Burning the HF Comms

DeusRegit · Post by **DeusRegit** » Mon May 28, 2007 10:21 am

I am working on some plans to do some HF (ham) radio work at the BM 07. ( see www.kc6ooe.com or www.burningmanzeroseven.com )
Along with the Green Man theme I'd like to develop some "free" and "non-commercial" methods of providing text messaging throughout the world without the use of commercial bandwaves -more specifically, not relying on cell phone repeater technology.
Hams are familiar with this mode, called a terminal node controller, as it not only has been around for almost 30 years but it was actually the packet technology developed by hams that was the precursor to on-line messaging (called BBS for those of you who go back that far - GaRbAgE dUmP BBS in Albuquerque, NM comes to mind), but it was the same technology that is now used by the cell phone companies (obviously much more highly developed.)
If any of you out there have any ideas you'd like to throw out about what we can do with this, I would be interested in hearing about it. And, if it sparks enough interest, maybe a theme camp could even be started.
Chip

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Mon May 28, 2007 10:26 am

Why don't you just mail a postcard?

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon May 28, 2007 10:47 am

Photos of special event station N7B at the 2005 event:
http://civex.smugmug.com/gallery/1090934

See also
http://www.burninghams.org/

Post by **mdmf007** » Mon May 28, 2007 5:46 pm

ESD uses a paging system on PLaya - we get calls on the radio, backed up with text via pager every few minutes on playa.

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon May 28, 2007 6:43 pm

Nice deck in your photo gallery, Chip.

Care to expound on how you power your station in the trailer? Which trailer will you be in?

DeusRegit · Post by **DeusRegit** » Mon May 28, 2007 10:50 pm

Well thanks for the compliments on the deck. Here's a link to the webshots album showing the before and after. I designed the deck on my home pc:
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/alb ... 9586mWwOwi
As for powering the radios during BM Zero Seven... I will be running a 1000 watt inverter from two 95 AH deep cycle gel cells. The HF rig runs off its own stand-alone gel cell to minimize RFI. Since I will be operating for seven days, the gell cells will be recharged using 2 Honda EU2000i's in parallel.
As for my trailer, it's a 96 Mallard 24J. Photos of it are at www.burningmanzeroseven.com
Chip

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Tue May 29, 2007 8:33 am

I will bring my 2 meter hand held this year for kicks.
KD6WXI

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Tue May 29, 2007 9:32 am

skygod wrote:I will bring my 2 meter hand held this year for kicks.
KD6WXI

\/
What will I need to just listen in?? I'm ham dunb.. I have CBs around the house.. Do I need a short wave reciver??

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Tue May 29, 2007 9:56 am

You need a radio that can tune into 144 to 148 MHz, which is the "2 meter" band. Some CBs can listen to these frequencies, but not talk on them but most just have "channels" which are frequencies on the citizens band from about 26.9 to 27.4 MHz(C.B.). You can buy a portable HAM radio (We call them H.T.s or handy talkies) that works on the 2 meter band. Stores are not supposed to sell them to non hams but they generally just ask you. If you look around you may find people selling their old equipment. You can also take classes to get licensed. It generally takes a weekend to finish the class and take the test. You can study on your own as well. If you're just listening, no one will care, but some people get pretty upset about people misusing the HAM frequencies.

-KI6EBC

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Tue May 29, 2007 10:17 am

I have a pair of those cheap walky talkys.. I can listen to the Rangers.. This seemed odd to me..

I will just get a wider ban radio to hear the Hams

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Tue May 29, 2007 10:23 am

Those walky talkies all use the citizen band if I recall correctly. Probably channel 1-11 which are the most common.

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Tue May 29, 2007 5:22 pm

Mainly I just use it to call my friends after I land and say "Hey, I'm in a field, and there's some cows and some trees here. Can you come and pick me up?". But I get the feeling, like in a lot of things, that there is a whole world of HAM nuts that I get a glimpse of occasionally.
It's easy to get a HAM license, I have the one where you don't need to learn morse code.
They will give you a license plate with your HAM call sign for free too.
Most people use cell phones now, but there are still a lot of places where there is no cell phone coverage.

DeusRegit · Post by **DeusRegit** » Tue May 29, 2007 5:56 pm

As I plan on having some of my radios set up for demonstration at Burning Man Zero Seven (working on a Green Man (non-commercial) text and voice messaging theme) I will be able to help you get familiar with different types of radio comms you might be interested in. Licensing is easy but if you are just interested in monitoring the various comms we'll be running at Burning Man, I might recommend a hand-held scanner. These are available for as little as what you would pay for a good hand held CB but they are going to allow you to hear all bands from the lower HF freqs, through the VHF freqs that the burning hams use (they use a dual-band 2m/70cm repeater so you can use either) and also UHF freqs used for many of the civil and federal agencies.
Mike is right, you can get a license now without learning morse code and you only need to spend about a weekend preparing for a simple multiple choice exam that will get you licensed to transmit on 2 meters and 10 meters to start.
Let me know if you need any more help on any of this. I can see by the replies so far that there are a number of "burning hams" out there, each of whom has their own unique insight into some very creative ways to use their radios.
Chip
kc6ooe.com

DeusRegit · Post by **DeusRegit** » Tue May 29, 2007 6:07 pm

sorry, it was Skygod who mentioned the exam neccesary to get your license vice Mike.
Roger on the HT's for landing recovery - I worked with a chase team for a baloonist in Albuquerque. Those things come in real handy, especially when you land on an indian reservation.
Also - nice hang glider. I did some 2 seater motor-powered hang gliding in Kauai with Gerry Charlesbois, B.F.I. Here's a link to some photos from the flight:
http://travel.webshots.com/album/38516230ADXfCF
tnx, qsl es 73
de kc6ooe
sk ar

DeusRegit · Post by **DeusRegit** » Tue May 29, 2007 6:17 pm

Hey, Phil. I was just looking at your photos of the N7B special event station and noticed the base of your tower, and most of the associated equipment, look military. Very impressive. Where did you get that gear and did you have any safety issues regarding the guy wires, i.e. how did you make them visible a night so burniners didn't run into them?
Chip

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Tue May 29, 2007 6:28 pm

how did you make them visible a night so burniners didn't run into them?

I don't know about his specifically but many people just leave them open. You better watch where you're going.

DeusRegit · Post by **DeusRegit** » Tue May 29, 2007 6:48 pm

Would I be giving myself away if I said I was more concerned about my $500 antenna getting all bent out of shape than I was about some wigged out drunken playa party animal stubbing their toe? Actually I expect I'll be one of those wigged out drunken party animals myself so maybe I'm just looking out for myself, hehe. :mrgreen:

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Tue May 29, 2007 7:29 pm

If you're too drunk to dodge guy wires in the dark, just find a nice chill spot, take off your boots and crash out.

phil · Post by **phil** » Tue May 29, 2007 7:47 pm

DeusRegit wrote:Hey, Phil. I was just looking at your photos of the N7B special event station and noticed the base of your tower, and most of the associated equipment, look military. Very impressive. Where did you get that gear and did you have any safety issues regarding the guy wires, i.e. how did you make them visible a night so burniners didn't run into them?
Chip

I'm happy to say it wasn't my gear - none of it. Louise and I took at turn as operators on HF, me doing talking and Louise logging.

_I_ had no safety issues with the guy wires. :->

DeusRegit · Post by **DeusRegit** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:07 am

simple question... what is the ground like for pounding stakes in the ground? haven't decided yet if I will use guy wires for a mast or if I will mount the mast to the side of my trailer.
glow sticks should be okay to mark the wires at ground level for safety, right?
what type of stakes do you recommend?

phil · Post by **phil** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:27 am

DeusRegit wrote:simple question... what is the ground like for pounding stakes in the ground? haven't decided yet if I will use guy wires for a mast or if I will mount the mast to the side of my trailer.
glow sticks should be okay to mark the wires at ground level for safety, right?
what type of stakes do you recommend?

Rebar. To guy antenna masts, I'd suggest at least 18 inches, maybe 24 inches.

The guy who suggested postcards has one of the best sites in the world for putting stuff up at Burning Man, and I recommend it highly:
http://www.geocities.com/potatotrap/tech/bluetarp.htm

The wind will not be your friend. It hits 70 mph at least once every Burn, sometimes more often than once. Bob has photos of wind damage on his page, and I have photos at
http://civex.smugmug.com/gallery/1871245
and videos at
http://civilizedexplorer.phanfare.com/album/112694
from 2006.

If you mount the mast on the side of your trailer, use care. :-> I'm sure it will be perfectly fine.

DeusRegit · Post by **DeusRegit** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 12:04 pm

Thanks, Phil. You're right - excellent website from Bob on rigging on the playa.
And in answer to Bob's question about why don't I just send a postcard?
easy answer: how many postcards have you sent over the past few months compared to how many times you have sent text via the internet?
Even an old salt such as myself knows you have to face the future or you will rot in the dust. (although, sending postcards from the playa via fax over the airwaves, now there's an idea.)

keep those cards and letters coming in, folks.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 1:37 pm

> And in answer to Bob's question about why don't I just send a postcard?

By the way, there _is_ a post office on the playa, so bring a bunch of stamped postcards to send to yourself and others with the special Black Rock City cancellation stamp. Maybe even QSLs. :->

Burning the HF Comms

Burning the HF Comms

P.B. Palace deck & 110/12V power on the playa

following the radio comms on the playa

correction

N7B Phil and the heavy gear

things that go bump in the night

Re: N7B Phil and the heavy gear

stakes in playa dirt

Re: stakes in playa dirt

rigging