KF7OTE

 I received my Tech license on March 24, 2011.  The FCC says you can't submit a renewal of the 10-year license more than 90 days before its expiration.  So, today was the day to "git 'er dun"  Fortunately, the FCC has made the renewal process a virtual no-brainer.  It's all online and EZPZ! We're going to spend a LOT more time documenting which 2 meter repeaters we can contact with our ICOM IC-V8.

 This is the intro to the 7 AM daily "Knobby Knee Net" from the 147.22 Mingus Repeater.  This snippet was recorded inside our home which has very thick 20-inch walls.

I am using an old ICOM IC-V8 hand held.  It was once in service with the Verde Valley SAR members.  I obtained it in 2011 via a Dear Friend who has a member of VVSAR.  When VVSAR upgraded their hand held radios, the old ICOM's were distributed to SAR members.  I use a Long Ranger antenna. Here are the radio specs: http://icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/handheld/v8/default.aspx The Long Ranger 2 Meter 1/2 wave. For long range this MFJ end-fed 1/2 wave is hard to beat. Outperforms a 5/8 wave on an HT because the 5/8 wave needs a ground plane. It's shorter, lighter, has more gain and places less stress on your antenna connector. When collapsed it performs like a rubber duck. 40 in. extended.  See: https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-001013

The Verde Valley Amateur Radio Assn. repeater on Mingus Mountain does not have a longitude-latitude listed.  Therefore we have had to "guess" at its location.  There are two electronic sites on Mingus.  We are approximately 20 miles from the Mingus repeater.  We hope to obtain more accurate information about the repeater's precise location. In the meantime, you can read ALL about everything else concerning the repeater here: https://www.vvara.org/previous-website/repeaters/mingus.html

 This blog was created December 28, 2020, for two purposes: 1. Describe my equipment 2. Describe signal strength in connections with various repeaters The blog is operated by John Parsons, KF7OTE, a Snow Bird who lives in Rimrock, Arizona during the winter and Idaho Falls during the summer