Thanks Jimmie, Markus, Richard for your advice. I'm working without
tools... what I really need is a drill. For the moment I've put my
mobile antenna out my window on a four-foot section of I-bar. It works
pretty well for receiving, but I won't know how well it transmits with
virtually no ground plane until I'm good and licensed. That coffee can
bit gave me a good idea for an RF ground plane, though.

I have to confess, I expected a much kinder reaction from
uk.amateur.radio, but some of them gave me some harsh words just
because I wasn't licensed! It's good to know I can get friendly help
somewhere.

Nelson Blaha

On Jan 14, 8:37 pm, "Nelson Blaha" wrote:
Having gotten some help around here on how to power my 2m mobile
indoors cheaply, I need to figure out a way to get an antenna. There
are probably a million holes in this plan, please point them
all out to me!

I intend to get a piece of square sheet metal (ground plane?) about
half a meter each way, and build a bracket to hold it outside my window
horizontally. In the center of the sheet metal I'll install an NMO
mount for my mobile antenna. I'm actually planning to ground the sheet
metal using the electrical ground in the wall socket (surely
something's wrong with THAT!) I look forward to better alternatives!

Dont even think about transmitting before you get your ticket I know this
can be a temptation once you have your equipment. The FCC is very serious
about this. You can be very heavily fined and lose the chance to ever be a
licensed ametuer radio operator. This is why I advise anyone who wants to
be a ham to get their ticket before getting their TX equipment. THE
TEMPTATION can be too great.

Jimmie



"Nelson Blaha" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks Jimmie, Markus, Richard for your advice. I'm working without
tools... what I really need is a drill. For the moment I've put my
mobile antenna out my window on a four-foot section of I-bar. It works
pretty well for receiving, but I won't know how well it transmits with
virtually no ground plane until I'm good and licensed. That coffee can
bit gave me a good idea for an RF ground plane, though.

I have to confess, I expected a much kinder reaction from
uk.amateur.radio, but some of them gave me some harsh words just
because I wasn't licensed! It's good to know I can get friendly help
somewhere.

Nelson Blaha

On Jan 14, 8:37 pm, "Nelson Blaha" wrote:
Having gotten some help around here on how to power my 2m mobile
indoors cheaply, I need to figure out a way to get an antenna. There
are probably a million holes in this plan, please point them
all out to me!

I intend to get a piece of square sheet metal (ground plane?) about
half a meter each way, and build a bracket to hold it outside my window
horizontally. In the center of the sheet metal I'll install an NMO
mount for my mobile antenna. I'm actually planning to ground the sheet
metal using the electrical ground in the wall socket (surely
something's wrong with THAT!) I look forward to better alternatives!

hi nelson,

You've got to start somewhere, and listening in on qso
is one of the best ways to learn.

Not sure where you are, check to see if there are any
nets on the repeaters in the area, our club has tech net
weekly, great way to learn about what others are doing
(right or wrong ?) !

Try a search for other hams in your area using qrz or other search tool.

have you visited www.eham.net ?

73

Nelson Blaha wrote:

I have to confess, I expected a much kinder reaction from
uk.amateur.radio, but some of them gave me some harsh words just
because I wasn't licensed! It's good to know I can get friendly help
somewhere.

Thanks for the advice Jimmie, it is indeed a strong temptation but I've
resisted it so far.

Bud, I'm on that! I've got two pages of repeater frequencies for all
over the Dallas/Ft Worth area (I'm conveniently in Arlington right
between) and I've been listening off and on for weeks. I feel like as
soon as I get my call sign, I could hop right in! That is, if my
antenna transmits as well as it receives... no ground plane, as I've
explained. Do you think the bottom of a peanut can would be enough?

Weirdly, I'm waiting on getting my call sign before I register on
eham.net, since I'm gonna use my call as my username. I'm sort of a
google fan anyway, I get to usenet through google groups-beta and
that's good for me.

QRZ search tool is news to me, I'll try that out.

Nelson Blaha

On Jan 16, 8:16 am, Bud wrote:
hi nelson,

You've got to start somewhere, and listening in on qso
is one of the best ways to learn.

Not sure where you are, check to see if there are any
nets on the repeaters in the area, our club has tech net
weekly, great way to learn about what others are doing
(right or wrong ?) !

Try a search for other hams in your area using qrz or other search tool.

have you visitedwww.eham.net?

73

Nelson Blaha wrote:
I have to confess, I expected a much kinder reaction from
uk.amateur.radio, but some of them gave me some harsh words just
because I wasn't licensed! It's good to know I can get friendly help
somewhere.

On Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:16:30 -0500, Bud wrote:

Not sure where you are, check to see if there are any
nets on the repeaters in the area

Near Fort Worth.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Richard Clark wrote:
On Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:16:30 -0500, Bud wrote:

Not sure where you are, check to see if there are any
nets on the repeaters in the area

Near Fort Worth.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Richard;

Go to the following URL: http://www.artscipub.com/repeaters/

click on Texas and search for "Fort Worth". You should get two pages of
both VHF and UHF repeaters.

Dave WD9BDZ