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 HF Bands or VHF

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Rod Clay
Technician
Technician
Rod Clay


Join date : 2018-08-01

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PostSubject: Re: HF Bands or VHF   HF Bands or VHF I_icon_minitimeNovember 21st 2018, 12:49 pm

An update: I recently ordered and received a 2 meter handy-talkie from Gigaparts. I have checked into our local 2 meter Sunday evening net once again as well as plan to join in the club's support operation for Oroville's Parade of Lights next month. That is if it is not cancelled due to the ongoing response efforts for the Camp fire here in North State California.
73, Rod  WB6FBF ex-N4QNX
P.S. I recently recovered my original call of WB6FBF from the FCC
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Rod Clay
Technician
Technician
Rod Clay


Join date : 2018-08-01

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PostSubject: Re: HF Bands or VHF   HF Bands or VHF I_icon_minitimeOctober 19th 2018, 6:24 am

I have been an HF person for years now mostly on 75 and 40 meters Phone. I also like 160 meters but the antennas required for it are daunting to put up. I did have a working 2 meter rig here at home that was donated to me by a local ham (now silent key) from our radio club. I participated in the weekly 2 meter net until it became evident the radio went bad when it died on receive-no more signals was a good clue hi, hi. We also have a local 10 meter net but I haven't tried to check into that yet. I do have a pretty good small 10 meter rig that I bought a while back. At one time, I had another 10 meter rig setup for mobile use made from a converted 2 channel Radio Shack CB radio offering. That was fun to operate. I've also been thinking of getting a 2 meter/440 handy-talkie so I could participate in some of the local club's activities but haven't done it yet. I haven't gotten into any of the numerous digital/computer assisted modes on HF/VHF. We just had another presentation at our monthly club meeting on a digital mode called FT-8 if I remember right. It's something like doing contesting. The list goes on and on. So that's a summary of things so far.
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MEZLAW
Technician
Technician
MEZLAW


Join date : 2012-10-28

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PostSubject: Re: HF Bands or VHF   HF Bands or VHF I_icon_minitimeSeptember 19th 2018, 11:59 am

If you don't want to make your own programming cable you can purchase one;

Programming cable

I think it's a lot of money and make my own.
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MEZLAW
Technician
Technician
MEZLAW


Join date : 2012-10-28

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PostSubject: Re: HF Bands or VHF   HF Bands or VHF I_icon_minitimeSeptember 19th 2018, 11:57 am

Here is one of the radio's I'm talking about;

Ebay GE MVS Radio
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MEZLAW
Technician
Technician
MEZLAW


Join date : 2012-10-28

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PostSubject: Re: HF Bands or VHF   HF Bands or VHF I_icon_minitimeSeptember 18th 2018, 6:06 pm

I also use 2 meter for local communication. With our location being quite mountainous, we have a few repeaters.  One way to keep the cost down is to purchase a mono band transceiver for 2 meter operation.  Most transceivers are 2 meter and 70 meter combined costing way too much.  I did get a brand new Yaesu 2 meter, mono band, 75 watt unit on sale for $125

There are plenty of older commercial GE-MVS transcievers available which can be re-programmed to work on 2 meters.  These radios test out at 35-40 watts.   I program these for our club and we sometimes give them to new member who don't have the extra funds for a radio.  I used a home-made J-pole at 22 feet high.
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ve1arn
Moderator
Moderator
ve1arn


Join date : 2010-11-23

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PostSubject: Re: HF Bands or VHF   HF Bands or VHF I_icon_minitimeSeptember 18th 2018, 5:40 am

I do both. Or will be doing both when my antennas are put up.

VHF for local stuff and the HF for DX. As for UHF, the only place around here that fools around with that is in Halifax, about a 4 hour drive from here.

As Cliff says, budget has to be considered here as well. I am currently shopping for a used HF rig. I turned mine on last month and all I get is white noise and I get to watch the meter slowly rise, then peg at the max. That's it. One does have to watch for what he gets these days.
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Cliff Jones
Site Administrator
Site Administrator
Cliff Jones


Join date : 2010-11-22

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PostSubject: Re: HF Bands or VHF   HF Bands or VHF I_icon_minitimeSeptember 17th 2018, 10:04 pm

I am studying for the General and trying to get down the wide array of frequency bands. Quite confusing  on what mode at what frequency. And of course the FCC doesn't make it simple as they use both Frequency and Meters. So when the questions popup I have to try and remember the formula for which is which.

I don't know if I would favor HF and or VHF just because of the Learning slope.

I have been on 2 meters for several years, ( all be it over 10 years only a smattering of attempts) and I did try Packet With a local county sponsored Emergency Drill. This is when I got MY first Laptop, An HP and another Ham instructed me on the wiring connections of the Packet to Handheld to Computer. It was a Good experience.

But back to your question. I would have a hard time deciding with which to go with. Mainly as I am not to limber any more to erect any type of antenna or system. (I do have a mickey mouse long wire for my Yeasu FRG100). I did Build my own Jpole, and have a couple of mobile antennas.

My biggest concern is the enormous cost of a Transceiver for Either HF or VHF.

Of course it would have to be used equipment, however that sometimes is a pig in a poke. Even from Local Hams( I know as I bought several Tube testers and each one has problems that wernt mentioned in the sale to me, Even a TV-7 that was mislabeled as a TV-7 /D/U when it was just the first model which I wasn't looking for.

Putting that aside, I would like to get on to the Lower frequencies, Just because of  Modes and distant contacts.

I do have a good software program hamtst14.exe. it covers the tech, General and Extra.
It also has a secondary POPUP for the Bands Allocation .

Having to learn all the terminology such as MUF, scatter-back, DSP vs Analog filters, Q reports and requests, radiation patterns, antenna designs and polarization. On and On.

But I will get there, so there's a lot to learn for me just to make an objective decision on preferences.

_________________
I'm a Science Thinker, Radio Tinkerer, and all around good guy. Just ask Me!
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MEZLAW
Technician
Technician
MEZLAW


Join date : 2012-10-28

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PostSubject: HF Bands or VHF   HF Bands or VHF I_icon_minitimeSeptember 17th 2018, 5:17 pm

I'm wondering which you prefer,  making HF contacts or participating in local VHF?

Does anyone care about UHF?
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