• packet radio

    From Irish_Monk@432:1/100 to All on Thu Aug 11 14:19:26 2022
    Hopefully this is the correct message base for this, I just watched a video on youtube from Tech Prepper, He uses a "radio" basically to connect to BBS's , repeaters, etc.. He appears to have a Raspberry PI 4 connected to the radio. I believe you have to have a HAM Radio license for this. Something Ive never looked into before. Where would I start this process. He did mention that doing this packet radio you could have a low level license and even start off with some equipment that wont break the bank. Unless I misunderstood something. I will be doing the research on my own. But I just wanted to know if you guys could give me some info or could point me in the right direction to get started in this. Thanks alot!!

    |10I|02rish_|10M|02onk

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  • From Zero Reader@432:1/100 to Irish_Monk on Thu Aug 11 14:52:08 2022
    On 11 Aug 2022, Irish_Monk said the following...

    Hopefully this is the correct message base for this, I just watched a video on youtube from Tech Prepper, He uses a "radio" basically to
    connect to BBS's , repeaters, etc.. He appears to have a Raspberry PI 4 connected to the radio. I believe you have to have a HAM Radio license
    for this. Something Ive never looked into before. Where would I start
    this process. He did mention that doing this packet radio you could have

    Yes, you need to obtain at least a Technician class amateur radio license first. You could probably study one afternoon and pass the exam the next day, as it's pretty straightforward. A lot of the packet activity occurs on VHF/UHF frequencies, which are covered by the bands granted with a Tech license.

    Visit arrl.org to locate testing near you. There are study guides online and sample tests you can take to help you study.

    Once you get the license, it's going to take some additional study to get packet working. You can either get a real TNC (terminal node controller) or use a "soundcard" method. Hopefully you can find some packet boards near you to connect to, then enjoy 300 baud like it's the 80s again. :-)

    A more interesting thing to do IMHO, is using the digipeater on the ISS. I've pinged it with APRS packets with my Yaesu 8800 and a mobile magmount antenna before, using a Signalink soundcard. The digipeater then re-transmitted my APRS info and it was picked up by ground stations several states away. Pretty cool seeing my callsign being transmitted via NA1SS!

    -ZR (KK4DSD)

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  • From Irish_Monk@432:1/100 to Zero Reader on Fri Aug 12 12:33:34 2022
    Yes, you need to obtain at least a Technician class amateur radio license first. You could probably study one afternoon and pass the exam the next Visit arrl.org to locate testing near you. There are study guides online

    I found the above mentioned web site. Awesome, Thats what Im going to try and get for now is the Technician Class Amateur Radio License. I really appreciate you responding with all that great info. Ill probably come back to your message for a reference on that equipment again. :} Thank you very much!!

    |10I|02rish_|10M|02onk

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  • From Zero Reader@432:1/100 to Irish_Monk on Fri Aug 12 13:47:41 2022
    On 12 Aug 2022, Irish_Monk said the following...

    I found the above mentioned web site. Awesome, Thats what Im going to
    try and get for now is the Technician Class Amateur Radio License. I really appreciate you responding with all that great info. Ill probably come back to your message for a reference on that equipment again. :}

    Let me know how I can help! I've been away from the hobby for a while, but while I was active, I did all sorts of things. If you get licensed, I'd recommend going ahead and getting the General class license as well, since that opens up all the classic ham radio HF bands. You can work the world on the HF bands, whereas the Tech class is mainly focused on the VHF/UHF bands.

    I think any packet activity is largely going to be on VHF/UHF, but packet boards are a rarity these days. I've always wanted to set one up though. VHF/UHF are "line of sight" bands for the most part, so that can be limiting.

    I got into ham radio for space communications -- basically, I wanted to talk to astronauts on the ISS. It's thrilling to see the ISS pass over while receiving signals from it. I've heard the station commanders, decoded slow scan TV, etc. Never managed a chat with anyone though. It really depends on who's onboard.

    You also get the 10 and 6 meter bands as a Tech, which are really cool, but those bands have to be "open" to work, and openings are rare. As we move into a more active solar cycle, I've been seeing some days with a flux index exceeding 150, which means conditions for operating on 10M are becoming more usable.

    Anyway, I could go on and on with this stuff!

    -ZR

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  • From Vk3jed@432:1/100 to Irish_Monk on Sat Aug 13 16:20:00 2022
    On 08-12-22 07:33, Irish_Monk wrote to Zero Reader <=-

    I found the above mentioned web site. Awesome, Thats what Im going to
    try and get for now is the Technician Class Amateur Radio License. I really appreciate you responding with all that great info. Ill probably come back to your message for a reference on that equipment again. :} Thank you very much!!

    Good luck with the study, and if you have any questions, just ask.


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  • From Jared@432:1/100 to Irish_Monk on Sat Aug 13 14:54:16 2022
    Re: packet radio
    By: Irish_Monk to All on Thu Aug 11 2022 09:19:26

    Hopefully this is the correct message base for this, I just watched a video on youtube from Tech Prepper, He uses a "radio" basically to connect to BBS's , repeaters, etc.. He appears to have a Raspberry PI 4 connected to the radio. I believe you have to have a HAM Radio license for this.

    There's *things* you can do without a license, but most are so restricted in power limits it's not worth it. Get licensed!! I have not regretted it for a second; and my license was a pandemic project for me. The foundation level (here in Aus) or Techician class in the US is fairly achievable for anyone with a logical and technical mind with a little study.

    Check out github.com/dotb/pakcatt for some software that can help here. I do eventually want to put my current BBS on RF though; but haven't had time recently.

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  • From Irish_Monk@432:1/100 to Jared on Sat Aug 13 13:25:00 2022
    Check out github.com/dotb/pakcatt for some software that can help here.
    I do eventually want to put my current BBS on RF though; but haven't had time recently.

    Thanks for the info. Appreciate everyones help! Part of the reason why I got back into BBS'ing is because I have time. The other reason is Im not a big fan of how the internet is these days with Social Media, Etc... So it does seem even more extreme but after I get the BBS Im working on now up and running. My next project will be to already be license and get a BBS on RF also. Mixes 2 of my hobbies, BBS'ing and Prepping. Lots of Fun!

    |10I|02rish_|10M|02onk

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  • From NuSkooler@432:1/100 to Irish_Monk on Sat Aug 13 15:20:22 2022

    On Thursday, August 11th Irish_Monk muttered...
    Hopefully this is the correct message base for this, I just watched a video on youtube from Tech Prepper, He uses a "radio" basically to connect to BBS's , repeaters, etc.. He appears to have a Raspberry PI 4 connected to the radio. I believe you have to have a HAM Radio license for this. Something Ive never looked into before. Where would I start this process. He did mention that doing this packet radio you could have a low level license and even start off with some equipment that wont break the bank. Unless I misunderstood something. I will be doing the research on my own. But I just wanted to know if you guys could give me some info or could point me in the right direction to get started in this. Thanks alot!!


    This is something I've been interested in for a while as well, but haven't had the time to really dig in very much. LoRa also looks like it could be interesting as well -- anyone played with that?


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  • From Irish_Monk@432:1/100 to NuSkooler on Sat Aug 13 20:30:00 2022
    This is something I've been interested in for a while as well, but
    haven't had the time to really dig in very much. LoRa also looks like it could be interesting as well -- anyone played with that?

    No, but of course, I researched it right away! Yes, that looks very interesting too. Low Power , Long Distance, and operates in an unlicenced frequency. Looked at some pricing and only about $30 a piece, give or take. I didnt get to finish it , but will later, but Johan Stokking has a 60mins video that seems very interesting on this technology.

    |10I|02rish_|10M|02onk

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  • From Irish_Monk@432:1/100 to Vk3jed on Sun Aug 14 21:44:55 2022
    Good luck with the study, and if you have any questions, just ask.

    I just ordered (and it should be here by 9pm tmrw) "AARL Ham Radio License Manual 5th Edition" Would this all I need to study? Says it also has all the questions and answers that will be on the tests so it knows what to prepare
    you for. Im just trying for the Technician Amateur license for now.

    |10I|02rish_|10M|02onk

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  • From fusion@432:1/100 to Irish_Monk on Mon Aug 15 00:09:46 2022
    On 14 Aug 2022, Irish_Monk said the following...

    knows what to prepare you for. Im just trying for the Technician Amateur license for now.

    it's not just the tech! there's a huge group of people who listen to shortwave, are interested in ham radio, but never take that first step.

    then there's the group whose only interest is working satellites, mesh networks and the ghz range on up. some of them do more interesting things
    than the amateur extras do and continue to learn new things.

    every step matters :)

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  • From Irish_Monk@432:1/100 to fusion on Mon Aug 15 01:02:04 2022
    it's not just the tech! there's a huge group of people who listen to shortwave, are interested in ham radio, but never take that first step.

    I understand what you mean. I definitely hope its something I can enjoy and keep moving forward with. Cant wait for this book to come in so I can soak in some knowledge.

    then there's the group whose only interest is working satellites, mesh networks and the ghz range on up. some of them do more interesting things than the amateur extras do and continue to learn new things.

    Tell ya the truth, I enjoy doing anything in the telecommunications field. As long as Im learning something new. Right now Ive been doing the same thing for 21 years and not much changes day to day. So anytime I can learn something new, Ill take it.

    |10I|02rish_|10M|02onk

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  • From Jared@432:1/100 to NuSkooler on Mon Aug 15 11:16:16 2022
    Re: RE: packet radio
    By: NuSkooler to Irish_Monk on Sat Aug 13 2022 10:20:22

    This is something I've been interested in for a while as well, but haven't had the time to really dig in very much. LoRa also looks like it could be interesting as well -- anyone played with that?

    I have a bunch of LoRa devices here I haven't had a chance to play with much. I did try one with TinyGS but that seemed to be pretty useless at least in my location.

    It is on the ever growing list of things to play with!


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  • From Jared@432:1/100 to Irish_Monk on Mon Aug 15 11:18:27 2022
    Re: Re: packet radio
    By: Irish_Monk to fusion on Sun Aug 14 2022 20:02:04


    I understand what you mean. I definitely hope its something I can enjoy and keep moving forward with. Cant wait for this book to come in so I can soak in some knowledge.

    There's always something new to learn, that's what appeals to me about all things compute, communications and technology.

    Tell ya the truth, I enjoy doing anything in the telecommunications field. As long as Im learning something new. Right now Ive been doing the same thing for 21 years and not much changes day to day. So anytime I can learn something new, Ill take it.

    One of the things I've been doing a lot of in radio is VoIP and Radio interoperability; and have bridges from various DMR talk groups to both Hams Over IP and Amateur Wire SIP services and regularly use the hardware VoIP phones on my QTH network for monitoring things (though they can use a soft PTT key if required, i just prefer using a radio when talking).

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  • From Vk3jed@432:1/100 to Irish_Monk on Tue Aug 16 02:37:00 2022
    On 08-14-22 16:44, Irish_Monk wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    Good luck with the study, and if you have any questions, just ask.

    I just ordered (and it should be here by 9pm tmrw) "AARL Ham Radio
    License Manual 5th Edition" Would this all I need to study? Says it
    also has all the questions and answers that will be on the tests so it knows what to prepare you for. Im just trying for the Technician
    Amateur license for now.

    I'm sure it'll give you a good start, will be good for you to get your ticket. I'm not familiar with the book myself, but I have some understanding of the US system.


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  • From deon@432:1/100 to NuSkooler on Tue Aug 16 03:12:34 2022
    Re: RE: packet radio
    By: NuSkooler to Irish_Monk on Sat Aug 13 2022 10:20 am

    This is something I've been interested in for a while as well, but haven't had the time to really dig in very much. LoRa also looks like it could be interesting as well -- anyone played with that?

    I'm playing with it at the moment.

    I have a couple of pycom devices, which I got connecting to a chirpstack server that I set up at home.

    While I got the devices to send a small message (a few bytes) every minute (although some packets dont make it - not sure why), I cannot get it to transfer anymore than 50 bytes or so at a time.

    I'm not sure what I'm doing, but its been interesting getting them going.


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  • From Warson@432:1/100 to fusion on Mon Aug 15 18:19:17 2022
    then there's the group whose only interest is working satellites, mesh networks and the ghz range on up. some of them do more interesting things than the amateur extras do and continue to learn new things.

    I'm having a blast as a Technician. I fully intend to upgrade to General, but I'm in no rush. Working sats is so darn cool and exciting. Have done plenty of 10 meter SSB and have worked some 6 meter stations across the country this summer. Even made my first CW contact after re-learning morse code. There's plenty to do as a Technician. Plenty of fun, for sure.

    - Warson -

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  • From Irish_Monk@432:1/100 to Warson on Tue Aug 16 14:51:38 2022
    I'm having a blast as a Technician. I fully intend to upgrade to
    General, but I'm in no rush. Working sats is so darn cool and exciting. Have done plenty of 10 meter SSB and have worked some 6 meter stations across the country this summer. Even made my first CW contact after re-learning morse code. There's plenty to do as a Technician. Plenty of fun, for sure.

    Got the book in yesterday. Reading thru it, not just studying answers to the questions. Luckily being a cable guy for 21 years, alot of it (sine waves, electrical theory) I have a really good knowledge of already. Take the test Sept. 1 for the technician license.

    Is there a particular radio that you guys would recommend for someone just getting into this hobby? Brand, model, best place to purchase? Thanks for any info.

    |10I|02rish_|10M|02onk

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  • From Warson@432:1/100 to Irish_Monk on Tue Aug 16 19:18:42 2022
    Got the book in yesterday. Reading thru it, not just studying answers to the questions. Luckily being a cable guy for 21 years, alot of it (sine waves, electrical theory) I have a really good knowledge of already.
    Take the test Sept. 1 for the technician license.

    Sounds like you will rock the test. Good luck with it.

    Is there a particular radio that you guys would recommend for someone
    just getting into this hobby? Brand, model, best place to purchase?
    Thanks for any info.

    It really depends on what aspect of the hobby you would like to tackle first. Sorry for such a non-helpful answer. You mentioned an interest in packet radio and there are several radios that can help you tackle that. I seem to have drifted toward Yaesu radios, a few of which are packet ready. As far as places to purchase, I've ordered from DX Engineering and R&L Electronics pretty much exclusively during my 2nd stint as a Technician. Mainly because they are close to home with quick shipping (they are both in Ohio, as am I). I'm sure some of the much more experienced amateur operators could steer you in a good direction on first radio recommendations.

    Again, good luck!

    - Warson -

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  • From dotslash@432:1/100 to All on Fri Aug 19 20:56:29 2022
    Hi!

    On 16/08/2022 10:51, Irish_Monk wrote:
    Got the book in yesterday. Reading thru it, not just studying answers to the questions. Luckily being a cable guy for 21 years, alot of it (sine waves, electrical theory) I have a really good knowledge of already. Take the test Sept. 1 for the technician license.

    Good luck with your exam, I'm sure you will ace it.


    Is there a particular radio that you guys would recommend for someone just getting into this hobby? Brand, model, best place to purchase? Thanks for any info.

    This will depend on a number of factors ranging from budget to
    application. In all cases I would suggest that you keep to the KISS
    principle, because if you get that one radio that can do it all (like
    the Icom ID-52), you will end up forking out a pile of money. Not that
    the ID-52 is not worth it, but while you are right at the start why not
    get some "Lego blocks" instead of buying a Cadillac.

    For packet, any decent HT would do. Since we are talking about things
    like Raspberry Pi's, you can just as well get the equivalent in the HT
    world - the Baofeng UV-5R or similar. Alternatively you can get it's
    slightly more upmarket cousin, the Baofeng UV-82. These radios are all
    approx $30 US each, and are excellent tools to experiment with due to
    their low cost.

    For general usage, you have even more choice. If you stay in the analog
    world, anything from Baofeng, Retevis, TyT, Yaesu and a mountain of
    other makes would probably do you fine. For general analog usage I got
    myself a Retevis RA685, which is a fine little radio for around $50 or thereabouts (I bought it for £49 in the UK from Amazon). I also have a Baofeng UV-82 for general voice and packet use.

    Just pre-empting discussion about digital modes, ease yourself into that
    later on when you have read up more about it, and also asked more
    questions about it. There are loads of really knowledgeable people here,
    so don't be shy to flood us with questions.


    Cheerio,
    Jan (dotslash/M7HNK)

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  • From phigan@432:1/100 to dotslash on Sun Aug 21 10:47:04 2022
    Totally agree about starting off with a cheapie radio, except not the UV-5R. I personally have not gotten mine to work with any TNC setup. The UV-6R, yes. The UV-82, yes. Pretty much every other radio than the UV-5R. I've tried with two of them.

    For TNCs, the Mobilinkd bluetooth/usb TNC is pretty awesome.

    If you can find a PI-TNC (or is it TNC-PI?), those are pretty cool, too.

    Not sure if there's anything else modern. You can sometimes find older TNCs on eBay.

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  • From dotslash@432:1/100 to phigan on Sun Aug 21 12:39:09 2022
    Hi phigan,

    I knew that mentioning the UV-5R was going to be a bit contraversial! :-) I might have been lucky, but the ones I had to play with worked flawlessly. My UV-82 even better, it turned out to be my most reliable HT. Of course I had to replace the standard antenna with a Nagoya type, but since I have done that it performs really well. Not sure how it will compare against a Yaesu over long distance, but for short-haul packet it works extremely well. It's worth the $5-$10 extra over the UV-5R. I acknowledge that the UV-5R is technically a bit junky, but I cannot help having a soft spot for it (probably due to it being my first radio ever).

    Regarding a TNC, I have never played with a hardware TNC before. The Mobilinkd looks awesome, and I would love to give it a try. It's just a tad too pricey for me at the moment. The setup I use is a Sabrent USB sound card, combined with the Direwolf software TNC on a Raspberry Pi. It's not without issues, but it seems to work well once you have managed to tweak your audio levels properly.

    73,
    Jan (M7HNK)

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  • From Irish_Monk@432:1/100 to dotslash on Tue Aug 23 22:19:47 2022
    world - the Baofeng UV-5R or similar. Alternatively you can get it's

    I understood there was a lot of contreversy around the UV-5R but I did pick on up. For 20bucs delivered to the door you cant beat it. Even if its just to get something in my hands to understand what Im learning. But I will definitely check out those other ones also. Thank you very much!@!

    |10I|02rish_|10M|02onk

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  • From Vk3jed@432:1/100 to Irish_Monk on Sat Aug 27 15:49:00 2022
    On 08-23-22 17:19, Irish_Monk wrote to dotslash <=-

    world - the Baofeng UV-5R or similar. Alternatively you can get it's

    I understood there was a lot of contreversy around the UV-5R but I did pick on up. For 20bucs delivered to the door you cant beat it. Even if
    its just to get something in my hands to understand what Im learning.
    But I will definitely check out those other ones also. Thank you very much!@!

    Also a good "sacrificial radio" - if you accidentally kill it hacking or dropping it in water, etc, you haven't lost too much money. :)


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  • From dotslash@432:1/100 to All on Sat Aug 27 15:13:25 2022
    On 27/08/2022 11:49, Vk3jed wrote:

    Also a good "sacrificial radio" - if you accidentally kill it hacking or dropping it in water, etc, you haven't lost too much money. :)


    Absolutely right, and it's also the radio that will most likely make it
    into a Hollywood block-buster! :-D Next time you see a dramatic action
    scene that involves "walkie-talkies" in some form, more often than not
    you'll see a UV-5R in some form (Ham or GMRS, probably the GMRS version).

    73,
    Jan (M7HNK)

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  • From Vk3jed@432:1/100 to dotslash on Mon Aug 29 22:00:00 2022
    On 08-27-22 10:13, dotslash wrote to All <=-

    Absolutely right, and it's also the radio that will most likely make it into a Hollywood block-buster! :-D Next time you see a dramatic action scene that involves "walkie-talkies" in some form, more often than not you'll see a UV-5R in some form (Ham or GMRS, probably the GMRS
    version).

    Yeah they're turning up everywhere. :) Wonder if some importer will ever get one type approved for UHF CB, they cartainly have the capabilities to run there. :)


    ... Got my tie caught in the fax... Suddenly I was in L.A.
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  • From Phigan@432:1/100 to Vk3jed on Mon Aug 29 21:07:08 2022
    Re: Re: packet radio
    By: Vk3jed to Irish_Monk on Sat Aug 27 2022 10:49:00

    Also a good "sacrificial radio" - if you accidentally kill it hacking or dropping it in water, etc, you haven't lost too much money. :)

    I'm in no way against buying cheap radios.. There was a UV-6R on Amazon for $28 which at the time was even cheaper than the UV-5R could be found for. They were EXCELLENT cheap radios. Much better receiver than the 5R, much louder speaker, everything. Not sure what happened, but you can't get those anymore.

    My point was that there are better things than the 5R for same/similar price. UV-82(hp) is definitely worth a couple bucks more.
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  • From Vk3jed@432:1/100 to Phigan on Tue Aug 30 18:27:00 2022
    On 08-29-22 16:07, Phigan wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    Re: Re: packet radio
    By: Vk3jed to Irish_Monk on Sat Aug 27 2022 10:49:00

    Also a good "sacrificial radio" - if you accidentally kill it hacking or dropping it in water, etc, you haven't lost too much money. :)

    I'm in no way against buying cheap radios.. There was a UV-6R on Amazon for $28 which at the time was even cheaper than the UV-5R could be
    found for. They were EXCELLENT cheap radios. Much better receiver than
    the 5R, much louder speaker, everything. Not sure what happened, but
    you can't get those anymore.

    The 6R certainly sounds like a good bang for the buck radio. Touting Amazon doesn't work for me, I find them frustrating, as many items don't ship here. I've tended to use eBay for such purchases.

    My point was that there are better things than the 5R for same/similar price. UV-82(hp) is definitely worth a couple bucks more.

    Yeah, they do make some reasonable radios for a great price.


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  • From dotslash@432:1/100 to All on Tue Aug 30 13:31:54 2022
    On 29/08/2022 18:00, Vk3jed wrote:
    On 08-27-22 10:13, dotslash wrote to All <=-

    Yeah they're turning up everywhere. :) Wonder if some importer will ever get one type approved for UHF CB, they cartainly have the capabilities to run there. :)

    I forgot that you have UHF CB in Oz. That is actually so cool! It would
    have been excellent if we could harmonize the used spectrum over the
    world, but 400-500 MHz is a busy place. Here in the UK 476-477 MHz (AU
    CB) is used for maritime radio, so no chance for us chewing off that
    spectrum for public use.

    The closest we have would be PMR446, but the bandwidth is very narrow
    between 446.0-446.2 MHz for narrow-band FM use. This include analog (16 channels only) and digital (32 channels), both business (high powered up
    to 5w) and private (max 500mw). You'll find baby monitors (illegal!) and blister-pack radio toys (possibly legal) also on this frequency range,
    so in cities this can be a cacophony. The only CB we have here is on 11-meters, which now at least have wide-band FM as a mode in addition to
    AM and SSB.

    I hope you in Australia use that bandwidth for UHF CB for all it is
    worth, so that there is no chance of it being withdrawn from public use!
    Big business have been chipping away at the spectrum over here in Europe
    for decades now, so we don't have what we used to have even as recently
    as 10 years ago.

    73,
    Jan (M7HNK)

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  • From Pepper@432:1/100 to dotslash on Thu Sep 1 03:27:33 2022
    On 30 Aug 2022, dotslash said the following...
    I forgot that you have UHF CB in Oz. That is actually so cool! It would have been excellent if we could harmonize the used spectrum over the

    You used to have an UHF allocation for CB. 934MHz. I always wanted one but could never afford it. Probably a good thing, growing up in rural Scotland. There probably would have been no one to talk to on 934 :)

    -=Pepper=-

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  • From Vk3jed@432:1/101 to Irish_Monk on Fri Sep 2 01:50:00 2022
    On 08-14-22 16:44, Irish_Monk wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    Good luck with the study, and if you have any questions, just ask.

    I just ordered (and it should be here by 9pm tmrw) "AARL Ham Radio
    License Manual 5th Edition" Would this all I need to study? Says it
    also has all the questions and answers that will be on the tests so it knows what to prepare you for. Im just trying for the Technician
    Amateur license for now.

    A US based ham would be able to give you more accurate guidance, but I think this sounds like a good start.


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  • From Vk3jed@432:1/100 to dotslash on Fri Sep 2 02:04:00 2022
    On 08-30-22 08:31, dotslash wrote to All <=-

    On 29/08/2022 18:00, Vk3jed wrote:
    On 08-27-22 10:13, dotslash wrote to All <=-

    Yeah they're turning up everywhere. :) Wonder if some importer will ever
    et
    one type approved for UHF CB, they cartainly have the capabilities to run there. :)

    I forgot that you have UHF CB in Oz. That is actually so cool! It would have been excellent if we could harmonize the used spectrum over the world, but 400-500 MHz is a busy place. Here in the UK 476-477 MHz (AU
    CB) is used for maritime radio, so no chance for us chewing off that spectrum for public use.

    Yeah would be nice, but as you say, not gonna happen.

    The closest we have would be PMR446, but the bandwidth is very narrow between 446.0-446.2 MHz for narrow-band FM use. This include analog (16 channels only) and digital (32 channels), both business (high powered

    That spectrum is still a ham band here (and locally a well used ATV repeater).

    up to 5w) and private (max 500mw). You'll find baby monitors (illegal!) and blister-pack radio toys (possibly legal) also on this frequency
    range, so in cities this can be a cacophony. The only CB we have here
    is on 11-meters, which now at least have wide-band FM as a mode in addition to AM and SSB.

    We don't have FM on 11m yet, but with the US adopting FM, it may become an addition here one day.

    I hope you in Australia use that bandwidth for UHF CB for all it is
    worth, so that there is no chance of it being withdrawn from public
    use! Big business have been chipping away at the spectrum over here in Europe for decades now, so we don't have what we used to have even as recently as 10 years ago.

    Oh, UHF CB is well used. In fact, the ACMA increased the number of channels from 40 to 80 in 2011 (by reducing spacing from 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz), to increase the capacity of the service.


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  • From Pepper@432:1/100 to Vk3jed on Sat Sep 10 16:26:07 2022
    On 01 Sep 2022, Vk3jed said the following...

    On 08-14-22 16:44, Irish_Monk wrote to Vk3jed <=-
    I just ordered (and it should be here by 9pm tmrw) "AARL Ham Radio License Manual 5th Edition" Would this all I need to study? Says it

    Yes, that's all you need for the Tech exam. There's also lots of free websites and apps that can drill you with the test pool.
    Hamexam.org pops to mind, but there are others. It's a set pool of questions, so if you can pass the practice exams with no issues.... you can pass the real one.
    Then just find a local club or hamfest and go take the test.
    BTW, some ham clubs offer classes that include the test at the end of the class.

    -=Pepper=-

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  • From Irish_Monk@432:1/167 to Pepper on Sat Sep 10 20:32:55 2022
    Yes, that's all you need for the Tech exam. There's also lots of free websites and apps that can drill you with the test pool.
    Hamexam.org pops to mind, but there are others. It's a set pool of questions, so if you can pass the practice exams with no issues.... you can pass the real one.
    Then just find a local club or hamfest and go take the test.
    BTW, some ham clubs offer classes that include the test at the end of the class.

    Thank you for the response. Yeah, I feel I have been doing very well on all the practice tests. Ill keep studying. Just need to find an exam thats close by and not 2 hours away. It will happen soon though Im sure!!

    |10I|02rish_|10M|02onk

    ... Press SPACEBAR once to abort, or twice to save changes

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  • From Vk3jed@432:1/100 to Pepper on Tue Sep 13 01:08:00 2022
    On 09-10-22 11:26, Pepper wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    Yes, that's all you need for the Tech exam. There's also lots of free websites and apps that can drill you with the test pool.
    Hamexam.org pops to mind, but there are others. It's a set pool of questions, so if you can pass the practice exams with no issues.... you can pass the real one.

    Need to direct that to the OP. :)


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  • From nblade@432:1/100 to Irish_Monk on Tue Sep 13 01:28:13 2022
    Thank you for the response. Yeah, I feel I have been doing very well on all the practice tests. Ill keep studying. Just need to find an exam
    thats close by and not 2 hours away. It will happen soon though Im sure!!


    Good luck! I'm sure you will pass the tech exam without issue. You might want to see if you can pass the general as well, just for the heck of it.

    ... Message encrypted: Press ALT-F4 to read encoded message

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  • From Pepper@432:1/100 to Irish_Monk on Fri Sep 23 03:21:27 2022
    On 10 Sep 2022, Irish_Monk said the following...
    Thank you for the response. Yeah, I feel I have been doing very well on all the practice tests. Ill keep studying. Just need to find an exam
    thats close by and not 2 hours away. It will happen soon though Im sure!!

    Let us know how you make out!

    -=Pepper=-

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  • From Pepper@432:1/100 to Vk3jed on Fri Sep 23 03:23:27 2022
    On 12 Sep 2022, Vk3jed said the following...
    Need to direct that to the OP. :)

    oops .. apparently not paying attention :)

    -=Pepper=-

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  • From Vk3jed@432:1/100 to Pepper on Sun Sep 25 23:19:00 2022
    On 09-22-22 22:23, Pepper wrote to Vk3jed <=-

    On 12 Sep 2022, Vk3jed said the following...
    Need to direct that to the OP. :)

    oops .. apparently not paying attention :)

    LOL that'll do it. :D


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  • From spaceman@432:1/100 to All on Fri Jan 6 09:16:29 2023
    Im looking at getting my technician cert to pursue packet radio/sdr - anyone play around there at all?

    spcmn!



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  • From Mewcenary@432:1/100 to spaceman on Sat Jan 7 12:42:58 2023
    Re: packet radio
    By: spaceman to All on Fri Jan 06 2023 09:16 am

    Im looking at getting my technician cert to pursue packet radio/sdr - anyone play around there at all?

    Any particular aspects of packet radio and SDR appealing?

    You may find this project of interest...

    http://tarpn.net/t/nino-tnc/nino-tnc.html

    Mewcenary.
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  • From spaceman@432:1/100 to Mewcenary on Sat Jan 7 15:15:37 2023
    Yeah - the ability to run tcp/ip over freely available airwave, enabling remote rural comms.


    On 01/07/2023 6:42 pm Mewcenary said...
    Any particular aspects of packet radio and SDR appealing?

    Cool thanks Ill check it out!


    On 01/07/2023 6:42 pm Mewcenary said...
    http://tarpn.net/t/nino-tnc/nino-tnc.html



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