Ham Guys, this years Armed Forces Day Cross Band Test link inside.

Gunfighter14e2 · Feb 29, 2024

5/11/2024 is this years Comms test. Looks like they are down a little in station count but the History ship count is up. Even if you don't have comms gear you can still hear the MARS side, and once they give the listening freq you can program that in to hear both sides. Or just set up 2 SWR's to listen to both sides.

DoD MARS - Armed Forces Day

Armed Forces Day Cross-Band Test

www.dodmars.org

LuckyDuck · Mar 2, 2024

Thanks for sharing. I got my ticket in 2018 (just the Technician class) when the LGS hosted a class over a weekend. I figured it beat sitting on the couch watching TV and thought I might learn something. Truth be told, I haven't done anything with it since then. I've been looking for something similar to the class for the General license but it seems those classes are all geared to Technician and then of course COVID happened and took a lot of wind out of the sails. MARS is certainly an interesting animal in the HAM world though.

-LD

Gunfighter14e2 · Mar 2, 2024

Here is a good place to find a club near you that can assist you in up grading your ticket when you're ready. If you have an HF radio you can always listen to see if its something you might be interested in. Caution, many people think shooting is pricey but if you get into it with both feet Radio is way more money than guns.
The advantage of radio is the ability to seek the truth w/o any agenda presenters being involved. Its interesting to talk to people who were at and event across the ponds (or here for that matter) where their story is 180* of the media's version of the 5 w's (who, what, where, when, & why).

The general ticket is about 20% harder than the Tech, but about 60-70% simpler than the extra. The general gets you most of all the HF bands, and all MARS listening (where you would Tx) is in the general portion of the HF bands.

The Military Golden Triangle, (Combat Effectiveness) = The ability to, Shoot, Move, & Communicate.

Gunfighter14e2 · Mar 7, 2024

Seems they may add a few more stations again at the last minute like a few years ago. So if you're going to partake make sure to check the link again just prior to event kick off time. Also if you're not up to date on how to operate on split freqs, you need to be training now instead of the last minute. We have ask them to do split bands, but nothing to date.

If you only have a single boat anchor & that is holding you back, a SW/R set on the listed will work as well. Happy hunting.

Ronws · Mar 7, 2024

I never did build up a rig but my step-grandfather was a ham. And starting in 1975, he would give me his older issues of the ARRL handbook.

Gunfighter14e2 · Apr 19, 2024

Time is getting closer so if you are planning to partake, it would be a good time to start testing everything you're planning on using. My junk gets used/tested most every day, well except the Hex beam. That will go back up a week prior, as I mostly only use it for ADB.

Gunfighter14e2 · May 3, 2024

Next Friday night she kicks off.
Going to sling some lead in the am, then back home and raise the Hex beam & rotator to make sure its GTG. Most likely work a few on the left coast, Euro, and land down under to make sure she is a ready teddy. Sure hope they add some ships underway like they did at the last minute a few years ago. The one off the coast of Vietnam was a blast to tag.

Gunfighter14e2 · May 7, 2024

Well, all the antennas are running prefect. Worked a few US net's, then switched to the Eu, Down under & the far east so it looks like all the comms gear is 100% GTG.
Weather seems like it will be perfect with rain until about noon on Friday and clear blue sky's Saturday. The wetter the ground the better antennas work and no need to water the ground rods either this time. All it all shaping up to look like lots of fun Friday night and Saturday as well. Now as long as they have some qualified folks keying up I think I'm going to set the buggy up for 17/20/40/60 & 80 meters, to see how many we can get portable as well. Be nice to get ADB (CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA) with a 17' vertical & 4 radials.

Gunfighter14e2 · May 12, 2024

Man that test was an ass kicker, Mother Nature must have said, Hold my beer & watch this.
My Lowest station count ever, and I used every trick I knew and all the power I dared use. Hope I never see another one like that, ever again.
Hit one station and the MARS operator said he had been calling CQ for over 4 hrs. He was so deep in the weeds I had missed him for a long time.
W-A-R -->Whiskey Alpha Romeo, (aka the Pentagon) was the strongest of the bunch. I tried to keep it short as normal, but he wanted to drag it out and when I ask why he said, it was that thin for him as well.

6.5SH · May 12, 2024

Gunfighter14e2 said:
Man that test was an ass kicker, Mother Nature must have said, Hold my beer & watch this.
My Lowest station count ever, and I used every trick I knew and all the power I dared use. Hope I never see another one like that, ever again.
Hit one station and the MARS operator said he had been calling CQ for over 4 hrs. He was so deep in the weeds I had missed him for a long time.
W-A-R -->Whiskey Alpha Romeo, (aka the Pentagon) was the strongest of the bunch. I tried to keep it short as normal, but he wanted to drag it out and when I ask why he said, it was that thin for him as well.

I assume the difficulty was from the recent CME that gave us the more widespread view of the northern lights.

Gunfighter14e2 · May 12, 2024

6.5SH said:
I assume the difficulty was from the recent CME that gave us the more widespread view of the northern lights.

Yes.
I also just found out that CME wiped out all the setting on my DC powered AM/FM radio in the shop. It was back to factory defaults across the board. There is a 2200lb battery bank that powers it & its fine as always but its protected as well. I'm guessing the orientation of the std automotive antenna & its length coupled up and is/was the root cause. Nothing else I have was effected but I had no protection on that radio as it is not grid tied, so we'll make a few changes to that. Most of my important junk is always in F/cages and the utility power coming in has many levels of protection before, in, and after the 255 amp Onan Transfer Switch, to stop any surge.

Ronws · May 12, 2024

Gunfighter14e2 said:
Yes.
I also just found out that CME wiped out all the setting on my DC powered AM/FM radio in the shop. It was back to factory defaults across the board. There is a 2200lb battery bank that powers it & its fine as always but its protected as well. I'm guessing the orientation of the std automotive antenna & its length coupled up and is/was the root cause. Nothing else I have was effected but I had no protection on that radio as it is not grid tied, so we'll make a few changes to that. Most of my important junk is always in F/cages and the utility power coming in has many levels of protection before, in, and after the 255 amp Onan Transfer Switch, to stop any surge.

I just think it's funny that there is a switch called Onan. Has no one read the Bible or was this intentional?

Gunfighter14e2 · May 12, 2024

Ronws said:
I just think it's funny that there is a switch called Onan. Has no one read the Bible or was this intentional?

Onan made & was king of EPG gear before the Kohler, Detroit Diesel, love fest. Cummins bought them and fucked the line up. Onan was one of only 3 mfgs who engineered the complete systems they quoted. Everyone else just bought different engines, alternators, & transfer switches and called it good, nothing was further from the truth. If you had an old Onan system it preformed to spec, and their stuff had a over kill factor from 25 to 50% depending. Unlike present day Cummins/Onan that has about 1-5% depending.

Ronws · May 12, 2024

And here is the other Onan.

Onan - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Herb Stoner · May 12, 2024

Ronws said:
I just think it's funny that there is a switch called Onan. Has no one read the Bible or was this intentional?

Isn’t he the one that rubbed one out so people supposedly think its bad?

Ronws · May 12, 2024

Herb Stoner said:
Isn’t he the one that rubbed one out so people supposedly think its bad?

Correct. God struck him dead, not blind. And it was not for the act of masturbation, it was for refusing to impregnate his sister-in-law after his brother died. If he had done so, then a son with the sister-in-law would compete with his now total inheritance of his brother's estate.

As usual, people get things wrong. Masturbation does not cause blindness. It can cause calluses.

Gunfighter14e2 · May 12, 2024

Ronws said:
Masturbation does not cause blindness. It can cause calluses.

Depending the woman, it can also stave off a long term, mind fucking as well.

Herb Stoner · May 12, 2024

Ronws said:
Correct. God struck him dead, not blind. And it was not for the act of masturbation, it was for refusing to impregnate his sister-in-law after his brother died. If he had done so, then a son with the sister-in-law would compete with his now total inheritance of his brother's estate.

As usual, people get things wrong. Masturbation does not cause blindness. It can cause calluses.

I know the story - just having a little weekend fun…

Ronws · May 12, 2024

Herb Stoner said:
I know the story - just having a little weekend fun…

That's okay. Full disclosure, my last name is Mehof. First name is Jack.

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Ham Guys, this years Armed Forces Day Cross Band Test link inside.

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