Mobile Ham Setup Planning (2M/70cm)

[hobowh]

I wouldn't mind buying one off ya when the time comes.

Let me know when your ready, I bought 30 of them way back when Santafe Distributing had them in bulk so they only cost me 18 each shipped. I made plenty off the others, you can just have one.

[rbeau30]

I can come pick one up one weekend and donate a delicious beverage?

[rbeau30]

Okay so I finished inputting practically all the repeaters within 100 miles of my zip (minus the closed and private ones). There is so much to listen to!

These Linked Repeater Nets are fun to listen to the accents of the people all over. Also very educational as to learn how a net is controlled and how it flows.

[gnihcraes]

I need to see if I can hit that repeater for rbeau30, I believe it's one of the colorado connections, so I should be able to hit something on this side of town too that is connected to it.

[Singlestack]

Wondering if Beau's repeater is sufficiently central for us to connect to? Of course, if its a colo connections repeater, I'm thinking it should be.

One thing I'm beginning to study is SDRs (Software defined radios), like the Flexradio 1500. Any of you have one or know anything about them? From what I have been reading, it sounds like it could be a reasonably capable HF/VHF QRP rig that doesn't cost a lot of jink. Seems make sense, for me, since I'm such a computer geek.

[streetglideok]

If you can get into the .310 repeater, then its linked to most metro areas of the state. I think that's the system the state ARES uses for sunday night nets. With some power and an antenna, you may be able to hit the 146.970 repeater here, but questionable. I got out better with my jeep on simplex a few weeks ago on the peak, than the 970 did. I don't really know a lot about SDR. For playing at home, etc it probably has a lot of pros to it. For field day use and emergency use, its too fragile to consider. One area worth looking into is data modes. Can do that via vhf/uhf modes now, and maybe investigate nvis with HF.

[Singlestack]

Yup - the 310 machine is the Sunday nite state ARES net. I have the 970 programmed in, but I don't think I've ever successfully hit it.

The ides of the SDR is so I can get into HF and data modes pretty cheaply without requiring anything more than a fairly cheap dipole and a regulated PSU. Of course I guess I could get a mobile rig instead and get most of what I need thatta way...

I vote that Beau put up a COAR-15 repeater near his house (covenants be damned!) that can reach southerners like street, westerners like gnihcraes, and northerners like me - thats the ticket! :-)

[streetglideok]

Hell just get the antenna fixed on top of pikes peak! Right now, the linked repeaters suck with the uplink down here. I'd almost be better off using echolink nodes to the Denver area(which I do have installed). As for hf, I've been evaluating what can be done. Pair of hamsticks for 20m or 10m, make a dipole out it, mount it horizontally and extend it out to the edge or past my balcony. From there, look for a used radio, ic718, ft450, ic7200, or ft857/897 and a tuner and psu. If I knew I could hit the 10m repeater in Denver from here, I'd look at an ft8900 or one of the other yaesus. Surely someone with one for sale needs some auto repair work done.

Let me rephrase that, I used to see a listing for a 10m repeater, but having trouble spotting it. There are a few 6m repeaters, though I'm uncertain their range during normal conditions.
Maybe someone can verify if these repeaters are up or not: CO: WØTX, Denver, 29.620; KXØE, Colorado Springs, 29.680

[rbeau30]

I was able to talke to gnihcreas yesterday on the .310 repeater. So apparently I was successful in being able to program a repeater from the head unit. YAY

Had to run in the little lady is not feeling well... have to keep an eye on her.

Now I have to number crunch trhe rest into the programming program.... LOTS and LOTS to put in there plus I want the GMRS/FRS/and MURS freqs in there as well. I enjoy listening into people ordering Big Macs.

I vote that Beau put up a COAR-15 repeater near his house (covenants be damned!) that can reach southerners like street, westerners like gnihcraes, and northerners like me - thats the ticket! :-)

The way the soon-to-be mine house is looking I may be hearing from the HOA as soon as I move in because the grass out front is dead.

Perhaps we should all try a central repeater out on one of the hills. I am sure that there is a repeater that we can all contact.

[streetglideok]

Programming the frequencies in is a chore, and a lot of people cheat with pc software. I haven't gone that way with it, partly because I'm cheap, and partly because I need to be able to program new repeaters on the go.