolation Tx > Rx is 80dB or better.
Hamilton K1HMS