Amateur Radio
My amateur radio notes
My Setup
- Base transceiver is a Yaesu FT-991a
- Diamond MR77 mobile antenna for 2m/70cm, stuck to one of my filing cabinets
- EARCHI end-fed antenna for HF/6m. I currently have the 9:1 unun attached to the cable which is holding up the string lights in my back yard. Surprisingly, I can tune 6m through 40m using the FT-991A
When remote, I have a Yaesu VX-7R with a Signal Stick antenna
TODO
- Upgrade to General
- Get silly vanity callsign
- Create QRZ logbook
- LOTW
- Request callsign cert
- Get postcard
- Receive cert
- eQSL
- Buy HF equipment
- Try out digital modes on HF (WSPR, FT8)
- Try out non-FM modes on 2m/6m
- Script to archive ADIF files
- Set up page on ARRL Digital Contest, with freqs
- Extract frequencies for various modes from the ARRL operating procedures doc
Local Groups
- SFARC
- Coastside ARC - Pacifica/Linda Mar
- Bay-net
- CARLA - California Amateur Radio Linking Assoc.
- Silicon Valley VE Group - doing online testing during the pandemic
Local Repeaters
- SFARC - W6PW - 145.150- DCS664 - Sutro Tower
- CARC - WA6TOW - 146.925- PL114.8, 441.075+ PL114.8 - Montara Mtn
- CARLA SF - N6MVT - 442.075+ PL100.0 local, PL162.2 link
- CARLA Pacifica - WB6JKV - 440.725+ PL114.8 local, PL167.9 link
- NorCal DX Club - W6TI - 147.36+ PL110.9 - Palo Alto
- KC6ULT - 146.865- PL114.8 - Redwood City
SF Bay Area Weekly Nets
Times PST/PDT
- Daily 09:00 - 9 AM Talk Net - N6NFI (Palo Alto) - 145.230- PL100
- Monday 17:30 - San Bruno ARC - WA6TOW - moving soon to K6PVJ 440.550 PL114.8
- Monday 20:00 - SF ARC FM - 145.150- MHz DCS 664
- Tuesday 19:30 - CARC Daly City Net - WA6TOW 146.925- PL114.8
- Tuesday 20:00 - San Mateo County OES - KC6ULT 146.865- PL114.8 (also WA6TOW)
- Saturday 09:00 - SF ARC HF net - 14.328Mhz
Unconfirmed
- Tuesday 19:00 - San Mateo Radio Club - 145.370- PL107.2
- Tuesday 20:30 - SF 147.555Mhz (no tone)
- Wednesday 19:30 - Bay Net 6m FM - 52.525 MHz
- Wednesday 20:00 - CARC checkin - WA6TOW 146.925- PL114.8
- Wednesday 20:30 - BayNet 2m SSB - 144.230 USB vertical polarization
- Thursday 19:00 - San Mateo Radio Club - 145.370+ PL107.2
- Thursday 20:00 - Bay-Net Digital Voice
- C4FM 444.425 MHz color code 1, +5MHz offset
- DMR 444.350 MHz
- Repeaters are in Palo Alto, may not be able to reach
- Thursday 20:00 - SF ARC QRS CW - 144.07 MHz
Stores
Online
- DX Engineering
- Gigaparts
- Ham Radio Outlet
- Has physical stores, the (now closed) one in Oakland had some pretty bad reviews due to assholes working there. Maybe avoid unless they have a really really good deal.
- Universal Radio
- Old-school site, seems to be entirely sold out. Has a bunch of historical info
SF Bay Area
Digital Modes
Stuff to try out
- WSPR - propagation reporting beacons
- FT8 - mostly automated contact-making and signal checking
- JS8 - Based on FT8, but for freeform messages. JS8Call is a fork of WSJT-X for this mode
- PSK31 - digital rag-chew
- AX.25 packet radio - BBSes and stuff!
Reference
DX Engineering's coax type chart
TRRS plug diagram:
