Michael P. O'Connor

Back on Nov 24th I went out to the DE Ham Radio Outlet, to get a Yaesu FT-710 feild. While I was out there I also picked up a FT-891 for my car, since I recently got my general upgread for my ham license.

I have not had a chance to play with the FT-710 yet, since I drove to FL on the 25th after work. But I plan on playing with it this weekend to see if I can make any 40m contacts (talking SSB) But I have had a chance to play with the FT-891 (I have it attached to an ATAS 120A attena) and I made 2 contacts on the drive to and from FL, on the way down to FL I checked into the East cars net, I was at about mile 104 on 95 in GA, and talked to someone that was just north of Alanta. And on the way back, just south of Fayettsville in GA I made contact with a guy in ME. And then on my drive to church on the 30th, I made 2 seperate contacts with guys in NJ. So since I passed the general exam back on Oct 11, I have made 4 contacts on the HF bands (40m) And looking forward to playing with the FT-710 this weekend, using 2 ham sticks made for 40m attached to the small attena mast I made for my deck I talked about in my last post.

The other day I went down to a local home depot to pick up some stuff to build a small attena mast for my balcony. One of the items I needed was a block of wood for the base. When I went to the wood section the guy there was helping another customer cut some wood that he had already bought. When he was finsished there was a block larger then I wanted/needed that was just going to be thrown out, I asked if I could buy that block (as it was already cut, the other customer did not want/need it) and was told it was already paid for, the customer said I could just have it. So I got the block of wood a bit larger then I needed for free. Talk about luck, so I got that block of wood a bit of mettle piping for the past, and a mount for the piping, and some wood screws to put it all together. Talk about luck, I saved a pice of wood from the trash, and did not have to pay for it.

Back on Oct 11, I took the test to upgread my ham licnense from Tech to general, yesterday I got the email from the FCC that my license in the database has been updated.

Also last week I decided to join the ARRL. Over the years I have heard of 3 things that the ARRL has done, that I really like and it seems like the ARRL does fight for ham radio operators, so I figure if they are doing things to help/protect the interstes of ham radio operators, I might as well support them. I also splugred for the physical copy of the magazine they publish, I am still bit on physical stuff, I still buy CD’s,DVD’s and physical video games, and since the ARRL did have the option of a physical printing of the magazine I went for it.

Tonight I setup my 40m attena to tune around the 20m band of the ammature radio band, while I did not key up (still have yet to make any contacts on my new privileges that passing my general exam granted me) I did enjoy tuning around. It took me some time to get my attenas setup in a way where I was accutally able to recive anything, At first I tried horizontal orientation but I was not reviving anything (a basic dipol) but today I tried setting them up vertically and I was picking up so much stuff, I listened to 2 nets then a group of 3 other hams talking about politics. Tomorrow I will probably tune aroudn and see if I can make contact on 40m

I currnetly have 4 attenas well 8 but I count them as only 4. The reason I count them as 4 is that I have 2 of each of the following 80m, 40m, 20m, and 10m I count them as only 4 as one of the mounts have for them takes them horizontal and one on each side to make the diapole. so I count them as only 4. But I only need one when using them vertically, along with a long copper cord to act as the counter poise.