Cb is dead long live ham radio

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
61

Hi Marcustandy,
to give you some idea of the range of a repeater. My local repeater is GB3IR situated near Scotch Corner. I am able to contact the repeater from Wetherby to just south of Newcastle and over to the East Coast. Anyone in the range would hear any traffic reports I or anyone else gave. Each repeater as its own coverage but each repeater that is connected via the internet can access other repeaters that are also connected to the internet. Consequently if I were travelling south down to Liecester I would start off on the nearest repeater but once I got south of Wetherby I could then change to the Wakefield repeater frequency. From the Wakefield repeater I could then connect back to my first repeater, if I wanted to give traffic reports to people on that repeater or I could connect to the next repeater down south, which would be Nottingham. Once connected to Nottingham repeater I could put out a call asking for traffic info. With the Ham repeater system you can get to know of problems way ahead therefore have more chance of avoiding problems. Until recently there were very few truckers on the Ham Bands but due to the relaxing of license regulations more and more truckers are finding it a better way of communication either for traffic reports or a ragchew. One net I was on had a trucker in Nottingham area, a motorist in Durham, a homebase in Bishop Auckland and a regular guy in Minisota USA. I myself was on the North York moors. Not once did any muppets come on to spoil the chat and boy, did the journey fly by. On CB if you are on nights it is difficult to get a contact but on Ham radio it is possible to talk to anywhere in the world and there is always someone out there willing to pass the time of day/night.

Regards
Westie

62

Totally agree with what Westie says.

Go back 3 posts of mine to give you some idea of the range that is possible using the Node system. (Using IRLP or Echolink.)

As for planning permission for your house…

Well,unless it’s changed,getting permission used to be a fairly easy process,as I beleive that there tends not to be a lot of objection to amateur masts,for reasons unknown to myself.

I had an instance some years ago,where I and others objected to a local amateur,nearby to where I lived at the time,putting some aerials up,but I,and others,were overuled by the council,and he got permission.

However,interference became a SEVERE issue with this particular station,and it all got very messy,involving the DTI,the local councillors and the local MP,but eventually he and his missus split up,and he moved out.To this day,the aerials are still on the side of the house,but as far as I’m aware,are no longer used.

Someone may correct me on the subject of planning permission for aerials,but I think if you got the RSGB involved with your application,they used to help smooth things over with your local authority,but I don’t know if that’s still the case,or if it was all a big rumour.

Amazing though,how things change,and now I find myself in a possible similar situation,but can learn from previous lessons.

Ken.

63

Hi Guys

Ken i have heard about the node to come on the air there is one in Dewsbury already which is on 145.3375 run by G4CLI, Also GB3YW which is situated in East Ardsley on the Super Slab CB centre Freq 145.7875 Mhz using CTCSS Tone of 82.5 Hz this is possibly going to be connected to IRLP.
gb3yw.co.uk/4436.html

Westie The one you are talking about is on 145.6875 MHz CTSS 118.8HZ.

A quick one on Planning Permission here in Leeds the rules are that you can not go higher than 3m above the highest point of the roof mainly the ridge tiles if you do you need planning permission.
If you mount a antenna in your garden it must not stand higher than 3m from the ground if it does you need planning permission.
I had the problem when i mounted my Vertical on a 20ft pole in the garden my nice next door neighbour reported me to the council and when they came round they told me the above, so i had to apply for permission at a cost of £125 to cut a long story i applied for a 10m tower and a 18ft antenna and was given permission much to my neighbours disapproval but i got it in black and white.Ken you are also correct in what you say if you are a member of the RSGB they will send a letter to the Local Council to support your application which they did for me.

If you would like to know how repeaters work see the link below

gx4nok.plus.com/repeatershow.htm
rsgb.org/

Paul

64

Paul.

You are correct about the node run by G4CLI.It is 145.3375,and not 145.3875 like I posted earler. :blush: And the thing about it is,he’s actually taking me for my foundation licence,and is on the committee of Wakefield and DRC.

Hopefully it should be up and running very soon,as it’s still being sorted at the moment. (Well it was at club night last Tuesday.)

Ken.

65

Thanks for the answers to my questions guys.

I am quite interested in this but I am also looking looking at another job (“onwards and upwards!” and all that :unamused: ) which, if it comes off, will involve another house move!

Perhaps I better wait a bit until I know where i’ll be.

66

It wouldn’t take you long to do the foundation course,and then you could do what I’ve done,and buy a small handheld to get you on your way.All I need next,is an aerial and mag mount,as the rubber duck type aerial won’t be of much use when I’m mobile,and once I’ve got my licence,I’m on the air.Plus the beauty of it from my point of view being an agency driver is,I just throw them in my bag at the end of my shift.

Once you’ve then moved,you could then build yourself a ‘shack’ at your new house,and have something a bit more permanent at home.

I’ve just sat down and programmed a load of repeaters on my handheld,so that when the day comes,I can just tune to the relevant saved memory,and I’m away.

Ken.

67

Mike m:
UPDATE !!!

Sat the Foundation exam on Tuesday evening 21/02/

Passed with flying colours ( :sunglasses: 100% on the written paper :sunglasses: :laughing: :laughing: )

Quinny, I did all my training at home, first time I attended the club was Tuesday evening. Did all the practical tasks immediately before the exam.
I was a wee bit apprehensive at first but I really enjoyed playing around with the radios. I was terrified of the morse code part though but I even started getting into that after a while…

Now looking for some kit to buy and getting it in the cab.

73
Mike.

You are so lucky to have one of the UKs best amateur radio outlet on your doorstep in Chertsey

www.hamradio.co.uk

Those guys can help you on most of your needs whether you go the second hand route or the new…

I run the FT 857 during the day into a dual band whip mounted behind the spoiler (no tree damage) but i have tha advantage of when i park up at night i can throw up a Dipole in the trees and work some of the HF bands without too much hardship.

68

Well,D-Day looms.We sit the exam next Saturday.

I did a mock paper yesterday,and got 21/25,which is a pass,but I knew I’d made a mistake on 2 of the questions I’d got wrong.

Can’t wait for next week now,and if I do as well as I did yesterday,then this time next week,I’ll be a happy bunny. :smiley:

Ken.

69

Ham radio rally @ Blackpool this Sunday, 19/3/06 if anyones interested.
My son and I are going with Great Lumley ARC, give us a shout on 145.500 if your going along.

73
John
G1JDV

70

CBs are excellent - We love winding up all the scroats and dole dossers on CH19 The only HAM I’ll be trying is with mustard on my sarnies…

71

96% pass rate today. :smiley: :smiley:

So I am now officially an M3.

Ken.

72

Brilliant, Ken. Well done :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

73

Well Done Ken

Welcome to the world of Ham Radio

You will have to let us know your call sign when you get it.

Paulyc

74

:blush: :blush: Forgot to say my callsign arrived last weekend:

M3NFW

75

well done lads in passing your m3 tests, im chuffed i added this to the site now and a bit shocked by how many posts i had to my 1st comments on ham radio…can you let me know your callsigns and areas and i will try and hook up with you all sometime, i use GB3YR in maltby on 145.662.5 … ctcss of 71.9 and also GB3YW on 145.787.5 ctcss of 82.5, home qth is donny so if your passing giz a call on either rpt… my call is M1BUX
cheers lads

73’s de steve aka sonic

76

Hi Steve.

My home repeater is YW,as I live in Ossett,and until the node at Dewsbury is up and running, (Yes,it’s still not ready!!!) I use YR for my IRLP work.I can hit YR from Ossett,with my Yaesu FT-50R handheld,and a Watson NR770H,on top of the car. (3.3db gain on 2m,6 db gain on 70cm.)

The Yaesu does the full 5w,thanks to the 12v supply,so hitting YR is quite easy.Did an IRLP contact a couple of weeks ago,when the wife was in the car,and managed to open the Crossroads repeater, (9200) and have a chat with a guy in San Diego,California,and at the same time,a guy from North Carolina.She was impressed.

I also sometimes use HD at Huddersfield,which is on 70cm,and is connected to the Echolink system.I can open that,with the same handheld,using the standard rubber duck aerial,running about 2.8w from the house!!! Not bad in my opinion.

I can be heard on YW most days,so listen out for me.

Ken.M3SSQ/Mobile.

77

nice one ken, i will be on yw on tuesday from about 06.30 till noon, if your about give me a call, dont think i have spoke to you yet on air… hey that handie works well for you, i run a ft2500m from the cab with a max pwr of 50w into a half wave ant on the cab roof, works well, will soon be getting a ic7000 to run HF/UHF/VHF while out pounding up and down the tarmac

look me up on qrz.com and you will find a link to my website. it needs updating but i have my logbook and a few pic’s etc etc

cheers de steve

78

Funny is that Steve,I’m also on QRZ.

I’m working on Tuesday,but don’t know where I’m going yet,but I’ll take the gear with me,and put it in which ever truck I’m in,and while I’m still in the area early morning,I’ll give you a call.

You can now see the reason why I have a handie.I just throw it in the bag,with the aerial,the 12v plug,and I can still indulge in my hobby.If I was a permanent driver,and not an agency driver,I would go for something else because I would have my own truck.

Ken.

79

My son David (Titch to some) is taking his Foundation Course at the weekend and I wish him the best of luck. :laughing: :smiley: :laughing: :smiley:

John
G1JDV

80

John,
Would I take it that the main 2m repeater in the NE,is at Crook?

I have tried to access the Durham one,which I believe is at Lumley,but it seems non operational.

Ken.
M3SSQ