Any Ham Radio Operators Here

[wa2ise]

The FCC stopped requiring people to take and pass a Morse Code test for even the Extra class ham license a few years ago. It's all written tests, electronics theory, and radio rules.

For the General and extra they may ask questions on which HF bands would allow (via the ionosphere) world wide communications. 80 and 40 meters are similar to the AM broadcast band (nighttime long distance skywave), 20 meters more or less round the clock long distance, and 10 meters, during sunspot peaks, daytime worldwide comms, but dead at night. When the sunspots are at minimum, 10 is dead all the time.

They used to merge rules knowledge and theory into the same question, like "You have a linear amplifier, power supply provides 800V to the output tube, what's the max current you can have?". Used to be hams were allowed a max of 1000 watts of transmitter power, that combined with power=volts x amps, would get you an answer of 1.25 amps. Oh, that's an over-simplification, but back in olden days the FCC specified how to measure your transmitter power like this. As hams had access to simple meters but not fancy RF power measurement equipment. A reason for a power limit was to keep rich hams from putting up 50,000 watt flamethrowers that would make life impossible for other hams on the bands, and the neighbors. Make a level playing field.

[Bill R]

kd4jks
Have been since the 80's

[Scooterman]

Okay...
I'll come out of the closet.
N6YCE here.
I don't do much radio anymore. Most of the stations around here are silent.
I did work HF and some digital a few years ago. Now, I only use 2m, when I go hiking, to try and talk to my wife at home. (I need to have a straight shot at the valley to do this.)
This darn audio infection has pushed most of my ham gear into boxes in the closet!
Mike

[dciurej]

CQ CQ CQ de N9IKL in Indianapolis.

Still have a Kenwood HF station in operation and 2 meter gear in my truck plus an HT.

As you guys indicate, things are getting quieter on the bands and I don't have time to listen as much as I used to.

And it seems that cell phone use has taken over 2 meters. I used to take my 2 meter gear on trips and talk to my wife and other local hams but I must confess that I use my cell phone for that purpose now, it's more convenient.

[Blast]

Every once and while I'm reminded how much fun you guys are having (not to mention the important aspects of it). WB0BBC tried his best to interest me in ham radio back in the early '70's but the thought of learning Morse code for a test scared the daylights out of me- I had enough problems with SCHOOL.

When CB became popular in the mid seventies I knew the difference between CB and ham. No one seemed to worry about talking on a CB without a license. I knew how much more important ham radio was.

My uncle, Alan Furnish (never knew his sign), was very much into ham in the '80's but I never thought I could, or WANTED to verbally communicate (in real time, I mean, listen to me now ) well enough to be of any 'use'. I got more of a kick out of looking at the equipment they had- the large antennas, the radios (and the EXTRA radios and parts sitting around not being used) and the logs that were kept indicating communication with far away places.

dciurej said that "things are getting quieter on the bands". Is this due to all the 'extras' we have going on today (more TV, games, entertainment, cell phones, the internet, etc.) or to other factors inherent in ham itself?

[g6120]

noticed there are are few hams here who let thier ticket expire and thats a shame but there is a grace period after experation where you still can renew your licence even once its expired .


today you can do that right on line and its very easy

g6120

[MudPuppy176]

I was into CB/Ham in the early 70's. Had a Palomar 300W linear with a 5 element beam for CB, talked kinda far with that. Bought an Allied AX-190 (still have it somewhere) but never got a transmitter/license.

[yorelrecords]

My callsign is kf4tei. I have been licensed since July 1997. I do not get on as much as I used to. I also used to go to some of the hamfests around Georgia.

[Sandy G]

The problem I also have w/the ham community around here, anyway, is that they ALL seem to be 144MhZ guys who know little & care less about HF/AM...I tell 'em about my Boatanchors, & they just kinda look at me like I just got off the Turnip Boat. Their little Keneasucom radios look like glorified garage door openers, NOT proper radios like Arthur Collins intended...

[Cadillac Kid]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

Their little Keneasucom radios look like glorified garage door openers, NOT proper radios like Arthur Collins intended...

HA. That is pretty good, Sandy.

[Randy Bassham]

First licensed in 1968 as WNØWKM would have been WAØWKM if I'd stayed with it. In 1984 got interested again and have had KAØSCR ever since, have General Class Radiotelephone license, had to have that for my last job before I retired. Just bought a new ICOM 718 but haven't had time to get my antenna's back up and get it on the air. Also have a Swan 100MX and a Kenwood TS820. Lots of other vintage receivers in my collection.

[ticntoc]

WB6RLC here. I received my ticket in 1966, I think. Have not been too active lately though. At a recent Ham club auction I pick up a Swan 300. I am looking forward to getting it on the air durning my pending retirement. There is also some 2M gear kicking around. I used to enjoy DXing on 6M. I worked from So Cal to Conn with 50W on AM (Gonset G50) and U of Tokyo on 40M on a Johnson somethingorother with a Tri-bander Beam. Oh the good old days. Looking forward to them again.
Glenn

[SpruceMoose]

W4MBG here. greetings from Williamsburg, VA! have a vhf/uhf rig in my honda insight, and a qrp hf rig in my grand wagoneer. got about 48 countries on that one, all mobile!

btw, great callsign K0FSJ

[shimniok]

Originally Posted by SpruceMoose

W4MBG here. greetings from Williamsburg, VA! have a vhf/uhf rig in my honda insight, and a qrp hf rig in my grand wagoneer. got about 48 countries on that one, all mobile!

btw, great callsign K0FSJ

Good to see another GW owner on here

Michael

[kenhappen2u]

Greetings from N9QPE .... HF / uhf / vhf & QRP