I fulfilled a bucket list item last December by passing my technician class license exam, and was assigned call sign KD8PFB. I’m now working on my general class license, and hope to take that test in July or August, depending on my workload, and be able to actually use the HF rig that I bought last February.
I have recently gotten interested in IRLP, and last night talked to a couple of fly fishers in Alaska. Very cool stuff. I have also talked to folks in Sheffield, England (one fella was a carp fisherman…long rod), and a few blokes down under in Australia and New Zealand who are also fishermen.
Anyone else here actively involved in amateur radio? I just learned that there is a Wilderness Protocol for ham radio that could come in handy if you’re injured on steam and don’t have a buddy or cell coverage. More cool stuff.
N0OAS here. Mostly into home brew. Build it. Use it a bit. Give it away to a kid. I like building my own antennas, too.
My HF rig has never been tuned up inside the Ham Bands. I used it exclusively for the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS). My mobile 2m rig is a converted Kenwood commercial/public safety radio running 100w. I have made a packet radio contact with the Space Shuttle MOBILE!
KD7QDU, taking a general class right now hopefully next Thursday I will pass the test. I don’t do much with it but want it for emergency communications. My thought is you can never have too many ways to yell for help.
My instructor told our class that he has never had anyone who read the book and passed the first 10 practice tests on QRZ.com not pass the test for the licence. i have found that the practice tests really show me where I need to review.
I understand the origins of the term “HAM”, and it is properly presented in all caps as it is the initials of the “fathers” of Amateur Radio. However I do prefer “Amateur Radio Operator” to HAM.
Eric, You might just as well brush up on the advanced and extra questions a little as well. Take them all. Who knows? You just might pass Advanced or Extra as well as your General. It doesn’t cost any more to take the extra tests, or isn’t supposed to, anyway.
Kevin, the term HAM has more theories of how that word was coined than the amount of times “you should have been here last week” has been said by lodge owners. I had never heard the Initials story but it sounds good. If I pass the general test they will put the advanced test in front of me to take. My son is planing on taking both and is actively studying the advanced test. I on the other hand just want to pass the General then will buy the book and start on extra.
Besides I am looking forward to getting a Hat with my call sign and then putting three stars above the call sign.
[FONT=Tahoma]Been licensed since 1976. I haven’t been very active lately, but I am working on getting my HF antenna back up right now. (Sunspots are coming!).
Oh and in case you were unaware, they are no longer issuing Advanced class licenses. Just Tech, General and Extra.
thanks Jay, I can never keep the names of the top licence straight, too many names in the past. sometimes things just ought to be left alone. should still be novice general and advanced in my mind. I think some people have to muck with things that dont need mucking with just to have somthing to do.
Sorry I am a little too far away to help put up the antena.
Very cool to see that there are other hams here as well. It’s a quiet hobby, but a very interesting one to say the least. I have built a number of antennas from stuff laying around the house, and saved a lot of money. After recently purchasing a dual band HT, I converted my 2m j-pole over to a dual band “Copper Cactus” antenna.
I was bored one day so I then built another dual band antenna and have it hanging in the garage attic. This is the “Arrow” design, and is a talking machine!
I’ve also built 2 ground plane antennas for 2m and 70 cm.
I also made a tri-band inverted “V” dipole in my attic that is just #12 THHN wire and a balun. It covers 10, 15 & 20 meters, even though I can’t use the 15 & 20 meter frequencies yet.
It’s like our fly-fishing hobby where it feels real good when you put something together and it actually works.
Sharp antennas, Joe! I’ve doen everything from load the raingutters (GREAT 75m antenna!) to a modified G5RV that I use now. I love those copper water pipe antennas. Easy to build and they were cheap. Not so much now, though.
N6VFS here, my 10M beam is down at this time. However, with the sun acting up I will put it back up. When 10M is in, it’s a lot of fun to work around the world.
Actually, I had the dreaded NE Ohio weather to deal with when I built them this Winter, and could not get on my roof to put up the antennas. There are no deed restrictions in my neighborhood, but a 200’ FAA restriction does exist. I’ll be mounting the “Arrow” style on my chimney chase real soon, which will put it at about 30’-35’ above grade. I’m using that antenna instead of the copper cactus, because it “talks” so well. The elements are 3/8" dia. solid aluminum, 6061-T6 grade, and will handle 1000 watts. I’m not sure who would run that much power on uhf/vhf, but the antenna will handle it. without a problem.
FCC Regs say that HOA’s and other entities may not restrict outdoor placement of Amateur Radio Antennas. We have covenants the specifically forbid outdoor antennas, but I have my tower and another amateur in the subdivision has several towers. They are deemed necessary for National Security in time of disaster.
Contact my uncle…he’s into everything HAM. As for fly fishing…I’m workin’ on it. lol He’s on his way back to Woody Creek, Colorado (just a few steps away from the Roaring Fork River…and 15 minutes away from the Frying Pan) He was in Michigan last week.
He keeps this going and he’s on the radio almost constantly…
Tell him your a friend of mine. He’ll get a kick out of it. http://aprs.fi/?call=k0vk-2&mt=m&z=11&timerange=3600
I just had a look at where he is right now…looks like he’s pretty much home…just picking up some groceries at the store in Glennwood.
I was always interested but never dove in. Shared a “shack” with K9QOV and W9JFD Fixed Portable VE3 (Canada). They called me in to help with translation ( Polish, Russian Ukrainian) of tech-reg stuff. It WAS a blast to talk around the world.
Marco, it’s never too late to get licensed. I bought the book on Tuesday and passed the exam (35 questions) on Saturday. I’m now working on my General Class license so I can talk on high frequency. With the current technology, you can talk to people all over the world via IRLP and EchoLink using the radio and/or the computer as long as you have a technician license. I have made contacts in Slovenia, Israel, Germany, England, New Zealand and Australia just on my laptop with an Internet connection. I was fishing for perch and walleye on Lake Erie today and talked to Sheffield, England on my handheld radio via IRLP. It’s pretty awesome stuff, and there is no cost after buying your radio. My first radio cast me $50 off craigslist, and I now use it almost exclusively for IRLP.
