As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

communications within the bcec (amateur radios too)

2

Posts

  • Sgt.MaysSgt.Mays Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited February 2014
    speaking of ham radio stores,any idea if theres any around boston? might have to do some some research,there pretty rare around this side of the state.

    They are not too common but some areas should have one nearby, i know here there is one in Toronto. Doing a quick search could not really find anything. And the one i could find looked quite far away.

    Sgt.Mays on
    Gaymer, Nerd and Fan of Freeman's Mind/Half-life/GTA/Red Vs Blue

    Attended: East 14, 15 and West 16
    Attending West 2019
  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    ya i goggled it and only found 1 that was out of town .oh well

  • RevGutterRevGutter Registered User regular
    edited February 2014
    Radio Shack. I know they've left their ham roots long ago but some do still have an ok selection of hobby electronics. There's one really close to the BCEC too so depending on what you're looking for it couldn't hurt to stop in.

    RevGutter on
  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    ya some radio shacks have a decent selection for ham radio stuff.the one don the street from me has a little corner for cb/ham radio stuff,not much but they got antennas and miscellaneous radio stuff.

  • DreggorDreggor [E] PAX East PC Room Deputy Registered User regular
    Your best bet for good stores close to Boston is.... well, nothing really... hamradio.com/locations.cfm?storeid=9 is the closest.

    -=Dreggor
    PAX Prime PC Room Deputy
    PAX East PC Room Deputy
  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    ya i been to that nh place its pretty neat i went like 4 years ago before i even knew anything bout amature radio so no clue what i was lookin at.

  • DreggorDreggor [E] PAX East PC Room Deputy Registered User regular
    Anyone here using D-STAR at all?

    -=Dreggor
    PAX Prime PC Room Deputy
    PAX East PC Room Deputy
  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    havent gotten that far into amature radio yet lol my next step is to get an hf rig setup and do some long distance dxing

  • Sgt.MaysSgt.Mays Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited February 2014
    My radio supports D-STAR but never really got into it, gonna try to get it a go soon.

    The ICOM 80AD is the one i use.

    Sgt.Mays on
    Gaymer, Nerd and Fan of Freeman's Mind/Half-life/GTA/Red Vs Blue

    Attended: East 14, 15 and West 16
    Attending West 2019
  • DreggorDreggor [E] PAX East PC Room Deputy Registered User regular
    I ask because I am considering picking up a IC-31D.. I have never really done anything with DSTAR, I have mainly worked a bit of HF digital modes.

    -=Dreggor
    PAX Prime PC Room Deputy
    PAX East PC Room Deputy
  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    if it wasnt for pax id be in the market for a mobile radio lol

  • Sgt.MaysSgt.Mays Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    Yea they don't come cheap if you want a good dual band one, i got mine when i got my license back in 2010. Now i think sometimes clubs may loan radios to hams, maybe talk to a local club.

    Gaymer, Nerd and Fan of Freeman's Mind/Half-life/GTA/Red Vs Blue

    Attended: East 14, 15 and West 16
    Attending West 2019
  • aneksianeksi Registered User regular
    We used Google+ group chat last year. Works on 3G/4G and Wifi, plus the notifications don't kill your battery.

  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    what phone service do you have? i hear djust about everyone has crappy signal and wifi inside the convention center

  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    walmart has a real cheap 2 way radio set thats pretty cheap,its made by uniden.i got a pair myself and the range is actully pretty good inside a big convention center,i went to the big E today and was able to talk to people on the other side of the property without a problem.

  • lunkheadlunkhead Registered User regular
    Dreggor wrote: »
    Anyone here using D-STAR at all?
    Sgt.Mays wrote: »
    My radio supports D-STAR but never really got into it, gonna try to get it a go soon.

    The ICOM 80AD is the one i use.
    Dreggor wrote: »
    I ask because I am considering picking up a IC-31D.. I have never really done anything with DSTAR, I have mainly worked a bit of HF digital modes.

    I have an Icom IC91-AD, which has the DSTAR on it. Basically DSTAR is awesome if you have a very strong signal. Unfortunately kind of like cell phones, it's all or nothing, either it's really clear, or it cuts out and you sound like R2D2. The cool thing about it is that when you talk, other hams can read your callsign while your transmitting (if you programmed it into your radio). You can also get a dongle for your computer and talk to any internet enabled DSTAR repeater without a radio.

    I had never thought about bringing my HT, but might have to if others are going to have theirs. Anyone have a preferred simplex frequency that I should look for?

  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    yea bring your ht and hang on the air with us..not sure what frequency well be on.any suggestions?

  • Sgt.MaysSgt.Mays Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2014
    2 meter is 144-148 mhz so anywhere in there that is not busy or a local rptr i would guess, or if you radios does 70cm that is 420-450mhz (too bad we could not use 133.7 Mhz but that is not in the band for us). If it is not posted and you just use your radios scan function you should be able to find a some of us talking.

    Sgt.Mays on
    Gaymer, Nerd and Fan of Freeman's Mind/Half-life/GTA/Red Vs Blue

    Attended: East 14, 15 and West 16
    Attending West 2019
  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    i wish we could use a freq from metal gear solid but i belive those are in the 140.00 range.is anyone in the western mass area? or can hit the mount tom repeater?maybe we can get a little qso goin between now and pax.

  • KilonumKilonum [E] Somewhere near BostonRegistered User regular
    Sgt.Mays wrote: »
    2 meter is 144-148 mhz so anywhere in there that is not busy or a local rptr i would guess, or if you radios does 70cm that is 420-450mhz (too bad we could not use 133.7 Mhz but that is not in the band for us). If it is not posted and you just use your radios scan function you should be able to find a some of us talking.

    133.7MHz is in the Aircraft band but is not currently in use by any Boston ARTCC facility.

    JfqWFk8.png
  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    hmmm we need a freq that is related to a game or something nerdy yet in the 2 meter band. *brain powers ACTIVATE*

  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    146.46 is easy enough to remember

  • Sgt.MaysSgt.Mays Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    Sounds good to me, looked it up real quick and do not see any 146.46 repeaters within a 100 mile radius.

    Gaymer, Nerd and Fan of Freeman's Mind/Half-life/GTA/Red Vs Blue

    Attended: East 14, 15 and West 16
    Attending West 2019
  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    146.46 it is then...unless someone can come up with a more nerdy frequency.

  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    was drivin around fall rivers ma and came across a repeater on 146.46 out of RI,glad we wont be anywhere near enough for it to interfere.

  • Sgt.MaysSgt.Mays Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2014
    As long it is not super local and there is no strong repeater nearby, we should be fine. Also being indoors in a place that like will also make it harder to hit further away outdoor ones, here i have been able to hit repeaters that are far away with my 5 watt, but that was also the CN tower one witch is 1.815 feet/553 m in the air.

    Sgt.Mays on
    Gaymer, Nerd and Fan of Freeman's Mind/Half-life/GTA/Red Vs Blue

    Attended: East 14, 15 and West 16
    Attending West 2019
  • nazracnazrac Registered User new member
    Last year 2 friends and myself did use 3 Baofeng UV5r, sometimes on GMRS channels and other times on my private business band Freq I have. in both instances we had 0 interference and could get each other anywhere in the building, not once did we see anyone with radios last year. I have sprint, my friends verizon, but signal was never the problem. it was the dreaded all circuits busy and the extreme poor data flow that had us concerned. The radios where a god send.

  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    i actully might bring a long a few extra pairs of frs i got hangin around and see if anyone else wants to use a pair,of course ill have to get there name and stuff so i know i get them back or atleast compensated for them.

  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    i really wish i wasnt saving up for pax,i had to pass up some really good deals at the flea market in ct few weeks ago and i just passed on a good deal on ebay,ugh.

  • Sgt.MaysSgt.Mays Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    i really wish i wasnt saving up for pax,i had to pass up some really good deals at the flea market in ct few weeks ago and i just passed on a good deal on ebay,ugh.

    Yea that sucks, prices on radios tend to never really do down that much at all not sure about the radio conventions (Hamvention in Dayton Ohio is one) you may be able to snag a deal at one of those.

    Gaymer, Nerd and Fan of Freeman's Mind/Half-life/GTA/Red Vs Blue

    Attended: East 14, 15 and West 16
    Attending West 2019
  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    yea i cant believe how expensive hf radios are,i was looking into gettin a 10 meter radio and decided ill stick to 2 meter and hopefully 6 meter.

  • gigabraingigabrain Some guy...yknow New HampshireRegistered User regular
    Just jumping into this thread now. Some local perspective. Repeater access from the BCEC is...spotty. If you have 900 equipment you'll be able to hit the MMRA 900 repeater down on the waterfront. The Boston .23 repeater is iffy. You'd have to have power and a GOOD antenna/be near the exterior of the building. Best bet for repeater access OUTSIDE of BCEC would maybe be the Clay Center 146.985 machine. Has great coverage over all the Boston area and gets used frequently for wide area public service (think Boston Marathon).

    I'll be bringing my VX-7 with a diamond rubber duck and probably an earpiece PTT.

    Do we maybe want to do a Ham meetup at some point during the weekend? Trade QSL cards if we have them perhaps?

    de KB1QKF

    fclLCwN.png

    Twitter
    3DS Friend Code: 3926-5491-9247
  • Sgt.MaysSgt.Mays Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    I do like the idea of a meetup, should not be hard to figure out if we all speak on Simplex 146.46.

    Personally i do not have any QSL cards at the moment, maybe before i go i will make a few if i can.

    Gaymer, Nerd and Fan of Freeman's Mind/Half-life/GTA/Red Vs Blue

    Attended: East 14, 15 and West 16
    Attending West 2019
  • gigabraingigabrain Some guy...yknow New HampshireRegistered User regular
    Dreggor wrote: »
    Your best bet for good stores close to Boston is.... well, nothing really... hamradio.com/locations.cfm?storeid=9 is the closest.

    Ahh yes, the fabled Candy Store. I will warn you that if you choose to go up pre/post PAX, they're likely to be stripped bare. It's the week before the Boston Marathon and all the local hams (myself included) are going to raid the place for gear prior to working the event.

    fclLCwN.png

    Twitter
    3DS Friend Code: 3926-5491-9247
  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    ohhh yea forgot the boston marathon is the week after.

  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    pax is only a week away woohoo,i think im goin to bring a small cone antenna with me and set it up at the hotel,my rubberducky has been acting up and doesn't get the range is use to.

  • gigabraingigabrain Some guy...yknow New HampshireRegistered User regular
    If I really wanted to lug it around, I have a vertical di-pole that I can weave through my backpack/a vest, but I'm going to probably hold off on that this year.

    fclLCwN.png

    Twitter
    3DS Friend Code: 3926-5491-9247
  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    ya i wouldnt go that far lol

  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    just a few more days till pax woohoo.

  • a fraking toastera fraking toaster W1TRK Registered User regular
    so whats everyones callsign?


    ~KC1BDE

Sign In or Register to comment.