KA9WKA

Author's details

Name: Bill Grzanich
Date registered: January 14, 2011

Latest posts

  1. Richard’s Radio Adventures 007 Show Notes — August 9, 2012
  2. Richard’s Radio Adventures 006 Show Notes — March 5, 2012
  3. Richard’s Radio Adventures 005 Show Notes — February 6, 2012
  4. Richard’s Radio Adventures 004 Show Notes — January 9, 2012
  5. Richard’s Radio Adventures 003 Show Notes — December 9, 2011

Author's posts listings

Aug 09 2012

Richard’s Radio Adventures 007 Show Notes

Categories:

RRA Show Notes

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Introduction:

  • Richard has been re-issuing episodes of Resonant Frequency: The Amateur Radio Podcast.
  • Look for Richard’s “Basic Guide to the National Traffic System” to appear on the Resonant Frequency website.

Topics:

  • The Great Forney Tornado of 2012.
  • On April 2, 2012, several storms brought 20 tornados to the Dallas, Texas area, from Cleburne to Greenville, over a distance of about 100 miles. Richard describes the activation of the local Kaufman County A.R.E.S. group and the lessons learned. (Richard is the Emergency Coordinator for the Kaufman County A.R.E.S.)

Contact Info:

  • Contact Richard at kb5jbv@gmail.com

Music:

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Mar 05 2012

Richard’s Radio Adventures 006 Show Notes

Categories:

RRA Show Notes

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Introduction:

  • In this episode, Richard, KB5JBV, describes his funny looking plant hanger. :)

Topics:

  • Having moved to a different house in a neighborhood with antenna restrictions, Richard took on the challenge of creating a low profile ham presence. He already had 50 feet of coax, an Arrow dual-band J-pole antenna, and some military surplus fiberglass tent poles. There is a fence and retaining wall that totals about 7 feet in height. Using plumbing strap and screws, he attached a couple sections of the tent poles at the corner of the fence. He ran the coax a few feet to the fence and along the fence to the tent poles, anchoring the cable to the fence with inexpensive cable clips. After clamping the J-pole to the tent pole, he had an antenna for his Winlink gateway that was nearly invisible from the street. He may end up painting the antenna to blend in with the sky, and hanging a potted plant from it.

Contact Info:

  • Contact Richard at kb5jbv@gmail.com

Music:

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Feb 06 2012

Richard’s Radio Adventures 005 Show Notes

Categories:

RRA Show Notes

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Introduction:

Topics:

  • Making yourself clear and understood on an emergency communications net.
  • Some tips:
    • Send your callsigns slowly and clearly.
    • Use the ITU phonetic alphabet.
    • Don’t yell or whisper into the microphone. Most local emergency communications use the FM mode, and too much or too little audio will cause distortion or no intelligible information.
    • Hold the microphone an inch or two away from your mouth, and a bit to one side. Again, “eating” the microphone will only cause distortion.
    • Keep Q-signals, codes and jargon to a minimum. Many of the served agencies do not use the same jargon as amateur radio operators. Q-signals are meant for CW (Morse code), not voice modes.
    • There are proper uses for “over”, “out” and “roger”. Learn the correct usages.
    • Monitor a traffic net to hear the proper techniques in use.

Contact Info:

  • Contact Richard at kb5jbv@gmail.com

Music:

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Jan 09 2012

Richard’s Radio Adventures 004 Show Notes

Categories:

RRA Show Notes

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Introduction:

  • Richard, KB5JBV, again recording mobile.

Topics:

  • Richard talks about minimizing his amateur radio station. It’s amazing how much radio stuff you accumulate over the years. He’ll keep his WinLink gateway going.
  • He’s planning on installing a mobile HF station in his truck. Previously, he’s used a large magnet-mount antenna, Icom ID-800 D-Star capable radio, various Workman and Hustler mobile antennas, and a Kenwood TS-430 with automatic antenna tuner.
  • Now, he’s looking for a mounting solution for inside the pickup truck. The lightest HF radio he has is a Yaesu FT-897D. Richard is also looking for an antenna mount for the truck, using the truck bed stake pockets, bumper, or trailer hitch. He did find a stake pocket mount with a wedge that holds the mount securely to the hole.
  • Inside the cab, Richard will either use the factory mounting bracket and a “hump mount”, or mount the radio under the dash and move the VHF/UHF rig to a monopod mount.
  • Richard is still trying to find a practical solution for VHF/UHF antennas at his homeowners association-restricted location. If you have any ideas, please let him know.
  • Richard relates the story of his first 2-meter mobile antenna, crafted from a used CB antenna.
  • If you have any radio adventures you’d like to share, send them along!
  • For more discussion of mobile radio installation, listen to episodes 50 and 51 of Resonant Frequency: The Amateur Radio Podcast.

Contact Info:

  • Contact Richard at kb5jbv@gmail.com

Music:

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Dec 09 2011

Richard’s Radio Adventures 003 Show Notes

Categories:

RRA Show Notes

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Introduction:

  • Richard, KB5JBV, recording pedestrian mobile.

Topics:

  • Richard moved house recently, and his new location appears to have very little in the way of active amateur radio clubs, ARES or RACES. His solution? He and another ham reactivated a local ARES group, and are trying to get the assistance and support of the Trinity Valley Amateur Radio Club.
  • If you’re in the Kaufman County, Texas area and have an interest in emergency communications, or have experience with setting up an EmComm service like ARES, please contact Richard.

Contact Info:

  • Contact Richard at kb5jbv@gmail.com

Music:

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