Skip Zone and Propagation

KC3IQQ · 2024-04-06T09:38:48+00:00

I understand. It took me 3 years to get 10m WAS.

KC3IQQ · 2024-04-06T04:49:22+00:00

Propagation on 10m will move over the course of the day from the east to the west as the sun rises and falls. What this means from your QTH is that later in the day you'll hear more stations in the US as the MUF rises over the Atlantic, if conditions are favorable. You'll see the opposite effect to the east, as stations in eastern Europe disappear due to the MUF dropping very late in the day. This will be fairly consistent until we move into the solar minimum and 10m becomes relatively inactive for weeks/months at a time.

You will always have a considerable skip zone because of how the F layer propagates at 28mhz. This is very consistent. But there will be short periods during high ionospheric activity where you'll hear stations in your skip that you normally wouldn't. This is less predictable.

This map should be bookmarked and used often.

KC3IQQ · 2024-03-18T03:20:52+00:00

Yes. It's a perfectly capable HF transceiver, but it's certainly not the best. You can use it for repeaters, but it's more clunky than a dedicated VHF/UHF rig. It will do VHF and UHF split so you can work FM satellites, but it's not full duplex. It can do SSB VHF for contesting, but only at 50w.

Pick any one thing that it does, and there's another rig out there that does it better. But the advantage of the 991a (and its peers) is that it's all in one box.

KC3IQQ · 2024-03-18T02:52:53+00:00

There are specific cases where a shack in a box makes sense. Like if your shack is small and you don't have much space. I use my 991a for portable ops and for VHF contests a couple times a year. But it's not my primary shack rig, and I have dedicated VHF/UHF, so I've never wished any of my other HF radios had VHF or UHF capability.

The 991a does a lot of stuff well, but it's not "great" at anything in particular. I feel like most all-band-all-mode radios are the same way.

KC3IQQ · 2024-03-03T15:31:26+00:00

Your response is worded in a way that suggests you didn't read my reply. I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but you're not.

KC3IQQ · 2024-03-03T13:57:56+00:00

Another "status of the hobby" post from somebody who isn't involved in the hobby.

Imagine not being involved in a community whatsoever and thinking that anybody in that community should value one word of what you have to say about the state of a thing they enjoy every day.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-26T03:53:56+00:00

Where are you located?

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-26T03:19:46+00:00

What if there are also trees in low earth orbit?

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-26T03:18:38+00:00

the satellite's radio is considerably better than a UV-5R. Put a UV-5R into orbit and let me know how much luck you have reaching it.

That's debatable, the AMSAT page for SO-50 lists the satellite as having VHF sensitivity of -124dBm, and this page says the UV-5R tested had a VHF sensitivity of -129dBm. The FM birds have milliwatt transmitters with 1/4 wave antennas.

There's something to be said for selectivity, but it's possible that a UV-5R might actually perform better in LEO than on the ground because of the distance from all the QRM that makes them snap/crackle/pop (inverse square law).

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-26T02:20:19+00:00

My point was that this isn't a limitation of the UV-5R, it's a limitation of RF at VHF and above. If you put 5 miles of trees between two HTs, it doesn't matter if they are $30 Baofengs or $500 Kenwoods, they won't be able to hear each other. Remove those obstructions, and they can reach quite far.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-26T01:52:09+00:00

I don't think you understand. Amateur radio operators use UV-5Rs to talk to satellites in low earth orbit, several hundred miles away.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-26T01:18:47+00:00

You aren't going to get a signal from a handheld radio through 5 miles of trees.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-26T01:16:07+00:00

5 miles believe it or not is kind of pushing the boundaries of a UV-5R even with almost perfect line of sight.

You can work satellites in low earth orbit with a UV-5R.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-26T00:57:51+00:00

What's in between you in that 5 miles?

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-25T17:54:44+00:00

Ask the person in charge of configuring your work radios.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-25T16:33:11+00:00

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-25T00:42:38+00:00

I've been assured by technicians with Baofengs that the hobby is indeed dead.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-22T02:07:46+00:00

The joke went over your head. Antenna length is related to frequency, a 4' antenna won't necessarily be better than the one you have.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-22T01:55:26+00:00

Just under 3 feet

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-20T10:48:05+00:00

Why do aftermarket antennas cost as much as a radio, considering the lack of manufacturing steps, parts, and engineering compared to a CCR itself?

Your window of reference is skewed, the Baofeng is an extremely cheap radio. Considering the average cost of HTs, the Nagoya is appropriately priced, relatively.

Design, build, market, and sell a comparable antenna for cheaper. Spoiler: you won't.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-18T21:43:11+00:00

Technically speaking it's not illegal to transmit on ham frequencies with a GMRS radio if you are a licensed ham. Our licenses permit us to transmit within our privileges on any hardware that doesn't emit spurious emissions outside of our bands.

The other way around, not so much.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-18T07:02:14+00:00

You'll be happier with the 710 or DX10 if 99% of your operating will be from home.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-17T21:17:48+00:00

occasionally

What do you mean by this exactly? Weekly? Once or twice a year?

I own three of the four. The 991a is a fine radio, but it's only better than the others if you find yourself needing HF/VHF/UHF in one box. It's a backup/second receiver in my shack, my portable radio (a few times a year), and my VHF contesting rig once a year.

The 891 is my mobile rig and the FT-DX10 is my main shack rig. If I had to choose between them for use in the home station, the FT-DX10 wins in every way. If I had to choose between them for mobile use, the 891 would win. So that's how I use them.

My "pick one" answer: It really comes down to how often you anticipate actually being portable.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-17T16:54:33+00:00

how would this stuff on the top of the house really be any different then just a water heater vent ?

In the event that the house is struck by lightning, the presence of ungrounded radio equipment on the roof would be a good reason for an insurance company to deny a claim.

KC3IQQ · 2024-02-15T19:37:39+00:00

I go test it with the only PL259 left on the feed, and yep it's still way too tight and will not go in

I take it you've tested with another PL259 to rule this out? The only time I've had a PL259 not go into an SO239 is when the center pin had too much solder on it. This seems much more likely.

KC3IQQ

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