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As I said earlier, my first activation was a total failure, right? So I made some adjustments, figured out the correct height for the antenna, sorted out the radials. And went back to the park this afternoon to do a test run before attempting another activation. As it turns out, I found another guy doing an activation in Nevada. I thought, I'm sure this thing still doesn't get out and I'm further positive that I'll still need to tweak but might as well try, right? BOOM! He heard me 5x5 and we had a little talk. So my first HF contact was a Park to Park QSO. I dropped the mic when he came back to me. Later during the session I heard a station in Japan, the Netherlands, Brasil, and Germany. All on Technician class 10m. Headed out later this week to officially try again to activate but man did it feel good to know it was working!

Tune to that channel (28). Press the menu button and go to menu item 11, which is "Tx DCS", which is probably set to "Off". Press the menu button again to highlight "Off", then press the up button until you see "D043N". Press the menu button again to select that code (the highlight will go away). After about 10 seconds the menu mode will time out and you will see the normal screen. You are good to go. If you are close to the repeater hit the Tx button, the red light will come on. If you are connecting properly the repeater will acknowledge with the light turning green, and you may hear some static or a morse code. You don't need to set the Rx code, but if you want to you can use the same method described above. Hope this helps. And welcome!

I managed to actually get a couple QSO's today even with my bad SWR. First one was in Missouri on 28.400MHz/USB and the 2nd was in B.C. Canada on 28.345MHz/USB. This HF stuff really is awesome. To make contacts that far away Simplex with my kind of crappy little dipole antenna(antenna tuner incoming tomorrow to sort out SWR) is really amazing to me. This is way more fun than 2M/70cm IMHO. Anyway, just wanted to share the good news. 73

When I was using All-Band/All-Mode mobiles in my vehicle, I used a diplexer and a single screwdriver antenna. It was the most simple solution. These days, my mobile has dedicated radios for GMRS, Amateur VHF/UHF and HF, with 4 antennas (one on each corner). This is because im running amplifiers and don't want to share transmission lines with high power options.

If you have a background in electronics, I'm sure it will be easier for you. The Tech test was easy. This General test? Hoo boy... For example, this what the questions sound like to me: "What is the dingley dangley of a forward mounted reticulated whizz banger if current of eleventy billion milliamperes pass over a resistance modulated capacitor rated for your mom's ohms?" Might as well be Greek to me. And I read Greek.

POTA can definitely be fun. 10m is good while we are at the peak of the solar cycle. Once we hit bottom then 10m will be pretty much dead for long distance contacts. This is where having your general or extra comes into play as you can use all of the HF bands. The only other option for technicians is to learn CW. Techs do have CW privileges on 15m, 40m, and 80m I really enjoy getting far contacts with my G90 and will start using my X6200 QRP rig once spring arrives.

I would still try to adjust the antenna to get the SWR lower. Don't rely so much on a tuner.

Oh, I know. I'm very aware. Like I said, I was just back at the park, testing gear before committing.

If you could get your dipole up higher and hang it as an inverted v then it would be more omni directional for you. And you don't have to go very high for a 10m dipole. Mine is only 22 feet above the ground at the center. I know you have to work with what you have. But look into some type of sturdy mast to get it up in the air. Then you would need to tie the ends to points keeping the angle between 90-120 degrees for the V.

Yes, I admit it!! Come to the dark side!!

Correct, a tuner does NOT actually tune the antenna, It changes the capacitance and inductance so that the radio sees 50 Ohms or close to it. We can use the G90 and your basic telescoping whip 1/4 wave antenna. Say you have the antenna tuned for the 20m band then switch to the 15m band but you do not adjust/tune the antenna for the 15m band. The SWR will be higher on 15 meters which means you have to use the G90's tuner. Yes the G90 will tune the antenna for the 15m band even if it is setup for 20 meters. But you will have a loss of power and a lower effective radiating power ERP if when the radio is showing a good SWR after tuning versus if you took the time to adjust/tune the whip for 15 meters. A tuned/resonant antenna will always be more efficient and have a higher ERP versus having to use the ATU. And the higher the SWR actually is, the lower the ERP gets. Hopefully this makes sense.

My OCD would totally hate that. A nice, fresh piece of wire is the only way to go.

Wire.

What do you have to lose? Of course the SWR meter is easier to use. It only tells you about the frequency you’re using. The NanoVNA tells you about an entire range of frequencies. I agree that the NanoVNA is harder to use, especially if you try to navigate its screen based menus. Instead, learn to use a software program called “NanoVNA Saver”. It makes using the uVNA much easier and more intuitive.

Even with the couple hours I spent on 10M SSB I can see how HF can totally spoil you with the range you can get from Simplex. I was picking up folks from Canada, Japan, Michigan, Texas and if my antenna would have been tuned better I'd have had a contact in Maryland. I just wasn't making it out well enough for him to hear me even though I had him in at 5/6-7 without issue. I just wish the FCC would open up more of the HF Bands for Technicians than just 28.3-28.5MHz SSB. If we could have all of the 28MHz Band that'd still leave 29MHz for the General and Extra guys. Also a little 12M would be nice too since I can mod my radio to do 12M. For now though I'm just going to get my antenna sorted out and have some fun.

OK, well, if anyone is interested... It made absolutely no difference for me.

I'm an admitted neophyte but, wouldn't the gutters be higher? Or even the roof line? Seems you could attach or lay it out that way. As others have said, tune the antenna. 3:1 on a wire antenna seems really high. I hear guys constantly saying that they are 1.1-1.3 tops.

It is. He wasn't making a distinction between the radios as much as he was the weather.

It's too cold right now to be outside. And I have yet to figure out the RF noise in my F150. It's coming from the engine as I hear a constant ticking on HF radios even without an antenna connected. Plus Mother Nature is off her meds again. Yesterday's high was 73 and the low this morning was 12.

Some more options for 6m through 20m: a cobweb antenna -omni directional and a hex beam antenna - directional. The downside to a hex beam is you will need a rotator (added expense) An EFHW antenna when built right will give you multiple bands without a tuner and will be under 3:1 for the bands that are not resonant. Plus an EFHW antenna can be pretty stealthy and easier to hide from an HOA. Another option for both portable and permanent is a multi band vertical 1/4 wave antenna such as the DX Commander antennas. Then there are different multi band yagi/beam antennas out there. But they definitely need a rotator. If you have room for a 40m or 80m dipole then you can always build it as an off center fed dipole with a 4:1 balun to get multiple bands.

This!!!

I'm in an HOA so no 22 feet for me. Across the porch is about the best I can do for now. I did get the 14 gauge wire in and cut it for the 1:1 balun and got my SWR down to 3:1 according to the meter on the radio. The tuner should bring it in the rest of the way.

Technically I haven't activated anything. I just went back to the park that I plan to activate to see if I could get out. so I should have one Hunter credit.

Talk to the installers and also double check the specifications on all components.

Made another QSO to Vancouver B.C.. The way my antenna is oriented stretched East to West my propagation is going to be mostly North and South so it makes sense that I'm getting a lot of Canadian Contacts. If I could change it to North to South then I'd give me more East to West Contacts but since my porch is the way it is and my antenna is attached to the porch it's East to West for now. It's also only about 8 feet off the ground, if I could get it higher I'm sure I'd get a better signal out of it but again, that's as high as the porch is so I have to go with what I've got.

I would not run more than 30 or 40 watts on FT8 with any of those tuners. Double check each tuner's specs to see how much power they will actually handle on CW and digital modes. I double checked the AT-100 Pro II will handle up to 75 watts on FT8.Running FT8 at 100 watts can burn the tuner out. That is correct with most internal tuners such as the Icom IC-7300, Yaesu FTDX10 and FTD710. They will only tune up to 3:1. Most external tuners such as the LDG will tune up to 10:1 The Xiegu radios and amplifier will tune up to 10:1 The LDG AT-100 Pro II that he has will tune up to 10:1. The issue is if he was running a full 100 watts on FT8 which the tuner will not handle (for very long)

The Technician Test wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be. With my Electronics Tech background the electrical part was easy. I just had to study for all the Rules/Regs and general questions about HAM. I guess I need to go on HamStudy.org and see what the questions look like for the General Test.

This is a conspiracy. You guys are trying to get me motivated to take a test, aren't you? I can tell. Admit it.

I'm really lovin' this HF stuff. I might even try for my General sometime in the future but for now I'm just going to have some fun with 10M SSB 28.3-28.5MHz.

If your AT-100M Pro and Xiegu XPA125B both tune the same antenna but the LDG AT-100 won't tune the antenna, then I would say that there is something wrong with the LDG tuner. I have a LDG AT-1000 Pro II and it will tune every antenna that my Xiegu G90, X6200, and XPA125B will tune. Though the Xiegu tuners do a better job. I have to ask, Are you strictly running SSB at 100 watts with the 7300? The 100 watt tuners will not handle a full 100 watts on CW or digital modes and you will burn them out. I have seen quite a few people ruin 100 watt and even 200 watt tuners when running CW or digital modes like FT8 at 100 watts.

I came across this YT video which does a great job explaining and sourcing the adapter options:

FWIW: there is something wrong with my 80-6 meter rooftop vertical on 80 & 40 meters and my LDG AT-100 II Pro will not tune it for my Icom 7300. I have to take my rooftop antennas down in the new year for a new roof and will diagnose them then. However my chinese AT-100M Pro will tune my newly acquired Icom 705 on 80 meters and the tuner in my newly acquired Xiegu XPA125B will tune both! I hear myself clearly on these bands on two separate WebSDRs, depending upon band conditions, and am again making QSOs on these bands at night!

So anything that says DPL is not actually a tone, but a digital code. It won’t be found under CTCSS but it might be called DCS, DTCSS, or DPL in a different menu. Welcome to the forum!

If it’s really in the center it’s possible that it’s a 1:1 balun. You can get away without it but having a balun there can help with filtering. Or perhaps it’s an Off Center Fed Dipole.

Right, an end fed half wave antenna connects the feedline through a 49:1 unun (unbalanced to unbalanced impedance transformer) to one end of a piece of wire that’s approximately half of the longest wavelength you expect to use. So for a 40 meter EFHW the wire is about 20 meters long or 66 feet (adjusted for velocity factor). An EFHW works well on the wavelengths that are divisible by 2 from the overall length. There are people who say that’s still a dipole, but to me it isn’t in the classic sense. A dipole is the simplest form of a balanced antenna, fed in the center, no transformer (or sometimes a 1:1 balun) needed, just two radiators each about a quarter wavelength. In early ham radio days (and still sometimes) people would use ladder line to feed it, which was a very simple design. One leg of the ladder line connected to one pole of the dipole and the other leg to the other pole. Ladder line has extremely low loss compared to coax but it’s not as good in other ways.

I've said this somewhere else but I have been absolutely gobsmacked with HF. Sitting in a park with my little Harbor Freight knock off Pelican case and listening to someone who is roughly 3,000 miles away from me, with no repeater or internet tom foolery? It's really pretty amazing. This what I got into Amateur Radio to do.

Most antennas are not tuned to the “proper” frequency. Resonance truly only exists at a single frequency. And that’s not always the point of lowest SWR. Low SWR is important in order to have maximum RF current flowing into the antenna side. Having resonance happen at the correct frequency is nice but not always easy to achieve. You’re not going to retune (lengthen or shorten) your antenna each time you change frequency, right? Yes, the coil (and capacitors) on an antenna are sometimes there to adjust the impedance, especially when mounted at the base. Other times they’re there partway along the radiator elements to act as traps to block RF from passing into the extended part of the radiator.

I have an IC-7000. Thing is a rock star. I love 2m and 440 SSB, but it's usually only active during contests.

But I will also say that if I were only working a single band and I had a dipole antenna, I wouldn’t spend my money on a “tuner” (I really should call it a matching network). A dipole, tuned to the center of the 10 meter band, should have low enough SWR to be usable across most, if not all of the band.

A sophisticated tuner will look at the resistance and the reactance (inductance and capacitance are opposing sources of reactance) of the antenna at a particular frequency and calculate how much inductance or capacitance is needed to get to 50 ohms. Then they switch on or off relays to include capacitors or inductors to achieve the desired reactance. Most of the better “tuners” will store the settings for each frequency so they can return immediately when the radio tries transmitting on that frequency again. The ATU-100 is not at all sophisticated, but it still works. I built one from a bag of parts and darned if it doesn’t seem to work just fine. But it does it in a very unsophisticated, brute force, way. It appears that it just works through different permutations of caps and coils until it finds a combination that works. But for a small tuner that sits right on top of my ftdx10 and works well, it’s just fine. Think of it as an impedance transformer. On one side it matches the radio’s 50 ohms output. On the other side it matches the impedance of the feedline/antenna combination.

Hello Everyone! WSKM889, David from Watertown, Lebanon area. Thanks for the add. Hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving! Just received my GMRS licenses. Look forward to learning more about GMRS.

Hello all! So here I am, lost as usual LOL Thanks for letting me butt into your club. Hopefully you’ll let me hang out and teach me right from wrong, help keep me out of trouble and help me figure out my place in the GMRS world. Here’s my situation. I’ve been operating 2 way radios for over 50 years. Started with 2 paper cups and a string, then advanced to 2 tin cans (much better than paper cups, especially when it rained ) then CB as a kid, later got into aviation where I use VHF and HF. Later in life, camping with the family I used FRS radios to keep up with the kids roaming the campground and surrounding hiking trails. Also enjoyed the ability to receive NOAA broadcasts. We sometimes camp in areas with very little to no cell or WiFi so this was a good way to keep an eye on the weather. Skipping to today, I get this great idea (so it seemed) to buy a couple of GMRS radios. Great idea to me as they have a little more power and the ability to possibly hit a repeater to extend coverage looks like a good deal. Now I have 2 Retevis Ailunce HA1G pretty green GMRS radios. Easy .. just get a GMRS license, order, receive them and pull them out of the box and off you go …. straight off the cliff! LOL As Robin said to Batman .. holy crap Batman .. or something like that. Frequencies, tones, codes, STDs () bla bla bla. So I’ve read the manual that came with the radios. I’ve watched several YouTube videos explaining things. Hard to learn something when they are using terminology without any definition. And I can’t find a specific video about my radios. So before I do something stupid or screw something up, I’m asking for help. Yes, even though I’m a guy, I did stop and ask for directions when I was lost before smart phones with GPS and nav came out. I’m not too proud to do that and I know when to admit when I’m stupid. I feel pretty stupid right now concerning GMRS. So if someone has a little free time and a little patience, I’d love to learn. And quite frankly, I’m also excited about expanding the use of my radios beyond talking to the fam and listening to the weather. The groups I’m hearing about and apparent camaraderie among GMRS’ers sounds like it could be a fun hobby. You can find my name and location through my license. I’ll be glad to provide my email address and phone number to anyone willing to devote a little time to a newbie. My preference would be to meet in person so I can get hands on knowledge. The bar tab will certainly be on me!! Otherwise, you’ll have to provide crayons and coloring book explanations to me. I’m not that tech savvy even though I fly multi million dollar planes. Scary huh? Thanks to you all for bearing through my diatribe. Sorry to those that have fallen asleep. Dwayne .. WSKG222 Oh … and in case you are wondering about “BubblesUp”. It’s a reference to a Jimmy Buffett song. Fins Up!

You are Dr Evil

FarsoMeter 2000 - measures in both imperial and metric and it is so accurate and precise that you need a license just to use it.. It is coveted by H.A.M. radio operators around the world.