HF Antenna Question

[btrayfors]

Originally Posted by Wonderinlost

Btrayfors I've been looking at meters for a long time to add to my rig once I get it all together and read so much. You really like that one from Daiwa? It was one of my maybes.

wondering around with no destionation

Yep, I really like it (or I wouldn't have recommended it).

I've installed a lot of them on customer's boats, and used them in my own shack...where I have about 10 different types of SWR meters :-)

The CN-101L is about the best one out there for new meters. I only wish Daiwa would make a mounting kit for it...you sometimes have to get a bit creative, depending on how you plan to mount it!

Bill

[Wonderinlost]

::thumbs::

wondering around with no destionation

[El Rubio]

Originally Posted by Wonderinlost

Congrats on passing!! I am trying to study to get my tech license. Always wanted to be a active ham. I am just struggling on trying to absorb and study on my own. Always a challenge for me and reading.

Always had a scanner going and fiddling with what I can here especially when the first cordless phones were out hehehe. Always had a CB in my vehicle for the long trips and the skip was rolling.

wondering around with no destionation

You should contact a local amateur radio club and let them know you are trying to get licensed. Besides the help studying, being involved with a group can give you some motivation. There are a few websites that have free practice exams. Most will show you where you are weak and what to study. The group will keep you from giving up if you stumble. My club gets excited if non hams come to meetings or events. We often have non hams and let them get on the air under the supervision of club hams. It can be a good motivator. Good luck on the exams and don't give up.

[Wonderinlost]

Originally Posted by El Rubio

You should contact a local amateur radio club and let them know you are trying to get licensed. Besides the help studying, being involved with a group can give you some motivation. There are a few websites that have free practice exams. Most will show you where you are weak and what to study. The group will keep you from giving up if you stumble. My club gets excited if non hams come to meetings or events. We often have non hams and let them get on the air under the supervision of club hams. It can be a good motivator. Good luck on the exams and don't give up.

Ill put no blame on anyone but me for the following. Biggest problem I had was the rat race here got me all cought up. I just never had a set schedule with work even when I asked for one within a week itall got askewed. I rarely was able to do a thing let alont to try and plan a few hours away. I was hungry then and really had to catch up on a few things. Now I am in a better place and a more hopeful state of mind. This whole month a lot of changes have happened. I will persue my local ham club and ask about all way for assistance studying. I did take a tech test last year during the govt shutdown but well I did not pass. Thanks for the encouragement it goes a long way for me. :thumbs: I think im going to do just that today and shoot a message to the club up here.

wondering around with no destionation

[btrayfors]

In addition to the study materials on Amateur licences available from the ARRL, there are several excellent on-line tutorials. These are very inexpensive -- even free -- and allow you to study at your own pace. They have the REAL questions and answers, and you can take practice tests all you like. When your scores begin to climb above 70%, it's time to take the real tests.

Good luck....no excuse for not studying, since you can have the study materials close at hand anytime anywhere.

Bill

[Wonderinlost]

I did toss a few apps on my phone that have questions from the current pool do have a aarl tech book and read it a few times. Its I just dont absorb to much reading alone. Always had a problem even through school.

Thank you I do need luck with this one. Ill get it. Just little at a time. Im close sometimes I do well with online or the app and othertimes im falling flat on my face. Averging 60ish right now. Its something I alwas wanted and just like sailing I can see it happening.

wondering around with no destionation

[plebian99]

Why bother? Between a satphone. EPIRB and standard marine coastal communications your emergency needs are well and truly covered. If you have no interest in ham radio you wont be gaining much besides a simple welfare check by checking into a net that could be done with email or on the marine frequencies. Ham radio is well past its use by date on the average cruising vessel. The main argument for ham radio is cheap email and nothing else. Besides there is no law against using any frequency in an emergency even the ham bands. The ham exams are so easy these days you could probably fluke the test by not reading any of the study material its that easy. Its used to be something to be proud off, these days you will encounter hams who dont even know what positive or negative is. Play around with marine HF, if you convinced you need more you could sit for the exam when you know what you want. Many sailors just assume that they need a ham license for cruising solely based on what other say on the internet. Today the reality is different and you can safely cruise these days without even turning on a HF marine or Ham radio.

Originally Posted by Wonderinlost

I did toss a few apps on my phone that have questions from the current pool do have a aarl tech book and read it a few times. Its I just dont absorb to much reading alone. Always had a problem even through school.

Thank you I do need luck with this one. Ill get it. Just little at a time. Im close sometimes I do well with online or the app and othertimes im falling flat on my face. Averging 60ish right now. Its something I alwas wanted and just like sailing I can see it happening.

wondering around with no destionation

[Wonderinlost]

Originally Posted by plebian99

Why bother? Between a satphone. EPIRB and standard marine coastal communications your emergency needs are well and truly covered. If you have no interest in ham radio you wont be gaining much besides a simple welfare check by checking into a net that could be done with email or on the marine frequencies. Ham radio is well past its use by date on the average cruising vessel. The main argument for ham radio is cheap email and nothing else. Besides there is no law against using any frequency in an emergency even the ham bands. The ham exams are so easy these days you could probably fluke the test by not reading any of the study material its that easy. Its used to be something to be proud off, these days you will encounter hams who dont even know what positive or negative is. Play around with marine HF, if you convinced you need more you could sit for the exam when you know what you want. Many sailors just assume that they need a ham license for cruising solely based on what other say on the internet. Today the reality is different and you can safely cruise these days without even turning on a HF marine or Ham radio.

For me its a piece of mind and my independence. I know many who do have a ham and they are one of the best crowds to know. I just in the past decade or so my priories led me elsewhere and my time and funds went along with it.

1: Sat phones for general talking it costs money

2: EPIRBS I can not make contacts

3: For HF marine use I believe a license is still in order to be acquired (I am not to sure but I like to be certified just like in my current career. Lets me know I am a professional and did that extra step to learn some more.)

4: correct for emergency use can use any means possible but I am not looking for it to be a emergency.

5: different strokes for different folks

6: What happens if there is a attack or huge meteor taking out the Sat infrastructure? your sat phone will be not so good will it? In sailing we talk about redundancy, alternative ways, backups, or even spares. Ham is that for me.

7: Its fun to make a far contact or when I had my CB going and the skip opened up its pretty neat. (electronics get me all fuzzied up)

8: If its so easy do not read anything and go have at it. Try out the tech exam. The exam also brings aware so you do not interfere with other communications across the whole RF spectrum. Especially your sat phones and EPIRBS. That would be a cruel thing ehhhh? People just keying up any radio at any frequency and there you are pressing that darn button on the EPIRB needing help. Then somewhere else uneducated interfering with your EPIRB frequency that you can not attempt for requesting assistance. Kinda a reason why to have knowledge and proper certification on the equipment being operated with a license that identifies you the operator. If no license identified there are ways if they want to triangulate the rogue signal and eliminate it so the frequency is open again for what the band plan allows.

9: More then safety again just to make contacts and others I do know who do HF on land. Personally I remember in scouts way younger and seeing his whole setup I was in aww. At the same time not so in aww knowing I would not have the funds to even entertain the idea being so lost growing up.

In no way angered towards your response it just seems as being so against the hobby and what the Hams really do for the world. A backbone for emergency communication when all else fails. It is self sufficient and does not rely on a satellite or cell phone towers where you need to pay for airtime.

As said different strokes for different folks. Maybe I'm just to independent sometimes.

Ive never played around on the marine HF yet nor I do not even have myself a ham rig. I do have a few 11 meter rigs but no license needed on that. I just enjoy it.

Whos arguing to? : scraches head : This horse will just not drink from your pond that's all. I'm not saying you have to have be a ham. You seem to imply I should not peruse something I entertain. one of that is electronics and radio communication.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Wonderinlost

6: What happens if there is a attack or huge meteor taking out the Sat infrastructure? your sat phone will be not so good will it? In sailing we talk about redundancy, alternative ways, backups, or even spares. Ham is that for me.

I had a good chuckle at that one , nice one

Could I humbly suggest that in an attack of the size to destroy the sats comms infrastructure , will leave you with very little concern for that communications system, or any communications system. The issue will be avoiding the glass

Dave


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Wonderinlost]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I had a good chuckle at that one , nice one

Could I humbly suggest that in an attack of the size to destroy the sats comms infrastructure , will leave you with very little concern for that communications system, or any communications system. The issue will be avoiding the glass

Dave


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

: thumbs : Well put. Maybe them being attack the wrong way to precieve the system going down.... : )

wandering and wondering around with no destionation