Mike Rodriguez

Having some issues with my HackRF One (firmware 2024.02.1) where TX power output seems inconsistent across different frequency ranges. At 433 MHz I'm getting solid -10 dBm output into a 50-ohm load, but when I move to 2.4 GHz the power drops to around -18 dBm under identical settings in GNU Radio. Running latest version of gr-osmosdr and have verified the antenna path with a VNA - no obvious issues there. Anyone else seeing frequency-dependent power variations? Wondering if this is normal behavior or if my unit needs attention. Test setup: GNU Radio 3.10.7.0, Ubuntu 22.04, hackrf_transfer shows good connection and no USB errors.

For the IC-7610, definitely go with wfview - if all you want to do is listen and talk, then wfview does fine all by itself. On rigs with built-in network interfaces like the IC-7610, live audio streaming is available for both receive and transmit. Much cleaner than trying to patch together separate VoIP solutions.

so we ran a simulated disaster exercise last Saturday, scenario was a major flooding event that knocked out all repeaters in the southern part of the county and we had to coordinate shelter-to-EOC traffic using only simplex and a couple HF links. about 14 operators showed up which honestly was more than i expected. the part that surprised everybody — including the EC — was how fast things broke down once we actually had message traffic flowing. like in theory we all knew ICS forms and the net protocol but when three people are trying to check in at the same time on simplex with marginal signals and someone at the shelter needs to relay health-and-welfare info, it got real messy real fast. nobody was really at fault it just exposed that we hadnt practiced actual traffic handling under any kind of simulated stress, just the checkin/checkout stuff. the other thing that came up was battery power. two of our guys thought they had fresh batteries in their HTs and they didnt. one guys radio died maybe 90 minutes in. we wrote that up in the AAR as a big item — you have to actually TEST your backup power before any exercise, not just assume. anyway curious if others have run drills that surfaced stuff like this, especially around message handling or just the chaos of real-time coordination. we're trying to build a better training pipeline and id love to hear what worked for other groups.

Just upgraded to General yesterday (W00HOO!) and got assigned KF5XYZ. I keep seeing folks talking about vanity calls but honestly I'm not sure if it's worth the hassle for someone just starting out. The $35 fee is reasonable, but I'm wondering if I should get comfortable with my current call first or jump right into the vanity process. For those who've done it - what made you decide to go vanity vs. keeping your sequential call? Any regrets either way?

Your antenna mount needs to be properly grounded for correct function - without a solid ground, you're bound to get high SWR and extremely poor performance. Clean the roof contact area and check continuity with a multimeter from the coax shield to the vehicle chassis. Sometimes a grounding strap helps.

Looking to make my first EME contacts on 144 MHz and trying to understand the minimum station requirements. I've heard that thanks to the JT65B digital mode provided by the WSJT program, any station having a 2m SSB transceiver capable of delivering 50 W and a directional antenna can make successful contacts via EME. My current setup includes a IC-9700 (100W), single 17-element Yagi pointed horizontally, and a low noise preamplifier with 0.5-0.8 dB NF at the antenna input point. I've read about Q65 mode being the newer preferred digital protocol for EME work. Q65 is particularly effective for tropospheric scatter, rain scatter, ionospheric scatter, TEP, and EME on VHF and higher bands, as well as other types of fast-fading signals. Should I start with JT65 or move directly to Q65? Also wondering if I can still make EME contacts when the moon is near the horizon with a single Yagi antenna pointing to the horizon normally allows to work EME till the Moon is up to 15 or 18 degrees above the horizon.

I agree, a good antenna changes the game completely. I have a Nagoya 771 on the Baofeng right now. Works like a charm. The range increase is noticeable. Night and day difference for both receive and transmit on repeaters.

I've run my 7300 with an AL-80B for two years now. The overshoot is manageable with a proper T/R sequencer - I use an Array Solutions RTS-4. Set the delays correctly and you'll have no issues. The 7300's performance otherwise is excellent.

Just received my Adalm-Pluto and Orange Pi Zero 2 to build F1ATB's Remote-SDR system for QO-100 satellite work. I've downloaded the v5.08 image but I'm confused about the initial setup process. The documentation mentions extending the Pluto frequency range - is this mandatory for 10GHz uplink operation? Also wondering about antenna switching - can the GPIO control external relays for RX/TX antenna selection? My station has separate feeds for uplink (dish) and downlink (patch antenna). Pluto firmware: v0.32External GPSDO planned for frequency reference2.4GHz upconverter: DB6NT

If you want to join a conversation, the best approach is to call the station you're trying to reach directly. Something like "W1ABC, this is your call" during a natural break works well.

so ive been licensed for about two years mostly doing HF and some local 2m FM stuff but i finally decided to try working through the linear transponder birds, specifically AO-73 and sometimes FO-29 when it cooperates. got myself a decent yagi setup, two separate radios so i can do full duplex, and i have gpredict running on the laptop pulling fresh keplerian elements every few days. my problem is the doppler correction. i understand the concept — uplink goes up in frequency as the bird approaches and then drops off, same deal on the downlink but in reverse since its a linear inverting transponder. i have gpredict set to control the radios via hamlib and it does move the frequencies around during a pass but honestly it feels like im always slightly off. i can hear signals on the downlink that kind of sound like SSB but they're just a little mushy or like slightly off pitch. im not sure if its my radio tuning resolution, the doppler tables, or if im just not understanding how the passband works on these transponders. also not sure if i should be listening for my own downlink or just trying to work someone. feels like trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time honestly

This has always been a confusing area of the rules! Part 97 does authorize any use of radio technology for immediate safety of human life and protection of property during emergencies, regardless of other FCC regulations. So legitimate emergency response coordination should be covered, but routine work discussions definitely cross the line.

25 feet for a 40m dipole isnt doing you any favors for DX thats for sure, youre right about the NVIS thing. but i'd be careful assuming the vertical is automatically better. i put up a 43 foot vertical with 32 radials last spring and yeah the low angle stuff improved but i also picked up way more noise. the dipole actually had a quieter receive on a lot of bands which i didn't expect. for working europe from the midwest on 40 the vertical does seem to give me a bit of an edge on the signal reports but its not night and day. i think people oversell how much the radial count matters past a certain point — going from 16 to 32 i noticed almost nothing honestly. what matters more is that you get them on the ground and not floating in the air.

I was terrified my first time too! Start by asking for any emergency or priority traffic, then explain how check-ins will be handled. Most hams are very patient with new net controls and will help you out if you stumble.

I've noticed that our local repeater sometimes gets tied up in long conversations, and I'm not sure about proper timing. I know repeaters have courtesy tones and need time to reset between transmissions, but what's considered appropriate? Should I be waiting for a specific amount of time, or just listening for the courtesy beep? Also, when is it okay to break into an ongoing conversation if I have something important to add?

so ive been trying to get into DX chasing more seriously and someone at my club mentioned i should be using cluster spots to find activity. ive been poking around on DXwatch and also the cluster thing built into QRZ and honestly im a little confused about whether theyre pulling from the same data or not because sometimes ill see a spot on one and not the other for the same callsign. im also not totally sure how to filter it down so im not drowning in HF spots when i mostly operate on like 17m and 20m. there seems to be a band filter somewhere on DXwatch but it didnt seem to stick last time i tried it. maybe a browser thing? anyway if anyone has a good workflow for using these tools together id love to hear it, im running a FT-891 into a dipole so nothing fancy but ive been making some decent contacts lately and want to find more rare ones before the solar cycle peaks and everyone forgets about propagation again lol

With SFI at 111, you might still catch some surprises on 15m around midday, especially if you're patient with digital modes like FT8. 10m will be pretty quiet except for possible sporadic-E patches. I'd stick to 20m as your main band but keep an ear on the others during peak solar hours.

honestly the swap meets have been kind of hit or miss lately but i still go every year just to see people from the club i only ever talk to on the air otherwise. worth it if youre not driving more than like 2 hours i think

oh man that rain thing is the worst, ive been caught out like that more than once. to answer your question though -- yeah you need the 44 QSOs for it to count as a valid activation unfortunately, so the 34 wont log as an activation on your record. BUT the contacts still count for the chasers who worked you, so dont feel bad about that, you gave out points to people even if you didnt get credit yourself. for logging i really like HAMRS, works offline and has a WWFF mode built in. some people swear by RumLog if youre on iOS. i used to do paper too and honestly its fine if your handwriting is decent but uploading to the WWFF database afterward is a pain when you have 80+ contacts to enter manually. the app just makes life easier. try to get back to that reference on a nicer day, 34 QSOs in a couple hours on 40m means the propagation was cooperating, you wouldve hit 44 easy if the weather held.

I found guides with 210+ practice questions and 6 full-length exams really helped. Don't just memorize answers - understand the concepts behind Ohm's law, SWR, and band characteristics. The math isn't too bad once it clicks.

All information on the application form is strictly confidential and usually shredded within a few months - forms with credit card data are shredded even quicker. I usually group by entity since it makes checking easier, but the key is consistency between your cards and record sheet.

As someone who learned the hard way during a real emergency activation, practice your ID procedures during drills until they become second nature. The FCC turned down Dukish's petition to allow single-point ID during emergency nets, so we're stuck with current rules. Consider using digital modes like Winlink for non-critical traffic to reduce voice net congestion while maintaining legal ID requirements.

During my first SSB contest, I heard tons of contacts in the parts of bands I wasn't allowed to transmit in - my competitive nature got the better of me and I determined to get Extra. Those exclusive segments do make a difference during peak conditions.

so ive been going back and forth on this for probably two months now and i need to just pick one and build it. my situation is a suburban lot, maybe 80 feet of usable run in my backyard if i go corner to corner, neighbors on both sides who are already suspicious of the wire i have up for 20m. the house is a single story ranch so apex height is maybe 18 feet if i run a mast off the roof peak, which my wife is not thrilled about. the 40m half wave is obviously the classic choice and i get that, but the feedpoint impedance at low heights gets weird and i'd need a good 1:1 balun or maybe go with a center insulator and just accept the mismatch and let the tuner deal with it. the vertical option is tempting because i could hide it better honestly, a mag mount or a homebrew ground mounted vertical would be less visible, but then im dealing with radials and i really dont want to bury 16 radials in my lawn right now. performance wise i know the vertical is going to have lower angle radiation which is better for dx but i mostly work domestic stuff on 40, like 300-800 miles, so maybe the higher angle from the low dipole actually helps me. or does it. i genuinely dont know if my dipole at 18 feet is even going to perform differently enough from the vertical with a mediocre radial system to matter at the power levels im running (100w). anyone been through this same decision, what did you end up building

Built the ZL2AL-style interlaced beam last year using salvaged aluminum. The 6-element interlaced design on 14-foot boom works all bands with just one feedline and performs excellently. Construction was straightforward and it's been rock-solid through two ice storms so far.