Ham Radio

Shipoke

Shipoke

Cleared for Takeoff
Joined
Apr 8, 2005
Messages
1,169
Location
Harrisburg Pa
Display Name
Display name:
shipoke
Ted D posted a question about handhelds and i see alot of people are also Ham Operators. I was wonderng how many others are ? My call sign is N3XBN
Dave G
 
I have noticed quite a few callsigns also.
 
My signature gives my callsign... and yes, I picked the Zodiac's N number to go with it.

I've been a ham for 37 years, and have held this callsign for 31. I've done a lot of stuff in ham radio, but my main interest has been VHF/UHF-FM and repeaters. I'm now a fan of the D-Star digital radio system: aside from fitting communications grade voice and low speed data into half the spectrum of a conventional FM signal, it's also inherently networked, which means I can talk to another D-Star user without even knowing which repeater he's on. I believe it's the future of ham radio, at least for those uses VHF-FM fills now.

An outgrowth of my interest in FM is that I've been associated with fequency coordination bodies in both Texas and Minnesota. I currently serve as chairman of the Minnesota Repeater Council, and president of the National Frequency Coordinators' Council.

73...
 
I've got my ticket, but I haven't been involved in it in a while...

73 de KI4CLM
 
WD0GVU....

It's funny. At the time I got my call in high school, it was a new call and showed it next to the "old timers" I'd hang around during ham fests. Now, I hear these mid-alphabet K? calls like William has and think... "Oh no, I've become an old timer!" :hairraise:

Back then, we had a Saturday night net on two-meters during a couple hour run of the Three Stooges. The ages ranged from twelve to seventeen. The youngest among us had a knack for coming up with the oddest phonetics for our calls.

Mine was "Green Velvet Underwear" Others were, "Fully Demented Guy", "Quite X-rated Wombat" which was very fitting for that guy and another was Aqueduct for AQD; though not great for a phonetic. I ran around with a bunch of hams in St. Louis, thirty miles north. Thank goodness gas was cheap back then!
 
N6TPT. Coming up on 20 years. Started out as a Tech, upgraded to Advanced in 1992 and Extra a few years ago when they lowered the code speed. I enjoy HF (SSB ), but spend most of my time on VHF/UHF FM repeaters. I'm an ARRL TA in the area of EMC and wrote one of the chapters in the new (last year) 2nd Edition of the ARRL RFI Handbook.

Now, special phonetics? N 6 Three Point Triangle. N 6 Toilet Paper Tester? Naw, I just stick with November 6 Tango Papa Tango.

73, all
 
Pardon my ignorance on the subject, but could somebody give me a quick introduction/education as to what Ham Radio is and how/why someone would get into it?
 
mjburian said:
Pardon my ignorance on the subject, but could somebody give me a quick introduction/education as to what Ham Radio is and how/why someone would get into it?
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Ham Radio or Amateur Radio is a hobby that combines electronics and communications. There are several sectors in the radio spectrum set aside for amateur radio: 1.8 Mhz, 3.6 Mhz, 7 Mhz, 10 Mhz, 14 Mhz, 18 Mhz, 24 Mhz, 28 Mhz, 50-54 Mhz, 144-148 Mhz, 219-225 Mhz, 440-450 Mhz and it gets on further up into the microwaves from there, including satellite communications.

The requirements have dropped significantly from years ago. It used to require proficiency in Morse code at different speed levels as well as varying levels of electronics knowledge.

When I was active, I enjoyed building antennas. Some built radios from basic kits to more creative base stations as well as high-wattage power amplifiers. When you drive down the road and see large antenna arrays in someone's yard, they are probably a ham.

Some believe the internet has taken away from the hobby. To some extent, it probably has. But, there's quite a thrill in making a radio contact with good old fashion radio frequency with someone half-way around the world or even across the country. While stationed at Whidbey Island, WA, I spent long hours in the ham shack on the Navy base. Once, I was able to make contact with a fella in my hometown. He tried to call my mom and dad but neither was home. So, he called another person who happen to be the wife of a Ozark Airlines captain as well as another ham. Pam passed along my greeting to my mom and dad.

As a teen, I spent several hours in Tom's little "ham shack" while he shared teletype with others around the country. Another ham was a friend of Tom's and a family friend as well as a state trooper; also named Tom. All of us carried two-meter rigs in our cars. More than a few times, Tom the trooper would see me driving down the road and call me on two-meters. I was never doing anything wrong but it was funny having a direct line to a cop. ;)

Instead of running around with a lot of kids in high school, I ran around with a bunch of other nerds into ham radio. It wasn't so bad. :)
 
KennyFlys said:
Ham Radio or Amateur Radio is a hobby that combines electronics and communications. There are several sectors in the radio spectrum set aside for amateur radio: 1.8 Mhz, 3.6 Mhz, 7 Mhz, 10 Mhz, 14 Mhz, 18 Mhz, 24 Mhz, 28 Mhz, 50-54 Mhz, 144-148 Mhz, 219-225 Mhz, 440-450 Mhz and it gets on further up into the microwaves from there, including satellite communications.
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And here I thought it had something to do with wiring an antennae to the butt of a pig.
Actually, I find it quite interesting. Some of the distances are amazing. Lately, I've been crossing paths with these guys: http://arlhs.com/ We have met a number of interesting people and they transmit from some beautiful venues. There's a few stories to tell as well.
 
mjburian said:
Pardon my ignorance on the subject, but could somebody give me a quick introduction/education as to what Ham Radio is and how/why someone would get into it?
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Short version: Think of it as the EAA of radio. Lots of home builts, lots of enjoyment out of both building and using the equipement.

-Skip
 
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K9PO, first licensed in 1978.

My current set up is for weak signal VHF and satellite work, I have worked 47 states on satellite with 46 of them confirmed. I also do a lot of WSJT meteor scatter work on 6m and 2m. I am not on HF very often but when I do it is QRP CW on 20m or 80m (portable).

I have lots of radio gear and am looking to unload some of it. If you are looking for something let me know.
 

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KE4ZAE, I haven't picked up a radio in many years. I think I have been licensed for about 14 years.
 
I'm KC2ONL. I got the license a couple of years back because it seemed like something interesting to do (and gave me some cover for keeping a scanner in the car when I lived in NY for a year). I used to toss the antenna on my car and listen to the local repeater for a bit, but I got bored of it pretty quick. Nearly all the discussions were either about equipment or politics, and we all know how well political 'discussions' work out (everyone gets frustrated and no one changes their mind about anything).

Maybe it'd be different if I had somewhere where I could put up a big antenna and go for distant communication, but my living arrangements haven't made that possible.
 
N3DLM

Morning commute on 2 meters, 146.955 here in Wilmington Delaware. Haven't spent much time on the other bands since my Father/radio mentor passed in 98, it's just not the same.

I do have the Yaesu 757 set up and a wire antenna connected, maybe one of these days I'll even make a contact or two.
 
pgengler said:
I used to toss the antenna on my car and listen to the local repeater for a bit, but I got bored of it pretty quick. Nearly all the discussions were either about equipment or politics, and we all know how well political 'discussions' work out (everyone gets frustrated and no one changes their mind about anything).
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I'd get on the net around here and every night it ended up being "_____ checking in and out" by a majority of folks, with maybe about 5 sticking around, but with nothing to chew the rag about. Every now and again I toy with the idea of going for HF privileges but it's fleeting.
 
wbarnhill said:
I'd get on the net around here and every night it ended up being "_____ checking in and out" by a majority of folks, with maybe about 5 sticking around, but with nothing to chew the rag about. Every now and again I toy with the idea of going for HF privileges but it's fleeting.
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Well if you want some adventure on HF phone there is always 75 meters. Anyone who thinks the SZ is a too exciting place had best never go tot 75m.

William if you do go to HF the phone bands are kinda the same as the nets. I prefer CW if I am on that band. Even then almost all of my HF time is contesting.
 
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smigaldi said:
Well if you want some adventure on HF phone there is always 75 meters. Anyone who thinks the SZ is a too exciting place had best never go tot 75m.

William if you do go to HF the phone bands are kinda the same as the nets. I prefer CW if I am on that band. Even then almost all of my HF time is contesting.
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"Kooba, Kooba, Kooba....":hairraise:
 
smigaldi said:
Well if you want some adventure on HF phone there is always 75 meters. Anyone who thinks the SZ is a too exciting place had best never go tot 75m.
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And when people would say that the CW requirement was an effective filter to keep out the riff-raff, I'd just point them to 75 meters. And when I got my ticket in 1988, 28.375 MHz was just as bad on the 10 meter band. At least that crowd kept it to one frequency.
 
I had (have?) Whiskey Delta Niner Big Loveable Yahoo but I dunno if it got reassigned.

I was a Novice and that was prolly 30 years ago.

:dunno:

Funny. I think I still could do a reasonable job sending and receiving code.
 
CJones said:
How do you like that? It looks intriguing.
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I can see where my wife flies! But she won't let me put one in her car :no:

The tracker is just a position transmitter - gps / position encoder / small ham radio on 144.39 Mhz. Many hams have them in their cars. The home systems receive the radio signal and turn it into a position on a map on the computer screen. There are a number of repeaters so that even low power mobiles can get into the system. Some hams port the position information into the internet and can be picked up off servers without ever having a radio.

The most common setup is a 2m radio, TNC (terminal node controller - decodes the audio signal to digital, or encodes), and a computer with appropriate program such as WinAPRS or UI-View and mapping program. Some programs can use the Tiger Maps from the Census Bureau or other digital line maps, or commercial mapping program such as Precision Mapping Streets.

Five watts or less in the airplane in the air will get you very good coverage. On our trips from Oregon to southern California, we had a nearly complete track. And these are all non-commercial, no pay, setups.

More info at http://aprs.org/
or just Google "APRS".
 
mikea said:
I had (have?) Whiskey Delta Niner Big Loveable Yahoo but I dunno if it got reassigned.

I was a Novice and that was prolly 30 years ago.

:dunno:

Funny. I think I still could do a reasonable job sending and receiving code.
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There's no listing for WD9BLY in the FCC database so it's still available if you want to start up again. Your novice license would have expired, of course.

Courtesy http://www.qrz.com
 
tparsons said:
I can see where my wife flies! But she won't let me put one in her car :no:

The tracker is just a position transmitter - gps / position encoder / small ham radio on 144.39 Mhz. Many hams have them in their cars. The home systems receive the radio signal and turn it into a position on a map on the computer screen. There are a number of repeaters so that even low power mobiles can get into the system. Some hams port the position information into the internet and can be picked up off servers without ever having a radio.

The most common setup is a 2m radio, TNC (terminal node controller - decodes the audio signal to digital, or encodes), and a computer with appropriate program such as WinAPRS or UI-View and mapping program. Some programs can use the Tiger Maps from the Census Bureau or other digital line maps, or commercial mapping program such as Precision Mapping Streets.

Five watts or less in the airplane in the air will get you very good coverage. On our trips from Oregon to southern California, we had a nearly complete track. And these are all non-commercial, no pay, setups.

More info at http://aprs.org/
or just Google "APRS".
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Interesting. I think we're about 99% sure we're going to put a setup in the RV-10 that my dad is building. If it works well, we'll probably try to retrofit the -7A with its own system.

Dad said he studied for the Ham test back in the early 80's (he and my granddad and the other farmers in the area were big into CB's), but he didn't like having to learn code. Now, from what I hear through the grapevine, morse code knowledge isn't required to obtain the certificate to operate the type of radio necessary for the APRS setup, correct?

I guess I'll have to add it to the list of tests to study for this fall..... Comm. written, CFI written(s), {multiple school exams}, Ham Radio test.
 
CJones said:
Now, from what I hear through the grapevine, morse code knowledge isn't required to obtain the certificate to operate the type of radio necessary for the APRS setup, correct?
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Correct. There is no Morse Code test required for any US amateur radio license, just a multiple-choice test on rules and theory.

I guess I'll have to add it to the list of tests to study for this fall..... Comm. written, CFI written(s), {multiple school exams}, Ham Radio test.
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Knock it out while you're in the test-taking groove.
 
It's been some time since I was active, but I still have a couple of my homebrew QRP rigs about.

73's

WD9CKW
 
K4DHR here. Ironically I use the rig in my car primarily for listening to ATC in the Atlanta area. I talk with a few buddies on some of the local repeaters here and there, but I don't do much else with my ticket. Too many expensive hobbies I guess!
 
K7MK here.

Mainly operate/contest from here: http://www.nk7u.com/ . Also do a bit of 2 meter work from the car, but I generally use the 2m rig to scan the local aviation freq (Boise class C)! Want to try some APRS from the air, but haven't got around to it yet. The ink is still drying on my (FAA) ticket.

Jim.
 
de KC3PL. I was pretty active before my son was born 17 years ago. I just renewed my license, so I guess it is good for another 7 years (or is it 10 years now). I can imagine that the hobby has probably changed a lot since then.

Back when I was active, I loved chasing DX. I spent a year in the Marshall Islands BEING DX, and that was a thrill. My favorite contacts have been with Antarctica, and Pitcairn Island. And I have talked with a few aeronautical mobile stations, too. One I remember was the off-duty crew of a long international 747 flight somewhere between Seattle and Japan.

Have any of you operated aeronautical mobile? I suppose 2m simplex on 146.52 might bring some interesting results.
________
jailbreak
 
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Erice said:
Have any of you operated aeronautical mobile? I suppose 2m simplex on 146.52 might bring some interesting results.
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I have, on 2m FM. What was strange is that people just did not get the whole I am in an airplane thing even though I was saying aeronautical mobile. They would ask me which airline, to which I would reply it was my plane and I was the pilot, then they would ask how I got the capt to let me operate. To which I would say I am the captain. That was followed up by how long I had been flying for the airlines....sigh!

Funning thing is I just swapped a bass guitar amp and in exchange got a Kenwood all mode 2m transceiver,it is a TR751A.

I was thinking of hooking that up to my external antenna input and giving her a whirl on 144.2MHz USB and see what happens.
 
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smigaldi said:
Funning thing is I just swapped a bass guitar amp and in exchange got a Kenwood all mode 2m transceiver,it is a TR751A.

I was thinking of hooking that up to my external antenna input and giving her a whirl on 144.2MHz USB and see what happens.
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I used to have a Yaesu all mode transceiver in a truck years ago. I would work SSB on the way home with as far away as Omaha. I also had a 16 element beam I built and put on top of the house for 2M SSB that got me a few states away.

I had a lot of late nights chatting with Jim White (W0NJB) on 2M when he was still on the air at KMOX in St. Louis. He was headed home to Lake St. Louis about the same time I was headed home after 3AM. Last I heard, he was retired somewhere in Alabama.

He was my first taste to talk radio before it was popular. My dad listened to him so I became addicted then met him through another ham friend. A few times, I was able to hang out in the broadcast booth with him while on the air. I can still recall him returning from commercials or answering the calls with "Jim White, at your service." It was kind of neat having personal chats on ham radio with the guy when others had to hang on hold for an hour or two. :)
 
The station owner (Joe) has a knack for moving. This is the 4 location for the station since I have known him. Luckily he really likes the station building aspect of it! I swear we just get the station built to 99% and he starts talking about moving! He is a realtor now and I guess they like to move a lot. Previous employment for him was with the Oakland A's...

All the station locations have been within the Baker Valley. Takes about 1-2 years to move everything and probably 4 years to get it all back in the air. Hoping to get the new station done before the new solar cycle gets to far along.

I love the smell of 1.5 KW lighting up four - 5 element 20 meter beams in the morning!

Jim/K7MK

smigaldi said:
Not anymore you don't



I cannot image having to move all that stuff!!
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JimSee said:
Previous employment for him was with the Oakland A's...
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I thought I recognized that callsign. For the uninitiated, NK7U is Joe Rudi, former outfielder, first baseman, and DH for the Kansas City/Oakland A's.
 
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