HAM Radio

[MCRoads]

Anyone else into the hobby?

[Roadgeekteen]

Never heard of it, at first glance it looked like pig radio lol.

[KeithE4Phx]

Yep.  I'm WW7KE, licensed since 1970.

[bandit957]

There was a time in the mid-'80s when people around here said the small local AM station WCLU had begun sounding like a ham station, since it had become very low-budget. This station did air commercials, but they were mostly just the same ads for mail order drugs, a vacation package, Campbell County Chevrolet, and Freedent.

I don't know why Freedent advertised on a station that played current rock 'n' roll, whose listeners were mostly too young for a chewing gum for denture wearers, but I guess it kept the station afloat.

[MCRoads]

Yep.  I'm WW7KE, licensed since 1970.

Glad I'm not the only one!

73s, KFØMCB

[dlsterner]

Anyone else into the hobby?

I had a license when I was in high school and college, in the mid/late 1970s.  I was WB4QPQ.  Didn't get too far along as I had difficulty with the higher speeds of Morse Code required for the higher classes.  Back then Morse Code was a requirement, not sure if it is any more.

And then in the late 70s and early 80s you started seeing computers making their way into homes (I bought an Apple II+ in 1981), and I had a new love, and amateur radio got pushed to the side.

[SSOWorld]

KD9GBJ, slowly trying to get my base set up.

[KeithE4Phx]

I had a license when I was in high school and college, in the mid/late 1970s.  I was WB4QPQ.  Didn't get too far along as I had difficulty with the higher speeds of Morse Code required for the higher classes.  Back then Morse Code was a requirement, not sure if it is any more.

The code requirement was dropped several years ago.  One can now take all three tests on the same day to get the Extra.  The old requirement of having a few years of experience as a General or Advanced was also dropped years ago.  I still have never taken the Extra test.  I've been Advanced for 49 years, even though the license was dropped (but is still renewable) in 2000. 

And then in the late 70s and early 80s you started seeing computers making their way into homes (I bought an Apple II+ in 1981), and I had a new love, and amateur radio got pushed to the side.

Computers and ham radio complement each other, although a PC isn't required to enjoy the hobby.  The most popular HF mode is FT8, which requires a PC.  When conditions are bad, as they've been for the last 5 years or so, about 3/4 of all HF contacts are via FT8.  It works where even CW does not.

And then there's Log of the World and eQSL that allow contact verification almost instantly by uploading log files, rather than waiting weeks or months for QSL cards.  The former is required by the ARRL for awards.

[Flint1979]

I'm still into CB radio but not HAM. I haven't really been on it too much the last 10 years or so but I've been an active CBer for years.

[MCRoads]

Anyone else into the hobby?

I had a license when I was in high school and college, in the mid/late 1970s.  I was WB4QPQ.  Didn't get too far along as I had difficulty with the higher speeds of Morse Code required for the higher classes.  Back then Morse Code was a requirement, not sure if it is any more.

And then in the late 70s and early 80s you started seeing computers making their way into homes (I bought an Apple II+ in 1981), and I had a new love, and amateur radio got pushed to the side.

You should get back into it! It takes only a couple of weeks to study, and when you get your license, you can be as active or inactive as you please. Just be sure to renew your license this time, lol!

I still have never taken the Extra test.  I've been Advanced for 49 years, even though the license was dropped (but is still renewable) in 2000.

Ah, a good ol' grandfathered license, the best kind! Keep the Advanced license, I know someone who has one, and he says "I don't care that I can't use all the bands, I want my cool license class!"

[KeithE4Phx]

Ah, a good ol' grandfathered license, the best kind! Keep the Advanced license, I know someone who has one, and he says "I don't care that I can't use all the bands, I want my cool license class!"  

The only privileges that Extra has over Advanced are the lower 25 kHz for CW on 80, 40, 20, and 15 meters, and the 3600-3700, 14150-14175, and 21200-21225 kHz phone bands.  Beyond that, there's no difference.

I haven't used CW in close to 35 years, and I don't need or miss those phone bands.  You can get a shorter (1x2 or 2x1) callsign, but they're rarely available.  I've had 2x2 calls for 30 years.  It makes no difference to me whether it starts with A, K, N, or W.  If I ever go for my Extra, it will be because I just want it, not for any additional privileges.

[Life in Paradise]

Anyone else into the hobby?

Not real active (haven't had much time to get all my equipment), but licensed KC9SFR.

[Avalanchez71]

I am licensed but do not get on the air.

[Scott5114]

I am licensed but do not get on the air.

Doesn't that mean since you made the government go through the administrative overhead of issuing you a license that you don't use, that you are wasting taxpayer money?

[Avalanchez71]

I am licensed but do not get on the air.

Doesn't that mean since you made the government go through the administrative overhead of issuing you a license that you don't use, that you are wasting taxpayer money?

I was with a government agency that wanted it's members to at the discretion of the individual volunteer to get licensed in case of emergencies.  We had the back up gear so that the old adage of in case of emergencies hams have it would not work out as well.  We could say we've got it.

[MCRoads]

I am licensed but do not get on the air.

Doesn't that mean since you made the government go through the administrative overhead of issuing you a license that you don't use, that you are wasting taxpayer money?
[/quote

Nope! The FCC has volunteers do the exams, and there is so much automation from the "I passed the exam!"  stage to "My license is on the ULS and I can talk on the air now!"  Stage that the FCC doesn't really do much for HAM radio besides investigating complaints.

[MikeTheActuary]

Anyone else into the hobby?

I'm N1EN and 9A5KVU.   I'm mostly in the contesting, DXing, and county-hunting aspects of the hobby.

[nexus73]

Amateur Extra here.  Took all 3 tests at one time back in 2013.  45 minutes was the time and half of it was spent filling out the paperwork...LOL! 

I had a Novice license when in high school back in the early 70's.  It could not be renewed.  FCC regulations said if one was within 175 air miles of an FCC office, that they had to go there for exams above Novice, so here I am 174 miles away as the crow flies from PDX, which made it a "no way" deal for a high schooler like me.  I let it expire.

After getting the ticket, on the air I went.   The VE exam was passed and I did that.  A term as VP of the county's radio club was done.  ARES/RACES was joined.  After sampling all of that, I just went with my "Survive The Big One" (Cascadia Subduction Zone quake) setup so I can get a message to FEMA to do airdrops where I live.  The 80' inundation zone is 2 blocks away but I expect a 100' tsunami, which will wash right around the hill I live on, leaving me as the closest operator to the tsunami. 

No, I am not giving my call as I do not dox myself.

Rick

[Dirt Roads]

I am licensed but do not get on the air.

Doesn't that mean since you made the government go through the administrative overhead of issuing you a license that you don't use, that you are wasting taxpayer money?

I was with a government agency that wanted it's members to at the discretion of the individual volunteer to get licensed in case of emergencies.  We had the back up gear so that the old adage of in case of emergencies hams have it would not work out as well.  We could say we've got it.

When I was on the railroad, I wanted to get licensed for two reasons other than being a HAM operator.  First, the railway Communications & Signals department (C&S) was responsible for radio maintenance, and on many districts the Signal Supervisor was responsible for both areas.  I had no radio maintenance experience, but I did volunteer for news and weather reporting at the local radio station while in high school (a friend worked there as a DeeJay).  Secondly and more important, many of the older signal code line systems (think very low-speed data transmission via line wire) were based on Morse Code technology.  Railroaders sometimes would "talk" via Morse Code over the phone lines to keep their information "private".  I got way too busy and never finished the course.

I ended up on a territory where I was only responsible for signal equipment and there was a separate Communications Supervisor.  But we did have the last working section of former Western Union telegraph line, and I just barely knew enough Morse Code to say "hello".