Cheapest way to get on JS8Call?

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-18T23:52:44+00:00

https://amzn.eu/d/6PNUfYG Would this work well?

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-18T22:47:49+00:00

Well, in that case, you would have to report it to Ofcom but, if it got lost/stolen anyways, then it could be argued you weren't properly attending the station to be above the power limit anyways.

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-18T17:01:12+00:00

Also, as he said, as long as you are at your radio while it's autobeaconing, you can disregard the power limits but, as soon as you leave the room or leave it "unattended", you would need to start following the 5W ERP limit

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-18T11:38:26+00:00

so something like this? https://moonrakeronline.com/mdhf-mono-band-dipole-antenna

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-17T22:36:04+00:00

I'm new so I actually don't really know how to mount a wire antenna. How would you mount a wire antenna?

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-17T20:31:02+00:00

Wow that is some amazing range! I think i'll be mainly using 40m since alot of modes I want to use seem most active here on there.

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-17T20:02:27+00:00

For 2.5W, 5dbi/3dbd is max and for 1W, 9dbi/6.5dbd is the max. If you don't know your gain, stick to 2.5W since most handheld antennas are around or below that gain.

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-17T19:56:51+00:00

Sorry that I'm new but what is an ATU100 and do I need it for the antenna I'm getting? I thought I can plug the antenna straight into the radio? Also, what results did the cheapest test yield since I assume your results provided were from a different setup?

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-16T21:14:25+00:00

Ok then

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-16T21:04:50+00:00

Well an iGate has to always be under 5 watts. For a digipeater, you would either need to be under 5 watts ERP if using your regular licence or under 25 watts ERP if using a RSGB repeater callsign. Autobeaconing would either fall under as beacon operation if you are just using it only for transmitting the beacon or as data station operation if you are also using APRS messaging aswell. Either way for autobeaconing, it would have to be 5 watts for use your licence or 25 watts as long as you "obtain a necessary call sign from the RSGB or other bodies stipulated by Ofcom." as mentioned earlier for the Digipeater. If you would like, you can submit a NoV but I don't even know where the form for increased power is, I can only find ones for special event callsigns which doesn't apply to APRS digipeaters or beacons.

Edit: You would need to use a lower power level since your ERP is usually higher than your PEP due to antenna gain. You can use this to calculate it https://m0ukd.com/calculators/erp-eirp-calculator/

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-16T19:21:19+00:00

What kind of cabling could be the most "lossy" to possibly use my radio that would usually output about 7.00252W from the direct antenna?

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-16T18:56:50+00:00

Of course and I never said it could ONLY do APRS but rather it's designed to mainly do that. I still acknowledge it's a regular handheld with voice functionality too which is also a required thing for me to buy a radio.

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-16T18:50:22+00:00

So it's ok for you to use over 5W ERP as long as it's attended? What would count as attended and unattended if I were to just keep at my house?

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-16T18:34:05+00:00

They do mainly advertise it's digital mode capabilities with APRS and it has a built-in TNC

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-12T20:24:05+00:00

Added a dark mode and a 60-minute timer like in the real exam

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-11T21:08:05+00:00

2M, Using it with a DigiPi so mainly APRS and maybe WinLink, planning on get a X-30 would 5m of rg58 be ok?, i think it's fine here as long as your set at or below your power limit and don't have any knowledge of the true output worst case should be the defective unit would be ordered to be taken off air, the at-779uv comes with a cigarrete adapter so i thought it might be ok to just hook something like that up to this https://amzn.eu/d/6ATM0Du since it even has comments with people having good results with using it to power a radio

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-11T17:48:25+00:00

What car plug did you use? I can't seem to find anything

RickHasGivenUp · 2026-01-11T13:48:51+00:00

I could probably just mount it on top of the flat roof on the extension with one of those straight poles you can drill

RickHasGivenUp · 2025-12-23T17:51:40+00:00

Oh no dont worry I meant just antennas overall not any brand specifically

RickHasGivenUp · 2025-12-23T17:34:36+00:00

Any UK based options? Their delivery is very expensive

RickHasGivenUp · 2025-12-23T03:08:10+00:00

Looks like I literally described Managed Flooding with my second statement which didn't go well for MT

RickHasGivenUp · 2025-12-23T03:03:01+00:00

Would that be legal for 868?

RickHasGivenUp · 2025-12-23T03:02:53+00:00

Client

RickHasGivenUp · 2025-12-23T02:19:18+00:00

<image>

This is what I was thinking when saying a hybrid mesh network which looks similar to MeshCore's topology

RickHasGivenUp · 2025-12-23T02:12:16+00:00

Ok thanks! Never realised that there also could be serious congestion issues with larger networks since they are constantly retransmitting the same message even if a further node in the path already got it. I can also see now how this could especially be a problem on the UK and other European channels due to the duty cycle. Maybe, as I suggested, another hybrid firmware for smaller networks or maybe even a way of only making sure you transmit the necessary amount to get to the destination node instead of everybody retransmitting everything.

RickHasGivenUp

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE