My shack

[Finch]

Hi all,
Here is my antennas:
Homebrew 5/8 wave VHF marine
Homebrew 9:1 balun on a longwire roughly 25 metres long
13dBi 800/900MHz verticle

VHF marine verticle
27MHz 1/2 wave
Hills yagi for TV

UHF and airband folded dipole on a hills preamp
2.4GHz horn antenna 15dBi



I would share my radio shack but it looks like a dive at the moment so I'll just share my antennas and i'll get some photos later.
My radios:
UCBT9
UCB73XLT
NAVMAN VHF7000 and MC7270
OPEK SWR-2T (not bad for $30)
Jaycar AR1747
A little UHF handheld with a homebrew raised feed UHF antenna
And a UNICOM RT-760GER pager 148.7125 (very good for $10)


My satellite gear:
1.2 Metre dish (tip shop $15)
Humax IR-5410Z decoder

I'll get the dish up on the roof one day.
Too bad it wasnt a better day for taking photos.

[878ROB]

what sort of communications are you into?

[Finch]

what sort of communications are you into?

Anything my scanner can recieve.

[878ROB]

so no TX then?

[Finch]

Three transmitters: UHF CB, 27MHz AM CB and marine, VHF marine. I'm keen on getting my F call soon.

[878ROB]

Foundation lic?

[Finch]

Yeah, Don't know what radio to get yet. Thinking of a VX-7R or VX-6R.

[878ROB]

oh yep nice mate, need to get mine but i dont think many people use the vhf freqs for ametuer here

[Finch]

Its all VHF here I dont think I have heard the local 70cm repeater being used here at all.

[878ROB]

no mean all the HF ametuer stuff, the kenwood will do all that when it wants to work but my icom only does 2m and 70cm but yea vhf is only local stuff really and the HF stuff is world wide but you might need a higher up lic and you are restricted on power output on a foundation lic.

[Finch]

I was talking to another HAM about the output power he was saying that not many F calls stick to 10 watts, He was talking about how you can hear the F calls clear as day on HF, well they're not sticking to 10 watts. I know a F call who has a foot warmer he even took a photo of it in his shack.
Anyway the local 2 metre repeater (RAA) covers just about the whole north of the state so that will do me for now.

[878ROB]

Oh yep sweet as, Also remember it doesnt take much power to produce a signal on those lower HF freq's the higher in the band you go the further your signal travels, correct me any1 if im wrong.

[robb]

I was always told that the lower the freq the better it travels. E.g. 78MHz TFS is better then 463.6MHz Buses reception wise. And I gotta say Metro Tasmania (Buses) uses 3 or 4 different UHF Repeaters where as the TFS (Fireies) only use 1 VHF One for the same Hobart area.

[Fireman_DJ]

Lower freqs travel further, but higher freqs penetrate thru stuff better.
The key is, working out the balance for what you need.

[robb]

Ah, I see. Explains why UHF stuff gets into my house with much better reception then the low VHF (on 78MHz) ambulance stuff.

[bodyguard]

Lower freqs travel further, but higher freqs penetrate thru stuff better.
The key is, working out the balance for what you need.

hmmm why then did the US navy and Russian navies use ELF 3-30Hz to communicate with submerged submarines ?

Just a thought to ponder

[Finch]

Lower freqs travel further, but higher freqs penetrate thru stuff better.
The key is, working out the balance for what you need.

hmmm why then did the US navy and Russian navies use ELF 3-30Hz to communicate with submerged submarines ?

Just a thought to ponder

ELF can penetrate water.
I think it was one way comms because a antenna for ELF on a sub wouldn’t be very efficient.

[Fireman_DJ]

Not 100% sure, but water is a conductor of electricity, where many obstacles are semi-conductors or insulators.

VLF (3-30 kHz) can penetrate water upto about 20 meters and is receive only on the Sub. The transmitting station at Exmouth WA pumps out 1000 kW's of power, the most powerful transmitter in the Southern Hemisphere.

ELF (3-30 Hz) Has only been used by the USA and Russia for Sub comms. In short, they turn the earth itself into the antenna (due to the 3658.5 km wavelength). These can penetrate even deeper under water, normally telling the sub to surface so other comms can be used.

[robb]

I was told that too. ELF can is the only thing that can penetrate water and was also told it's only one way comms.... thou in many movies you hear divers able to radio back to the submarine????? Is it possible to use any type of comms for short distance?

[Fireman_DJ]

Hmm, just found this link, http://www.qsl.net/vk5br/UwaterComms.htm .
More info then I can understand, but it pretty well explains it all. I think...