Category: Crafts and Hobbies
Just curious if anyone enjoys amateur or ham radio. It's something I'vethought about doing as my husband Bryan has his license and was an operator still is in fact.
i'm actuallly prepairing myself to take the test when it comes here sometime soon. i've though about it myself actually.
In case you don't recognize this username as an amateur radio call sign, here it is. LOL. I've been Extra for 9 years, and got Novice back in '78 or 79. I guess that makes me qualified for QCWA? I'm not active, now, but have done lots of QRP CW work on HF, and a bunch of yacking and public service on VHF/UHF. Perhaps my favorite contest is Field Day. I'm nowhere near qualifying for DXCC or WAS. Best wishes to the people, here, considering becoming hams!
Cool thanks for the info. As I said I've thought about ham radio as a hobby but don't know a lot about it. Is the test difficult?
Well, I had my ticket for many years, but let it go. Its still one of the greatest hobbies in the world, in my opinion. I just don't have time right now to be actively involved. I'd encourage anyone to "go for the gold".
Lou
Yes, go for the gold (that is, the Extra Class ticket). The exam element with which I had most trouble was the written for the Advanced; It had math that had allowed to rust out. All the other elements easy, with some prep. If you will graduate or have graduated high school, you should have no trouble! Regarding that math, perhaps the best time to go for the Extra is while still in school.
Hi, I am also thinking about going in to HAM radio, but was trying to find materials and things to learn for the test but wasn't sure where to look, so if anyone has any suggestions for that I would appreciate it, as I have done internet searches on it and have found mostly print books and things like that.
Thanks,
Misty
A search of Bookshare for "Amateur Radio" gives 266 results, with first being the ARRL License Manual. This is the study guide for taking the license exams. Also, there are sites such as hamtestonline.com, that generate practice tests.
I've been a ham since 1995 but haven't done much with it in many years. I'm actually trying to get on the air more now; I just never seem to have time. I'm a Technician with a majorly low budget rig so only use 2 meters. LOL I love the RACES and ARES weather nets and will get certified as soon as things slow down. It's allot of fun and the hobby definitely needs more women. Good luck to all of you taking your tests.
qrz.com is another place where you can take practice tests. Even since I took my exams back in 2000 and 2001, they've gotten quite a bit easier. The only reason I don't upgrade to extra is because I don't have the time to study for it. I probably could have gotten DXCC, but never bother to confirm contacts. Good lukc to those of you who decide to pursue it as a hobby. I enjoy it a lot, since there are so many facits. My favorite is CW, although I would like to get in to the digital modes at some point.
PSK-31 looks interesting, but not sure any of the software is accessible. All the apps I've seen demonstrated depend on user being able to use 'waterfall' display to tune signals. One could tune in old-fashioned rtty by ear and with a good filter.
I will be getting some training on radio communications with the Coast Guard, they basically want us all to know it. I did download the books from Bookshare, my interest being more in the area of the electronics, rather than getting on the air.
However, you guys probably use more channels and bandwidth than we do, since we have our own.
Since I'm new to all this, I'm sure I'll learn quite a bit even from people posting on here.
Looks like I will be going for this license also.
I am enrolled in a Coast Guard course where the officer constantly says how much ham operators have the distinct advantage, calls on hams frequently as it pertains to emergency radio communications, etc.
It is the Emergency assistance that drives me, though as I said earlier, the electronics is up my alley being an engineer.
We have been learning about how you operators have assisted with some pretty significant catastrophes of late, and I am properly impressed. I will consider it an honor to join your ranks when I get the gear and pass the test.
Many officers in the Coast Guard Auxiliary are amongst your ranks right now. Sounds like there's some tight synergy there, especially when the American people need us.
Very very cool.
OK due to some assistance I am getting the radio that will serve both as a marine radio and as a Ham radio, it talks. It is Chinese made and the company has a Braille manual they will send.
Ironically I have the opposite problem with some regarding the stereotype thing: they think because I happen to be blind I should have already known all of this. Truth be told, I had no exposure to any of it growing up except for the trucker radio we all used to make fun of as kids, never thought of them as anything other than squawk boxes.
All that aside, my intention is to follow the path the Officers recommend and that is to get the license, and connect with Amateur Radio Emergency Services.
So, bearing with the newbie here, I would appreciate any assistance from long-time operators.
I am excited about joining the Emergency Services for the same or similar reasons as I took the oath and joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary. But among some, I am finding I'm constantly saying 'No, I haven't done this before: I'm actually new.'
Right now I'm starting with the portable unit so that I am most available to my first obligation, the Coast Guard. With them, the facility is licensed and only when under orders, so for the rest of the time it will serve as a Ham or Amateur station. Do they call it a station in the Ham? That's what we call them in the Guard.
Anyway all pointers appreciated, and I appreciate those who last year recommended the books from Bookshare. I've still got those and will do that study once my initial radio qualifications are complete for the Coast Guard. There's a ton of pro-words and messaging techniques to learn ... lol
Hve you gotten to listen to NTS nets in your area? I'd think much of the formal message handling you hear is similar or same as Coastguard nets. Even someone walking about with a portable is considered a 'station/' in Ham-dom.
I have not been told about NTS nets by any of our Officers yet. But, I suspect I will be able to learn about this when the radio gets here. The Chinese radio I am getting does talk which is important for exactness with the Coast Guard, but it also comes with a Braille manual - how rare a find is that?
So anyway any explanation of what a NTS net is would be appreciated.
Thanks
OK just got the semi-clearance on the home front to purchase what's necessary provided I can keep it within a narrow financial set of parameters.
So here is the equipment I have been recommended:
Wouxun KG-UV2D Dual Band HT for Ham Radio
Now, if you go to the site there are two combo boxes. The second one is what you want to look at and here is where I need your help:
KG-UV2D 136-174 & 216-280
KG-UV2D 136-174 & 350-470
KG-UV2D 136-174 & 420-520 This item will not ship until after June 1st
Now if this is all megahertz MHz then it seems the numbers on the left equate to our Marine frequencies.
I don't know which set on the right is valid for Ham operations. So if I may get some good direction or better yet a clear answer on this I would be most grateful.
Thanks
OK this one is gonna sound strange to those who think the stereotype about blind operators:
I have some questions about how we are to do some of the things without having vision.
Obviously installations, etc are fine. But do you use software to generate the QSL cards, I think it was? I've just been studying the books thus far, waiting for my handheld to arrive.
How do you fix bearings for Radio Direction finding? This affects Mayday responses, etc. My general area is for assistance with local search and rescue, the same activities as the rest of the members of my Flotilla who are amateurs do. That is one reason I went with the handheld. I'll be getting a longer VHF to be mounted portably on scene if need be, the extra battery packs - I need those to pass muster with the Coast Guard anyway.
How do you read your signal meters? Will I be able to do this with a light probe?
I have copied down in Braille all the menus for my rig and related settings, sort of like working with electronics in the 1980s but that was just musical instruments not emergency communications equipment.
How important are the calling cards the book says to send people? I can't imagine this is done during an event anyway, but I know you all make contacts other times.
Also what satellite tracking software do you use?
As an aside, I found out from the books that Hams communicate with the space station. Always looking to spark the curiosity of the teenage daughter, I asked if she would like to talk to the astronauts. She was pretty excited: so I will need to figure out how to do the alignment / timing which I suspect will mean to take a look at a chart to see when it arrives in orbit over the Northwest?
What have you all used to do these things? Perhaps some of this will be simpler with an iPhone app.
Anyway I would appreciate any responses, as like I said, the people I know who do this are all sighted. We're all in it together / all mission-oriented etc. but they have never known anyone who was blind, just heard that a lot of blind people do this. So I was hoping to not need to reinvent the wheel but get some cues from you guys who have:
In summary: Do you bother with the QSL Cards? And how do you fix points with radio direction finding? What chart programs do you use for that, and for knowing when to access a satellite?
I am guessing said chart program would let me see when the Space Station is over the Pacific Northwest so I can let my daughter talk to them.
Sorry for hogging this thread: hoping some of you all who've been down this road can give me some direction, so I won't need to reinvent the wheel with perhaps an inferior solution.
I haven't sent qsl cards in a long time, when I used to send and collect these, I bought fthem from a print shop, nd dictated the info to a scribe. There must be software that prints cards, with info taken from your logging database(s).
The only direction finding I've done was with a hand-held, and my body. You need much better than that. Do you have a braille compass? You can probably get or build a direction-finding array to connect to your hand-held. There are simple, two-element arrays, and, even, portable dopler arrays. Since you won't have ready access to the strength meter, you'll have to listen for the null as you orient the array. Take a compass baring, once you've found it, your actual source should be 180 degrees off the null. I think you'll find this easier than listening for a peak. You'll have to open your squelch, completely, for this to work. You may also need an attenuator between your df antenna and receiver.
Ah thanks. Will need to invest in a Braille compass then. How do I find out what null sounds like? Or is that just null like programming, e.g. nothing?
Wow, can't wait to hear how the talking radio works out! It seems like I saw a talking multimeter on the net a while back. I'll see if I can dig up the link again and if it looks like what you're looking for, Leo, I'll post it here.
On another note, I would be very interested in learning more about what you do with the Coast Guard. I would have loved to have gone into the military but always assumed there wasn't room for someone without sight. If there's a website where I could learn more so as not to hog up the thread, could you please share it?
Shoot, I googled talking multimeter and got a bunch of out of date stuff. I then googled talking SWR meter and got some info on something called the LGD TW-1. I couldn't find any links where the product was sold but try googling those and maybe you'll have better luck.
Hope that's somewhat helpful.
Ah thanks for that.
My call sign now is KF7QYW and I am now working with both Echolink and my handheld radio, though I need to figure out how to get it to transmit more power, or more efficiently use the power it does transmit.
As to the Coast Guard, I am part of the Auxiliary, the volunteer arm. So the reason we can be in as blind people, is because the Auxiliary is always unarmed. That goes for police officers and Active Duty people who are also Auxiliary members. It's like anything else, you just gotta work at it to fit in.
Here's their website:
http://www.cgaux.org/
I personally don't see your question as hoggin the thread: it was they who gave me the friendly nudge to become an amateur radio operator. Until very recently I had never even seen or been around any amateur radio equipment. Now that I am licensed, I am attempting to put into practice what is in the books. There are great resources out there on how the systems work.
Your most difficult task, or at least mine was, is to actually sign in for the first time, press the magic button or 'key up,' as they call it, and transmit.
I will look at what you sent. Radio theory does have a lot of working parts, but its principles are remarkably noncomplex.
Are any of you hams dealing with antenna restrictions from your H O A? If so, what would you recommend as a good attic antenna?
I have an awesome space that can be entered from the closet in my home office and I want to mount something good, antenna wise. I don't have anyone who could build an antenna for me because I haven't made many contacts in my immediate area, having recently moved here and gotten back into the hobby. I'd like to find something preassembled if possible.
Currently I'm using a roll-up J-poll, with about 25 wots and am trying to hit a repeater about 35 miles away. I'm able to hit it but have an extremely noisy signal. I want to participate in the NTS traffic net.
Thanks so much for any advice.
The thing I've heard recently, and have not tried myself, is to connect a magnet mount antenna to a cookie sheet as a sort of ground plane, and your relatively short feed line will go right to your rig. I just have a whip that's about a foot long or so, mainly so when I move back into the city after the daughter graduates I can participate in city events where they use us.