Amateur Radio Operators at WDW?

[Bearadise]

Hello all,

Anyone else here an Amateur Radio Operator? If yes, do you bring any of your rigs with you? While we leave our HF equipment home in the shack, my wife and I bring our dual-band HT's with us as we go about the day. Although I must admit, more me than she...

Yes, while we do have our cellphones with us if we need private conversation(s), or to contact the non-Hams in our group. I've found it's been fun and enjoyable to make contacts with other Hams while at WDW. Several times I've chatted up with some of the local hams, as they too make use of these repeaters.

The repeaters call-signs are W4WDW; The VHF frequency is 147.300 (+), the UHF frequency is 442.000 (+), a PL of 103.5hz used on both the machines. My call is N1KXR and if you're there when we are (Feb 27th - March 3rd), perhaps we'll have an opportunity to work one another.

73,
Rich - N1KXR

P.S.
I can't post a link, but you may look me up on qrz-dot-com.

 

[OKW Lover]

Rich,
I've brought a handheld in the past, but haven't heard a lot of activity on the WDW repeaters. But don't let that stop you.
de NS1X

 

[Bearadise]

Jeff - NS1X,

Thanks for the reply. When Cathy (KB1REF) and I were there in 2008, it seemed like the repeater(s) pretty much belonged to ourselves. I made only a couple of fellow WDW vacationer contacts, and spoke several times to a few local commuters who made use of the repeaters as the made their trek back and forth to work. I was wondering what others experienced while there, and perhaps set up a sked with another Ham to work the local machines.

In addition to making use of the WDW machines, I'm going to make use of ECHOLink to connect with several of my friends while I'm on-site. We'll make use of the Western Mass. nodes, and also try to find an Orlando area repeater to go through.

73
Rich - N1KXR

 

[OKW Lover]

We also found that the WDW repeaters had fairly limited range. Combine that with a lot of inter-mod and it doesn't take long before you decide to just have fun in the parks.

 

[Bearadise]

We also found that the WDW repeaters had fairly limited range. Combine that with a lot of inter-mod and it doesn't take long before you decide to just have fun in the parks.

Jeff,

While what you say is true, and it's most important to have fun in the parks, still it did add to our (well mine more than Cathy's) stay to "play radio" while there. Plus, I made use of the HT to tune in some WDW frequencies and monitor services that had not as of yet switched over to NEXTEL.

Rich

 

[OKW Lover]

Rich,
Wondering what WDW frequencies you found useful. I thought just about everything had switched by now.

 

[Bearadise]

Rich,
Wondering what WDW frequencies you found useful. I thought just about everything had switched by now.

Jeff,

On our last trip which was in 2008, I made use of the website http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/WDW/WDW_Freqs.html and several others to compile a simple print-out notebook. As you can see, this page was last updated in 2006, but at the time we went (2008) a number of the frequencies were still active. Will they still be in 2011? Guess I'll find out when we get there...

Rich

 

[Bearadise]

Just a follow up to the DEARS repeaters, I found the homepage for the group. If you'd like to check it out, here's the link: http://www.wd4wdw.org

.

 

[OKW Lover]

Thanks for posting this. I hadn't realized they had a web site.

 

[Bearadise]

Thanks for posting this. I hadn't realized they had a web site.

No problem, I found it as i searched the web, and thought I'd share with other DISmembers.

Four days and a wake-up till WDW!!

 

[PartyFromSaturn]

Hello!

My brother does take a radio down with him. He always enjoys it. I am very new, and this winter will be my first trip since I've had my license.

Enjoy your trip and update us when you return on how it goes!

 

[Bearadise]

Myself (N1KXR) and my DW Cathy (KB1REF) will be back on-property Feb. 17th - 23rd, 2013 and making use of the DEARS repeater system, as well as operating simplex.

Perhaps we'll luck out, and make a contact or two with other DIS members while we're there.

73!

 

[HarrisonTinkerBell]

Myself (N1KXR) and my DW Cathy (KB1REF) will be back on-property Feb. 17th - 23rd, 2013 and making use of the DEARS repeater system, as well as operating simplex.

Perhaps we'll luck out, and make a contact or two with other DIS members while we're there.

I won't be back for a while, but would be willing to attempt a QSO from my QTH at FN13 using Echolink through the DEARS WD4WDW 2m repeater or IRLP via the N4ARG repeater in Kissimmee. The DEARS repeater worked better at Downtown Disney and north, while the N4ARG repeater worked well from our hotel further south (Coronado Springs).

The N4ARG repeater is 147.210 MHz, with a +600 KHz offset, 103.5 Hz CTCSS, and is IRLP node 4338 (same as for Echolink).

I was unable to raise anybody on 146.520 simplex, but, of course, your mileage may vary (especially if you and your wife are both monitoring!).

Please feel free to PM me if you're interested in a QSO during your visit. Maybe I'll have my limited-edition WDW QSL card done by then!

73 de NV2K

 

[siskaren]

Please feel free to PM me if you're interested in a QSO during your visit. Maybe I'll have my limited-edition WDW QSL card done by then!

Um, Bearadise was in WDW February 17-23, 2013. You found a zombie thread.

 

[HarrisonTinkerBell]

Um, Bearadise was in WDW February 17-23, 2013. You found a zombie thread.

1. It might not be Bearadise's last visit to WDW with 2m 2-way radios.
2. You can PM me too, if you're going to bring a 2m rig to WDW.
3. Any licensed amateur operator on DIS can do likewise, so the thread was worth a bump.
4. I knew something was wrong; if there were any checks left in my checkbook, I'd still be writing 2013 on them.
5. I found something! Do I win a coconut?
6. Will zombies be part of the new land at AK? Or are they over at IoA?

TNX + 73 de NV2K