Testing tomorrow

[xj-jake]

Well I ordered a baofeng and made myself study my pants off so I wouldn't be just wasting the money to have a shiny new toy I couldnt use. Testing is at 9 am tomorrow I've been consistently scoring 30 to 32 on practice exams. Wish me luck and hopefully I'll be able to check in with a call sign shortly!

[prerunner1982]

Man you weren't kidding. Jumped right on that didn't ya?

Very good. I am sure you will pass.

[xj-jake]

It's something I've wanted to do for a while so I figured I'd just force myself to do it. I don't want the radio sitting there collecting dust. I'm excited to have another hobby.

[xj-jake]

Here's the radio I ordered.


Amazon.com : BaoFeng BF-F8HP w/Large Battery (2000mAh) - BaoFeng's Best TRI-POWER (1, 4, 8 Watt) (USA Warranty) Dual-Band 136-174/400-520 MHz FM Ham Two-way Radio, Transceiver, HT - With Battery, Antenna, Charger, and More : Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51gegqBSthL.@@AMEPARAM@@51gegqBSthL

[prerunner1982]

Ahhh you went with the 8 watter huh?

Check out http://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home for your programming needs.

Did you get a programming cable as well?
You might also look at the Nagoya NA-771 antenna. It is a bit longer and seems to work quite a bit better than the stock rubber duck.

[xj-jake]

Ahhh you went with the 8 watter huh?

Check out http://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home for your programming needs.

Did you get a programming cable as well?
You might also look at the Nagoya NA-771 antenna. It is a bit longer and seems to work quite a bit better than the stock rubber duck.

I did. My thinking on that is in the rural are I am in a few more watts probably wouldn't hurt to be able to hit a few different repeaters. There is a local club (in town) that has one so if I need help these guys should be able to help me. I did not order the cable I will be figuring out programming by hand for now. Our computer at home has been taken over by the kids so if I need it I'll have to computer program at work.

[prerunner1982]

Here is a valuable website if you are going to be doing manual programming.

http://www.miklor.com/

[bluedragon436]

Good luck on the test Jake.. You got it.. I've been slowly studying, maybe I need to get a radio on order to push me that last little bit on motivation to study even more... Cause getting a lisc, is something I've been wanting to do for quite a while myself..

[downsy]

Test is pretty easy. Just a multiple guess standard government issue test. They took longer filling out the paperwork than I took taking the test.

[xj-jake]

Well I passed. Got 34 out of 35. I figured I'd be the youngest guy there taking the test but I was wrong. There were a few guys younger than me which was rather surprising. I'm excited, the guys told me my license should be updated with the FCC by Wednesday so I should be able to check in with my local club's net next Sunday night.

Side note, this is what we saw when we walked out to the parking lot.

[NW99XJ]

Congrats buddy!
Although yur making me look bad....
I've been studying off & on for the better part of two years.....
I have yet to take my test :(
SOON HOWEVER!
(In my practice tests, I've been averaging over 70% - I want to get that a bit higher before i go in for the official test)

[xj-jake]

Congrats buddy!
Although yur making me look bad....
I've been studying off & on for the better part of two years.....
I have yet to take my test :(
SOON HOWEVER!
(In my practice tests, I've been averaging over 70% - I want to get that a bit higher before i go in for the official test)

Thanks Josh. Download the Ham Test Prep app for your smrt phone. That's what I did. It helps to have some knowledge, which you do, of electrical components and just general knowledge. Man up and do it and then you wont have a reason to look bad! :mock:

[XJ Wheeler]

Congrats Jake! That's awesome.

One day i'll start on mine.

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

[Mudderoy]

Congrats Jake! That's awesome.

One day i'll start on mine.

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

Today is one day? Tomorrow will be "slacker" day. :P

[prerunner1982]

Congrats buddy. When I took mine I got my call sign online on Thursday, took test on Sat. But on some of the test last year it was taking close to 10 days for some to show. Think the whole Gov shutdown had a lot to do with it. Hopefully they are back up to speed.

[XJ Wheeler]

Today is one day? Tomorrow will be "slacker" day. :P

If today is oneday, wouldn't that make tomorrow two(s)day? :p

Sent via messenger pigeon - i talk, he types.

[xjzaped]

Congrats. I took mine as a Freshman in college. A friend I worked with had to get one for his electrical labs…he knew I liked radio and challenged me the afternoon before the exam. Exam was at 10 am, I was on a tractor helping a friend out until 4 am (45 minute drive back to town after that), got up at 930, took it and passed. Now I'm a General VE woking on my extra. I'm supposed to help administer an exam tonight. Once all the Techs pass I may try and upgrade (missed by 3 questions last time I tried).

[xj-jake]

FCC got me straightened out today. License is VALID!!

KE0CRP

[prerunner1982]

Congrats again and welcome.

[4.3LXJ]

:congrats:

[bluedragon436]

Congrats again Jake.. Glad they got it all taken care of for you!!

[oderdene]

Congrats bro

[XJ Wheeler]

A hardy CONGRATULATIONS Jake!!!

[downsy]

Congrats again and welcome.

you're not going to tell us your callsign?:smiley-scared003:

[prerunner1982]

Kf5wuf

[downsy]

I'm not a big fan of any sports yet got the call sign KK6RBI lol. I like yours better. I like dogs :D

[xjzaped]

The way I sometimes say my call phonetically might offend those north of 25' 20" even though it's a true statement.

[prerunner1982]

I'm not a big fan of any sports yet got the call sign KK6RBI lol. I like yours better. I like dogs :D

or like the old show AirWolf.... on the "air".... call sign is WUF.. anyways.

The W and U are difficult for most people to catch correctly..

[xj-jake]

A couple days in with my ticket and I'm realizing how much of a newb I am.
I've made some contacts, mostly local guys, but I was working a guy last night that I just couldn't nab his call sign. I could catch bits and pieces of what he was saying but never his entire call. I did hear that he said he could hear me fine but I just couldn't tune him in. This was on the repeater that's 28-30 miles away. I can hear the repeater tone just fine. Is it his equipment or mine?

[prerunner1982]

If you can hear the repeater fine and he can hear you fine then it is likely on his end. He is probably using a HT and not standing in the right spot to get a good signal to the repeater.

[downsy]

Yup sounds like his. Possible he was holding the HT too far away from his mouth too.

[xj-jake]

Went to the get together with the local guys on the lake on Saturday. Had a good time visiting with them and checking out their equipment. They convinced me I need to get my general license so I'll be studying for that and testing on Feb 14th for my general license.

[downsy]

I'll say one of the big things that got me into HAM finally after YEARS of not taking the test is the affordability of VHF/UHF radios. Yes that means the Chinese rigs.

I was thinking of going up in my license but after seeing the prices of even used HF radios on QRZ.com (over 1000 dollars) I have no urge to pursue that hobby at this time past my Tech license.

[prerunner1982]

I'll say one of the big things that got me into HAM finally after YEARS of not taking the test is the affordability of VHF/UHF radios. Yes that means the Chinese rigs.

I was thinking of going up in my license but after seeing the prices of even used HF radios on QRZ.com (over 1000 dollars) I have no urge to pursue that hobby at this time past my Tech license.

An entry level base HF rig can be had for about $600, the Alinco DX-SR8T is about $530 and the Icom IC-718 is $600. The all band/mode mobile rigs can get expensive, but I occasionally come across an Icom 706MkIIG for about $500-$600, yes still expensive for a used rig. A new Yaesu FT-857D is only $825 though.

[xj-jake]

A couple of the guys in the ice shack were running Icom 746's. Nice machines for sure. I've been eyeing a used 746 Pro for right around a grand.

[xj-jake]

Stupid excited right now. Made my first 10 Meter contact all the way to California. Pretty neat feeling for sure.

[prerunner1982]

Very nice sir.

You got your set up just in time to try for this rare DX.. http://navassadx.com/

[xj-jake]

Thanks for the heads up Jon. 10 Meter dipole should be up for me this weekend.

[xjzaped]

Stupid excited right now. Made my first 10 Meter contact all the way to California. Pretty neat feeling for sure.

SSB or FM?

[xj-jake]

SSB or FM?

SSB

[xjzaped]

Cool.

Something that is a lot of fun, FM low band repeaters. I have a radio that I had running on a borrowed control cable. From Lubbock, TX was almost full quieting into a 10m repeater (mobile) in NYC as the band just happened to be open at that particular time.

[Mudderoy]

Thanks for the heads up Jon. 10 Meter dipole should be up for me this weekend.

10 meters and 11 meters are so close that modifying a CB antenna is pretty simple. You could check craigslist for a CB base station antenna. The vertical polarization makes it better for DX.

If you're going to make a dipole invest in a balun and run the 50 ohm coax.

[xj-jake]

Dipole came yesterday. I'm running 50 ohm RG8X without a balun on this setup. I will be stringing it up tomorrow. What good will a balun do me?

[prerunner1982]

a dipole is a balanced antenna the coax is an unbalanced feedline.. hence the name of the balun... BALanced to UNbalanced.

The mismatch could cause the coax to radiate which will distort the radiation pattern and cause an impedance mismatch which will increase your SWR and not as much power will be radiated by the antenna.

[xj-jake]

a dipole is a balanced antenna the coax is an unbalanced feedline.. hence the name of the balun... BALanced to UNbalanced.

The mismatch could cause the coax to radiate which will distort the radiation pattern and cause an impedance mismatch which will increase your SWR and not as much power will be radiated by the antenna.

Could cause or will cause? Should I be running a balun with this setup?