Planetfurry BBS Forum Index Planetfurry BBS
Forums for Planetfurry Site Members and more
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   DonateDonate   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Casual Observations

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Planetfurry BBS Forum Index -> Everyday blither-blather
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Kellan Meig'h
Administrator


Joined: 01 Apr 2007
Posts: 2044
Location: Just East of Indianapolis, Indiana

PostPosted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 10:10 am    Post subject: Casual Observations Reply with quote

Just sayin' . . .

I've been working on installing an Amateur radio/CB radio combination in my truck, so that involves brackets and other such things.

Next time you're in an electronics sales area, look around.

Back in the day (yes, I'm a gray-muzzle), when we would install 8 Track players in our vehicles, you could buy brackets, power cords, slide mounts and other such items to make things easier.

Not anymore.

Even my least favorite big box retailer, Frys Electronics, falls far short when it comes to installation items. So far, I've had to make (60 mile round trip) Saturday trips to my local Ham Radio Outlet for some parts, then I'm still fabbing up some others.

I suppose, since the CB craze died out and all radios can be mounted in the dash because they are DIN size compliant, there is no needs for mounting accessories.

Oh well, that's how things are, I guess.

Kel

_________________
"Старый боевой конь, Кeллан"
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Yahoo Messenger
Leonato
Moderator


Joined: 23 Dec 2003
Posts: 319
Location: Nashville TN, USA

PostPosted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Often times we wind up having to just fabricate something. Finding a -lot- of older components is also becoming trickier and trickier.

RadioShack has done a lot to reform its image, of late. Still, its hard to find certain older items. Often times, the only resource is other HAMs, and even they are becoming harder to find. Things wear out, things break, and slowly certain items are just disappearing altogether.

Its interesting, got my paws on more and more old QST editions, and older 'so you want to be a HAM' books. And so much of it then was exactly this, fabricating your own hardware. Often times building the radio in its entirety from kit-parts, or just parts you could get at RadioShack/etc... That time is long gone now, and what one can't find, one often has to just try and fabricate anyway.

Wish ya the best of luck! And welcome to the hobby!

73 de KF4LNX

_________________
My Fury Code:
FFX2arsw A-- C+ D++ H+ M- P++ R+++ T+++ W Z- Sm# RLCI a36 cl++ d+ e+ f++ h+++ iwf+++ j+ p++ sm+
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Kellan Meig'h
Administrator


Joined: 01 Apr 2007
Posts: 2044
Location: Just East of Indianapolis, Indiana

PostPosted: Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Leonato wrote:
Often times we wind up having to just fabricate something. Finding a -lot- of older components is also becoming trickier and trickier.

RadioShack has done a lot to reform its image, of late. Still, its hard to find certain older items. Often times, the only resource is other HAMs, and even they are becoming harder to find. Things wear out, things break, and slowly certain items are just disappearing altogether.

Its interesting, got my paws on more and more old QST editions, and older 'so you want to be a HAM' books. And so much of it then was exactly this, fabricating your own hardware. Often times building the radio in its entirety from kit-parts, or just parts you could get at RadioShack/etc... That time is long gone now, and what one can't find, one often has to just try and fabricate anyway.

Wish ya the best of luck! And welcome to the hobby!

73 de KF4LNX


I'm looking at an Elecraft KX3 kit. Yeah, I know it's partially assembled when I get it but I'm just too old school not to be excited about building my own rig.

So far, the best mounts for what I'm doing looks like a Panavise 6" swivel floor mount. I'm going to try it with both radios on it but if I have to, I'll remote the face on my Yaesu FT-7900R.

What's funny is the fact that my truck ('97 F250HD) really wasn't meant for radio installation. The dash wasn't built to hang anything off the bottom and there's no metal, just plastic down there. Oh well.

By the way Leonato, it that a vanity call sign? LNX = Lynx?

73's back at you,

Kellan AG6TH

_________________
"Старый боевой конь, Кeллан"
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Yahoo Messenger
Leonato
Moderator


Joined: 23 Dec 2003
Posts: 319
Location: Nashville TN, USA

PostPosted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 7:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, you busted me. I was issued KK4EER after taking the test, but put in immediately for a vanity call. I wanted the LNX suffix of course, for Lynx, and also for Linux reasons =^.^=

The available prefixes in region 4 (I didn't want an out of region call sign) were KF and KE. My Elmer through all of this is right here on this board, Nicolai =^.^= He informed me that in CW (Morse code for those who don't know), KE, especially KE4, was easy to misunderstand, as E is just a single dot (dit). So, that is how I arrived at my preferred vanity call of KF4LNX, and whatya know, it was available.

A local HAM was super lucky however, he actually managed to get N4FOX. I've called him 'SlyFox' on the radio ever since =^.^=

I can usually be found hanging around the 146.670 machine here in Nashville, whenever I'm mobile (very frequent). I've also been sporadically spotted at 06:00 local on 147.015 on the bible-study-net =^.^=

Ohh, by the way, have a good field day? Mine got to be 100% digital modes (mostly PSK), at least for me. Thanks in large part to KE4ETY, for his radio and tuner and powersupply. He was using his SignaLink as well, so I didn't have to break out mine... I'm probably gonna be using my SignaLink more in the future, with that Heathkit HW-101 of Nicolai's, that he is letting me borrow. Get out there and attempt some ragchew on PSK, like I'll ever be lucky enough to find someone interested in ragchew using that protocol *shrugs*

If you are at all interested in such things, look up the program fldigi, it knocks the socks off of any other PSK/Textmode program I've found. It speaks more protocols than the others, and was my real workhorse (nothing personal) on field day. Worked it off a GAP antenna of the club's, set-up portable on the lawn. Gonna wait for KE4ETY to tell me how many contacts I actually made with it, but hey, digital modes on field day are worth 2 points a piece =^.^=

Anyway, like I said before, welcome to the hobby, it really is an awesome one!

73 de KF4LNX

_________________
My Fury Code:
FFX2arsw A-- C+ D++ H+ M- P++ R+++ T+++ W Z- Sm# RLCI a36 cl++ d+ e+ f++ h+++ iwf+++ j+ p++ sm+
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Planetfurry BBS Forum Index -> Everyday blither-blather All times are GMT - 4 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group