Allyipod said:
Might as well stick me down. Ally up in Scotland Near Glasgow. mm0pod
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Stuck you down :) Thanks for the interest and info. I would like us to arrange a day and time so we can all see if we can catch each other on HF sometime.

73

Raf
 
sonicm1etn said:
Nice set up you have there, I always fancied an SDR system like that.
Last HF rig I had was the TS590. I do have an HW-101 which needs a big overhaul before it will work again, but just don't have the time, hence a small mobile rig might be on the cards :)
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Hi Dan,

Thanks for the compliments. Though I am an electronic techie and love computers too, I thought I would have missed the "big rig radios" with all the knobs and buttons.

After getting on the air with the Flex 6500, I must say, it would be very, very difficult to get back to a desk top rig with buttons. The features and flexibility of this thing would blow you away.

With my 43 ft vertical, I was pulling in stations form places I could not imagine and my TX back to them had unbelievable reports.

I am expecting a 7 Beam Hex Band antenna form the UK actually very shortly. Anthony only shows the 6 bander on his site, that's because the he is now getting into production with the 7th band being 40 meters.

The antenna I am actually getting is the one he sent to be reviewed in the UK. These get great reports and I cant wait to get on the air with it couples to my Flex 6500 MW0JZE The UK and Europe?s Original G3TXQ Hexbeam Manufacturer

With the Flex 6500 and now remote LAN, I can be on an ipad or any other tablet anywhere and connect to my base and use the radio to key up other HAMs worldwide.

You should give the SDR a try. My Flex 6500 costs 3,000 Pounds with some accessories like the USB VFO, but you can go with the Flex 6300 or another model.

For mobile HF and VHF rigs, don't rule out Alinco, they have been putting out some decent radios at very competitive prices. I have their VHF dual bander 635T with cross-band repeat and I love it, I have three of them actually.

Take care and hope to catch you on the air sometime.

73

Raf
 
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Danish said:
Almost! I have my foundation amateur radio exam tonight and I have a test-drive for the Defender 90 I'm thinking of buying tomorrow! So I'm very close :)
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Danish, thanks for looking up the thread and replying. I wish you all the best in the exams and it would be awesome to have another successful HAM on the list and on the air.

You have two exciting things happening right now, the chance of becoming a HAM and a proud owner of a great machine, the Defender :)

I am happy for you and cant wait to add you to the list. I am, and sure everyone else on the HAM list here, will be here to help if you have any questions or need advice.

Let me know how you exams went please, best of luck mate.

73

Raf.
 
Hi Guys,
Just thought of checking to see if we have anyone else to add. I just installed a UK made 7 band hex beam, need to work some DX stations.:)

Please add if you are a new HAM.
 
Too bad you dont operate anymore, hope you had fun when you did. I will still add you to the list, after all you were a HAM :)

Thanks for replying and have a great day.
 
Hi Raf hope your well ? you can stick me down / M3 TKC /2E0 TKC CB /26 SB 41
Rig in motor 857D fully open :eek: At home 101z valve set & a magnum S45 /10mt Alinco 605 2/70 & a 4mt for local, Had to stop going to rally's coss if i saw a 101zd I would buy it:eek::eek: got 6 already:oops:
Is that a cobra 148 I see lurking about ?

73 from TKC Steve
 
Magicgrotto said:
Hi Raf hope your well ? you can stick me down / M3 TKC /2E0 TKC CB /26 SB 41
Rig in motor 857D fully open :eek: At home 101z valve set & a magnum S45 /10mt Alinco 605 2/70 & a 4mt for local, Had to stop going to rally's coss if i saw a 101zd I would buy it:eek::eek: got 6 already:oops:
Is that a cobra 148 I see lurking about ?

73 from TKC Steve
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Hi Steve, I am doing great thanks, hope you are too. The 857D is probably the best mobile HF rig IMO. Wow you must be the largest collector of the 101ZD, awesome radios. I was toying with the idea of putting an 857 in my BMW e30. :D For ****s and giggles..an 897 was test fitted too see pic :) :eek:

Yes that is a classic cobra 148 given to me by a friend before I left on Mission to Barbados.
I have never been a CBer but do support and appreciate all modes of 2 way radio, I have to set up my shack a bit better to display stuff like that. I started building this house 2 years so as you can see from some of the pics...so work in progress.
You have some great radio equipment, thanks for replying...you have been added to the growing list.

Hope to catch you on the air at some point.

73, 8P9RR.
Raf.

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E30 rig.jpg
e30 rig2.jpg
 
Many years ago I used to help G1FC and G3RAF both in the hut and out on the Mendips, i was just getting ready to take the exam and got posted, made arrangements to do the exam at the next place and got detached somewhere else this happened three times !!!! in the end I gave up.
I believe the exam is somewhat easier now but if I started another hobby i'd get shot by SWMBO.
 
TheQ said:
Many years ago I used to help G1FC and G3RAF both in the hut and out on the Mendips, i was just getting ready to take the exam and got posted, made arrangements to do the exam at the next place and got detached somewhere else this happened three times !!!! in the end I gave up.
I believe the exam is somewhat easier now but if I started another hobby i'd get shot by SWMBO.
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Dont give up man, and yes the HAM examination is a lot easier than before. Most countries have gotten rid of CW in the examination which used to be one of the harder parts of the exam gto cover. Now with so much online tutorials and help, it could not be easier and equipment cost has dropped a lot too.

If you did the exam and wanted to have some fun without spending much, you can start with VHF in your landy. Hand helds are so cheap now and loaded with features, its unreal. They are less than US 65.00 for amazing 8watt hand helds. You can use these to chat internationally using Echo Link.

One of the best deals now for hand held HAM radio selling at US 63.00 Link not working here but do a search on Amazon for
BaoFeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio (136-174MHz VHF & 400-520MHz UHF) Includes Full Kit with Large Battery

As Steve said, the wife will have fun if she got her ticket too. You should have events around she can go to and we encourage the wives to come out. Mine showed an interest and got 98% score and is a HAM. In our local group in Canada, we have about 8 female HAMS who are participate in checkins, events etc.

Get your HAM ticket man, dont give up and have regrets.

Cheers.
 
Actually I'm looking at getting the baofeng anyway as I can quite legally use it on two spot VHF frequencies used by my sailing club on their business licences. ( For sailing club purposes of course)
 
Actually I'll be buying the baofeng shortly anyway, because I can quite legally use it on 2 spot frequencies on my sailing clubs business licences, ( for sailing club purposes of course). That's on the High end of the baofengs vhf frequency range.

I assist the sailing clubs radio officer, and I have no fears for the exam itself, we both work for a major electronics company, it would be a fluke if you knew it!!

Just looked up the nearest two RSGB clubs, which would be the best places to find out about where and when, the local exams are held. Unfortunately they are both 20 + miles away and meet on nights that at the moment I can't go on, so I'd have to work something out on that.
 
TheQ said:
Actually I'm looking at getting the baofeng anyway as I can quite legally use it on two spot VHF frequencies used by my sailing club on their business licences. ( For sailing club purposes of course)
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A point to note regarding Baofeng radios, They are normally loaded with a set of frequecies which they refer to as "licence free PMR466", unfortunately that set of frequencies and operating conditions are not legal in the UK.
However both the 888s and the UV-5R can be reprogrammed using a PC with the correct software and a programming lead, quite cheap too.
The 888s is a 16 channel UHF (400-470 Mhz) unit. The UK frequency set contains just 8 frequencies and does not include any of the fancy modulation "add-ons" such as CTCSS, DCS and scramble, each of which are illegal for use under the licence free PMR466 regs.
The UV-5R is an altogether more useful unit. It can also be set up with a PC or from the numerical keyboard and can carry the Licence Free PMR466 frequecy set and can also be set up for the Amateur 2 metre FM channels (S20, S21, and repeater input channels etc), 70 cms band and for all you boating types, marine VHF channel 16 can be set on it too, as can other useful marine channels such as chans 10 and 14.

UK PMR466 frequency list. Mhz
  1. 446.00625
  2. 446.01875
  3. 446.03125
  4. 446.04375
  5. 446.05625
  6. 446.06875
  7. 446.08125
  8. 446.09375
Max ERP 500mW
 
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Hi Brian the UV-5RA+ are a great little radio ! good for when your pottering about as you can listen to a repeater and if it goes off you can listen to your fav tune's on fm radio & as soon as repeater starts up it's back to the repeater & vice verser + not a lot of ££££
 
Magicgrotto said:
Hi Brian the UV-5RA+ are a great little radio ! good for when your pottering about as you can listen to a repeater and if it goes off you can listen to your fav tune's on fm radio & as soon as repeater starts up it's back to the repeater & vice verser + not a lot of ££££
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Yes. it is. The kit to which I have access, not necessarily carried with me at all times are a pair of 888s for talk between two vehicles especially when towing, a pair of 49 Mhz "Radio Shack" CB units, very useful with headset and boom mic and VOX capability for hands free if needed. I also have a UV-5R set up as I've already discussed and a "Midland Alan 42 multi" 29Mhz CB. I also still have a Pye FM Westminster. My main rig used to be a Yaesu FT901, but that had to go to finance the rebuilding of the suspension on an old Lotus Elan.
I also have a rare Marconi TF2950/8 test set which covers the CB band as well as the VHF and UHF bands, AM/FM capability, TX power, TX modulation meter, Signal generator down to .5 uvolt and below, AM,FM,CW. Took quite a while to find one, OK so it's not calibrated, but I don't use it professionally. I'm also able to measure VSWR on HF, VHF and UHF frequencies and I have a small frequency counter, up to 1Ghz.
 
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