Posted on 12/31/2014 5:22:29 PM PST by Usagi_yo
So I've thought about ham radio as a hobby in the past. I read an article on the Government having an internet 'kill switch' but really I extrapolated that out further and think they have a 'communications kill switch'. Meaning internet and phone.
In the event that national, regional, coordination and communications goes out, and a distinctive impact on neighborhood coordination, but not so much communications (sneaker net, or short haul CB's):
What types of digital ham radio services and equipment are available to build a manned digital station -- meaning it accepts TCP/IP protocol even if it needed a protocol wrapper around it? And is maintained by a properly licensed Ham radio operator?
Any links, thoughts, experiences are welcome.
Bttt
Well, even today I still listen to the Short Wave Bands other than the Amateur Radio Bands. Most of us started as SWL'ers and then got into Amateur Radio. Since the FCC dropped the Morse Code requirement, the ranks of Amateur Radio have grown steadily.
>> There’s nothing like listening to some pilled up Moron cussing away on a CB enhanced <<
Gotta disagree a bit. I think the “trash talkers” who seem to have taken over 75 meter phone are equally odious.
>> Unless you live in a big metropolitan area or are prepared to spend $10,000 for an antenna, you will be wasting your time and money <<
You’ve just made the most ill-informed comment of the year.
For a few hundred bucks, anybody with a license can use a QRP CW rig with simple wire antenna to communicate with virtually the whole world. Been there, done that.
You are correct. However, I should disclose that while I have had substantial training with electronics, I have not taken the tests due to a lack of time and money for the toys.
“One expensive hobby at a time” my wife says. :-)
Most of my activity has been through repeaters, and some public service work (annually helping provide communications for a local marathon). There's something for everyone in ham radio, whether it's ragchewing, DX, contesting, or whatever. Find what interests you most. Join a club if there's one near you. Support your local repeater, so you can use repeaters elsewhere with a clear conscience.
You're on the right track. "When all else fails, there's ham radio." Come the Zombie Apocalypse, or anything like it, if you've developed your skills you will be a valuable part of the Resistance.
And many of these repeaters are capable of connecting into the telephone landline system (called AUTO PATCH) allowing you to make telephone calls with your radio.
It is in my house. Greek and Latin are also required to be treated like a human adult.
The young kidz do great with code.
/johnny
Except for the minimum wage guy with the ladder, and some random owl flying through your yard.
It's the nature of life.
/johnny
Not federal laws. That's for sure. Men with guns would have to stop it.
/johnny
bfl
It would have to be quite a ladder. The wire is 80 feet off the ground, at the end of a half mile long driveway, on a downward slope of about 200 feet . As I said, we are in the woods..... BIG trees.
Our only real issue is wind, which takes down big branches. We have only had to re-set the wire once when a falling branch shifted it. Not hard to do with a slingshot with fishing line and weight attached for that very purpose. The wire has a line on each end with a weight, to allow the trees to move. That way the wire floats over each branch it sits on, and it isn't stretched and broken.
check out ARRL.org
The Amateur Radio Relay League is the place to look.
de W3CF/4
My family and I considered getting a radio license off and on over the past 14 years or so, because we’re several miles from the nearest power lines and working phone lines. Cellphone service is intermittent and location-dependent. So we’re isolated and often doing our own technical work (building projects, repairs, including vehicle repairs, electronics, solar/electric installations, etc., by ourselves). But we repeatedly decided that it wasn’t worth the hardships and/or risks and promises to make the journey for the license and promise to meet often afterward for socializing.
We didn’t want to make the 100 mile trip to one of the urban centers or resort areas to socialize and take the test and wouldn’t be able to attend regular meetings afterward in any of the distant cities. Driving down from 9,200 feet elevation is not something that we want to do often, with such trips (and longer ones for medical visits) being necessary more often than we like. Such descents in elevation during long drives are not conducive to socializing. For example, hearing what others are saying is more difficult for a while after descending that far for hours. When we must make a long drive down the hill, we try to get business done as quickly as possible and head back up the hill.
The roads from our place will be sprayed over with ice by high winds most days over the next couple of months. We’d have to dig through about a half of a mile of ice on the private roads (and sometimes more on the public roads) with the consistency of sand, and oftentimes, we haven’t made it more than a few feet without 80+ mph winds replenishing the ice dunes within minutes. Nighttime temperatures often go down into the minus-30s (F). We’ve had to do vehicle repairs during those conditions because of damage caused by driving through the ice.
From our perspective, it appears that ham radio is a hobby for folks who have plenty of friendly neighbors nearby in more populated communities (very few neighbors within ten miles here and not so friendly) or plenty of time and money to spend on socializing. The only folks we’ve seen interested in radio in our area are the local government folks with the new multi-million-dollar county government communications complex despite the very sparse population.
So we know that we’re on our own. We try to stay in good physical shape, maintain the best of low-cost clothing for working outdoors in the climate (goggles, parkas, especially boots, etc.) and stock up on food, fuel and other necessities before this time of year. Internet access is the most dependable so far, although there are sometimes outages on the provider’s end. As long as the same wireless provider is in business, we’re allowed to access through a relay over 20 miles away for a monthly fee without being required to make long trips.
Also, I don’t know what a VE session is (no expansion of the acronym on the radio club site). “A valid photo ID and/or ORIGINAL birth certificate” and apparently, “The ORIGINAL of any valid CSCEs” required (no expansion of acronym). I’m not an employee of local government or connected business there anyway (composition of the club).
I’m in the West. If we get back to MO, NE or AR someday, maybe we’ll consider testing with people there.
“Ham Cram is a process where you spend a day studying the tests, focusing on memorizing the correct answers.”
And learning nothing.
VE stands for “volunteer examiner” which are the folks that give the license examinations. They usually are a team from a ham club. CSCE is “certificate of successful completion of examination” which you won’t need to worry about unless you previously took one of the tests and are going for an upgrade of license.
If it’s your first examination, all you need are two photo IDs and the test fee. If you pass the exam and later take another test for an upgrade of class, bring along a copy of your current license.
-PJ
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