AdmiralCochrane

There is another problem with using AI as a reference ... it has been known to lie.

I agree MD gun laws are stupid, but not sure if your description or understanding of gun laws in MD is accurate. Since you travel out of state often, the mag restriction basically is nothing to you. You may bring them in from other states, you just cannot buy them in MD. The MD AR barrel profile restriction only applies to .223 & 5.56, other calibers can legally have any profile; if that much of a barrel profile difference neuters an AR for you, I'm not sure how you are able to carry a rifle that shoots 6.5 Grendel

The article does have a lot of factual and practical information

My use of nanoVNA has always given results of SWR less than 1.5:1

Bob was one of my heros. RIP

I read your reply correctly on the first try

It's ham lower case. Amateur radio has more facets than most people can begin to imagine. My advice is to study for both Tech and General, it's not that much of a workload to bump up to General. #1 look for your local ham club, ask if you can go to a meeting and look at the club's equipment. Talk to members. #2 purchase a SDR radio and start listening before you buy any equipment.

6 year olds. Kids that can read above grade level can pass the test.

Deacdes ago I discovered by accident that my 11 meter equipment propagated best across my ground plane. Physical heights of the vehicle sections did not seem to affect the signal strength as much as placement relative to the ground plane. This was determined with a signal strength meter. In layman's terms, propagation in all directions was optimized when the antenna was centered on the vehicles. Propagation straight foreward was best when centered on the rear of the vehicles. When placed on a rear corner, the strongest signal was observed foreward to the opposite corner.

The tech test is so easy that not wanting it shows unwillingness to apply any effort. For the average American, it is probably no more difficult than your state's driver's license written exam.

Criticism accepted. The limitations of text communication, it is hard to convey emphasis and tone.

Depends on what the defintion of is is.

I always liked code like this famous open text telegraph message between generals in India during one of the colonial uprisings: "Peccavi in Deum", literally "I have committed and offense against God". The encrypted message was the siege of the city of Sindha was complete. Watching Cal Ripken Sr give encoded hand sign messages to base runners was always fun. He mixed the real message with jibberish. Sometimes the play-by-play commentators would know a coach's signals, but pre-arrainged changes could throw everyone off. I recall one humorous comment about Cal Sr's signing "It's in there somewhere, but I have no idea what it is"

There is no "if"; a taller antenna always helps. Antenna height means more than power output in almost all radio communication.

antenna polarization synchronization, or lack thereof, can decrease range

LOL Marc, the 1:1 should have been the clue.

She is OK if you need it read to you. I look it up for myself.

On a nice high angle pass I have no trouble hearing the ISS with a regular HT. I do compensate for doppler and I do try to keep antenna polarization in mind. I encourage everyone to give it a try.

I didn't think it was legal to "piggyback" other than family members.

I've been considering the same set up. What panel and charge controller are you using?

I think amateur mode puts it in ham mode, not full open mode to transmit on all bands. You have to go out to one of several less locked modes to get the 578 to do ham and GMRS. For some reason, 14 seems to come to mind as the most open setting number.

If you need to ask, you should not be doing it.

This page was better: https://palomar-engineers.com/antenna-products/1-1-balun-kits/how-many-chokes-do-i-need When I was running a J-Pole it was on a PVC mast and the coax never passed by any significant metal to couple with. I agree if you can't avoid a metal mast or aluminum siding, chokes will be necessary. My current 1.25m J-Pole is on a PVC stand-off away from the metal mast with looped coax for common mode suppression, it's tuned for my local repeaters and the SWR is bottomed out, basically 1.11. Or make one from junk they have laying around. It's the appliance buyer mentality. Fong is like Midland, best of marketing.

Why does a J-Pole need ferrites? And why more than one?

I just had a thought about the VFD's I see at work ... they are always completely shielded, they are not standing alone on rooftop equipment the way they are in mechanical rooms. In fact, some Carrier brand equipment has some of the electricals inside 3 layers of RF shielding. Really annoying to take the panels off for testing. Either something inside is very noisey or very prone to receiving noise. Manufactures don't put in an extra screw, much less an additional stamped panel if they don't have to. Now you guys have me wanting to take an SDR receiver into a mechanical room with stand alone VFD's