I'm getting ready to take my youngest son to an all day Boy Scout Merit badge workshop in Charlottesville, VA tomorrow. We have to be there at 8:00am and he's there until 6:00pm. That means that I have the entire middle of the day to head west to the mountains and play radio!!!
I'll be traveling over to Afton Mountain and then I'll head up Skyline Drive for a few miles to a "scenic overlook" named Beagle Gap - it's about mile marker 100 on the map. Here is a link to the map.
I'm taking a bunch of gear - maybe too much ;)
6m vertical for SSB/CW
2m/70cm vertical for FM/D-Star (car transceiver)
2m yagi for SSB/CW
70cm yagi for SSB/CW
33cm yagi for FM/P25
23cm yagi for SSB/CW
I'm hoping the weather holds out and is nice.
73 de KJ4WLH
Showing posts with label D-Star. Show all posts
Showing posts with label D-Star. Show all posts
Friday, March 1, 2013
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
2012 BSA Jamboree on the Air
2012 Boy Scout Jamboree on the Air (BS-JOTA)
Link to Pictures:
The BS-JOTA was held on Saturday, October 20th from 8:30 a.m. until 5:15 p.m. at the Cub Adventure Camp, located in Maidens, VA. The BSA Heart of Virginia Council's Cardinal District held a Cub Scout "Cub Olympics" during the weekend of October 19th - 21st. Approximately 1,200 Cub Scouts and their families camped during the weekend.
I'd like to thank the following individuals and sponsors:
The BS-JOTA team set up an HF station, D-Star station, VHF/UHF station, and IRLP station over the day. Contacts on HF were made all over the United States, Canada, and even over to Europe! Austin Thomas (N4CVA), a Boy Scout was instrumental in showing the Cub Scouts how to make the "correct" contact - and MANY boys did make HF contacts throughout the day! Austin did a fantastic job!
When large numbers of Cub Scouts showed up at the BS-JOTA station, Win Grant (WA4SSG) and David Thomas (KB4IQT) would take small groups a few dozen yards away from each other and they would use HT's to make contacts with each other. Needless to say, a LOT of "local" contacts were made as well!
Armand Hamel (WA1UQO) brought one of the most fun instruments of the day - a key and code practice oscillator! I believe Armand's key was the MOST USED piece of equipment - at least 100 scouts touched the key and the just LOVED making it squeak and squeal. One "lesson" shared with the boys was teaching them how to say "HI" in Morse Code: ". . . . . ." The best part of having the boys learn to key "HI" was telling them that they could use their flashlights and do the SAME THING with the light - they could "talk" to each other in "secret code"!! Big smiles, you could almost see the wheels turning in their heads as they figured out what they were going to do later that night.
The D-Star station was connected to the BS-JOTA reflector (REF033A) and occasionally to the Atlanta reflector (REF030C). D-Star contacts were light as most of the operators were VERY busy helping the scouts talk either on HF or HT's in the small groups. There were a lot of stations making contacts throughout the world on the BS-JOTA reflector: Argentina, UK, New Zealand, and many others. It was great hearing all the different countries and the accents of the stations were really interesting to the scouts as well.
As the afternoon wore on, the Scouts (and the operators) were getting tired! The HF station was shut down and we linked the RATS UHF IRLP node to the BS-JOTA node (9091). Scout after Scout after Scout made contacts primarily with other scouts in Canada and Texas. At least 20 Scouts made contacts with other Scouts; and an occasional Ham as well - all over IRLP!
The day went great! At least 50 - 60 Scouts made contacts with someone, mostly with other Scouts. The day was beautiful. The volunteers made the day go smoothly and were so generous with their time. My final thoughts are these - I really enjoy ham radio and I also sharing my passion for this great hobby of ours with people who are open to new ideas! We are the ones who make the entrance to our hobby "friendly" and "welcoming". Get out there and "welcome" someone into your hobby today!
73 de KJ4WLH
Jim Bates, Troop 876, RARC Member, RATS Member
Link to Pictures:
The BS-JOTA was held on Saturday, October 20th from 8:30 a.m. until 5:15 p.m. at the Cub Adventure Camp, located in Maidens, VA. The BSA Heart of Virginia Council's Cardinal District held a Cub Scout "Cub Olympics" during the weekend of October 19th - 21st. Approximately 1,200 Cub Scouts and their families camped during the weekend.
I'd like to thank the following individuals and sponsors:
- Richmond Amateur Radio Club (RARC)
- Sponsored the BS-JOTA station
- Provided HF equipment
- D-Star repeater access
- Richmond Amateur Telecommunication Society (RATS)
- UHF IRLP repeater access
- Cardinal District, Heart of Virginia Council
- Provided facilities for the BS-JOTA station
- Allowed the station to be part of the "Cub Olympics"
- Volunteers (in callsign order)
- KB4IQT - David Thomas - Troop 832
- KK4DWX - Bob Kendig
- N4CVA - Austin Thomas - Troop 832
- WA1UQO - Armand Hamel
- WA4SSG - Win Grant
- Mac McNeer(K4YEF)
- Use of the RARC Club callsign: W4ZA
The BS-JOTA team set up an HF station, D-Star station, VHF/UHF station, and IRLP station over the day. Contacts on HF were made all over the United States, Canada, and even over to Europe! Austin Thomas (N4CVA), a Boy Scout was instrumental in showing the Cub Scouts how to make the "correct" contact - and MANY boys did make HF contacts throughout the day! Austin did a fantastic job!
When large numbers of Cub Scouts showed up at the BS-JOTA station, Win Grant (WA4SSG) and David Thomas (KB4IQT) would take small groups a few dozen yards away from each other and they would use HT's to make contacts with each other. Needless to say, a LOT of "local" contacts were made as well!
Armand Hamel (WA1UQO) brought one of the most fun instruments of the day - a key and code practice oscillator! I believe Armand's key was the MOST USED piece of equipment - at least 100 scouts touched the key and the just LOVED making it squeak and squeal. One "lesson" shared with the boys was teaching them how to say "HI" in Morse Code: ". . . . . ." The best part of having the boys learn to key "HI" was telling them that they could use their flashlights and do the SAME THING with the light - they could "talk" to each other in "secret code"!! Big smiles, you could almost see the wheels turning in their heads as they figured out what they were going to do later that night.
The D-Star station was connected to the BS-JOTA reflector (REF033A) and occasionally to the Atlanta reflector (REF030C). D-Star contacts were light as most of the operators were VERY busy helping the scouts talk either on HF or HT's in the small groups. There were a lot of stations making contacts throughout the world on the BS-JOTA reflector: Argentina, UK, New Zealand, and many others. It was great hearing all the different countries and the accents of the stations were really interesting to the scouts as well.
As the afternoon wore on, the Scouts (and the operators) were getting tired! The HF station was shut down and we linked the RATS UHF IRLP node to the BS-JOTA node (9091). Scout after Scout after Scout made contacts primarily with other scouts in Canada and Texas. At least 20 Scouts made contacts with other Scouts; and an occasional Ham as well - all over IRLP!
The day went great! At least 50 - 60 Scouts made contacts with someone, mostly with other Scouts. The day was beautiful. The volunteers made the day go smoothly and were so generous with their time. My final thoughts are these - I really enjoy ham radio and I also sharing my passion for this great hobby of ours with people who are open to new ideas! We are the ones who make the entrance to our hobby "friendly" and "welcoming". Get out there and "welcome" someone into your hobby today!
73 de KJ4WLH
Jim Bates, Troop 876, RARC Member, RATS Member
Thursday, September 13, 2012
D-Star DVAP with laptop tether to cell - Amazing!
Last night I was sitting in my hotel room, thinking about how ridiculous it is that any hotel would charge $20/day for internet access. $35 for "fast" service. What a joke...
So, for the first time, I decided to tether my phone to my laptop and just use my cell data connection for my internet access. Seemed to work OK, actually was better than I thought it would work. In fact, I'm using it right now to update this page :)
Anyway, when I travel I always take my IC-92AD and my DVAP (red). So, I got it out, plugged it in, and connected to the internet. Wow, that was easy - it just worked (like I've grown to expect!)
My local club, Richmond Amateur Radio Club (RARC), located in Richmond, VA has a D-Star net that runs on Wednesday evening at 8pm (EDT). I took a break from my Morse Code practice to join the net and it WORKED GREAT!
I've heard of folks using their cell connection in their car traveling all around the country staying in D-Star contact, but this is the first time that I'd ever done it. It's more fun than it sounds.
So, no R2D2 during the net and it was awesome being able to chat with my buddies - just like I was local.
73 de KJ4WLH
So, for the first time, I decided to tether my phone to my laptop and just use my cell data connection for my internet access. Seemed to work OK, actually was better than I thought it would work. In fact, I'm using it right now to update this page :)
Anyway, when I travel I always take my IC-92AD and my DVAP (red). So, I got it out, plugged it in, and connected to the internet. Wow, that was easy - it just worked (like I've grown to expect!)
My local club, Richmond Amateur Radio Club (RARC), located in Richmond, VA has a D-Star net that runs on Wednesday evening at 8pm (EDT). I took a break from my Morse Code practice to join the net and it WORKED GREAT!
I've heard of folks using their cell connection in their car traveling all around the country staying in D-Star contact, but this is the first time that I'd ever done it. It's more fun than it sounds.
So, no R2D2 during the net and it was awesome being able to chat with my buddies - just like I was local.
73 de KJ4WLH
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
2m vertical antenna relocation worked!
I've been having difficulty over the past few months trying to hit my favorite D-Star repeater from my QTH. It's weird, nothing in my "control" changed - but one day, out of the blue, I could no longer hit the repeater with 2-3 watts of power.
Anyway, over the past weekend, I just finally resolved to move "things" around and see how that might play out - and guess what! Yeah, it worked. I relocated my 2m/70cm vertical to another location in the back yard and I'm back to hitting the repeater with just a couple of watts of power.
Nice.
Sometimes I wonder how any of this stuff works at all...
73 de KJ4WLH
Anyway, over the past weekend, I just finally resolved to move "things" around and see how that might play out - and guess what! Yeah, it worked. I relocated my 2m/70cm vertical to another location in the back yard and I'm back to hitting the repeater with just a couple of watts of power.
Nice.
Sometimes I wonder how any of this stuff works at all...
73 de KJ4WLH
Monday, May 14, 2012
Changes in the shack
Since the 9100 has to visit the doctor, that leaves my shack without D-Star capability. Hmm, what to do? It would seem that choices are plentiful!!!
After reflection - meaning that I really thought that a new 2820 would be nice, I realized that the price of such a piece of gear was just excessive for this temporary situation. As much as I would like one, it just didn't "feel" like the right time for something like that. What I'd REALLY like would be a new product announcement from Icom which would be a 7000 with d-star capability - I'd purchase that rig in a heartbeat...
Since I have not heard such an announcement (or even rumors!) it's time for "Plan B." I have 92AD that just isn't able to hit the local D-Star repeater(s) with any reliability. It's just not able to use the rubber ducky and make the distance. I do, however, have a Diamond X50 (dual VHF/UHF) antenna that I can use. Since I also want to have a bit more reliability for the Wednesday night Richmond Amatuer Radio Club D-Star net at 20:00 - I thought it might be prudent to pick up a small VHF/UHF amplifier. I placed the order with HRO for a Mirage BD-35 I'm hoping that it will provide just enough UMPHH along with a "real" antenna to make the distance.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)