I hope this helps answer some of the questions people had about antennas that can be deployed quickly in an emergency or SHTF situation. Let me know your questions. Cheers!
You provide very comprehensive info here Rich. Great addition to your first video, can’t wait to see what’s next. Glen’s grandpa moved his antenna from the “big deal” support he had at the farm to his town version. Still very strong.
I love that...."Big Deal!" I need to get my Big Deal in the air! It's a fun hobby, whether you're talking local or halfway around the world. Thanks for watching!
Nice video and helpful information. My friend tries to explain CB and Ham radio information (the wave lengths, frequencies, and whatever else) and I just don't get it. But I know it's a little more difficult than just talking on a walkie-talkie. I like that you encourage people to get licensed and to practice. Solid advice.
I might add that before you get on the air during an "emergency" you might want to be familiar with how the FCC defines an "emergency". Also the FCC might have an issue with transmitting without a license during an "emergency" if other forms of communications are still available. I have not researched these ideas since I'm licensed but it might behoove someone to know these things. I agree that if you have/want these radios its best to be licensed, just in case.
I totally agree. I'm assuming most unlicensed folks wouldn't pick up a ham radio unless it was an all-out SHTF situation. Most will grab their little Baofeng handheld and expect to talk all over. I hope most will get licensed and know about all the bands, rules, propagation, etc. Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment. 73!
I was operating on 20 meters and 40 meters. There are all sorts of frequencies to use, not just channels. It's like the AM or FM band, you tune across it and find an open frequency to operate. People find you. The competitions on the weekends are a LOT of fun! Hope that makes sense. Let me know if you've got other questions.
Great video, I'm going to forward the link to some of the newer Hams in our club. I like the simplicity of the anchor board under the tire for a mast. I work with a local ARES group and with SkyWarn, good things to get involved with to practice (and apply) your radio skills. I look forward to more radio videos. 73, Don KD9GYI
Thanks for tuning in, watching and commenting! We appreciate your support! We're working on a couple more radio videos. If you've got ideas for topics, let me know. 73!
Great video! I've had my General license for a year and a half. Your approach to explaining ham radio is excellent for people who want to learn and even new hams.
Thanks for the kind words Jeff! I've made a few ham radio videos now and tried to keep them simple and easy to understand. I'm not a technical guy and figure there are others like me! Thanks again for stopping by to watch and comment! 73!
Hey Swede...brand new HAM here..HATS OFF to your HAM vids...by far the best I seen...real experience in real time...sic of all the raz ma taz of most other HAM UTUBer's ...some many options in this field , it's been boggling my mind & you have cleared the deck..Many sincere thanks 🙂...one question that I cant find the answer to ...Is a 'Day Star' compatible radio important ... have you been hampered by not having it on your equipment ?
Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate you stopping by to watch (and comment). I am not familiar with Day Star but I think that is GMRS. I had a GMRS radio sent to me for review but haven't used it yet. For emergencies, it would be good to have all frequencies at your disposal. I'm not going to focus on GMRS or FRS or CB. You have so many frequencies at your disposal via the ham bands. I think that is all we will need. We can talk short range, around the region, around the country and across the globe. I think we'll be set for any emergency. I hope that answered your question. If not, clarify for me. If you've got other ideas for radio videos, I'm open to new ideas. 73 & congrats on the new license!!
great videos on ham radio. I would be very interested in seeing how you connect your antennas to your shack and how (or if) you are grounding all of it, and how you are running all the wires
Good morning. Great info and important. We will tap into our local scrap metal folks here and see what we can get for antenna supplies. Definitely going to get the licence this winter. Thank you Rich and Holly. Took a bunch of notes on this.
Nice video, just came across your channel. One word of caution, under the regulations, even during times of an emergency you are not permitted to transmit on ham bands without a valid license.
I had seen to the contrary, and others keep pointing it out. I'll have to dig deeper and look. I suspect in a true emergency, anyone with a radio will just turn it on and try to talk to someone. They won't know how to communicate on the ham bands, but they'll try. Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment! Cheers!
Maybe it's in the wording? If you're having a serious emergency it's okay, but not talking in general about a non urgent matter during a time of emergency?
Cool stuff Rich. Lots of info but makes sense. Like anything, don't cheap out seems to be a common theme. Its interesting that the lenght of wire determines the frequency, if i got that right ?:))) Cheers 🌱🤞👍🇸🇪
I try to not "go cheap" on anything as I end up replacing it (and rebuying again). Save time and money and buy the first one as quality!! The lower the frequency that you want to operate on, the longer the wire antenna will be. An antenna for the FM band is only a few feet long. An antenna for an AM radio is usually a ferrite "stick" a couple inches long with a LOT of wire wrapped around it. I hope that all makes sense. Thanks for watching and commenting!
My favorite portable antenna is a 10-40 meter efhw for Parks on the Air activations (POTA). The radio/small battery/antenna even my laptop all fit in a harbor freight apache case. This is all great info you're giving especially for those that have been thinking about becoming a ham operator. I encourage people to get thru the General license.
That is awesome that you've got the whole set-up ready in one case. I need to get mine in a better case. I'm not fond of the end fed antennas. They seem to be limited on 15 meters. Maybe I haven't seen the right antenna yet. Cheers!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm The end feds have gotten really popular. Mine is a variable ratio efhw 49-1, 56-1, 64-1 made by Xtenna with a 3 position switch. I've been on 20 and 40 so much I've kind of neglected 15 and the other bands. I'll have to play around with 15 and see how it fairs. I did make a ladder line antenna for 10 that works great and rolls up nice but now I'm wondering that too on the efhw.
@@johnb6084 Keep me posted. A friend brought an end fed antenna to Costa Rica. He was loud on 10-20-40 but really poor on 15m (barely workable). It just didn't load well. Keep me posted!
Just found your channel and I love this video. I’m a new Ham operator and I’m nervous about getting on the air for the first time. I didn’t hear what handheld radio you have and the mobile radio.
My mobile radio is a Yaesu FT991A. All my gear is Yaesu. Everyone is nervous about making their first contacts. Just get on and make a contact. Everyone understands the nervousness. I have been the first QSO for several people. It's always fun to hear new folks on the air. Just do it!! Let me know how it goes! 73!
Excellent video, it certainly helped me. I have the Yaesu FT-991A and just love it. Unfortunately, my antenna took a lightning strike. It was a MyAntenna, antenna and it was great. Now I am in the market for a new antenna. I am not going to do a permanent setup but, would like to do a portable. I love your idea of portable. Instead of using the car battery I would like to buy a battery and consider maybe a solar panel also and other means of charging it. Those MFJ individual antennas look like a great option. I will have to look to see how you can set one up other then using the T-mag mount on the vehicle. Thank you again for sharing your wealth of information on radio. K04UWU
The 991A is a great rig! I hope you can get a good antenna and get back on the air. Check the capability of the solar. Some of the solar panels are not able to keep enough of a charge to keep the battery charged while operating the 991 (or another 100 watt rig).
I just found your channel, great advice! I'm studying to take the test for Tech and would like to make it to General. I can only imagine the mess if every rookie pulled their radio out and started talking during an emergency.
Get the Tech under your belt and then get working on the General. The world is waiting, and you'll love conditions at the top of the sunspot cycle! Keep me updated on your progress! Cheers Chip!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm Thanks! Our local Ham club is testing the second Sat in Dec. That should give me enough time to study. I have a question. I see most hams have a collection of radios. Is it possible to have 1 or 2 radios and be pretty well content? I don't know how interested I am in carrying a handheld radio. My interest is more in talking in a range from the next town away to across the country. Talking outside of the country being an added bonus. I also like the idea of being more mobile than a base station radio, powered by 12V so I could power it from my truck or a power supply in the house. Would your FT991 or your FTM6000 check most of those boxes, or am I having wishful thinking?
@@chipwright6193 Get an FT991. It'll talk on all bands from 160M to 432 MHz. You can talk around the country and world on HF, and you can talk more locally on VHF. It's a great rig. Over time, you'll end up with a few radios. It just happens! Hope this helps!
There is another video that talks about communication on 10-15-20 meters and I show some of the people on the air. I'll try to make something else with more contacts.
V/U antennas are a no brainer. HF may require a little more thought, but vehicle mounted antennas can usually be done without a lot of effort. You first need to split the decision into one of two ways; mobile or stationary. Stationary is easier. Just provide a sufficient base made of lumber you can drive one vehicle tire onto. The antenna can be almost any height before bracing is needed. Mobile mounting can be a little trickier unless you have a trailer hitch. Even then you might need some bracing depending on configuration. Mobile antenna height is limited by the height of trees and structures you expect to encounter. I've made 80 meter regional contacts with only a 8.5' mobile whip. A tuner is almost always needed no matter what.
I've got antennas ready for a stationary or mobile set-up. I can make lots of contacts on 80M with the one whip antenna. I have mini-whips that I attach to the main whip. It is nothing more than an alligator clip soldered to different lengths of coat hanger. If I want to change frequency, I attach the alligator clip to the end of the vertical. That changes my frequency without a tuner. Works like a charm. Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment!
Nice to be self resonant and cost less with yours. I like the convenience of not having to get up for band changes especially in poor wx conditions with mine. It's a matter of preference.
Love your channel I’m working on getting ham call sign so I can talk to my mining company in nome Alaska and long prairie Baxter pillager St. Cloud Etc I already have alinco Radio and dipole
I have a great friend who got his ticket and used it to talk all over Alaska while he was living there. It was his only means of communication in some areas. Good luck on getting your license and keep us posted of your progress. 73!
I've recently taken the equivalent of the general licence yo3aec . On 2m and above I could not get a direct contact in the city. Either no propagation or no hams nearby. Or bad timing 😊. I'll probably go the HF route and mobile . It looks way simpler to go on a picknick with a mobile antena than to install a hidden one on my block.
You can make a dipole antenna with very thin wire that will be well hidden. You could even hide a small wire dipole within a tree that is hidden. Or go out on a picnic and enjoy some mobile antennas! Keep me updated on what you choose! 73!
Thanks Rich. I've watched all of your videos and found them helpful. For work, I spend a lot of time in rental cars and I'm looking to build a mobile set-up. It would also double for emergencies with my own personal car. I'm wondering about removing that 3-magnet mount. MFJ cautions that it's hard to remove, but "hard" is a very nebulous description. How difficult is the MFJ-336T to remove without incurring any damage to the vehicle or the paint? Thanks again.
Once you've done it a few times, it's actually really easy. If you were really worried about scratching the roof, you could put a small piece of a plastic garbage bag underneath. It would still adhere very well. Maybe I'll film a video about the magnet mount and the hamsticks. They really work well. Let me know how else I can help Nate! Cheers!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm Hi Rich. Circling back with my results. I bought the MFJ-336T and gave it a try. The magnets are indeed quite strong (which is good), but MFJ's disclaimer that states, "Once its on, it is difficult to get it back off!", is just a little overstated in my opinion. When a manufacturer says something like that, I tend to pay some heed. Yeah, it's firmly on there, but I'm just an average strength guy who works behind a desk all day and I had no problem placing it on or removing it from the car roof using a little common sense. My on-the-air results with it have also been quite good so far. It should be a lot of fun to have this mobile set-up in the rental car on my future work related road trips. Despite being a SHTF idea, it looks to me like you did a great job of sourcing some reasonably well made, modular, components at a modest price for temporary mobile operation. I'm grateful you shared it. It helped me out. 73.
@@nateitkin8279 I'm glad it all worked out. I bought this to have a solid station for mobile contesting. It turns out to be an incredible emergency antenna. I hope to catch you on the air sometime. I'll be on the air this weekend in the CQ WPX Contest. I'll be operating as NT0EE. 73 Nate!
Great info. Where did you get the pole segments? I have a HOA and smallish backyard with limited height for my 2M/70cm, but on occasion would like to hoist my antenna up a few more feet. TIA!
I believe I bought it at DX Engineering. It's been over ten years ago. Not sure if they have it now. It's fiberglass and I believe the lower section is 3" OD. I'll try to see if I've got a receipt for it.
Good Morning Rich, I have a question about the mast that you are using in this video, what is it? I have a carbon fiber mast but, it bends at the top when a little tension is added to it. The mast that you are using looks very strong and would not bend at the top with tension applied. I finally put a hitch mount on my truck and bought the Chameleon hitch mount for a mast. Thank you for sharing Rich.
I believe the mast I have is the MFJ-1906H. I bought it at DXengineering. It has worked flawless over the years. I have rings on it to guy it off. It will move in the wind! It is great for holding up wire antennas. I used it for many years with my 160 Meter Inverted L transmit antenna. Hope this helps! Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment! 73!
Many of the antennas (mobile whips, magnetic base, dipoles, etc.) can be found at DX Engineering. They have great quality, selection and fast shipment.
Hi there. I was curious which model 80M you have for the mobile. I see the 20 and 40 whip on MFJ but dont see an 80 whip. They do show an 80 telescopic.
I believe it is the MFJ 1675T. It works great on 75 meter phone. I add an alligator clip that has one foot of coat hanger wire soldered to it. I add this length to use on 80 meter CW. It tunes up great! Hope this helps.
Great video. Could I get one of these whips and mount it on the roof of my house with a base radio and talk a few hundred miles away? Any tips on a lower priced base radio that would work?
There are all sorts of used radios for sale on Ebay, Craigslist, etc. I love the Yaesu radios. I would think a used 991A could be had for $500 - $600. I'm not sure that the whips would work well on a roof. It need something metal underneath it. I'd look for a used multi-band vertical or just make some dipole antennas. They are not expensive to make and get a good signal out. Hope this helps. Cheers!
@@TheOldSwedesFarmthanks for the reply. This is great info. I do have a metal roof on the house, I thought these would be nice becuase I could move them easily if needed but wasn’t sure if they would work well for a base station antenna?
@@okienation6420 I'm leery of using them as a base station antenna. They really are mobile antennas and a compromise. I'd get a larger vertical antenna for the backyard. Physically bigger and more signal getting out. If it's an emergency, and you need something in a pinch, this would work on the roof. Not the best antenna but it would work. Hope this all makes sense. Cheers!
@@okienation6420 If you have questions about antennas, let me know. I can let you know what I've heard about various antennas or if I've actually used the antenna. Take care!
I know you are not "legally" allowed to transmit gmrs over ham radio. But am just wondering if a 100 watt ham radio if transmitting on gmrs during an emergency situation would reach further then a 50 watt gmrs or is the channel limited to 50 watt no matter the wattage of the radio?
Due to the frequency used by GMRS, the difference between 50 and 100 watts won't get you much. If you're looking to get all over your state, region, across the country (or the world), the only option is ham radio.
I hope this helps answer some of the questions people had about antennas that can be deployed quickly in an emergency or SHTF situation. Let me know your questions. Cheers!
This exactly what i need.If Viet-Nam taught me anything its to be prepared.Thank very much.
Prepare, prepare, prepare. You can never be too prepared! Cheers John!
You provide very comprehensive info here Rich. Great addition to your first video, can’t wait to see what’s next.
Glen’s grandpa moved his antenna from the “big deal” support he had at the farm to his town version. Still very strong.
I love that...."Big Deal!" I need to get my Big Deal in the air! It's a fun hobby, whether you're talking local or halfway around the world. Thanks for watching!
Nice video and helpful information. My friend tries to explain CB and Ham radio information (the wave lengths, frequencies, and whatever else) and I just don't get it. But I know it's a little more difficult than just talking on a walkie-talkie. I like that you encourage people to get licensed and to practice. Solid advice.
Get licensed, get on the air, have fun and learn. It's a great hobby! If you ever need help, let me know. Cheers Dawn!
I might add that before you get on the air during an "emergency" you might want to be familiar with how the FCC defines an "emergency". Also the FCC might have an issue with transmitting without a license during an "emergency" if other forms of communications are still available. I have not researched these ideas since I'm licensed but it might behoove someone to know these things. I agree that if you have/want these radios its best to be licensed, just in case.
I totally agree. I'm assuming most unlicensed folks wouldn't pick up a ham radio unless it was an all-out SHTF situation. Most will grab their little Baofeng handheld and expect to talk all over. I hope most will get licensed and know about all the bands, rules, propagation, etc. Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment. 73!
Loving this topic. Very informative. Many thanks from Australia.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Cheers from Minnesota!
Wow 1500 contacts way cool. Don't you have to program your radio? Another great ham video Rich you keep it real thanks.
I was operating on 20 meters and 40 meters. There are all sorts of frequencies to use, not just channels. It's like the AM or FM band, you tune across it and find an open frequency to operate. People find you. The competitions on the weekends are a LOT of fun! Hope that makes sense. Let me know if you've got other questions.
Great video, I'm going to forward the link to some of the newer Hams in our club. I like the simplicity of the anchor board under the tire for a mast. I work with a local ARES group and with SkyWarn, good things to get involved with to practice (and apply) your radio skills. I look forward to more radio videos. 73, Don KD9GYI
This video would be perfect for the ARES or Skywarm group. Thanks for sharing. If there are more questions, let us know. Thanks & 73!
Can’t wait for the next video about frequency and ranges !! Great content
I'm working on this now. This might be a two (or three) part video. Thanks for your support!!
Another fantastically informative video 73's
Thanks for tuning in, watching and commenting! We appreciate your support! We're working on a couple more radio videos. If you've got ideas for topics, let me know. 73!
Just found the channel. Enjoying the ham radio videos.
Thank you for watching and commenting! We appreciate you joining us!
Thanks for posting. Very helpful. Looking forward to your talk on propagation. 73.
I'll have a VHF video coming out in a couple days. I hope to have another propagation video for HF within a few weeks. Cheers!
Another GREAT video. Really informative! Thank you.
Thanks for checking out our videos and your nice comments! Have a great rest of the week! 73!
Informative information, Thanks. 👍
Thank you for watching and commenting! Cheers!
Great video! Very cool! THANK YOU!
Thank you for watching and commenting! I'm glad this was helpful!
Great video! I've had my General license for a year and a half. Your approach to explaining ham radio is excellent for people who want to learn and even new hams.
Thanks for the kind words Jeff! I've made a few ham radio videos now and tried to keep them simple and easy to understand. I'm not a technical guy and figure there are others like me! Thanks again for stopping by to watch and comment! 73!
Thank you, i appreciate this video. I am currently studying for my license
Good luck with your license! Keep me posted when you get your ticket! 73!
Thanks Rich, please keep up with the ham RUclips’s.
I will. If you've got ideas for topics, let me know. Thanks!
Hey Swede...brand new HAM here..HATS OFF to your HAM vids...by far the best I seen...real experience in real time...sic of all the raz ma taz of most other HAM UTUBer's ...some many options in this field , it's been boggling my mind & you have cleared the deck..Many sincere thanks 🙂...one question that I cant find the answer to ...Is a 'Day Star' compatible radio important ... have you been hampered by not having it on your equipment ?
Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate you stopping by to watch (and comment). I am not familiar with Day Star but I think that is GMRS. I had a GMRS radio sent to me for review but haven't used it yet. For emergencies, it would be good to have all frequencies at your disposal. I'm not going to focus on GMRS or FRS or CB. You have so many frequencies at your disposal via the ham bands. I think that is all we will need. We can talk short range, around the region, around the country and across the globe. I think we'll be set for any emergency. I hope that answered your question. If not, clarify for me. If you've got other ideas for radio videos, I'm open to new ideas. 73 & congrats on the new license!!
Another terrific video thanks 73 from kb2uew
Thanks again for stopping by to watch and comment! Glad you have liked the videos! 73!
Great video...I'm new to this but you explain things very well...
I'm glad you liked the video. If you've got ideas for other videos, let me know. 73 Mike!
great videos on ham radio. I would be very interested in seeing how you connect your antennas to your shack and how (or if) you are grounding all of it, and how you are running all the wires
I will try to have a video on antennas and grounding. Great idea! 73!
Good morning. Great info and important. We will tap into our local scrap metal folks here and see what we can get for antenna supplies. Definitely going to get the licence this winter. Thank you Rich and Holly. Took a bunch of notes on this.
The support is critical to get the antenna to height. You can always use a tree too! If you need help getting the license, let me know. Cheers!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm will do thank you!
Nice video, just came across your channel. One word of caution, under the regulations, even during times of an emergency you are not permitted to transmit on ham bands without a valid license.
I had seen to the contrary, and others keep pointing it out. I'll have to dig deeper and look. I suspect in a true emergency, anyone with a radio will just turn it on and try to talk to someone. They won't know how to communicate on the ham bands, but they'll try. Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment! Cheers!
Maybe it's in the wording? If you're having a serious emergency it's okay, but not talking in general about a non urgent matter during a time of emergency?
@@chipwright6193 I need to find the exact wording on this. I'll look around to find out.
Cool stuff Rich. Lots of info but makes sense. Like anything, don't cheap out seems to be a common theme.
Its interesting that the lenght of wire determines the frequency, if i got that right ?:)))
Cheers 🌱🤞👍🇸🇪
I try to not "go cheap" on anything as I end up replacing it (and rebuying again). Save time and money and buy the first one as quality!! The lower the frequency that you want to operate on, the longer the wire antenna will be. An antenna for the FM band is only a few feet long. An antenna for an AM radio is usually a ferrite "stick" a couple inches long with a LOT of wire wrapped around it. I hope that all makes sense. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm "cheap man pays double"
My favorite portable antenna is a 10-40 meter efhw for Parks on the Air activations (POTA). The radio/small battery/antenna even my laptop all fit in a harbor freight apache case. This is all great info you're giving especially for those that have been thinking about becoming a ham operator. I encourage people to get thru the General license.
That is awesome that you've got the whole set-up ready in one case. I need to get mine in a better case. I'm not fond of the end fed antennas. They seem to be limited on 15 meters. Maybe I haven't seen the right antenna yet. Cheers!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm The end feds have gotten really popular. Mine is a variable ratio efhw 49-1, 56-1, 64-1 made by Xtenna with a 3 position switch. I've been on 20 and 40 so much I've kind of neglected 15 and the other bands. I'll have to play around with 15 and see how it fairs. I did make a ladder line antenna for 10 that works great and rolls up nice but now I'm wondering that too on the efhw.
@@johnb6084 Keep me posted. A friend brought an end fed antenna to Costa Rica. He was loud on 10-20-40 but really poor on 15m (barely workable). It just didn't load well. Keep me posted!
Just found your channel and I love this video. I’m a new Ham operator and I’m nervous about getting on the air for the first time. I didn’t hear what handheld radio you have and the mobile radio.
My mobile radio is a Yaesu FT991A. All my gear is Yaesu. Everyone is nervous about making their first contacts. Just get on and make a contact. Everyone understands the nervousness. I have been the first QSO for several people. It's always fun to hear new folks on the air. Just do it!! Let me know how it goes! 73!
👍👍👍👍👍 good content 👌
Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment!! Cheers!
Excellent video, it certainly helped me. I have the Yaesu FT-991A and just love it. Unfortunately, my antenna took a lightning strike. It was a MyAntenna, antenna and it was great. Now I am in the market for a new antenna. I am not going to do a permanent setup but, would like to do a portable. I love your idea of portable. Instead of using the car battery I would like to buy a battery and consider maybe a solar panel also and other means of charging it. Those MFJ individual antennas look like a great option. I will have to look to see how you can set one up other then using the T-mag mount on the vehicle. Thank you again for sharing your wealth of information on radio. K04UWU
The 991A is a great rig! I hope you can get a good antenna and get back on the air. Check the capability of the solar. Some of the solar panels are not able to keep enough of a charge to keep the battery charged while operating the 991 (or another 100 watt rig).
I just found your channel, great advice! I'm studying to take the test for Tech and would like to make it to General. I can only imagine the mess if every rookie pulled their radio out and started talking during an emergency.
Get the Tech under your belt and then get working on the General. The world is waiting, and you'll love conditions at the top of the sunspot cycle! Keep me updated on your progress! Cheers Chip!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm Thanks! Our local Ham club is testing the second Sat in Dec. That should give me enough time to study. I have a question. I see most hams have a collection of radios. Is it possible to have 1 or 2 radios and be pretty well content? I don't know how interested I am in carrying a handheld radio. My interest is more in talking in a range from the next town away to across the country. Talking outside of the country being an added bonus. I also like the idea of being more mobile than a base station radio, powered by 12V so I could power it from my truck or a power supply in the house. Would your FT991 or your FTM6000 check most of those boxes, or am I having wishful thinking?
@@chipwright6193 Get an FT991. It'll talk on all bands from 160M to 432 MHz. You can talk around the country and world on HF, and you can talk more locally on VHF. It's a great rig. Over time, you'll end up with a few radios. It just happens! Hope this helps!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm Thanks! It really does help! I know it'll happen, I'm just trying to avoid my usual habit of impulse buying.😅
Would love a video with you making HF contacts over the world.
There is another video that talks about communication on 10-15-20 meters and I show some of the people on the air. I'll try to make something else with more contacts.
Thank you, can't wait
Danke für das tolle Video.73,de Jozef.OE1CJG.😊😊😊
Thank you for watching and commenting! 73 Jozef!
I only use my mobile unit for storm spotting so I run it off a lifePo4 battery.
Good plan. I know it depends on power output, length of transmission, but how long does the battery last? Thanks for checking in!
V/U antennas are a no brainer. HF may require a little more thought, but vehicle mounted antennas can usually be done without a lot of effort. You first need to split the decision into one of two ways; mobile or stationary. Stationary is easier. Just provide a sufficient base made of lumber you can drive one vehicle tire onto. The antenna can be almost any height before bracing is needed. Mobile mounting can be a little trickier unless you have a trailer hitch. Even then you might need some bracing depending on configuration. Mobile antenna height is limited by the height of trees and structures you expect to encounter.
I've made 80 meter regional contacts with only a 8.5' mobile whip. A tuner is almost always needed no matter what.
I've got antennas ready for a stationary or mobile set-up. I can make lots of contacts on 80M with the one whip antenna. I have mini-whips that I attach to the main whip. It is nothing more than an alligator clip soldered to different lengths of coat hanger. If I want to change frequency, I attach the alligator clip to the end of the vertical. That changes my frequency without a tuner. Works like a charm. Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment!
Nice to be self resonant and cost less with yours. I like the convenience of not having to get up for band changes especially in poor wx conditions with mine.
It's a matter of preference.
Love your channel
I’m working on getting ham call sign so I can talk to my mining company in nome Alaska and long prairie
Baxter pillager St. Cloud
Etc I already have alinco
Radio and dipole
I have a great friend who got his ticket and used it to talk all over Alaska while he was living there. It was his only means of communication in some areas. Good luck on getting your license and keep us posted of your progress. 73!
bay pu4ydz from BRAZIL, CONGRATOLATIONS
Thank you for stopping by to watch and comment. 73!
16:00 Think of having a license in order to learn and practice as going to the range.
Practice is essential. I like your example of going to the range! Thanks for watching and commenting. More radio videos on the way!
Please make more instructional videos.
Thanks for watching and commenting. If you've got idea for topics for other videos, let us know. 73!
I've recently taken the equivalent of the general licence yo3aec . On 2m and above I could not get a direct contact in the city. Either no propagation or no hams nearby. Or bad timing 😊. I'll probably go the HF route and mobile . It looks way simpler to go on a picknick with a mobile antena than to install a hidden one on my block.
You can make a dipole antenna with very thin wire that will be well hidden. You could even hide a small wire dipole within a tree that is hidden. Or go out on a picnic and enjoy some mobile antennas! Keep me updated on what you choose! 73!
Thanks Rich. I've watched all of your videos and found them helpful. For work, I spend a lot of time in rental cars and I'm looking to build a mobile set-up. It would also double for emergencies with my own personal car. I'm wondering about removing that 3-magnet mount. MFJ cautions that it's hard to remove, but "hard" is a very nebulous description. How difficult is the MFJ-336T to remove without incurring any damage to the vehicle or the paint? Thanks again.
Once you've done it a few times, it's actually really easy. If you were really worried about scratching the roof, you could put a small piece of a plastic garbage bag underneath. It would still adhere very well. Maybe I'll film a video about the magnet mount and the hamsticks. They really work well. Let me know how else I can help Nate! Cheers!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm Hi Rich. Circling back with my results. I bought the MFJ-336T and gave it a try. The magnets are indeed quite strong (which is good), but MFJ's disclaimer that states, "Once its on, it is difficult to get it back off!", is just a little overstated in my opinion. When a manufacturer says something like that, I tend to pay some heed. Yeah, it's firmly on there, but I'm just an average strength guy who works behind a desk all day and I had no problem placing it on or removing it from the car roof using a little common sense. My on-the-air results with it have also been quite good so far. It should be a lot of fun to have this mobile set-up in the rental car on my future work related road trips. Despite being a SHTF idea, it looks to me like you did a great job of sourcing some reasonably well made, modular, components at a modest price for temporary mobile operation. I'm grateful you shared it. It helped me out. 73.
@@nateitkin8279 I'm glad it all worked out. I bought this to have a solid station for mobile contesting. It turns out to be an incredible emergency antenna. I hope to catch you on the air sometime. I'll be on the air this weekend in the CQ WPX Contest. I'll be operating as NT0EE. 73 Nate!
Great info. Where did you get the pole segments? I have a HOA and smallish backyard with limited height for my 2M/70cm, but on occasion would like to hoist my antenna up a few more feet. TIA!
I believe I bought it at DX Engineering. It's been over ten years ago. Not sure if they have it now. It's fiberglass and I believe the lower section is 3" OD. I'll try to see if I've got a receipt for it.
Good Morning Rich, I have a question about the mast that you are using in this video, what is it? I have a carbon fiber mast but, it bends at the top when a little tension is added to it. The mast that you are using looks very strong and would not bend at the top with tension applied. I finally put a hitch mount on my truck and bought the Chameleon hitch mount for a mast. Thank you for sharing Rich.
I believe the mast I have is the MFJ-1906H. I bought it at DXengineering. It has worked flawless over the years. I have rings on it to guy it off. It will move in the wind! It is great for holding up wire antennas. I used it for many years with my 160 Meter Inverted L transmit antenna. Hope this helps! Thanks for stopping by to watch and comment! 73!
Thank you Rich.@@TheOldSwedesFarm
Where are your favorite places to shop for the antennas?
Many of the antennas (mobile whips, magnetic base, dipoles, etc.) can be found at DX Engineering. They have great quality, selection and fast shipment.
Hi there. I was curious which model 80M you have for the mobile. I see the 20 and 40 whip on MFJ but dont see an 80 whip. They do show an 80 telescopic.
I believe it is the MFJ 1675T. It works great on 75 meter phone. I add an alligator clip that has one foot of coat hanger wire soldered to it. I add this length to use on 80 meter CW. It tunes up great! Hope this helps.
Thank you kindly.
When doing these competitions are you writing down each contact you make?
I log every contact when I'm in a contest. There is logging software to make it a lot easier.
Great video. Could I get one of these whips and mount it on the roof of my house with a base radio and talk a few hundred miles away? Any tips on a lower priced base radio that would work?
There are all sorts of used radios for sale on Ebay, Craigslist, etc. I love the Yaesu radios. I would think a used 991A could be had for $500 - $600. I'm not sure that the whips would work well on a roof. It need something metal underneath it. I'd look for a used multi-band vertical or just make some dipole antennas. They are not expensive to make and get a good signal out. Hope this helps. Cheers!
@@TheOldSwedesFarmthanks for the reply. This is great info. I do have a metal roof on the house, I thought these would be nice becuase I could move them easily if needed but wasn’t sure if they would work well for a base station antenna?
@@okienation6420 I'm leery of using them as a base station antenna. They really are mobile antennas and a compromise. I'd get a larger vertical antenna for the backyard. Physically bigger and more signal getting out. If it's an emergency, and you need something in a pinch, this would work on the roof. Not the best antenna but it would work. Hope this all makes sense. Cheers!
@@TheOldSwedesFarm very well. Thank you for the info. I will lookin into a good dedicated base station antenna.
@@okienation6420 If you have questions about antennas, let me know. I can let you know what I've heard about various antennas or if I've actually used the antenna. Take care!
I know you are not "legally" allowed to transmit gmrs over ham radio. But am just wondering if a 100 watt ham radio if transmitting on gmrs during an emergency situation would reach further then a 50 watt gmrs or is the channel limited to 50 watt no matter the wattage of the radio?
Due to the frequency used by GMRS, the difference between 50 and 100 watts won't get you much. If you're looking to get all over your state, region, across the country (or the world), the only option is ham radio.
What you're gonna need when the SHTF is AAA towing!
I'm hoping the SHTF doesn't involve a towing group! Thanks for stopping by to watch!
Sounds like you studied electrical engineering!
Not an engineer at all. Anything presented was learned over decades of experience on the air!
Great video and ver informative. I’m going to recommend that you fuse the power cable very near the battery. 73
Good point. I'll work on that. Cheers Javier!