Ham Radio Home Page

(You may have been redirected here from www.ke0og.net) You’ve landed on my ham radio home page. I’m KEØOG, an Extra-Class ham radio operator. I’m active on HF, 2-meters, and 440 MHz. I’ll use this page to collect information about ham radio on the Colorado Western Slope, especially in Ouray, Montrose, Delta, and Gunnison Counties. This page has an index to various blog entries (articles) and links to some static pages where I’m collecting handy operating details.

Check the Blog Entries!

Be sure to check the ham-radio related blog entries. That’s where the real detail is. Click on individual articles below (grouped somewhat by subject):

Becoming a ham radio operator

• Check out my new video guide to your self study at his link: Technician Class Ham License – On-Line Help for Your Self Study. The purpose of this series of videos is to talk you through the self study you’ll be doing with the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual. There’s one video for each section of the book, on the theory that it’s easier to study something if someone’s given you a little overview.
• And, equally important, check out the new video guide For the General Class License: this set of pages, which you can also access directly as ke0og.net/general. The purpose of this series of videos is to talk you through the self study you’ll be doing with the ARRL General Class License Manual. There’s one video for each section of the book, again on the theory that it’s easier to study something if someone’s given you a little overview.
• How to become a ham radio operator. Some background material on license classes
• Randy Cassingham’s intro to ham radio
• On-line short instructional videos that help you learn the material you need to know to pass the Technician-level test
• General Class question pool changes July 1, 2011
• How much does it cost to become a Technician Class (entry level) ham?
• How much does it cost to upgrade to General or Extra Class and get on HF radio?
• Two New Inexpensive 2-Meter Handhelds
• Wouxun KG-UV3D: Inexpensive Dual Band HT

How I do it (which will be different from the way you do it, but it’s sometimes nice to have something to compare to)

• Ten-Tec Jupiter: My 2001 review
• Ten-Tec Jupiter: what I think of it after ten years
• The 12 vdc system at KEØOG
• Hy-gain 14-AVQ—My First Amateur Radio HF Antenna
• The MFJ-993B IntelliTuner
• HF Antenna Repairs
• Getting the 80-meter Loop Back in Shape
  

Getting on HF with your General Class License – a look at station necessities

• Ham radio 40-meter dipole: your first antenna
• Ham radio power supplies: 12 vdc (or 13.8 vdc)
• ICOM 9100—New HF/VHF/UHF Radio
• Kenwood’s Ham Radio HF Lineup
• Yaesu’s Ham Radio HF Rig Lineup
• Icom’s Ham Radio HF Rig Lineup

Special Techniques: APRS

• APRS (and motorcycling) with pictures of my APRS tracker
• APRS vs handheld GPS location discrepancies
• Using the Wouxun KG-UV3D with TinyTrak4 APRS unit. Provides costs for each item.
• APRS: Making UI-View and Weatherlink Cooperate

Special Techniques: Fox Hunting (hidden transmitter hunting)

• Byonics PicCon Fox Controller
• Circuit diagram for hidden transmitter hunting (my Fantastic Fox Finder), circuit by Dave Sharpe, KIØHG

Special Techniques: Other

• The JT-65 digital mode: my first QSO.

Computer Issues

• RS-232 Interface for Windows 7: It works!

Miscellany

• A close-up view of an Electro-Bug Jr., apparently made in 1927
• ACP 131 lists all Q and Z signals. This is my old copy from when I was in the Air Force. I’ve put high-quality scanned, text-selectable pages here.
• An SET is a Simulated Emergency Test. I tried one out for the first time, and here are my notes to myself. They may help you be prepared too!
• Bob Schaeffer, KJØD, recalls early history of Montrose Amateur Radio Club
• Communicating is a critical element of preparedness (link to news article)
• Trebuchet for Punkin’ Chunkin’—Royce Seymour’s (AAØJD) 2010 PieceMaker at the Olathe (Colorado) Punkin Chunkin event
• And here’s Royce’s 2011 entry at the Olathe (Colorado) Punkin Chunkin event!
• Emergency Communications: Alternatives to Ham Radio
• NVIS Links from Dave Coombs, KØEUS

On-the-air Activities on the Colorado Western Slope

• VHF/UHF Repeaters (voice)
• Standard packet radio, as found on 145.01 MHz
• APRS (Amateur Packet Reporting System), as found on 144.39 MHz
• HF NVIS
• The Montrose Amateur Radio Club (direct link to club website)
• 2010 Field Day with the Montrose Amateur Radio Club (photographs)
• 2010 Montrose Amateur Radio Club Field Day (video)
• Near Real Time F2 Layer Critical Frequency (useful for NVIS propagation prediction—if the freq shown on the website is a bit more than the NVIS frequency you want to use, you’re in business. If less, well, try a lower frequency.

How-to’s

• How do I become a ham?
• What kind of equipment should I buy?
• What do I do once I become a ham?
• Where should I buy my equipment?
• What type of antenna do I need?
• How do I get people to talk to me?
• Where can I get help?
• Hidden transmitter hunting links and sites

LDS (Mormon) Church ham-related activites

• What is this and why? (And what it isn’t)
• Our monthly “First Sunday” net (anyone can join)
• See the website for ham radio in the Grand Junction stake, maintained by Kendall Glad, KØKDG (direct link)