10M is really quite today, 2/9/26.

[Northcutt114]

Just now, WRYS709 said:

I think my Late Shift Activations on 80 and 40 attract attention and response when they see "CQ POTA" on FT8 at that hour.

Man...there were a few FT8's listed last night and I was desperately trying to figure out how to contact them. I felt so bad. 

I was like "I see you, man. And I hear you. But I can't figure out this blinker blanking software!" I felt very old and all thumbs.

[SteveShannon]

1 minute ago, Northcutt114 said:

Man...there were a few FT8's listed last night and I was desperately trying to figure out how to contact them. I felt so bad. 

I was like "I see you, man. And I hear you. But I can't figure out this blinker blanking software!" I felt very old and all thumbs.

I assume you’re using wsjt-x?

[WRYS709]

6 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

Man...there were a few FT8's listed last night and I was desperately trying to figure out how to contact them. I felt so bad. 

I was like "I see you, man. And I hear you. But I can't figure out this blinker blanking software!" I felt very old and all thumbs.

YouTube is your friend here. 

I can’t remember which one got my 7300 up and running on WSJT-X two years ago. 

Not realizing that WSJT-X can run on a Mac, I set it all up in Windows 10. 

[WRYZ926]

Yes the 7300 MkII is nice but for me it is not worth upgrading from the 7300 at this time. I'm not worried about connecting an external monitor to my radio and I don't need the ethernet connection since I do not run remote.

While the G90 is a great little 20 watt radio, it will never compete with a 100 watt radio from Icom or Yaesu. I mostly use the 7300 at home. But I do use the G90 and X6200 at home when I get bored.

[Northcutt114]

18 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

I assume you’re using wsjt-x?

I am. I just need to watch some videos. Like I said, K8MRD has a great, 30 minute video out there about how to use it. Back then I was adamant about not wanting to use FT8. But ever since I traded into this radio bundle and I found a Signalink in the bottom of the box, I've been tinkering with the idea.

I saw the waterfall and I could see the stations on the left and right coiumn. and I could even double click on the stations in the left and it would TX from the radio, but nobody ever came back to me. And I couldn't find any of the people on the POTA sight actually in the display on WSJT-X. 

The fam is out of the house tonight. The agenda is to eat dinner in front of the video and make some FT8 contacts afterwards. I'm sure I'll have it sorted.

 

[Northcutt114]

2 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

Yes the 7300 MkII is nice but for me it is not worth upgrading from the 7300 at this time. I'm not worried about connecting an external monitor to my radio and I don't need the ethernet connection since I do not run remote.

Yeah. I watched a couple of videos about the supposed "upgrades" and, like you said, for me, there's just no "there" there. I'm not hooking a monitor up to my radio, either and I'm not trying to hook it up to the internet so I can play radio from my tablet on the couch in another room.

 

2 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

While the G90 is a great little 20 watt radio, it will never compete with a 100 watt radio from Icom or Yaesu. I mostly use the 7300 at home. But I do use the G90 and X6200 at home when I get bored.

I will always love and keep my G90. Especially after all I went through to get it up and running.

But that Yaseu FT-897 sitting on the kitchen table, that I am going to Harbor Freight tonight to get an Apache Case for? Ooooo boy, I can't wait to take it out and POTA at 100w. 

[SteveShannon]

2 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

I am. I just need to watch some videos. Like I said, K8MRD has a great, 30 minute video out there about how to use it. Back then I was adamant about not wanting to use FT8. But ever since I traded into this radio bundle and I found a Signalink in the bottom of the box, I've been tinkering with the idea.

I saw the waterfall and I could see the stations on the left and right coiumn. and I could even double click on the stations in the left and it would TX from the radio, but nobody ever came back to me. And I couldn't find any of the people on the POTA sight actually in the display on WSJT-X. 

The fam is out of the house tonight. The agenda is to eat dinner in front of the video and make some FT8 contacts afterwards. I'm sure I'll have it sorted.

 

The thing that has bitten me a couple times is making sure the radio is getting its TX audio from the rear port instead of the microphone.  Of course that’s with my Yaesu, but it’s the kind of thing that could cause problems on any radio.  

[SteveShannon]

8 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

Yes the 7300 MkII is nice but for me it is not worth upgrading from the 7300 at this time. I'm not worried about connecting an external monitor to my radio and I don't need the ethernet connection since I do not run remote.

While the G90 is a great little 20 watt radio, it will never compete with a 100 watt radio from Icom or Yaesu. I mostly use the 7300 at home. But I do use the G90 and X6200 at home when I get bored.

What’s really nice about the new Mk2 is the sale price of the original 7300!
 

[WRYZ926]

2 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

What’s really nice about the new Mk2 is the sale price of the original 7300!
 

Dang it, I ran out of reactions for the day 

Yes you are correct that it's nice to see the lower price on the 7300. I bet that only lasts until stock runs out. I don't see Icom producing both version for long.

[Northcutt114]

3 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

What’s really nice about the new Mk2 is the sale price of the original 7300!

I consider myself very blessed to have been able to acquire one. I absolutely do not have $1000 laying around to blow on a radio. But, from a much younger, childless me, I did purchase many, many things that I have traded for many other things. This guy just so happened to have boxes of ham radio gear in his garage. I asked multiple times if he was happy with the trade and he said yes. But I got well over $3,000 MSRP worth of gear for something that I might have had $1200 in.

 

[Northcutt114]

12 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

The thing that has bitten me a couple times is making sure the radio is getting its TX audio from the rear port instead of the microphone.  Of course that’s with my Yaesu, but it’s the kind of thing that could cause problems on any radio.  

I haven't actually tried with the 7300 yet. I was running the Signalink with the FT897, so I was using a Yaesu. I wasn't able to get CAT control to work (figured out this morning that I had it plugged into the wrong port in the back) but did get it to work via the VOX option.

[TNFrank]

I was getting into Japan yesterday at a 5/5-5/6 with my little 80w QT80 and my inverted V dipole tuned to a 1.3-1.4:1 SWR. 10M to the west of me was really open.  

1 week until I take my General. I can hardly wait to get on 20M and 40M.  

[Northcutt114]

2 minutes ago, TNFrank said:

I was getting into Japan yesterday at a 5/5-5/6 with my little 80w QT80 and my inverted V dipole tuned to a 1.3-1.4:1 SWR. 10M to the west of me was really open.

I doesn't hurt that you're one hop from the Pacific in that direction. I tried listening for Japan stations last night and heard nothing. I suspect I never will living here. Eastern Europe's probably as far as I'll be able to go.

2 minutes ago, TNFrank said:

1 week until I take my General. I can hardly wait to get on 20M and 40M.  

Best of luck to you!

 

[WRYS709]

26 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

I haven't actually tried with the 7300 yet. I was running the Signalink with the FT897, so I was using a Yaesu. I wasn't able to get CAT control to work (figured out this morning that I had it plugged into the wrong port in the back) but did get it to work via the VOX option.

Remember: the Signalink requires you to set internal Jumpers when you change radios; and of course use the proper cable. They now make Jumper Boards which makes the process easier and faster and more reliable  

I just purchased 2 sets of each. 

[Davichko5650]

29 minutes ago, TNFrank said:

I was getting into Japan yesterday at a 5/5-5/6 with my little 80w QT80 and my inverted V dipole tuned to a 1.3-1.4:1 SWR. 10M to the west of me was really open.  

1 week until I take my General. I can hardly wait to get on 20M and 40M.  

Good luck, hope to see you signing /AG soon!

 

You'll have privileges on all the HF bands, so following the sun will be more fun!  17 meters is one of my favorites, very often good propagation into Japan in the morning on the way into work.  Stuck in traffic a bummer? Naw, not when I can grab some more DX!!!

My other favorite is at night here - 60 meters. Just hoping for a firmware update from Yaesu on or after 2/13 for the FT-710 when we get full access there. My FT-450D and FT-840 are both MARS modded, so I'll use them until the 710 gets an update.

You do at times find "some people" on the WARC Bands (60 - 17 - 12) that are anti-POTA. Ignore them and POTA On!

[WRYS709]

Tell us more about 60 meters!?

Ive never tried it. 

[TNFrank]

I looked at 15M on the POTA site and there were quite a few Activators, at least as many as 10M. My QT80 will do 15M so I ordered another 1:1 Balun to make up another inverted V to tune for 15M/21.360MHz(center of my Band area)so I'll be ready for 15M. 

[Davichko5650]

12 minutes ago, WRYS709 said:

Tell us more about 60 meters!?

Ive never tried it. 

Currently a "channelized" band, but effective 2-13-26 the entire band is open for amateur use in the US in a shared allocation.  The 5 center frequencies will keep their 100w power limit, the rest of the band will have a 9.15w limit. The band is from 5351.5 to 5366.5 KHz.

I've been using it on the 5 frequencies allotted for CW, Phone, FT8 and VarAC contacts.  All but the VarAC ones were spur of the moment, either calling or answering a CQ. the VarAC contacts were pre-arranged with other stations on one of the other established VarAC frequencies (7.105 - 14.105 etc) and then we'd QSY down to 60 to try it.  Not as noisy as 80, and propagation similar to 40.  Was asked once by a MIL users of the band to QSY during a cw QSO,  as they were going to use the frequency and, as a secondary user, I readily complied.  Lots of EU stations on at night on the common FT8 freq. of 5357.

[WRYS709]

What freq is FT8?

VarAC?

MIL?

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, Northcutt114 said:

I doesn't hurt that you're one hop from the Pacific in that direction. I tried listening for Japan stations last night and heard nothing. I suspect I never will living here. Eastern Europe's probably as far as I'll be able to go.

Best of luck to you!

 

Just wait until you get some long path stations!!!

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, Northcutt114 said:

I haven't actually tried with the 7300 yet. I was running the Signalink with the FT897, so I was using a Yaesu. I wasn't able to get CAT control to work (figured out this morning that I had it plugged into the wrong port in the back) but did get it to work via the VOX option.

Ahhhh, I see.  Yeah, I have to set up my Digirig for my ft891 someday also.

When you do get to the ic7300 this site has some written settings that might help:

https://k5tmt.com/2019/09/07/wsjt-x-settings-for-the-ic-7300/

[Northcutt114]

1 hour ago, WRYS709 said:

Remember: the Signalink requires you to set internal Jumpers when you change radios; and of course use the proper cable. They now make Jumper Boards which makes the process easier and faster and more reliable  

I just purchased 2 sets of each. 

I'm 59 on that. Jumpers are set for the Yaesu. 

[Davichko5650]

1 hour ago, WRYS709 said:

What freq is FT8?

VarAC?

MIL?

FT8 is on 5357 KHz on 60m

VarAC is a digital mode using the Vara HF protocol. I don't recall what Freq we used on 60, but not the FT8 one of course. It's normally on 7105 - 14105 etc for calling then has slots to use 750 KHZ up and down from the calling freqs.

MIL - Military a station with an NNN#  callsign came on in CW and told us to QSY as they were going to use the frequency we were on.  They then began sending CW with 5 letter/number groups - encrypted of course.

[Northcutt114]

1 hour ago, WRYS709 said:

What freq is FT8?

It varies per band. On 20m it's 14.074.

[Davichko5650]

29 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

It varies per band. On 20m it's 14.074.

FT8   3573 - 5357 - 7074 - 10136 - 14074 - 21074 - 24915 - 28074 - 50313    all USB

           80        60       40        30          20        15           12           10           6      

If it's on 160 I don't know the freq. as I don't have anyway to operate on Top Band.