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 Data
That Guy
Registered: 08/12/08
Posts: 4,035
Loc: Southwestern US 
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 Anybody mess around with amateur radio? 
#753905 - 10/18/14 01:24 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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I've got my Amateur Extra Class Ham license, and a beat up old Kenwood TS-430S with an MFJ Tuner. Anybody else on here into this kinda stuff?
I've never been able to set up a proper antenna since I live in an apartment (on the bottom floor). Right now I'm running a half-wave horizontal dipole set up for the 20 meter band (whose "beams" are forced to conform to the walls of my office). My tuner helps balance the antenna but I can't get below and SWR of 1.2 
Anyway, I can pick up transmissions from as far away as India, but I can only transmit as far as upstate NY (I'm in NC). Its not great but pretty decent given my situation.
TLDR: I'm an amateur radio nerd whose curious about whether or not any other Growery peeps are amateur radio nerds too.
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“The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you” -NDT
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drawde
Registered: 11/15/09
Posts: 5,268
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Re: Anybody mess around with amateur radio? [Re: Data] 1
#753906 - 10/18/14 01:29 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Super interested in it. Know nothing about it. Just another thing I will probably never have time or energy for. 
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King Koopa said:
The amount of pot that Gask smokes is equivalent to a guy shooting heroin on weekends
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UltimateDevotion
TwistedByDesign
Registered: 11/23/12
Posts: 5,935
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Re: Anybody mess around with amateur radio? [Re: drawde]
#753908 - 10/18/14 02:51 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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You didn't really add much there drawde. 
I kid I kid, don't get your panties in a bunch. 
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Harry Detroit in 304 made one last promise now
"I'm goin out without a trace, a vanishing act before your eyes"
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 Sham87
マリオ
Registered: 03/20/12
Posts: 7,492
Last seen: 7 days, 9 hours
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Re: Anybody mess around with amateur radio? [Re: Data]
#753918 - 10/18/14 07:30 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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My pops had one of those radio, I don't know the brand or any of the specs but I do remember staying up late with him tinkering around with the stations and listening to some Chinese broadcasts.
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...once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right...
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Data
That Guy
Registered: 08/12/08
Posts: 4,035
Loc: Southwestern US
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Re: Anybody mess around with amateur radio? [Re: Sham87] 1
#754011 - 10/19/14 05:23 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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Its a ton of fun, and not too difficult to get a license.
I studied for 2 months off and on with an app for my phone and passed all 3 license exams. You only need the first one to get started, but the other two unlock the frequency bands that tend to work better for long distance contact.
If you guys get your licenses,  me with your call sign and we can chat it up. 
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“The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you” -NDT
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drawde
Registered: 11/15/09
Posts: 5,268
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Re: Anybody mess around with amateur radio? [Re: Data]
#754012 - 10/19/14 05:29 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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That would be fruckin kew!
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King Koopa said:
The amount of pot that Gask smokes is equivalent to a guy shooting heroin on weekends
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Sham87
マリオ
Registered: 03/20/12
Posts: 7,492
Last seen: 7 days, 9 hours
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Re: Anybody mess around with amateur radio? [Re: drawde]
#754036 - 10/19/14 09:35 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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especially in a end of the world scenario 
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...once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right...
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drawde
Registered: 11/15/09
Posts: 5,268
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Re: Anybody mess around with amateur radio? [Re: Sham87] 1
#754048 - 10/19/14 11:35 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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We could keep the growery going! 
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King Koopa said:
The amount of pot that Gask smokes is equivalent to a guy shooting heroin on weekends
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TripityDooDaDay
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 7,600
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Re: Anybody mess around with amateur radio? [Re: Data]
#754446 - 10/23/14 11:31 PM (10 years, 1 month ago) |
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An SWR of 1.2 is great for an indoor ant if that's what you mean and assuming your ohm load is also withinh safe parameters. Can be pretty hard to pull that off indoors. Good job. I've sold a lot of Ham pieces over the years. Never got into the Ham side of things those myself though. Owned a CB/Car audio shop for many years until not very long ago specializing on the CB side of it with export 10 meter types and high power amplifiers. I'm in NC as well but still over 3 hours from you.
Edited by TripityDooDaDay (10/23/14 11:48 PM)
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