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TROUBLESHOOTING TIP: If your transceiver starts acting weird, the first thing to
check is the keyboard wire. If RF gets into the computer "brains" it can cause
some very strange behavior! Fix the problem by locating the wire away from the
RF, and reboot the transceiver."
2.2 The Elephant(s) In The Room"
The Big Elephant: that would be the antenna. Yes, you need an antenna, and no,
you can’t use a "rubber duck" or vertical whip antenna on virtually any of the HF bands
except maybe 10 meters and expect good results. For example, for the DMX-40, a 40
meter band unit, this means you need a 40 meter capable antenna. Since you will be
running QRP (low power on transmit), having an efficient antenna is pretty important.
While we are not going to go into great detail here (this is not the place for an antenna
tutorial), please get some help from other amateur radio operators in selecting and
installing a good antenna (if you don’t know how to do it yourself). Antenna kits are
available and range from inexpensive to very expensive, but selecting the right one for
your situation that will work well for QRP (there it is again: low power operation) and
getting it installed properly will save you loads of headaches - and grant you loads of
contacts! For portable operation, the PreppComm Professional Station GO Bag
includes an easy to install 40 meter end-fed antenna, but it is not designed for
permanent installations."
No, this is not a walkie-talkie, but then, you can communicate worldwide directly with
the DMX transceiver, no repeaters, no internet, no nothing, just you and your
transceiver and your antenna. That is what a good antenna will get you. So don’t
ignore the elephant in the room: get yourself a good antenna, and if that means GET
HELP!"
The "Other" Elephant is ... experience. Once you have it, you can quickly tune around
the band. But there is some expertise you will gain over time on adjusting the decoder
gain, and the frequency, determining which of the two sides of the signal you are on,
and selecting the correct one. And being aware of band conditions, which are related
to time of day, sunspots, and other factors. Do not be disappointed if you don’t make
any contact on your first try! You are not running a 1000 watt station with a 150 foot
tower! Patience and practice are very important."
If you have a buddy across town, or across the valley that has a similar rig, that is a
great way to start. That way, you can learn the ropes with someone you can talk to
over the phone if things are not working the way you expected. So, initially, finding a
local ham operator with Morse Code experience, or someone with an DMX-40 of their
own to get some on-the-air experience with is an excellent way to gain confidence and
experience."
