Returning to HF!

=> https://kv4s.com/2024/05/29/returning-to-hf/

2024-05-29 15:29 UTC, KV4S

I’ve been off the HF bands for quite some time. Not because I didn’t enjoy it or anything, just life got in the way and after having my truck break down and needing to sell it, I never had another vehicle to easily put this HF antenna on or easily get to the battery with … [Continue reading "Returning to HF!"]

=> https://kv4s.com/2024/05/29/returning-to-hf/

		kv4s

I’ve been off the HF bands for quite some time. Not because I didn’t enjoy it or anything, just life got in the way and after having my truck break down and needing to sell it, I never had another vehicle to easily put this HF antenna on or easily get to the battery with newer firewalls.

With concerns over expanding emcomm and some local hams talking about HF data modes, I thought it was time to check back into things. I never did data modes before I only ever did voice and I still spend a good time on voice but sometimes keyboard to keyboard or messaging over HF and Winlink has a lot of appeal in possible grid down or local disasters, plus it’s just a lot of fun.

I attempted to use my FT-100D. I did not have luck getting mobile antenna to work at home in the attic, so I decided to get a wire in the air. I did a little research and ended up picking the [Par EndFedz Antennas EF-8010]

=> EndFedz® Antennas EF-8010

. It’s worked great for me on voice however I can’t get great SWR on 80m so I’ve got some work to do there, but SWR is great or acceptable on the other bands. On the data modes but things were not easy and quite frustrating to get working even for a computer guy. I got a digirig and the appropriate cables, but thing still didn’t seem to always decode properly and it would just stop working without reason and I’d have to go back through it almost daily.

I broke down and just got a [IC-7300]

=> https://icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-7300

. Other than my DSTAR handheld I’ve never owned or used any Icom radios before but everyone I talked to say this one is easy to use and works very well with data mode and it looked like there was plenty of online support and videos on setting things up so, I pulled the trigger. Most advanced radio I have to date, the waterfall is useful, but it really shines on the filtering and sound. Highly customizable screens are a plus.

Data modes are just a pleasure to use now. I’m drawn to the [VarAC]

=> https://www.varac-hamradio.com/

, [JS8Call]

=> https://js8call.com/

, [Winlink]

=> https://winlink.org/

[VaraHF]

=> https://rosmodem.wordpress.com/

, and a little [FT8]

=> https://wsjt.sourceforge.io/wsjtx.html

when bored.

Hope to work you on the bands!

73,

Russell, KV4S

=> 1-3681508dc67178be420215ea55a127efbca6e10a7502f9dd533ccf034b9db174

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