Comms: Need to Know what you Know

[hatidua]

Congrats on passing. Should know your callsign within a week.

Thanks. I'm primarily interested in 2M and thus would stop at this point but I want my (deceased) father's call sign so I'll need to pass the general in order to obtain that.

[gnihcraes]

-just back from it, tech done, general next.

Good. I need to study and do for general.

[gnihcraes]

Heading there too. Will be in black motorcycle shirt with Glock hat.

I'm blocking your truck so you can't get in it.

[SuperiorDG]

So I'm back from hamfest. It's crazy how this happened right when I was looking for just this kind of information. Sighed up to DRC with the help of gnihcraes, thanks. Did not spend much time taking with him, but my brain was pretty overwhelmed. Spent a little money on programming software for the Baofeng and picked another one up and a big battery and car port thing. There is a lot for me to learn but this HAM radio is not as intimidating as first thought. I think once I get a chance to learn a little more then I will GTG.

[gnihcraes]

So I'm back from hamfest. It's crazy how this happened right when I was looking for just this kind of information. Sighed up to DRC with the help of gnihcraes, thanks. Did not spend much time taking with him, but my brain was pretty overwhelmed. Spent a little money on programming software for the Baofeng and picked another one up and a big battery and car port thing. There is a lot for me to learn but this HAM radio is not as intimidating as first thought. I think once I get a chance to learn a little more then I will GTG.

You'll get the hang of it, just take one thing at a time. Learn the frequencies for 2 meter and program your radio, listen to the folks, study a book, play with practice tests online. I took the practice test for general the other night, no studying, bombed it. lol. 40% or something like that, but I figure not bad for never studying.

PM for help and questions you may have. Show up to a meeting or two, visit with some folks, most are very very smart people. They will help and explain things.

As we discussed, don't get all worried about the weird ham radio slang, QSL QSO QRP all that jargon.

GnihcraessearchinG

[ChadAmberg]

I saw this go out today on a ham mailing list:

Come join us for a half day workshop aimed primarily at the new Technician Licensees and the soon to be General Licensees to help them learn more about amateur radio.

While you’re here you’ll learn what it takes to be a ham radio operator, experience a live working emergency net, try out a myriad of antennas, check out some sweet mobile radio installations, and ask an Elmer, “What the heck is the difference between AM, FM and SSB?” Getting started in ham radio has never been so much fun!

When: Saturday, September 14th, 2013
Times: 9 am - 2 pm
Where: Prairie Winds Elementary School
790 King’s Deer Point East Monument, CO 80132

For more information contact James (KDØMFO) at james@hamradioschool.com or visit www.w0tlm.com.

[sellersm]

I saw this go out today on a ham mailing list:

Thanks ChadAmberg! Looks like just what I need to get started...

[hatidua]

I saw this go out today on a ham mailing list:

I'd make the drive down for that but have had something else pencil'd in for that date for months now.

[Singlestack]

Well, I think I reached a crossroads of sorts in my ham radio investigation. After joining ARRL, I read the ARRL operators guide and talked to many ham operators. My conclusion is, at least at this point in my life, that I'm not putting together a base station or home HF rig. A mobile rig is to me a very different proposition, and I do believe I want a mobile rig, possibly with HF too.

The main reason I'm not putting a home rig together is more or less lifestyle related. My job is already extremely sedentary, and puts my butt in a chair for 40-50 hours a week. Add in normal email and internet usage, and that is a LOT of hours on my tail. I really don't need another hobby that sits me down for even more hours - I just physically can't do that. I have observed many of the members of state radio clubs, and observe that most members seem to be some combination of elderly, handicapped, or quite obese. For them, I get it - but I don't fit into those categories (yet).

The other thing I am discovering is the learning curve for effective HF comms is very steep compared to line of sight UHF/VHF. The dollar investment is considerably higher, as well.

I may well decide at some point that the station investment is worthwhile, but for now its on ice. My next area of investigation is likely to be line of sight semi-secure comms - and I'm getting further along that path. Anyway, just an update...

[asmo]

The main reason I'm not putting a home rig together is more or less lifestyle related. My job is already extremely sedentary, and puts my butt in a chair for 40-50 hours a week. Add in normal email and internet usage, and that is a LOT of hours on my tail. I really don't need another hobby that sits me down for even more hours - I just physically can't do that. I have observed many of the members of state radio clubs, and observe that most members seem to be some combination of elderly, handicapped, or quite obese. For them, I get it - but I don't fit into those categories (yet).

That and rag-chewing gets REALLY old REALLY fast.. I don't like people. Why the eff would I want to talk to more of them. Just to tell them how their signal is doing.

At least on the Interwebs the stuff is categorized and indexed so I can search for it later.