So.. Did any of you "Radio Active' folk participate in Field day this year?


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So.. Did any of you "Radio Active' folk participate in Field day this
year?

I need to study for my licence.

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I need to study for my licence.

Really? Are you interested in Amateur Radio?

The Technician test using today's study guides and online resources can be fairly easy to prepare for. Just be sure to select the latest materials. I believe the question pool changed recently.



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On Wednesday,June 26, 2024 at 08:08, Jimmy Mac wrote:

RE: Re: Field Day?
BY: Utopian Galt #1 @815

I need to study for my licence.

Really? Are you interested in Amateur Radio?

The Technician test using today's study guides and online resources can
be fairly easy to prepare for. Just be sure to select the latest materials. I believe the question pool changed recently.

The best resource these days is http://hamtestonline.com

It always has the most current question pools, and the way it is structured is tailored to your specific needs (eg, it will lean more heavily into questions you miss while practicing). The #1 thing to be successful is have the question pool display only the correct answers. That way when you are taking the exam, the only option in the multiple choice you will recognize is the right answer.

MANY people I give exams to are very successful using it.

--
GranitePenguin


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On Tuesday,June 25, 2024 at 07:57, Jimmy Mac wrote:

So.. Did any of you "Radio Active' folk participate in Field day this
year?

I didn't really get a chance. I've been too busy moving my daughter back home from school. :-(

--
GranitePenguin


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--- WWIVToss v.1.52
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So.. Did any of you "Radio Active' folk participate in Field day this

Does listening to some Boy Scout troop make contacts on a linked 2M repeater count as participating? :D

Otherwise, no. A lot of people said it was very quiet. Probably more FT8 than phone stuff, I'm guessing. I definitely tried tuning around with my super crappy indoor loop, but as usual heard nothing. Once in a great while I can pick up some weak CW :).
 
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Hi, Phigan.

Otherwise, no. A lot of people said it was very quiet. Probably more FT8 than phone stuff, I'm guessing. I definitely tried tuning around with my super crappy indoor loop, but as usual heard nothing. Once in a great
while I can pick up some weak CW :).

I have my amateur license, even upgraded from Foundation to Intermediate, though I still haven't changed my callsign because I like my foundation one and there were only rubbish ones left at intermediate. I also never bought anything more than a cheap and nasty HT since I don't have the space or the spousal approval to install an aerial.

Anyway, I'm straying off the point I wanted to raise. FT8 confuses me - I get that it's cool to be able to easily see how far your signal is getting out and that it gets outstanding range. I also get that a lot of operators seemingly get a lot of pleasure out of just making a contact then "73" and onto the next one. I am just surprised that FT8 is *so* popular considering you can't (as I understand, anyway) actually hold a conversation over it? And by that I mean chat about the weather, motorbikes and all the usual amateur radio rag chewing topics.

Any thoughts on why there doesn't seem to be a parallel technology in (common) use for more conversational contacts?

Cheers,

BobW
 
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Does listening to some Boy Scout troop make contacts on a linked 2M
repeater count as participating? :D

I guss anything counts. Yes, HF seemed pretty dead, but in the Bay Area, VHF and UHF simplex was busier than I've heard it in ages!

Otherwise, no. A lot of people said it was very quiet. Probably more FT8 than phone stuff, I'm guessing. I definitely tried tuning around with my super crappy indoor loop, but as usual heard nothing. Once in a great
while I can pick up some weak CW :).

Are you restricted from putting up an antenna? I'm in an HOA and threw a 53' wire over the roof, and feed it with a LDG 9: Unun. Not great, but it works!


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Any thoughts on why there doesn't seem to be a parallel technology in (common) use for more conversational contacts?

Such as PSK31?


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Such as PSK31?

I suppose... but I fairly rarely see any action on PSK31. Possibly it's just a combination of my location and the bands I listen on, though I see FT4 / FT8 *everywhere* and *all* the time.

Where in the spectrum would you suggest going to catch PSK31?

BobW
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So.. Did any of you "Radio Active' folk participate in Field day this
year?

Sure did. Did you? I worked 40 meters voice (SSB)

*** Diamond Dave ***

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On Thursday,June 27, 2024 at 01:06, Bob Worm wrote:

I suppose... but I fairly rarely see any action on PSK31. Possibly it's just a combination of my location and the bands I listen on, though I
see FT4 / FT8 *everywhere* and *all* the time.

Where in the spectrum would you suggest going to catch PSK31?

on the .070 portions of 20 and 40 for starters. One of the best ways to get PSK activity is during podx070 club contests, there's usually 1 a month

the club site is: podxs070.com

--
GranitePenguin, K9DWR


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--- WWIVToss v.1.52
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Hi, GranitePenguin.

on the .070 portions of 20 and 40 for starters. One of the best ways to
get PSK activity is during podx070 club contests, there's usually 1 a
month

the club site is: podxs070.com

I very occasionally catch it on 20m, that's probably a good one for me as that's what my wire loop is cut for.

Will take a look at the club site (though I guess contest traffic is largely going to be "5 9 TNX 73" type messages).

Cheers,

BobW
 
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On Thursday,June 27, 2024 at 12:41, Bob Worm wrote:

Will take a look at the club site (though I guess contest traffic is largely going to be "5 9 TNX 73" type messages).

Most of the people in the club are interested in ragchews, and will pause their activity to talk (I know I do). Calling them "contests" is a bit of a misnomer; they are more about an excuse to know people will be around.

The fastest way to talk is to transmit. Just because you don't see a trace, doesn't mean people aren't listening. Throw your call out and see what happens. :-)

--
GranitePenguin


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--- WWIVToss v.1.52
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Where in the spectrum would you suggest going to catch PSK31?

Probably best on 40M, 20M or 15M.

7.070, 14.070 or 21.080. Search around a bit?




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Sure did. Did you? I worked 40 meters voice (SSB)

Not for a club, but we did manage a few contacts while mobile. Visited a Field Day in Santa Cruz CA so my bride could check out the CW tent.



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Hi, GranitePenguin.

Most of the people in the club are interested in ragchews, and will
pause their activity to talk (I know I do). Calling them "contests" is
a bit of a misnomer; they are more about an excuse to know people will
be around.

Ah, that will be much more interesting, then. Assuming I can pick it up from the UK (and won't be in bed when the action happens)!

The fastest way to talk is to transmit. Just because you don't see a
trace, doesn't mean people aren't listening. Throw your call out and
see what happens. :-)

Sadly I don't have an HF rig - although I'm licensed for 100W HF (actually this may be more, now, I got a random notice through from Ofcom the other day) I just can't really justify parting with hundreds and hundreds for kit. I love radio stuff but I kind of struggled to get into VHF and can't imagine I'd do better at HF. So for now I just listen on the HF bands.

BobW
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--- WWIVToss v.1.52
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Where in the spectrum would you suggest going to catch PSK31?

Probably best on 40M, 20M or 15M.

7.070, 14.070 or 21.080. Search around a bit?

Thanks, Jimmy. I do occasionally see it on 20m but it's fairly unusual. Will keep my eyes open...

BobW
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--- WWIVToss v.1.52
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Sure did. Did you? I worked 40 meters voice (SSB)

Not for a club, but we did manage a few contacts while mobile. Visited
a Field Day in Santa Cruz CA so my bride could check out the CW tent.

Cool. Yeah, I work with my local club and had a blast.

We basically make it a huge party. We had 8 stations going (8A) and we have a wife/daughter team (both are hams, as is the father) and we have cooked meals and such. We have it in a large county park with big trees so it's easy to put up temporary dipole antennas.

I did 40 meters voice (SSB), but we also had two CW stations, one FT-8 digital station, and one satellite station. It's really cool when we set up. We used generators, batteries, and even solar power.

And we also had a GOTA (Get on the air) station.

Bad part in Virginia it was like 100 degrees with near 100% humidity. But we had fun.

*** Diamond Dave *** KV4TZ

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Cool. Yeah, I work with my local club and had a blast.

Awesome! Sounds like you had a well planned setup!

Personally, I haven't worked FD with a club in years and my bride and I are usually on the road towards the end of June, but we so tend to find FD's when we're traveling.

Maybe next year we'll participate in our local club event. They do both FD and Winter FD.

Lately, the conditions have been so poor here that even FT8 is a challenge.


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