« previous next »
Pages: [1]

Author Topic: Any Hams out there?  (Read 1995 times)

280plus

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 19,131
  • Ever get that sinking feeling?
Any Hams out there?
« on: January 21, 2006, 01:22:30 PM »
I played "victim" at a local emergency preparedness drill today and met up with some guys that handle the communications end of the whole thing. I found this to be something interesting and I might want to get involved in but a Ham radio license is required. Can anybody give me any info on this? They say it's fairly easy to get one.
Report to moderator   Logged
Avoid cliches like the plague!

mtnbkr

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 15,388
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2006, 01:36:00 PM »
A basic Tech license is pretty easy to get.  I haven't gotten mine because I'm terribly afraid of another expensive hobby.

Stepping aside so all the old school hams can gripe about the lack of Morse Code on the lowest level exam... Smiley

Chris
Report to moderator   Logged

Brad Johnson

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 18,119
  • Witty, charming, handsome, and completely insane.
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2006, 02:17:56 PM »
Getting a Tech No-Code is about as easy as drawing a breath. The test booklets are available at radio shops, bookstores and most Radio Shacks. The question pool is actually published for cryin' out loud (including answers)!!

I've seen more than one person with ZERO electronics or radio experience sit down with the booklet for an afternoon then go and pass the test. For the no-code test anyway. If you want to graduate to a class that takes code, well... you gotta learn it.

As for expensive, it's only as expensive as you let it get. With a little patience you can find a used dual-band mobile setup for under $100. If you're lucky you might even scrounge an antenna. You can buy used HT's for under $50.

Brad
KC5TAE
Report to moderator   Logged
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

280plus

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 19,131
  • Ever get that sinking feeling?
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2006, 03:25:10 PM »
What do you mean "takes code"?
Report to moderator   Logged
Avoid cliches like the plague!

mtnbkr

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 15,388
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2006, 04:10:32 PM »
Morse Code.

Yeah, I know it's only as expensive as you let it be, but I tend to get deep into things that interest me.  It's risky for me to dabble in any hobby. Smiley

Chris
Report to moderator   Logged

Brad Johnson

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 18,119
  • Witty, charming, handsome, and completely insane.
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2006, 04:26:03 PM »
I'm sure glad I don't golf. Everything else is expensive enough.

Brad
Report to moderator   Logged
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

280plus

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 19,131
  • Ever get that sinking feeling?
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2006, 05:26:14 PM »
Well I shoot pretty much on the budget plan so I think I can stay somewhat out of hock with the radio stuff. Ive always been interested in it, of course, I've always been interested in a lot of stuff  rolleyes

I did, at one time, learn Morse Code for the BSA naturally. It's been a while though. I remember "E"...  Cheesy

Actually, I didn't know it was still in use.

Thanks for the info!

Wink
Report to moderator   Logged
Avoid cliches like the plague!

garrettwc

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 870
  • Tell me what I want to know and the pain will stop
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2006, 07:29:35 PM »
THR & APS member Dave Markowitz is a ham. Here's a link to his blog about it

http://blogostuff.blogspot.com/2005/08/passed-ham-test.html

Do a search here, I think we had a thread about this a couple of months ago that had some good info in it.
Report to moderator   Logged

RocketMan

  • Mad Rocket Scientist
  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 13,671
  • Semper Fidelis
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2006, 07:52:45 PM »
280Plus,

I've been a ham since jr. high.  Did the public service comms stuff in El Paso County, Colorado for about six years in the '90s, including ARES and RACES.  Ran the SKYWARN group for a few years.  It can be a lot of fun.
There are a lot of different aspects to the hobby, including public service, DX, satellite work, contesting, building gear, digital modes, etc.  Explore whatever strikes your fancy, have fun with it.

RocketMan
WB7VHR
Extra Class
Report to moderator   Logged
If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

280plus

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 19,131
  • Ever get that sinking feeling?
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2006, 02:20:36 AM »
cool, thanks guys!

Cheesy
Report to moderator   Logged
Avoid cliches like the plague!

Dave Markowitz

  • friend
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 137
    • http://blogostuff.blogspot.com/
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2006, 09:36:51 AM »
Quote from: garrettwc
THR & APS member Dave Markowitz is a ham. Here's a link to his blog about it

http://blogostuff.blogspot.com/2005/08/passed-ham-test.html

Do a search here, I think we had a thread about this a couple of months ago that had some good info in it.
Ah, beat me to it!  Smiley  My blog post above has links to the resources I used to get my ticket.

Haven't had much time the past month or so to fool with it.  I got a Comet GP-3 antenna that's been sitting in my office waiting to be put up on the roof for a month.  Sad

73,
Dave
KB3MNK
Report to moderator   Logged

280plus

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 19,131
  • Ever get that sinking feeling?
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2006, 09:45:26 AM »
Thanx Dave, I haven't been there yet but I will be!

Just out of curiosity, I was up in a Ham's attic one time and his antenna was a bare copper wire stretched from end to end along the peak of the house. Is this a viable cheapie antenna?
Report to moderator   Logged
Avoid cliches like the plague!

Dave Markowitz

  • friend
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 137
    • http://blogostuff.blogspot.com/
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2006, 11:31:23 AM »
280plus,

The wire antenna you describes is indeed a viable setup, depending upon what you're doing.  E.g., it would not work well for VHF or UHF, but would work well for HF (freqs below 50 MHz).  Such a "random length" wire antenna really needs to be hooked up to a a radio via an antenna tuner so that the SWR (standing wave ratio) is 2:1 or less.

VHF and UHF usually use the FM transmission mode, which generally uses a vertical antenna.  HF is generally transmitted using AM, SSB, or CW and horizontal antennas.  Check out the materials referenced on my blog and you'll see why.  Smiley
Report to moderator   Logged

280plus

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 19,131
  • Ever get that sinking feeling?
Any Hams out there?
« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2006, 11:42:09 AM »
yep, I went and looked around a bit, I'll take a closer one when I get a chance. Very cool, I may have to start my own. HVAC of course...  Smiley
Report to moderator   Logged
Avoid cliches like the plague!
Pages: [1]
« previous next »