HAM Radio Starter Kit - Information for Beginners

[RVTECH]

Oh, trust me - I have used this site for years - as well as many others!

 

[The Heretic]

Yes Ham radio is often (not always) a bit more complicated than a TX/RX/antenna combo, but it can be fairly simple if you ignore the programming issues, which can be a one time thing.

I believe hams are fairly interested in emergency scenarios, it is one of the things they actually practice on a periodic basis, and are actively engaged in. For getting comms out of a regional area where normal comms are down, it will most likely be the hams that are an important link in that chain. There is a worldwide network of hams, and getting out of one state to another, or across the country, it is fairly easily done right now - not sure how well that system would hold up under a large catastrophe, but they do have fallback systems, they just would not handle as much traffic as what they can now.

You won't find a network like amateur radio in CB or FRS/GMRS - not even close. Yes, FRS/GMRS has repeaters, but not a network like amateur radio has.

 

[RVTECH]

I believe hams are fairly interested in emergency scenarios, it is one of the things they actually practice on a periodic basis, and are actively engaged in. For getting comms out of a regional area where normal comms are down, it will most likely be the hams that are an important link in that chain.

Yep - the COARECT group in LaPine is very active with this and works closely with the Forest Service and the Walker Range fire patrol in Crescent.

 

[ATCclears]

NVIS Techniques, Part 4 - American Partisan

Keypounder, a name a few folks may remember, is writing […]

www.americanpartisan.org

 

[cigars]

That's quite a boatload of great info!

 

[cigars]

Still reading....

 

[ATCclears]

Getting Out of the RFI Maze - Off Grid Ham

Amateur radio is full of difficult challenges, but few of them approach the hair-pulling level of radio frequency interference, or RFI.

offgridham.com

 

[USP_45_fan]

How is APRS coverage around here? I had an APRS setup in my car when living in a mountain state with dangerous roads during the winter and before cell phones we ubiquitous. It was a reassurance for friends and family to see where I was when traveling through blizzards and over icey passes while driving across the state.

That equipment was stolen and I after moving here haven't bothered putting together another setup. I have almost everything now except a radio to replace my Yaesu FT-1500m. I'd like to build a system again if there are APRS repeaters and gateways to give me decent coverage, particularly in the forest out east of Lucia falls.

Good APRS coverage in east Clark county. Digipeaters on Larch Mountain and Mt Hood. Good coverage out to coast. Much depends on antenna/power.
I-5 corridor is good from southern Oregon to Canadian border.. 84 is spotty through gorge, but better than expected. Blank spot from tri-cities to Ritzville. US-26 good coverage all the way from coast to Idaho border.


go to www.aprs.fi and look at all the green stars - most are gateways to internet (the interface between your radio signal and getting it on google maps), many home stations are "fill-ins" that will re-transmit your signal to automatically relay it to one of the green starred gateways. If you go to www.APRS.FI and hold your mouse over a car symbol, you SHOULD see a solid green line pop up showing you the PATH of the radio signal as it has been relayed.
If you see a station and mouse over and get no green PATH lines, then they are either a fixed station with an internet connection, or somebody used the APRS APP and thinks that is radio. It still get them on the map for friends (and foe) to track.
The added advantage of APRS is that you can send short text messages over the network to other licensed stations. Unlike your phone, your radio would have to actually be on and on proper frequency to receive the text message. And yes, it should always be considered a party line.
Don't forget the newer style squelch setting to let you know if anyone is nearby in range. My mobile radio gives me distance, bearing, speed, and altitude. Plus any announcement that the station is broadcasting.
As in all types of hobbies (Amateur/HAM radio included), you can get as complicated or as simple as you like.
National APRS freq - 144.390
https://www.nwaprs.info/ - for more info on this specific sector of the hobby

-> FateOne: sorry if most of this info is redundant to you, thought to maybe answer a few anticipated questions if anyone is interested. I especially like the feature of marking my elk camp from my home mapping station. then my friends can follow the breadcrumb trail there.

Best to all...

 

[EHJ]

Good APRS coverage in east Clark county. Digipeaters on Larch Mountain and Mt Hood. Good coverage out to coast. Much depends on antenna/power.
I-5 corridor is good from southern Oregon to Canadian border.. 84 is spotty through gorge, but better than expected. Blank spot from tri-cities to Ritzville. US-26 good coverage all the way from coast to Idaho border.


go to www.aprs.fi and look at all the green stars - most are gateways to internet (the interface between your radio signal and getting it on google maps), many home stations are "fill-ins" that will re-transmit your signal to automatically relay it to one of the green starred gateways. If you go to www.APRS.FI and hold your mouse over a car symbol, you SHOULD see a solid green line pop up showing you the PATH of the radio signal as it has been relayed.
If you see a station and mouse over and get no green PATH lines, then they are either a fixed station with an internet connection, or somebody used the APRS APP and thinks that is radio. It still get them on the map for friends (and foe) to track.
The added advantage of APRS is that you can send short text messages over the network to other licensed stations. Unlike your phone, your radio would have to actually be on and on proper frequency to receive the text message. And yes, it should always be considered a party line.
Don't forget the newer style squelch setting to let you know if anyone is nearby in range. My mobile radio gives me distance, bearing, speed, and altitude. Plus any announcement that the station is broadcasting.
As in all types of hobbies (Amateur/HAM radio included), you can get as complicated or as simple as you like.
National APRS freq - 144.390
https://www.nwaprs.info/ - for more info on this specific sector of the hobby

-> FateOne: sorry if most of this info is redundant to you, thought to maybe answer a few anticipated questions if anyone is interested. I especially like the feature of marking my elk camp from my home mapping station. then my friends can follow the breadcrumb trail there.

Best to all...

This...
This was awesome.
Thank you!

 

[RVTECH]

We have an updated repeater South of Lapine on Walker Butte and it has really expanded the coverage.

145.470 , CTCSS tone of 77 and minus offset.

Give it a try and see if you can hit the repeater !

KJ7ZNH

 

[USP_45_fan]

APRS questions here, coming from a TOTAL rookie:

I teach HS Science, and Im planning on launching a high altitude weather balloon within the month for my kiddos. We will he using two tracking devices, one will be GPS, and the other will an APRS. Specifically this one:

StratoTrack APRS Transmitter

Reliable Worldwide APRS Tracking at Any Altitude StratoTracks have been used to reliably track weather balloon payloads on all continents except Antarctica. They have even been used to track Northern Lights (aurora borealis) experiments over the Arctic. Key Features: Free Tracking - no...

www.highaltitudescience.com

I will be taking FCC class/test to get my amateur radio license soon here. But my main question surrounds this website or others similar to it :

aprs.fi – live APRS map

aprs.fi

This appears to be a map of all the different radio tower types (repeaters?) In any given area. From my initial understanding, for maximum APRS location identification its always better to be closer than further away (makes sense). Having more towers close by also makes sense. But does the tower type (aka symbol typ) matter? I teach north of Seattle, but no way am I planning on releasing a balloon 100,000ft in the air here, recovery in the Cascade mountains would be a nightmare. So I plan on releasing somewhere just east of the Cascades, that way the prevailing air currents generally push it east into much easier to access terrain.

With this in mind I am scouting release locations roughly between the I-90 and Highway 2, on the East side of the Cascades in WA. I would ideally like the balloon to ride air currents that cover the most repeaters possible (for APRS tracking), hence why I want to understand the repeater/radio tower website.

If you have any other advice on long distance tracking/APRS let me know. We will be measuring altitude, velocity, location, temps, air pressure, and attaching a camera for pics/video.

Did you get this project 'off the ground?' Sorry for the pun.

 

[Cerberus Group]

We have an updated repeater South of Lapine on Walker Butte and it has really expanded the coverage.

145.470 , CTCSS tone of 77 and minus offset.

Give it a try and see if you can hit the repeater !

KJ7ZNH

I can break squelch on it from Goldendale, don't know if anyone will be able to copy me.

Update...nope, I can hear people on it, but can't get into it enough to talk. Will have to find an amplifier.

 

[baker3gun]

We have an updated repeater South of Lapine on Walker Butte and it has really expanded the coverage.

145.470 , CTCSS tone of 77 and minus offset.

Give it a try and see if you can hit the repeater !

KJ7ZNH

I'm a noob, but I'm interested in this.

I'm on a bluff west of Baker City.

I can hit Heppner.

I tuned to the Walker repeater but I don't hear any traffic. Maybe i'm out of range?

Is anyone talking right now? Sat nite. @RVTECH

 

[RVTECH]

Nobody talking right now but its fairly active on an off most days but you are unlikely to reach it.

What is the frequency of the Heppner repeater?

 

[baker3gun]

Sorry, walked away for a minute.

Assuming you're listening, I'm gonna try it.

 

[baker3gun]

Nada. I tried twice. Totally silent.

Heppner is 146.78, minus 0.6, tone 67.
It's 70 miles from me as the crow flies. I chatted with a guy in WA, 145 miles total distance. A little scratchy but not bad for a handheld with a dipole.

I got this stuff 6 years ago.
Too many hobbies. I get familiar with it and mess around for a week, then 3 years go by and i have to learn everything all over again when I see threads like this one.

Well, anyway, Walker is past my reach, assuming i programmed the radio correctly.

 

[Cerberus Group]

Lapine is a stretch from Baker City...add some juice to it and ya might get into it

 

[Foreverlost]

The Walker repeater is located a stone's throw north, a little east of Chemult; on top of Walker Mt. Altitude 7, 000+++. This info from a map provided by N6DFW.

later..............
Foreverlost,

 

[ATCclears]

@baker3gun perhaps you can receive if the repeater is broadcasting at say 25+ watts, but not receiving given your handheld is likely transmitting at 5 watts? 70 miles is a ways...

The RepeaterBook website may be of use. Here is the Walker repeater mentioned by @Foreverlost

Chemult, Walker Mountain 145.47000 AA1JW Oregon Repeater

Amateur radio AA1JW 145.47 repeater at Chemult, Oregon

www.repeaterbook.com

 

[Foreverlost]

Tone is 77.