Friday Night HAM Radio NET

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brien

Sonoran Space Program
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Off-Road Ranger I

3,402
Tucson, AZ
First Name
Brien
Last Name
Wankel
Member #

3553

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K7XPO
Open topic this week. Just uploaded the recap from last week. Spend last 3 days in Death Valley and did not upload before heading into. What a fun trip, going back soon
Another topic idea to add to the list: Death Valley. It's on my list of places to explore, I still haven't been there yet!
 

Jillsogw

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Explorer I

1,950
Sacramento, CA
First Name
Gary
Last Name
Jillson
Member #

13378

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K6GWJ
I’m new to Ham radio, please pardon the questions....

How would I go about getting in this with my radio? I have a Yeasu FTM-400xdr.
I have a validated EchoLink account. Successfully tested it on my iPhone.
I’m in the Sacramento, CA area.

Suggested repeater?

Thanks for the help
 

whiskey7backroads

Rank VI
Launch Member

Endurance II

4,375
Olympia Washington
First Name
Brent
Last Name
Conklin
Member #

13675

Ham/GMRS Callsign
W7BR
I’m new to Ham radio, please pardon the questions....

How would I go about getting in this with my radio? I have a Yeasu FTM-400xdr.
I have a validated EchoLink account. Successfully tested it on my iPhone.
I’m in the Sacramento, CA area.

Suggested repeater?

Thanks for the help
You could use a repeater if one has echolink and you have permission to use it on echolink but it keeps everyone else from being able to use the repeater. You can just get on with the phone or computer and not with the radio. Either way is ok we have both attend
 

Jillsogw

Rank V
Member

Explorer I

1,950
Sacramento, CA
First Name
Gary
Last Name
Jillson
Member #

13378

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K6GWJ
You could use a repeater if one has echolink and you have permission to use it on echolink but it keeps everyone else from being able to use the repeater. You can just get on with the phone or computer and not with the radio. Either way is ok we have both attend
Didn’t realize it ties up the repeater. I’ll just use my phone.
Thanks for the help.
 

12poundtest

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,827
Edmonds WA
First Name
Ed
Last Name
Sershon
Member #

15391

Ham/GMRS Callsign
N7PHY
Thank you everyone who joined the net tonight. We had a lively and entertaining discussion about camp cooking and food prep ideas. Everyone left a little hungrier than they arrived.

If you are interested, please consider joining us us next Friday as we share knowledge and hone our ham radio skills.

73 and good night!
 

TerryD

Rank VI
Launch Member

Member III

3,402
Covington, Virginia, USA
First Name
Terry
Last Name
R
Member #

3710

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KT4OZ
Didn’t realize it ties up the repeater. I’ll just use my phone.
Thanks for the help.
You might find that folks want to join in on the repeater though. One of our local machines gets linked for the net and we've had several check ins from locals.

If a repeater isn't especially busy normally, most owners like linking them to get traffic on them and make them feel like it's worth keeping the machine on the air.
 

12poundtest

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,827
Edmonds WA
First Name
Ed
Last Name
Sershon
Member #

15391

Ham/GMRS Callsign
N7PHY
Greetings Overland / Amateur Radio Enthusiasts.
Just a reminder, tonight we host our weekly OB amateur radio net on Echolink. We are running 'open topic' tonight so thoughts, questions, or anything else related to over landing and ham radio.

Details can be found in the first 'sticky' post in this thread by @Brentc17.
Hope you can join us.
73,
Ed - N7PHY
 

ru108

Rank V
Member

Traveler II

2,392
Prairieville, LA
First Name
Shane
Last Name
Tindall
Member #

12189

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K5TIN
Service Branch
USN
OK folks, after a recent discussion by the Comm Committee, it was decided that we (the net controllers) will start directly uploading our notes directly to THIS thread each week in order to keep a running tab and to make it easier for everyone to go back and review what was discussed during the nets. With that said, the below NINE (9) postings will be all of our net log notes from the start of this journey, which began on 12/21/18. I PROMISE I'm not just trying to boost my post count. I'm simply posting what has already been covered... :blush: Thanks in advance for putting up with this!

Also, as a heads up for the curious, this week (2/22) will be Open Topic once again. We try to do this every other week in order to digest the previous week's discussion and work on ideas for future topics so we, hopefully, won't run out of things to talk about. You'll notice this pattern as you go through our prior notes. And as always, ideas for future nets are always welcome. Just hit up one of the controllers and we'll work them in.

ETA, please don't laugh at our typos and misspellings. Y'all talk faster than some of us can type, LOL!
 
Last edited:

ru108

Rank V
Member

Traveler II

2,392
Prairieville, LA
First Name
Shane
Last Name
Tindall
Member #

12189

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K5TIN
Service Branch
USN
OB Net notes 21DEC2018

Net opened on time by Terry KT4OZ with announcements by Brent KJ7BHN following, thanking everyone for their help and participation in the net. 12 stations checked in for the net and comments began. During the net, Mario KC2MHG asked for advice on a station to set up at camp. Net control recommended a ladder line J-pole and Mark KF5UZW provided a website (www.n9tax.com) where you can purchase an antenna as described. Jayson KD7WCD also commented to say that he has an umbilical setup for his FT-857D so it can be used outside of his vehicle and that he’s had great luck with that setup. New hams seemed interested in the learning experience offered by the net while folks who have held a license for a while brought up that interest in technologies such as APRS had renewed their interest in them. Most of the second round was spent discussing each operators setups and preferred radios both in their vehicle and in the shack. Some ops mentioned having or recently buying DMR radios to try to check into the net over the airwaves. Net closed around 2140EST.
 
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ru108

Rank V
Member

Traveler II

2,392
Prairieville, LA
First Name
Shane
Last Name
Tindall
Member #

12189

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K5TIN
Service Branch
USN
OB Net notes 28DEC2018


Overland Bound Amatuer Radio Net Date: 12/28/2018 Net Control: Ed - N7PHY EchoLink: 591550 Topic: Adventures made in 2018 or looking forward to in 2019. Because it's a holiday weekend we went with an informal topic. Solid number of folks checking in.


Check In Call Sign Name Location Notes

1 K5TIN Shane LA Dealing with some flooding in the area. Working on the 4-Runner.

2 KT4OZ Terry VA Trip to FL this year. Like to spend more time outdoors.

3 WD6TED Ted San Diego CA Great trips in Sierras. New years eve camping trip. Recently upgraded to general license

4 K1RAC Ryan MI Looking forward to upper peninsula Michigan trip in 2019.

5 WB8DMX Kevin Columbus OH Great story about driving truck from IL to FL. Working on WX spotter certification.

6 KC2MHG Mario New York Fly fishing in the Catskills.

7 KF5UZW Quick check in and check out.

8 W6KRY Mick Winters CA Overland trip to Greely CO for a 35th Army reunion.

9 KM6YKU Deb N. CA Welcomed 2nd grandson to the family. Setting up new rooftop tent for overlanding.

10 AB5JK Jimmi Quick check in and check out. Happy to make it through another week.

11 W8ILL Will Newly acquired general license. Working on an HF antenna.

12 KM6YKV Mike Auburn CA Also celebrating 2nd grandson. Talked about a trip to Utah.

13 VA3KXS Kirk Ontario CANADA New camper on order, will pick up in Montana. Interested in checking in via repeater.

14 K5ADT Allen New Mexico Replaced jeep cherokee engine. Making trips to CO.

15 KF4YLM Josh Roanok VA Gold star for checking in over repeater. (147.225) scratchy reception but we were able to copy him.

16 KI7YVX Tim Henderson NV Picked up new adv trailer. Having plenty of adventures.

17 WB8LOP Fred VA Also made a repeater check in.

18 KM6YSL Michael CA Late but welcome check-in. First contact with a new call sign.

Summary:

Both Shane and Terry mentioned the 'opportunity' to help out by joining us as net controllers. We had to operators check in via a repeater, very cool. Mentioned the Solar topic will likely be covered next week.

It worked out we could make it through two rounds just within the hour. We had some after net chats on the EL node. As mentioned in the forum, it would be nice to extend the net when necessary.

Overall it was a good experience. Look forward to hosting the net again. Ed - N7PHY
 

ru108

Rank V
Member

Traveler II

2,392
Prairieville, LA
First Name
Shane
Last Name
Tindall
Member #

12189

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K5TIN
Service Branch
USN
OB Net notes 04JAN2019

Net Control: Ed - N7PHY 15391 EchoLink: 591550 Topic: Solar Power


Mobile - First check in. Connecting to repeater in VA from North Carolina. Curious who we are and what we do. Looks forward to checking in next week. Follow up - has 45w harbor freight system. Sits on ground. Comes with controller and has two 5 v outlets. Uses to charge 145ah deep cycle battery the Outer Banks islands. No other electricity. Will keep battery charged. Works well. Has eye on 100w system. 2. KM4HN Mitch VA Mobile -FJ Cruiser owner. Tried to check in last week but had problems with repeater. 3 WX5SKY John OK Suggested the topic and couldn't make the net.


Check In Call Sign Name Location OB# Notes


1 kj7bhn brent buckeye az 13675 Brent moving to new house in AZ. Has built solar trailer and solar in rover. Must size battery bank correct for load. Consider charge rate of solar panels. (do the math) Trimech 2030 and monitor use and charging. Reach out to Brent if anyone has questions.


2 km6jag brian California 3369 Do not run solar power in truck. Working on dual battery setup - 2010 FJ. Run fridge, radios. Thinking about flex panel. Have researched suitcase system and redarch and both look topnotch.


3 kt4oz Terry VA 3710 Working on radio room and hoisting antennas. No solar at this time. Check hiker trailer thread by darkside overland on forum for excellent setup. Flex panels and pair of golf cart batteries in trailer. Inverters, heat, etc.


4 K2LVC Luke Upstate NY 9987 Setting up pop up camper. Looking into solar (wish list). 5 kd2qzs Jake Jefferson NY Working with Luke (Dad) on popup camper. Waiting for better weather.


6 K5TIN Shane LA 12189 Put group 31 battery in 4runner to improve capacity. Ordered 100W suitcase solar setup (just arrived). Looking forward to testing. Plan to stay off the beaten path.


7 kd7wcd Jason Tempe AZ 399 Have a little solar generator (milk crate) 70A deep cycle battery, 25W solar panel. Use for ham radio events. Will use in place of truck battery.


8 wd6ted Ted San Diego CA 13782 Solar attractive but not running now, except lantern that can charge iphone. Has positive experience with Harbor Freight in general.


9 ki7yvx Tim Henderson NV Trailer came with dual batteries and 200w solar panel. Just charging small items. Nice to have. Followup- Flexible solar panels. Ronnie Dahl did a segment on flexible solar panels, worth looking into.


10 k7xpo Brien Tuscon AZ 3553

Have jeep jku and turtle back trailer. Dual agm batteries, 220ah total. 100w semi flex solar panel. Store inside rooftop tent - protip. Keeps panel safe while underway. Dc-dc battery charge controller (mppt controller) to look ahead at voltage from panel to optimize battery charge. Run fridge in back of jeep (single batt). Can plug solar into jeep/battery. Smart controller can charge batteries with minimal sun. Reason to spend extra for mppt charge controller. Ultimately will do dual battery in jeep and mount solar panel on jeep. Followup - has a friend that runs Harbor Freight for field day. Will follow up with him for feedback.


11 N8mxg Ron Detroit MI Harbor freight panels interesting but have not run one yet. Follow up - youtube junkie and learning about solar tonight on our net.


12 ac5xj Roman OK October cloudy day with solar panel out and still charged battery. Loose in trailer to move around. Harbor Freight understanding - bigger panel but does not gather, transfer energy as smaller name brand units. Busy replacing repeater and digging into new battery system and solar system. Follow up - First time check and learned about from a fellow ham. Check out 'ham radio work bench' for solar info. Podcast.


13 kc1blp Jeff NC First time net check in. New to overland. 4runner. Dual battery setup. Uses deep cycle battery to run radio equip. Expansion plans for fridge, etc. Seatac 250 has solar input and isolates house battery. 120W solar panel on rig. Glad somebody brought up folding solar panels. Big and heavy and challange to stow. Question about topics on net.


14 kf6idk Ken Merced CA nothing heard


15 KN4RFB Dustin Lousville KY 7145 Do not run solar yet. Researching panels on utube, keen interest. Followup - soft solar panels. OH8STN on youtube has appealing solar panels.


16 W8ILL Will MI Graciously allowing us to extend net into second hour. Been around solar panels. Can get 45w at Harbor and volt regulator feeding 2-3 deepcell batteries. Suggestion for amatuer radio.


17 KN4NQJ Mike VA Mobile - Doing some inexpensive tinkering with solar panel and car battery. Considering system to charge camper batteries.


18 ks4klm Kevin VA Mobile - Doing some inexpensive tinkering with solar panel and car battery. Considering system to charge camper batteries.


19 N4cnx John NC nothing heard


We had a lively discussion tonight about all things solar. Quite a bit of knowledge in the group and definitely should revisit the topic sometime. The net ran over half an hour with 21 folks checking in and could have run longer. I believe we would have had few more check ins from the repeater in VA if I kept it going.
 

ru108

Rank V
Member

Traveler II

2,392
Prairieville, LA
First Name
Shane
Last Name
Tindall
Member #

12189

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K5TIN
Service Branch
USN
OB Net notes 11JAN2019


Topic - SOTA, POTA and Flora and Fauna

Control – K5TIN (Shane)


  1. KJ7BHN (Brent in WA) – Reminder that there is a recap of the discussion in the Weekly Net thread on the forum. Can Techs do SOTA, POTA or must one be a General or Extra? Has anyone seen Rally Points used for this type of activity and if not, thoughts on maybe trying this? (Miscellaneous – Thanks to Jon (WX5SKY) for the Boot Camp article.

2. KC2MNC (Mario in NY) – Nothing to add on the topic. Just listening and waiting on the weather to clear/warm up in order to get back out.


3. KC1BLP (Jeff in NC) – General class, but have not done SOTA, etc in the past.


4. N7PHY (Ed in WA) – Have not participated, but am familiar with the programs and awards. Re: Brent’s questions, there were stations running simplex last week with and believe there were Techs involved. Very interesting info tonight. (Probably missed a bit of this due to bad handwriting. Sorry if I left something out, Ed.)


5. WX5SKY (Jon in OK) – Haven’t really looked into it, but there is a local group that is active in this. Hope to try it this year. Thanks to Brent for the shout out on the Boot Camp article.


6. WD6TED (Ted in CA) – Very interested in this. Have no activations or an HF rig, but I have registered. Believe it is possible to do on VHF/UHF on an HT. Also, how are these activities coordinated? Have been really interested and appreciate the info being given. To echo Brent, is it possible for someone familiar with this to post a thread on the forum with detailed info?


7. K7XPO (Brien in AZ) – NOTE: I know I missed a BUNCH of stuff with this, so we need to make sure to highlight the fact that Brien was volunteered to work on a thread and possibly a Boot Camp article on this topic. The following is just the tip of what I copied… Active in SOTA approximately one year, mostly on CW. Do NOT have to be General or above, but most of the activity is in the lower bands. A lot of recent activity on 20 meters via CW, but contacts can be made on all bands. Voice can be done on SSB if you’re not proficient in CW. SOTA.org.uk for more info. You can also go down the Google rabbit hole for all kinds of apps and organizational/logging info. (My paraphrasing there because I just couldn’t keep up, lol). There are also rules for operating and/or chasing that you need to be familiar with in order to obtain points for the various awards. There are two parts to these: Activators who go to the locations, set up and transmit and Chasers who are the stations trying to make contact. As for the Rally Point idea, not familiar with any, but thinking we could try to organize one.


8. W8ILL (Will in MI) – Gave a bit of local weather info and info on a new GNG net on Sunday nights (Patriot Net). Nothing to add on SOTA, but do spend a lot of time outdoors and might look into it.


9. KI7YVK (Tim in NV) – No experience, but definitely looking into it.


10. KT4OZ (Terry in NC) – Good day. Not as much experience as Brien, but have had a good time when I’ve done these. VHF/UHF can be useful and lots of Techs do try it on the upper bands. Its all in what you make of it.


11. KB6POE (Richard in CA) – No experience with SOTA, but interested. Local club is looking into doing this.


12. KN4NQJ (Mike in VA via repeater) – No experience just yet. Got Tech last summer and just recently upgraded to General.


13. KN4OPD (Dave in VA via repeater) – New to the OB net. No experience with SOTA.


14. KM4GHN (Mitch in VA via repeater) – Nothing to add. Just checking in for the numbers.


15. G3SEA/KH6 (Paul from England via HI) – Three tall peaks in HI. Have been up them and played around with DX some, but don’t do it often because it gets cold up there and there IS snow. Weather in HI has been kind of weird lately due to Trade Wind shifts. (My comment here – I think THIS was a really cool check-in!)


16. K5TIN (Shane from LA) – Net controller for the evening. Have a HUGE amount of info to look into now. There is also IOTA (Islands on the Air) that my local club participates in from time to time due to our being at/near or below sea level (think New Orleans). Something else to look into for anyone in the coastal areas.


So if my count is correct, we had 16 check-ins this week and some great info was shared, as usual.
 
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ru108

Rank V
Member

Traveler II

2,392
Prairieville, LA
First Name
Shane
Last Name
Tindall
Member #

12189

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K5TIN
Service Branch
USN
OB Net notes 18JAN2019

Overland Bound Amatuer Radio Net

Date: 1/18/2019 Net Control: KT4OZ EchoLink: 591550

Open Topic Net



Check In Call Sign Name Location OB# Notes

1 K5TIN Shane LA 12189 Not much for net. *break week* Net control next week. Call for new net control operators. RU108 or TerryD. At CJ: Glad got Echolink worked out. Couldn't get phone to connect either. Glad everyone is onboard. Numbers rising!

2 KM4GHN Mitch Boones Mill, Va Not familiar with Overland Bound. From upstate NY and saw some FJs from OB. Like open topic. Likes ARB and fan of Firestone M/Ts. Good wet grip. Likes offroading. Enjoying net. Joined OB and going to try to make VA meetup Sunday. May be getting inspired to work on Taco.

3 KM6JAG Brian Patterson, Ca 3369 Trying to learn about APRS. Kenwood TV-M71A and Baofeng. Looking at FTM-400. Trying to get baofeng to work with phone/tablet. Looking for info on iPhone use. Had used phone to beacon over internet. Looking at playing with app for messaging. Congrats to CJ on Toyota. Has FJ Cruiser. Thanks for tips on APRS.

4 N7PHY Ed WA 15391 In/Out for kid's school event. Purchased "slim-jim" dual band. Had good results. Started solar project. Signed up for SOTA.

5 N8MXG ron MI TM-V71A can just use TM-D710Ga faceplate to update. Used to have Ford Explorer 4x4. Had 2wd F150.

6 KI7RAM Bill NV 9206 New to ham radio, IC4100 radio. Not sure about repeaters. Learning to operate radio/repeaters.

7 KJ7BHN Brent AZ 13675 Thanks to participating in net. Open Topic net. Encourage new hams and OB members to ask questions. Wanted to add to repeater question: When traveling from Olympia to Pheonix and threw out call and asked for info for road conditions and local machines. Good rag chews as well. Useful for local info. Good for making simplex contacts. Looking for suggestions for future nets. Probably future nets on SOTA and APRS.

8 W8ILL Will MI Cool there today. Snowy tomorrow. Good net and good to hear everyone. Go check out Allstar conference after OB net. Always had a 4wd. Good to have, never know when you'll need it.

9 KM6YSN Sam CA 3734 Repeaters: One close to town. Good idea to check out local club. Morning traffic/weather/trivia net. Good for commute. Learning to use the radio there. Camping whole life, overlanding new. Desiging drawers. 1990 Cherokee 2dr. Building them tomorrow. Swapmeet with brother coming up. Wife has Xterra. Has 2wd and would be surprised where it will go excluding mud. Should have recovery gear and go with friends. Nice roof rack and basket built in. Tight engine bay but issue with new vehicles.

10 KB6POE richard Fontana, Ca Currently mobile. Looking to buy 4x4, want to get back into exploring. Looking at Xterras. Likes price range. Been a ham since 15 y/o but not active. Looking forward to joining in on OB. Being inspired to buy vehicle. Stuck in traffic. Saw video of kids trying to kill an Xterra and they couldn't. Has lost interest in older hobbies and looking to get into off-road and adventure.

11 K4VJO Sonny NC New to the net. Likes to listen to nets. Asked for overview of net.

12 WX5SKY Jon OK Wanted to be in/out. Has 1993 Cherokee. Addressing Brian for APRS over Baofeng. Mobilink TNC for Android/iPhone. APRS.FI app for that TNC. Tried to use Baofeng but not happy with performance. YMMV but not impressed with it. Glad net is growing.

13 K5NTW Kent OK First time on echolink, enjoying node. 2013 JK wanting to do overlanding with. Not interested in rock crawling. Maybe go to Colorado.

14 KN4BMJ CJ Ft Mills, SC New to overlanding. 2016 4Runner Trail. Never been off-road. Looking for locals to learn with. Getting tired of being dark at 4:30. Looking forward to getting involved. XYL also interested. Toyota not cheap! @Shane playing with desktop and it worked, phone stopped, then started.

Summary:

14 Check-ins this evening. No official topic for the net just touching base with everyone on possible future topics and answering questions. More questions asked about APRS and equipment for it. Vehicle choice was discussed as well as discussion on projects. Some new check-ins this week from OB members as well as general population.
 

ru108

Rank V
Member

Traveler II

2,392
Prairieville, LA
First Name
Shane
Last Name
Tindall
Member #

12189

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K5TIN
Service Branch
USN
OB Net notes 25JAN2019

Topic – Favorite camping spot or trip

Control – K5TIN (Shane)


  1. KB6POE – Richard in CA - MOBILE. Round 1 - New to all of this and trying to be on the net each week. Owned a few 4x4 but never had time to make use of them. Now looking to start. Round 2 - Great to hear everyone’s favorite spots. Death Valley seems interesting. Imogene is a place I've been researching.

2. KM6YSO - Dan in CA – MOBILE. Round 1 - Been wheeling for a short time. Picked up jeep a few years ago. Only organized runs near Shasta Mtn. Still exploring CA. Moved here about 5 years ago. No multiday, been to Moab, Ouray with day trips, but want to get back to doing longer durations. In the near term Mohave trip. Round 2 - Mohave and Death Valley are high on the list for the next outing. Did day trip on motorcycle on White Rim as well. Just need to start making plans.


3. KJ7BHN – Brent in WA – Round 1 - Thanks for the support and participation. On the forum, please continue to suggest topics. Think we will be doing a topic every other week with open topic weeks in between. As for outings, White Rim trial x3 and was spectactular. Grand Staircase, Ouray with Jeep. Just did Mohave Rd last weekend. Round 2 – Death Valley is on the list//vast//also want to do Joshua Tree. QUESTION for Brien. How difficult is it to go over the border going to Baja ANSWER from Brien. For Baja, pretty simple//only one thing you need to do right away, get Mexican insurance. If in mainland Mexico, deeper than 25 miles south of border, need temporary vehicle import permit that you can get at a consulate. Also possibly in Phoenix or believe can get when you cross. Check first.


4. K7ECH – Chris in NV – Round 1 - lived in Tahoe for a while also Breckenridge. Favorites, Beartooth, Summit County, CO and Eastern Sierras. Family camping and rock crawling. Round 2 – No traffic.


5. WD6TED – Ted in CA – Round 1 – Grand Staircase - tried 3 times and always rained, so want to try again. Go to Tahoe a lot/have a place there. Favorite places is Death Valley/100s miles of trails. Anza-Borrego State Park is in my back yard, so go there a lot. Joshua Tree is good but no dispersed camping. A few trails, but campgrounds are nice. Hidden Valley is a cool place especially if you like rock climbing. Round 2 - Did Hannah Pass Rd in the Sierras last year. Its the last dirt Trans Sierra dirt rd. Tons of awesome spots, great fishing, dispersed camping. Sierras Foothills group probably knows all about that.


6. WX5SKY – Jon in OK – Round 1 - Not too many places in OK, but have Ouachita NF. I work too much and play too little. Do a good bit of hiking and fishing with kids, though. Plan to go into Arkansas for more in the future. Round 2 – Black Bear and Imogene passes are on the to-do list. Colorado is my favorite area.


7. K7XPO – Brien in AZ – Round 1 - inTuson and enjoy everywhere, but spend a lot of time in the borderland. Tons of mines and things, very remote. Lots of scattered ranges and you’ll travel through desert, but look for sky islands to camp in order to get up high out of the heat and bugs. I usually have no plan, but just drive. Ruby, AZ is ghost town, privately owned, $12/person to get in, but then free reign to look around. Also Slaughter Ranch in the southeast, $5 donation for packet and self-guided walking tour//right in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. Round 2 - Also spend time in Mexico. Just got back from Baja with another trip planned for 4 weeks down Sonoran coast. Updated Mexico stuff//Sonora - zone called free zone- if in that zone don't need import permit and goes all the way down to kilometer 98 on Hwy 15. No permit needed for Baja either. As for insurance, bajabound.com and mexpro.com. Bajabound gives multiple quotes. 2 weeks vs 6 months might only be $100 difference, so if you think you may go back within the 6 months, it might be worthwhile to just get the 6 month plan. Another suggestion is El Camino del Diablo (Devil's Hwy), if anyone has experience or is interested in participating in a run, please let me know.


8. W8ILL – Will in MI – Round 1 - at Walmart on portable showing a friend how ham radio works. Hatfield and McCoy Trails in the Appalachians supposed to be pretty good, but haven't been. Round 2 – No response. Was having issues staying connected to repeater via HT.


9. K1RAC – Ryan in MI – Check-in via text box. No mic, so just listening.


10. KI7RAM – Bill in NV – Round 1 - Been with OB for about a year and 4-wheeling for four. Retired from VA and moved to NV. Mojave and Mengel Pass with Mengel for night pics. Vancouver Island as well, but favorite is Death Valley, 2nd is Alabama Hill which is where all the westerns from the 30-40s and today are filmed. Round 2 - One place I forgot, Black Rock Desert. Fun playa, crawl through Applegate Trail that goes to some hot springs; great camping, wildlife.


11. KM4GHN – Mitch in FL – Checked in, but no response during 1st and 2nd rounds.


12. KQ6K – Eddie in CA – Round 1 – Have a tent trailer and spend good amount of time Ventura Ranch where the Thomas Fire broke out last year. Round 2 – nothing heard.


13. K5TIN – Shane in LA – Net control. Nothing to add other than slightly jealous of those out West with so many cool places close by.


SUMMARY - 13 check-ins including Net Controller. GREAT topic with lots of interest in Mexico trip. Mexico to be added to topic list for more detailed info on a later net.
 

ru108

Rank V
Member

Traveler II

2,392
Prairieville, LA
First Name
Shane
Last Name
Tindall
Member #

12189

Ham/GMRS Callsign
K5TIN
Service Branch
USN
OB Net notes 01FEB2019

Topic – Open topic

Control – KT4OZ (Terry)

Overland Bound Amateur Radio Net EchoLink node 591550


Check In Call Sign Name Location OB# Notes

1 KJ7BHN Brent Mobile 13675 Notes are up on the forum. Next topic is posted on the net thread. Asked Brien about new position in OB. Has not worked satellites before. Having connection issues on phone. Next weeks topic is Campfire Foods and asks that folks please reach out with topics for the net.

2 KF4YLM Josh Mobile/Radford, Va Temps warming up in local area. On the way home to get stuff done after work, nothing to report. Posed question for the night: Has anyone worked the Amateur Radio Satellites (AMSATs)? Need VHF/UHF and a small dual band yagi.

3 KM6YSN Paterson, Ca Appeared to disconnect before comments began, didn't answer call either round.

4 KM4GHN Mitch Boones Mill, Va Heard some talk about open topic and was just in for the count. Appeared to disconnect before 2nd round.

5 KE0GCN Mike Iowa 538 Having connection issues. Just passed General Class test. Has not worked satellites before. Mainly tried for General as an "academic exercise". Near a few active clubs. Been slow getting things going for OB meet-ups locally but looking forward to the warmer weather to get out more.

6 KN4OPD David Ronaoke, Va Not much to report. Looking forward to grandson's basketball game this weekend. Has not worked satellites.

7 KM4MCM Tony Statesboro, Ga 4183 First time on net. Been busy lately and just found thread on forum. Watching other's adventures for time being till his schedule opens up. Has tried satellites but has not had luck operating them yet. Question: Is there an active D-star reflector for OB members to hang out on?

8 KC9NYM Alex Kentucky 12428 Glad to be able to bridge radio hobby with truck hobby. Has not worked satellites, prefers HF work.

9 KB6POE Richard Fontana, Ca Having connection issues. Ham since the 80's but no satellite experience. Is in heavy traffic. Going to get official membership soon. Had been an overlander at heart even before he'd heard of Overlanding. Curious about D-star as well.

10 KI7RAM Bill Reno, Nv 9206 In Sacremento for the weekend for niece's volleyball tournement. Been licensed for about a year now. Originally got license for trail coms. Interested in satellite work but hasn't tried it.

11 KD2RGR Bert NJ 17111 New ham on the net. Passed on the 14th and just received license per gov't shutdown. Just received his radio setup and decided to join in on the net after finding it on the forum. Drives Jeep JL. Learning about overlanding now.

12 K7XPO Brien Tuscon, Az 3553 Congrats to upgrades and new licenses. New position as Director of Southwest Region. Reach out to him if you want to start a meetup. New push in management for local in-person meetups and events. Looking to start new local meetups and regional events. They are creating info handouts to help build events and hand out. Heading out to help with a military offroad group weekend trip to trail guide. Looking for reps in Tx and other SW states. Has worked satellites. Volunteer at University of Arizona building stations for satellite control and cube sats. Getting one ready for launch now. G-predict to show real time satellite positions.

13 W8ILL Will Taylor, Mi Joke: It's been so cold he hollared at the mail man and it didn't get there till the next day. Been about 13*F, supposed to be 30*F tomorrow. Doing ok otherwise. Reminder about the Starlink net following the OB net.

14 WX5SKY Jon Oklahoma City Has not worked voice satellites but has had APRS contact with them repeatedly and even sent his wife an APRS text using the APRS repeater onboard the International Space Station.