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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Post by Linnea » 03-06-2010 07:53 PM

btw - this guy you're dealing with sounds like an officious little ****.

;)

Go get' em, Sharri

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turtle101
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Post by turtle101 » 03-06-2010 10:03 PM

[5] to advertise or solicit the sale of any goods or services;

the little bully says there is more to this rule. exception to it. you have to understand the true meaning to it.

he says on his advertisement he fine tunes the radios.
he modifies them so they work better and it cost 85.00.
he'll put in an echo switch for 75.00.
isn't this all against the rules.
for a CB radio his antenna is 60 ft off his roof of his business.

when i did say something to him about being illegal he told me to check the rules so i did. and i told him.....his answer was if you turn me in you'll hurt a lot of good folks out here.....i just don't know what to do to help the CB'ers out here they are a great group of people.

this part is just talk, now....you know what this low life man said to me because i mention FCC rules...." i just don't know what to say to you turtle, women are women, you must at that age when they all go crazy and hate everyone. and do cruel things."

I was contemplating his slow death and i would love the time in jail to catch up on my reading but then I'd miss hubby and son..

thanks for the rules... i just can believe i cant help. reading over the rules now.
73
kd7gqf
Sharri
Due to current economic conditions the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.

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turtle101
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Post by turtle101 » 03-08-2010 07:26 PM

called FCC talked to Terry. said we have a great (he sounds like a bully to them a illegal bully) compliant. Now i have to write it out..properly make my points crystal clear. me turtle....lol. this is going to be funny.
Due to current economic conditions the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.

Linnea
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Post by Linnea » 02-09-2011 12:09 AM

Hey! Any interest out there among the Pirates to get a Ham Radio license?

It's the People's airwaves - if we can hold them...

Linnea
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Post by Linnea » 02-14-2011 05:41 PM

Yes? No? Any interest at all in supporting the free air waves that belong to 'the people'?

Here is a link that describes the radio spectrum that is available:

http://www.smeter.net/spectrum/spectrum.php

The more licensed ham radio operators there are, the more power and influence we have over the airwaves and how the spectrum is allocated.

bigvig316
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Post by bigvig316 » 02-15-2011 03:13 AM

I am studying to get my license. but some one stole my book. got to buy a new one
The Shadow Government is watching

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kbot
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Post by kbot » 02-15-2011 12:43 PM

I have the most recent book. A few years back I bought books, joined ARRL - but never got around to getting licensed. The cost was a big factor. Seems all that the ARRL was pushing was rigs costing thousands of dollars. And then you need an antenna, cables, directional for the aerial - oh, and a dedicated shack, equipped with transceivers and a bunch of ancillary equipment.

I took some of the suggestions and went looking at flea markets for deals (no luck there). There are no hamfests located in my area. I programmed my old police band radio and picked-up some 2-meter conversations, but what was being said just didn't hold my interest. Maybe it's what I was listening-in on, but it was really, really annoying......and then I started wondering "And, just what is the purpose of this stuff anyway?????".

For what was being actually accomplished - a cell phone worked just as well, and cost a lot less. Maybe I got jaded. I still have the books (quite a few). Even bought a practice oscillator for morse code testing - but it's all just sitting there......I let my ARRL subscription lapse because I started thinking that there was a lot of other things I could be spending my money on.

Linnea
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Post by Linnea » 02-15-2011 03:10 PM

Sorry your book was stolen, Bigvig. Hope you can get another one. There are also practice tests ham websites where you can study and get information for the test(s). You only need to pass the Technician test and pay out about $15 to get a call sign and a 10 year license. You no longer need Morse Code for the next level (general class) either. ;) That helps a lot! I managed to pass the 5 wpm Morse Code test a few years ago - barely - to get a general license. The written general test is difficult, but the technician test is relatively easy - especially if you take a lot of on-line practice tests.

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kbot
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Post by kbot » 02-15-2011 03:16 PM

Linnea, one of the reasons why I was looking into this was the practical applications for disasters and such. Do you find that this is truly a "valid" reason? I would lke to revisit this since I still have my materials. Maybe I just got wrapped-up in a bad conversation.......

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Post by Linnea » 02-15-2011 06:55 PM

Yes, kbot. Imo it is well worth it to get at least a technician's ham license. The more amateur radio licenses issued - the more impressive the numbers at the FCC and with Congress when it comes to issues of band allocation of the airwaves and protecting the airwaves for the people (as opposed to commercial interests). There is a limited amount of bandwidth available and amateur radio keeps losing bandwidth to the new communication devices/corporations.

Cell phones, Sat phones, land line phones are fine - but cell and land line often do not function in emergency situations. The airwaves continue to work for communications as long as you have the minimum power for transmission/reception. Batteries, generators and solar power is readily available for those who plan ahead.

As far as ARRL promoting expensive 'rigs' and antennas - yeah, I guess they are mentioned a lot. So are the more economical means of communication over the airwaves. The least expensive investment in an amateur radio station - is a hand held radio that you can both receive and transmit on - on the UHF Bands via Repeaters. ;)

And, yah. What can I tell you about the conversations you can listen in on out there on the ham bands. heh. Many hams are a very independent breed - mostly very libertarian in attitude, etc, and really into the practical aspects of radio/gadget technology. Can seem like another planet listening in. What can I say here? The more of your friends and people like you you can interest in amateur radio - the more the tenor of these conversations will change. If you seek - you can find kindred souls out there.

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kbot
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Post by kbot » 02-16-2011 06:45 AM

Thanks Linnea. One thing I found useful in the ARRLs journal was the fight that the organization out up a few years ago regarding the fight over broadband over power lines. I didn't (and still don't) have a rig to broadcast, but the information that the ARRL presented showed the dangers, especially to fire, rescue and police personnel. Their website had a number of great video clips that showed how the noise pollution created by this technique can endanger a whole city, couty or state by efectively shutting-down communcaitons - as occured in Europe when it was tried there.

Do you mind if I ask where yuo purchased your handheld? There are "no" stores around here that sell ham equipment. The closest that I can find are in New York/ New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and further afield. Must be a regional thing........

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Post by Linnea » 02-16-2011 01:55 PM

The hand held I have I got from a friend. Usually you need to buy ham radios from manufacturer or oline store. I purchased an ICOM transceiver from Giga Parts and got excellent service. You can buy from eBay, but only have the usual recourse. Best thing may be a local hamfest or swapmeet. Maybe you can find one listed in a nearby town or city. There is a lot of amateur radio in Massachusetts. Maybe use google or the arrl web site - or qrz dot com website for more info.

Here is a link to Giga Parts and a handheld Kenwood:

http://www.gigaparts.com/gpsales/1002/s ... ZKW-TH-F6A

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kbot
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Post by kbot » 02-17-2011 06:48 AM

I'll give it a shot. Thanks Linnea!

Mindrealm
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Post by Mindrealm » 02-26-2011 10:30 PM

Linnea wrote: The hand held I have I got from a friend. Usually you need to buy ham radios from manufacturer or oline store. I purchased an ICOM transceiver from Giga Parts and got excellent service. You can buy from eBay, but only have the usual recourse. Best thing may be a local hamfest or swapmeet. Maybe you can find one listed in a nearby town or city. There is a lot of amateur radio in Massachusetts. Maybe use google or the arrl web site - or qrz dot com website for more info.

Here is a link to Giga Parts and a handheld Kenwood:

http://www.gigaparts.com/gpsales/1002/s ... ZKW-TH-F6A


Not having too much knowledge, this seems like an excellent emergency radio to get. Gigaparts radio is used, I found a new one at Universal Radio on sale for $299. (I believe it is new)

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0066.html

I do not have license yet, but I don't believe it would be putting the cart before the horse to get the radio now, as there is not anything illegal about listening to it.

I believe this handheld weighing only about 1/2 a pound is a super choice for emergency use and as one progresses even regular use. I am finding myself becoming more and more survival oriented these days, as well as people I work with and know. Ham radio is beginning to appear to me now as important as water. It is great to be able to hear weather reports, but much as tv of yesteryear was, you have no ability to interact. This interaction could prove critical in a weather emergency for you and your family.

Linnea from what I read, this appears to be current cutting edge, and with the price incentives, getting this radio for approx. $300 seems like a good buy...would you concur?

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Post by Linnea » 02-27-2011 12:31 AM

Hiya Mindrealm. I have a Kenwood TH79A and find it to be an excellent radio. This Kenwood THF6A seems to be the latest in technology - and that's a great price.

You might want to contact some Amateur Radio Clubs in your area and see what is going on locally and how much activity and interest there is on the local bands. Usually these groups are very helpful - and often you can get a great deal on a radio to check things out first, before investing a lot of money in radio equipment. Seems you need to live near the larger metropolitan areas to get much to listen to over the FM bands.

That may be something to consider. Of course, it is always good to have a radio for emergency use and communications as well.

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