As you can see, I have lots of experience
talking into a microphone...
(no this isn't part of my Ham rig...
just a photo I had handy!)
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I've been a ham since 1995... but, I have really only
been active in ham radio for a few years!
I currently hold a General
Class Amateur Radio License
I have a few rigs. My main unit is a new,
Icom
IC-2100H 2-meter, as seen here...
I have this unit set-up in my
den. It was a real "bear" to program... even with the book... but I endured!
Although it is a mobile unit, I use a 12-volt Power Supply, to make it
a base unit. It's attached to a New MFJ 2m-220mhz-70cm-6m BASE Antenna,
which is only just above the eave of my house.
I hope to be able to put up a real
tower at some point... (if I can find some tower sections) and get the
antenna a little higher off the ground!
Of course, I couldn't just stop
there... I had to have a couple more... so I could rag chew from several
different locales...
I also have a Yaesu,
FT-2200 installed in my Ford F-150... like this one:
In addition to the two mobiles... I also have a Hand-Held
2-Meter/440 Rig. It's an Icom
IC-T7H Dual Band unit.
...it's a unit that might come in handy in the event of
an emergency... and can be used if I am away from home.. and not in my
vehicle.. but still need to communicate on 2-meters.
This unit will help me with that... while still allowing
me to monitor some of the Emergency frequencies in use here in the area.
Due to the mountains that surround East Tennessee... the
440 band really isn't used quite as much as the 2-meter band... but as
you know... it's always a good idea to have plenty of options! It
pays to be prepared
Looking for some used Ham Radio equipment? ... then try
this link:
OK... Enough about equipment...
where can this equipment be
heard actually in use?!!!
A good friend of mine...and my
Ham Radio Mentor, Tim Berry (WB4GBI)
maintains several 2-meter repeaters in the Knoxville area... One of which
is very popular indeed! (See HIS web pages HERE!)
It is at 146.940 (-)... and
is located on Bluff Mountain in Sevier County.. in a spot the locals refer
to as "Greentop". Several commercial radio stations are located there
as well... so you know it's a great location! This repeater is also
used for "Skywarn" in times of severe
weather conditions! It basically covers the entire East Tennessee
area... and if you have a decent rig... you can get into it even from northern
Georgia and southwestern Virginia!
I also have been known to monitor
another of Tim's repeaters. This one is located near downtown Knoxville
on 147.075 (+). It's physically located on a commercial tower, on
a ridge near the intersection of I-40 and I-640 on the west side of Knoxville.
This is another great repeater location... - AND really handy for me -
is located only about a mile from my house!
A few other popular 2-Meter repeater frequencies in the
Mid-East Tennessee area:
145.230 (-) (no tone)
Located in Blaine TN, on the Knox/Grainger Co. Line, east-northeast of
Knoxville.
145.170 (-) (no tone)
Located in South Knoxville - just south of the Downtown area.
146.625 (-) (no tone)
Located along the Foothills Parkway, next to the Great Smoky Mtns. Nat.
Park.
147.300 (+) (no tone)
Located near Townsend (Owned by RACK Club of Knoxville)
146.850 (-) (t-127.3)
Located near Gatlinburg, on Cove Mountain in Sevier County
147.360 (+) (t-100.0)
Located north of Lake City, off I-75, between Knoxville & KY state
line.
145.470 (-) (no tone) Located north of Lake
City, off I-75, between Knoxville & KY state line.
I have personally worked 4 states with this machine...
talking to individuals in Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky and yes... even
Ohio... all while I was using only 5-watts! The 145.470 machine is
an unbelievably great repeater! It has also become the home of the
"Rat Pack" - where you can keep up with their activities at the following
Blog:
The majority of these frequencies are often used for emergency
traffic,
either as part of the SKYWARN system, or for other
emergency communications services!
You can get more information about ALL ham radio repeaters
in Tennessee, and several other states, from the quarterly Journal of the
Southeastern
Repeater Association! They publish a quarterly magazine which includes an index
of ALL the repeaters in several southeastern states.
Emergency Services Affiliations
I am a member of the Knox County ARES & RACES
groups,
along with the METERS organization, which stands for
Middle East Tennessee Emergency
Radio Service.
This orgnization has helped me
prepare for an emergency, should I be needed.
Some of the certifications I currently
hold include:
EmComm Level I
IS-100 - IS-200
IS-700 - IS-800
Skywarn Weather Spotter Certification
This will help me to be better prepared, in case me...
or my equipment... should be
called into service, in the event of an emergency, or
other type of natural disaster!
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