Arrrgggggg... this is frustrating

[CoffeeGuy]

I recently got my tech license and have been trying in vain to get heard on the once a week training sessions... it's on only once per week... for less than an hour each time... I'm trying a combinations of various things to see if I am getting my signal out. By the time the next week roll around, I can't remember all the combos I tried the previous week.... arrrggg this is frustrating.

ok... one hour to go until this week's net training session

[ProstheticWeasel]

Change fewer things at once. Start with the easy. is it plugged in?

Do you have someone local or another radio you can test it out with?

[CoffeeGuy]

I hear them but they can't hear me. Some of them are very loud and clear.

[yale]

I've been net control and I've participated in several nets. I don't understand your problems. We need a bit more info to help.
Is this a simplex freq or repeater pair that the net is being held on?
If a repeater, is this a repeater you normally use and don't normally have problems making contacts on?
If a simplex freq, is it open or do you need a specific PL tone for the net?
What I'm trying to figure is...Besides this weekly net that lasts less than an hour have you used this same repeater or simplex freq to make other contacts?
Or are you only turning on your radio for this net only and not using it otherwise?
Is this net being run by a net control operator and if so does the Net Control include in his preamble any special instructions regarding how to access the net? Such as "This repeater requires a PL tone of 107.2 to access..." .
If you use this same repeater or simplex frequency at other times of the day and week with no problem talking to other hams and suddenly you can't get in only during the net that tells me that they "close" the repeater using a tone.
It's no different than if we call a simplex net on 146.58 but for net purposes we require a tone of 107.2 which is the way we operate when doing public service events.
Is the net being run by a local ham radio club which has a website, Facebook page or some other way you can contact them and ask how to access the net?
What sort of radio setup are you trying to use for this? A handheld with attached rubber duck antenna, putting out 4 watts from indoors to a repeater 20 miles away? A mobile radio hooked up to a marine battery with a 5/8 wave magmount antenna sitting on your refridgerator to talk simplex to a guy in the next county? Neither of these will work well for you.
When you say some stations are loud andclear that really doesn't help. It could be that stations checking into a net on a repeater will be closer to the repeater and sound better than stations on the fringes. If they are operating simplex you will hear closer stations but the further away the stations are the worse their signal will sound to you.
So give us some details and maybe some of us who've been doing this for decades can help you figure things out.

[Dr Jekell]

Break it down into small sections & check each section (It helps to write it down as a list that you can check off & add to as needed)

Here are a few to start you off, add any thing you can think of to the list even if you are "positive" that it is not that.

- Is the radio plugged in?
- Is the mike plugged in properly?
- Is the antenna connected properly at the radio?
- Is the antenna mounted correctly?
- Is the antenna connected to the coax properly (try unscrewing the connector & re connecting)
- Is the antenna tuned properly?
- Is the repeater freq & any off sets, tones etc correctly programed into the radio?
- Is the radio in the right mode?
- Is the transmit power too low?
- Is the antenna built for the band in question?

[Boyscoutdreams]

Most nets I check in on in the Cleveland area use repeaters. As such they are (the repeater) receiving on one frequency and transmitting on another. Do you know both and are they set correctly in you radio? The differences are commonly referred to as "offsets" and they can be above or below the net frequency. Common VHF offset is -600hz or +600hz but could be others. If the net is on145.29 and has a + following it the repeater is receiving on 145.89 as an example. Does it have a PL tone? (may or may not be used during nets) Some radios use a different name for the PL tones I believe it is CTSS or something close to that.

None of the nets I've checked into have used simplex mode so I have no clue about those other than what Yale mentioned.

Good luck, I know I had my offset wrong on a net or two and was very frustrated that I could not log in. I knew I had them set right at one time,,,,, but I forgot to store them before shutting the radio off. Definitely my bad.

[SteveD]

What happens when you do a tx test to the repeater? ( This is xx1xxx radio test on zx repeater)
Do you get a rodger beep back?

[Shok]

What you really need is an Elmer.

[KJ4VOV]

What you really need is an Elmer.

I agree. I wonder where he's located? We have more than a few hams on here and if one is close enough to him maybe we could help him out.

[Redshirt]

I recently got my tech license and have been trying in vain to get heard on the once a week training sessions... it's on only once per week... for less than an hour each time... I'm trying a combinations of various things to see if I am getting my signal out. By the time the next week roll around, I can't remember all the combos I tried the previous week.... arrrggg this is frustrating.

ok... one hour to go until this week's net training session

Just one thing I'd like to mention... and this is a bit for the emergency planning mindset portion of comms... before your next session, sit down and make a list of things that could go wrong, and solutions for each problem. Come up with a plan to run through it like a checklist, just like a pilot would when something goes wrong on an aircraft. This will help drop your frustration level along with getting your mind ready for handling this when you are calling in an airstrike on a zombie horde while your tac team is laying down suppressive fire

[CoffeeGuy]

Luckily I am only a 3 or 4 miles from the Ham Radio Store (nice to have a local source)... anyway I stopped in after work today and found out the the antenna I was using was a mismatch. It is for 155/465MHz... so we talked about the different options and I picked up a Pryme RD-98 and they tested it out off a few repeaters to make sure it was working. Now I just need to try it out my self next Tuesday.

They said there was a pretty good HAM fest out in Seaside, OR every yr... I am going to check it out... It's called Sea-Pac. Anyone heard of it or been?

[yale]

Don't wait until Tuesday. Get on the air and make some contacts. Practice operating your rig and get to know some of your fellow hams. Find out when the club meetings and events are before SeaPac. Find out what other nets are out there besides the Tuesday night net you were trying to get into.

[CoffeeGuy]

They heard me! Sweet....





hmmmm.... now what?

[TacAir]

They heard me! Sweet....





hmmmm.... now what?

Satcom? Tech have the authority

10M SSB is opening in the PM - OK for techs as well.

40M QRP/CW -yup, you are good to go there. (7.025-7.125 MHz) You can build and learn with a rockmite kit....

[mikester]

All those are great options. Satellites are a blast to work with an HT and a dual-band Arrow handheld.

Probably what would be most useful is to build up confidence with the radio and your on-air acumen. Listening in on all the nets you can is helpful, but being a wallflower does not build much skill. Check in and get your name added to the roster. It does not take long before you become an old hand at that, plus you connect with hams who can either meet up and help you or help you over the air. Look up the call signs you hear on QRZ.com. Some may have profiles showing what they are doing with ham radio, and some of those things might look very cool to you. Those people could be your next Elmers.

Get a repeater list for your area. Practice plugging in the frequencies and see if you can hear any traffic. Next, practice setting the PL tones and offsets and see if you can transmit and be heard by the repeaters. Google the repeater callsigns to see if they are owned by clubs that may have web pages. Club websites almost always list nets. Listen to every net you can.

Maybe tune the radio to 144.390 and see if you hear any APRS traffic. You will, in less than a minute or two. Download AGWTracker/AGW Packet Engine and see if you can decode the screeches with your computer's microphone. Compare what you hear to what you see on http://aprs.fi. Tune to 145.010 and see if you can hear any packet radio traffic. AGWPE can decode that as well.

Definitely go to the hamfest. Connect with clubs in your area, and attend their meetings. This is your best source of knowledge, real-world contacts, and likely your best source of 2nd-hand gear. I was handed a Yaesu G-5500 Az-El rotor because I had an interest in satellite work and a Yaesu FT-1000 just for being in the right place at the right time. Both were gear SKs had donated had donated to the club.

It's a mighty big world out there, and there has never been a better time to get into amateur radio. But don't try to figure it all out at once. It is a bigger and more diverse hobby than just about any other you can imagine.