No. 27.425 is channel “42”. He is saying that you’ll hear the same riff raff of 42 LSB as you would 38 LSB. Mostly 42 is just 455 Pirate Radio yammering on about smoking pot, and how dumb everybody else on the radio is. He's almost as bad as Mud Duck was on ch19.
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Worldwide Ground Plane in the Wild Wild West
- Thread starter jcrmadden
- Start date
I get to hear Robert and Calvin arguing and singing to each other on .425. Past few days there's been someone hollering at a sex offender. Mongoose from Hawaii came through the other day and cussed out everyone from .385 to .425. Always entertaining...
the local customs, folklore, and colloquialisms of radio are fascinating. e.g. apparently 27.425 has a reputation for being used by militia groups in the US occasionally or at some point according to some of the wiki pages at HFUG and elsewhere. this sort of thing is best with a grain of salt of course, but that's the sort of thing i can chase down easily enough on my own. it's quite interesting though because the reasons we choose a frequency or protocol can be diverse but people that build radios do things because they're efficient, or correct, or will result in the best performance either voice quality or range or because it's anomalous or unexpected and easy to miss.
i'm writing some documentation and making some materials and tools to help people go about designing and planning a GMRS radio service for households and how to potentially hail other groups so there's like a whole chapter about GMRS not being intended for making contact outside of your group, but at the same time over the years people had a travel tone and presumptive channel of a repeater and there were in some parts of the US an 'AID' channel/tone pair as well. i summarize 13 years of arguments about this on these forums and frankly i think i do a pretty good job and just hope i don't get dragged for recommending being aware of the calling/travel and Aid traffic and propose using those again because it's familiar to some already.
i really can't wait to be pelted with tomatoes and squash for daring to recommend QSO with a GMRS radio 🤦
slowmover
Active Member
Coarse salt, at that.
I hear the militia/prepper types often between 27.700 and 27.860, both sidebands. Occasionally I'll stumble upon some on 25 MHz. With the growing popularity of the quad6/QT80 radios, I'd bet you'll find some lurking around 15 meters as well. Some of these nets can get pretty creepy, too.
You also might run into who I call Foghorn Pedro. Speaks Spanish with a central/south central Mexican accent. Blows his fog horn for hours. Not a real horn or a noise toy; he's simply saying "Ah-OOO-gah" ad nauseum. Can't tell if he's honking at someone, or just in pain.
slowmover
Active Member
I usually don't check on 11 meters until daybreak. Around 0500, I scan upwards from 5 MHz seeing what's active. I don't seem to get a decent groundwave from this temporary antenna setup, so i don't hear anything local on 11 meters anytime.
slowmover
Active Member
I may start my day of driving at 0300 to get to the major metro for an 0700 delivery slot. 150+ miles with extra time allotted for problems (2.5-hr drive time). Think inbound from Temple-Killeen overnight to Firewheel warehouse.
The hours prior to sunrise “ought” to have something for you (better antenna) M-F on a regular basis. Plenty of car parts being sent to Michigan from Mexico and drivers trying to get past D/FW extra-early, as a constant.
— Sometimes best conversations between men are while starting their day.
Guaranteed they’re all concerned by construction, weather and the drunk driver fatalities still not cleaned up from 0230 to get across HELLplex to run towards Little Rock, AR.
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I'll start checking out AM Monday morning. I wake up at 4 naturally after a few decades of hitting the road at 3:30 to work at Kroger stores from Houston to Lake Charles. I feel you on the early-morning driving, but it beats the tar out of rush hour, don't it?
slowmover
Active Member
If it became regular for you (up early with what you’d consider “a good antenna”) the magnetism of attraction would bring plenty of other on-air regulars over time. And not like the 5th Ward creeps back in Houston.
I’ve recounted several times that the earlybird on-air regulars in some other cities both raise the involvement and the tone of things on AM-19.
— I’d also assume the rock-haulers are on other than AM-19. (Locals).
Active, not passive radio monitoring.
Hope the move went well and that you’re settled-in to the new digs.
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In a rental right now, getting new well, etc., installed at the homestead. A couple of 60' towers to hang wires and such from are in the works.
5th ward creeps? Sounds like you've been through that side of town.
I have no idea what the cb scene is like now in Houston, but in the 80s & 90s, AM was pretty well separated onto 4 channels in town. 6 and 13 were the black guys, 7 and 14 were the white guys. No one messed with them, they only messed with each other, and lead was known to move at high velocities occasionally. I knew a guy that would agitate the ch.7 Northside guys by playing the entire Thick as a Brick album. He got shot at from an overpass... stupid games win stupid prizes.
Ch. 19 was flat-out bizarre in Houston back then. A guy that would do nothing but randomly yell, "SPRING", a guy that did nothing but whisper, "don't wake the baby". One of the ch. 7 regulars that went by LR would occasionally get hammered and play Spike Jones' "In the Führer's Face" on 19. The KKK office in Pasadena playing a recruiting spiel on a loop. Literally dozens of others, along with plenty of drivers that just liked to scream.
Up north, along the Harris-Mongomery county line, there were a couple of dozen guys that started hanging out on sideband with me and a friend after they'd upgraded their radios. SSB and some juice is nice in the Big Thicket and Piney Woods region. My buddy had a 2510 and a custom 1500w amp. I wound up with a 2950 and a Messenger M4-V. A nifty antenna trick a guy showed me had people accusing me of running 3-4 kw! Heckuva mobile DX rig. Worked Australia and Hawaii several times.
Also had a weird DX experience back then, weird propagation but nice guys. One night I was spinning the dial and found two guys on 27.525. I popped in, and they were across the KY/TN line from each other on beams. We talked all night long, til they faded out at daybreak. The weird thing was that we had that groundwave condition nightly for over a year and a half. It even worked here in Dallas when I'd come to visit. Then one night, nothing. It was a really cool situation while it lasted.
I'll rustle up some local folks eventually. Consistency is the key. Throwing out a "Good Morning" at the same time every day will eventually get someone talking (at least to tell me to shut up).
5th ward creeps? Sounds like you've been through that side of town.
I have no idea what the cb scene is like now in Houston, but in the 80s & 90s, AM was pretty well separated onto 4 channels in town. 6 and 13 were the black guys, 7 and 14 were the white guys. No one messed with them, they only messed with each other, and lead was known to move at high velocities occasionally. I knew a guy that would agitate the ch.7 Northside guys by playing the entire Thick as a Brick album. He got shot at from an overpass... stupid games win stupid prizes.Ch. 19 was flat-out bizarre in Houston back then. A guy that would do nothing but randomly yell, "SPRING", a guy that did nothing but whisper, "don't wake the baby". One of the ch. 7 regulars that went by LR would occasionally get hammered and play Spike Jones' "In the Führer's Face" on 19. The KKK office in Pasadena playing a recruiting spiel on a loop. Literally dozens of others, along with plenty of drivers that just liked to scream.
Up north, along the Harris-Mongomery county line, there were a couple of dozen guys that started hanging out on sideband with me and a friend after they'd upgraded their radios. SSB and some juice is nice in the Big Thicket and Piney Woods region. My buddy had a 2510 and a custom 1500w amp. I wound up with a 2950 and a Messenger M4-V. A nifty antenna trick a guy showed me had people accusing me of running 3-4 kw! Heckuva mobile DX rig. Worked Australia and Hawaii several times.
Also had a weird DX experience back then, weird propagation but nice guys. One night I was spinning the dial and found two guys on 27.525. I popped in, and they were across the KY/TN line from each other on beams. We talked all night long, til they faded out at daybreak. The weird thing was that we had that groundwave condition nightly for over a year and a half. It even worked here in Dallas when I'd come to visit. Then one night, nothing. It was a really cool situation while it lasted.
I'll rustle up some local folks eventually. Consistency is the key. Throwing out a "Good Morning" at the same time every day will eventually get someone talking (at least to tell me to shut up).
slowmover
Active Member
All that sounds great (and funny). A post others need to read to “get” that it ain’t gone if maybe not so colorful. Folks also need to understand that Houston ain’t Texas, it’s part of Louisiana. Then, that regularity on AM-19 (or other local favorites) uncovers that, yes, there are men on-air.
Unfortunately in my own case I found a few 50’ reels of RG58. So no real excuse not to set the SIRIO Boomerang antenna when I’m feeling the need. Just have to figure out how to run coax thru to exterior, and how to route power to BATT in the travel trailer.
Am down in somewhat of a declivity along the Brazos River and the 102” on the truck roof is hampered. Thought I’d run coax out to truck for my easy solution.
Nope
Unfortunately in my own case I found a few 50’ reels of RG58. So no real excuse not to set the SIRIO Boomerang antenna when I’m feeling the need. Just have to figure out how to run coax thru to exterior, and how to route power to BATT in the travel trailer.
Am down in somewhat of a declivity along the Brazos River and the 102” on the truck roof is hampered. Thought I’d run coax out to truck for my easy solution.
Nope
slowmover
Active Member
“ . . A couple of 60' towers to hang wires and such from are in the works.”
Guess I’ll be able to hear that Texas Star Sweet Sixteen two counties away, huh?
Just a baby compared to what this maroon puts together as a 48-pill.
I think we know who are the customers: Tattoos & tee shirts with backward ball cap and PUNISHER (whatever the hell that is) skulls.
Fixed outcome sports fans, WWE or NFL.
Bubba Bud Light.
We get past this upcoming cold snap (20F X 3-days) and I’ll look at where I’ll be willing to drill this aluminum skin for a cable gland. Quick set-up and take-down always the goal.
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Guess I’ll be able to hear that Texas Star Sweet Sixteen two counties away, huh?
Just a baby compared to what this maroon puts together as a 48-pill.
I think we know who are the customers: Tattoos & tee shirts with backward ball cap and PUNISHER (whatever the hell that is) skulls.
Fixed outcome sports fans, WWE or NFL.
Bubba Bud Light.
We get past this upcoming cold snap (20F X 3-days) and I’ll look at where I’ll be willing to drill this aluminum skin for a cable gland. Quick set-up and take-down always the goal.
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Well it ain't exactly Louisiana, but it's sure different from the rest of Texas. Easy to make the mistake since half of N'awlins is still living in Houston.
But it's also Mexico. And Vietnam. And India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, El Salvador, Greece, Turkey, China, Korea, Thailand, and many others. It's all about the food in Houston. You can cook something good? We'll try it, and probably like it. Welcome to Houston.
Viet-Cajun started in Houston, and it's a natural combo for Gulf seafood. (And it's just the Gulf in Houston. We know where it is.) The boiled crayfish will make you want to slap a Cajun for not getting it right the first time. Fried oyster banh mi, shrimp spring rolls... good stuff, Maynard.
About the only kind of food that Houston isn't known for is barbecue, and I mean barbecue styles. All the popular BBQ joints are central Texas or boring city-style. The old places in town that are slowly dying out are East Texas style. Barbacoa and birria are getting hugely popular, but that's South Texas.
It's been a bit of a culture shock up here not having the selection of international foods that are common in Houston, but I'm happy to accept the trade-off for such great VHF conditions. No real idea about 11 meter groundwave yet, but I'm sure that'll be fine once the towers are up.
Until then, I'll try improving the ground on this temporary setup, that should help quite a bit. If all else fails, I can just get in the car because that antenna works great!
Heck, I could barely supply enough power to that 8-pill M4-V. I used to think I need at least a few hundred watts, but 2 modern radios have proven to me that I don't, at least for dx. The QT-60Pro handles Europe with ease, and the G90 handles North America and the Caribbean very well with its 20 watts.
My buddy gave me a Palomar 400 set up to work best on SSB, that'll go in the car with the G90 once I'm set up at the new house. I figure the QT-60Pro on a Colossal 5/8 wave ought to work just fine for base work, and I'll have different receivers for shortwave.
I'll get there, it's just a little annoying for the time being.
slowmover
Active Member
800A power supplies not in stock at HRO.
Hmmm
Bein’ facetious. It’s all about antenna.
I’ve heard plenty of VG stations on Skip and even more on SSB where it’s just a lowly Galaxy with 40W.
Today’s radios ought to be far better.
I could hook some power to BOOMERANG but neither he nor I would last long.
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