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HF Net

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  • 15 Sep 2017 7:50 AM
    Reply # 5262252 on 4925199
    Chris Doering (Administrator)

    Rick, 

    Thank you for letting me try the ATAS 120.

    I picked up the remote kit for the FT 891 and mounted the faceplate on the dash yesterday. The antenna is mounted on the center of the roof rack at the front. This weekend I will run the power, coax and remote cabling and get it up and running for voice.

    Question. Do I need something like a SignaLink to run psk31 in the cab or does the radio have it's own output for that?

  • 16 Sep 2017 7:40 AM
    Reply # 5263656 on 4925199
    Deleted user

    Yes, you would need a Signalink and a laptop to run PSK31.

  • 16 Sep 2017 8:09 PM
    Reply # 5264237 on 4925199
    Chris Doering (Administrator)

    HF Update: Tonight I finally got the mobile HF radio (Yaesu FT 891) installed with the ATAS 120. I think I will take the antenna off your hands Rick. 

    I was able to get it to tune and I was able to listen to a net in progress on 40 meters. Could not make contact with the net station however. I'm getting a Hi SWR on all bands I've tuned to. Any ideas?


  • 30 Sep 2017 9:59 AM
    Reply # 5288796 on 4934680
    Jacoby Wilson wrote:

    Chris,

    You can start here http://www.radioreference.com/ or http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/?rl=rr.  I'm familiar with Radio Reference (I used to host a feed for CARA that MR hosts now).  If you have a receiver or scanner that can monitor the Amateur bands, that is another good way.  40 and 20 meters tend to be used more, if anything for antenna height and band openings and should be easy to find some SSB or AM stations chatting.  I hope this helps.

    Jacoby


    My favorite is

    http://www.websdr.org/

    There are "contributors" on several continents, covering most Ham frequencies.   Because I'm in Henderson, NV, I'm most interested in the 20 and 40m site just south of SFO.  I also choose the Arizona site now and then to check propagation.

    Most of the NETs are pre-marked, so you can select those quite easily and listen/learn how those Nets operate.

    Don't forget!  Look at the controls on each site. You'll have to toggle USB - Upper Side Band, or LSB - Lower Side Band, as appropriate.  USB for 20, 17, 15, 10m and LSB for 80/75, 40m.

    ~KG~


  • 30 Sep 2017 10:26 AM
    Reply # 5288836 on 4925199

    Chris,

    Congrats on getting your HF rig.  HF phone is my first love.  I bought the Yaesu FT981 and ATAS-120A and have been toying with the pair at home before plunging into my mobile install.  Part of the delay is whether to install in the Jeep or in the idea of Land Rover Disco I'm chasing. 

    (For the record, I mostly play with an Elecraft KX2 and end fed wire because I travel so much. It's my grab and go set up.)

    What I've learned with the ATAS-120A is that it needs a good connection to something to act as a ground plane. It was fair clamped to the metal picket fence in the back yard.  Put it up on a 20' PVC mast and it would not tune; got the "HIGH SWR" annunciation.  That tells me you're not providing an adequate ground plane.

    Clamped it on top of the metal louver sun shade on the front patio and got SWRs in the 1.5 range and hit Wisconsin and Missouri on 20m the other day.  That was mostly propagation of the moment, but also the better ground plane to reflect the RF.

    I recently added one of those extended 3rd brake light mounts over the spare tire on the back of my Jeep.  The one I chose has an antenna mounting lug built on.  That's for my HF mobile antenna -- when -- I get the fiberglass top / ground plane problem solved to my satisfaction.

    I noticed lots of chatter about NVIS on the forums and although being far from an authority, a mobile mounted vertical should be A-OK for HF in the ranges we'd be working.  When you want big DX, go horizontally polarized wires, Yagis or beams.

    73 and Good Navigating,

    ~KG~   K7KSG

  • 02 Oct 2017 3:41 AM
    Reply # 5290569 on 4925199
    Chris Doering (Administrator)

    Keith, I'm going to need help from you and the other HF operators. I just spent last Saturday grounding everything to everything on my Jeep. I think this made a big difference. I'm excited to be able to have you at a good distance for some coordinated testing.

    I hope you're as excited about what we're doing as I am. I'm busy at work so I really enjoy the help our members provide.

    Roof rack to vehicle twice with 1" flat braid,  antenna mount to roof rack, radio to antenna mount, radio to vehicle. 

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