New here

[twortley]

New to amateur radio & happy to be here - passed tech and general last week and now call sign KB1UYB. It was one of my "Someday" list items since college. Finally made it 20yrs later ...

Right now getting my feet wet running on 2m with a Yaesu 8900 in my truck. Please take it easy on me if you hear me out there

-Tim
KB1UYB

 

[C-pher]

Nice to have you here. It's almost been a year since I got my call sign...and I'm still a newb. There's guy here that are newer than I and are already light years ahead of me.

We'll have to find out where there's a middle ground and see if we can get another NES group talk.

 

[Fixxah]

Big 10-4. Welcome.
It is on my list as well. Might just get CB, no testing.

 

[Zappa]

Big 10-4. Welcome.
It is on my list as well.

What are you waiting for?
The FCC has dumbed down the test so much even you could pass it.

 

[Zappa]

New to amateur radio & happy to be here - passed tech and general last week and now call sign KB1UYB. It was one of my "Someday" list items since college. Finally made it 20yrs later ...

Right now getting my feet wet running on 2m with a Yaesu 8900 in my truck. Please take it easy on me if you hear me out there

-Tim
KB1UYB

Congrats on getting your ticket.
A buddy of mine has the 8900, too bad that quad band antenna is so darn expensive.
He was having a QSO with us on 440 and accidently hit the wrong button and QSY'd.
It took him 10 minutes to figure out how to get back to where he was.
Don't even bother with the 10 meter side, without sideband it's next to useless.
That radio would be MUCH better if they had stuck 220 in there instead of 10.

 

[cockpitbob]

Welcome aboard!
Like you, it was on my bucket list for decades. Finally did it back in January at a club's "cram for a day, then take the test" class. I've only had time to scratch the surface with 2M repeater stuff and working a few sattelites with a 2M/440 handheld. I'm working on my shack in the basement these days, getting ready for working the HF bands. I have 2 ground rods driven and am all ready to string a wire antenna, drill holes in the house and put it all together. As people say, ham radio is 99 hobbies. You'll always have something new to do.

 

[twortley]

I thought I would get started with a mobile rig - but I wanted 6m based on hearing some 6m traffic on my scanner. I will treat myself to a "bigger" HF rig when I pass my Extra in December (how's that for self induced pressure)

Wife said ok, but she doesn't want big antennas hanging off the roof - looks like a hike up my back hill and find a suitable tree for a dipole/inverted V

 

[Realtor MA]

Welcome. Relative newb here too. Get a cheap HF rig and go for it.

 

[twortley]

Well, passed Extra last night @ Lunenburg, my reward - off to HRO today to pick up an HF rig (probably a Yaesu FT450D) - I feel there's dipole stringing in my future over the next few days

Any suggestions on grounding system? On the dipole, my backyard is a 30 degree slope up to the top of the hill about 180' behind the house. Thinking I can run a 120' wire right to the top and have both ends elevated in trees, but of course one end will be much higher than the other. I have a little flexibility on orientation also, so aiming mostly NNE-SSW so I can hit Europe.

 

[cockpitbob]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

When you upgrade do they automatically give you one of those cool 2x2 callsigns, or do you have to request a new call?

I'm a newb but believe a dipole doesn't need a ground plane since it's ballanced. However, you'll need an 8' ground rod near where it enters the house and a lightning arrestor on the line. I can't use a dipole, so I'm going to use a long wire with a tuner, and it needs a good ground. I don't have my wire strung yet, but I sunk two 5/8" rods 10' apart and connected them with #6 wire - all from Home Depot.

 

[Zappa]

Well, passed Extra last night @ Lunenburg, my reward - off to HRO today to pick up an HF rig (probably a Yaesu FT450D) -

Excellent!