kidphc

Just buy a decent power supply for a base station. Probably won't be your last base station radio and you can never have too much excess available amperage. But not having enough is common. Just buy a used switching ham one (ashtron are cheap used) or just wire it to a old car battery you can charge back up (venting needs to be resolved with this method, you don't want hydrogen gas buildup in your shack). For the car simplest is just to wire it to the battery with some type of quick disconnect around the radio. Think deans or power poles. Then you can disconnect everything and take it inside. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Even worse in spring and fall. When you get tropo, you can get inter mod with repeaters a couple hundred miles away. There is a reason why they want to have a discussion. Might as well, they haven't said no at least.

Really, haven't found one that doesn't rust. Even my Nagoya Ut82,is rusting up and fading after 1.5 years. That with how badly pinched the coax gets over time, is why I don't recommend it. Well except for family caravans, where family may actually use the license. Then I am throwing up 3-4 on different cars connected to hand helds and hand mics.

Not sure of the connector type or antenna that comes with it. If it is a standard pl259 style connector. You could always go with a better mag mount and antenna or drill a hole for NMO mount. Personally, with what I have experienced I would look into a nice 5/8th antenna where any coils are going to above roof racks or other obstructions. You will get a much better ground plane with a properly installed drill type nmo. Which can lead to better reception and transmit range and quality of signal. 90% of this type of mount is getting over the worries of the install Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

It is a steal at the price. Considering how much a basic one cost at Home Depot. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Should meet code, check local laws though. You should probably use #6 going from the utility box to the grounding rod as well. Might as well remember static etc is going to want to follow the least path of resistance. #6 isn't even really that expensive. Personally, I will be grounding my radio equipment to a buss bar (using copper braid, inside), using #6 that goes to a MFJ pass through to an outside DX Enginnering NEMEA enclosure, which will all be tied back to the main electrical rod. Which for me is conveniently located a few feet away. DX Enginnering NEMEA Enclosure MFJ Pass through

Colinear design. Generally, if you cut it messes it up a bit. Colinear antennasn which are basically stacked dipoles. It also has a loaded coil in the base. They usually come tuned from the factory. Generally, don't tune that design. Which end did you clip? Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

That is the truth. Shockingly enough it is a bit cheaper to get ham gear at times also. Most people use the test an excuse. Really, with a bit of studying it is more of a formality. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Ok that sounds like you tones are set properly. Usually referred to a repeater tail, if there was a delay when you released the ptt. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

I found for me, it was a bit of my equipment. The better antennas I got the more chatter I started hearing. Then it became a lot about the luck of the draw. What I mean is sometimes things lit up like a Christmas trees other times it was dead as a door knob. I mean almost a month before I heard anything on a particular repeater, then it was nonstop for hours. Continue calling out and monitoring. You will hopefully get someone out there. Also, when you say automated response are you talking about repeater ids? Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Wow must be some real pieces of works! They trigered a PTSD event in Jones. Takes some deep breaths you will be ok, they are only memories. lol

The decoders are spotty. With a little time you can get cw. Even then a qrp kit with a wire antenna thrown in the trees in the backyard with a cup of coffe and then you are off for a lot less then a full blown HF base station. Just understand the limitations of your choosen setup and have fun not getting fustrated. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

NO HOA... You are lucky. No one said you had to start HF with a 50 foot tower and complete array with rotator and amplifiers. A good dipole, fan dipole will work up in the trees If you are a hobby technician/electrical guy. Then shocking enough you have the skills and 1/2 the tools to home brew everything from antennas to radios. You might want to check out DIY antennas, and DIY QRP HF radio kits (not the best choice for todays conditions). The ground, you can drive an 8 foot ground and tie it into your house electrical ground. Pretty sure your house has main ground for the sub panel or the water main. You tie into those. On the second floor you have to be-careful because your ground line to the outside can become an antenna. There are artifical ground kits, to tune out the ground acting like an antenna, not to create a ground. If you knew CW... there is the key chain CW kit ($44 on Etsy) with a long wire, a 9 volt and a HF receiver you could be tapping CW for less then a $100. Either case have fun, shake your notions of what can and can't be done and get experimenting.

Congrats, wish I had done the same. Have fun. for me the learning never stops with this hobby. I never thought I'd have to become a pseudo electrician (all the electrical knowledge) pseudo astrophysicst (sunspots you know)pseudo mathematician (ideal angle for the sloper is, know how do I calculate they hypotenuse again?)pseudo audiologist ( omg was that dit-dah or dah-dit need to check why I can't hear it)pseudo botanist (now honey we can't plant that tree, it won't grow fast enough to give me the height I need for the dipole, or the venerable I think this antenna needs this leaf, so it looks more like a potted plant)pseudo camo expert (paint it this shade, it hides with the sky better).

Conversely, my local RC shop, went their for helis will do them for a nominal fee. It also introduces you into another very expensive hobby The peak rating for the power poles is the reason I went for them. My HV heli will generate in the order of 5000 watts [cant remeber exact numbers] of power at peak ( milliseconds) and about 80 amps. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Yes crimp it on. I would recommend authentic tools and same with the poles. Knock offs don't work well, have a bag full of cheap Chinese ones to prove it. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Aww ok.. I been having problems with focusing lately. I guess I must have had some more micro strokes. :/

Another style and a pic of the breakout/buss bar/distribution bar Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Round pieces? The terminals on the power supply? I took some 12 away wire and tinned them and inserted mine in. They had a screw to hold the leads in on my supply. From that wire I put power poles on and connected it to a power pole break out box. Then put power poles on my radio and connected to the breakout box. The breakout box has fuses for each of the connections. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

For me power poles when ever I can. Generally, red 22-16awg wires, blue 16-14and yellow 12-10 awg. I imagine it is going to be 12-10 for most radios which has an eyelet of #10

*** UPDATE There was some concern about the fact that the NMO2/70B might have been a fake. The order was validated with Gigaparts as an original. Not sure if there are differences (material etc) from the original Larsen and the post merger PulseLarsen antennas. They say nothing has been changed. They did say not to tune the antenna due to the design. If I tune for 460 it will bring the 2m band out of tune. Due to the fact that the 460mHz band is about 10 mHz out of design band. The SWR looks about right, the more you get out of tune the faster and higher the VSWR climbs. if you are looking for something closer you may want to try something that has a wider range on 70CM or tuned up to 460 mHz. This is a reactance and SWR chart from some one who tested the antenna only on 2m. The SWR looks about the same https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/larsen-nmo-2-70-swr-reactance-chart-plus-a-tuning-question.562729/

True. that did a calculation, with all the pl259 connectors, and lightning arrestor and it came out to a little less then a dB. Sadly, still came out almost to a 4dB loss (estimated) with a 100ft run of LMR400.

Yeah figured it was something like that with you seaming to be heavy into public service. Just found out that the MARS anntennas are protected by the DOJ. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Don't forget. Connectors. Boy do the losses add up with those.

Big negative to IRLP/digital over the internet is that if you have an infrastructure failure you may lose the whole system or at least large parts of it. Sooooo. Marc you MARS certified?