Welcome to the W9JFL Ham Radio home page! On this page you will find information about my shack, the equipment I presently own and operate as well as links that I've found helpful as I learn the hobby.
Select from the topics below. We hope you find something interesting and worthwhile!
The Home Shack | Shack Weather | The Mobile Shack | Portable Toys Portable Packet | General Equipment Information | Interesting Links Contact Info
My home equipment is focused on phone and packet on 2m and 70cm. I also have an HF rig that allows me to monitor most frequencies and perform non-FM communications on the bands I'm presently licensed for. Here's a listing of the equipment in the home shack.
Icom IC-7000 HF/UHF/VHF Transceiver
with
Coby TF-TV705 7" flat panel display for Icom IC-7000, Alinco
DR-
235 220mhz transceiver (35w),
Yaesu FT-7800 UHF/VHF
(40w/50w)
transceiver,
RigRunner 4008 8-port power distribution panel (not visible),
Kantronics KPC 3+ TNC,
Heil HM-Pro
Handheld Microphone (connected to Icom),
Tac-Comm radio
mounting kits, Daiwa cross-needle power/SWR meter,
Diamond X-50
2m/70cm vertical antenna in the attic with RG-8 feed line (in attic),
Diamond D130J discone wide-band antenna installed outside with RG-8 feed line (on top of TV mast outside), SWL longwire antenna outside, Radio Shack Pro-97 Trunking Scanner,
Oregon Scientific
WMR968 wireless weather station (not visible),
MH-C777OLUSII Universal Battery Charger & Analyzer (not
visible),
Alinco DM-330MV power supply.
I enjoy monitoring and watching weather. So, I have the Oregon Scientific weather station in my shack, monitoring outdoor conditions. This station also feeds the statistics on my weather information page, supplies information for my web pages and also contributes to the www.weatherunderground.com home station network under the name of Concord Oaks W9JFL Gurnee (KILGURNE8) home station.
CLICK HERE TO MONITOR MY HOME WEATHER STATION
My vehicle equipment provides dual-band (2m/70cm) phone as well as a solid APRS station running from a Kenwood TH-D700A. The following is a listing of the equipment presently installed in my vehicle.
Kenwood TM-D-700A 2m/70cm mobile with internal TNC, Kenwood SP50B mobile communications speaker, Workman universal floor mount (with Velcro to hold to carpet), Comet SBB-5NMO 2m-70cm antenna on roof, Deluo Electronics GPS puck (on the dash) with the Kenwood adapter cable.
One of my many vices is handhelds or portable radios. I'm fascinated by the power and functionality being built into today's handheld amateur radios. Plus, I'm a gadget freak that just loves electronics, so hence I own an unnecessary amount of these radios. Here's a summary of the ones I presently own with a bit of commentary on each radio.
Icom-91A
- Well, plainly put this is a keeper. Not used it much and haven't
programmed more than a few frequencies in it, but right now I like the feel and
operation of Icom's latest handheld. It has a solid feel, the menus are
clear (once you read the manual and figure out how to navigate them), the audio
is loud and the features are strong. I'm also planning on doing some
investigation on digital voice with this. Just need to find a repeater or
two out there (they're scarce right now). Finally, this is one darn good
looking handy! You'll definitely want the carry case to protect it.
Good looks, but it's metal case suggests it's durable as well.
Kenwood TH-F6A tri-band HT - A really great full featured radio with easy to use controls. While this radio is small and I do mean small, it is easy to operate. Old guys like me have a bit of a challenge reading the small type on the keys, but the radio performs exceptionally well. Easy to program, easy to use. Kenwood also sweetens the deal with free radio programming software that provides all the basic services.
This is a fun little handy, great for those ham fest visits and local repeater accesses. No Ham is worth their weight in this hobby without a bevy of accessories and antennas!
Pryme RD-9 high gain flexible antenna, Maldol MH-209SMA "stubby" antenna, Kenwood Speaker Mic with volume control, Diamond SRH815 tri-band antenna
I have started to get more involved with digital operations, including basic packet with BBS, APRS, SSTV and PSK31. Digital modes are incredible fun and especially so when you can operate it from virtually anywhere. Here's what my portable packet station includes...
-
Yaesu FT-8900 2m/70cm mobile transceiver
-
Yaesu FT-90 2m/70cm mobile as backup
-
Kantronics KPC 3+ terminal node controller (TNC)
-
Astron 25a power supply
-
IBM ThinkPad PC
-
Various antennas, omni and beam
I have also assembled a small portable APRS station using the Kenwood TH-D7 handheld transceiver and a Garmin eTrek GPS. When installed in the belt/travel pouch, this 5 watt unit works exceptionally well. It's been used for many volunteer events on land and water very successfully. My portable packet kit also includes the appropriate cables to use this device as a packet TNC system from my PC as well, should the Yaesu fail.
Additional Shack Overview - My home setup is focused on flexibility. I have multiple radios setup, so that I can operate in one mode while monitoring another. I operate both phone and packet from this location. My antennas are placed in various locations. My primary 2m/70cm antenna is located in my attic (housing covenant restrictions). I have been able to place a small discone antenna on the top of my HD television antenna outside and use that for 2m packet and general receiving/scanning. Finally, I have a longwire antenna outside, hidden in my fence, that provides adequate SWL services when required. I recently added a Workman tri-band 2m/220/70cm antenna mounted to my upper deck for my 220 use, an excellent vertical antenna!
Additional Transceiver Comments - I receive a surprising amount of email from this web page. The vast majority of that communication comes from fellow Hams that are considering the purchase of a piece of gear I own, inquiring about specific features, etc. So, here's some extra opinions on my transceiver gear.
Icom IC-7000 -- Well, what can I say? I needed a bit of incentive to upgrade my ticket and the IC-7000 is that incentive. Now being used as my primary VHF/UHF radio, it has also allowed me to immediately get into alternate modes of operation available to me under the Technician class. Studying continues and an upgrade to General is imminent, then the real fun starts! BTW, this is a wonderful radio. Amazing control, the size is great for my shack and there are more features than I understand right now. A wonderful radio to get your feet wet in HF to be sure. I love the TFT color display, very informative and easy to quickly read.
Yaesu FT-817 -- I invested in this radio for a few reasons. First, immediately following being granted my Technician's ticket, I wanted a radio that I could listen to HF frequencies with (in sideband). I also wanted a radio that allowed me to do something other than FM on the bands I'm licensed for. This radio does both and quite well. I typically use this radio in combination with PC control software called Ham Radio Deluxe. It's an excellent interface, especially for the small footprint the radio offers (not criticizing the Yaesu here. It's designed to be a portable and achieves that very nicely.)
Yaesu FT-3000M -- An older high power (70w) 2m rig that also has a separate wideband receive VFO. Very interesting unit. I got this one off of eBay and was very curious about it. Honestly haven't done much with it, but have some plans to play around with it this summer. The rig is typical Yaesu mobile in it's design, decent display, excellent physical controls, solid audio in both receive and transmit. I really like this radio, just haven't found a good permanent home for it yet.
Yaesu FT-7800 -- This is a wonderful radio for the price! Solid 50w output on both 2m and 70cm, excellent design and build quality and solid audio. I've said it before, I'll say it again that Yaesu transceivers just have a solid, quality feel about them. Plus, I've never had a problem with any one of them. This one is used as my primary home packet station and really does a super job. However, I still use it as phone radio at times and always get excellent reports. This would be an excellent mobile for someone wanting a basic, single VFO unit. Solid all the way through.
Yaesu FT-90 -- Now discontinued, this was my first transceiver I installed in my car. Curiously, it didn't get lots of respect in the market. But if you read a bit about it, only the heavy duty rag chewers complained about heat. Look, this thing is TINY and really doesn't have lot's of area for heat sinks, etc. Given the size and what this thing can do, it's a really fun radio and excellent piece of engineering. I keep it around as a backup to my packet station, given it's size. Everytime someone sees this little rig, they comment about how small it is and how good it sounds. Hmmm... it may well go back into service somewhere else, haven't decided. I'm just going to hold on to it for now.
Alinco DR-235 -- My first 220 capable transceiver. Also my first Alinco radio. Just acquired this slightly used from a great Ham eBayer and I'm really beginning to like this radio. The controls are straight forward, they feel solid, transmit and receive audio quality are strong and the design is simple. I must admit, being a confessed gadget freak, the general design of Alincos don't visually catch my eye initially. But, for a solid, basic radio it would be hard to beat this one. My plan is to use this as an alternate packet system as well as a phone radio for some less congested communications on local repeaters and simplex. Already I notice there's less QRM on 220.
Mobile & Handheld Transceivers
Kenwood TM-D700A -- A wonderful mobile, especially if you're running APRS applications. The radio quality is solid, the features are excellent and the display (if you're a radio geek) is wonderful. It is the easiest radio I've owned to date to manually program memory and features. It is also E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E! Kenwood has always been "proud" of their radios, the D700 is no exception. However, if you're looking for the most elegant and simple way to run packet in a mobile environment, this is your radio to be sure. It must be noted that I have had a problem with this radio recently. Radio A went deaf. It would transmit fine but would receive only the strongest of signals. A few weeks off to Kenwood, $100, a new IC, resistor and cap later and it's back to normal. Not sure why it died, but Kenwood and AES treated both me and the radio fine during the repair. You can check the last received location of this station by using the link found in CONTACT INFO below.
Icom-91A - I like the feel and operation of this handheld. It has a solid feel, the menus are clear (once you read the manual and figure out how to navigate them), the audio is loud and the features are strong. I'm also planning on doing some investigation on digital voice with this. Just need to find a repeater or two out there (they're scarce right now). Finally, this is one darn good looking handy! You'll definitely want the carry case to protect it. Good looks, but it's metal case suggests it's durable as well. I'll update as I get more time with it.
Kenwood TH-6A -- As I have communicated here in previous revisions of my web site, the TH-6a is a great time-proven radio. It's size is wonderful, battery life acceptable and features are plentiful. The audio (transmit and receive) are strong and it is extremely easy to program and use (despite the small buttons). The display is full featured and can be configured to meet most people's tastes. My only criticism is the nylon case supplied by Kenwood is a great idea, but not very practical in use. It covers up buttons, shifts over the display, etc. I guess this radio is just too darn small to properly fit a good protective case to. This radio goes where I go, in my backpack, on travels, in my wife's car when needed.
Kenwood TH-D7 -- Another solid Kenwood radio that while not nearly as fully featured as a general use handheld, it is exceptionally well designed for the primary task it was created for - portable packet. The easy to use Kenwood menuing and interface system makes this radio solid. The TNC, while very basic, does do the job and as a mobile APRS system, is an excellent transceiver. No wideband receive or fancy stuff here. (Sure wish they'd included a battery meter though!) Just solid packet radio in a tight little package. Acceptable for voice use as well, it's receive volume is not as strong as the TH-6A above to be sure. Plus, due to the TNC I'm sure, battery life is short. I strongly suggest investing in the extended length battery for this radio from Batteries America. It works. If you want a nice phone only handy, this isn't your rig. If you want to play packet/APRS and have a decent dual bander, this is the one.
Yaesu VX-3 - I must say this is a very nice upgrade from the VX-2. Surprisingly functional given its size. Typical Yaesu good sound quality, solid construction. The new lockable knob arrangement is a great improvement. As with most of these wide band receive radios, the addition of an internal bar AM antenna did little to improve reception on the AM broadcast band. This is still a Ham radio through and through. Don't consider it if you're wanting to use it equally as an every day use AM receiver. You'll be disappointed. Must say the little bugger is a very nice solution when you don't need lots of power in a mobile situation.
Here are a few web sites I've found helpful, fun and interesting. I change these from time to time so check back often.
Yahoo Groups - An excellent online resource for Elmering and general information gathering and learning. I subscribe to several amateur radio groups here. I've always found the groups to be informative and well worth the time.
Buxcomm - These guys are great. They have an excellent cable and Ham accessory inventory, ship super quick, have fair pricing and are great to deal with.
A Bit of Humor! - OK, a friend sent this to me. He claims it was taken one evening when I was in "the shack" doing a bit of Echolink. It's a 7mb video (AVI) file, but worth the download (especially if you're a ham that enjoys old black and white television).
eHam.net - These guys host an excellent resource for the hobby. I have particularly become fond of the equipment reviews they provide. Most hams know about these guys, but if you don't, check it out.
The Amateur Radio Relay League - This is the national organization that represents most hams. Like most orgs of this type, you either love-em or hate-em. I'm indifferent at this point! If you're a ham, you know this link like the back of your hand. If you're not a ham and want to learn more about the hobby, it's worth a visit.
Nixie Clocks! - This site has an excellent display of home made nixie clocks. You know, those tubes from the 60's that were used to display numbers and characters. Really nice stuff at this site. Check out the rest of Mike's site too, lots of interesting reading.
And now for something completely different...
| Here's something that has nothing to do with Ham radio,
but is fun none the less. It's a Chumby (www.chumby.com). The Chumby
is a small Linux based PC device, in the form of a bean bag. It has a
color, touch sensitive screen, speakers, USB ports, microphone, accelerometer
and internal WiFi. It plays applets created in Flash and is lots of fun.
Below is a live shot of my Chumby "Web Cam" channel. It displays live web
cam streams I've selected from around the world. Very fun! This is a neat idea and one that really appeals to my gadget vices. Haven't found any Ham-like apps (hint, hint) like APRS maps, Echolink (it's definitely possible), simple rig control... |
The Daily Mug Shot
| Okay, I have let my inner ego get the
best of me! I have always enjoyed those time lapse
movies of changing scenes and people. I ran across
www.dailymugshot.com the other day and thought "hey
self, this might be fun"! So, I've started snapping a
picture of me every day with my laptop's webcam. Some
days I'm in the shack. Other days in the office, even
other days I'll be on the train ride into the office.
Hopefully this won't be too depressing, but I guess we'll
find out over time! You can slow the images down, pause, etc. with the viewer to the right. Just place your mouse over the image and the controls will display. |
| Local Repeaters | KD9GY repeater @ 443.850 / + / PL: 114.8 W9GWP repeater @ 444.600 / + / PL:114.8 W9FUL repeater @ 147.180 / + / PL: 127.3 | |
| Internet / Echolink | W9JFL / Node:90810 | |
| AOL IM | W9JFL | |
| MSN Messenger | W9JFL | |
| Yahoo Messenger | W9JFL | |
| Packet | W9JFL-1 on 145.050 in Lake County, IL | |
| APRS |
W9JFL-9 on 144.390 in vehicle W9JFL-8 on 144.390 mobile/handheld | |
| Present APRS Location |
CLICK HERE to view where my APRS enabled vehicle was last transmission using OpenAPRS. CLICK HERE to view where my APRS enabled vehicle was last transmission. CLICK HERE to view where my APRS enabled handheld was last transmission. | |
| Internet Email |
john@w9jfl.com w9jfl@winlink.org |
(c) 2009 W9JFL - John F. Laughhunn
Do not rely upon this data or any weather information available on this page to make weather related personal decisions of safety or welfare.