| Author |
Message |
    
Funtimebob
Intermediate Member
Username: Funtimebob
Post Number: 185
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 2:25 pm: | 
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A buddy of mine that recently talked me into getting my ticket just suprised me last night by bringing me over his old 2 meter HT. got it all charged up and it looks like 2 meters is dead around here. nada, zilch, zip. even looked up the local area repeaters. NOTHING.  |
Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 1301
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 6:42 pm: |
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Listen late evening and early morning for some simplex traffic. |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 9694
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 8:47 pm: |
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Funtimebob,
Try the Frequencies below:
Dayton Area Repeaters
This is a partial list; however, it will give you some idea of the repeaters in the Dayton area.
If you want to look up repeaters in a Repeater Directory, look for the following counties:
Montgomery - where show is located
Greene
Clark
Miami
Preble
Butler
Warren
2 Meter Repeaters
146.940 (-600, 123.0 tone) - DARA's repeater
146.910 (-600) - Greene County repeater
145.110 (-600) - Wide Area - Dayton, Columbus
145.190 (-600) - Fairfield/Wide Area Coverage, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky
145.410 (-600) - Fairborn
145.430 (-600) - Centerville
146.640 (-600) - Dayton - used also in weather emergencies
146.730 (-600) - Springfield
146.820 (-600) - Miamisburg
147.045 (+600) - Bellbrook
147.075 (+600) - Kettering
147.135 (+600) - Dayton
147.165 (+600) - Xenia
Hope this helps,
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9CEF
CVC#2 |
Kb9umt_don_123
Member
Username: Kb9umt_don_123
Post Number: 66
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 6:12 pm: |
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Bob,
Try this link also for repeaters in your area (pay particular attention to the height of the repeater if listed):
www.artscipub.com/repeaters
You might try a EchoLink node/repeater for contacts with other Hams in your area or from around the World:
http://www.echolinkmap.org/
What is your location (on a hill, in a valley, below a bluff, what is your height compared to the repeaters you are trying to listen in or use?)
What antenna are you using? The supplied rubber ducky with most HT's are good for a few miles at best (5 to 10 miles if your location is good/high). I think you would find a big difference using even a 1/4 wave GP 2 meter vertical up 20 to 30 ft in the air...ANTENNA is everything and HEIGHT HEIGHT HEIGHT is key on VHF/UHF...it's mostly line of site communication.
Also as mentioned most traffic is mornings or evenings, check simplex traffic because not just repeaters are used, also most local nets are Sunday nights. Again, if using just 5w HT and supplied antenna your coverage and activity will be greatly reduced (to little or none in some cases, so get an outside antenna up as high as you can).
In a few weeks Dayton OH will be the most active Ham place in the world...they of course old the largest HamFest in the World in May.
de kb9umt Don
http://www.HamRadioHelp.com |
Funtimebob
Intermediate Member
Username: Funtimebob
Post Number: 196
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Monday, April 24, 2006 - 12:41 am: |
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only got a old 2 watt tr-2500 ht right now. low budget. will be trying my 2nd and last attempt to get some kinda mobile antenna set up as soon as it comes in the mail. if this doesnt work the 2nd time around...........bye bye ham, I give up. cant afford to keep buying antennas that wont match up. |
Milkman21218
Junior Member
Username: Milkman21218
Post Number: 22
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Monday, April 24, 2006 - 11:51 am: |
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Funtimebob,try an adopter such as-uhf,sma,bnc,n, etc. Milkman21218 |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 3759
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Monday, April 24, 2006 - 2:40 pm: |
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Bob what antennas have you bought? Ive been on 2 meters 40 years and there ARE people to talk to but a rubber ducky inside a car is not going anywhere |
Funtimebob
Intermediate Member
Username: Funtimebob
Post Number: 197
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 12:39 am: |
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Bruce. So far I've upgraded the origional HT antenna with the MFJ-1717. acording to my MFJ-841 I've got about a 3:1 match across the band on it.
tried the Firestik 5/8 for the mobile. mounted it on my ball/spring on TOP middle of the van roof.
Swr was off the scale on both ends of the band. I knew that adding the spring would require pruning it down. kept pruning it but couldnt get the match below 2.5:1 on the low end even though I got the high end of the band swr reading down to about 1.5:1 before it started climbing back up.
was trying to get the swr as low as possible in the middle of the band. Firestik claimed a 4-mhz bandwith for the antenna.
I have the Hustler sf-2 ordered now. hope to get it by the weekend. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 3762
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 6:53 am: |
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I have had at least 4 FS-2's over the years and all were under 1.5:1 at 146 .....
If it dosnt work right out of the box there is something WRONG with your mount TRY THIS find a 50 ohm dummy load and with short leads go across the antenna mount ( HOT TO GROUND ) and see if you get a low SWR reading .... then remove it and see if with nothing connect you get a high reading if you do the mount is working. |
Ronin
New member
Username: Ronin
Post Number: 3
Registered: 8-2006
| | Posted on Friday, August 18, 2006 - 11:33 am: |
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Hi FuntimeBob,
I know that this is an old post, but I was just wondering how you made out with your attempts at ham radio and 2 meters?
Jim - CEF-813 / K3ZOR |
Troublemaker
Intermediate Member
Username: Troublemaker
Post Number: 316
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Friday, August 18, 2006 - 9:18 pm: |
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Same here,FuntimeBob, I'm south of you in Warren county,Our repeater here in Lebanon is 146.865.Listen in sometime.
Troublemaker
CEF-303
KD8CKF |
Funtimebob
Intermediate Member
Username: Funtimebob
Post Number: 211
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 - 1:09 am: |
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Got rid of the kenwood. just got a VX-170 a couple of weeks ago after selling my hw-101. Can hit about 6 repeaters from home. About 17 from work. Havnt tried anymore on the mobile antenna.
dont wanna put a strain on that tiny sma connector VS the bnc on the kenwood. maybe later when I can afford some kinda mobile radio for the van. probably wont be till after Xmas. gave my hta-20 and swr meter to another newbie (17 yr old)along with the J-pole I made for the house.
strictly HT at the moment.
73
kd8dey |
