First Contact On Ham

[RoarinRow]

Just happy to report that I made my first contact today. While I was making changes to my crossband settings I caught the tail end of two guys talking on the Nevada repeater. I asked for a radio check and they both responded.

Since I am Elk Grove I was pleasantly surprised to hear them so clearly. They said the same for my transmission quality. I should have asked where they where. But the closest repeater in Nevada is at least 150 miles away from me.

I’ve been monitoring on and off since June or so last year. Anyway just wanted to share my excitement.

 

[J.W.]

Congrats! Always fun to hear about someone getting their first QSO.

 

[M Rose]

Just happy to report that I made my first contact today. While I was making changes to my crossband settings I caught the tail end of two guys talking on the Nevada repeater. I asked for a radio check and they both responded.

Since I am Elk Grove I was pleasantly surprised to hear them so clearly. They said the same for my transmission quality. I should have asked where they where. But the closest repeater in Nevada is at least 150 miles away from me.

I’ve been monitoring on and off since June or so last year. Anyway just wanted to share my excitement.

Congratulations o. Your first contact...I remember my first DX contact very clearly... it’s addicting. Mine was 110 miles on 10w on 146.52 MHz.

The HF bands are opening up, I’m talking to Pueblo Colorado every night the past week on 80m. Propagation on 60m is very good into Antarctica right now... trying to get a station down there to respond to my calls.

 

[RoarinRow]

Congrats! Always fun to hear about someone getting their first QSO.

Thank you, yes it was exciting (in a manly way).

Congratulations o. Your first contact...I remember my first DX contact very clearly... it’s addicting. Mine was 110 miles on 10w on 146.52 MHz.

The HF bands are opening up, I’m talking to Pueblo Colorado every night the past week on 80m. Propagation on 60m is very good into Antarctica right now... trying to get a station down there to respond to my calls.

For sure addicting. More reason to setup a home base now lol.

 

[M Rose]

Thank you, yes it was exciting (in a manly way).



For sure addicting. More reason to setup a home base now lol.

A home base will be a lot more efficient for trying to connect with other hams more local to you, as well as operating some long range DX as well. Currently I’m building a 2m Quad antenna to sit on my 28’ mast with the hopes of bouncing my signal off of the mountain to the east of me to get over the mountain to the west of me.

 

[Luke VC]

congrats on your contact! 73's

 

[RoarinRow]

A home base will be a lot more efficient for trying to connect with other hams more local to you, as well as operating some long range DX as well. Currently I’m building a 2m Quad antenna to sit on my 28’ mast with the hopes of bouncing my signal off of the mountain to the east of me to get over the mountain to the west of me.

My hesitation thus far is setting up an antenna and cabling it in the house. Last thing I need is a hole in the wall that I don't know how to make safely. In my home office I sit next to a sliding door and no window. My outside walls are stucco. So another side topic for the future or more YouTube videos.

congrats on your contact! 73's

Thank you!

 

[J.W.]

My hesitation thus far is setting up an antenna and cabling it in the house. Last thing I need is a hole in the wall that I don't know how to make safely. In my home office I sit next to a sliding door and no window. My outside walls are stucco. So another side topic for the future or more YouTube videos.

Stick a 1/2 wave mag mount antenna on a large cookie sheet in the corner of the room. Boom, no holes in the wall. No, it's not going to be as good as an outside antenna but it will get you on the air and should hit any repeaters in your area.

 

[RoarinRow]

Stick a 1/2 wave mag mount antenna on a large cookie sheet in the corner of the room. Boom, no holes in the wall. No, it's not going to be as good as an outside antenna but it will get you on the air and should hit any repeaters in your area.

Ohhh thank you, I will look that up!

 

[M Rose]

My hesitation thus far is setting up an antenna and cabling it in the house. Last thing I need is a hole in the wall that I don't know how to make safely. In my home office I sit next to a sliding door and no window. My outside walls are stucco. So another side topic for the future or more YouTube videos.



Thank you!

MFJ makes a window pass through bulkhead for coax... they aren’t cheap... and then the home brew method would be to take a bulk head so-239 connector and pass through a painted piece of plywood to go through the sliding window.
Then the way I did mine was used an 8” SO-239 bulkhead fitting and drilled a hole through the wall and filled the hole with calling before putting the fitting through the wall...

 

[RoarinRow]

MFJ makes a window pass through bulkhead for coax... they aren’t cheap... and then the home brew method would be to take a bulk head so-239 connector and pass through a painted piece of plywood to go through the sliding window.
Then the way I did mine was used an 8” SO-239 bulkhead fitting and drilled a hole through the wall and filled the hole with calling before putting the fitting through the wall...

Will this work as another option?

Amazon.com: Tram Amateur Dual Band Hi-Gain Hi-Power Magnet Antenna (11861): Sports & Outdoors

 

[M Rose]

That and a cookie sheet would work... there is a guy locally that is doing that and hitting the repeater about 60 miles from his QTH.

 

[RoarinRow]

That and a cookie sheet would work... there is a guy locally that is doing that and hitting the repeater about 60 miles from his QTH.

Thank you I may give this a try…appreciate it.

 

[M Rose]

Thank you I may give this a try…appreciate it.

Experiment with the placement of the antenna on the cookie sheet... I’m not sure if a cookie sheet would be big enough to make a difference or not... but to make a vertical antenna semi directional you put more radials on one side than the other... so moving the antenna around on the cookie sheet might have the same effect.

 

[RoarinRow]

Experiment with the placement of the antenna on the cookie sheet... I’m not sure if a cookie sheet would be big enough to make a difference or not... but to make a vertical antenna semi directional you put more radials on one side than the other... so moving the antenna around on the cookie sheet might have the same effect.

Thank you. I will just need to install some kind of shelving where my desk is at and just make sure its wide enough to make adjustments on placements, etc.

 

[Dusther210]

Congratulations on the first contact! I remember how exciting my first contact was standing in my kitchen on my uv5r

 

[RoarinRow]

Congratulations on the first contact! I remember how exciting my first contact was standing in my kitchen on my uv5r

I know right. I have yet to make first contact on my handheld Yaesu FT3DR now.

 

[Sparksalot]

I have a 2meter J-pole made from TV twinlead hanging in the outermost corner of my office downstairs. It radiates well.

My roof has radiant barrier decking, so makes a great shield.

 

[RoarinRow]

I have a 2meter J-pole made from TV twinlead hanging in the outermost corner of my office downstairs. It radiates well.

my roof have radiant barrier decking, so makes a great shield.

I'm guessing I'll need something like that... still keeping my eyes open..

 

[Sparksalot]

I'm guessing I'll need something like that... still keeping my eyes open..

It's very easy to make one.