Vanity: Just passed my General Class License (Ham Radio)...with some interesting observations

arrl ^ | 4 Feb 12 | dcbryan1

[Eaker]

There’s an upcoming zombie apocalypse? I wasn’t told.

None of the suspected zombies were told.

[Cailleach]

thanks for sharing! Dear hubby has been talking about taking the test, and coming up with excuses for not doing so. I just shoved this under his nose, and he laughed and said “OK OK! Find me a location and test date!” I think I’ll go and do it after he does (we’d do it together, but that would require a babysitter, and our usual go to sitter is unavailable for the foreseeable future).

Thanks again!

PS I am eternally grateful to ham radio folks, they helped to locate my father in law in the days after Katrina (he lives in the suburbs of New Orleans, and at that time, we were stationed in Germany).

[Cailleach]

Just looked...there is a test near us next weekend. He has no excuse! :)

[vanilla swirl]

KC9QZA

One downside is that your address is published to the world.
However, when the shtf I won’t be transmitting from there ;-)

[usconservative]

Passed my Tech license 35/35 in February, 2009. Upgraded to my General in January, 2010 50/50. Studying for my Extra Class now.

I'll tell you point blank the entire reason I got my license is for the "upcoming zombie apocalypse" (code speak for: REVOLUTION.)

Someone's gotta tell the rest of the world that not everyone here loves "dear leader" and then the TRUTH that the lamestream media won't tell to the rest of the world. I have 113 confirmed countries, as far away as New Zealand, Australia, China and Sri Lanka. I've also worked almost all of Europe, including most of the former Soviet Union (with cards to prove it.)

On the other hand, it's very interesting to hear what's going on in the rest of the world UNFILTERED from the media.

My Station
Kenwood TS-2000 (Kenwood 940SAT backup rig)
Alpha 9500 Amplifier (Ameritron AL-80B backup)
Palstar AT2K Antenna Tuner (handles full legal limit)
Mosley 10/15/20 Tribander Directional Beam (Covers 12/17)on 48' Rohn HDBX Heavy Duty Tower
Alpha-Delta DX-LB Plus Dipole (Covers 6-160)
Cushcraft 13B2 2M Beam
Comet XA-300 2M/440 Vertical
A Ham IV Rotor with a properly installed thrust bearing turns the entire antenna system.

My tower's in 5.5 cubic yards of concrete, has survived 85+ MPH winds and is rated for 3x the windload I have installed on it now. It's also survived a nearby tornado (came within 1/2 mile of the house) and several ice storms.

Call me a kook if you want, but the minute that assh*le Obama got elected, I started studying and planning. I knew exactly why I did what I did. I'll tell you this too: Many of the OT's feel the exact same way. Many who "left" the hobby got back in when Obama got elected.

[steve86]

It is already legal to use any communication means at your disposal when human life is in danger.

Good point and makes sense.

The Wouxun actually can be unlocked to transmit on the old PSB frequencies, which some of our Sheriff's Departments do still use, but I haven't done that (still contemplating that one). The same unlock procedure gives you the GMRS frequencies, which might be nice to have. I'll have to look and see if the band end points can be adjusted more precisely.

[usconservative]

I'm taking my technician license test today!

How'd you do?

[steve86]

more precisely = more selectively

[usconservative]

I understand your reluctance, however ham radio enthusiasts generally won't play well with somebody they think is unlicensed.

I've been told by an OO that knowingly working someone without a license can be grounds for losing one's privlidges. (I assume that would be for repeated and known offenses, not just one.)

[usconservative]

The same unlock procedure gives you the GMRS frequencies, which might be nice to have

Yes it does. Additionally, if you have an Icom V8000 2M FM Rig, unsoldering ONE diode opens up full transmit capabilities 136 - 174, which includes GMRS.

[usconservative]

I just learned last week what "picking someone up on SIMPLEX" means. Basically, you make contact walkie talkie to walkie talkie and not through a repeater!

Y'all must have a different definition of simplex there in Arkansas or someone didn't explain it to you correctly. A SIMPLEX contact is any contact (usually on the UHF/VHF bands) that does not utilize a repeater.

That can be mobile to mobile, base to mobile, walkie talkie to base or mobile, HT to HT or even while I'm sitting on my couch in my family room using my Wouxun to cross-band to my TS-2000, talking to friends locally on 2M.

And btw: good on you for getting involved in Emergency Radio. Wish we had an active organization here where I lived.

[hattend]

If the Zombie Apocalypse happens, why would you worry about having a Ham License?

Just sayin’...

I’ll be dead or in jail for shooting people not for talking to Bob in New York.

[the invisib1e hand]

Interesting— obviously information is information, but my question (I didn’t ask it well) was to try to get a feel for the practicality of using that wireless medium for digital here and now. Is it really necessary to deal with cable and dsl? I suppose degradation is an issue over distance.

[MrNeutron1962]

73 OM, DE KA1IAX KN

[Greysard]

to get a feel for the practicality of using that wireless medium for digital here and now. Is it really necessary to deal with cable and dsl? I suppose degradation is an issue over distance.

Cable and DSL give you tremendous bandwidth. A piece of wire is always better in this aspect than any radio link. A good design uses wires wherever possible, and uses radio when wireless is essential. Satellite Internet is one example.

Today you don't have to deal with cable and DSL; you can have a packet radio somewhere and a portable node that connects to the base. However you will not get much of a data rate this way; it is limited by several factors, starting with FCC limits on bandwidth; but the old good physics is also involved here. If you are willing to go into microwave bands (2.4 GHz and higher) then you can have very fast point to point links, but they won't span the globe like an MFSK link at 14 MHz does. On the other hand, a packet switching network can relay your data forever... so there are many options.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

So here’s my plan for communication when the SHTF.

I’m going to get a powerful CB with upper and lower side band and I’m going to get some sort of mobile shortwave tranceiver (Icom or such). I will never use the shortwave tranceiver without a license, but I will if there is ever an EMP or complete societal breakdown or some other sort of annihilation of communication in this country.

Thoughts?

[OneVike]

I second that thought, and have given it much thought as of late.

[Political Junkie Too]

Passed! Now I'm going to get my general.

I hope to do so within a month or so.

-PJ

[Political Junkie Too]

...ham radio enthusiasts generally won't play well with somebody they think is unlicensed...

I must concur.

Out here we used a cram session approach to teach people to take the test in one day. The program is moderated by local CERT members, many of whom are local firefighters, search and rescue, and deputy sheriffs.

If you're going to get an amateur radio license, you might as well get in good with the local emergency responders. At the very least, you'll know that your family is higher up on the "make sure they're safe" list.

I already hooked up with my local CERT coordinator and hope to join them soon. They always need radio operators to help relay messages across the region in the case of an emergency (storm, flood, earthquake, etc.)

Oh, and if you're worrying about being recorded in a local FCC database, then you're forgetting the meaning of SHTF... what good is a database when power is out nationwide and civil society collapses?!?

PJ

[JABit]

Congrats from one of the old-timers.