Home setup

Hi everyone I've got my mobile rigg in my pickup but I find myself thinking more and more about creating a Home base rigg, trouble is I live in Grasmere and obviously surrounded by fells etc, is it a pointless dream or do you think i'd be able to receive something if i go down that rabbit hole?? 
Cheers 
Fellas 
Stu 

Hi Stu,

I know how you feel mate, a mobile setup is a lot of fun and carries advantages but there's just something about a homebase setup and having a 'shack'

It'll be more difficult to set up a homebase, longer coax to contend with and associated losses, plus getting a homebase antenna high enough. If you're in a valley a typical 5/8ths wave antenna could give you such a low angle of RF emission that your signals won't make it out of a valley in which case a 1/2 wave antenna would be better. The 1/2 wave also wouldn't have to be setup as high as a 5/8ths.

It also depends on what radio activity you are after. In my own location CB users are sparse and I can't make it out of the deep dark radio hole where I live so I setup a homemade inverted V dipole antenna. It cannot make local contacts, (which I don't have), but it sure did fire well into Europe on the summer skip! But, I sit patiently waiting for the mid-winter propogation to pick up and otherwise the excitement won't start again until next summer and the rising sunspot.

One way to decide is to see if you get radio activity already on your mobile setup. Are you able to make CB radio contact when you are near home? If not I doubt a homebase setup will give you much more improvement.

An advantage of a mobile setup, as many of the mad fools on here will testify to, is that you can go high up and even strap a typical homebase antenna to a pole or wheel stand, (or lashed to the back of the pickup! ), and get long range CB contact. You live only just North of a big population with some big radio users and might have more luck.


Let none of that dissuade you, it's entirely up to you how you progress. I just find it a shame when people lash out good money on a homebase setup only to be left disappointed because they didn't do some simple checks first.
At least you're lucky in that you don't live in a big city with all the associated RF noise and interference!


If radio really is your thing and as exciting as CB use is, you could always get your 'Ham' ticket.....
With my Foundation 10 watts and a wire antenna in the loft I can hit stations as far as you with considerable ease on 80m SSB.

Anyway, hope some of my mumblings help you in any way. My intention is to help where I can.


All the best,
Victor

Thanks for that Victor, I don't get anything from my truck at home so i'm thinking more power is going to be essential. Initially i'd be happy to just be able to listen in to be honest 
stu

What a pickle to be in, the problem amplified due to the high frequency we operate on.

After talking to a few folks I decided the only way I was going to get out from here was to go down the Ham licence route, I booked myself in for the exam on the 2nd Dec   In the mean time I bought a all band Transceiver and a vertical antenna I'm receiving good signals on it so hopefully when I get my ticket ill be able to get out on it 

Hi Stu,

Nice to hear you taking your radio interests further and good to hear about your multi-band radio acquisition. Glad that you are receiving great signals with it!

May I just wish you good luck with your studies and the best of luck with your forthcoming exam.

Here's hoping I catch you on the bands one day enjoying your radio hobby.


All the very best,
Victor

Today is a radio room cleaning day, local radio is ok, truckers are active, playing songs from 80/81 back in the day when i was 1st in to radio, trip down memory lane, hunting out photos from the 8os, sure i took some of the set up all those years ago,

Grasmerestu wrote:

After talking to a few folks I decided the only way I was going to get out from here was to go down the Ham licence route, I booked myself in for the exam on the 2nd Dec   In the mean time I bought a all band Transceiver and a vertical antenna I'm receiving good signals on it so hopefully when I get my ticket ill be able to get out on it 

Great news, well done. 

When (Notice I said when!!) you pass, come back and we'll have a discussion on both NVIS to get you short hops (Up to 300-400 miles or so) out of the valley on the low bands, and it sounds like you're sorted for potential DX with the vertical too.

What kit did yo buy?

Hi just an update, I took and passed the foundation on wednesday

Congratulations on your pass.

Hi Stu and many congrats on passing your foundation , well done! 

I know Grasmere very well and yes it’s not a great location for radio due to the very steep hills which surround it to the north, east and west, luckily you do have a bit of a opening to the south , while activity may be very low on CB you will may find a bit more activity on 2m , lots of SOTA and WOTA activations on the surrounding mountains 

Craig

Sydthecat wrote:

Hi Stu and many congrats on passing your foundation , well done! 

I know Grasmere very well and yes it’s not a great location for radio due to the very steep hills which surround it to the north, east and west, luckily you do have a bit of a opening to the south , while activity may be very low on CB you will may find a bit more activity on 2m , lots of SOTA and WOTA activations on the surrounding mountains 

Craig

Thanks and yes there's nothing in the way of CB really, I've heard the Kendal and Blackpool repeater's with my 7250D  so hopefully I can do something with them, I've also heard a bit on 160,80,40,20, and recently 17 and 15 too with the HF Kenwood set and a dx commander vertical. I like the idea of SOTA as a fell runner so will definitely be trying that, I suppose it depends if anyone can hear me with my 10w 

Oh yes you will definitely be heard from any of your local SOTA , I often work them from my home QTH even Skidaw can be heard from down here 

5w goes a very long way when your 3k feet up lol 

Craig

Congrats on passing  your foundation, Stu.

Congrats!

Congratulations on passing.