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Well, I don't have my license yet, but I did finish reading this thread! I've been interested in amateur radio for a couple of months now - just recently found this thread and have been reading it. I'm going for my technician and general at the same time, just studying using the online practice tests. The tech material is pretty drat simple to me, the general not so much, but it's not too bad. I can't wait to post my call sign!
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Nov 13, 2008 12:21
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Yes, of course I'm going for the general - it's not that difficult overall. I'm studying mostly the general material and then taking a random practice exam of technician in between. So far my combined average is 82.2% and that's before I study the ones I got wrong; I think I should be in good shape to pass the tech and general exam. (I use no reference while taking each practice exam, and only a pen and paper to do the ohm's law stuff... When I get one wrong I look it up, but, the scores for each test in order on QRZ's tests sequentially I keep track of.) Sniep fucked around with this message at 04:46 on Nov 14, 2008 |
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Nov 14, 2008 04:43
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Well, I have it confirmed - 8:30am this Saturday morning, I'm taking the exams.. I feel pretty confident in passing both element 2 (Technician) and element 3 (General), though, I have NO clue about the extra material. If there is spare time I may take it anyway just for shits & giggles. Wish me luck!
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Nov 20, 2008 07:24
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Wow - This thread doesn't move very much, does it?! Just got back from my exams - and I am holding my CSCE for both technician and general tests. Passed both with only a couple missed! Now just to wait for the license to show up in ULS....
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Nov 23, 2008 00:50
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Got my call sign in ULS tonight! Sniep, from the radio UNDerground in california checking in...... KI6UND! Sniep fucked around with this message at 10:22 on Nov 25, 2008 |
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Nov 25, 2008 09:56
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devilmonk posted:reasonably priced ... handheld 2-meter ... pretty tough Universal-Radio has the Yaesu VX-170 5w 2m HT on sale for $130 and it's a hell of a radio. Durable as hell and nice. You can read reviews of it at the normal place (eHam). Also, check out this thread on eHam which basically says what I am saying. Edit: Of course, for $55 more, you can have the versatility of a dual-bander with 2m and the 440/70cm band in a similar and also highly-rated radio, the Yaesu FT-60R for $185 over at AES. (Reviews) Holy crap that was a lot of links. Sniep fucked around with this message at 12:32 on Dec 4, 2008 |
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Dec 4, 2008 04:51
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Well, I finally got my first radio, the one I suggested just 2 posts up 5 days ago - the Yaesu FT-60R. I like most everything about it - it's a nice radio, feels incredibly durable and polished. Wish list: 1: LiIon battery. The NiMH battery pack is large and heavy. I don't mind the unit being heavy, but, it would be nice to have a lithium ion battery and a charging system in the radio. (The FT-60R will just charge while its plugged in -- it's up to you to pull the plug after its charged, and definitely do so before 24 hours or else the overcharging can damage the battery.) 2: Full band receive. I'd love it if this would tune AM/SSB down to khz, but alas, I knew that it did not have this capability before I got it. (The range of the 60R is 108-520 MHz and 700-999.99 MHz (Cellular blocked)) 3: This is kinda picky but I like the screen from the VX-3R better, and wish this unit had it. All in all though, this radio is exactly what I was expecting and performs well. I'm quite happy with it so far and it just reinforces what i've read online in reviews. I have it paired with a MFJ 1724B magnet mount antenna for my car, and a Smiley 270A telescoping antenna for better performance than the rubber duck stock antenna when applicable. Car charger, the radio, trunk antenna and a copy of the ARRL Repeater Directory and I think i'm ready to roll in a few days for my trip cross country to see my folks. Sniep fucked around with this message at 08:52 on Dec 9, 2008 |
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Dec 9, 2008 08:35
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TNLTRPB posted:
Can you explain this? I thought 446.000 was the 70cm simplex calling freq. The radio I have (FT-60R) will not even tx on that freq without a mod.
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Dec 22, 2008 08:41
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Andy! posted:I live in a suburban neighbourhood in a pretty low point (next to a river) with some mountains not too far away and a church tower right next to my house. Will I ever talk to anyone? Sure you will! The more I learn about ham radio is that half of the hobby (at least, in HF) can be making the best out of less-than-ideal situations with the right adaptation of antenna types and experimentation. I have not yet played with HF but even with my VHF/UHF handheld I've made some contacts and reached both repeaters and other HAMs on simplex that I didn't think that I could.
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Dec 27, 2008 02:38
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Sindow posted:Anyone have any suggestions for an in-door apartment antenna? I know I don't have many options but I just got a HF rig and it would be nice to be able to at least hear something! http://www.southgatearc.org/articles/g0ftd/indoorantenna.htm This looks kinda simple to construct and fun to play with, for cheap. However, having a decent antenna tuner would be preferable.
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Jan 1, 2009 23:47
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MullardEL34 posted:Is that a Motorola ht220? I've got a box of at least twenty of those, alll decommissioned police units with the TX crystals clipped. I need to get my ham ticket. Well, he said that it was a Yaesu. Though that's cool, I wonder how hard it'd be to mod ht220 into ham band, I'll have to look it up.
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Jan 5, 2009 07:05
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Grilldos posted:As a check-in, I've finally gotten my wife willing to study along with me and take the exams, so I'll be studying up with her fairly quickly and will hopefully be testing in the near future. Well, I'm not sure on the specifics of slowscan/fastscan tv amateur broadcast, but, the hobby in general is definitely not 2-way only. Anything from a rare DX causing a pileup, up to a net operating with sometimes dozens of participants, there are definitely many people listening, and one person at a time transmitting. I assume the "2-way" clause means that anyone can transmit, and that it's not just one solitary station broadcasting full time. People just take turns.
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Jan 31, 2009 06:47
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TNLTRPB posted:I was thinking earlier, would anyone be interested in coming up with a Goon simplex frequency? One for 2m and one for 70cm perhaps? Well, I can tell you that this would work if goons were say, on a campus or something, but internationally? This would be quite boring. Not to knock your idea, but, there's an awful lot of area to cover, and the national / regional simplex calling frequencies are usually pretty empty as it is in my experience. Might be best to just use the standard calling simplex frequencies and maybe have a subtle goon code involved, in the rare case any goons are monitoring? Edit: This pertains specifically to the VHF and UHF (2meter, 70cm) frequencies. Maybe an HF simplex calling frequency for goons, or a small net scheduled for an HF freq would be good? I however do not have any HF gear, yet. Sniep fucked around with this message at 07:10 on Jan 31, 2009 |
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Jan 31, 2009 06:53
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Hummer Driving human being posted:I'm interested in mobile (as in in a backpack or on a bike) rigs and mobile repeaters. What kind of equipment and antennas should I be looking at for a setup that would be set up for only a few hours at a time, broken back down, and rucked or biked out? If the somewhat larger size / weight doesn't bother you, the Yaesu FT-897D is pretty much ideal for that purpose. It's capable of having two 4500mAh battery packs installed and can transmit with up to 20 watts off the battery power. (Full power out 100 watts on HF-6m, 50 watts 2meter.) It is a HF radio with both 2m and 70cm bands, so very versatile. As far as an antenna to pair with it, maybe someone else could recommend something.
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Feb 7, 2009 05:37
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preetree posted:I'm not 100% sure on the number of different channels in use but it would definitely be an asset to be able to punch in a new channel in the field. I seem to remember that one pilot that I worked with had a handheld that he could just punch in different frequencies but maybe I'm not remembering right. Even if I got one that I could get software to program myself at home (if that's feasible for someone somewhat tech-savvy) it would be super-convenient. Well, this radio would give you that range that you want if you modified it (A simple removal of a resistor.) Yes, it wouldn't be type-accepted by the FCC, but I don't know how strict the Canadian equivalent is, and if you don't care about being super 100% following rules and regulations, you'll probably be able to get away with it without so much as a question. It's a very heavy duty, well built radio, and while not waterproof/submersible, is fairly well shielded against the elements. Also it's only $130. Edit: The VX-170 is ultra rugged and submersible to IPX7 specifications (3 feet for 3 minutes) So it is water resistant, I was wrong.
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Feb 10, 2009 04:13
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TNLTRPB posted:Keep in mind that you can run into problems when you try to get a ham radio to transmit too far out of its intended range. Eventually you'll get to a point where the VCO won't lock appropriately, and it can damage the radio. This is true, though, you aren't THAT far off from the HAM bands. I would imagine that it would not be a problem. However, separately buying an antenna that is tuned for that different frequency range would be important to keep your SWR low. Like: http://www.wpsantennas.com/browseproducts/EXB150SM---Antenex-(Centurion)-150-162MHz-SMA-Male-Tuf-Duck-Antenna.HTML Sniep fucked around with this message at 04:59 on Feb 10, 2009 |
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Feb 10, 2009 04:55
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preetree posted:So if I take this resistor out will it transmit on all the same frequencies that it receives, ie 136-174 mHz? And it all functions correctly, the display and all? As TNLTRPB said above, while yes to your question, "freebanding" or modding the radio to TX out of band will allow it to transmit in that entire frequency range, the further you go away from the intended bands that the radio was engineered for the more you risk damaging the output stage on it. You would need to use an antenna like the one I pasted above to keep the SWR low and it's not guaranteed that it will perform well, probably not as well at least as a commercial piece of equipment designed to be operated in those bands. It is also technically illegal, or, against the USA FCC guidelines to use a non-type-accepted radio for this purpose, but to some that doesn't mean anything / they don't care. Is this for work? Are you authorized to be on these channels, in the first place? If yes, you probably want to get a commercial unit that is designed for the purpose and is type accepted for the frequencies. Are you just playing around and want to talk to the guys that you know, etc, and mostly listen in? Then a HAM radio should work just fine.
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Feb 10, 2009 05:53
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Gnomad posted:There was a guy who actually did this very thing on 20 meters, he was running a talk show on 20 FFS! Other hams shut him down by talking over him, also illegal but since nobody "owns" the frequency they had as much right to it as anyone else. For something that's fully admitted to be an AMATEUR hobby for people to play with, learn and enjoy, I don't see why so many people get a stick so far up their rear end about the absolute letters of the law. Isn't one of the principles of HAM FCC regulations "Good amateur practice"? So then in good faith and in a good attitude, slightly bending rules here or there or taking the liberal definition of them, as long as its not hurting anyone, what's the problem? I take it that there was other space vacant on 20m and it wasnt fully congested... And they CHOSE to override his signal and gently caress with him on principle, instead of just.... I dunno.. Going to another frequency??
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Feb 10, 2009 07:53
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TNLTRPB posted:Luckily though, their numbers are steadily dwindling, and some of the new technologies allow you to easily isolate yourself from them and talk with other like-minded individuals. While it's somewhat morbid to say that, I agree. The biggest barrier, socially, to the hobby are the AARP portions of the ARRL, and they don't understand that nobody cares. It's a shame , but, there is a whole new wave of people getting into the hobby, so, I guess we'll see how things turn out in 5, 10 years from now.
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Feb 10, 2009 10:10
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HFX posted:Congratulations. As I've said earlier in this thread, I have a FT-60R and cannot say enough positive things about it. It's $190-ish but a great radio, does exactly what it's supposed to and has all the features you'd need, solidly built, and I love the arrangement of the control knobs on top better than any other radio that I've personally used.
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Feb 16, 2009 07:51
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backstage posted:Yes, the control knobs. There are three. Three! Volume, squelch, frequency. It is awesome. I wish companies wouldn't underestimate the usability of analog knobs for control/input. Tangent: Speakers with a "volume up" and "volume down" button. What the christ? It's awesome having the most critical knobs right there on the FT-60R, something few HTs have executed well in my experience.
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Feb 16, 2009 08:13
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backstage posted:I hear you. It makes me crazy sometimes - knobs are the absolute pinnacle of control technology in a lot of cases, so what if they take up more space. Show me a sound engineer's mixing console without 400 knobs and faders on it - they don't exist, and for good reason. I have the same issue with the concept of software defined radio - I really like the concept and would like to get into it, but I'm going to have to insist on some external knob-like hardware. This here, for example, looks really awkward: You think that's bad, check out this pinnacle of UI engineering, MultiPSK...  
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Feb 16, 2009 08:49
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Speaking of this, I know it's another tangent, but what about tubes (valves)? Are there any manufacturers making replacement tubes for old gear like this? Short of common, current use preamp tubes like 12AX7s and amp tubes like EL34, etc for guitar players? Every time I've looked into it, it was a place that had a stock of old tubes that were "new," but that's gotta run out some time... I'd love to get into some vintage gear, but, I fear that i'd end up with something useless once it needed new tubes, or get into a high price bidding war on a limited quantity tube.
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Feb 17, 2009 06:18
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Yet, It's a shame that d-star doesn't use speex instead of that proprietary protocol.
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Mar 29, 2009 04:26
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nmfree posted:I'm sure that the VEs in the thread will correct me, but as far as I know they'll use whatever you put on Form 605. And if not, you can just file an administrative update with the changes to any of that information, and they will update it and mail out a new license free of charge. Edit: Purely online, on their website, takes like 2 minutes... no paperwork or anything.
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May 7, 2009 08:07
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TNLTRPB posted:My experience has been that portables usually don't do much better than 5-10 miles (through a repeater with a rubber duck antenna standing outside), more than that if you get a decent antenna. Portables are great for dicking around the house with, or very local simplex communications, but if you really want to have a decent setup in the car, get a mobile radio (>=50 watts). My FT-60R made a 23 mile simplex chat with great quality using a small external antenna on the trunk of my car, on 5 watts. So watts can go a long way if you are in good conditions. I was driving on the freeway and had a chat for about ten minutes before it started breaking up, and the point when I started it I was CQing and may have been able to have it longer had I not done so sooner.
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Sep 4, 2009 08:47
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foghorn posted:For a handheld, look at the Icom line. A nice, cheap tri-bander is only about $200, and a D-STAR UHF/VHF is only $500. I've got to step up and disagree... unless you want DSTAR, the cheaper line of icom HTs are, well, junk. Yaesu owns the cheap end market for HTs, and the FT-60R is still one of the best values for a dual bander. To step up from that, with a better battery and smaller form factor, plus more receive coverage and other nifty features, the VX-8R for $370 is a killer radio, and still cheaper than any Icom you could get into that's worth a drat. (Personal opinion, of course)
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Sep 20, 2009 07:17
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dethl posted:I have enough money now to afford my first HT though I'm having a debate with myself. The local radio store here has the Icom IC-T7H Sport dual-band 6w HT for $170 whereas the price for the FT-60R is still $185. Should I still get the FT-60R? That icom ships with a AA battery pack, so you'll have to spring for a rechargable pack and charger on top of the cost, and even that is NiCD, where as the FT-60R has a NiMH battery and charger included (NiMH is a better battery technology than nicads, to boot.) That's just one reason that the FT-60R is better, but, many come down to preference. Having held both, I ended up with the FT-60R myself without a question.
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Sep 24, 2009 08:37
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Sindow posted:Which one of you is this I think he misunderstood the point of the "myspace angle"
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Mar 21, 2010 11:42
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AstroZamboni posted:I know its a long time coming, but after much goading from his former ham (and pirate broadcaster) father and ham boss, SA SWL guru AstroZamboni is finally going to be taking his examinations for a technician license in 16 days! Depends, for a lot of it, yeah, just go ahead and memorize the answers. For the math related stuff, it's your choice between A) memorization and forgetting after you take the test (cramming) or B) actually trying to learn the equations and math behind those sections and potentially keep that knowledge. To be quite honest, you will likely pass the exam with a higher score if you just memorize the question banks and go through the test a couple dozen times (if you feel like that kind of effort.) But if you intend on making your own antennas and stuff, and getting deeper into the hobby then it would suit you well to actually try to learn what's behind the questions.
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Apr 5, 2010 06:11
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AstroZamboni posted:I already know the equations, so that part isn't an issue. Then yeah, for sure, if you feel comfortable with the actual science behind it all, then just cram/memorize the questions for the test. That's what I did. The parts that are actually important will stick. There are a few questions on there that just don't even really make sense and its best to have went through the tests and all the question libraries to tell yourself what they are looking for. Things like "who is responsible for you when you transmit on another stations equipment" etc. I like to think that common sense would answer a lot of those questions, but they have specific answers. Edit: Stuff like that, and the freq. bands that are limited to CW or packet etc. That is good to cram, because you're going to either memorize it with practice if you play in those bands or reference a chart anyway. Sniep fucked around with this message at 07:36 on Apr 5, 2010 |
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Apr 5, 2010 07:33
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blugu64 posted:You want a FT-817ND. Isn't that only 5 watts though?
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May 9, 2010 06:34
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poo poo. I don't know if i just got scammed or what, but, I ordered a replacement battery for my FT-60R just for those times that i run it dry. Well, I got the replacement today, and it looks identical except for a couple things. What tipped me off is it does not seem to be charging. After several hours, its not even warm to the touch like my existing pack and the voltage does not change after powering up with the power unplugged from when I got it until now. Here are the differences I've noticed: 1) The model is FNB-V83, where my original was FNB-83 2) Code in the big box bottom right is H32B not H24B (could be manufacturing / lot code, so that alone doesn't worry me) And the big one: 3) There is a missing contact point on the bottom right of the battery where it connects to the radio. See the image below: (Click for big - the new one i bought is on the left)  I bought it off eBay here -- Which clearly lists it as a FNB-83 NOT a FNB-V83. The lack of the contact point on the battery makes me think it might be useless for me. Anyone have any thoughts/suggestions? Thanks Edit: Sorry for the disgusting keyboard. I don't even eat at my desk, no idea how that gets that way. Ugh gross looks like its time for a new kb. Sniep fucked around with this message at 08:55 on May 19, 2010 |
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May 19, 2010 08:52
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Sniep posted:I bought it off eBay here -- Which clearly lists it as a FNB-83 NOT a FNB-V83. The lack of the contact point on the battery makes me think it might be useless for me. I figured out whats happening on this on the QRZ forums, just for all's knowledge. Apparently its been happening. The box itself does not even list the different part number, but hte FNB-V83 sub-model does NOT have the battery film cover cut off where it needs the ground contact in the Yaesu FT-60R in order to charge. Fixing it was as simple as taking an x-acto knife and cutting away the plastic cover on the battery. It charges now and works fine. Here's the same pic I posted on QRZ (AFTER the mod to cut away the plastic on the batt) 
Sniep fucked around with this message at 08:09 on May 27, 2010 |
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May 27, 2010 08:07
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IonClash posted:Aaand here's one with my new Smiley Antenna 270A Tri Band Antenna. I love this thing. I cant pimp Smiley antennas enough, ive got that same 270 on my FT-60 and it's great.
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Jun 10, 2010 03:00
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Catastrophe posted:The Icom also has built in DSP and voice processing and outputs 20W instead of 5W and has a much more informative, bigger display and has better controls. Looking at the product page for it, I only see 10W as the highest output on the Icom.. Where are you getting 20w?
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Jun 14, 2010 23:02
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ambushsabre posted:book from the aarp Did you mean ARRL or were you making a joke about OFs on the airwaves? Also, it depends on your knowledge level, desire to understand vs. memorize, and ability to choose common sense answers out of multiple choice. I'd say if most tech-enabled people crammed for 2-3 nights for a couple hours a night youd have a solid chance. Longer than that if you want to really understand some of the fundamental material however, if you don't know it already. (I.e. Ohms law, basic math and ratios stuff.)
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Jul 11, 2010 02:56
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<-- Has a general class, yet lives in an apartment, and has no place to put a HF antenna that I can think of. 
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Jul 11, 2010 06:08
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Jose Pointero posted:<-- Had a badass HF setup, then moved to a condo and have no place to put an HF antenna that I can think of. Yeah.. but you SOLD your stuff instead of GIVING it to me. 
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Jul 11, 2010 06:13
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BigHustle posted:I noticed a large decrease in ham traffic since I moved from NJ to MO, at least on UHF/VHF. I have a stack of repeaters programmed into my handheld, but have only had one conversation since moving here. I need to try and fix the FT-101 so I can get on HF, since I know I'll at least find something out there. Same thing here in Denver, there was quite a bit of traffic comparatively in OK when i was there, here in CO however other than a few weekly traffic nets that are over as soon as they start, and nobody hangs out afterwords, there is silence pretty much on all the repeaters. It sucks.
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Jul 25, 2010 00:19
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