Amateur radio

[speedhighway46]

Because hams have to get their licenses the old way, they have to earn them, they are sensitive and alert to bootleggers and slackers who get on the air with borrowed call signs. In a true emergency or disaster condition a ham will always jump to the aid of an unlicensed person seeking assistance in times of distress.

However, if the law says anyone can use ham radio in times of emergency, then the few who are of the "lowest common denominator" mindset will want to use ham radio as a convenience when it is not an emergency.

The national database of operator's licenses has been in the public domain for years now. Those who bootleg theirs calls will eventually be found out (check QRZ.com). The Amateur Radio Service is now set up as "Self Policing" by the FCC under Part 97 of their Rules and Regulations. Only in the most extreme cases does the FCC become involved in our problems. But they can and do hand out heavy fines and even prison terms for habitual offenders.

Having been a ham now for 30 years, including serving as my county emergency coordinator and having an appointment by the governor to the State Emergency Planning Commission for a number of terms, I have never heard a transmission by an unlicensed person using ham radio in times of distress.

I have heard lots of low-life's using bootleg calls on the air.

I hope those of you who have expressed an interest in Amateur Radio pursue the hobby and earn your license. You will be greeted with open arms and friendliness by the ham community, much like here on CRVL.

You will increase your knowledge in this wonderful hobby; make many new friends; and develop an interest in a technology almost without bounds.

There are high operating standards expected of all of us in Amateur Radio and those people who try and compromise those standards are quickly ostracized.

My call is K8SG and I hope to chat with some of you on the air someday. Good luck!

 

[AngryVanMan]

please remember that you can buy a radio today, with no licenses and use it to communicate true emergencies; NO LICENSE REQUIRED.  The laws all say you can use any means possible and any frequency possible in an emergency, regardless of license. 
You run into difficulty when you don't understand how to set up a HF antenna to talk long distance, and don't realize that HF sometimes skips over everything local for communication (unless you use NVIS)

While it is true you can use any radio gear for an emergency, there are no reasons I can think of to spend time learning how to operate, what modes to use, and where on the bands to transmit without getting a license first. Radio operation is fieldcraft just like many other skills, and you're not going to have much opportunity to learn without being able to legally hone those skills. It is also important to remember that without a license, the exemptions granted to ham radio operators for things like scanners and radios mounted in a vehicle do not apply. Anyone can get a tech license in a weekend, and absolutely should, I think.

 

[skyl4rk]

... there are no reasons I can think of to spend time learning how to operate, what modes to use, and where on the bands to transmit without getting a license first....

You don't need a license to listen in. I generally spend about 99% of the time listening and 1% calling. It would be fun even if I did not call at all. So it is worthwhile to have a radio just to listen.

 

[AngryVanMan]

You don't need a license to listen in.  I generally spend about 99% of the time listening and 1% calling.  It would be fun even if I did not call at all.  So it is worthwhile to have a radio just to listen.

I can understand that, there are lots of ways to enjoy the hobby, but you just need a scanner, not a radio for listening.  If you are going to spend the extra money and time learning a transmitter-equipped radio, why not get a license so you can use what you paid for, if you ever wanted to?

When I was a kid, I had an old Subaru that I learned to drive in the fields and the woods.  I still wanted, and got, my license to drive as soon as I could legally get it, because I wanted to be able to drive when and where I wanted using those fancy inventions we have called roads!  Same goes for the airwaves, no reason to artificially limit yourself by not getting a license.

 

[Goshawk]

No disagreement about need for a license for developing technical skill. Turning on a radio appliance will not work to get a signal out, you need to understand what you are doing.


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[speedhighway46]

"Listening" or as it is generally called, short wave listening or SWLing, has been the road followed by many hams into the world of Amateur Radio. Citizens Band Radio (CB) is another popular route into the hobby.

I started SWLing when I was just a kid in the early 60's. The thrill of tuning into HCJB in Quito, Equador, or the booming Radio Australia still brings back fond memories. I continued my SWL hobby into adulthood. When I was abt 30 or so, one cold dark February weekend here in the north, I decided to learn the morse code just for the heck of it. That weekend I got all the letters and numbers pretty much memorized, and over the next few months honed my skills by listening to CW on the ham bands and learned all the abbreviations and shortcuts used regularly in CW.

Then I thought, hey now I know Morse why don't I get my ham license. I passed my Novice at Dayton in 1986, and finally upgraded to Amateur Extra Class 15 months later.

Of course Morse Code is no longer required and now there are only three license classes and not six; it remains to me a wonderful lifelong journey.

It all started with "listening!" Stay at it and enjoy it!

 

[highdesertranger]

I here all of you bout getting a license. in fact I got my study guide yesterday. I have already stared reading it and studying. highdesertranger

 

[speedhighway46]

HDR: Great! Pretty soon you will have your license! Hats off to you!

 

[DannyB1954]

There are linked repeaters that are regional and use radio frequencies to talk to neighboring states, but as far as I know none of the repeaters use a different radio frequency to talk very long distances such as overseas. They use an internet tie. Google IRLP. Each station , (not necessarily a repeater), is referred to as a node. Also if you have a licence, you can register on a system called EchoLink and use your cell phone to tie into different nodes, (you know your cell phone is really a radio, right?). You need a licence because your transmissions will be going over the airwaves to the public on the other end.  Your transmission goes to a node, gets converted to digital, gets sent to a node, (via the internet), on the other end converted back to analog and is transmitted over the air there. This could be on the other side of the earth.

There are several forms of digital communications. Some using voice, some using data, some using both.  I can think of at least 3 different digital radio systems that also rely on the internet. These specialized radios can transmit in either digital or analog format. Your radio transmits digital data or converts your voice to digital, then transmits that , (possibly with other digital data), to other radios both directly, or through repeaters or nodes worldwide that are compatible with that system. I know this all sounds like double talk, but there isn't an easy way to really explain it all in this post. 

It is confusing at first, but it is not necessary for you to understand it all to get started in the hobby. The more you get into amature radio the more options are made available. It all seems complex but like most things, you will learn the parts that interest you and then wonder why you thought it was so complex in the first place. Youtube is a great place to learn. 

K7EED
73

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I signed up for my Technician's test August 13th, found a guy that administer's the test at the local library once a month that is only 3 minutes away! Signed up for a year's membership at ARRL a few days ago, wow there's a lot of info on there! It's all a foreign language to me at the moment but very much looking forward to learning the ropes.

Thank You HDR for starting this thread and everyone that has contributed information. This has been one of those things I've wanted to do ever since I rock climbed with a guy that was into it. I helped him put a big antenna on the side of his house about 5 years ago, then got sick/disabled and that side tracked me from all my goals. This thread was the perfect reminder at the perfect time.

 

[DannyB1954]

Congratulations HDS and ERLH. You are both on the road to entertainment and knowledge. In many areas you will find HAMs that get together once a week or so for coffee and a meal. Here it is breakfast Friday mornings. You will meet some interesting people. I think you need an inquisitive mind to get interested in this hobby. You will meet some of us that are sometimes highly opinionated and even wrong, but I have yet to meet a ham that I would say was evil. I think we get curious about how stuff works, and then amazed that it does.

 

[speedhighway46]

ERLH, congrats to you! Best of success on Aug 13! Keep us posted!

 

[Goshawk]

K7EED - understood. You said it better. My original note was referring to linked repeaters that then broadcast out in different frequencies in different areas. Your description of how it all works is much more accurate. N1KTJ


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[SoulRaven]

I'd like to say thanks for this thread. I've been "miles from nowhere" with a blown engine in my Jeep.... Having this communication ability could save somebody's life.

Highdesertranger is the one who suggested this in another post.

I truly appreciate it.

 

[highdesertranger]

I would like to add(I might have already mentioned) that in your very rural counties the sheriffs department monitors the emergency frequency for hams. this is what convinced me. highdesertranger

 

[Goshawk]

The emergency frequency for hams is 146.520 megahertz on the TWO METER band. But that is actually the SIMPLEX frequency. It's not pure emergency. But everyone treats it like it might be.

The cheap radio you can get for $30 in Amazon will work with this. Remember that in an emergency you do not need a license to use this radio. But do recommend you find a ham radio friend to test the radio out for you when you buy it. I have a sticker that I put up to remind me of this frequency.


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[Goshawk]

Another note about ham radio. There are modalities in digital communication. One called WSPR mode. And another called JT-9. They are worth getting set up. As they seem to work regardless of how difficult it is to get radio signals out there long distance. From inside my apartment I am being heard all over the east coast. My antenna is completely inside.

If you are a ham operator then please learn about these modes.


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[frater secessus]

I would consider keeping the CB installed, especially if it has SSB capabilities.

For times when you are nearer civilization those little Baofeng HTs (I have a UV5R) are seriously cheap (like $30) and work well enough. Super cheap way to see if you like amateur radio.

fs
kf5rca

 

[SoulRaven]

I would consider keeping the CB installed, especially if it has SSB capabilities.

For times when you are nearer civilization those little Baofeng HTs (I have a UV5R) are seriously cheap (like $30) and work well enough.  Super cheap way to see if you like amateur radio.  

fs
kf5rca

I just passed my Technician exam this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I will post my call sign if and when I can change it to one I want... thanks for the suggestion to consider Ham Radio... HighDesertRanger.

WHOO HOOO!

 

[SoulRaven]

I would consider keeping the CB installed, especially if it has SSB capabilities.

For times when you are nearer civilization those little Baofeng HTs (I have a UV5R) are seriously cheap (like $30) and work well enough.  Super cheap way to see if you like amateur radio.  

fs
kf5rca

I bought this last week.  Seems like a decent enough radio.