Hatrack River Forum: Ham Radio

This is topic Ham Radio in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

There's a need for more people out here to help out with the emergency communications network, so I'm currently studying for my amateur radio license.

Is there anybody here that's a ham operator? If so, why did you get into it and what do you use it for?

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

I have my license, but I haven't been active in years. Two of my kids also have licenses, one more advanced than me (and one will be soon). The youngest didn't pass the last time, but she probably will within the year.

I got mine because just after the 1994 Northridge quake, my then-spouse volunteered to help, and ended up being the emergency communication for a hospital whose phones were down. I went along, and I thought that was pretty cool. Until kids made it too difficult, we were both members of a local group affiliated with the Beverly Hills PD.

He's still very active as a ham. I'm sure he'd be happy to tell you all about it if you'd like.

Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :

Is ham radio kosher? *ducks flying tomatoes*

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Gosh, I've never heard THAT one before! [Wink]

There are several groups called "Kosher Hams" or variations on that theme.

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

It was new for me.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

How many Jewish people with ham radio licenses do you know? Now, how many do you suppose I might know? [Wink]

Posted by Vadon (Member # 4561) on :

I have a license. But I haven't been on in a long time. I was licensed when I was about 12, and got it because everyone else in my family is licensed.

My father is the only active ham in my family, obsessed with DStar and other things ham radio. [Smile]

Edit: Removed the call sign, 'cause I don't want to get a freaky hatrack stalker. They're more scary than your run of the mill stalker.

[ December 02, 2008, 06:18 PM: Message edited by: Vadon ]

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

I know one, apparently. [Razz]

My point was that while the joke didn't do anything for you, it did for me.

For precisely the reasons you just stated.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Well, fine. [Razz]

Did you want my ex's email address?

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

Yes please. [Smile]

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

.

[ December 03, 2008, 12:10 PM: Message edited by: Farmgirl ]

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Done.

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

Woah. I didn't even realize that you had another ex.

Maybe because you never talk about him. [Smile]

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Reminder: if you know someone's call sign, you can look up their full legal name and last known address with great ease. Those of you who are not as paranoid as I am may not care . . . [Wink]

Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :

I've got mine, but I've not been active, well, ever, really. My dad's huge into it and let me listen in when he'd try to talk to people in Russia or wherever, and I got my license so I could apply for some scholarships, figuring (rightly, as it turned out) that no one else in my school would be competing for those. [Smile]

My dad's still huge into it, though. He keeps threatening to give me a radio and take away my cell phone. [Wink]

Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :

Rivka, you're right. But it not only gives his address, but how long he's had his license, the year he was born, and the fact that 63 other people have already looked him up.

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Carrie:
My dad's still huge into it, though. He keeps threatening to give me a radio and take away my cell phone.

How about this -- if that ever happens, I'll trade you a cell phone for your radio. [Smile]

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Good deal for you, Porter. Most hand-helds cost considerably more than the average cell phone (although probably about the same as a high-end one).

Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :

A thread I know stuff about! Woot!

I am an amateur radio operator. I've had my license since 2005. My husband got his first, to help with emergency management functions for our town. I got mine because it seemed like a good idea for backup communications for our fmaily. Remember what happened to cellphones in NY immediately following 9/11 and in NO after Katrina?

Truth is, we could function just fine without cellphones. Everything we do regularly we can do with radios. I key up to tell him I'm on my way home from work, he asks for milk, we chat about our day...

The only thing you have to really remember is that anyone in range of your signal could be listening, so turn down your power as much as possible and keep it to subjects you wouldn't mind your whole church congregation knowing about. [Smile]

We have a Yaesu FT-7800R at the house hooked up to an Astron RS20A power supply, the same radio in the car I drive every day to work, and a couple of HT's. I'll gladly answer questions by email, or I'll check back in here next weekend. [Smile]

Posted by Darth_Mauve (Member # 4709) on :

What an interesting steam-punk-esque story idea...alternative history where the Internet is done via Ham Radio...No pictures, but you'd have Ham-Chat, Ham-Wiki, Ham-Google?, Ham-Hackers.

Have to think about that.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

There can be pictures in ham radio. It's called ATV, or amateur television.

What I think would be more of a problem would be information storage.

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

quote:
There can be pictures in ham radio. It's called ATV, or amateur television.

There's also SSTV, or slow-scan TV, which transmits one image about every 8 seconds.

I don't know much about them, but there have been data protocols over the ham waves for quite a long time. Some of the early ones weren't much more than teletype, but they have TCP/IP over ham now.

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

I've decided that I'm going to take both the Technician and General tests on Monday (if I don't take the test on Monday, I'll have to wait almost 2 months for another chance, and I'm impatient). I went through the ARRL book for the technician test, and that one should be a piece of cake.

Unfortunately, I don't have a good study guide for the General test. I'm trying to pick up what I can from various sources on the net, and I should be able to pass it, but it's really not optimal. Does anybody know of have a good online (and free!) study guide?

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

My ex probably does.

Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :

I'm checking one out from the library.

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

quote:
Originally posted by rivka:
My ex probably does.

Email sent.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

[Smile]

Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :

Practice tests that draw from the actual pool of FCC test questions can be found here.

Hope I'm not too late for this to help you. [Smile]

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

I passed the technical and general tests tonight. [Smile]

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

[Party]

Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :

How many WPM can you do morse code?

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

Zero.

Morse code is no longer a requirement for any of the amateur radio licenses currently issued by the FCC.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Morse is no longer a requirement of any US ham licenses.

Edit: Dang!

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

Hah!

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

Well, dang, what am I EVER gonna do with my Morse skillz?

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Entertain your kids?

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

There's still a lot of Morse code used -- it's just no longer a requirement.