K7RLY

I was a CB Operator as a youth, and during my high school years, I had some really nice RadioShack, walkie-talkies, multi channel, and utilize them a great deal. During that time I also had a hell, a crafter, six channel CB base station, and a 50 foot pole with a base station antenna. One time I communicated with the ham radio operator, who apparently lived in the neighborhood, and jump down to the 27 MHz CB range on his rig.  I fell in love with ham radio!

Because of the Morse code requirement I really didn't do much with getting a ham radio license until I was a full grown adult and out of Methodist church one evening. A nine-year-old boy had a hand Hill unit that looked like a ham radio. I mentioned to him that it looked like a ham radio and asked him if it was his fathers. He told me no it was his. I advised him that he needed to have a license to use that. He told me he did!  I was taking my technician class test the following weekend, and the next month my general class!

I love ham radio!  I am currently purchasing items and putting together what I need to do a full field day out at a campsite. I have an REI Kingdom eight tent, which will allow for a queen size bed and then an office area to put my table and ham radio gear.  I have an 8 foot pole that extends to 50 feet, to use for various antennas and equipment for my set up. As I'm putting things together, I'm trying to document it to have pictures and descriptions.

My intentions are to have solar panels and battery power, with a back up generator.  On the pole I plan to have a GMRS repeater, ham radio antennas, and a 24 DB cellular antenna, to pull in a strong cellular signal for Internet connectivity.  This will provide Internet, VoIP service for my VoIP telephone system, Internet access for my MeshNetwork, and cellular service for the cellphones in the camp, using a cellular repeater/booster.  The tower/pole has the mounts for all of these, along with quick-disconnects for guy ropes, and wiring management for the cables.  It even has 2 strobes mounted on the top of the pole, to make locating the base camp easier from the air or ground.