Yep, you're wrong... height above ground is height above the earth, not above your mounting structure. That's why you see so many antennas mounted off the sides of commercial towers. The building won't work as a "ground" either (can't stick an 8 foot copper rod into it for grounding purposes).

Maybe it would be easier if we adopted the British use of the word "earth" to mean an electrical ground?

Your antenna's going to be 120 feet in height (above 'ground', or above the earth) which is what counts... I'm jealous!!!

73 de Carl W4FFM

Yep, then the Western Union splice is the way to go. It was developed for the telegraph wires which were solid and had to support their own weight between telegraph poles. My father taught it to me when I was a little tyke... about 50 years ago. He was an engineer and did a lot of wire work before that (he even had that neat leather sheath with a set of lineman's pliers along with a lineman's knife).

73 de Carl W4FFM

As with all questions here, it depends on what you want to use it for. If you need to preserve the tensile strength of the wire through the splice the Western Union splice is the way to go. Although devleoped for solid wire the technique will work with stranded as well.

Try: http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/paasurvey/elec/lesson5/lesson5.html

73 de Carl W4FFM

Folks are right, the choice is entirely yours. If you're asking if CW is still useful, the answer is a definite YES. Not necessary, but useful... and fun (judging from the way some of the other hams in my club talk about it). If you have the time, do it. There's no penalty for trying, and it won't be a waste of time.

I intend to learn code once things settle down in my work (getting home late at night is not conducive to studying anything). I envy the folks who can work CW.

Carl W4FFM

ROFL... I like "Hams and Hogs" too!!

Yeah... <ALT-21> doesn't work with my laptop, even when using my word processing program... however I can 'insert a special character', then copy it and insert it here.

§

I'm sure it's a function of the computer itself (at least in my case).

Scott: You've got to ignore the idiots and QSY (just like TV... change the channel... it gives you enormous power to be able to make some idiot shut up just by turning a dial... yelling back at them only aggravates me more). If people are acting like that, change your frequency... when you find a nice conversation you can listen to the memory of the other folks fades very quickly (even if it's inappropriate for me to cut in/ask in, I'll often just listen to remind myself that the majority of hams are good people).

I also second the motion that you look for nets to log in to, it's a great way to start.

73 de Carl W4FFM

I actually have never seen a tower trailer... do you have a link to any photos of your setups?

Robert;

There's a Federal law that protects you from state/county/city/etc laws if you want to put up an amateur radio antenna/tower (unfortunately it doesn't cover covenants and deed restrictions). Wish I could tell you more offhand, but I'm sure someone will chime in.

73 de Carl W4FFM

I didn't originate either of these battery threads, but I'd just like to mention that I do own the ARRL book on emergency power... and I have gotten more good, specific battery backup information from the two threads running here in the EmComm forum than I did from that whole book.

Many thanks to all the Elmers who took the time to answer!

73 de Carl W4FFM

(Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I bought the book, but the info here is better.)

The VHF/UHF HTs ("Handie-Talkies") mentioned are all good, keep an eye out for the water-resistant/submersible qualities. As you know, a problem while canoeing often includes a dunking of the passengers and the luggage. At the very least store it in a watertight bag or box if there's a question about it's ability to resist the dangers of the wet. If you bag or box the HT consider attaching and loosely wrapping 10 feet or so of that bright orange-red plastic marking tape (no adhesive)... it will float and make it easy to find in the water when you need it the most.

One shortcoming of all HTs is the antenna. First the length, second the height. I always recommend that you get an after-market antenna; they're all longer, but you have a choice between one which is flexible and long or stiff but telescoping. A roll-up J-Pole antenna made out of twinlead TV antenna wire (or something similar) with a length of flexible coaxial cable with the appropriate connector, is easy to keep handy and can be hoisted into a tree using a slingshotted line. VHF/UHF access to repeaters is line-of-sight, so height is your friend.

The HTs that you're looking for are all 2-meters, some are dual band 2-meter/70-cm (144mHz/440 mHz). I second the motion that a dual-band HT is a good idea for your first rig. The CTCSS tomes are going to standard in almost any HT you buy and will be necessary to access many repeaters. I'd vote for the Icom IC-91A as it's weather resistant, dual band (and dual display) is less than $300 on the street and is upgradeable to digital (although I also agree that digital is not of all that much use... yet). Many of these HTs will also receive on other bands (I sometimes use my IC-91A to listen to FM radio broadcasts).

I'm also a fan of SatPhones, but there's an important caveat here, as they are not the penultimate emergency communications device... all of them mention at the very least the need for "a clear and unobstructed view of the sky", which would not be the case in a canyon (whether it's a natural canyon which has a river at the bottom or the canyons of downtown Manhattan). Some even mention a clear view of 75% or more of the sky. If your canoeing is done in areas where you can reach the top of the riverbank without any problems, then a satphone may be the best idea (barring the expense).


Lastly, studying for and passing the Tech exam is not difficult. One of the easiest ways to study for it is to set aside 30 minutes or so every day (or a couple of days a week) and take the sample exams available here on eHam (click on "Ham Exams" under "Resources" on the left side of the page). Once you start passing the exams regularly online go and take the exam! They're low-key exams run by friendly hams. Once you pass that, consider studying for your General license!

73 de Carl W4FFM

Rick;

I checked out that site, and, luckily, there's a dealer not too far from me. Tell me, do you know the difference between the two 100 aH batteries listed there (the DCM0100 and the DCS-100)?

-Carl W4FFM

Yes, you can use AGM batteries indoors (and you shouldn't use a flooded battery indoors due to outgassing, which you probably already know).

There's a good thread going on in this forum dealing with batteries, including how to figure out how large a battery you want:

http://www.eham.net/forums/EmergencyCommunications/4374

AGM batteries should be served by a 3-state charger designed for AGM batteries. I can't address the PWRGate's suitability for keeping an AGM battery charged (hopefully someone else here can), although I really like the idea of a PWRGate device... so I'll keep an eye on this thread to see what advice other folks can give (I intend to do the same thing you're planning to do... set up battery backup for my shack).

Good luck and 73 de Carl W4FFM

Gail;

Congratulations on your advanced ticket (I just got my Extra license a few weeks ago)! Sounds like it's a little different in Australia than in the US. Were the lessons you took on the 'net part of the licensing process proper or just a way to study for the exam?

I hope you're in an area with a lot of room for an antenna farm (that in itself would be a nice Christmas present... many of us have problems with deed restrictions limiting what we can put up). Tell Santa you want a BIG beam on top of a BIG tower with a good rotor. <G> Ingore the flamers and idiots... they're endemic to internet forums of all types, not particular to ham radio. Carrying the argument against asking questions here ad absurdam you'd get to the point where you shouldn't use books either, and only be allowed to experiment yourself. Just ignore them (Bless their hearts).

73 de Carl W4FFM
QTH: Sunny South Carolina

Jim;

Ah... fond memories <G>.. that's exactly what I was thinking about, a testament to the ingenuity of the American fighting men (and women). I got out before they started adding the hot sauce to the MREs (and the menus were a little more limited), but I remember being surprised at how good the beef patties tasted once they were reconstituted with hot water! Everyone I've spoken to has been really happy about having the hot sauce available... might be a good idea to add a bottle to any list of home-made supply stores as it will 'spice-up' an otherwise boring (or repetitive) meal.

ONAIR... I don't know about "gourmet" <BG>, but you're right, they sometimes approached it.

<If it wasn't the day after Thanksgiving I'd be getting hungry right about know.... but I had a turkey sandwich for breakfast>

What's your favorite hot sauce? There's one with a spherical wooden cap called "Cholula" that I really enjoy. I also like the ones with chipotle peppers for their smokey taste. Then there's the perennial favorite, "Texas Pete", as well as "Tabasco" and "Louisianna Hot Sauce". I think that "Texas Pete" has more flavor. (I also like the Jamaican Pickapeppa Sauce, but that's not really a hot sauce).

73 de Carl W4FFM