Ham Radio Operators - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Cowdog353 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ham Radio Operators

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

DE WB4KLW

Hi Jim and 73’s back at you. Like you I have been licensed for a long time – I guess some 48 years if I remember correctly. So long ago I actually had to pass the CW test.

I hate to say I’m not active at the present time. All my professional work with high powered TV transmitters sort of filled my need to play with RF over the last 30 years.

Nonetheless, welcome to the forum and maybe will have an eyeball some day.

3’s

Bill

WB4KLW

Cowdog353 · RV-Dreams Family Member

We'll alright, was beginning to think I was the only one?
Yes, I was first licensed in 1976-7 as WN5UVI. A lot now days don't know what code is!
Have been pretty much inactive since 1984-5.
Have sparked an interest lately, put up a inverted "v" and made a few contacts.
Hope to cross paths with y'all too.
Going towards Florida in a week or so, then back to Texas until the heat sets in then South Dakota or Colorado.
73's
Jim

Ann-Hank · RV-Dreams Family Member

Escapees RV Club has a BOF (Birds of a Feather) group for Amateur Radio. They publish a monthly news letter, called SKP Wave, that is very informative, the January issue was 8 pages long. The group is very active and has regularly scheduled Nets. If you contacted Escapees they should be able to direct you to the correct contact person.

KD7KYA
Hank currently at Allatoona Lake GA

Bob and Lindy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hello Jim & others.

I have been licensed also since '76 & inactive now. Getting the house ready to put on the market next month. To prepare, I dismantled the freestanding tower & antennas just before old man winter moved into Minnesota in November. Have not been active in a very long time but looking forward to some activity when full timing later this year.

73
Bob
KY0H

NOWYO · RV-Dreams Community Member

I guess I'm the kid in the group so far. Been licensed since 96. Haven't been active on HF in about a year or so, but do a few things locally on VHF. I'll probably have an HF radio by the time I get into an RV. As of now that's low on the priority list, but coming up slowly but surely.

73 DE Dave

-- Edited by NOWYO on Wednesday 5th of March 2014 09:23:25 PM

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Dave:

DE WB4KLW

Welcome to the forum. Too bad the zero in the call can’t have the strikethrough in it. Can’t do that with the ASCII character set.

I’m afraid at lot of OM’s are inactive these days. Too bad really. Seems stuff and the internet got in the way of RF which works and I’ve never had to re-boot a transmitter.

If your interested in doing /M operation, especially low-band ops, you might want to look here: http://www.kj7u.com/ I don’t have any specific experience with these low band antennas, but they look like they would be very applicable for use on the RV.

Enjoy the process

3’s OM

Bill

-- Edited by Bill and Linda on Thursday 6th of March 2014 03:04:12 PM

Alie and Jims Carrilite · RV-Dreams Family Member

There's quite a few gate guards in south Texas that are on the "Net". Some are new, and others are in the old timer category.

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

I got my license 50 years ago this year at age 14.

I occasionally see a RV rig with a Ham Radio antenna on it and usually wander over and knock on the door. A few have the larger tube model HF rigs, but most have the more modern, smaller sized XCVR. It's on my bucket list to take the HF rig with me and check into the County Hunters net while I'm rolling thru some of them. Currently only use a couple dual band hand helds when we travel. The XYL is licensed so they make for good commo when we are parking the rig or want to go our separate way at a fair, flea market, etc. It's easier than dragging out the cell and using it.

73's W4OET

PS: NOWAY 1996 doesn't make you a kid. It makes you a baby. biggrin

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

TXRVr wrote:
I got my license 50 years ago this year at age 14.
The XYL is licensed so they make for good commo when we are parking the rig or want to go our separate way at a fair, flea market, etc. It's easier than dragging out the cell and using it.
73's W4OET
PS: NOWAY 1996 doesn't make you a kid. It makes you a baby.

I guess I should get my XYL licensed now that it is little more than a “box top” application for VHF in comparison when you and I got I the ticket and also had to pound a bit of brass to do so. But she was great back in the day for VHF transmitter hunts on 2 meters. A real help and enjoyed it But, as they say, life got in the way.

I agree 1996 is barely out of the crib. But a welcome addition nonetheless.

73’s OM

WB4KLW

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

I got my first taste sitting on granpa's lap!

I'll never forget talking to Lima Peru to the missionaries.....and the first time talking with the south pole!!

From the shack of

K1JGW

Kilo watt -1-Johnnie's-Good-Whiskey!!!!...............I miss that old man!!!

Still own the old Drake and Hammerlund he used!

Maybe I should put an effort into carrying it on!!

CJSX2fromCT · RV-Dreams Family Member

Great topic. Was wondering myself if and how many in this forum were and are into radios. Well if NOWYO is "barely out of the crib" then I'm still an embryo. Have been around the CB world from back in the 70's with my dad (KDR4212) and really enjoyed it. Went to CB gatherings (coffee breaks) and met a lot of real nice people. Now driving truck, plus all my personal vehicles having radios in them. When I bought the dually this past Spring... CB was the 1st thing to be put in along with a Texas Star 350 kicker.
As for the Ham side of things I have always wanted to get into it and just never really had the time or radio. Well after many years of "wanting and wishing" I finally just bought a Stryker SR-655-HPC 10 Meter radio with Frequency Counter. That I have in my work truck until full timing sets in. I know absolutely nothing when it comes to the Ham side of things. So if any of you would like to take a "embryo" under your wing I'm in. Safe travels. Chris.

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Lucky Mike wrote:
I got my first taste sitting on granpa's lap!

I'll never forget talking to Lima Peru to the missionaries.....and the first time talking with the south pole!!

From the shack of

K1JGW

Kilo watt -1-Johnnie's-Good-Whiskey!!!!...............I miss that old man!!!

Still own the old Drake and Hammerlund he used!

Maybe I should put an effort into carrying it on!!

Mike you should as you would be a great “rag chewer.” Ya gotta learn the lingo and your style fits so well.

You have the intelligence and time to pass the test. Go for it!

Kilo watt -1-Johnnie's-Good-Whiskey!!!!............... Great call sign1

3’s OM

Bill

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

CJSX2fromCT wrote:
Great topic. Was wondering myself if and how many in this forum were and are into radios. Well if NOWYO is "barely out of the crib" then I'm still an embryo. Have been around the CB world from back in the 70's with my dad (KDR4212) and really enjoyed it. Went to CB gatherings (coffee breaks) and met a lot of real nice people. Now driving truck, plus all my personal vehicles having radios in them. When I bought the dually this past Spring... CB was the 1st thing to be put in along with a Texas Star 350 kicker.
As for the Ham side of things I have always wanted to get into it and just never really had the time or radio. Well after many years of "wanting and wishing" I finally just bought a Stryker SR-655-HPC 10 Meter radio with Frequency Counter. That I have in my work truck until full timing sets in. I know absolutely nothing when it comes to the Ham side of things. So if any of you would like to take a "embryo" under your wing I'm in. Safe travels. Chris.

Chris:

You should consider finding the local Ham club. That is the way to learn about this and they will help you pass the test. Great hobby, keeps the brain working and it works well in the mobile world.

Bill

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

Check out the RV Service Nets.

http://rvsvcnet.wbcci.net/

Dan
KJ6RGX

nineback · RV-Dreams Community Member

KQ5S here.

Dan I see you are using the same weather template that I am and also using Weather Display.

73,

Tom

cavalry6869 · RV-Dreams Community Member

I just signed up on RV-Dreams and saw this tonight. I am a relative newcomer with some of the start dates I see here. I believe I was first licensed in 1993 as N3WJA, a no-code Technician. Worked on getting myself through the five word per minute test but couldn't pass the test for General speed after five tries. Turns out I have hearing problems from my time in the Military. Upgraded to General when they dropped the CW requirement. Went for a Vanity Call, K3CAV, to match up with one of the units I was in. I have taken the Extra test twice now and can't get through it. Gonna study a little harder and see if I can get through that one of these days. Used to spend a bit of time on the County Hunters Net 14.336 doing Counties in MD and VA. Got to send my mobile HF off to Yaesu to have it repaired, it likes to key itself. Hoping to get back into making contact while RVing next year. I have what I consider a nice setup:

Yaesu FT-897 with many options, Outbacker OB-8 antenna with the Outpost base, a 25A switching power supply and an MFJ manual tuner. Have also added an older laptop running HRD for digital work.

73 de K3CAV Ed

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

nineback wrote:
KQ5S here.
Dan I see you are using the same weather template that I am and also using Weather Display.
73,
Tom

Hi Tom. Yep, been monitoring the weather since 2000 running Weather Display. Ham radio is a new hobby for me. Was into CB radio back in the 70's and finally licensed in 2011 when I quit procrastinating. I check-in daily to the California Rescue Communications 40m net at 0830 on 7250. Mostly work digital HF using JT65 and JT9 modes, and SSB on the OMISS net.

73 de KJ6RGX

Adam and Karen · RV-Dreams Community Member

de WK4P and KD4UKT.

Hello all, WK4P here. Karen and I will be bringing our Icom 746Pro along when we start full-timing next year, along with several accessories, including my Rigblaster Pro for digital comms, including Winmor. We expect to boondock some, and I want to have the ability to send email even if I have no internet connection.

For antennas, we plan to use a Hustler 5BTV when stationary. I've had really good luck with this antenna in portable setups before. If space permits, we may even shoot a wire into a tree for 75/80 meters. We will attach a 10 ft mast to the tongue of the travel trailer where we'll mount a 6 meter halo to give out the rare grid squares and a small 2 meter vertical for local use.

We have an Icom 706 mkII in the truck with Hustler resonators. When parked overnight, I'll be able to run a piece of RG8 from the truck to the camper and use the resonators inside. We plan to put barrel connectors through the wall of the RV to make antenna connections very simple.

I am very active in the National Traffic System, and plan on sending lots of traffic while on the road. It should be fun.

The hardest part of this whole RV thing is going from multiple towers and 1500 watts of power to single element antennas and 100 watts. But I will survive, and have a lot of fun on the air.

Peace and 73
Adam WK4P

Clay L · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill and Linda wrote:

Dave:

DE WB4KLW

Welcome to the forum. Too bad the zero in the call can’t have the strikethrough in it. Can’t do that with the ASCII character set.

I’m afraid at lot of OM’s are inactive these days. Too bad really. Seems stuff and the internet got in the way of RF which works and I’ve never had to re-boot a transmitter.

If your interested in doing /M operation, especially low-band ops, you might want to look here: http://www.kj7u.com/ I don’t have any specific experience with these low band antennas, but they look like they would be very applicable for use on the RV.

Enjoy the process

3’s OM

Bill

-- Edited by Bill and Linda on Thursday 6th of March 2014 03:04:12 PM

Actually there is an ASCII slash O in the extended set but I have never tried to use it.

DEC

OCT

HEX

BIN

Symbol

HTML Number

HTML Name

Description

216

330

D8

11011000

Ø

Latin capital letter O with slash

-- Edited by Clay L on Friday 19th of September 2014 02:39:33 PM

Sky Soldier · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hi Guys!
DE Ed W4EP
Been a ham since 1953 and started tent camping in 1954 (in Europe). My wife (Mary) and I both are Vietnam vets and both retired Vets. She USAF and me Army. My user name (Sky Soldier) is based on the unit I was assigned to in Vietnam, the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

Mary and I have been told we are making a big mistake by our kids. We are both in our 80s and are planning on departing Florida in April with a 5th wheel and not returning to Florida until November. At that time we'll decide the kids were right and we should sell the rig and stay home like old folks or spend next winter getting a bigger more comfortable RV and go full time. We aren't new to this. We bought a Winnebago Brave in 1972 (when they were $7400.00 new) an F350 and a 34' Sprinter filth wheel in 1979.

Going to install my ICOM 706 in the RV, 2mtr in the cab

73 de Ed, W4EP #1 DXer
ex DL4OK, EP2AU and others

Danny and Cheryl · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome to the Hobby W5CI/Danny