HFU HF Underground
General Category => Amateur Radio => Topic started by: Matt285 on March 21, 2019, 1608 UTC
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I spoke to Chris S in regards to having a board for posting ham radio reports and general discussion since I know there are quite a few operators that frequent the site. I will start out by kind of introducing myself. My name is Matt and I live in central Florida. When not listening to shortwave I enjoy operating HF 10-80m,typically CW about seventy percent of the time and SSB the other portion. I spend most of my time between 20,40,17 meters and particularly 30m when it's open for DX. My current set up is an ICOM 718,LDG pro tuner, OCF, dipole at 40' running 100 watts. I also operate QRP portable at times with my Hendricks PFR-3 . I would love to have regular interaction with other hams in regards to contacts, propagation, upcoming contest, DXpeditions, antennas and just sharing contacts we've made regardless if it DX or not. Any bands between 2m and 160 meters. Let me know what you guys think and please share.
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Great idea for a new board. I'm curious if anyone would like to set up a semi regular SSTV net on 40 meters?
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I'm not very knowledgeable about SSTV myself, but it is certainly related to Amateur radio. I'm sure a lot of people would like to discuss digital modes as well. I don't operate digital modes, but I enjoy learning about everything EME, Satellites, VHF/UHF CWand SSB, FM, various types of propagation, QRP etc.
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7173 is the place to be for HAM 40m sstv, license class notwithstanding. Norm is there in the am spewing some analog mode as easypal seems in disuse these days, however easypal produces superior imagery. It got to the point that with hybrid mode, easypal just sent a url ota and the rx station would simply dl the image from a server somewhere, it used to be each pic was actually sent ota. Hybrid mode's the 40m version of irlp, disgusting.
Greetings HAM nerds!
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How common is SSTV currently? I don't here much about it. Seemed to be more common back in the Packet days.
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Downloading a file based of a URL sent via easypal isn't SSTV :)
SSTV is still popular on 20m, 14230 has activity most of the day, although the lids calling CQ in voice take their toll. Quiet at night due to the low solar activity.
A few kHz up from 7173 is probably a reasonable place for SSTV, open to all license classes.
Speaking of SSTV, time to flog my app! https://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/sstv.html
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How common is SSTV currently?
It is quite common on 20m. Main frequency is 14230 kHz, as Chris Smolinski wrote, but it's tricky to receive a complete image because of several stations transmitting over each other. During busy times (weekends) some operators move to 14227 and 14333 kHz.
There is some freeband SSTV on 27700 kHz but the band is closed due to poor propagation conditions these days. Also there is some occasional activity from the ISS space station on 145.8 MHz (FM).
The software I prefer is MMSSTV (https://hamsoft.ca/pages/mmsstv.php) by Makoto Mori, JE3HHT (for MS Windows).
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20m has two freqs for sstv, one is analog, the other easypal. They're right next to each other, 14230 and 14233. The euros have a 40m sstv channel around 7171 or so, and are often heard by guys on 7173 stateside. And yes, a 40m channel for all with hf privs would make a lot of sense.
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A few kHz up from 7173 is probably a reasonable place for SSTV, open to all license classes.
All except the license classes that can only do CW on 40m.
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Beerus and I were exchanging SSTV on 40m a few months ago. With the uptick in solar activity, things might be decent this weekend, if anyone wants to give it a go. We can arrange a sked here, or perhaps better yet on the HFU rocketchat which would allow us to select the frequency in real time. I was going to say "hopefully no contests this weekend" but that would be like the Sun not rising.
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Do we have a ham radio channel on Rocket Chat, or will the congregation be at the SSTV one?
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Do we have a ham radio channel on Rocket Chat, or will the congregation be at the SSTV one?
We actually seem to have two, #ham and #hamtalk :) But I think #sstv might make the most sense if that's what we're doing?
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Back when I was into sstv, there were HAMs across the USA that kept rigs tuned to the various sstv watering holes 24/7, and you could view their copy online.
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We actually seem to have two, #ham and #hamtalk :) But I think #sstv might make the most sense if that's what we're doing?
Makes sense to me. I don't have my general ticket yet but should in the next couple of months, but that basically makes me a non voting member ATM. But I think it would be good because then folks can post their reception images those sending can see how they're being received.
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Great idea for a new board. I'm curious if anyone would like to set up a semi regular SSTV net on 40 meters?
Yes! 40 meters is my go-to band with my current HF setup (ICOM 7300 and Alpha Loop antenna). I have both MMSSTV and EasyPal installed. If others besides myself are interested in your idea of a semi-regular SSTV net, please post dates and times and frequency and I'll most assuredly be there.
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We actually seem to have two, #ham and #hamtalk :) But I think #sstv might make the most sense if that's what we're doing?
Makes sense to me. I don't have my general ticket yet but should in the next couple of months, but that basically makes me a non voting member ATM. But I think it would be good because then folks can post their reception images those sending can see how they're being received.
If you already have a ticket I suspect you have enough basic HAM knowledge to pass the gen and xtra. I sat on a tech ticket for like more than 10 years till long after they dropped the cw req, and then suddenly decided I wanted all the spectrum I could get so I started taking the extra class test at qrz. When I passed every time, regardless of how many incorrect I got, I knew I was ready for the test.
I called the local ve folks and they set a date for the test.
I showed up and took the general first as you have to pass each class before you can take the higher. Passed the gen and took the xtra at the same sitting and passed both. They mixed up the answer sheet on the gen test and it looked like I failed, but someone noted the error and they applied the right answer sheet to the test and I was in like Flynn or whoever was in.
So, if I can do it, you can do it.
In one sitting.
Just start taking those tests till you pass every time, then contact your local ve team and get it all.
Notice I didn't say memorise anything, you should know these things because the knowledge will be useful if your HAM career. If something stumps you, there are books to help, I find the handbook and operating manuals from arrl to be excellent sources for radio electronics and operating procedure. I had a head start since my HAM uncle (who reminds me of Rick from Rick and Morty) sent me a radio shack 200 in 1 electronics kit when I was 13 that gave me a head start into lectronics. Just hanging around here should learn you enough to get you a tech ticket.
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Yes! 40 meters is my go-to band with my current HF setup (ICOM 7300 and Alpha Loop antenna). I have both MMSSTV and EasyPal installed. If others besides myself are interested in your idea of a semi-regular SSTV net, please post dates and times and frequency and I'll most assuredly be there.
Might be easiest to coordinate this in real time on #sstv on the HFU rocketchat? I'm usually there much of the time on weekends. Once we get a few people we can get things started.
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Yes, that sounds good to me. But, I've never used the HFU rocketchat. Please provide a link and I'll load it up and we can discuss. (I'm basically free this entire weekend, with the exception of attending the local vintage computer show tomorrow morning. But that will be early morning and only for a few hours).
Edit: Found the RocketChat link and just created an account.
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If you already have a ticket I suspect you have enough basic HAM knowledge to pass the gen and xtra. I sat on a tech ticket for like more than 10 years till long after they dropped the cw req, and then suddenly decided I wanted all the spectrum I could get so I started taking the extra class test at qrz. When I passed every time, regardless of how many incorrect I got, I knew I was ready for the test.
I called the local ve folks and they set a date for the test.
I showed up and took the general first as you have to pass each class before you can take the higher. Passed the gen and took the xtra at the same sitting and passed both. They mixed up the answer sheet on the gen test and it looked like I failed, but someone noted the error and they applied the right answer sheet to the test and I was in like Flynn or whoever was in.
So, if I can do it, you can do it.
In one sitting.
Just start taking those tests till you pass every time, then contact your local ve team and get it all.
Notice I didn't say memorise anything, you should know these things because the knowledge will be useful if your HAM career. If something stumps you, there are books to help, I find the handbook and operating manuals from arrl to be excellent sources for radio electronics and operating procedure. I had a head start since my HAM uncle (who reminds me of Rick from Rick and Morty) sent me a radio shack 200 in 1 electronics kit when I was 13 that gave me a head start into lectronics. Just hanging around here should learn you enough to get you a tech ticket.
Thanks for the encouragement. I'm pretty sure I can ace the general, but I haven't even looked at extra. Math and some of the physical things are still a bit above my pay grade. It's unfortunate because when I was in 8th grade I took a yearlong electronics and electricity course that involved building a digital alarm clock from a Heathkit (nearly everyone in the class did the same thing because it was far and away the cheapest kit in their catalog). But when I tried to go on my own afterward, things didn't work out, I got frustrated and turned my attention to other things. Having to relearn some of that in middle age has been a drag and although I can't say that I regret not sticking with it (because I learned and did lots of other cool things), I wish I had stuck with it.
I think once I get my general I ought to be satisfied with that for a long while. Up to this point I haven't wanted to go out and make tons of contacts, although clearly not being proficient in CW is a barrier as long as I'm a tech only. (Local repeaters and simplex don't have that kind of appeal, although I do get on the air that way.) But things like SSTV nets sounds like big fun.
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Learning cw can be easy or tough, depending on how you learn it and how much time you invest in it. Some teaching methods add a step in wich one translates the tones first into dots and dashes and then into morse, another method shorts that out and simply wires the morse to your brain, taking out the extra step(s). Also, try the farnsworth method where the elements are sent at a faster rate than the spacing. Wich can lead to another hobby within the hobby, collecting (ww2 in my case) cw keys.
J36 bug page;
http://home.windstream.net/ferncity/j36project.htm
Ta.P key from Germany
(https://browse.startpage.com/do/show_picture.pl?l=english&rais=1&oiu=https%3A%2F%2Fimage.jimcdn.com%2Fapp%2Fcms%2Fimage%2Ftransf%2Fdimension%3D890x10000%3Aformat%3Djpg%2Fpath%2Fs51da16c62ffc1be6%2Fimage%2Fi4ef9d6a468689502%2Fversion%2F1515838316%2Ftaste-paula-ta-p.jpg&sp=394d192ff4598ebe1840e0b4ecd53fd3&t=default)
First thing I learned sans elmer was cq, break, my call, then numbers wich are real easy - just remember dits before dashes - and you kinda take off from there.
Here's some help;
https://www.qsl.net/ik0ygj/enu/ZART_r20101008m.pdf
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Great pdf link on the CW, I'm finding it very helpful, thanks.