[GreenKeys] Radio up and working... Question...

[Ralph Mowery]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Robert House" <packard42 at gmail.com>
To: <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 12:04 AM
Subject: [GreenKeys] Radio up and working... Question...


>I have my URC-35B working as a receiver only at this point.  I still
> have much work ahead of me before I can transmit.
> With the winter approaching I put up an 18 foot vertical with 33 foot
> radials.  I also pounded a 10 foot ground rod into the back yard with
> my trusty 8 pound sledgehammer.
> I had to take many breaks because my 66 plus year old body does not
> work like it used to.  Out there in my parka with a stiff wind
> blowing.  It was not like this in Fallbrook, California!
>
> I am able to receive pretty well across the bands albeit with much
> noise.  I seem to have lost my list of frequencies to look for RTTY
> signals.
>
> Could one of you please post the list again.  I would appreciate it
> very much.  Now back to my drawing board.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Don
> K9TTY
>
Not that it will help you now Don, but it may help others.
In some soils if you dig out a small hole about the size of a quart jar and 
fill it with water , then take the ground rod and push it in the hole and 
keep pushing it down and pulling it back out about 6 inches or so at a time 
, the rod will go right down.  I put in 3 ground rods this way and each one 
only took about 10 minuets or less.  When the water goes out of the hole, 
you pull the rod out and refill the hole.  I had to do this twice for each 
rod.  Probably did not use a gallon of water for each rod.  I got smart on 
the last one and used a pair of vicegrips to get a better hold of the rod. 
Be sure to wear gloves.
Sometimes the first foot is hard to get started, but after that it goes very 
fast.

Not sure of where the commercial stuff is if any, but hams are usually found 
from 14.080 to  14.100.  Also go to the arrl.org site and look for the rtty 
bulletins frequency and times.