Great video. While chatting with random folk can be fun, radio is a communication tool, and being able to communicate with a specific person at a specific time is a super valuable capability.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Well said! 10m was on fire Thursday. It was fun making random contacts across the country, however, I really enjoy the practical aspect of trying to make radio work reliably for targeted contacts. Have a good one.

@jbird4h30

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. I myself have always found the 'no-random contacts' approach MUCH more rewarding than the 'shout into a crowded room and see who shouts back' approach that most folks seem to thrive on. #NoJudgements

Ive decided this is the best ham channel. You get the jeep, the beautiful wilderness, true off grid targeted contacts, tom brady and a tree. This is awesome i dont even have my license

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Wow, thanks! Glad you like them.

I had to laugh when you described "I'm making this crap up as I go along" when speaking to your level of experience. Frankly, I was thoroughly impressed with your level of planning (especially with the PACE aspect) and should be an example of how to get this type of unrandom (my word!) contact completed. This certainly didn't reflect how to make crap up, but rather was an extremely professional direction. This was an outstanding example and has such value. I have certainly appreciated it and yes, even learned form it. Thank you for including the failures as I always try to learn from other's failed attempts and disasters. They are always certainly important when trying to improve. This video was nothing short of brilliant! 👏

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

I like "unrandom'. It sounds very Orwellian. Truth be told, I have very little experience when it comes to targeted HF contacts, so I tend to over plan to compensate. I need to take a closer look at what the US military is doing as well other groups that are attempting this type of targeted, offgrid field exercise. Can anyone in the comments share some tips if you have more experience in putting together HF commo plans? I'm really glad you enjoyed it, Greg. This one took about 40 hours to put together end-to-end. It was worth the effort based on your comment alone. Thank you. 73 de Gaston KT7RUN (formerly KT1RUN)

Outstanding. THIS is why I got into radio. Targeted contacts w/o random voice or digital transmissions. That can be fun at times, but basically my personal theory is that amateur radio users break down into two basic groups: hobbyists and communicators. BTW, your after-action analyses are just as valuable as the primary vid. Full disclosure. Love it. Keep it up.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Excellent. Same here, my friend. Reflecting on the exercise is more important than the actual exercise. Cheers.

Your channel is fast becoming one of my favorite YT Ham channels. Great work!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Wow, thanks! I am honored and humbled. The next video is on medical, so you may have to skip that one. I will still do my thing and talk about the what, why and how. Cheers!

@Tank6883

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper Not missing the one on medical either. I'm a ham and live in a retirement community. All these ideas are perfect for this community especially when we have weather issues. Currently we don;t have a comm plan. 73 N2ICZ

Great exercise and, reporting Gaston. Damned holiday mail! I didn't get my invitation. 😂

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

We'll have you out next time. I don't have a back seat in the Jeep. I took it out 7 years ago. 😉

You guys do great practical video's and show you working your backup plans. I'm a retired project manager in Electronic Security and nothing always goes exactly to plan. I appreciate your honest and helpful information as usual Gaston, it helps noobs like me immensely.🍻🤠

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it was helpful. I'm a bit of the dumb guerilla in the room when it comes to communications, so I find that planning tends to help maximize the odds of success. Adapting when something goes sideways is also key. Take care and have a wonderful weekend.

Slopping vee antenna were standard in my work at Fort Huachuca in the period of 76-86. Legs were 500 foot and apex angle would be +/- 15 deg. Termination resistors were 300 ohms and grounded with a 9 foot rod that takes all day to pound in, sitting in a bowl dug out to hold water. I could measure with an ohmmeter if the grounds were good. The system used three of these with one transmit and two receive. We backed up our 1000 watt shelter with a classic Collins KWM-2A, 1000 watt traveling set that just used a resonant inverted vee. For this time period, no way to cheat by using the phone. In recent years, I demonstrate HF radios to customers, our system operators all texting each to make everything go perfectly as salesman demand it has to be perfect. In training for US Military, I coined term, "cellphone cheating" meaning you failed if your plan had to be fixed by calling the distant end.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Morning, Don. What you're describing is the exact configuration that is in the FM. The Chameleon CHA TD 2.0 is a slightly different design. I plan to build one of these Terminated Sloping V's right down to the 500' legs. I was able to pick up the 300 Ohms resistors from a viewer about 3 months bag. "Cell phone" cheating is apropos. I appreciate you sharing your experience and thank you for your service. We take the RV down to Sierra Vista and Bisbee once a year, so we're fully aware of Fort Huachuca. How "directional" did you find the antenna to be based on your experience? This was my first attempt with this antenna. Take care.

@vironpayne3405

Жыл бұрын

Fort Gordon has much more friendly ground for ground rods. Korea can be a royal pain. Unfortunately my MOS was 72E/G combat and fixed station teletype. I didn't get directly involved in radio until after leaving the Army. Korea had me in the 102nd MI Bn, and Ft. Gordon I was in 67th Sig Bn supporting FORCOM and TRADOC. I ended become the S2/S3 driver, so I got to do the FM and see everything else. Doing test shots was the best. Mostly UHF and microwave links. No equipment, just drive and watch. Those long-runs of antenna wire you used on higher frequencies probably had decent gain with some weird lobes and nulls. If you see a Marine tell him, "If the choice is between shrimp or fries, I'm picking shrimp every time."

@vironpayne3405

Жыл бұрын

Fort Gordon has much more friendly ground for ground rods. Korea can be a royal pain. Unfortunately my MOS was 72E/G combat and fixed station teletype. I didn't get directly involved in radio until after leaving the Army. Korea had me in the 102nd MI Bn, and Ft. Gordon I was in 67th Sig Bn supporting FORCOM and TRADOC. I ended become the S2/S3 driver, so I got to do the FM and see everything else. Doing test shots was the best. Mostly UHF and microwave links. No equipment, just drive and watch. Those long-runs of antenna wire you used on higher frequencies probably had decent gain with some weird lobes and nulls. If you see a Marine tell him, "If the choice is between shrimp or fries, I'm picking shrimp every time."

Wow! Nice job Gaston, the thing that I find of value the most is your documentation. I’ve been trying to figure out how to put it all together but now after seeing parts of your report it is making sense. Please let everyone see you comms plan. That is worth it’s weight in gold.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful! I shared the common plan with the supporters on Buy Me a Coffee as a thank you. If you look me up on QRZ, I'll send it your way. Cheers!

Hi Gaston, your video is absolutely interesting. I could look at your posts for hours. Greetings from Switzerland, HB9FEV

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Glad to hear that! Thank you. Happy Sunday! We need to make a targeted contact.

Totally AWESOME! 2 of my favorite KZread hams together. My son and I have been attempting similar efforts, BUT I have been a Luddite and never considered different bands! Excellent AAR and you and Jason have given us MUSH to work on and improve. THANK YOU!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

I am humbled. It was a really fun morning working with Jason and Carl. There are several videos that do an excellent job of walking you through the VOACAP tool. I would start by putting both your locations on the map, picking your mode (SSB for voice) and selecting your power. I would leave the antenna section with their defaults. Then, click the "prop wheel" and see which bands and times are over 80-90%, In general, I recommend a simple dipole as they are easy and inexpensive to build. If you are within 300-400 miles, checkout my NVIS video (kzread.info/dash/bejne/q42MuK2tpZbUp84.html). Good luck with your targeted contact to your son. You guys can do it.

Fantastic contact! The surprise QSO with Ireland was a nice bonus. Looks like the directional 'V' antenna did it's job. Thanks for producing an informative and interesting video.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! That contact to Northern Ireland was a fun bonus. We enjoyed chasing some DX while waiting for a commo window.

Loved this video. Glad the guy from chameleon came out to help set up the antenna. Always nice to see how to set those up from the folks that make them. Just bought a vertical end fed and looking for someone that makes those to show the best easy to set them up. No random contacts is an awesome idea.

@TheTechPrepper

6 ай бұрын

I'll be doing another targeted contact with the folks at T.Rex Arms early next year. I really enjoyed making the "No Random Contacts" series for you and the community. Carl, from Chameleon Antenna, is a great guy. It was nice trying out a new antenna deployment.

This video was awesome! Good combination of how the sausage is made vs technical explanation.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Now you have the recipe, no need to watch my videos. ;-)

Awesome awesome operation dude! I'm so glad this worked out and really does underline the fact that one needs to be adaptive in the field because things may not always go as planned. Excellent job to you and Jason. 73 KC8OWL

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, man. It's always a great learning experience when you're thrown a curveball like this. Carl was full of helpful field deployment tips. For example, he insisted that we leave the micro paracord in that tree for next time.

I love this hobby , outstanding work, great plan thank you for sharing ... Im loving the jungle set up, i will be using that configuration...

Thanks for all the planning and work. This is a gr8 series.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome. It's fun sharing the journey, mistakes and all, along the way.

Superb! This is great info. Living on one of the mountains in East TN I can't get enough of this. I'm trying to learn about NVIS & it's used for when things go sideways.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Another gent from Tennessee! Greetings. NVIS is a great technique for local/regional communications. It uses high take off angles for the RF radiation to go straight up and come straight back down to blanket an area of about 300 miles. In this video, we used a slightly different technique that used low angle radiation to achieve medium-to-long range communication. There's a tool for every job.

This is a great video. You both are very good at motivating people. Thank you!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! Is it time to rent a theater and deliver a motivation seminar? ;-) Cheers!

SO incredibly well thought out and executed. The tools that you are using to establish directed comms always keep me thinking on how I could implement all of this if needed. Thanks for the great video!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. I am working on making the HF prediction and analysis (i.e. VOACAP) portion also 100% offline. I can't wait to show you guys that.

Great video and content throughout the channel. I have been binge watching a lot of your videos since getting back into ham radio.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Excellent. So, I have to you to thank for all the pennies that are coming in from ad revenue. All kidding aside, thank you. It's comments like this that make the time and energy I put into video worth the effort.

Great video Gaston! Content was super and your explanation added to great experience!!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. This was a fun one to make.

No Random Contacts is why I'm a ham. This is the amateur radio content I want to see. Heading back to Buy Me A Coffee now, and then I'm off to watch Jason's take on this exercise. Sonoran Desert - Bring a mast or you're NVIS whether you want to be or not. :-) That gorgeous bright green Jeep isn't very gray man. :-D

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Same here. Targeted contacts for the win! This is the direction that I am going in, so you're in luck. It will take some time, but global targeted comms are coming up. I have some friends in Japan, Canada, Germany, Australia and the UK that I want to make contact. Thanks for the support on Buy Me a Coffee. I have more perks lined up this year for you guys as a thank you.

@vironpayne3405

Жыл бұрын

I have a bit of fisherman in me so random contacts are fun. No random contacts is the serious business of Ecom.

@Liberty4Ever

Жыл бұрын

@@vironpayne3405 - I'm nerdy, even by ham radio standards, so I enjoy the technical aspects of amateur radio. I'm asocial, even by ham radio standards, so I'm less inclined to meet people and visit with them on amateur radio . :-)

Awesome video, great concept. Looks like a lot of fun, I am going to go back to the video where you develop your plan as I found this one first. Keep up the good work!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Awesome, thank you! Planning and preparation go a long way. I plan to make a video on how to make a generic comms some time this year.

Awesome video. Well done sir

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

Great info!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

That's awesome. Interesting antenna and glad you were able to make the contact. Oh and I like the new callsign!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, Sean. When I first put in for my vanity call sign I had no idea what I was doing and I provided KT1RUN through KT9RUN. It's nice to be lined up with the region. The FCC fee to make the change was obnoxious.

Love you see this kind of collaboration

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Jason is an amazing human. I know that he's busy with his own content and initiatives, so I am grateful that he carved out time to collaborate on this weekend project. Have a good one.

Reminds me of my Army days as a 31C! Cool video!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Yes! Glad to hear that it brings back memories. Which radio and antennas did you use? Thank you for your service. God bless.

Great content . … thank you. Actually doing is never a fail. Gains are always made just not always from our lists.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thank you. It's always easier not to get out there an try. Every experience is a learning opportunity. It was nice watching Carl go through the improvised deployment with the Palo Verde tree.

Good stuff, Gaston! I'm going to have to research and build a sloping inverted terminated V. I keep a number of military manuals like that on my Kindle, and am going to add that one to the collection.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Good luck with your build. I planned on building one, but that then Carl mentioned that he had one.

Fantastic channel, subbed. The “no random contacts”philosophy is much appreciated. Many preparedness radio channels sort of presume that you want to communicate with any random shmoe, which is not my use case for amateur radio.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it. There are about 5 or 6 others in the "No Random Contacts" playlist, each one with a different objective and set of tools to solve the problem. Take care.

Congrats to the Contact into Ireland....grea great Job on that. And I really like your little Outdoor HAM Radio Camp. Happy Weekend into the Grand Canyon State 💯💣🎙🙋‍♂

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, Guenter. The DX contact to northern Ireland was a bonus. Cheers from the US. We should try a targeted contact. I need a planned global contact to close out the series. I am on QRZ. 73 de KT7RUN

Great video as always, Gaston! Excellent report. Looks like you and Carl really enjoyed that challenge. This is the sort of planned contact I do when camping and when I'm far away from cell phone coverage. One trick I use: we also decide on timing and frequencies as you did. To more quickly compensate for someone being on frequency or even some random, unexpected QRM that might happen to be there for one of us, we schedule frequencies +/- 5kHz for each time slot, trying up 5 kHz first, then down 5 kHz. This is typically in CW mode and we chose frequencies like 21060.5 instead of 21060. Since SSB is wider, this matters a little less. I toggle A/B VFOs or run split and use my TX listen button (on Icoms this is often an XFC button) to call the station then essentially listen on two frequencies simultaneously. In a sense, it gives us three frequency options for each time slot to call each other. It's not as confusing as it sounds. We also have a frequency option that's on the next best meter band because, occasionally, flaring and other unexpected prop might wipe out the choice band (especially if a lower band is your best option). Anyway, again, great video! 73! Thomas (K4SWL)

@vironpayne3405

Жыл бұрын

The Sun god rules HF propagation. Its hard to think of the days before we monitored space weather.

@Chameleon_Antenna

Жыл бұрын

I don’t know if people here can see that but we had a mountain ridge right in front of us. So a HUGE percentage of our TX was actually blocked by it!

@ThomasK4SWL

Жыл бұрын

@@Chameleon_Antenna Yet you still accomplished your goal! Testament to good prop prediction, a good directional antenna, and HF magic! Well done.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the video. We had a good time...a really good time. The video would have been properly demonetized if I left all the content in. Just joking. Thanks for sharing your tips. I'll have try out your suggestions. I failed to mention that I plan to incorporate a WARC band into every plan just in case there is a contest. I have been burned on many SOTA activations during contest weekends.

@ThomasK4SWL

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper Ha ha! "Properly demonetized" Yeah, let me know if you need help with that. I'm somewhat of an expert. :) Keep up the great work!

Best video yet my friend and great experiment.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much! Glad you liked it. This one took some time to put together. I can't say the same thing about the next video. I have some more high-value ones in the pipeline.

@jdotson41041

Жыл бұрын

You put out fantastic content for folks like us keep it up. You all do I love them. It shows reality and real useful information thank you. It also shows we always have hope no matter what situations we find ourselves in.

Who else is drunk from having a shot every time :-) just jokes, great video, and good to have the variables in the mix to work through. Thank you.

@shutthegate8232

Жыл бұрын

The bonus - fresh air & coffee in the bush away from the racing of rats 🙂

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Yes, that was a bonus. Carl said the same thing. Thanks for the support!

Really enjoyed that and so pleased it all worked out.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it. Another prepper, I see... Cheers.

@larrybushman1

Жыл бұрын

Yes mate been into prepping since the Rhodesian bush war. More than a few years back now. Really do love your stuff. Been into radio comms since about 9 years old but learn a lot from your videos.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

@@larrybushman1 Glad to hear it. You're way ahead of the curve. As a new operator, I am still learning and have a lot of catching up to do.

@larrybushman1

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper For what its worth I think you are learning very fast as you tend to do if you get into the field and test and practice. Best wishes from the UK

Very good video!! It was a pretty good exercise! Definitively need to watch out for those sneaky cactus!! LOL😆

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Those pesky Cholla are desert land mines. Thanks for the assist. You're welcome any time I hit the field.

Great work! In some parts of the country, that Palo Verde would be a bit sketchy. Here, that's a pretty decent tree LOL

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. Our trees are very sad, but at least it has taught me how to deploy antennas differently than most. I typically carry the 19' Carbon 6 from SOTABEAMS in my ruck. That Palo Verde is actually the best tree we have in about 2 mile radius. I did a few trail runs the previous week to look out for a spot that a good tree. This is the biggest we have, but we were glad to have it. Cheers!

This is good stuff, Boss. Absolutely the sort of targeted, strict mission-parameter-based practice I've been trying to get my prep-buddies to get more interested in. Thanks for the video!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I'm a believer in a good P.A.C.E plan after making this series. Good luck with your comms journey.

You put together a very nice plan. I like the ideas you use for your targeted plan. The idea of winlink was not bad, and I think adding JS8 is a good idea for its use and has many of the good features of APRS. I hope you use it in the future to show what GPS enables the computer you use.

Found out I wasn't subbed. Problem corrected. This is great content 👏

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Welcome to the channel!

Nailed it!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

There were a few miss steps, but we did it!

Awesome video. New to amateur radio. I’ve been playing with VOACAP it’s a great resource to give you an idea what you can do with different bands, antenna and power. I think for people new to HF like me the 40m EFHW is hard to beat. I’ve got 40,20,15,10 without a tuner.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

I am huge fan of the EFHW. They need only one support and are resonante on multiple bands. My PackTenna Mini EFHW has been my go-to antenna for portable, field expedient deployments. Welcome to the hobby! 73's

Nice Job Gentlemen!!!!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Happy Sunday!

This was awesome. Great video. I don't have the confidence to make an antenna. I have had really good experience with equipment you've suggested. I'll keep Carl and his antenna in mind for when we make the move back east. That way I can set up and make contacts back here in AZ. Nice product. -KJ7ZRE

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Antenna builds are not for everyone. I personally only make simple dipoles for myself and have not had the need to make anything more sophisticated. Chameleon Antenna makes quality gear with premium materials, so you will get what you pay for. I tend use their gear for the home, RV and the Jeep and tend to bring simple dipoles that are lighter weight when I have to carry all my gear on body and go man portable. 73 de KT7RUN.

Have you thought about adding radio relay into the "no random contact" series? This would be interesting for targeted traffic handling to get the message through. Perhaps incorporating VHF/UHF/HF as well as digital. It would add another layer to the plan but would fit right in to P.A.C.E.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

I may have touched on this in one of my NBEMS digital exercises. We use relays a lot to pass traffic across the state within our group. It's a very powerful tool. I'll add this topic to the backlog. Thank you.

Glad everything worked out in the end. I've had those days where something happened and had to improvise. One thing I would add is to add more bands like 10 and 15m to the mix. There's plenty of room on both bands to make a contact and not be bothered. On 10m, I'm usually above 28.500 since there's very little activity up there. For 15m, I'm usually below 21.275 these days since I got my Extra upgrade. Above 21.350 is usually clear, might catch some AM activity every now and then on 21.420MHz. 17 and 20m gets crowded at times compared to the higher bands and sometimes has a lot of QRM. Been getting into PSK31 and RTTY over the last few months. There's more activity on PSK31 on 20m than any other band. For RTTY, one might find a contact every once in a while. Worked some DX PSK31 and RTTY contacts on 10 and 15m. All my PSK31 contacts on 20m has been stateside so far. If you want to try some digital modes, feel free to send me a email and I'll work it in on a day off. 73, W4ISB Mike in Tennessee

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

I thought about 10m, but not 15m. The nice thing about the CHA TD 2.0 is that it has a flat SWR (< 2:1) across all the amateur bands. In this partially deployment, the angle for 10m (70 degrees) and 15m (80 degrees) is about the same opening angle as 12m (75 degrees).

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Another TN boy! You guys are a good bunch. Have a good weekend.

@pale_2111

Жыл бұрын

I like to work 10 and 15m on my day off of work, usually when I get home and have the night off. What I've learned so far is that they usually open open about an hour or two after sunrise, depending on conditions. That's where a lot of good DX contacts come in. On 10m, everyone like to hang out between 28.3 and 28.5 for some reason. Every now and then, you'll find someone above 28.500. There's a lot of SSB bandwidth that's not being used, which would make a great spot for what you're trying to do. With 15m, there's a lot of stations between 21.200 and 21.335. At the top end of 15m, it's usually empty. There's a net on 21.412, the Pacific Maritime Mobile Net. Might get some AM activity on 21.420 every now and then, usually a stateside station. Above that, it's usually quite and not being used. For RTTY, I've had luck on 10 and 15m. Worked France and Brazil on 10m. 15m RTTY, I worked Germany and Italy. Actually had a 20 minute QSO with the German station. Doing PSK31, most of my contacts have been on 20m, but those were stateside. Worked one station in Belgium and another in Germany on 10m. No luck on 15m yet. For those two digital modes, 10 and 15m would work great since they're not congested like on 20m. RTTY isn't that active anymore since FT8 came out, but one might make a contact here and there. Also, use psk reporter to find out how far you're getting out. I use it when running digital modes.

Great information, thanks again. I’m inclined to work with the CHA EMCOMM lll P or CHA LEFS 8010. Both 1/2 the cost and 1/2 the weight. More functionality in the backcountry imho. Cheers 🍻

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Good choice! I run the CHA LEFS 8010 at home. I love that antenna. It has a good SWR on most bands (except 60m). Until I had this antenna, I rarely operated from the house. The CHA LEFS 8010 is still a bit heavy for manportable use, but works great when you have access to basecamp or vehicle.

I think the coax provided with the Cham. Ant is made by ABR Industries in H-Town.

I like this type of operation. You should plan another in the future and see how far across the country or how many states you could log.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Great suggestion. Thank you!

Love it .... great plan to make and fallow through plan on contact =) Doing the same with family and friends =) Trying SSB phone and digital mode as I can get them initiated into Digital modes =) All ways have a few backup frequency times planned ahead =)

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Nicely done. Thanks for sharing your story. I get this question a lot from non-hams who are not sure about getting into amateur radio, but they want the ability to communicate with family without cell service or Internet access. It is possible folks. Cheers, Pat!

Oh and another great video! Just got to the part about buy me a coffee

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it, Dan. Thank you again for all of your support. I am over caffeinated when you send me a carafe. Cheers, my friend!

That was pretty neat Gaston. Hope all is well.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Hey, man! Thanks for stopping by the comments. I hope everything is going well for you. We still need to make a regional contact.

@backcountryamateurradio

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper I'm trying to keep up here and there. One of these days we'll make that contact happen. Things are great, busy, but very good. Thanks bud! I'm grateful you are still putting out such great content.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

@@backcountryamateurradio We'll connect when you come up for air.

Great video. Keep 'em coming. I like that ball cap. Where did you get it?

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

This was given to me a buy friend at the American Milsim event in Perry, GA last year. It's actually a design called the "Notch". I am not sure where you get them, but a search online should turn up something. If you were sunglasses, this design is great.

This is a cool exercise. It was good to see you had some mishaps, as we all do. How you overcame the mishaps speaks to your plan. Would you be willing to share a copy of your plan with everyone? It would be neat to see what you have laid out.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately, this one of the member perks, but you if you look me up on QRZ, I'll shoot you a copy. 73 de KT7RUN

Good Morning Gaston...let's Renegade, Rubicon, Wrangler our Brains out. "Jeep Jeep" 💯😉👍

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

I like it! Yes. Let's do all the Jeep stuff. ;-)

Dude! This is pretty close to what I was looking for when I commented on another video. Only 3 years ... make it up as you go along ... Dude, your documentation is PERFECT. Your style is more or less what I'm going for, which is very little like what a lot of hams are in it for. I really like that antenna. I'm working on a few now. 40 and 80m dipoles for NVIS and a 20-6 meter off center fed vertical dipole (basically) on a light duty 30 foot mast. What I lack is a directional of any sort. This one looks pretty close - its as portable as I've seen. I'm curious if there even exists a man portable directional HF antenna.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. I am not aware of any portable directional HF antennas, but I am still very new to the hobby. Keep up the good work.

@notsure7874

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper One gentleman said something that resonated about light packs. He said "If you're counting grams, you should be counting pounds instead". Meaning - if a few grams means a useful piece of kit gets left behind - get into a gym and make yourself more capable. Considering you run 10 miles in 100 degree hot sun with a plate carrier ... if you won't carry it, I shouldn't try! :D #fatguyproblems

What an embarrassment of riches when it comes to amazing views out there! I love the South West. It's making me a little itchy for overlanding out that way.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

It rarely looks this green, but we've had an usually high monsoon and rain season the last few months. The Sonoran Desert and South West has its own charm. I miss the pine trees from the Sierra Neveda's. Have a good one.

@Liberty4Ever

Жыл бұрын

I'm planning a cross country motorcycle camping trip ending in the Sonoran Desert. Might try to do some JS8 hamming along the way. I'd love to do some nonrandom contacts from remote campsites.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

@@Liberty4Ever I'm in. That's sounds like an amazing trip. I have a note on my whiteboard to get fully up-to-speed on JS8Call. Shoot me an email with the details.

@vironpayne3405

Жыл бұрын

@@Liberty4Ever A cross country motorcycle ride with ham radio might be fun. I'd like to head out to Arizona again. I'm in Florida. This my setup so far. kzread.info/dash/bejne/oIecpruliqqxnMY.html

I'd like to see you do a side by side comparison with the Chameleon and Jason's KM4ACK EFHW. It's the best antenna I've ever field deployed, with contacts on 5 bands (although not 12m), with distances from a couple miles to over 4500 miles. It also deploys much easier.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

I have a few antennas that I'd like to compare. I also have a linked dipole from N9SAB that I'd like to benchmark. I'll need to pick up one of Jason's EFHW's. 73

@daveN2MXX

Жыл бұрын

A tuned antenna such as a dipole (or end fed halfwave) will work much better than the one shown here . However, this video proves that it does work...so it might be an ideal compromise for those who understand its limitations.

@vironpayne3405

Жыл бұрын

I'm with you on the 80m-10m EFHW antenna for best all around field deployment. Magloops are great as long as you aren't a frequency hopper. The do have a nice null spot for nulling local noise. kzread.info/dash/bejne/oIecpruliqqxnMY.html

Good stuff. I've been playing with my 817 to see what I can hear on a two 1m section dipole. I'll be getting a wire dipole soon. I'm hopeful for better reception of things like weather fax. I have to say. I think android is the way to go for your Comms tool set. Holding my phone up to the speaker and decoding weather fax and ft8 has been fun. I even got some sstv. I think it's easy for people to make up an audio cable for their phones and do it like that. Perhaps the digilink wouldn't even be neccesary in that scenario. All I actually care about for emcomms is family members 30 miles up the road. Family 1200 miles away would be good. But I suspect won't be happening. And then for fun with friends in the USA and Canada. From Europe. That would be fun. I'm still trying to work out key oard to keyboard.

@johnkaelberer237

Жыл бұрын

There was a good video on receiving weather fax on youtube recently. It even covered making a specialized antenna for receiving the weather signals that should help with the doppler effect. Can't remember who posted it, but a search should find it. It was worth watching. I've seen these antennas in the past, but it was not an interest then.

@spr00sem00se

Жыл бұрын

@@johnkaelberer237 doppler effect? was it satallite based? I have received the ground station emissions meant for mariners. I tried receiving noaa-15 a while ago, but didnt even hear it with my crappy antenna, also not sure noaa-15 is working, looks like noaa-19 is a better choice for me. But I have to be home at the right time if day for that.

@johnkaelberer237

Жыл бұрын

@@spr00sem00se Yes, the guy was receiving the weather info from satallite. Never tried it. He showed the software he used.

Hey Gaston, love your channel! I bought a 818ND because of your videos and it came in the mail yesterday. One main question: I think of PACE plans being useful when everyone can meet in person beforehand (like family that live in different houses in the same city). If the grid was to go down, how would distant contacts receive the PACE plan in order to make the contact (chicken and egg problem) as well as using the prediction software for propagation? Do you see PACE in this case being just a series of four methods to see what works the best or would this plan be reusable in the future?

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

I am glad you snagged one before they were discontinued. Check out the used prices now for a good laugh. My personal opinion is that with regular practice is that you can develop a generic P.A.C.E plan beforehand that can be attempted on any day. For example, 80m/75m is a good nighttime band for local communication, 40m is a good daytime band for local communication and 20m is good for long distance communication during the day. Pick a window four hours a part (or whatever interval makes sense) and pick a band that is generally appropriate for that time of day. Then, pick three frequencies spaced out for each window. The prediction helps when planning very specific windows based on current sunspot numbers. In addition to the frequencies above, I suggest adding one or more WARC (12m, 17m, 30m) bands as they are contest free. These bands also generally have regular times of day in which they are more likely to work. 0600 3.985 MHz LSB (voice) 0605 3.980 MHz LSB (voice) .... 1000 7.295 MHz LSB (voice) 1005 7.290 MHz LSB (voice) ... 1400 14.345 MHz USB (voice) ... Also note, I am concurrently working on testing the offline VOACAP command line tool: voacapl. This runs without access to the internet, but the dataset will go stale after 30 days. VOACAP actually uses a 30-day average, so the prediction does not change much day-to-day. I hope this helps.

@x8GhillieSniper8x

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper Thank you very much for the detailed reply, Happy New Year and 73!

Really fun demo and successful targeted contact. But.. all that antenna for 12 meters? That could have been an 18 foot dipole of speaker wire thrown over a branch. Great channel. Subbed and catching up.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Probably. Jason pretty much did this on his end. Checkout is version of the same video.

You might have had a better contact just using a vertical wbith one wire radial. It is directional and setup is about 2 min.

Great action 👍 Next, a non random intercontinental connection ? Could work as well, the conditions are getting better👍🇨🇭 73 de HB3XBL

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

I plan to make that the last video in the series. I have a friend in Germany and another in Japan that I would love to work. Cheers from the US.

A fellow TN here.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Yes! I love Tennessee. A large portion of my comms group is based out of TN. Not sure what it is about that area of that country, but you guys are my kind of people. Cheers from AZ.

I finally got a 857d and an armoloq frame and digirig. I purchased an IP30z analyzer (for it's small size) and after watching this video I think I'm going to get the cha td for my main antenna setup. was looking at a 34' carbon fiber mast to use with it. So you think the fact that carbon fiber is mildly conductive would matter? I'd be using it in the inverted V configuration.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

The CHA TD 2.0 is a Swiss Army knife in terms of its multiple configuration options, but it requires a lot of space depending on how you deploy it. Also take a look at the CHA LEFS 8010. It's a bit simpler to deploy. I am running the 8010 at home as my permanent antenna. I did a video on that antenna not too far back. Good luck with your setup.

@Davo759

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper after doing some more research on them, that end fed sloper does in fact look like a much lighter and field expedient setup for manpack use.

Is there a book you’ve created or something you’re following for an off grid comms system?

Could you make your commas plan available as a template?

Very good job at making your targeted contact. A question and an observation. First, The Chameleon antenna with the 5 to 1 transformer and the resistors at the end is approx. 12 db or two full "S" units down in transmit strength from a conventional resonate dipole due to losses in the transformer and resistors over a resonate antenna. This is a fact and is consistent with this design of an antenna. So how does this $600.00 antenna which you said gets 2+ db gain over a conventional resonate dipole just being put into a forward "V" configuration have better gain ? You are talking about getting 14db gain over a resonate dipole. Just not possible. Is it just over 2+ db gain over what the Chameloen does when set up as a 180 degree antenna or 2+db gain over a conventional dipole antenna ? I sure would have liked to see the same test with a $25.00 conventional dipole. You were only hitting with a 4-1 signal report. Good thing the SFI numbers were up. I don't think that very expensive antenna was necessary to make the contact. It is more of a specialized antenna for things such as ALE. Those type of wide banded antennas are always way down in transmit strength over a resonate antenna of the same general design. Second thing is, I love the homework you do in predicting the band to use, but in grid down or no internet, you will not have this online software available. If you are planning for real SHTF, you are going to have to figure it out on your own. So while what you did was a very good way to insure the success of the targeted contact, it is not real world in SHTF. Just a couple of observations, not trying to be critical. P.S. After watching Jason's video, you gave him a 5-9 report, he gave you a 4-1 report. Jason just built a simple dipole. This clearly shows the Chameleon antenna's design was not the best for the contact you wanted to make. Yes, you made the contact, but under less than ideal conditions, the contact may have been a failure because the wrong antenna design was chosen. The Chameleon clearly worked, but the design is much more towards ALE, Military etc. use. In some cases it might have been a positive when the design features are needed. For making long distance contacts, in my opinion, it's not the best choice. The simple and low cost dipole would be my first choice.

@Chameleon_Antenna

Жыл бұрын

Search the following document and read it: CHAMELEON ANTENNAS IN THE ARMY HF LOW POWER COMPETITION

@johnkaelberer237

Жыл бұрын

@@Chameleon_Antenna No one is saying your antenna does not work well for some specialized uses. Can you refute the claim that your antenna is approx. 12 db down in transmit power from a resonate dipole. The answer is no. No antenna designed as yours is, does not have loss due to the transformer and resistors. It's physics pure and simple. It is a great antenna for some specialized uses and the quality is very good. That said, for making contacts with the best possible signal strength with a dipole antenna in regular ham use, it is not the preferred antenna to use. Unless you have a need for something such as ALE or other specialized military use (and military use is different than amateur use in almost all cases), a home made dipole will out perform your antenna by approx. two "S" units and $575.00 saved. It's not that the quality is not there, the quality is very good. It's like all broad band antennas. There is a price to be paid in transmitted signal strength in order to get the broad banding. Setting it up in the forward "V" configuration does give your antenna some directionality and will put a greater signal in the direction you want, but the signal is still down from a resonate dipole by quite a bit. If you have a need for a specialized broadband antenna, by all means people should take a look at your product. Most people in regular ham use do not. I'm sure your antenna did well in the military competition against the other similar design broad banded antennas. For a very good in depth review of the Chameleon MPAS 2.0, which is similar to this with the 5 to 1 transformer, check out youtube channel "SurvivalComms" Chameleon Antennas MPAS 2.0 Radio Antenna _ Is it Snake Oil ? The MPAS 2.0 is a vertical, not wire antenna, but uses the same broadband technology without the even greater loss of resistors...It just uses the lossy 5 to 1 transformer.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to share your position. I am happy with the results and blessed to have had Carl and Jason share their Saturday with me to run this experiment. I can't speak to all these details. Based on the materials (FM's and TM's) that the US military has published over several decades, they specifically reference a terminated sloping "V" as a tool used by units in the field to make targeted contacts were directionality and higher gain is required. Granted their design is a bit different, I still wanted to get out there and test this theory. I plan to cover ALE in the future as another tool. ALE was the reason why I asked Chameleon for this antenna. While thumbing through the manual, I noticed that it has a configuration for a terminated sloping "V", so I figured why not test it out since I wanted to scratch that itch based on my research. Yes, another antenna would have likely worked, but that was not the point of the video. The point of these No Random Contacts videos is to educate non-hams (that's my target audience) and show that targeted contacts are possible if you: 1. Define your communication goals up front. Who do you want to communicate with and where are they located? 2. Determine a suitable radio service and radio system for the job. 3. Make a plan. 4. Execute. 5. Reflect on the exercise. Also note, I am not sure why a large portion of people are offending be high-priced, well-built antennas. On this channel I covered several antennas including ones that I have built for $10-$20. These are all tools. I personally receive lots of email from hams that want to "Monday morning" quarterback. In general, I would say that most will not go through the effort that I put into planning, testing and getting into the field. 73 de KT7RUN

@Chameleon_Antenna

Жыл бұрын

@@johnkaelberer237 I’ll be saying it - you’ve no idea what you’re talking about out my friend! You don’t even know the landscape conditions that we faced when we were in the field. We were right in front of a mountain ridge so TX angle will be different from RX angle. The TD 2.0 was setup to beam as close as possible to the horizon. TX were coming from about 45 degree up and our TX we’re going out at about 80 to 90 degree out thus hitting the ridge. Another lies you’ve been vomiting is that the TD 2.0 requires tuner. NO THEY DON’T Yes they require a large foot print because they need to be that big to acquire the gain and the directionality wanted.

@johnkaelberer237

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper I understand why you wanted to test out the Chameleon in advance if you planned to use it for ALE. That is what this antenna is designed for as well as a few other specialized uses. Very few of your viewers will be using ALE, and if they do, they know what kind of antenna they will need. The problem is that this is an antenna that is two "S" units down in received strength from a resonate dipole antenna because of it's design. This fact was not disclosed, and maybe you didn't know that. Putting it in the forward "V" configuration didn't make it better than a resonate dipole. Not even close. When new hams see products on youtube channels and they are recommended without all the facts being presented, they buy one only to be disappointed in the performance in normal ham use. This is my problem with Chameleon antennas with the 5 to 1 transformer. They work well for their intended use, but regular contacts is not their primary design use if you are seeking the best signal. It would be like you selling your bag for the FT 818 and when I get it, the 818 flops around in the bag. I call you and tell you the bag is too big. You tell me it also works well with Military radios, read the tests. In the end, I did not get what was advertised and the bag is a total fail for my use, even though it still held the radio. New hams watch videos given without all the facts in many cases. They don't know that there has been no new antenna designs in many years. Just things repackaged. Then they are upset because the new "Tactical" antenna does not work as well as the tried and true, low cost design antenna. Gaston, great video. The planning worked out for you. You could have done the same thing in the way you normally do. Using the 818 with a resonate dipole @ 5 watts. People need to know this. It was not the antenna that made your contact a success. In fact I believe your results would have been better with the latter set up. Please don't be one of the creators who praises an antenna just because it made contacts. Too many are doing this and I have lost all respect for them. The design of this Chameleon antenna is for specialized use, not general use. If you have need for a specialized use, buy one for that use. For those who have not been through the top of the solar cycle. Near and at the top, you can make world wide contacts with a 5 watt radio, coat hanger and a tuner. Most all antennas will work good during this period, some much better than others. When the cycle drops, there is an entirely a different result.

Is there a link for the antenna dop sheet?

Super cool! I think your audio would be stronger if you would talk directly into your mic instead of across it. I don't have any experience with that radio, but I know CB mics are that way. And yes, I am from the dark side. 😎

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

There's nothing wrong with CB. Use whatever radio service that meets your communications needs. I've always been told by more experienced hams that you're supposed to speak across the mic rather than directly into it. I think it's time for me to test this both ways and see how the audio sounds on the receiving station. I did some quick searches online and there are opinions on both sides.

@813sierravictor

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper Interesting! Yeah, give it a try and let us know! Also, really like your approach to radio. It's way more practical than most of what's out there.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

@@813sierravictor That's the goal...practical comms. More on the way. I am looking into a vehicle portable, HF NVIS antenna build very soon. That should be fun. It will be straight of a military SOP.

@813sierravictor

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper Sweet! Looking forward to it!

@theamericansilverback

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper WONDERFUL!!!!

Offgrid I guess means Online? Let's try this without Internet access. If global grid is down a fully functioning Web is unlikely? Yet, the Bands are likely to be more open and have less local interference. Working stations is fun during a blackout.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

There was no internet access involved here other than some analysis with the online version of VOACAP about 5 days earlier. I also have an offline version of that tool (voacapl) if that's the part you were referring to.

all true to life issues we will run into on any excursion

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

How does the expression go? Life happens while you're busy planning? ;-)

JS8 FTW

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Next time I'll add JS8 to the plan. When I did the VOACAP analysis, most bands would have been near a 100% success with JS8/FT8. For this one, I intentionally wanted to challenge ourselves by starting with SSB voice.

Why didnt you use the giant tall cactus behind you?

Your comm plan, did you design that, or is it a copied template that you updated? I have been trying to find one to use for a group that I am in. 73 - KK7IWW

@TomR459

Жыл бұрын

Yeah also would love a copy of that

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

I looked you up, but you don't have an email on QRZ. I designed this plan myself. I have no idea what the amateur radio community is using. Shot me an email and I'll send it your way. 73 de KT7RUN

Curiosity question. I see a lot of people covering their license plates when they online. Why is this done? We drive around with our plates uncovered and hide them online. I'm sure there is a good practical reason or you wouldn't be doing it. Even if you don't wish to answer thanks for your channel.

You had SHTF situation.

Throw bag weight?

Ham radio is not supposed to be fun. Please upload the version of the video where you are a cranky OM 🤣 - strong work on both ends of this mission!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

You mean the version where we had too much fun and would be properly demonetized? Thanks for stopping by, Steve.

@temporarilyoffline

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper Sounds like there was some black powdery substance involved?

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

@@temporarilyoffline Nope, but next time. We're both into that sort of thing.

Can this be done without the help of the Internet and VOACAP?

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Yes, this can be done offline. I have a version that I am prototyping that works offline. It's based on the command line version of voacapl (i.e. for Linux). I am writing a custom graphical user interface for it similar to what you get with the www.voacap.com/hf/. You will occasionally need to go online to grab the latest sunpot smoothing numbers (SSN), but these are forecasted up to 6 months in the future. This will be included in my commercial version of EmComm Tools.

12m is contest free!

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

WARC bands for the win. It's always to have a WARC band in your plan. I learned this hard way on a SOTA activation during a contest weekend. :-(

Would you be willing to share your comm plan?

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Shoot me an email. It's on the About page on my channel.

Bizarre choice of antenna. The value here is how you clearly demonstrated that preparation, training, and planning is critical for exercises such as this.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Planning is everything.

I had so much fun getting my mobile set up and working with what I had. It may have been frankensteined together but it worked! Now I have to get a 12-meter hamstick so it doesn't happen again. Thanks for the QSL card. 73 KO4CXD

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Robert! It was great to work with you. That QSL card needs to be re-done as it's sporting my old callsign. Just do what Jason did and make a simple 12m dipole.

Can buy me a coffee members get a copy of one of your commo plans? For use as a template.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

I'll send one your way. Check your inbox. I wanted to have a perk for the members, so I plan to keep these artifacts for the members. But if a supporter asks, I'll absolutely send it your way.

@WisconsinGabe

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper I got it. I’m a member and made the comment before finishing video. That’s an awesome perk for members

@WisconsinGabe

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper your up early, you are really hitting a sweet spot in the prepper commo subkect with these videos! G.ad to see you pushing the p.a.c.e. Plan idea. Most civilians don’t think that way. Back ups need back ups

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

@@WisconsinGabe Getting up at 0345 everyday is the only way to get things done. It's time for 3 minutes of deliberate cold water immersion than a quick run.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

@@WisconsinGabe let me know if you don't get the email I sent.

Dearest KM4ack…..Thank you for Making Ham Radio Affordable Again…Chameleon Antenna Products are way overrated way overpriced and not practical if your Tactical..These are truly Honest statements….

@Chameleon_Antenna

Жыл бұрын

That’s your opinion as we’re currently selling to the USMC, Rangers, SOCOM and more!

@45thRangers

Жыл бұрын

The United States military is Notorious for purchasing 3rd rate Equipment…Kickbacks are a Major component as well.I have seen your Products deployed and there capabilities…Par End Feds and Sota beams are way more reliable way cheaper and much easier to deploy.. @@Chameleon_Antenna

@johnkaelberer237

Жыл бұрын

@@45thRangers Thanks for being a second voice in telling people that they can save major $$$ and get a much better performing antenna for regular ham use. Par and Sota beams are great antennas. My homemade versions work just as good and cost even less. Either way, the price is right.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

I feel like I need to jump in here, so I will likely lose a few subscribers. As someone who is trying to start a small business for emergency communications and practical preparedness, I know how much capital, time and energy is required to start a business that designs well-thought out products with premium materials. For example, I am starting to get similar hate mail as @Chameleon Antenna for my TTP Manpacks. A portion of people are offended by my $265.00 price point and feel that I am going out of my way to disenfranchise people without disposal income. This is not the case and not my intention. I do not think it is Chameleon Antenna's intention either. For me, there is almost no profit to make especially if I factor in my time. I selected premium materials, designed a purpose-built bag that works for a very specific use case, with all the materials sourced in the US, and handmade by a local artisan. This bag is not for everyone, whether it be a different operating philosophy or budget. If you want affordable, you either need to make it yourself or consume goods from China. It's your call. I plan to continue to make premium products including amateur radio software that will have a cost with a price tag that allows me to run a sustainable business. Not everything can be free. We all need to support our families and put food on the table. Honestly, I have no idea why people are so offended by people putting out good products. It's easy to tear down people in the comments. I challenge anyone who wishes to challenge my response, to tell me about their small business, there project that they are contributing to the world, or to share with me their KZread channel and/or related content. I am blessed and honored for everyone who continues to support what I do and my mission after reading this reply. P.S. Carl, thank you for your products and for taking time out of your Saturday to show a new ham the ropes. Owning a business is a 24x7x365 pain in the ass. Respectfully, Gaston KT7RUN The Tech Prepper

@45thRangers

Жыл бұрын

@@TheTechPrepper You do not need Premium Products to Make Contacts…You just Need to Make Contacts…This is where the Super Premium Chameleon is not so premium..BTW..I have seen many lug these contraptions around thinking they are to cool for school and are only disappointed.I have owned Chameleon products and the there effectiveness and price point only makes sense if you believe the Hype…(SOCOM, RANGERS)..You can take that money and purchase a high quality Par end fedz 8 Bander with 12m a Arrow 2 Satellite antenna and a Smiley 2m 1/2 Wave at 50w and still have money for lunch and Gas ..even with todays prices. So as far as preparedness ..Be prepared the best you can and have a assortment of tools at your disposal.

I'm sorry but, targeted long range comms as an aspect of preparedness are next to useless. Someone 1500, 1000 or even 500 miles away isn't going to be able to help you. It's really only good for gathering or passing on non-urgent info. A robust local comms network, such as county wide, is far more practical. If you think you are going to coordinate "units" fighting some kind of state actor(foreign or domestic), keep dreaming. If you're worried about needing assistance in the boonies, a Garmin inReach satellite communicator will be more reliable and will serve you far better.

@TheTechPrepper

4 ай бұрын

There is a part of a larger series where I tackled community, city, county, state and regional comms.

Nothing as complex as yours , but my friend and I used to make regular contacts mobile to mobile while he was in Portland and again when he was in Houston while I was in the valley. This was sometime in the 99-01 cycle. With all contacts made at predesignated times on " freeband". We also did some mountaintop to mountaintop across AZ from Mt. Lemon to strawberry- pine. Mingus to Mt. Lemon. Greens peak to Eldon and even Mt Graham to shaw butte. All those contacts were some fm and ssb on 11M. And on 2M FM simplex. I had a 93 YJ with 102 " steel whip for 11m and a Larsen 5/8 mag mount. I ran a Emporor TS 5010 and an ADI 2m mobile I think 30 W.. All that was done in the 99-01 time period..

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your story. Those are some great peaks. I've had Eldon on my list for a while. 73

Wow! Another amazing deployment! I apologize for trashing the terminating resistor antenna as being inefficient. +2dBd is good gain for a wire antenna. The bands a hopping this solar cycle. Enjoy the solar maxima while its here! I'll probably play today. This is what I did last weekend. I'm still pushing 80m NVIS for regional emcom whether its solar max or min. 73 N4VEP kzread.info/dash/bejne/oIecpruliqqxnMY.html

@johnkaelberer237

Жыл бұрын

No way it is 2 db stronger than a resonate dipole. Maybe putting it into a forward "V" increases the signal strength of this antenna by 2 db, making it about 10db down from a resonate dipole instead of 12 db down compared to a resonate dipole.

@Chameleon_Antenna

Жыл бұрын

@@johnkaelberer237 Maybe learning about the terminated dipole will help yiu to understand that it’s directional as the antenna acts like a beam toward a certain direction! Just look at the antenna model on the user guide and you should understand.

@johnkaelberer237

Жыл бұрын

@@Chameleon_Antenna Oh, I do understand. Yes, it is directional to an extent when set up as it was in the video. But being the design it is, it is still about 10 +db down in transmitted power from a 180 degree resonate dipole antenna vs. the "V" configuration you are using with your antenna. It's not that it's not a quality antenna, it's the broad band design made with the transformer and resisters that limits the effectiveness and power output for regular ham radio use. Your antennas work great for their intended purpose such as ALE etc. The way the military uses antennas is different than the use hams have with a very few exceptions. What people don't understand from many of the videos about your antennas with the 5 to 1 transformers is the power loss due to the design. Few creators mention that, but some do. A home made resonate dipole or End Fed Half Wave antenna will be approx. two "S" units higher in receive strength and will hear better also. It's these facts that people with their hard earned money need to know about. If they need a specialized antenna such as yours, then maybe they will buy one. For the best general ham performance, a $25.00 dipole or EFHW will get you far more contacts and let you hear better, especially when the band is bad or the signals are weak.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Morning, Viron! Thanks for sharing your weekend project. I am grabbing another cup of coffee and going to check it out now. I need a break from the comments section anyhow. I was at a local hamfest all day yesterday as a vendor and I'm playing catch up on the comments. Thanks for the support.

@vironpayne3405

Жыл бұрын

@@johnkaelberer237 The apature angle between the legs of the dipole plus over 2wl of antenna on each leg. The long endfed antennas like beverage antennas that are multiple wl have gain toward the terminated end.

I watched Jason's video. I was impressed by your comms plan, as he was too. Nice work! I agree with him JS8Call has much to recommend it.

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Totally agree! I have not spent enough time with JS8Call, but plan on working with it more. With JS8 we could have made the contact work on have several bands with 99% probability.With this exercise, I was more curious about voice. If you can do voice, you can do any other mode.

great job Guys...even wrote yer'alls calls down to keep an ear open.. K8ROY " Roy Kilo Off Grid Ozarks " KZread

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

We'll keep an hear out for you, too. You live in some great country. Cheers!

Great video. Would like you to try contact OH8STN. Same kind of content, and he is a little bit further… Finland. Check out is latest video on decentralized comms. 👍🏻✌🏻🇨🇦

@TheTechPrepper

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, will do!