I thought of something I wanted to say that I left out of the video: The GhostNet is not supposed to be like a typical ham ragchew, it's meant for intel sharing. Typically if people don't have anything relevant to contribute they may just check in with their location and say nothing to report. With more and more people getting into it, eventually we may have to worry about clogging up the airwaves during the scheduled net, but we're not anywhere near capacity yet.
"Nothing to report" contributes to Intel. Don't think that you personally having nothing relevant to say isn't important. If all is normal, that's important to state! S2 needs all party's to confirm if all is good or otherwise. It comes down to being an active contributor vs just listening. Be active, be aware! 0 is data and just as important to share
Hi there. I worked in the field many years. And the system you mentioned in time of a real emergency is just too involved to work properly. So don't feel bad. You really need a system that is as simple as possible and will work under the worst circumstances. Say you have a software radio, an emp can wipe it out a lot easier than the comparable hardware. Powerful transmitters are useful when local resources are not available. You a lot invested in the project. Maybe you can redirect it to something more productive. GHOSTNET in my humble opinion is not the best way to go in an emergency at all. Tried and true communication is the best. Maybe even just purchase a plug and play system that you know will always be available.
Yes! Have you ever been to a major sporting event and your 4 and 5G cell service is useless? I could see this also getting to that point under dire circumstances.
As an "old ham"... (61 in age, licensed since ~ age 16)... I won't jump down your throat or gatekeep. But I will caution you to stay legal & operate responsibly. The curmudgeons do the hobby a disservice with their elitism & attitudes. I too am trying for that low-cost, ultraportable setup & centered on the (tru)SDX. For lowest cost, am running a Raspberry Pi 400, Linux & (will be using) the (tru)SDX USB sound & CAT control. Still a work in progress for me too. Currently running the RPi-400, USB Sound dongle & a G90. But really want that (tru)SDX for the field. Keep slugging man... you're doing well! N0BBM
It’s the learning of being a new ham! Not all of us were electronics technicians or had a neighbor Elmer who helped us through the steps. There are many who in the spirit of ham radio will experiment and learn in the process. We all made mistakes in our ventures into ham radio. But it’s very fun! Constructive criticism is helpful but those with negative attitudes will discourage the newbies to some extent. They have to ignore harsh criticism but harvest any info that might be interjected into the slamdown. 73!
My catch phrase has become "it all just barely works on a good day". Playing with tech since the 80s and a ham since early 2000s. It is scary how fragile it all is.
I never looked at hobbies as something easy and relaxing. Hobbies and leisure time are two different things. I look at a hobby as an interest, and with some you can build skills from experimentation given amateur radio is all about the art and experimenting. As for entry level SDR, you buy cheap you get hard to setup. I have a cheap one and it was a pain to setup. I purchased an SDR Play, and it was plug and play since the people who made the hardware also develops the software. That Yeasu mobile is also not what I would call an entry level HF rig either. I have a tr uSDX, and that is an experimenter radio, using open source hardware / software. If it's on Amazon, id say it's mass produced, nothing wrong with a 3d printer as people have print farms. If you want an entry level commercially produced QRP radio then get a xiegu g106. I would call that radio a real entry level device.
CAT control can be a pain. If you get the Digirig lite and put the js8call to vox you can run the trusdx without CAT control. I don't use CAT control for mine. Soldering a Zener diode on it has stopped my finals from being cooked.
1- from no license to General just one step the way you said? Hmmm. 2- many reasons can be for someone go high power with digital modes starting for using amps as an equalizer for those who don’t have your huge backyard to put long antennas
2 things that might help. 1. CAT command non existent with that radio, its not you.Cat control runs thru the green jack on the digirig 2. digirig's will hang up on TX because of RF interference thru the usb cable. Use as short of a USB-USB/C as possible with an RF choke on it and use good quality. try to isolate the digirig module from the RF connection of the radio and coax. start with low TX power and work your way up until it hangs again. worked for me using a baoefeng on VHF.
Please be patient with CDE. Like many genius types his lingo may be quirky but thats because the distracted professor/inventer/hacker thing is real offen enough to be true.
Your headaches are coming from the truSDX. Not a beginners radio, more experimental and very fiddly to get working. I noticed you didn't tell them about messing with audio cables from the digirig to the radio. Not plug and play. Also your end fed sloper is way too low and antennae are too lightweight, needs good thick copper for Tx. All the best 73s M7JZW
Thanks! My antenna is too low if going for long-distance contacts. I'm going for NVIS, which needs about a 5-6' height on average. (So maybe still a little too low).
@@CivilDefenseEngineer NCIS antenna should be about 1/10 wavelength high to about 1/4. Low might work but lots of ground loss. Which contradicts your statement in the video for an efficient antenna.
Yeah, this would be a downgrade in that case. I'm just trying to get more people involved that would otherwise be turned off by the typical price of a transceiver. 🙂
@CivilDefenseEngineer there are a few chineese radios that have come out lately that might fit the bil too. I am thinking about a recieve only setup using a digirig and a modded ht. keep exploring and experimenting. It's what makes the hobby grow 👍
Considering to get a ham license is not an option. You absolutely need it. Using 900 megaherts to activate another device transmitting on a ham frequency is still illegal. You need to have a ham license for the frequency range your operating. I would suggest getting ham license anyways cause it's incredibly rewarding . Join a club too there are many people who can broaden your horizons in many different areas.
Not disputing the value of getting a ham license, but you misunderstood what is happening in the integration of the LoRa network to the 40m network. The messages are stored in JS8Call, your query isn't being sent over the airwaves. Any user that is plugged into both networks can forward the messages to you. It also is not illegal for a ham to voluntarily retransmit your messages over 40m using their own callsign.
You know when you're experiencing a real emergency, and if you're more worried about what big daddy gov't thinks than your own circumstances, yeah, it's probably not a real emergency in that situation.
I thought of something I wanted to say that I left out of the video: The GhostNet is not supposed to be like a typical ham ragchew, it's meant for intel sharing. Typically if people don't have anything relevant to contribute they may just check in with their location and say nothing to report. With more and more people getting into it, eventually we may have to worry about clogging up the airwaves during the scheduled net, but we're not anywhere near capacity yet.
I had not run across GhostNet before. Thank you for another rabbit hole to do down.
"Nothing to report" contributes to Intel. Don't think that you personally having nothing relevant to say isn't important. If all is normal, that's important to state! S2 needs all party's to confirm if all is good or otherwise. It comes down to being an active contributor vs just listening. Be active, be aware! 0 is data and just as important to share
Hi there. I worked in the field many years. And the system you mentioned in time of a real emergency is just too involved to work properly. So don't feel bad. You really need a system that is as simple as possible and will work under the worst circumstances. Say you have a software radio, an emp can wipe it out a lot easier than the comparable hardware. Powerful transmitters are useful when local resources are not available. You a lot invested in the project. Maybe you can redirect it to something more productive.
GHOSTNET in my humble opinion is not the best way to go in an emergency at all. Tried and true communication is the best. Maybe even just purchase a plug and play system that you know will always be available.
Yes! Have you ever been to a major sporting event and your 4 and 5G cell service is useless? I could see this also getting to that point under dire circumstances.
As an "old ham"... (61 in age, licensed since ~ age 16)... I won't jump down your throat or gatekeep. But I will caution you to stay legal & operate responsibly. The curmudgeons do the hobby a disservice with their elitism & attitudes.
I too am trying for that low-cost, ultraportable setup & centered on the (tru)SDX. For lowest cost, am running a Raspberry Pi 400, Linux & (will be using) the (tru)SDX USB sound & CAT control. Still a work in progress for me too.
Currently running the RPi-400, USB Sound dongle & a G90. But really want that (tru)SDX for the field.
Keep slugging man... you're doing well!
N0BBM
It’s the learning of being a new ham! Not all of us were electronics technicians or had a neighbor Elmer who helped us through the steps. There are many who in the spirit of ham radio will experiment and learn in the process. We all made mistakes in our ventures into ham radio. But it’s very fun! Constructive criticism is helpful but those with negative attitudes will discourage the newbies to some extent. They have to ignore harsh criticism but harvest any info that might be interjected into the slamdown. 73!
"Hobbies aren't supposed to make you hopping mad to the point of foaming at the mouth"
*Thinking over years of CoD online*
Awesome ! You got me at the chalk line antenna. Subscribed appreciate the info.
Grandpas proud 👍
Thanking you most kindly from English England
My catch phrase has become "it all just barely works on a good day". Playing with tech since the 80s and a ham since early 2000s. It is scary how fragile it all is.
1:28 I am the exact same way when it comes to rc planes. But I’m not giving up.
Yeah. Pure rage keeps me going 😂
How about a Quansheng $25usd radio and a HackRF 1. Or cheaper RTL SDR with upconverter.
Woman here 😎😉
You must be the .2% UA-cam has been telling me about! Well, you're welcome here!
I never looked at hobbies as something easy and relaxing. Hobbies and leisure time are two different things. I look at a hobby as an interest, and with some you can build skills from experimentation given amateur radio is all about the art and experimenting. As for entry level SDR, you buy cheap you get hard to setup. I have a cheap one and it was a pain to setup. I purchased an SDR Play, and it was plug and play since the people who made the hardware also develops the software. That Yeasu mobile is also not what I would call an entry level HF rig either. I have a tr uSDX, and that is an experimenter radio, using open source hardware / software. If it's on Amazon, id say it's mass produced, nothing wrong with a 3d printer as people have print farms. If you want an entry level commercially produced QRP radio then get a xiegu g106. I would call that radio a real entry level device.
thanks for the video, I found it informative. do you think RXing and TXing JS8call would work using audio-coupling?
CAT control can be a pain. If you get the Digirig lite and put the js8call to vox you can run the trusdx without CAT control. I don't use CAT control for mine. Soldering a Zener diode on it has stopped my finals from being cooked.
Cool video thanks
WOO! video for Uber nerds!
1- from no license to General just one step the way you said? Hmmm. 2- many reasons can be for someone go high power with digital modes starting for using amps as an equalizer for those who don’t have your huge backyard to put long antennas
2 things that might help. 1. CAT command non existent with that radio, its not you.Cat control runs thru the green jack on the digirig
2. digirig's will hang up on TX because of RF interference thru the usb cable. Use as short of a USB-USB/C as possible with an RF choke on it and use good quality. try to isolate the digirig module from the RF connection of the radio and coax. start with low TX power and work your way up until it hangs again. worked for me using a baoefeng on VHF.
Please be patient with CDE. Like many genius types his lingo may be quirky but thats because the distracted professor/inventer/hacker thing is real offen enough to be true.
Your headaches are coming from the truSDX. Not a beginners radio, more experimental and very fiddly to get working. I noticed you didn't tell them about messing with audio cables from the digirig to the radio. Not plug and play. Also your end fed sloper is way too low and antennae are too lightweight, needs good thick copper for Tx. All the best 73s M7JZW
Thanks! My antenna is too low if going for long-distance contacts. I'm going for NVIS, which needs about a 5-6' height on average. (So maybe still a little too low).
@@CivilDefenseEngineer NCIS antenna should be about 1/10 wavelength high to about 1/4. Low might work but lots of ground loss. Which contradicts your statement in the video for an efficient antenna.
@@CivilDefenseEngineerTested NVIS in valleys of Wales and Scotland. Optimal setup was 10' But thats Valleys for you. 73's MW0IXS.
I actually started in amateur radio by building a uSDX and I don’t have any formal electronics education.
Why in the world is it USB on 40m??
USB is the standard modulation for FT8 and JS8 as well as several other digital mode regardless of band.
I'll stick with my ft710. But that's because I already own it 😂
Yeah, this would be a downgrade in that case. I'm just trying to get more people involved that would otherwise be turned off by the typical price of a transceiver. 🙂
@CivilDefenseEngineer there are a few chineese radios that have come out lately that might fit the bil too. I am thinking about a recieve only setup using a digirig and a modded ht. keep exploring and experimenting. It's what makes the hobby grow 👍
I am not a computer guy and I can figure it out
Get some.
fish
Snorkel. Albuquerque. See, I can do it too.
@@CivilDefenseEngineer FACE
Considering to get a ham license is not an option. You absolutely need it. Using 900 megaherts to activate another device transmitting on a ham frequency is still illegal. You need to have a ham license for the frequency range your operating. I would suggest getting ham license anyways cause it's incredibly rewarding . Join a club too there are many people who can broaden your horizons in many different areas.
Not disputing the value of getting a ham license, but you misunderstood what is happening in the integration of the LoRa network to the 40m network. The messages are stored in JS8Call, your query isn't being sent over the airwaves. Any user that is plugged into both networks can forward the messages to you. It also is not illegal for a ham to voluntarily retransmit your messages over 40m using their own callsign.
Ultimately the FCC decides if it was an 'emergency' though, not you. I wouldn't rely on that fine print.
You know when you're experiencing a real emergency, and if you're more worried about what big daddy gov't thinks than your own circumstances, yeah, it's probably not a real emergency in that situation.
Great video. VE3NPL COLLINGWOOD, ONTARIO