What's New in Ham Radio

Ham Radio/SW DXing. Get involved! Let's take back America's Radio Waves! What's going on in ham radio in America...

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Linnea
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What's New in Ham Radio

Post by Linnea » 02-15-2009 03:05 AM

Check out the ARRL link for the latest news, information - and even online courses! Become a member and receive the monthly amateur radio magazine QST. Support amateur radio. You do not have to be a ham radio licensee to be a member. Tell 'em Art Bell sent you. ;)

http://www.wedothat-radio.org/

Registration for Online Courses ends Feb 22nd, 2009 for the current round of courses. Check it out.

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American Radio Relay League Fact Sheet

Post by Linnea » 02-15-2009 03:39 AM

The ARRL Public Relations Department

SUMMARY:

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national membership association for Amateur Radio operators. The League represents Amateur Radio interests to regulatory bodies, provides technical advice and assistance to Amateur Radio enthusiasts and supports a number of educational programs throughout the country. ARRL is a non-profit organization.

HISTORY:

The ARRL was founded in 1914 by inventor Hiram Percy Maxim.

MEMBERSHIP:

Current ARRL membership is approximately 156,000.*

STAFF:

120 full- and part-time staff members.

PUBLISHING:

ARRL publishes monthly membership journal QST and two special interest magazines along with over 160 books and software titles and a variety of special interest newsletters.

LOCATION:

The American Radio Relay League is located at 225 Main Street in Newington, Connecticut. Along with the administrative headquarters building, the seven acre site is home to W1AW, the League's Amateur Radio station. Amateur Radio operators from all over the world come to ARRL to operate from W1AW.
###

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Post by Linnea » 02-15-2009 03:46 AM

*note: Wow! Seems there are about 50,000 less licensed ham operators than there were in 2003 when I got my General License!

This is getting to be tragic, as with membership dipping as low as this, amateur radio is in peril. There are so many reasons we should support amateur radio - not the least of which is to support the people's access to the airwaves.

Amateur radio needs to keep its membership up in order to preserve the ham radio frequencies from encroachment by corporations and commercial interests. We need numbers to be able to lobby congress to keep amateur radio alive here and around the world.

The technician license is not that difficult to obtain. Purchase a book, read and study a bit, do the practice tests in the book (all the answers to the questions are in the book) - and find out where there is a place in your local area to go take the 30 minute test. The license fee is only about $15 and good for 10 years. You do not need to learn morse code! That requirement was dropped for the Technician and General Class licenses.

If you flunk the test - you can retake it. The electronics you need to study are not difficult. Just general principles.

If you want to get on the air, you can do it with a Tech License! For the price of a handheld radio (about the cost of a TiVo) you have a complete amateur radio station for the local repeater bands. As long as you keep the batteries charged - you will always have contact with the outside world in any emergency - unlike land line and cell phones.

Even if you do not intend to get on the air yourself, or buy any equipment - you can still join the ranks and support ham radio!

Remember the SETI Teams? Maybe we could launch an amateur radio licensing drive and encourage each other here on the forum.

We used to have active participation in the ham radio threads, and several of us encouraged each other and got our ham licenses.

Get involved. Get other family members involved, especially the kids. I think you only have to be 12 years old to get a license. Maybe there is no age limit. We can check that out.

It's a worthwhile cause, a great hobby, and something 'we the people' can do to be self-sufficient and prepared. We can do it for Art Bell because ham radio is one of his great passions.

Anyone game?

:cool:

Anyone here already have a ham license?

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ARRL License Manual

Post by Linnea » 02-15-2009 04:18 AM

Available at Borders and Amazon...

Everything you need is right here:

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Post by Linnea » 03-03-2009 02:51 AM

Anyone buy this book yet? Any budding ham radio operators out there?

News:

On Thursday, January 22, President Barack Obama named current FCC Commissioner Michael Copps as Acting Chairman of the Commission. Last week, sources close to the President mentioned Julius Genachowski would be nominated as Chairman. Copps will serve as Acting Chairman until a new Commissioner/Chairman is confirmed.

Said Copps, "I thank President Obama for his confidence in me and for this opportunity to serve. I know that I have a truly gifted and terrific team to work with. I pledge every effort I am capable of to help steer the Commission through its current transition to new leadership."

Copps has been a friend of the core value so central to the Amateur Radio Service, "in the public interest, convenience, or necessity" - the words Congress used in defining the Commission's role when it penned the Communications Act of 1934.

You can read the transcript of an interview journalist Bill Moyers had with Mr. Copps, where this subject comes up:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08242 ... ript1.html

As reported here recently, the outgoing Chairman of the FCC, Kevin Martin stated that his philosophy during his tenure at the FCC “has been to pursue deregulation while paying close attention to its impact on consumers and the particulars of a given market, to balance deregulation with consumer protection.” He stated that he “approached his decisions with a fundamental belief that a robust, competitive marketplace, not regulation, is ultimately the best protector of the public interest and the best method of delivering the benefits of choice, innovation, and affordability to American consumers.”

Martin was roundly criticized by a Congressional report for his micromanaging leadership style and for turning the FCC into a demoralized, ineffective agency. The February CQ Magazine Washington Readout column by W5YI, details these accusations, and also points out the alleged role Martin's FCC played in failing to appoint a replacement for Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, Special Counsel for Amateur Radio, and the hiding of engineering information damaging to the deployment and promotion of BPL, Broadband over Powerlines.

http://www.handiham.org/node/327

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Julius Genachowski Reportedly Picked to Head FCC

Post by Linnea » 03-03-2009 02:53 AM

Wonder what is happening with this nomination?

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/01/13/10561/?nc=1

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Re: ARRL License Manual

Post by ArtBellfan » 03-03-2009 03:15 PM

Linnea wrote: Available at Borders and Amazon...

Everything you need is right here:
Might take a look here and maybe start a new hobby..Depends on how hard it is..

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Post by Linnea » 03-03-2009 05:18 PM

It's not too difficult, ABFan. Got the book a few years ago and read it through once. Not too many pages of actual text. Half the book is self tests for each section - with the answers - so you can test and retest yourself on the material in each section. It is a good way to learn, as you can go back and reread the sections you have trouble with.

After the first read - I put the book down for a couple months. Then picked it back up and spent a month studying each chapter/section of the book - taking notes and the self tests in the book.

There are practice tests online where you can keep testing yourself to see which areas you'll need to study a bit more.

After that one month of focused study and taking the online practise tests. Went over to the local ARRL testing site and took the Tech Test. Passed easily and I believe most of us would. I am no expert in electronics. ;)

I'll find the online practice sites and post them here.

Good for you! Let us know when you get the book.

:cool:

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Post by badspell » 03-03-2009 06:09 PM

Thank you Linnea. Your mysterious wisdom never ceases to amaze me;)
All hear few listen

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Post by ArtBellfan » 03-03-2009 07:49 PM

Linnea wrote: It's not too difficult, ABFan. Got the book a few years ago and read it through once. Not too many pages of actual text. Half the book is self tests for each section - with the answers - so you can test and retest yourself on the material in each section. It is a good way to learn, as you can go back and reread the sections you have trouble with.

After the first read - I put the book down for a couple months. Then picked it back up and spent a month studying each chapter/section of the book - taking notes and the self tests in the book.

There are practice tests online where you can keep testing yourself to see which areas you'll need to study a bit more.

After that one month of focused study and taking the online practise tests. Went over to the local ARRL testing site and took the Tech Test. Passed easily and I believe most of us would. I am no expert in electronics. ;)

I'll find the online practice sites and post them here.

Good for you! Let us know when you get the book.

:cool:
It's always seemed interesting and fun,but like you said, I'm not an electronics expert by any stretch of the imagination...

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AA9PW Practice Site

Post by Linnea » 03-04-2009 12:34 AM

Okay! Here is the online ham radio licensing site run by AA9PW. It's a great little site for all things useful for studying for your license.

You will find most all ham operators are very helpful. You can probably find a local support and maybe study group in your area. Look on the ARRL dot com website.

Here's the link to AA9PW:

http://aa9pw.com/

Do you have a ham radio operator's license, badspell?

If not, get the study book and join in.

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Attention All Amateurs...

Post by Linnea » 03-04-2009 05:51 AM

from ARRL Web Site Mar 3rd, 2009

Julius Genachowski Nominated as Next FCC Chairman (Mar 3, 2009) --

On Tuesday, March 3, President Barack Obama nominated Julius Genachowski as FCC Chairman. Genachowski, 46, is a technology executive and a former classmate of Obama's from Harvard Law School. Upon Senate confirmation, Genachowski will replace Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps; Copps took over the Commission on January 22, 2009, two days after then-Chairman Kevin Martin resigned. Genachowski has been widely praised by industry executives and consumer-activist groups -- two groups often at odds -- for his wide-ranging experience and intimate knowledge of technology issues.

"I can think of no one better than Julius Genachowski to serve as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission," said President Obama. "He will bring to the job diverse and unparalleled experience in communications and technology, with two decades of accomplishment in the private sector and public service. I know him as the son of immigrants who carries a deep appreciation for this country and the American dream; and as the proud father of three children working with his wife Rachel to be responsible parents in this digital age."

http://www.arrl.org/

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Re: AA9PW Practice Site

Post by ArtBellfan » 03-04-2009 06:10 PM

Linnea wrote: Okay! Here is the online ham radio licensing site run by AA9PW. It's a great little site for all things useful for studying for your license.

You will find most all ham operators are very helpful. You can probably find a local support and maybe study group in your area. Look on the ARRL dot com website.

Here's the link to AA9PW:

http://aa9pw.com/

Do you have a ham radio operator's license, badspell?

If not, get the study book and join in.
Thanks for the link...took the practice test there without every reading anything beforehand or knowing anything...just tried to use reasoning and answered 22 correctly and missed 13....said I can only miss 9...I fail...
:)

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Post by Linnea » 03-04-2009 06:21 PM

ABFan! Very impressive! Get the book and go for it. Much of the information you will learn is just common sense. That and half of it is rules about bandwidth, FCC rules (general) and etc. Just a little bit about general electronics.

The beauty of it is - they want you to succeed!
;)

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Post by Linnea » 03-04-2009 06:24 PM

btw - no question will be asked on the test that is not in the tech study guide. They choose a random sampling of those questions, so it will not be a question you have not seen before. Also, it is multiple choice - no essays and so forth.

The simple electronics stuff is actually enjoyable. Makes you want to learn more.
:)

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