greyhat
Junior Member
Posts: 33
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Post by greyhat on Oct 15, 2021 19:35:56 GMT 10
For those licensed amateur radio operators on the forum, tell us a bit about yourself and your setup below. I'll kick it off:
Location: VK6
Year Licensed: 2020 License: Standard Radios in use: Icom IC-718, IC-705, Ailunce HD1, AnyTone AT-778UV Bands available: 2m, 70cm, 20m, 40m, 80m Modes available: FM Voice, DMR (VK), D-Star, Echolink, SSB Voice, Winlink HF, VarAC, JS8Call Interests: I enjoy working portable out in the field and participate in the VKFF 'parks' program. I'm not really into tinkering at present, just enjoy the utilitarian nature of being able to communicate independently.
PM me if you'd like to schedule a QSO.
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captain
Senior Member
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Post by captain on Oct 15, 2021 20:37:34 GMT 10
I will be by the end of this weekend - atFoundation level.
I currently use a baofeng but am planning on an icom handheld and using d-star and being portable and discrete.
Location - vk1
Interested in technology and digital communications. Into SDR and digital eavesdropping. Setting up a spy server too.
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Post by milspec on Oct 16, 2021 17:34:17 GMT 10
I've completed my foundation exams & just waiting on the license.
My base station HF is a Yaesu FT450D
My high power mobile/base UHF/VHF is a Yaesu FTM-400XDR
For HF I have a G5RV & EFHW antennas oriented about 40 degrees apart.
For UHF/VHF I have a 3m vertical
One other key component of my setup is a Software Defined Radio or SDR which I find invaluable for quickly showing me activity across all bands and also transmission mode is evident at a glance. It basically shows which bands are dead, which are active and which are the signals of interest. IMHO these would be great for non hams to monitor what is happening on ham radio around the world. The SDR is inexpensive and the PC & screen provide great functionality.
Time to start studying for the next license level or advanced I think.
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tactile
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Post by tactile on Oct 16, 2021 18:32:59 GMT 10
Yes, VK3 here for about 6 years. You wouldn't of heard me on air though because I've never been on, not once! Had a handheld in the early days but lost interest in the repeater scene in Melbourne and moved it on. Unfortunately my living locations haven't allowed me to get serious about HF...sometime in the future perhaps.
I'm more into SDR now so I play around with that these days...
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captain
Senior Member
Posts: 158
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Post by captain on Oct 16, 2021 18:49:16 GMT 10
One other key component of my setup is a Software Defined Radio or SDR which I find invaluable for quickly showing me activity across all bands and also transmission mode is evident at a glance. It basically shows which bands are dead, which are active and which are the signals of interest. IMHO these would be great for non hams to monitor what is happening on ham radio around the world. The SDR is inexpensive and the PC & screen provide great functionality. Time to start studying for the next license level or advanced I think. Yes SDR is an incredible piece of technology and one that I really like - for the same reasons mentioned above, that is, you can quickly identify where the traffic is. for that reason, one of my side projects is building a raspberry Pi based tablet that will be a dedicated portable SDR machine (without relying on a laptop and a plugged in USB rtl receiver. This Pi based tablet has the SDR dongle inside it and basically is just in tablet form but will give me full SDR functionality. Great for travelling and field work. |
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tactile
Senior Member
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Post by tactile on Oct 16, 2021 19:06:22 GMT 10
For anyone that is new to the tech. and want to try out its capabilities, try KwiSDR and have a look at their receiver map, choose a location and have a listen. |
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Post by milspec on Oct 16, 2021 19:11:11 GMT 10
For anyone wondering what a SDR display looks like this is an example. The SDR is displaying the 40metre ham band and the spectral display shows a bunch of strong AM signals to the right (the fat signals aka wide bandwidth) and some sharp CW and data signals low in the spectrum olus the single sideband (lower sideband signals around the middle of the band). Listening to a signal just requires clicking on it and perhaps adjusting a few settings if desired.  |
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frostbite
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Post by frostbite on Oct 16, 2021 19:53:46 GMT 10
This is my radio setup:  |
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Post by milspec on Oct 16, 2021 21:24:41 GMT 10
frostbite & co in the days & weeks after the lights go out.  
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xd
New member
Posts: 9
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Post by xd on Oct 17, 2021 18:18:39 GMT 10
Location: VK4, SE
Year Licensed: 2020
License: Advanced
Radios in use: Barrett 940, Yaesu FT3D, TYT 9800, and FTM400
Bands frequented: 2m, 70cm
Modes used: FM Voice, SSB, C4FM
Interests: 4x4, Shooting, most things IT!
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malewithatail
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Location: Northern Rivers NSW
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Post by malewithatail on Oct 17, 2021 19:27:17 GMT 10
Location, northern NSW, licensed in 1975, as a limited, then upgraded to full. Main receiver is a WW2 Australian made AR7, powered from a WW2 dynamotor giving the required 260 volts DC high tension from the shack 12 v battery, and also being EMP/CME proof. It also has a homemade digital display. Backup receiver is a Kenwood R2000, Main transceiver is a Yaesu FT901D all mode, backup HF transmitter is a homemade 2 valve, powered from the AR7 dynamotor unit, 2 meters is via a Yaesu FT290R all mode with 150 watt amp and 6 el beam, main HF aerial is a 120 meter longwire and Kenwood ATU. UHF CB and 27 meg SSB/AM cb, along with a couple of older type scanners round out the shack. I also have a small FM broadcaster that I can connect via a patch panel to any radio to listen whislt working around the farm. There is a decent AM/FM car radio for broadcast use and a SDR for computer modes. I have several backup HF solid state transceivers, but prefer the valve transmitter in the Yaesu as it runs the full 400 watts PEP effortlessly.
Have a Kenwood TR7200G crystalized 2 meter set and a UHF CB in my ute. There are UHF cb's in all vehicles , including the tractor and fire truck on the farm. I use an old crystalized 2 m set in the ute because it would be no great loss to leave it behind if an EMP happens and I have to walk home. (I also carry a spare engine computer wrapped up in aluminum foil under the seat).
The shack has its own 12 volt , 560 amp hr battery pack, with about 650 watts solar and a 2 kw inverter. It has a power tie to the main house solar if needed.
Bug out comms gear is a Barlow Wadley XCR 30 receiver, rather heavy, but very well made, and a homemade 10 watt HF CW/AM transmitter, with a portable solar power plant. The Barlow is a receiver overlooked by preppers. It covers from 0 (yes zero) megs to 31 megs in 30 off 1 mhz steps, recieves both SSB and AM, and is an analogue, phase locked loop, so is noise free. Anything it cant pick up on its 1 meter long aerial isnt worth listening to. Battery life from the 6 D battery's is weeks of listening, far far better than the Sony ICF2001 digital tuned receiver I have, whose battery's last 10 hours if you are lucky.
We have enough UHF cb's for all those expected to be WTSHTF, along with the 7 of us now.
Picture of the radio corner of the shack.
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captain
Senior Member
Posts: 158
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Post by captain on Oct 17, 2021 19:43:00 GMT 10
Picture of the radio corner of the shack.
- I see you y-h have an old black phone sitting in the corner of your desk. Is that the bat phone? |
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tomatoes
Senior Member
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Post by tomatoes on Oct 17, 2021 21:02:49 GMT 10
I've completed … One other key component of my setup is a Software Defined Radio or SDR which I find invaluable for quickly showing me activity across all bands and also transmission mode is evident at a glance. It basically shows which bands are dead, which are active and which are the signals of interest. IMHO these would be great for non hams to monitor what is happening on ham radio around the world. The SDR is inexpensive and the PC & screen provide great functionality. Time to start studying for the next license level or advanced I think. Can you explain a little more about the SDR please? Is it just software that I do a search for or do you have a link? Edited - actually I can see in further comments someone has supplied a link so all good. Thanks. |
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tomatoes
Senior Member
Posts: 1,065
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Post by tomatoes on Oct 17, 2021 21:03:52 GMT 10
For anyone that is new to the tech. and want to try out its capabilities, try KwiSDR and have a look at their receiver map, choose a location and have a listen. Thank you! |
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Post by milspec on Oct 17, 2021 23:10:30 GMT 10
I've completed … One other key component of my setup is a Software Defined Radio or SDR which I find invaluable for quickly showing me activity across all bands and also transmission mode is evident at a glance. It basically shows which bands are dead, which are active and which are the signals of interest. IMHO these would be great for non hams to monitor what is happening on ham radio around the world. The SDR is inexpensive and the PC & screen provide great functionality. Time to start studying for the next license level or advanced I think. Can you explain a little more about the SDR please? Is it just software that I do a search for or do you have a link? Edited - actually I can see in further comments someone has supplied a link so all good. Thanks. In its simplest form my SDR is a little black box that plugs into the pc via usb at one end and an antenna at the other end. I have another additional box which in effect momentarily disconnects the SDR if I transmit on the ham radio otherwise the strong local signal could damage it. My SDR is the SDRPlay RSP1A $279 made in the UK and available from strictly ham among others. www.strictlyham.com.au/browse-by-type/receivers/sdrplay-rsp-1570 |
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tactile
Senior Member
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Post by tactile on Oct 18, 2021 7:10:47 GMT 10
If anyone wants to try out SDR on the cheap, you can get the entry level ones here and a good starting guide for software and setup can be found here.
Enjoy!
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Post by milspec on Oct 18, 2021 7:43:53 GMT 10
If anyone wants to try out SDR on the cheap, you can get the entry level ones here and a good starting guide for software and setup can be found here.
Enjoy!
They are such a bargain, they way food inflation is going they'll be cheaper than frostbites 2 tin cans soon enough. |
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tactile
Senior Member
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 483
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Post by tactile on Oct 18, 2021 8:03:39 GMT 10
If anyone wants to try out SDR on the cheap, you can get the entry level ones here and a good starting guide for software and setup can be found here.
Enjoy!
They are such a bargain, they way food inflation is going they'll be cheaper than frostbites 2 tin cans soon enough. His system is much more high-tech...he can transmit. 
At this price point anyway...
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frostbite
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Post by frostbite on Oct 18, 2021 8:39:53 GMT 10
And with a little extra string I can use it whilst sitting on my mountain observation post, so I don't have to forego seeing what's happening around my immediate AO whilst trying to find out what's happening a thousand miles away.
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Beno
Senior Member
Posts: 1,310
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Location: Northern Rivers
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Post by Beno on Oct 18, 2021 14:01:09 GMT 10
Picture of the radio corner of the shack.
- I see you y-h have an old black phone sitting in the corner of your desk. Is that the bat phone? The bat phone plus the ducks nuts. That looks like a serious rig there mwt. What a set up. |
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