Davichko5650

To wrap up their semester of activities, the Campus Amateur Radio Club at Iowa State University (W0ISU) will be launching an experimental amateur radio payload on a high altitude balloon in conjunction with the HABET M2I engineering group this Saturday, December 7th, 2024. The payload will consist of an FM voice crossband repeater controller coupled to a set of VHF/UHF handheld radios using a BNC whip antenna, The payload is estimated to be in the air around 8:30 CST (14:30 UTC), but could be delayed at most two hours due to weather conditions. EXPERIMENTAL REPEATER INFORMATION: Uplink TX Frequency: 446.375 (no tone) Downlink TX Frequency: 146.480 (no tone) CARC will operate the payload in a CQ style fashion so that new members can make as many contacts as possible across the Midwest. Please be courteous when responding to their calls. Courtesy of my Friend Matt, K0LWC at Minnesotahamradio.com for this report.

Solid copy! Back in the day, I might have been able to do the gmrs thing in our 501 (c) (3) organization as it was me and my father only. But didn't do gmrs back in the early 2000's.

Deja Vu ?????

What I was gonna say in answer to my "Yes, but..." comment. But you got in here first on that! Yes, but needs to be done within the regulations there in 47 CFR 95 et. seq. I'm thinking the "Marco - Polo" version would be the best. They could do 2 for one if the M & P stations traded off being the fox.

Sounds fun. Up here in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, during Spring-Fall (and one event in Winter out on a frozen lake) we do a thing called "Hams in the Park." A non-POTA, organized unorganized event (not club sanctioned so avoids needing permits, etc.) where we set up portable and mobile stations and have the occasional 2m foxhunt. Talk-in is always on 2m and GMRS Channel 20. One of the regulars has a great Info Table he sets up with Amateur, GMRS, MURS and more info and he always gets a a small crowd there. A real low-key, loose event where we'll have 5-10 operations going, mostly HF, and a lot of Coffee and "Eyeball QSO's" going on.

And we were just discussing GMRS Foxhunts in the Misc Section! We'll send in the LEFT BANK!

Yes, but...

It's been a fun read between actually having to work!

Just the mental picture of a guy at a picnic table in a park surrounded by other guys with UHF Yagi's and step attenuators. People might think it's a POTA convention, or game wardens tracking the wolf population....

This would work I'll bring this:

So using the repeater as Fox would work, people be DF'ing the hunters on the output, the squelch tails or the CW or Voice ID's.

Nor I. The repeater could be the fox. Or one of the users, with the hunters DF'ing the input. Again relies on the Fox not using automatic control. And if a family group under one licensee's call, the repeater would not need to ID itself. Still, not my bag, but does seem feasible.

Only the Fox themselves would need to be licensed as the hunters would not be transmitting. Many of the Radio Orienteering participants are non-licensed people. The Fox would need to manually transmit the calls, be sure they wear that camo to hide as they'll be much larger than the normal "ammo Can" style Fox. But again, I don't see what one way transmission they could emit in concordance with the regs. Hardly a brief test transmission. Again, no real dog in this fight as I don't fox hunt anymore since the taxpayers stopped paying me to do so. Same as with running...

There is also this: 95.347 Operation of Personal Radio Services stations under automatic control is prohibited, unless otherwise allowed for a particular Personal Radio Service by rules in the subpart governing that specific service. The Fox would be automatically periodically transmitting its traffic, normally a CWID Callsign or other brief message. Unless the operator was actually there keying the transmitter, they'd be running afoul of this regulation. No doubt massive fines will ensue (sacasm mode engaged)

This. Now in the amateur bands, the fox would be operating as a beacon subject to 97.203 (g). Used to "foxhunt" as a professional, never felt the desire to do it for free LOL.

My wife actually enjoys using the MP31 vs any of the other GMRS HT's I've given her to use about the spread. No screens or buttons to worry about, just grab and go. The Queen's recommendation was what got me to buy them. 22 bucks delivered and for sure gives us enough Fars to reach anywhere on our larger city lot. Haven't tried them up north as yet, but as the cabin is on a hill overlooking the lake, should have good LOS anywhere the pontoon can get to!.

Others I see are recommending various apps, a good way to start the learning curve for CW. In additon, YouTube has scads of videos on the subject. AS you're working on it, a good suggestion is to listen, if possible, to the W1AW bulletins they send in CW, with increasing word per minute speeds, the frequency and times are listed on their website arrl.org. I learned it many a year ago in the Army starting with A, but the "di-dah is Alfa Sir!" method is a bit dated. Listening for it on the HF bands, try as you're learning to pick out what stations are sending. Contests especially, can be good, but operators are usually sending at pretty hi rates. But picking out callsigns and words being sent like "Test" will tune your ears to the music that is CW... Good luck, don't hesitate to ask more and report back with what you've found works for you.

Jump down to the Amateur Radio section here on the Forum and throw out the questions. For the most part, you'll get good answers!

Made for some good reading over a break at work, so had some redeeming qualities!

This. As defined in 95.303 Maybe the dead horse flogging will now cease?

Swing thru the East Side of St Paul, almost always someone to chat with on Ch. 18 Simplex.

That's my plan once I figure out which antenna to throw up for gmrs at the house. Mag mounted to the window a/c is a big compromise.

Most likely. Got mine from Gigaparts or Amazon, forget which. But well made and easy to pull down for inspections and maint on the Comet. I'm a dyed in the wool vertical guy for HF, enjoy working with limitations and compromises, LOL.

ChannelMaster Collapsible mast! Again, not cheap, but stainless steel, designed for antennae mounting. I have my Comet CHA250B up 33' and it has withstood 74 mph winds unguyed. Absolutrly worth the $165.

Provided the repeater on the other end is transmitting on a band you're licensed for, generally no. I mostly use it for talking to friends in TN on their 2m system via EL as well as checking in on their Tues night net. Also keep up with a buddy in FL on his EL linked 2m machine. For DX contacts I don't do on HF, I use a DMR HT to local 70cm Machine to get on WW English talk group. Most my dx is done on HF though. For Technicians btw, 10 meters has been very good of late, if you have the equipment to operate there, Europe and Asia have been out there to snag a chat or a quick QSO with. I use EchoLink when I need it as noted above, as I do with DMR, but I moreso love contacting people radio to radio. Since my youth, radio has always seemed magical in that regard. 73 N0TXW/WRJG283