HAM radio/amateur radio FAQ

xtatik

Explorer
Dont get me wrong, if all you want is a couple of whips then go with hamsticks or the hustler resonators. If you want full band coverage without wasting your power or burning up coils you need a good tuner and as big a whip as you can manage on your vehicle or a screwdriver antennas (and not the yaesu atas).

Gary

Just my opinion, and based on my experience and comments heard from the few other people I know that use them.......... I'm gonna' have to disagree with you on the ATAS performance issue. Thery're certainly not the most efficient gadgets, but I've had mine for about a year now and love it. It's been bounced around all over Death Valley backcountry and across the Saline Valley washboards.... On countless trips throughout the Mojave and Sierras and it keeps on tickin'.
Now, I know a list of contacts isn't necessarily proof of effectiveness when an antenna is to be considered....but, it is proof they will work.
Here is a two month excerpt of mobile DX contacts from my log. All from last year while on trips. They are contacts I've made from odd parts of California, central Nevada, or Baja using an ATAS. Without dumping my entire log here, I'll tell you that interspersed with these were probably 5X as many domestic contacts logged.
Here goes:
5/24/09 6:01 UTC 20M KL7LF ALASKA 59
5/24/09 6:43 UTC 20M JA3JOT JAPAN 57
5/26/09 5:35 UTC 20M UA3TCJ EUR. RUSSIA 57
5/27/09 4:17 UTC 20M UT7QF UKRAINE 57
5/27/09 4:33 UTC 20M VK7GK AUSTRALIA 59
5/28/09 4:20 UTC 20M ZL1BYZ NEW ZEALAND 58
5/29/09 4:17 UTC 20M KH7Y HAWAII 59
5/29/09 4:53 UTC 20M LY1000A LITHUANIA 59
5/30/09 2:37 UTC 20M CU2KG AZORES 59
6/2/09 4:34 UTC 20M SP7AID POLAND 53
6/2/09 4:41 UTC 15M LY1000A LITHUANIA 59
6/3/09 4:41 UTC 20M SP2FAP POLAND 57
6/7/09 4:52 UTC 20M VK7ZE AUSTRALIA 58
6/7/09 4:59 UTC 20M LY1000A LITHUANIA 59
6/10/09 5:27 UTC 20M ES5QD ESTONIA 59
6/10/09 6:02 UTC 20M H44MY SOLOMON ISLANDS
7/25/09 6:12 UTC 20M KH2JU GUAM
7/25/09 6:25 UTC 20M VK4MA AUSTRALIA
Aside from its demonstrated ruggedness (for me at least), the thing I like most about it, is that it covers the bases on everything discussed in the last few posts here. It's greatest benefit is convenience.
With the push of a button I can switch from FM to HF, and back. It performs very well on FM with no noticeable difference between it and the the best of FM mobile sticks. There maybe a difference...I won't dispute that point. What I'm saying is there is no perceptible (audible) difference at either end of a QSO. On the HF side, it tunes 40m and up, which would be the preferred HF bands that someone would want for an "expedition", or let's say big distance communication. I say this based on the fact that the 15, 20 and 40 meter phone bands (with 20m far surpassing the other two) are usually the most successful (highest log scores) phone bands for most DXpeditions around the globe. There are good reasons why 20m is the preferred band for the maritime crowd...because it more consistently covers the distances their travels require.
Both Hamsticks and the ATAS are pretty flat across the phone portion of the 20m band, and neither would require a tuner. 80m or 160m would only be a concern to me for short-range (in the HF realm) rag-chew communications within my own or neighboring states. Neither would be my first choice day or night, if I needed assistance.
 
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Ramjet

Explorer
Thanks for the write up. I was wondering if I should get my license for emergencies. This just answered all my questions and then some.
 

mr r2fj

Adventurer
I've updated many of the dead links, like the podcast, and made a new antenna recommendation. Looks like comet is making some spring based antennas now specifically for mobile applications. I have no idea what took them so long to do this but it seems idea for expedition or offroad type travel. Happy hamming.
 

kjp1969

Explorer
A question for anyone: Is there a universal emergency 2m frequency to monitor, like Channel 9 on a CB?

If I'm cruising up Hwy 395 in the middle of nowhere, talking to no one, where should I leave the 2m?

I've seen suggestions that 146.550 should be this channel, but is it used this way?
 

cnynrat

Expedition Leader
146.52 is the 2M calling frequency in the So Cal band plan. I think this is the closest thing to a designated emergency channel.

I think 144.2 is designated as the national 2M calling frequency.
 

1911

Expedition Leader
A question for anyone: Is there a universal emergency 2m frequency to monitor, like Channel 9 on a CB?

The national (U.S.) simplex frequency is 146.520 MHz. Wilderness protocol is to monitor this frequency on the hour and half-hour in case there is any emergency traffic. It's not just for emergencies though, you can make contacts and talk on it as much as you want.


If I'm cruising up Hwy 395 in the middle of nowhere, talking to no one, where should I leave the 2m?

I either leave mine on 146.520 MHz or on 146.460 MHz since that it the contact freq. broadcast in the text portion of my APRS beacon.
 

Mashurst

Adventurer
Is there a corresponding 70cm freq?
446.000 MHz Is FM Calling for the 440 band.
Just for the record there are different calling frequencies for SSB.
Be advised too that these are more like CB 19 than CB 9. They are meant to be a place to "call" ether CQ or for a specific station. Generally etiquette dictates moving long QSOs to another frequency, but it is rarely crowded.
 

ryanhewitt

Adventurer
Can't view the sample questions

I'm thinking about taking my Tech exam and was wanting to see some of questions, but the link in the first post states "Fobidden"? Is there another site/link for practice exams? Thank you.
 

brussum

Adventurer
Passed my Technician test this weekend. Thanks to the OP for the boost in motivation and to everyone for the knowledge and guidance! Now, to go buy a mobile rig...
 

1911

Expedition Leader
Passed my Technician test this weekend. Thanks to the OP for the boost in motivation and to everyone for the knowledge and guidance! Now, to go buy a mobile rig...

Congratulations on your ticket, and have fun shopping! Beware that spending money on radios and antennas is fun and addictive. :Wow1:
 

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