My Ham Radio
Around the world with Amateur Radio!
-. ..... .- ... .-
( My call sign in morse code )
N5ASA
Larry Laborde - N5ASA
My Ham Radio....
On September 15, 1995 I discovered Ham Radio! (I had been a CB'er for many Years , 1971). I took and passed My Technician class License & Issued (KC5QXU now N5ASA), 6 months Latter My wife Cookie (KC5TYV) Passed hers. 3 yrs latter My son Gary (KD5CJT) Passed His, and My Daughter Jenny (KD5LNF) Passed hers a year or so latter. Whew! All Ham Family! Now we Got to work on the Grand kids. As far as myself, I have came up the Ranks and acquired my Amateur Extra Class in 1998. You can Learn more about me on "My Bio" page.
I have been a VE ( Volunteer Examiner ) for ARRL & W5YI VEC, ARRL Instructor, I am a (EC) Emergency Coordinator, here in Franklin Parish, LA.. I have enjoyed Giving back to Ham radio & Helping others to get interested in Amateur Radio. The only regret I had was, I wished I had Gotten into the Hobby back in the 70's when I had the chance.
There is so much the Hobby has to offer...to much to list here, Trust me! It is very rewarding.You can go to some of the LINKS I have on My main Web Page to find out more. Since 2003 I have been appointed EC (Emergency Coordinator- 2 year term) here in Franklin Parish, Louisiana (We don't have Counties here in Cajun Country, called a Parish). We have a good many Hams here in the Parish, most are inactive.
Check out My new ARES website for Franklin Parish!
We have a total of 4 ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) members now, I hope to get more Hams & Non-Hams involved in Amateur Radio and ARES / Skywarn. I am interested in emergency communications.
Skywarn is another emergency system for Hams & Non-Hams, of coarse being a Ham benefits the program more effectively. Hams can pass the information more easily and faster thru our own network with our Radios especially when a disaster strikes or loss of commercial power. Most recently Hurricane Katrina, Rita & Wilma, You may not have known...but Ham Radio was there in a Big way, as most of the first responders and public service radios & Cell Phones did not meet their needs. Most Ham Operators have Battery Back-up or our radios work on AC or DC current, we don't have to rely on commercial power and can get communications set up in a very short time,if not immediately. Of coarse you did not hear about us much thru the News Media, Hams are sometimes silent, un-sung Heros, and there were alot during the Hurricanes of 2005.
I am a Member of the ARRL, a Life Member in the NRA, " Six Club" member #350, SMIRK # 6685, Captian - BFD,Baskin Fire Department.
I don't consider myself a Contester, all though I have worked Many contests and some I have yet to work. I won First Place in the 2001, 2003,2004 & 2005 ARRL June VHF QSO Party on 6 Meter, Single Operator, Low Power in Louisiana. Check out My Contesting Page! I love chasing DX & collecting "Wall Paper" (Awards). My favorite is Rag Chewing! (just Talking).
I am Active on HF/VHF/UHF and love to work the Digital modes, SSB,FM,AM,PSK,SSTV,RTTY,CW occasionally. I Love 6m SSB DX, I use N3FJP's Logging software to keep with my contacts and Awards, Best I have found, and by far the easiest Window based Logging Software. Scott-N3FJP has put alot of hard work in designing these Great Programs, with Free downloads to try, before you buy. (Very reasonably priced!) Pay him a visit!
Radio Equipment
My Station Set-up here: My Ham Shack 14'x 28'x 8' Out building I built myself a few years ago.
HF Radio: Icom IC-756 w/ Icom SP-21 speaker, Icom IC-756 Pro w/ Icom SP-21 Speaker, Kenwood TS-940S w/ SP-940 speaker, Yaesu FT-890
Mic: Heil HM-10 duel element, Heil GM-5 Goldline & also (3) Heil Proset Boom-Headsets, Icom SM-6 Desk mic, Icom HMM hand mic, Shure 55SW on 36" Boom.
Audio: W2IHY 8 Band EQ & Noise Gate, and a W2IHY EQplus
HF amps: Heathkit SB-221 (1300 watt) 80m-10m, (2) Heathkit SB-200 (600 watt) 80m-10m .
Harris RF103a Amplifier all bands 2-30 mhz. Commercial Deskside Amplifier 160M - 10M including WARC and MARS – 1,000W PEP & Average Continuous Duty with 65W drive. 3-1000Z – Manual or 5 sec. Programmed tuning – 210VAC - 260VAC at 3.2KVA. Cost over $8,000 New – Weighs 250#
Power Supplies: Military 100 amp (PP-1104C/G) 14v/28v Variable, Astron RS-50 (2) Astron RS-35M 35 amps, (3) Solor Panels w/ charge controllers with (2) H/D 8D Batteries ( Not installed as of yet).
VHF/UHF Radios in the Shack: I use Yaesu FT-8100R VHF/UHF, Alinco DR-135 mkII VHF.
Others: (2) Icom IC-2350 2m/70cm, Icom IC- 2700H 2m/70cm, Kenwood 731A dual band, Icom IC-255a 2m, (2) Yeasu FT-2800 2m for my wifes base and my radio at work & Yeasu FT-2500M 2m in the wifes car.
Radios in the Mobile: Icom IC-2800H 2m/70cm, Icom IC-706 HF-VHF, Cobra 29LTD (CB)
Scanners: Uniden BC 760 XLT, Uniden MR-8100
Handhelds (HT): Standard C558A Twin-band VHF/UHF, & Radio Shack HTX-200 2m VHF.
Commercial Radios: (3) Icom IC-F3S-2 VHF & Yaesu Vertex VX-180V for FD & Public service freq.
PC's: #1 HP Intel Pentium 4,3.2 gig mhz, 2 gig RAM 80 gig drive,WinXP pro. #2 1.8 mhz Athlon, 512 meg RAM,80 gig HD, WinXP pro #3 E-machine pc 466mhz 17 gig HD WinXP Pro.
Laptops: Dell Inspiron 6000 , Toshiba Laptop 1 gig mhz, 30 g drive 512 meg RAM,WinXP Pro.
Misc. Equipment: SioScan Atomic Clock, Bencher BY-2 Chrome Iambic CW Keyer, Nye-Viking Master Key, V ibroplex (Bug) Original Deluxe Chrome (new in box), Vibrokeyer Deluxe Chrome, Palstar WM150 3 KW 1.8 to 150 mhz wattmeter, Drake W-4 2kw 1.8 - 60 mhz wattmeter, Rado Shack 22-305 Handheld Frequency Counter, MFJ 986 Differential-T tuner 3 KW. I use a Rigblaster M8 for making contacts using Digital modes, PSK,SSTV, & Echolink rig control, I also use a AEA PK232 mbx for Packet,AMTOR & PACTOR. I use Dial-up connection for my backup internet, but I use Hughes/Direcway Satillite for my primary internet, it is a good Broadband connection...when it works! SOLA interupt Power supply, I also have a KIKUSUI (cos5021) 20 mhz Dual Trace Oscilloscope for audio,Frequency and trouble shooting & tests.
Towers up: Check-out my Tower Pictures a 197' and 70' Tower.
My 197': Fed with 7/8" Andrews ridged, RCS-8V 5 pos. Remote switch box, HyGain Ham IV Rotor.
Antennas: 26b2 @ 197' 2m vert., 6 ele Quad 70cm vert. polarized @ 197', Tennadyne T31 31 Element (no longer made) (50mhz to 1300mhz) @185'. 2m J-Poles @ 100' & 175', 75m Inverted V @ 100' I am currently working on my 160m Inverted V @ 175'. M2 Antennas I have waiting to put atop the Big Tower: 6m , 2m , 432 mhz.
On my 70' tower: I have RCS-8V 5 pos. Remote switch box, HyGain T2X TailTwister Rotor.
Antennas: 70' a TET HB-6F8 26' 8 Element 6m Yagi Horiz.,@ 65' Hy-Gain TH5-MKII 5 ele. Tri-bander, 80m Double Bazooka @ 50' and 40m Double Bazooka @ 50'. With more antenna projects in the future.
73 & thanks for Looking!
Hope you take an interest to the Hobby & CU on the Air-Waves!
73 de N5ASA
My QSL Card
To the Left is the front of my QSL Card & the right is the Back of Card
QSL Cards are used for confiming a Contact with another Ham in another part of the Ham Radio world. Confirming contacts with other Ham Operators will give you a QSL Card (collecting QSL Cards) from the other Hams and a chance to qualify for Awards ( Wall Paper- Certificates ). There are alot of Awards Available in this Hobby!
Information required is : Call Sign,Date,Time,Frequncey,Mode (ie AM,FM,SSB,CW,Digital) & Signal Report and any comments you may have for the other Ham on a Amateur radio band!
Try eQsl.cc and see if you have a eQsl Card waiting for you!
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