The Ham Thread: Amateur Radio Discussion

I couldn't find a thread for discussion ham radio, so I decided I'd Start My Own.

CQ, this net is now open for discussion of all things related to Amateur Radio. I didn't just create this because I got my Technician License and am seeking an excuse to gush about it on the forums.

Acceptable topics of discussion include (but are not quite limited to) History of the practice (to include both wire telegraphy and radiotelegraphy), the latest state of the art and interesting creations of some of the wackier and cleverer hams (there's a guy who turned his house's AC ducts into a big antenna), pros and cons of various types of radio gear, various techniques, and pedantic corrections regarding the misuse of "Ham" as an acronym (it's not an acronym).

So let the discussion begin. AFP, Clear and Monitoring. 73's.

edited 9th Jan '16 10:26:00 PM by AFP

Does this thread include CB (Citizen Band), FRS (Family Radio Service), and GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service)? Personally, I never quite understood what "ham radio" meant.

This early on, I can't see any reason not to include those other radio bands.

"Ham" is an old derogatory term to refer to amateur radio operators way back in the early days of radio, in reference to the ham-fisted or clumsy way they were perceived to operate compared to professional radio operators and telegraphers. Over the years, it became an Appropriated Appellation, and now "Ham" is just another way of referring to a licensed amateur radio operator.

So, for the two of us in this discussion (lol), thought I'd share my progress in the hobby.

Got a hand-me-down Motorolla M1225 VHF radio. The wife said I couldn't put it in the car (she's concerned that I might drive into a cornfield or a tree or something trying to talk on it while driving), so I'm shopping around for the bits I'll need to run it from home. I can get a 12 volt 15 amp power supply from Radio Shack for a reasonable amount of change (similar power supplies, even on eBay, aren't typically any cheaper from what I've seen, I guess even a 40 year old 12v power supply either works as well as a new one or it doesn't work), now I'm just figuring out the best antenna solution.

This is especially tricky as at the moment, I'm not ready for an outdoor antenna set up. Rigging a loop antenna to put in my window sounds easy and cheap enough (and fun!), but I don't have the equipment or know-how to properly tune it and make sure I'm actually transmitting and receiving on the frequencies I mean to. Might be a discussion to have with one of the more experienced folks in the club. Might also need to re-arrange my room to get my desk closer to the window so I don't have to run 15 feet of coax cable.

In other news, got signed up for a General class with the local club (ham licenses go Technician, General, and Extra nowadays, although some older folks still have Novice licences and such that the FAA FTC FCC no longer grants but still recognizes). Even got a free copy of the textbook, which saved me about $20. Planning to have my General license before my next birthday.

edited 16th Apr '16 5:41:53 PM by AFP

And just passed the exam for my General license, and I've got a HF rig picked out for my first radio, an Elecraft KX3. Soon as I get the credit card paid down, I'm getting this thing.

And some Ham history, How Blackwood man, Arthur 'Artie' Moore, heard the Titanic’s radio call for help

Grats. I started studying for my licence over 20 years ago... But, I gave up: starting A-levels increased my workload, and something had to go. :/

Fiddling with transistors went out the window.

edited 16th Apr '16 11:32:30 PM by Euodiachloris

Woo, made a couple of good HF contacts today using the ham radio shack's equipment out here at my current location.

Does a "Ham" Radio cause someone's voice to sound hilariously dramatic to the listeners?

Hah! That would be a double-application of Large Ham Radio.

Nah, in my experience, most folks on the ham bands sound like poorly-tuned NPR announcers.Lot of retirees using it to socialize from the comfort of their home.

To the two of you following this thread (including me lol), this weekend is the Boy Scout Jamboree On The Air, the Boy Scouts' official ham radio event (although, strictly speaking, Boy Scout troops can get on the air whenever, this weekend is the big event scheduled so everyone can be operating at the same time)

Bought a portable dipole antenna and some other assorted gear last week. Big-ass tripod, a pole that extends up maybe 15-20 feet, and a 12 foot long dipole that clamps to the top of the pole.

Whole thing disassembles and folds up into something a bit longer and skinnier than a golf bag, and weighs about 15 pounds. I'm looking forward to trying this thing out when I get a chance (for now, I'm still using the permanent antennas attached to the club station here).

Also, spent some time over the weekend jumping on different bands and trying to reach folks. Found a group called OMISS (the Old Man International Sideband Society) which holds regularly scheduled nets to both give hams a chance to practice net operations and to get more contacts on the air. Very neat setup, they have a computer program that the net controller can use to keep track of who is signed into the net, and which the other hams can use to maintain situational awareness of what's happening and who's turn it is to talk. Even has a chat client built in as a backup for when someone can't quite hear what's happening on the radio.

I just bought myself a 18' mast and tripod for my Buddistick, which I will use alongside my Icom IC-7300 for portable operation.

Let us know how that works for you. I need to get operating again, I haven't done that since the last time I moved.