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CB radio






vk2fro

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Rather than start a new thread, I thought I'd add a response to this one. Since its only a month old, I didnt think it would be resurrecting or digging up an "old" thread.

I used to play with CB's when i was about 14-17. Then I moved and had no where to put the antenna, so I gave it away for a while. Fast forward to to when I was 31, and around my birthday I sat and passed my standard ham radio exam. Exactly a year later I got my advanced radio license - callsign VK2FRO. The night before I sat the test (mind you for the third time coz I got two really hard one prior); my amateur radio mate and myself sat around trying to think of a callsign to pick. In the meantime I was linking my laptop to his wireless network so I could jump on the net and find some software for; you guessed it, a motorola radio, which he wanted programmed. Turns out his network was called FRO network - which stood for f**k right off network. "That'll do!" I said, laughing at the name. That phrase is commonly used in our circle of friends in jest, and now if I hear it, I state "oi stop wearing out my callsign"

Radio gear I have is a little VX-3R Yaesu handheld, a Yaesu 2100M 2m FM mobile, and an Icom 7000, the icom bells and whistles mobile rig with the colour screen. The two mobile rigs run off a 50 amp manson power supply when at home, and the icom 7000 often goes camping with a dipole or 2 and a 2m/70cm duo bander vertical. Obviously I often monitor 27.355 just to listen to the hf cb radio for fun. In the sky I have a modified cb station master for the upper bands, and a long wire OCF dipole for the lowe bands (below 20m). for 2/70 I have a diamond X300. Also have some LDG toys - their TW1 wattmeter (which is really cool), and their 125 watt "AT 100 Pro" autotuner. I have done the ab5n mic mod to the icom 7000, along with the TV reception mod and the broadband xmit mod. I also have a palomar magnum amplifier, but its not mine, so really cant count it in my gear; its sitting on my desk awaiting a set of replacement 2sc2879 transistors. My mate blew it up one night on the turps, by feeding it 100 watts instead of its nominal 20 watts! Personally I wouldn't get caught dead on the air with that thing. I'd rather get a tokyo hi power or somthing that has proper band filters.

Cheers
Ben
 
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vk2fro

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<<<sound effect: truck horn>>>

CQ CQ CQ this is....

you get the idea.
 
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
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Did it for years but computers and cell phones ruined it!

Sure you can hail someone on skype, send a text or whatever...

Nothing can match the DX when the skip is rolling and the guy in Sydney sounds like your neighbor with 30dB over nine!

Oh the days.

Have about 75 feet of 45G tower, 130 feet of 25G, 48 foot HDBX, half a dozen Ham II and IV rotators and a T2X (tailtwister) that has a burned pot from lightning.

I remember ice always pulling the wires off my quads and Moonraker 6. Those pressure clamps holding the fiberglass guys were the devil I tell you. Mercy sakes alive!

In the mobile we had a Kenwood 140 modded of course. Keyed 35 swung to 125 very clean and we fed that to a sweet sixteen amp which needed 1/0 wire to the battery. 350W carrier swung to 1.6kW. We like our AM to sound broadcast quality with no splatter whatsoever.

I modded all my mics too. Ceramics sounded too dull and crystals too harsh. Never was a big fan of those echo boxes and noise makers although roger beeps were useful on SSB with lots of QRM.

I miss the days no doubt. There's a 1000 feet of 9913 in the attic and the antennas are still on the tower including a starduster omni that's got a busted radial insulator. Even with that I bet the SWR is still 1.1!
 

vk2fro

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hahahah yeah it still is fun. Channel 35 LSB is rocking away next to me on the IC 7000 and I can hear half the country on the thing with a home made 11metre wire dipole.

Then theres the time we go to ians, fire up the Emtron amp, and make the coil glow on his sirio 2016 cb vertical, pushing 3kw+ into it. The valves in the amp warm the shack up nicely. Ian is also good at blowing up baluns with that amp!

A little more sedate 1kw sits at dannys place. We get on the booze, crank up the amp, and give the chook banders a bit of cheek and have a general chat. Switch antenna's and bands, and we're on 80m chasing stations from around the world.

When theres a competition (radio comp) on, we pack our gear and go bush, set up antenna's, batteries, radios and generators and work late into the night with the QRMless conditions that the city cannot provide.

Hitting a station in south africa S930+ and getting a 5/9 report back on 30 watts PSK31 was my first truly long distance contact. Done from a home made PSK controller with a laptop PC and a piece of wire 7 metres long strung between two masts.

it was, and still is, a lot of fun.

Its my turn tonight. Danny will roll up, we'll fire up my 600 watt tube amp and play radio and have a few drinks, and a few laughs.
 
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ROFL I just noticed YOU'RE in Sydney! No shit the guy giving me 30 over is YOUR neighbor!

That was in 1990. Gives me goosebumps now since thinking about that reminds me of the movie Frequency.
 
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Thoes were the days ! You always knew when a Browing was keying up no other radio sounded like them and you could slide, it was a very cool radio I wish I had one now !

Howdy EF glad to see your posting ! merry xmas to you and yours !

Pyro...


Been awhile since i heard talk like that, digital_blue

I used to have a Galaxy 88 with a homebuild 500W amp using 4 6LQ6 tubes.. I used to key that thing up and dim every light in the house.. Did 3/4kW (750W) on SSB.. Antron 5/8 antenna.

I also had a old Browning Golden Eagle Mk4a 40ch w/ssb. Hybrid unit with all tubes for modulation and output. I used the same amp with that. Had an awesome little Astatic D104 Night Owl to go with it..

Then I got my amateur radio license and never went back..

1.5kW is AWESOME!!
 
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vk2fro

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ROFL I just noticed YOU'RE in Sydney! No shit the guy giving me 30 over is YOUR neighbor!

That was in 1990. Gives me goosebumps now since thinking about that reminds me of the movie Frequency.

That was probably ian making the coil glow on the sirio; and letting a mate walk out with a flouro tube, which would light up due to the RF field. Probably NOT good for your health!
 

HIMNL9

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I think my old units have 4 or 5 cm of dust on them, actually :p

Anyway, 73-51 :D
 
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
Messages
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Thoes were the days ! You always knew when a Browing was keying up no other radio sounded like them and you could slide, it was a very cool radio I wish I had one now !

Howdy EF glad to see your posting ! merry xmas to you and yours !

Pyro...

We used a Glen VFO and had a Johnson Messenger 223 sitting by on the same channel when we waved the golden eagle (D104) around. I always like TUG8's over 9's (four vs. six wires)...

People said how you like that Browning and I'd say I'm on a Trashy Tram! ROFL!

I had a Tram that had a floating ground and if you did not keep the box grounded the mic would be lit up! Choke the mic why you reached over and touched the desk lamp and you'd get a shock like you'd never forget! Great for Christmas time. Everyone gather around, hold on and light up like the tree! If you held a NE2 bulb and touched the radiator it would glow bright.
 
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With the CB/HAM convo going on I just have to ask...anyone have a large transmitting tube lying around to sell? (triode, tetrode)

It will not be used for transmitting anything useful though (gasp blashsphamy!:D), going into a VTTC project I have been designing for a while now...1kW+ plate disputation and 3kV+ anode, would be nice, but I am open to offers on differing tubes, shoot me a PM, if you've gone one lying around gathering dust.
 

vk2fro

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With the CB/HAM convo going on I just have to ask...anyone have a large transmitting tube lying around to sell? (triode, tetrode)

It will not be used for transmitting anything useful though (gasp blashsphamy!:D), going into a VTTC project I have been designing for a while now...1kW+ plate disputation and 3kV+ anode, would be nice, but I am open to offers on differing tubes, shoot me a PM, if you've gone one lying around gathering dust.

Hey your still transmitting - any reciever in the vacinity will cop a shedload of interference. And Tesla Coils are cool anyway - that will be my next project now that I have my ion laser (well after I work out the remote connector!)
 

Doofus

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I have... nothing cool like you guys. Just an old cobra radio that I break out for long roadtrips. It has really helped in the past.
 

vk2fro

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heh the old radio saves the day again - got my wires crossed last night when I forgot the wiring on a db9 (for my homebuilt "scrapboard" pic programmer) and mentioned it on air. A buddy came on and told me to reverse the pins when looking at the back of the plug. Duh! but still saved me googling. (I was yakking while assembling).
 




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