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View Full Version : This is what I think Ham Radio is all about....



W1GUH
09-19-2010, 10:43 PM
Sincerely...

Yea, I took a getaway to Syracuse to go to the hamfest up there. Briefly, it was small, but the people were wonderful. No, I didn't find that lusted for BA, but I saw and talked to a bunch of great hams, and people. But this post isn't about that.

Yea, I mobiled up and back. Most of the time I was hanging out on 40...had a few great QSO's with Q5 reports (What more do you need to hear than you've got a Q5 signal?) But then, when driving home on Saturday, when I switched over to 20, that the magic happened.

That band was wide open then. The first thing I heard as I tuned across the band was, "Enjoy this great band opening." Yep...20 was wide open to Europe, from anywhere in the US.

So I'm listening and hearing bunches of great European stations working stateside hams as fast as they could. Every station...reapeat...every station was operating with A1 operating skills with their courtesy. Wow!!!! So eventually, I jumped in and called from the mobile.

Resuts...

Worked: Croatia, Austria, The Netherlands, and Belgium. ALL of those contacts were 2xQ5, and if there weren't a lot of people who wanted to work them, they could've been great rag chews. Wish that could've happened, but the situation was that, out of courtesy, I had to be quick. This is from my quick, cheap, and easy mobile installatin. And in ALL cases, the report was 58 and "Good signal for a mobile!" You gotta know that I'm STILL "flying" from these great contacts. One of them specifically asked me about my mobile setup 'cuz he was thinging of going mobile. I sure wish I could've just hung out with those great operators longer...but...you know that courtesy dictates that that couldn't happen then. Pity. :(

It's true that every time I heard these stations say my call the TRILL I felt was in every way as good as the first time I heard my call come back to me as a novice. No shit, down and dirty. There were NO assholes that day. Warms my heart.

Yep...that's the story. But there's more...

Usually, when I run mobile, working Europe is an excersize of patience...gotta wait til I'm the only one calling. Not so on Saturday. I was holding my own (nobody else will hold if for me!!! ;) ) with FIXED stations. WOW!!! I didn't have to wait "forever" to hear my call come back...it was pretty quick. Needless to say, that was a THRILL! It also motivates me to be an even greater evangelist about operating mobile. It's quick, cheap, and easy!!!! Even the minimum installation will yield outstanding performance. Thinking about going mobile? DO IT!!!! You'll be glad you did.

I'm very, very happy and proud to be a ham.

73!!!

K7SGJ
09-19-2010, 10:56 PM
Good show OM. I'm looking forward to getting the rollup on the Tundra bed installed so I can get the antenna situated. I hope to use a custom bracket I got from Breedlove with an ATAS 120 antenna. It is super heavy duty and should get the job done nicely. I also need to finish up the APRS in the truck, too. Heading for Austin over Thanksgiving to take a bunch of my daughters teaching stuff to her, and would hate to go all that way and back sans HF. By then then xyl should have her ticket I hope.

KG4CGC
09-19-2010, 10:59 PM
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/bebop5/48zquswgi9.gif

K7SGJ
09-19-2010, 11:01 PM
First time I've seen that many people in the same place with the clap.

W1GUH
09-19-2010, 11:03 PM
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/bebop5/48zquswgi9.gif

You freakin' guy!!!!

Have a shot on my tab!

KG4CGC
09-19-2010, 11:11 PM
Should you
drink this?

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/bebop5/drinks/tequila-most-expensive.jpg

Congrats!

NQ6U
09-19-2010, 11:16 PM
Sounds like a good time, Paul! Cool beans.

W1GUH
09-19-2010, 11:35 PM
Should you
drink this?

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/bebop5/drinks/tequila-most-expensive.jpg

Congrats!

Can't quite make out what that is, I'm guessing it's a really good tequila. Yep, that's appropriate, but this is what I've been drinking...


http://ireignsupreme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/jack_daniels-9205.gif

Old No. 7 brand!!!

KG4CGC
09-19-2010, 11:37 PM
FB OM! A lot of people drink that :)

KJ3N
09-19-2010, 11:46 PM
Thinking about going mobile? DO IT!!!! You'll be glad you did.

Been doing it for quite some time. See this post (http://forums.qrz.com/showpost.php?p=2037014&postcount=62), second paragraph.

I've even work a couple of EU stations on 75m, mobile. Now THAT'S exciting! :rock: :bbh:

KA5PIU
09-20-2010, 12:00 AM
Hello.

Ham radio means different things to different people.
First a bit of an explanation.
At field day a few years back I had this guy who wanted to explain this gratty snatch and wuff hung stuff to me.
I made it very clear that I had no interest whatsoever.
Now the reason.
I like Amateur Radio very much and prefer to speak (phone) in Spanish.
I also like FSK CW, where a carrier is sent on and off, but can be shifted, to simulate a speaking drum.
The reasons for this is that I am not only very proficient in Spanish but quite a few of my friends are as well.
For the odd CW, simple, I learned how to use a speaking drum early on as a child, the jump to radio was very easy for me,
For me Amateur Radio means being able to communicate.
True, between the internet and cellphones I can establish contact with ease, this is another option.
But I want little to do with the social aspects of it in regards to a special lingo or secret handshake.
I just want to play radio.

N2CHX
09-20-2010, 05:51 AM
Worked: Croatia, Austria, The Netherlands, and Belgium.

...

It's true that every time I heard these stations say my call the TRILL I felt

Sounds like you maybe worked some Irish stations too. :lol:

Very nice. Sounds like you had an awesome time and too bad we couldn't meet up, as we were only about 100 miles away from each other.

N8YX
09-20-2010, 07:14 AM
I spent the entire weekend splitting wood, working on bikes and working on remodeling 'DSG's kitchen.

Had one of the shack's scanners, a 2M rig and a CB rig going - no HF.

Saturday night was spent knocking back some alcohol-containing stuff a friend's wife had "handcrafted" for all of us.

I went to RadioReference and played the 'NUT's audio feed for her and hubby.

She was not impressed. :whistle:

W3WN
09-20-2010, 09:35 AM
Just wait until sunspots pick up a little and we start getting some really good propagation on a daily basis.

I miss my mobile. Few years back, had a TS-120S mounted in my old van with a modified CB whip, and Ten-Tec's hamstick-clones on 40 & 15; tied the three together in parallel so that I didn't have to do anything fancy, just switch bands. Had a blast with it...

N8YX
09-20-2010, 10:23 AM
Few years back, had a TS-120S mounted in my old van with a modified CB whip, and Ten-Tec's hamstick-clones on 40 & 15; tied the three together in parallel so that I didn't have to do anything fancy, just switch bands. Had a blast with it...
Ditto, with the HR2510-HR2600 pair I mentioned in the "beacon" thread. When one wasn't being used for packet it was in my car (or truck) working SSB DX.

W2NAP
09-20-2010, 06:59 PM
maybe on day in the next 50 years ill be able to talk.

n2ize
09-21-2010, 02:29 PM
Last time i went mobilin was when 10 meters was wide open to Europe. I was traveling around with a bunch of my hippie friends. we found a really great spot overlooking some distant mountains. We set up the antenna, had some good weed and next thing we were talkin to Europe like they were right next door. It was great.

WØTKX
09-21-2010, 03:37 PM
Daaahyam hippies!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3055/2544885027_051f7b0bbd_o.jpg

W4RLR
09-23-2010, 07:36 AM
Can't quite make out what that is, I'm guessing it's a really good tequila. Yep, that's appropriate, but this is what I've been drinking...


http://ireignsupreme.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/jack_daniels-9205.gif

Old No. 7 brand!!!Jack Daniels...breakfast of champions.