Ham Radio Question

CF,Welcome to the World of Ham radio. A very good antenna for 2 meter is a Dual Band Jetstream JTM-7505. Cost $35 at R&L Electronics. Very same antenna as the Diamond SG-7500. But half the price. It has 3.5 dbi gain. Handles 150 watts. I can hit repeaters up to 100 miles away with one and a 50 watt Yaesu.

 

Like CB antennas, 2 Meter antennas can be TALL or short depending of the design. The 5/8 style, single band 2M antenna averages about 4.5 to
6 feet tall. With the dual-band style ( with the little squiggly coil in the center), they are a bit shorter. For good quality antennas, look at Larsen,
Diamond and other brands at AES Supply and HRO. You may pay a bit more, but you do get what you pay for! Stay away from the "mom & pop" generics that imitate the name-brands. They are cheap CRAP that will fall apart soon. Trust me! I bought one at a hamfest and ended up replacing it a few months later! Bummer!


73

Gadfly

 

Some of them do have more gain--like the 5/8 wave ones as opposed to the little 1/4 wave "stingers". The good thing is they aren't too tall. There's a repeater in NC located on (actually near) Mt Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi! Frequency is 145.19 down .6 for TX. You can actually talk to 7 states thru this thing, and from near Charlotte, NC I have talked to Ohio on 2M!

Funny story. When I was working in Charlotte, NC, a trucker pulled into our loading dock. He saw my little handy talkie and began to make fun of it. He bragged about his "huge reddio" and his "8 'pill linear" he used to squash "mud ducks" like me.

I said, "Well, I don't know about that! Why don't we have a little "shootout"! Let's just see how far your "big" radio will reach. Betcha one hundred bucks my little "mud duck" radio will talk farther than your "beeg" linear!"

"AW HAW, HAW, HAW, HAW, NOW THAT'S FUNNY!" NOW YOU KNOW THAT THAR LITTLE CB REDDIO CAIN'T TAWK FURTHER THAN I CAN ON MY BEEG RED-DIDDO!!!!!!!!"

"I replied, "Sure it will!!!!! You go first!!!"

'HOW 'BOUCHA THAR, C'MON, C'MON, THIS H'YAR'S THE ONE CAROLINA ROADRUNNER, THE BIGGEST BADDEST MO-BILE IN NAWTH C'LINA THAR, WE'S A-TRYIN', C'MON, C'MON!"

Silence except for static.

"AWRIGHT, NOW Y'ALL, THIS H'AR'S THIS BIGGEST, LOUDEST, BESTEST MO-BILE IN CENTRAL N'AWTH C'LINA THAR, Y'ALL GOT TO BE A-HEARIN' ME NOW, GO'RD AHEAD AN' COME ON BACK TO THEEE OOOOONE CAROLINA ROADRUNNNER, C'MON, C'MON!"

Nothing. And I am about to bust out laughing.

Several times he tried to raise somebody with his "biggest, baddest mo-byle" in central naw'th c'lina" with no result.

I simply dialed up a LOCAL repeater that covers from northern South Carolina to Southern Virginia and made a call: "This is K4--- calling for a radio test, anyone around?"

Without hesitation a station replied from atop Fancy Gap, VA and at least
150 miles away, "This is K4XXX, you're fine copy from here!"

All this was from a 5 watt handie talkie!!!!!!!! I just omitted to tell him about repeaters, etc! Telephone quality, too!


That trucker almost fell over with astonishment!

"YOU TALKED TO THAT CAR ON FANCY GAP? IT CAN'T BE!!! HOW DID YOU DO THAT?"

By that time I was laughing my--- off!!

I didn't keep his money! But he was SO hurt over his "beeg radio and 8 'pill' linear", I think it REALLY hurt his feelings!!!! He was a good sport, tho!

So, you see, ham radio does do a LOT!!!!!!!


GF

 

I've told this story before ...

Back 45 tears ago when I lived in New York I had a friend who retired from BELL LABS.He worked on some of the original TRANSISTORS in the 1940's.

He lived in a apartment and had built a .2 watt 2 meter AM station ......

Well ..... fast forward a few years ......

One night about 1970 or so I was working a station 300 miles away running several HUNDERD WATTS and 4 stacked beams and He came on frequency and ask " Do you think he might hear me ?"

HEAR YOU ?

YOUR AS STRONG AS YOUR BUDDY IS !

Before he died he had 20+ states worked on 2 meters with that 1/4 watt radio .....

Sometimes the DX gods are smileing on you ......

 

Tampabay to Long Island on 2 meters ...