Author Topic: My humble "shack"  (Read 21637 times)

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idial1911

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My humble "shack"
« on: February 05, 2012, 09:37:04 AM »
Some of you are going out and finding pics of all these crazy high end shacks and getting overwhelmed.. Here is a picture of mine. a simplee cardboard box near my computer is all i have with a couple of radios.
The more I learn, the less I know.

Slick75

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2012, 12:32:58 PM »
I like it, KISS.

Its like anything else, depends on how much you want to put into it. Kind of like all those fancy gaming computer systems I used drool over.

Personally I will be happy to have a simple home set-up and maybe a second mobile rig that can fit in the back of a mid-size SUV along with other gear and then a good HH or two on top of that.

Which brings up some questions.

1.) Whats the max range from a HH? I realize theres a lot of variables that go into it, but could I feasibly talk from say south Louisiana to NW Florida, about 350 miles, unassisted (no repeaters) on a HH? Or is that just out of the realm of possibility?

2.) If I wanted to 'call home' under such conditions, would my wife/son also have to be licensed?

GDP

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2012, 12:56:57 PM »
I like it, KISS.

Its like anything else, depends on how much you want to put into it. Kind of like all those fancy gaming computer systems I used drool over.

Personally I will be happy to have a simple home set-up and maybe a second mobile rig that can fit in the back of a mid-size SUV along with other gear and then a good HH or two on top of that.

Which brings up some questions.

1.) Whats the max range from a HH? I realize theres a lot of variables that go into it, but could I feasibly talk from say south Louisiana to NW Florida, about 350 miles, unassisted (no repeaters) on a HH? Or is that just out of the realm of possibility?

2.) If I wanted to 'call home' under such conditions, would my wife/son also have to be licensed?

1.  Hmmm.  Good, 5-watt handheld might get you five to ten miles under good conditions without a repeater.  For 200-350 miles you would be thinking a NVIS (Near Vertical Incident Skywave) antenna and a HF (High Frequency) rig.  This setup would bounce the signal more-or-less straight up and then down.

2.  Sorry, but they would need to have their own license.  The only time a non-licensed person can use the radio is when a licensed operator is there with them.  It's part of the rules....
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Slick75

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2012, 02:04:16 PM »
1.  Hmmm.  Good, 5-watt handheld might get you five to ten miles under good conditions without a repeater.  For 200-350 miles you would be thinking a NVIS (Near Vertical Incident Skywave) antenna and a HF (High Frequency) rig.  This setup would bounce the signal more-or-less straight up and then down.

2.  Sorry, but they would need to have their own license.  The only time a non-licensed person can use the radio is when a licensed operator is there with them.  It's part of the rules....

NVIS- I think a buddy used to call it moon-beaming? Of course its entirely possible he was full of it, hes one of those that knows JUST enough to make others THINK he knows what hes talking about.

The licensing shouldnt be too hard to get my son involved with, hes into tech and gadgets worse than me. My wife on the other hand.... Well we wont talk about that, at least not until Tex patents that horse rig.

GDP

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2012, 02:31:20 PM »
NVIS- I think a buddy used to call it moon-beaming? Of course its entirely possible he was full of it, hes one of those that knows JUST enough to make others THINK he knows what hes talking about.

The licensing shouldnt be too hard to get my son involved with, hes into tech and gadgets worse than me. My wife on the other hand.... Well we wont talk about that, at least not until Tex patents that horse rig.

My XYL (Ex-Young Lady, meaning married) took the Technician class absolutely cold and passed the test on the first attempt.  Don't underestimate yours!!
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Slick75

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2012, 02:45:57 PM »
My XYL (Ex-Young Lady, meaning married) took the Technician class absolutely cold and passed the test on the first attempt.  Don't underestimate yours!!
Oh I have no doubt she has the ability, but she definitely lacks the desire. If it doesnt have 4 legs and wear a saddle she doesnt have time for it.

She still rolls her eyes when I mention anything to do with prepping or talk about a post on the boards. Definitely a sheep in cowgirl boots.

idial1911

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2012, 03:51:22 PM »
Oh I have no doubt she has the ability, but she definitely lacks the desire. If it doesnt have 4 legs and wear a saddle she doesnt have time for it.

She still rolls her eyes when I mention anything to do with prepping or talk about a post on the boards. Definitely a sheep in cowgirl boots.

So she makes you wear a saddle, and crawl around on all 4's?? Everyone is different things i guess!!
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idial1911

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2012, 03:53:41 PM »
I like it, KISS.

Its like anything else, depends on how much you want to put into it. Kind of like all those fancy gaming computer systems I used drool over.

Personally I will be happy to have a simple home set-up and maybe a second mobile rig that can fit in the back of a mid-size SUV along with other gear and then a good HH or two on top of that.

Which brings up some questions.

1.) Whats the max range from a HH? I realize theres a lot of variables that go into it, but could I feasibly talk from say south Louisiana to NW Florida, about 350 miles, unassisted (no repeaters) on a HH? Or is that just out of the realm of possibility?

2.) If I wanted to 'call home' under such conditions, would my wife/son also have to be licensed?

1) You know it does depend, especially depends on if you can hit a repeater or not. Not the handheld units are called "HT" in the ham world.. For Handy Talky. If you say HH some people won't know what ya mean. But station to station simplex with an ht maybe a few miles, its pretty limited. Thats why getting the general class License is so key because it gets you on ALL the bands.
The more I learn, the less I know.

Slick75

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2012, 12:04:47 AM »
So she makes you wear a saddle, and crawl around on all 4's?? Everyone is different things i guess!!
SHHH! Dont give her no ideas, sometimes she reads over my shoulder. I finally had to hide the riding crop she kept next to the bed.

As for the radios, I was just curious of the capabilities of the HTs. I figured that was beyond their abilities.

Actually what has been 'suggested' is a duplex radio, a Yaesu VX-8R to be specific. Still not fully clear on duplex part but I have a basic understanding- transmit and receive on different freqs. Besides that, as I said, Im considering a larger mobile rig and maybe even a second for the house. So it looks like General is definitely the way to go for me, at least to cover all my bases.


DSB

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2012, 03:43:39 PM »
NVIS is a method of setting up a HF antenna in order for the radio waves to bounce off the "F" layer of the atmosphere (250 miles up). There are moon bouncing and meteor scatter effects that an be worked in HAM radio also. But the best most reliable way of independent (no repeaters) radio commo is NVIS for distances up to 600 miles. The Nazis developed it in WWII and it gave the Allies hell until they figured out how they were getting commo over the horizon or over those mountain tops. Leave it to the Germans. Smart suckers.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2012, 03:45:51 PM by DSB »
DSB

GDP

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2012, 03:49:12 PM »
NVIS- I think a buddy used to call it moon-beaming? Of course its entirely possible he was full of it, hes one of those that knows JUST enough to make others THINK he knows what hes talking about.

The licensing shouldnt be too hard to get my son involved with, hes into tech and gadgets worse than me. My wife on the other hand.... Well we wont talk about that, at least not until Tex patents that horse rig.

Moon bouncing is a different animal.  That's where you might talk to someone 12,000 miles away as long as you can both see the moon.  NVIS uses part of the atmosphere as the reflective surface.
GDP

N7TFP

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2012, 04:10:17 PM »
Here is my shack. My radio gear is all in the "rack" minus the antenna tuner. Everything else is just for tinkering with electronics.
Website: http://www.n7tfp.com

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DSB

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2012, 04:26:57 PM »
nice setup! I just ordered today a 6ru case to mount my 857, YT-100, Samlex 1335 and my Singalink USB. I am putting a 1u drawer in the bottom to house my laptop. I'm going to take pics as I put it all together.
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idial1911

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2012, 05:19:25 PM »
Here is my shack. My radio gear is all in the "rack" minus the antenna tuner. Everything else is just for tinkering with electronics.

At a minimum I clearly need to get rid of my cardboard box my radio is rested on... Now i'm getting shown up!!
The more I learn, the less I know.

Hamsexy

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Re: My humble "shack"
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2012, 06:23:26 PM »
At a minimum I clearly need to get rid of my cardboard box my radio is rested on... Now i'm getting shown up!!

Can *I* have it?  It would be a major upgrade here!