HP Rocketeer & now HAM licensed!

I've been putting it off for far too long. I have two minimum diameter rockets and many flights over 10k by using other HAMs & trackers, or going without, and have not lost one yet--by pure luck in a few cases. I did not want to keep using those HAM club members anymore or the club equipment without options. I started lightly preparing for my HAM test almost two years ago, but got serious about it this summer. And, the majority of that time was in the last month on Ham Test Online (highly recommended, even if you pay for it). I found HTO to be perfect--each section had just enough academics to give you what you needed to know, then the test pool questions on that subject, then on to the next set/subject. After awhile, it doubles/triples back on the problem areas to make sure you get them down. It was easy, quick and left no knowledge holes, so well worth the $24 IMHO.

Today I scored 100% on my Technician Exam and should have my call sign soon. To celebrate, I ordered a BigRedBee HP Tx, DF style. I've already got the Radio Shack transceiver and Arrow Yagi antennae. So, my Madcow Tomach should be tracked all legal and good soon on it's first flight.

Just had to share--darned glad to get that license. While I am not trying to add another expensive hobby (in addition to road cycling, home brewing and HPR), I am wondering what I can "do" with this new license. And, that General exam didn't look too hard either, and my Ham Test Online subscription is good for another two years...any suggestions?

Good work! Check out https://ariss.org and https://AMSAT.org


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Congratulations!

You've Sparked my Interest now! Not that I want to launch one that high but the License part...

JP

I got my tech license last year in May. I plan on using it to communicate with other hams working the range using the 2m band during future SLP launches (if they have anymore). I did purchase a Byonics Micro-Fox 15, a 2m programmable, fox hunt transmitter, for tracking rockets. However, I could not program it using the provided software on any of the three computers (Windows Vista, Windows 7, & Windows XP) in my house. I returned it for a refund. Might get a Big Red Bee or something similar in the future.

A big congratulations Mark...
I have been putting it off for way too long as well...
I'd definitely like to get my technicians licence done......

Good for you Mark...
Good job...

Teddy

Any all-around useful hand held transceivers recommended? Are those Baofeng radios a joke for the low prices?

My Radio Shack hand held is fairly old and basic--good for BigRedBee purposes, but not for much else.

Viperfixr said:

Any all-around useful hand held transceivers recommended? Are those Baofeng radios a joke for the low prices?

My Radio Shack hand held is fairly old and basic--good for BigRedBee purposes, but not for much else.

Click to expand...

I like my Kenwood TH-D72 a lot. Some reviews are at https://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/9421

Here https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-010879 is the HRO page.


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In my humble opinion Mark,,
you get what you pay for,,
for the most part...

This is the radio I went with----

https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0060.html

particularly because it has a signal strength meter,,,
I found that important for "Fox Hunting"...

And this is the Yagi I use---

https://www.zdacomm.com/433-mhz-yagi-antenna-series.html

And I use them with a BRB beacon...

This is super useful as well---

https://www.arrowantennas.com/main/4ofha.html

There are many others that will chime in on "Fox Hunting" an RF signal...
It truly is an art...
It can be frustrating at first but be patient,, you'll get the hang of it...
I went to 9K,,, 11K,,, 12K,,, I never would have found the rockets without the BRB in the nosecone.....

Teddy

Viperfixr said:

Any all-around useful hand held transceivers recommended? Are those Baofeng radios a joke for the low prices?

My Radio Shack hand held is fairly old and basic--good for BigRedBee purposes, but not for much else.

Click to expand...

I've been a ham for over 30 years (can't believe I'm now starting to sound just like my parents when I say stuff like that!). I've owned and used Kenwood, Yaesu, Icom equipment. Recently, I bought both Baofengs, the UV-5R+ and the UV-3R+. I use the smaller UV-3R+ for backpacking were I don't want the worry of carrying my more expensive radios.... perfect for this. I'm still amazed at what I've bought for the price! For your first get-your-feet-wet experience, I can't see how you could go wrong buying one of these. Congratulations on your Ham ticket! Don't stop with the Tech; move on up and give HF a try. I still enjoy chatting with people from all over the world.

Congratulations and welcome to another money and time sink...er, great hobby! I am still using my ICOM IC-W32A HT. It is amazing what kind of radios our dollar will fetch today, and I say that as an RF/microwave engineer...

Viperfixr said:

I've been putting it off for far too long. I have two minimum diameter rockets and many flights over 10k by using other HAMs & trackers, or going without, and have not lost one yet--by pure luck in a few cases. I did not want to keep using those HAM club members anymore or the club equipment without options. I started lightly preparing for my HAM test almost two years ago, but got serious about it this summer. And, the majority of that time was in the last month on Ham Test Online (highly recommended, even if you pay for it). I found HTO to be perfect--each section had just enough academics to give you what you needed to know, then the test pool questions on that subject, then on to the next set/subject. After awhile, it doubles/triples back on the problem areas to make sure you get them down. It was easy, quick and left no knowledge holes, so well worth the $24 IMHO.

Today I scored 100% on my Technician Exam and should have my call sign soon. To celebrate, I ordered a BigRedBee HP Tx, DF style. I've already got the Radio Shack transceiver and Arrow Yagi antennae. So, my Madcow Tomach should be tracked all legal and good soon on it's first flight.

Just had to share--darned glad to get that license. While I am not trying to add another expensive hobby (in addition to road cycling, home brewing and HPR), I am wondering what I can "do" with this new license. And, that General exam didn't look too hard either, and my Ham Test Online subscription is good for another two years...any suggestions?

Click to expand...

Be careful with an HP tracker above 100mW. Do not expect it to ride safely in the ebay with deployment electronics. You can see your altimeter malfunction which can be an on pad deployment of the recovery laundry (most embarassing), to a shutdown of the altimeter(s) once launched with ballistic recovery or
even deployment on ascent like you "forgot" to set the mach delay on a device that requires it.

Always test at home with bare ematches and see what happens, even if you put the tracker in the nosecone. There have been several Rf threads here so one might try a search.

The low powered Beelines play well with close proximity. A Raven with a low powered BLGPS works fine right next to each other. Kurt

Walldiver7 said:

I've been a ham for over 30 years (can't believe I'm now starting to sound just like my parents when I say stuff like that!). I've owned and used Kenwood, Yaesu, Icom equipment. Recently, I bought both Baofengs, the UV-5R+ and the UV-3R+. I use the smaller UV-3R+ for backpacking were I don't want the worry of carrying my more expensive radios.... perfect for this. I'm still amazed at what I've bought for the price! For your first get-your-feet-wet experience, I can't see how you could go wrong buying one of these. Congratulations on your Ham ticket! Don't stop with the Tech; move on up and give HF a try. I still enjoy chatting with people from all over the world.

Click to expand...

The UV-5 doesn't have a true signal strength meter. It's either all on or all off. Won't help for DF tracking. See :
https://www.miklor.com/uv5r/UV5R-FAQ.php#display and scroll down a bit for the scoop on the meter. Kurt

For rocketry purposes, it seems there is no reason to go beyond a Technician license. As a technician, it appears all the access needed for 70cm and 2m bands for trackers or range communication is there.

Is this wrong? Why go on to the General level?

Personally,,,
I don't use my radio to transmit at all...
I only use it to track my BRB...
That is why To me,, a working signal strength meter is essential...
My buddy Jim Z got me started on tracking this way...
He is a master at it...
He does not have a signal strength meter and does it just by listening to the signal...
We both agree the signal strength meter is extremely helpful...
That is one of the things that turned me off to the cheap radios on ebay...
I heard the signal strength meters on them didn't work very well...
There'a already been a post to this thread that someone likes those cheap radios from Baofeng on ebay...
I don't know....
I know my Yeasu FT 60 and my Yagi..........
I went from quite frustrated,,,,
to actually looking forward to the Foxhunt.........
It really is quite rewarding...
And it changes the entire world with how you fly rockets when you're confident in your tracking ability......

Teddy

My uncle got rather excited when I got my technician license and wanted to talk about what equipment I should buy, how to set up a stealth antenna, and getting my general license. He was rather disappointed when I told him I didn't plan to use my Yaesu FX-8GR to do anything but track rockets. I'm not sure I want to spend time talking with people I don't know from places I've never heard of. I don't even like talking to people I don't know right here in town. The only times I have transmitted on my radio was to talk with my son on his FX-60--at a rocket launch while one of us was chasing down a rocket. It's easier than using a cell phone.

Joe


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The EggFinder is going to make a big difference. The ultimate system is a BLGPS 70cm interfaced directly to a handheld GPS such as a Garmin Legend, 60Cs,
60CsX or 78 through a D72A or VX8GR. A single wire from the handheld GPS to the radio will do real time tracking. Is it worth it? For a lot of folks, no. Costs
too much. The EggFinder receiver modified with a $6.00 HC-06 Bluetooth module feeding an Android device running GPS Rocket Locator is pretty darned close.
Doesn't have the active navigation that the APRS tracking system above has but it costs a lot less than the $600 to $800 it costs to have a pedestrian portable
APRS station. There are some shortcuts to a cost effective APRS ground station but a laptop is not very portable to be chasing rockets.

As an aside, it is actually very easy, using the linux tracking program Xastir, to take the incoming data stream from the EggFinder and retransmit the data albeit at a slightly lower rate in an APRS format so nearby D72's, VX-8's, FT-GR's and any APRS ground station can read. Can read off the altitude data also. The EggFinder LCD corrected the altitude situation and I wouldn't purchase a setup without the LCD receiver.

Ham ticket? I pursued a General as I like talking to the world from a wire in the trees. Otherwise, just get a Tech license to track rockets or use an EggFinder (or RDF if one likes that method). Kurt

As usual, I spent entirely too much time looking for a handy talkie that would be best for DF tracker use and general HAM purposes--a good first radio. While I may go with a full-up (i.e. expensive) HT down the road, like the Yaesu VX-8GR for GPS purposes, I bought the Yaesu FT-60R from Hamcity. Now with the APRS options like the Mobilinkd bluetooth, I can potentially use the FT-60 for both DF and GPS, and it is a lot less money. I was tempted by the cheaper Chinese options, but I think the relative challenges with programming and use will make the FT-60R better for me long term. The FT-60 has a nice S-meter, a solid build and gets a lot of good reviews from rocketeers.

Still waiting on my callsign, darn it. Come on, FCC! I'd like to 'legally' turn on my new BigRedBee HP Tx. I'll ask my daughter to 'hide' the Tx somewhere on the housing loop I live in, then hookup the FT-60 and Arrow Yagi to go find it a few times before flying it for the first time later this month. I've got a Madcow Tomach ready to rock on a Brand-X 6-grain K1000 KNSB motor that should be a 14k+ flight, so I'll need the BRB Tx.

Viperfixr said:

As usual, I spent entirely too much time looking for a handy talkie that would be best for DF tracker use and general HAM purposes--a good first radio. While I may go with a full-up (i.e. expensive) HT down the road, like the Yaesu VX-8GR for GPS purposes, I bought the Yaesu FT-60R from Hamcity. Now with the APRS options like the Mobilinkd bluetooth, I can potentially use the FT-60 for both DF and GPS, and it is a lot less money.

Click to expand...

The mobilinkd is a nice device and it is an option for portable GPS tracking. Would need to have an Android device or phone that can use APRSDroid. https://aprsdroid.org/ The Mobilinkd can bond via B/T to the phone (or I have a Nexus 7 terminal device with no phone) Can even download OSM maps on the device for off network use. APRSDroid can then be "told" to use the B/T TNC and viola' good as gold.

I have a UV-5R which of course has the lousy signal meter but doesn't matter for APRS tracking.
The only limitation for APRSDroid is that one has to actually "transmit" a position packet in order to get the position icon where you're at to move on the map! Plus there is no navigation function.
You have to know your relative bearings and go towards the rocket, send a position packet out to get your position icon to move and head toward the rocket. Quirky but not too hard to do.

There is another program under development for the Android, APRSISDR, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/APRSISDR/info that is done by Lynn (D) - KJ4ERJ - Author of APRSISCE for Windows Mobile and Win32. It currently works in APRSIS mode on the network and KJ4ERJ says he is going to develop it to bond to a B/T TNC like the mobilnkd. It won't have the quirky icon situation. Am running it now and I like it a lot.

The ultimate is a D72A (or VX8GR or FT1GR) with one wire to a Garmin 78 or 60 mapping GPS. The 60CsX's are beginning to come up used for reasonable costs on ebay. With that setup the Garmin can navigate in realtime while the rocket is in flight. But again, this is very costly and I put up the moola in the past because it was the only thing out there at the time.

Laptop tracking programs can run from inside one's vehicle to save a flight for posterity with UI-View or Xastir. Laptops can't be read in sunlight easily so it's best to have a handheld tracking solution to go fetch the rocket. Plus when one gets close to the last "known" packet, one is likely to receive a new packet that has the final position. Many a flier has typed in the last received position packet
at the launchsite into a handheld, walked to the coordinates and found no rocket. They went back to the launchsite, dragged out their receiving station, got a new final fix and found the rocket.
What happens is the last received packet might be from when the rocket is still some ways up in the air. Before it touches down, if it is a ways away, might not get that final fix and it might be resting some distance away from the last received packet. If the flier has a portable receiving station they carry with them, they'll likely get a new packet at that "last position" since they'll be closer to the rocket. Can then go and pick it up, especially if is lands in tall corn or grass.

The APRS decoder Direwolf, https://home.comcast.net/~wb2osz/site/?/home/, can use the audio card to decode the packets so just takes a cable from an earphone connection from any old H/T so a ground station can be had for cheap. Kurt

Whoo Hoo! Callsign just came in...now in my signature. Studying for the General now, if for nothing else than what I am learning from the process--interesting stuff. My new Beeline HP Tx is happily beeping away on it's first battery test.

Viperfixr said:

Whoo Hoo! Callsign just came in...now in my signature. Studying for the General now, if for nothing else than what I am learning from the process--interesting stuff. My new Beeline HP Tx is happily beeping away on it's first battery test.

Click to expand...

Remember to test your deployment electronics to be sure they aren't dorked by your HP Beeline. Doing a General is fine if you want to do HF stuff in the
Ham hobby but not necessary for rocketry as you may already know. Ummm, you might want to consider an attenuator if you are going to track with a Yagi. You could still get near the rocket but lose the directivity because the receiver is swamped. You can tune off frequency, switch to a duck antenna, shield with your body but an attenuator can make it a whole lot easier. Kurt

Jmhepworth said:

My uncle got rather excited when I got my technician license and wanted to talk about what equipment I should buy, how to set up a stealth antenna, and getting my general license. He was rather disappointed when I told him I didn't plan to use my Yaesu FX-8GR to do anything but track rockets. I'm not sure I want to spend time talking with people I don't know from places I've never heard of. I don't even like talking to people I don't know right here in town. The only times I have transmitted on my radio was to talk with my son on his FX-60--at a rocket launch while one of us was chasing down a rocket. It's easier than using a cell phone.

Joe


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Click to expand...

This had me literally LOLing at my desk at work...I feel ya man, I feel ya! Introverts unite...alone...in our own homes!!!

Viperfixr said:

Whoo Hoo! Callsign just came in...now in my signature. Studying for the General now, if for nothing else than what I am learning from the process--interesting stuff. My new Beeline HP Tx is happily beeping away on it's first battery test.

Click to expand...

Congratulations KG7NWI! It's great that you're going on for your General. If you're any at all fascinated with how far you can communicate with others on Earth via radio, HF will bring you many hours of fun. I've worked ham stations at the South Pole, a packet station that was aboard one of our shuttle flights, and many others all over the world. Enjoy!

soopirV said:

This had me literally LOLing at my desk at work...I feel ya man, I feel ya! Introverts unite...alone...in our own homes!!!

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Whaddya mean!:rant::wink: Ham radio is perfect for introverts. Can be secretly outgoing without any face to face contact.:lol:
Kurt

Can you take the ham test online?

jlnel said:

Can you take the ham test online?

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The official one, No. There are practice tests at eham.net and arrl.org at least.

Thanks. Ill check them out.

Link above to HAM Test Online was the magic solution...easier than the other offerings by far (for me).

I recommend you get the General license. You're half way there and excited about the new hobby. You don't have to buy an HF rig just because you have a general license but if the zombies attack, you will already have the license! Besides the exam isn't much harder than the Technician test.

Doug Garcia, AE5HE

epflyer said:

I recommend you get the General license. You're half way there and excited about the new hobby. You don't have to buy an HF rig just because you have a general license but if the zombies attack, you will already have the license! Besides the exam isn't much harder than the Technician test.

Doug Garcia, AE5HE

Click to expand...

Yeah but............... Some fliers simply want to APRS track period. No need for a General. In fact with the now available EggFinder, one doesn't have to be a Ham to have an economical and workable GPS tracking system that works pretty well. Sure the 70cm band might have a little more range and the FT1D,
D72's and VX-8GR's can be directly wired into some handheld Garmin mapping GPS units. I think the 78 is the only current one available with the round port
but 60Cs and the desireable 60CsX's are available on ebay now. The cost of the Ham solution is pretty high. I'm not going to give it up as I have invested in it. I'm going to be happy to use my EggFinders too once I get some rockets built. Oh, I do have an inverted L in the backyard I use HF with a portable rig and antenna tuner. A lot of fun but not necessary to find rockets. Kurt