Mobile Ham Setup Planning (2M/70cm)

[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.

[rbeau30]

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.

I'm hoping to get a good layout with the software to start with, plus I want to print it all up to keep with my radio so I can have a list of what I got where at a glance. Plus having them in Freq order seems to help as when people talk about a repeater or moving to another, I can quickly dial it in. I also have 1000 memory slots so I plan on not worrying about being somewhere in Colorado and not being able to contact anything because I only did the Denver area ones.

I got the free for download software from Kenwood, works much like a spreadsheet as far as the memory slots.

Updated photos!

[streetglideok]

I'm not sure on the kenwoods how the memory works, but some yaesus let you have memory banks. I put all the various repeaters in, then I make banks for the local repeaters, Denver repeaters, ares repeaters, etc. I may end up with a yaesu dual bander just because I'm more familiar with their setup now. Having had to punch in a new repeater to test out for flood ops, its handy to know the radio well.

Listening in the Colorado connection repeater system, they have some obnoxious noise going on right now.

[Singlestack]

Listening in the Colorado connection repeater system, they have some obnoxious noise going on right now.

Yup - what IS that? Slow CW?

Not sure about the 10M repeater - not in the latest repeater directory, but that doesn't mean anything.

I was thinkin our best best was to use the Colo connection repeaters, but if that doesn't work for the Street, then a different approach. In any case, I'm currently limited to 2M/70cm

[rbeau30]

Yeah that is CW definitely really slow. Listening to it on my Baofeng.

I just hate tying up the whole system for our conversation, and being it broadcasts pretty much all over the state... we would have the least amount of discretion.

So I got all the 2M, working on 70cm inputting them into the program. All of them 100 miles from my zip code. like 250 or so. not including the private ones which I omitted.

Then on to the GMRS repeaters, and the GMRS Freqs, FRS, and MURS freqs. There is a repeater near me on GMRS channel 15.

Probably going to put in a couple marine freqs... just in case I am ever on .... water... yeah.

http://www.mygmrs.com/browse?name=&l...=State&step=25