>-=> Bob Seaborn wrote to JIMMY ANDERSON <=-   
    >   
    >> Well, my wife and I are interested in the weather side of things for   
    >> HAM,   
    >> but I'm also interested in the CHAT side. :-) If CB's would give me   
    >> morechance for CHAT it would be worth it. If it didn't, though, I feel   
    >> like   
    >> it would be a waste. :-)   
    >   
    >   
    >BS> Get connected with D-STAR, there are numerous nets almost every day who   
    >BS> are chat oriented.   
    >   
    > Yeah - Daryl mentioned that to me - pretty expensive though, right?   
    > Pluswouldn't help me for chatting during a drive. :-)   
      
      
        No, not at all.  I understand that the Icom ID-51A is on sale right now   
   for about $250 at some places in the US. If you are within range of a   
   repeater, no problem.  If not, a mobile hot spot is all it takes, using wifi   
   from your cell smartphone.   
      
         My Home setup here consists of an Icom ID-31A (cost me $200 cdn 18   
   months ago), coupled with a DVMega interface, which is a Raspberry Pi 2, with   
   a small sub board added to it.  Everything sits in the Pi case, and has a four   
   inch antenna sticking out the top.  It sits on the corner of my desk, and I   
   get around 2 miles range out of it (TX power is approx 10 mw on 440MHz). Total   
   cost of this was well under $200, also.  The big feature is that I have world   
   wide qso's, with NO outside antennae, and don't use any repeater. Especially   
   nice considering the state of HF these days.  :)  I regularly chat with hams   
   in Ohio, North Carolina, Ontario, the UK, Australia, etc.   
      
         My mobile is a 50 watt Icom ID-2820H, into a Larsen 2/70 maganatopper   
   antenna.   
      
         If you wish, send me your email address, and I can send you pictures.   
   I can be found at "bob at fidonet.ca".  If anyone reading this cares, I   
   usually can be found on X-Reflector 005B.   
      
      
      
      
      
      
                          .....Bob, VE5XEF   
      
      
   --- GEcho/32 & IM 2.50   
    * Origin: DE VE5XEF (1:140/12)