Unchained Preppers
Communications => Radio => Topic started by: JohnyMac on July 28, 2021, 09:58:31 AM
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Still looking for NCS (Net Control Station) volunteers. Jackalope was the first to step up for the phone net - Thank you. Hopefully, some others will raise their hand this month.
Remember, what happens if I get hit by a bus? Heck, I might commit suicide by shooting myself in the back of the head :facepalm:
To review, the reason why folks should volunteer to be NCS are,
> To give folks an opportunity to practice being a NCS,
> For all of us to see how others do the net. We can all learn, and
> I will not be around all the time. Heck, I might be "Clintoned" one dark and stormy night. ;)
Here is the SOI for this coming Tuesday's net.
The next ERIN net will be Tuesday August 31, 2021, starting at 1900 hrs. eastern with the digital ERIN net. The PACE for that net is as follows,
1) At 1900 hrs. eastern the digital net will commence.
Primary 7.110 Mhz USB Contestia 4/250 1000 on the Waterfall
Alternate 3.588 Mhz USB Contestia 4/250 1000 on the Waterfall
Contingency This email thread
Emergency Text. Do I have your cell phone number?
When the Net Control Station (NCS) calls for check-in's this is the reporting format,
de your call/name/location/emergency traffic/ de your call
Once the NCS has gathered check-in's he/she will post the check-in's for corrections or additional check-in's.
The NCS will then start the reports portion of the digital net. Report format will be,
de your call/name/location/traffic if any/your report for around your AO, Covid, unrest, military movement, etc/weather/de your call
2) At 2000 hrs the voice net will commence.
Primary 7.238 Mhz LSB or higher till clear air
Alternate 3.968 Mhz LSB or higher till clean air
Contingency This email thread
Emergency Text. Do I have your cell phone number?
The above SOI will be used at first, if the interwize is taken down through Executive Order -- Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions.
73 & God Bless,
Johnymac
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Hey! There are nets tonight!
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I'm monitoring but so far I got nothing. :what:
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OK, I monitored until 7:25. I didn't get anything on the screen. Now I'm all tuned up and ready for the 8 PM Phone Net. :popcorn:
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Mrs mac is in hospital ER. Jackalope, could yoube NCS tonight?
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Sure will, Johny. Best wishes and prayers for Mrs. Mac!
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We only had three check-ins this evening, thank you PK and Mike! No major problems observed.
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Thank you.
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Just a reminder, there are nets tonight, August 10th!
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I know a guy who knows a guy who can get a bus if you need one.
Nemo
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I just walked into the house from spending the afternoon at the hospital receiving a Regeneron infusion for my covid-19. I will not be on the next this evening.
It would be great if someone else took the net tonight. Thx
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OK..... Now I know why there was no Digital net. I monitored but got nothing. I'll listen out for the Phone net. It'll be on in about 10 minutes. Am I gonna host it? NOPE. :popcorn:
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I'll pick up the phone net
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I just walked into the house from spending the afternoon at the hospital receiving a Regeneron infusion for my covid-19. I will not be on the next this evening.
Condition? Status? Gonna Live?
Thoughts on avoiding the Jab?
Nemo
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Johny, prayers for you and Mrs. Mac for a quick recovery. I was afraid that's what it was when you mentioned Mrs. Mac's symptoms last week. Anyways, it was just PK and I on the net. We had typical summer time propagation with lots of static crashes due to regional thunderstorms.
Looks like things are stable in VA and TN, no unrest or major shortages. The Chinese Virus has increased exponentially here in middle TN, with a low count of 1 on July 5th, to the current count of 361 as of today. I know a lot of the local folks have gotten it and haven't gotten tested, due to their frustration with how the virus is being handled by the federal government. Most local ICU beds are occupied at this time. We'll be meeting with physician friend later this week, and I'll get an honest report from him.
Nemo, to avoid the jab, self-isolate as much as possible, until the Delta variant dies out (no pun intended).. Wash your hands frequently. If you're going to be in close quarters, wear a 95 or 100 mask, don't bother with the cloth masks, they're worthless. My guess is that everyone is eventually going to get the virus, it's like the flu or common cold. The vaccine is going to be effective against some variants, but worthless against others. Just keep yourself as healthy as possible, keep up your immune system, and get plenty of rest. So there's some free medical advice that worth what you paid for it :-)
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This is KG5 from Mississippi. I was on frequency for the net but could not hear much. On 7.236 every Tuesday is a foreign station that I cannot filter out. I guess I need to try a different antenna. I normally use a 542 foot loop about 50 feet off the ground. I have also tried a hex for receive and a dipole at forty feet without much success. I plan on putting something else up and may need to work with someone to check receive ability. I usually hear very well in that direction. Any thoughts?
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I am interested in his thoughts on the idea-- I should have gotten jabbed last month or February.
I am hearing some hints I need jabbed.
Nemo
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Where's the foreign broadcast signal originating from? A simple dipole is somewhat directional, or maybe a 40 meter vertical array or curtain. Usually, I have no trouble copying you, as you and Mike in FL have great signals at my QTH, and your signal is typically 20-30 over 9. But for the last month or so, I haven't been able to copy you at all, but Mike's signal has stayed the same. If you come up with a new antenna set-up, let me know, I'll be willing to set up a sked to test it.
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Note to NEMO. My Doctor told me to take Vitamin D3, Vitamin C, and Zinc. Since I also Smoke Cigarettes, that also has an effect on the virus. So far I've felt pretty bulletproof. Also, whenever the wife and I go out to a restraunt we use hand sanitizer as soon as we are seated. I'm not taking the Jab, no matter what.
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I have not broadcasted in about 3 weeks because I have not been able to hear net control. If the weather cools this weekend heat index today was 106 i will work on some new antenna options
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I went outside today and when I was getting in the car I noticed that my 160 meter dipole didn't look right. Later I walked into the back yard and noticed that my whole dipole was lying on the ground. The paracord that I was using to hoist it up in the air had broke. Damn!!!! I actually worked the Tuesday ERIN net with the antenna lying on the ground. I went in the house and got a roll of Solid Copper wire and replaced the paracord pully system with it. Yep, I did something stupid. I climbed my 76 year old ass up the tower to feed the wire pull wire through the pully and then climbed down and hoisted the feed point back up to 30 feet like it was before and tied it off. Then I came in the house and tested the antenna. It worked perfectly.
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You were still copyable, except during static crashes.
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...I actually worked the Tuesday ERIN net with the antenna lying on the ground. ... Yep, I did something stupid. I climbed my 76 year old ass up the tower ...
My loop was on the ground after a limb came off a cherry tree in an ice storm, I wasn't going to transmit so I figured I'd leave it until better weather. For about a month and a half, I listened to 80 and 160 meter nets and shortwave stations. When I went out to put the loop back up, I found that it had also broken about 6" on either side of the feed point! So I had a 1' dipole on the ground, worked shockingly well for receive.
Better be careful on the tower, don't want to get gravity poisoning.
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The station on 7.236 that 'the sip' mentioned is the "Vecinos y amigos" net from Panama. I've checked in a couple of times, but usually they have a hard time hearing me. That and my Spanish isn't really up to the task :-[.
Mike
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Average net last week and I would like to thank all that participated.
One on the digital net and six on the phone net. I am a bit worried about our contact down in MS. Haven't heard from him in several weeks.
Wishing everyone a great week.
73 and God Bless
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I am still here. I have been on frequency but can seldom hear anyone clearly. I have been planning an antenna overhaul to see if that will help but time has not worked out. Is anyone running an amp or just barefoot? Is there a tutorial for the digital mode?
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A lot of questions Sip. LOL
Only Jackalope runs a linear amp. I think at 400-watts. Everybody else is at about 100-watts.
There are some great G5RV antenna's out there if you have two trees about 100 feet apart at your AO. This (https://americanpartisan.org/2019/12/building-a-simple-affordable-high-quality-multi-band-antenna/) is the one I use. As a matter of fact, I have built two and many readers have built one too.
On the digital front, you can use the above antenna. May I suggest, what ever HF radio you have and want to go digital, search for your radio model and digital. There are a scillion YT video's out there on your HF radio set up with digital.
I hope these several comments get you started on the right path. We are here to help. :cheers:
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The antenna I use for 40 and 80 is a 542 foot loop about 50 feet of the ground. One side has gotten in a tree and I think is affecting my receive. I have used a g5rv with great results. I loaned it to a new ham that needed an antenna to get on the air. I have an off center dipole that I want to put up until I can get the loop fixed. I will search YouTube to get my radio set for digital. I am running a flex radio 6600m with a Collins 30l1 amp at about 400 watts.
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The antenna I use for 40 and 80 is a 542 foot loop about 50 feet of the ground. One side has gotten in a tree and I think is affecting my receive. I have used a g5rv with great results. I loaned it to a new ham that needed an antenna to get on the air. I have an off center dipole that I want to put up until I can get the loop fixed. I will search YouTube to get my radio set for digital. I am running a flex radio 6600m with a Collins 30l1 amp at about 400 watts.
I've tried a bunch of home brew antennas and had varying levels of success and failures. I run barefoot with an auto-tuner to my main antenna which is a 160 meter Dipole up about 40 feet. I run an antenna Switch that also has 80,40,and 10 meter vertical Hamsticks connected to it. My system sort of goes back to the old Ham Joke, "If your antenna isn't working right, just add more wire." I NEVER use Baluns.
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Sip, wow a 520 loop and a Flex radio. Man o' man you have a great system.
Yeah you are probably correct, there is a failure somewhere along the loop.
Isn't it amazing no matter how good your transceiver is, you are only as good as your antenna.
Good luck Brother.
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I have a 20-30-40 link dipole set up in an inverted V at about 30 feet or so. It used to have an 80 meter link but I took that off. I run barefoot at 100W (that's the manufacturer's specs, I've never measured it).
My main issues are the noise level is usually around an S 6-7, and the static crashes in the summer of course.
Mike
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The ERIN net was always best during fall/winter periods. I keep an eye on propagation reports and as we get closer to Sept 21, we will probably move back to 75/80-meters which should clear up some issues. Last year we had two ERIN nets, 40-meters then a second one on 75/80-meters. I just do not have the time to do three nets, digital, and two phone nets.
I was at my monthly amateur radio club meeting last night and 4-folks who lurk or get on the ERIN net told me that they can hear me but just above the weeds. Two tried to check in but I didn't hear them. This is a change in the wrong direction for sure. I am assuming a skip issue with our local participants. Propagation is defiantly changing.
Thoughts?
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Johny, knowing your topography and some of your antenna system, I'd say the locals hearing you are receiving the signal via ground wave. The mountains do a pretty good job of blocking the lower angle emissions. A NVIS antenna would work best for the local folks, but wouldn't work too well for those of us in 4 and 5 lands. This week was rough copy, but generally I can copy you well enough. I hear cooter and the sip usually the best, probably because we're not that far apart.
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I use an 80-meter horizontal loop, absolutely my favorite all-around antenna, resonant on every harmonic, and once you get to 20m, the angle of radiation is very low and you even start to get some gain. I've worked Australia, Antarctica, Falklands, and Japan, as well as Europe and the Middle East with 100-150 watts. Of course that was at the top of the last cycle. My problem now is that the 80m bandwidth is centered for CW, once I get up to 3.8 MHz and above the SWR is really an issue. I'm building an NVIS antenna for 40 and 80, but as Jackalope said, once you're out past 300-400 miles it's not effective. It's intended to be car-transportable, I wanted something I can throw in the trunk and use for local/regional comms if the need arose.
Better news is that my work schedule is changing after next week, I'll have Tuesday nights off, for a while anyway. Probable that I'll have EVERY night off soon, whenever work jumps the shark and mandates the clot shot for employees. :gasMask:
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I truly do not understand why 40-meters is not doing better. I spend some time this morning looking at propagation charts along with everyone's grid and 40-meters is 95% across the board.
NOT this Tuesdays net but starting Sept. 7th going to 75/80-meters for at least one week to see if that is better for the group. From mid-Florida to Toronto, Canada the propagation on 75/80-meters is around 90% at 2000 hrs. eastern.
75/80-meters does not surpass 40-meters till the start of November.
Thoughts from all?
JMc
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Today, 40 meters was up and running. About 3 pm I heard somebody in SC calling CQ so I went back to him and he was 59.We had a nice chat for a while and then he faded out and then came back up. Hopefully, 40 will be good tonight. I plan to be tuned in. :popcorn:
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OK, I monitored the Digital Net. I'm all set up for the Phone Net at 8. :popcorn:
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Small net tonight but it was a good one. Slight QSB but 90% of the time everyone was 59.
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Quick Aug. 31 ERIN net AAR
Digital
Three folks on the digital net last evening. One station was tough for me to copy so our veteran station from North Carolina did a great job relaying their report.
Phone
Weak night with only three folks on the net. All stations came in clearly to my AO. There was a station from Ohio I could not hear that PKv had a QSO with just before the net.
Overall
Things are pretty much normal from MS to PA with a few items.
1) The CCP Virus seems to have up ticked a bit. I assume it is the Delta variant which is less potent but apparently easier to get.
2) Brown rice from MS to PA is tough to find. Other rice varieties are light.
3) Food prices continue to rise with beef increasing the quickest.
4) Supermarkets have good supplies when compared to late last year.
5) Petrol prices are rising except in the PA. I suggest that it might be due to the Labor Day weekend. Petrol prices did jump to $3.35 a gallon last week however, dropped to $3.29 a gallon recently.
6) No troop movements reported.
7) The station that checked in from MS reported Ida was not much an issue other than rain. VA. reported that he was not expecting any nastiness from Ida but rain. Ida should not be an issue in NE PA/Southern NY tier. From Scranton south, through Philly and NE through Boston are expecting flood conditions with rain 6-inches and higher.
Remember, the September SOI has been posted and we will be switching to 75/80-meters from 40-meters.
73 & God Bless