When starting VarAC for VHF my Cat control sets my radio to 144.950 USB and I have to switch it manually to FM. I changed the setting on the Rig tab under the antenna tuner to FM and it sets the FM mode on startup.
If I switch to a SSB frequency with this setting I now have to set the USB mode manually (which I prefer since not much USB is on VHF)
I have been trying to get VarAC to work for about two weeks. When I CQ I hear my packets on a HT, to monitor my transmissions. I will recieve a occasional packet but Vara FM doesn't decode. There is a digipeater close to me found here https://winlink.org/content/gateway_locations. I select Vara FM which gives a applicable digipeaters on that page. I try the frequency of that VARA FM digipeater as well as the 144.950 and give a good amount of time between transmissions before changing frequencies. I am using a digirig, and a Yaesu 7250d. With this set up I am able to get packets as far south as Modesto, ~250 miles, using direwolf for my APRS IGATE. Of course I do not run VARAC and my APRS IGATE at the same time. I have confirmed I do upload data to APRSFI and I can see all the pack…
Hello all,
I am looking to start using vara fm with Winlink for 2m and UHF.
I have two radios that I can use, FT-8800 and a IC-7100.
Does the modem that I use with the FT-800, using wide mode make a difference? I.E. what brand I use as long as it will let me run both narrow and wide?
Also is anyone running a IC-7100 with the built in sound card and able to get it to work for both narrow and wide on the VHF/UHF freq's?
I will use Winlink, JS8CALL, PSK as I did last year. This year I would like to add VARAC. It is an EmCOMM exercise and I think that makes sense.
Anyone else doing WFD? Watch for W8TNO (our club call) Oakland County Amateur Radio Society (OCARS). 73 Doug N8VY
Are you refering to this?