Amateur Radio

Vanity | Sep 11, 2009 | Self

[William of Barsoom]

Getting your ham radio license is an idea well worth considering if you think comunications might be restricted under some future (political) circumstances.

Such as under a real or imagined (or ginned-up) emergency, which grants the president special authority to control and restrict radio and TV networks, and now possibly the internet as well.

If one secures the entry-level ham license, the "Technician," one will meet other ham radio operators -- many of whom you will discover are quite conservative in their views. One can gather ham radio gear more easiy and quietly both from commercial sources and from other operators. And, one will "learn the ropes" from the local guys. Almost everywhere has an active ham radio club or two, and they happily assist newcomers with license courses and license testing sessions. (There are a few crusty crotchety old crabs, but they are rare and can be ignored.)

The material isn't very difficult. Knowledge of Morse code is no longer required,

I suggest the book, "Ham Radio for Dummies," by Ward Silver, available from The American Radio Relay League (www.ARRL.org) and from Amazon (cheaper). It's a typical "Dummies" black and yellow book, and is a great beginner's low-cost, no-obligation look into what it is, and what you can do with it.

Family groups can use it for routine daily personal communications far beyond the capabilities of old-style CB and the new so-called "Family Radios." It even has some significant advantages compared to cellphones and texting. For example, no "air-time" billing charges or records, and no permanent texting archives stored... ...somewhere.

[ClearCase_guy]

Any estimate as to how much a basic transmitter costs? And do you need one of those antennas (50-ft tower or so)? What kind of range would you have without such a structure?

I have interest in the field, but know nothing.

[elpinta]

Only issue is that if something ‘big’ happens, the air waves are off-limit to hams as well (perhaps some RACES traffic, that is all).
That said, one could still remain on the air regardless.

[Moose4]

True, but the downside when compared to cellphones is that everybody—at least, anybody with a scanner that can pick up the right bands—can hear your conversation.

The other minor drawback, when you get your license, you have to give your address. That database is public. If you post your FCC callsign on a public forum, anybody can go to the FCC website and look your address up. If you’re paranoid about the government, that to me seems a bigger drawback.

That having been said? Ham radio is a great hobby and like you, I wholeheartedly encourage anybody with an interest in communication to get into it. I’ve held a license for seventeen years now and had a great deal of fun with it. I keep saying I’m going to get more active (I’ve been off the air for several years) but I’m constrained currently by lack of money and equipment. Someday, though, I’ll find room to throw that dipole up in the backyard and buy a gently-used HT at a hamfest and get back at it!

}:-)4

[elpinta]

Some antenna info here (beyond VHF/UHF range):
http://www.w0ipl.net/ECom/NVIS/nvis.htm

Radios start at about $100 (VHF/UHF handhelds) or >$500 for HF (see antenna info above).

[Moose4]

VHF handie-talkies (or “HTs”) can be bought new for as little as $150, maybe a bit less. They transmit in the 144-148 MHz, or “2-meter” band. They’re good for simple local communications, extended through the use of repeaters, similar to the way public safety communications work.

A bigger base station that covers the HF frequencies, under 30 MHz, can run anywhere from a few hundred dollars used to over $5,000 new. The newest ones are amazing technological marvels, really. You don’t need a big tower in your backyard, simple wire antennas strung up in a tree can be very effective and get you around the world if conditions are right. HF communications are highly dependent on atmospheric conditions and sunspots, and considering we are STILL at the very bottom of a sunspot cycle, they aren’t always that great right now.

}:-)4

[Texas Fossil]

Find a local “Elmer” (ham who will teach newcomers), they can teach you more than a book or class environment. Many X-mil personnel around the country.

Find a local Ham Club. Best place to ask is you EMS friends, local Red Cross, or 2-way shops. They nearly always know who to talk to.

73 de

TF

[109ACS]

“And do you need one of those antennas (50-ft tower or so)?”

I worked all 50 states on three modes (voice, Morse Code, and Radio-Teletype) using a 30 foot piece of 12 gauge wire and an antenna tuner (ARRL calls it a Triple Play in their awards program). I also talked to over 130 countries using this same piece of wire. I’m limited to stealth antennas because I’m in a dreaded deed restricted community.

WT4Y

[ClearCase_guy]

Thanks for the info!

[Bigun]

Had one for quite some time now.

Very enjoyable hobby but not for everyone.

IMHO the new new giveaway licenses are a REAL danger.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

This recently crossed my mind too. Thanks for the info.

[P8riot]

The other minor drawback, when you get your license, you have to give your address. That database is public.

That is true for Ham operators, but another option is CB (Citizen's Band). It operates on the 11 meter short wave band between 26.965 MHz and 27.405 MHz. There are 40 main channels available, but with Single Side Band (SSB) transceivers you can effectiviely triple that. Range is limited (I've talked coast to coast when weather conditions are right) at standard output, but it does not require a license anymore.

[DBrow]

http://www.city-data.com/aradio/lic-El-Segundo-California.html

Call Sign: K6CUK, Licensee ID: L00938390
Grant Date: 11/10/2004, Expiration Date: 01/31/2015, Certifier: Robert Hayos
Registrant: Robert Hayos, 1502 E Sycamore Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: K6PWI, Licensee ID: L00851190
Grant Date: 04/22/2004, Expiration Date: 04/22/2014, Certifier: Merrick W Creagh Iii
Registrant: Merrick W Creagh Iii, 433 West Maple Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: KA6GUF
Grant Date: 02/05/1996, Expiration Date: 02/05/2006, Cancelation Date: 02/06/2008
Registrant: Samuel F Gilbert, 847 Pepper St, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: KA6UYS
Grant Date: 04/12/1988, Expiration Date: 04/12/1998, Cancelation Date: 04/13/2000
Registrant: David B Schneider, 323 1/2 Richmond St, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: KA9NHM
Grant Date: 01/19/1988, Expiration Date: 01/19/1998, Cancelation Date: 01/20/2000
Registrant: Richard J Crowell, 839 Hillcrest, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: KB7MMH, Licensee ID: L00610444
Grant Date: 12/20/2002, Expiration Date: 02/02/2013
Registrant: Nathan L Cox, 953 Loma Vista Street, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: KB9ZW, Previous Call Sign: WB9LYX
Grant Date: 11/22/1988, Expiration Date: 11/22/1998, Cancelation Date: 11/28/2000
Registrant: Robert W Stewart, 627 W Elm Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: KC5ZCN, Licensee ID: L01088253
Grant Date: 01/23/2007, Expiration Date: 02/24/2017
Registrant: Frederick W Percival Jr, 214 Main St., Box 102, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: KC6BBW
Grant Date: 12/06/1988, Expiration Date: 12/06/1998, Cancelation Date: 12/07/2000
Registrant: Carl E Gram, 531 Main St, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: KC6BDN, Licensee ID: L01453350
Grant Date: 12/18/2008, Expiration Date: 03/08/2019, Certifier: Alfonso Morales
Registrant: Alfonso Morales, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: KC6MGC, Licensee ID: L00246579
Grant Date: 05/30/2000, Expiration Date: 08/14/2010
Registrant: Dan Marks, 711 W Palm Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: KC6RAG
Grant Date: 03/12/1991, Expiration Date: 03/12/2001, Cancelation Date: 03/13/2003
Registrant: Madelyn L Bennett, 770 W Imperial N 2, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: KC6RAU
Grant Date: 01/22/1991, Expiration Date: 01/22/2001, Cancelation Date: 01/23/2003
Registrant: Timothy E Holden, 501 Center St 19, El Segundo, CA 90245


Call Sign: KC6RHE, Licensee ID: L00370521
Grant Date: 06/22/2001, Expiration Date: 07/09/2011
Registrant: Don T Webster, 527 Richmond St, El Segundo, CA 90245

.......................

127 entries, and it took 25 seconds to get.

[mowowie]

I have a nice older reciever but it doesnt transmit.
haven’t used it in years though.

[calex59]

Been there, done that. All I can say is that 40 meters isn’t worth a crap until we get some sun spots back!:) How ever, very reliable communication can be had on 2 meters and lower(lower in the sense the wave length is shorter)and there are repeaters across the country so you can talk a long distance on these 2 meter rigs. I have been a ham for a long, long time(remember tubes?).

[bigbob]

A good working new or gently used HF transceiver can be readily found for under $500, and a simple wire antenna that can be made for a few dollars worth of parts from the hardware store is all that’s needed for world wide communications. Amateur radio uses the ionosphere to reflect signals (skip) across vast distances much like the AM radio stations you hear after dark, when even the AM broadcast band can support skywave propagation. It’s the only form of communication that doesn’t rely on infrastructure (such as cell towers, landlines, undersea cables, microwave relays, etc) provided and controlled by others. A low power HF radio is smaller than a laptop, can run from 12 volt battery or renewable power sources, and both voice and digital comms are possible.

[calex59]

If you get a basic Tech license you can use bands such as 2 meters which operates off of repeaters(there are other VHF and UHF bands)and the range depends on the height of the repeater and power of it. 50 miles is usually not unheard of, plus some of the repeaters are linked and provide cross country communication. If you get on the HF bands you can talk around the world depending on the band, the time of day and sun spot activity:). If you really want to learn about Ham Radio visit the ARRL web site here:

Ham Radio and find out more.

[steveo]

I've been a ham for a little over 23 years... a newbie. Fun hobby and when conditions are right you can talk all over the world with modest equipment.
I hated morse code at first but now it's kinda cool. No one has to learn it anymore but I can see where it could come in very handy.

[politicket]

ping

[William of Barsoom]

One of my most-often used radios is a 5-watt 2-meter walkie-talkie, made by Alinco, that I bought for $30 at a ham-fest.

The 2-meter band is 144-148 MHz, and carries a LOT of ham radio via “repeaters,” which are “re-transmitters” that sit on a high place — mountain, tall building — and relay in realtime between to low-power stations that otherwise would not hear each other directly.

Some repeaters cover a town, some cover tens of miles, and some cover out to fifty to sixty miles, in a big circle in all directions. Two little peanut-whistle walkie talkies could communicate through such a repeater from anywhere to anywhere within the repeaer’s coverage area.

The rest of the story, I’ll suggest you consult the book I cited. But cost isn’t a big deal. You CAN put in thousands, and get VERY complex radios with dozens of features and doo-dads. But “simple” is best — especially for a beginner. And older radios are simpler and cheaper y far — and work just fine.