[VHFcontesting] indoor antennas on 50 MHz

[Jim Worsham]

Yeah, this makes me remember the time that I was at a local radio club
meeting.  This guy rushes in with a laptop during the meeting and starts
telling everyone how they just installed APRS at the local Red Cross
building and how you can see the location of the building on a map on the
internet.  You should have seen how everyone ohed and ahed.  These are the
same guys that when I gave a presentation a few months earlier on VHF+ weak
signal acted like they could have cared less.  I left the meeting and never
went to another.

73
Jim, W4KXY

-----Original Message-----
From: vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Dan_K9ZF
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 3:06 PM
To: John Geiger; VHF Contesting eMail Remailer
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] indoor antennas on 50 MHz

Hi John,
I've always wondered that about APRS.  I was pretty heavy into packet back
in the 90's, but when Internet e-mail became popular everyone kind of lost
interest in packet.  I considered getting into APRS some years ago.
Computers have always been a hobby of mine as well, so it only seems natural
to combine the two...

So if I put all that time, effort, and money, into APRS and get a station on
the air, then what?  Yep, like watching paint dry.  That's not for me.

The most interesting thing I've seen related to APRS is W2EV's HamIM.  
Now that has potential to be interesting.

Anyway, the point I was trying to make with my post is it's hard to get new
people interested if they turn on the rig and never hear anyone.  
And around here, and I'm sure you can relate to this as well, unless it's a
contest weekend chances are you aren't going to hear anyone.  
Yeah, you can make contacts if you get on and call enough but they are few
and far between.  Compromise antennas will make it even more difficult, and
new people are more likely to listen than to call CQ.  
And heaven forbid they should accidentally call CQ in the wrong part of the
band!...

Combine that with most of the folks around here are "contest haters" and
it's difficult to get new people started.  I hope someday I will be able to
put together a decent home station so I can invite people over to contest
with me...

Loops and dipoles have their place.  I have used them many times while
Roving.  But I wouldn't recommend them to new people unless they had no
other choice.

73
Dan
--
K9ZF /R no budget Rover ***QRP-l #1269
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John Geiger wrote:
>>> I think the many hours of white noise between
>>>       
>> QSO's keeps a lot of the
>>     
>>> new hams away from weak signal stuff.  
>>>       
>
> I used to believe that myself, but when I look at how popular APRS has 
> become in my area (at least) I had to change my mind.  Watching a 
> bunch of locals drive around down on the computer screen has to be 
> slightly slower than watching the paint dry.  So boredom can be 
> addictive.
>
> 73s John W5TD
>
>
>   
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