treated myself to a gift - HAM Radio related

117 Views 3 Replies 2 Participants Last post by John Smith_inFL, 20 d ago

travis.farmer

Discussion Starter · 24 d ago

I have long been fascinated with Ham Radio. i even took the test for a Technician level license, and passed. though due to legal issues from my youth, the FCC would not issue me a license, so after waiting for years for it to be granted, i withdrew my license application, sadly. still have the test certificate from ARRL.

so anyway, i can not legally transmit, but i still have great interest, so i bought myself what is called an SDR, or Software Defined Radio. it is a device that with the right software (and hardware), can receive radio on many different frequencies. it is my hope, that when it arrives, that it will work as advertised, as it was not entirely cheap for the kit. if anybody is interested: NESDR SMArt HF Bundle: Quality 100kHz-1.7GHz Software Defined Radio RTL-SDR Set 616469146069 | eBay

my original desire for HAM radio, was picturing myself hiking up a local hill or mountain, setting up a temporary mobile station, and seeing how far i could reach. i had an HF radio, a Kenwood TS-430S, and a handheld 2M radio. i ended up selling the HF rig, for not enough money, as i needed the money. but i still have the 2M handheld.
if i ever get my 5th wheel camper renovation finished, i would like to be able to travel around and see what i can pick up for reception. the SDR will receive from 100Khz to 1.7Ghz, so it will be interesting to see what it can do. i could even get a old satellite dish and probe the skies like a radio telescope, in theory.

sure, there are far more important things i could have spent my little bit of money on, but being out of work, for the most part, i get to treat myself so little.

any other Amateur radio enthusiasts here?

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John Smith_inFL

· #2 · 20 d ago (Edited)

I'm in the same boat with you Travis - deep appreciation for the hobby and those that can do it. I could never get past the technician exam. I did buy a 10 meter outfit to put in my shop just to listen to the chatter (other than the TV).
When I was in the Navy, I was stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and the CB radio was the big fad in the '70s. I had a big boombox CB with SideBand and I talked all over the world (skip) with it. Collecting "Q-Cards" was a big thing too.

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travis.farmer

Discussion Starter · #3 · 20 d ago

i received my kit today, and with an actual CB antenna (all i have, so far), one of the cheap mobile magnetic mount ones, i was able to pick up some weak chatter on CB ch4 and ch5 (27.005Mhz and 27.015Mhz AM), and with the software i am using, HDSDR, it provides a broadband waterfall of signal power across the frequency band, so i spotted 10m HAM traffic on a higher frequency (forgot the actual freq), where i was listening to some digital AFSK being transmitted. i wasn't currently setup to decode, but it would have been neat to.

one thing i noticed, the little USB radio dongle get really hot for some reason. i don't think it is transmitting, that i am aware of, but something about how it synthesizes the reception, makes some heat. i could make a heat sink for it, i suppose. but i had a blast listening to mostly static, training my ear to even the smallest sound. and the discovery of actual signals... i was so excited, you would have thought i was listening to life on another planet.

i think cost-wise, the SDR method is better if you just want to listen. though it may not have the bells and whistles of a full transceiver rig, i think it will be neat to play with while sitting on a mountain top somewhere, providing i can haul a bunch of batteries up with me, and supply the laptop. my laptop requires 19.5V, with a peak of just under 10A. maybe with a DC to DC boost converter, i can crank 12V up to 19.5v... or maybe 24V down (buck converter) to 19.5v. in any case, should prove interesting, joining two hobbies.

maybe i could pop a huge whip antenna on top of my 5th wheel camper... may be easier to tow heavy batteries, than to hike with them.

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John Smith_inFL

· #4 · 20 d ago (Edited)

travis.farmer said:
maybe i could pop a huge whip antenna on top of my 5th wheel camper... may be easier to tow heavy batteries, than to hike with them.

When I was in Norfolk, VA in '76, our neighborhood was a tight knit CB community. One young fella about 14-16 had some developmental issues and well liked and admired in the group. He had a big bicycle that he put a car battery in the front basket and his father made some brackets to hold his CB radio and a big whip on the back axle. He was so cool. Innovation is limited only to your imagination !!!!
Google the 10 meter antenna and see what you come up with.

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