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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:51 pm
by Tyranus
There's more buttons on that than even R2D2 would know what to do with!!!!!

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:18 am
by VK6ZMS
Zebedee wrote: One of the things that 2m suffers from that 70cm doesn't is interference from pagers, which is bloody frustrating when you work in the CBD ;)
If your radio has tone squelch set it to 123hz. Most WARG 2m repeaters TX a subtone.
The mute wont open until the tone is R/X'd.

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:39 am
by VK6ZMS
Zebedee wrote:
If you can get a radio that does both 2m and 70cm, it puts you in the best spot I reckon as you can jump between the two bands to suit wherever you are and what the local conditions are.
One demonstration of local conditions I can think of is I have friends in Rockingham who I talk to on a simplex freq. On 2 meters the signal is quite noisy but on 70cms there is full quieting and that's using the same power.
There is a hill in the path and the higher freq. diffracts differently.

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:46 am
by meg
Tyranus wrote:How about an IC7800 for a starting radio?? :P :lol:
http://strictlyham.com.au/Icom/Base/IC-7800.htm

Edit: For those not quite certain, yes I was being sarcastic then, look at the price!!!!! That cost more than my car!!!!!!
Don't joke about it... The radio my workmate has given me is this one - not _quite_ as many knobs and buttons, but close...

http://www.universal-radio.com/CATALOG/hamhf/FT990.html

Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:49 am
by Zebedee
VK6ZMS wrote:
Zebedee wrote: One of the things that 2m suffers from that 70cm doesn't is interference from pagers, which is bloody frustrating when you work in the CBD ;)
If your radio has tone squelch set it to 123hz. Most WARG 2m repeaters TX a subtone.
The mute wont open until the tone is R/X'd.
Yep I've got CTCSS enabled and it certainly does help, but it's still a pain in the backside ;)

What was worse were the Adelaide 2m repeaters which don't appear to have CTCSS on them at all, so operating portable in their CBD was a bit of a nightmare!

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:12 pm
by Tyranus
Righto, I've finished obtaining my MCDST so the way I figure it, I can now do a completely irrelevant bit of study next...time for that Ham I've been promising myself :).

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:12 pm
by robbage
I've got a mint Foundation Manual you can have if you want it. You'll need to pick it up or pay for delivery though.

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:21 pm
by Zebedee
Tyranus wrote:Righto, I've finished obtaining my MCDST so the way I figure it, I can now do a completely irrelevant bit of study next...time for that Ham I've been promising myself :).
Go for it!!

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:29 pm
by meg
robbage wrote:I've got a mint Foundation Manual you can have if you want it. You'll need to pick it up or pay for delivery though.
You mention that after I've ordered mine!

Congrats Tyranus - are you doing the Standard license? Otherwise might I see you at the Foundation course in September?

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:44 pm
by Tyranus
Well meg was I wasn't going to go on any of the courses because I though they were all during the week or might conflict with work. At the moment however it won't so I've emailed them, so yes i might well be seeing you there!
robbage you're a champ!

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:16 am
by robbage
Go for it guys. I hear the assistant instructors are quite good :)

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:56 am
by meg
Tyranus wrote:Well meg was I wasn't going to go on any of the courses because I though they were all during the week or might conflict with work. At the moment however it won't so I've emailed them, so yes i might well be seeing you there!
Cool - I think you'll be the first WARSUGer I've met other than Aunty's Eyes who I've known for years.

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:37 am
by Zebedee
Tyranus wrote:Well meg was I wasn't going to go on any of the courses because I though they were all during the week or might conflict with work. At the moment however it won't so I've emailed them, so yes i might well be seeing you there!
Yep there's two Foundation courses left for this year - 20/21 September, and 22/23 November, with the respective exams being the following weekends, the 27th September and 29th November.

The next Standard course starts in February 2009, finishing middle-of-the-year-ish, so if you want to get a callsign and start getting on air sooner, the Foundation course and exam is the quickest and easiest way ;)

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:22 pm
by auntys_eyes
meg wrote:...other than Aunty's Eyes who I've known for years.
:D :smt039

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:33 pm
by meg
Paid my deposit for the course and tonight, picked up one of the cheap Quansheng 2m radios. Have managed to program a few repeaters in and listened to some of the WICEN net tonight.

_Very_ excited - now just have to pass the exam... :-k

And a big :smt039 back to AE!