My radio works!

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Dwitherspoon

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All,

I was chatting with a gentlemen from battleground Washington late today who said I was red lining his radio. He was speaking to someone at the foot of Mt Rainier who i couldn't hear. The gentlemen could hear me and relayed that I was S 7-8! from the foot of the mountain! Tearing the windows off as they put it.

I Just wish I didn't blow up my radios with that T piece. I might have actually been able to talk to people. Lesson learned.
 
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jonwienke

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Using a T connector won't blow your RF finals, but it will damage the RX side. You couldn't hear the other guy because your radios have been deafened to some degree by the abuse.
 

WB9YBM

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Using a T connector won't blow your RF finals, but it will damage the RX side. You couldn't hear the other guy because your radios have been deafened to some degree by the abuse.

Unless the cables between the "T" and antennas are a certain length (collectively these two cables are called a "phasing harness"), the impedance will be off which has the potential to damage the transmitter (as possibly too much power is reflected back to the transmitter). Since there is no power being reflected back to the radio when it's in receive mode, damaging the receiver isn't all that likely.
 

jonwienke

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He was connecting 2 radios to a single antenna, and blasting the RX of whichever radio wasn't TXing with half the of the other radio's RF output. That's more likely to fry something than the RF reflecting back from the impedance mismatch.
 

Dwitherspoon

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What radio are you using now?

My galaxy 949. I went and got my Ham out of storage and have been playing around with the aarl practice Test on my iPhone. Until my wife and I move back to Montana I’m going to pack up the CB stuff. It’s a lot of waiting around and not much talking. Let me know if you have any pointers for the test.
 

KB4MSZ

Billy
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I downloaded the manual for that radio. I was hoping it was one of the "export" rigs that would allow you to use 10 meters if you get your license but it covers only the legal 40 CB channels. The Tech license would give you SSB with up to 200 watts from 28.300 to 28.500 MHz.

As for the test, give it a half hour or so every day. Spending hours per day for days on end can make it seem like a form of employment and can become very tiring. The Tech test covers some simple but important beginning concepts that can make it much easier to get up and running when the time comes. It will also help you with your CB activities as well. Take the online test as often as you wish, you will see your improvement as you do so.

Most important: There are only 35 questions on this test. Take the time to understand the concept behind each question, not just memorize the correct answer. This is the foundation which will enable you to make everything work. When you come to questions that are just not making sense to you (and there will be), come here and ask. Someone here will explain it in a way that clears it up for you.

The Tech license gives you all privileges from 50 MHz and above. The antennas get really reasonable up there and there is equipment available now that is very inexpensive. This license is a huge leap in capability from CB.
 

Dwitherspoon

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I downloaded the manual for that radio. I was hoping it was one of the "export" rigs that would allow you to use 10 meters if you get your license but it covers only the legal 40 CB channels. The Tech license would give you SSB with up to 200 watts from 28.300 to 28.500 MHz.

As for the test, give it a half hour or so every day. Spending hours per day for days on end can make it seem like a form of employment and can become very tiring. The Tech test covers some simple but important beginning concepts that can make it much easier to get up and running when the time comes. It will also help you with your CB activities as well. Take the online test as often as you wish, you will see your improvement as you do so.

Most important: There are only 35 questions on this test. Take the time to understand the concept behind each question, not just memorize the correct answer. This is the foundation which will enable you to make everything work. When you come to questions that are just not making sense to you (and there will be), come here and ask. Someone here will explain it in a way that clears it up for you.

The Tech license gives you all privileges from 50 MHz and above. The antennas get really reasonable up there and there is equipment available now that is very inexpensive. This license is a huge leap in capability from CB.

I’m hooking up my radio now. After I get this going where do you recommend I listen? My radio is a dx 94hp if that helps. I paid 300 for it new, by no means top plate, but it does have ssb and a built in amp “modest amp”.
 

KB4MSZ

Billy
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This is a horse of another color. It will put you on 10 meter SSB (as a note if you get a license, while a Tech can use either LSB or USB in the 200 KHz range mentioned above, long established ham convention always uses USB in this range. Also, Roger beeps and Echo are not used. Doing so would net you some unfriendly responses. Keep your modulation reasonable, the over driven and clipping audio common on CB won't be tolerated by anyone on 10 meters). Unfortunately at the moment, there isn't much activity on 10 meters. During the early winter and early to mid summer there are usually good conditions called Sporadic E which can open both 11 meters and 10 meters quite nicely. On 10 meters, 28.400 USB is mostly used for a "calling frequency", hams will make short contacts with each other or if desired they will move away in frequency a bit to have a longer conversation. There might just be some local activity in your area on 10 meters, many locations do. You are most likely to find activity between 28.315 and 28.500 MHz, although there could be some SSB above 28.500 MHz. According to the manual, the clarifier has enough range to allow you to access "between channels" such as 28.400 as opposed to 28.405 or 28.395.

The 100 watt output is pretty much the standard on HF bands so you would be on par with most stations. A Tech license allows up to 200 watts on 10 meter SSB (or Morse Code). On this band, when it is open, 100 watts is plenty.

Note that without a Ham license this radio is illegal to operate (transmit) on any frequency, including CB. With a Ham license CB operation is still illegal. A few years ago the FCC authorized state governments to draft laws regarding illegal CB equipment and provides them the authority to seize such equipment if caught being operated on the air. Simply owning such equipment without operating it is not unlawful, but if you have your license in the future it is ill advised to use this outside the 10 meter band.
 
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Dwitherspoon

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I was referring to his use of the radio, not my own. But thanks.

I’ve heard of those and I know how common they are out of the United States. I think it would be cool to own one as a part of my collection, but wouldn’t use one in practice because “I” personally wouldn’t know of the quality being tossed out into the air waves. I have seen a few for sale on eBay though. The limits of my not filling the rules are a small amp for CB. 4 watts is atrocious. Especially given the fact that actual use of the channels has dropped so dramatically.

I wouldn’t and haven’t screwed around on Ham.

However.

I did ask for the equivalent of a mic/signal check in 2015. Testing my antenna and overall setup. An older gentleman was talking to another guy “sounded much younger” for several minutes. I interceded and asked the question. I was then asked after a long pause if I had a license, I said no, I was just checking my setup. He told me to get off and that it was illegal. The other older gentleman told the other to hold on and broadcast again. So I did. He said I had great signal strength and then told me to never use the radio again illegally. He also told me to have a nice night and they wouldn’t be responding to me anymore if I tried again.

it was nice knowing my setup was solid. Which is still the same setup I use today.

I guess you could call it criminal, but it really was out of best intentions. I then listened for another week and heard a lot of “interesting” conversations and decided to not go through with my license.

Memories.

Thanks for all the help Billy. We’re going to have to chat one of these days after I get my technical.
 
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