Old Yaesu FT 101EE and amp.

Ham Radio/SW DXing. Get involved! Let's take back America's Radio Waves! What's going on in ham radio in America...

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Sinner
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Post by Sinner » 05-26-2011 06:56 AM

For the Amateur radio practice tests you can go here if you already haven't.

http://www.qrz.com/xtest2.html

For testing locations here,

http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-rad ... am-session
Last edited by Sinner on 05-26-2011 06:58 AM, edited 1 time in total.
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Dale O Sea
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Post by Dale O Sea » 05-26-2011 09:43 AM

Lotta gear there Sinner. I'd say it's too much, but I remember Art's "shack" and others' that were shelf after shelf of radios, meters, amps, controls and stuff. Compared to those, you have a good start. ;)

But you gotta admin, four CBs is a bit much. .

I still want to get a license and radio..or maybe no lic. and a good receiver. I'm just afraid I'll get bored with it as I'm used to the fast moving, short attention span pace of the 'net. Radio seems slower..less going on. In fact, I'd have to do both and that's where radio would lose the fight.
[size=0]"Question everything, especially your media and their motives. -Me[/size]

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Post by Sinner » 05-26-2011 11:28 AM

My radios are all old though Dale, I pick them up cheap. I dont ever pass up a radio at a rummage sale etc.

What makes ham fun from reading countless forums is making an antenna work. You can spend the rest of your life trying to build the perfect antenna even though it is nothing more than a couple of pieces of wire. Ham radio is about building antennas more than anything, especially in the HF unless you buy an antenna which is generally a compromise.

Oh it is also about sitting around gabbing with people you dont know, about like here and Ham and computers compliment each other now days with packett etc, which I dont know much about. I believe hams spend as much time on computers as their radios these days.
Anyway fun to talk about for me.:)
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Dale O Sea
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Post by Dale O Sea » 05-26-2011 11:38 AM

Geeze..countless forums? I read a couple of forums unless I'm doing research. Had pretty much quit altogether till recent events. If you are going to read tons of forums, might as well read the inane comments on youtube. I'll leave that to someone else too. ;)

I'm not real talkative either but I have been told I have a face for radio. :rolleyes: :p

Oh, and I still don't have my DTV antenna proplerly installed either, btw. Pissing the wife off, too.

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Post by Sinner » 05-26-2011 11:47 AM

Oh god, I cant count all the forums I read, from wood working, garages, power tools, ham radio, dirtbikes, old cars, lawncare etc.
Hell I fixed my dryer the other week with help from a DIY forum, saved me big money. Speaking of that, forums have saved me thousands over the years in fixes etc.

Forums are an invaluable asset to ones life Dale, Inane Youtube video comments not so much.:)
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Dale O Sea
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Post by Dale O Sea » 05-26-2011 12:45 PM

Sinner wrote: Oh god, I cant count all the forums I read, from wood working, garages, power tools, ham radio, dirtbikes, old cars, lawncare etc.
Hell I fixed my dryer the other week with help from a DIY forum, saved me big money. Speaking of that, forums have saved me thousands over the years in fixes etc.

Forums are an invaluable asset to ones life Dale, Inane Youtube video comments not so much.:)

agree totally that forums can be a rich resource of info..and a ginormous time sink..I read on tech boards all the time.

youtube comments can be fatal if swallowed. Image
[size=0]"Question everything, especially your media and their motives. -Me[/size]

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ElKamino
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Post by ElKamino » 05-29-2011 02:31 AM

Sinner wrote: Nope, no comeback, CB is dead. But I read there are more Hams than ever before surprisingly.


CB is dead because they (the FCC) dumbed down the amateur radio tests so much. All you have to do is memorize the question pool and you're in.
Ive been a ham operator for a long time. A couple years ago it became a chore, and no longer interesting. If it aint fun, why do it? I renewed my interest in another radio form and the end result is me selling off my ham equipment. I was amazed at all the stuff Ive collected over the years.
I have old Drake and Collins gear, some Kenwood rigs, three Yaesu rigs, and a mess of mobile units, as well as handheld rigs.
Hell, I even found an older Icom unit, 80 thru 10 meters. I even have a couple CB radios that have been converted to 10 meter ham. And now Im spending money on other radio equipment.
Go figure.
Ham radio can be a hoot, BUT...you have to pick and choose which bands you want to operate, and gear yourself towards operations in those bands. Some Bands have devolved into not much more than what CB used to be. Garbage...
There are areas of the 75/80 meter band that sound like channel 19 on the CB. The lower part of the ten meter band is chock full of illegal CBers, and high power illegal mexican stations. Any hope of DXing when the band is open is pretty much out the window. The upper part of 10 meters seems to still be usable. Lots of pirate action in the 40 meter neighborhood as well.
Sinner....that old 101 has 11 meters in it, yes? A very popular rig with "freebanders."
If you decide to get into ham radio, dont spend a ton of cash on equipment. Buy a late model, basic rig, with several bands. Take the time to see what does or doesnt work for you.
The digital age is going to have some severe effects on amateur radio...one of the reasons they eased up on the testing. You may want to wait and see where it goes.
Just some friendly advise...

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Post by Dale O Sea » 05-29-2011 02:47 AM

"I renewed my interest in another radio form and the end result is me selling off my ham equipment."
Do tell us of this new other radio form of which you speak..

Heil has a different opinion btw, saying the upcoming solar cycle should keep dxing interesting. -but he's a Ham enthusiast with a stake in the buisiness so..

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ElKamino
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Post by ElKamino » 05-30-2011 01:21 AM

Of course he does Dale. Companies that build ham rigs make their bread and butter creating and marketing commercial rigs, such as, police/fire units, taxi and private enities that need digital and analog capabilities. If these companies begin to lose money. the first division going out the window will be those who make the amateur radio equipment.
Ten short years ago, the ham community complained that their numbers were way down. The big fear was the loss of spectrum. Big companies on the hunt for frequencies wanted to take them from those allocated to amateur radio. Then came the specture of broadband over wire. (i.e. power lines) This is still a great possibility. What the noise from broadband over wire does to radio frequencies is amazing, rendering them almost completely unusable. (Yes...including CB) The big fix, for the moment, was reducing the skill needed to pass the tests allowing an amateur radio license. This too shall pass. How many renew their tickets remains to be seen. As technology moves ahead, many will leave ham radio behind and pursue the latest toys. For every ten hams out there, only two or three will still be active by the end of their license term.
I'd like to see ham radio survive and grow into the new millinium, but Im afraid, it too, will go by the wayside.

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Post by Dale O Sea » 05-30-2011 02:27 AM

Hopefully BBOPL will prove itself one way or another. If it's as bad as you say the noise will degrade more than just Ham signals and the FCC will step in and not allow it to go forward, if it has the power.

I'm also hopeful that tech enthusiasts like Heil, Leo Laporte, celebs like Joe Walsh, Art Bell and others can keep the ham-waves alive with their support thru new ham-centric shows and other promotions. Cheap, good modern radios would be another boost. Leo will have two shows on his network alone dealing with amateur radio. Bpb Heil's and another netcast TWiRT - This Week in Radio Tech - show for radio broadcasting pros, by same. They are going to do some special segments too..and build a kit radio. Not your standard fare, even for IPTV. We shall see..but if **** hits fan like they say, the rf interference will no longer be an issue and hams will be all that remain to spread the news.

And who knows..maybe a future tech will ease this ham killing RF interference out of the picture somehow..making the old radio waves part of the new future of communication. They say in 5 years everything will be wireless. Radios were the first wireless -leading the way to where we are now.

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Post by Sinner » 05-30-2011 02:53 PM

Hello ElKamino, Yes the 101ee I have is a freebanders dream ,especially with the FL200b.
I will not spend much money on equipment, I had the 101 and amp checked out and they appear fine , tubes are good, and wire is cheap. I have room in the backyard to hang plenty of wire.
Being fascinated with radios since I was a child. I feel it something I must do. As it is now I have a shortwave receiver next to the bed and assorted scanners around the house programmed to all the VHF and UHF repeaters in the area, I may as well start talking to them. hehe, hell I know all their calls about where they live and some of their children's names hehe.

But everything I do is always budget orientated, I have two children heavily involved in sports including hockey so I am pretty poor.
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