What good is a Ham radio anyway???

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wpflum

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Jul 10, 2008
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Ok, let me start out by saying I've had my ham license for 4 or 5 years now but I've never used it.  ???

Some background, for a while growing up I wanted to get my ham license, even bought an old Heath Kit receiver and got at least one confirmed station from Brazil or some other South American country.  I just never could learn code or more precisely, I never took the time to learn code. 

When I found out they dropped the code requirement a few years ago I decided, just as an experience, to take the test to see if I could pass. 

Well I did and got my license but I never had a real desire to cruise the airwaves so I just filed it under 'Things I've always wanted to do as a kid and now I have as an adult but never want to do it again'  meaning I was happy I finally had the license but I never really wanted to use it.

Now that I'm getting into RVing again, we had a class A when I was a kid, I've seen ham radio mentioned a few times in the forum so I'm asking, in all seriousness, what good is it??

Is it just mainly for the fun of chatting with people or is there a more useful aspect that would give me a reason to dust off the license and get a mobile rig.

Not that I'm putting down the chatting aspect but that's just not me  ;)

If I do decide to get a rig what should I go with as a basic system??

So many things so little money  ::)

Bill
 
I don't know if I can help you. You're one of the many new hams with a lic that didn't learn code. There are a lot of interesting amateur(ham) radio activities, and ratchet-jawing is just one of them. Rather than go into all aspects of the hobby, I'll just tell you what I have and do.
In my RV;
  a) Icom 706 attached to a screwdriver antenna mounted on the back, attached to a uhf/vhf buried in a wall. It works just fine. I monitor 14.3 mhz most of the time when traveling.
  b) Dual band icom 2m/440 also with appropriate antennas.
  Note: The faceplates on both radios are mounted on the dash or just above the doghouse panel.
  c) 2m stand alone (5w) rig for a 'Tiny Trak' APRS position tracking with GPS. This unit gives my position about every 5 minutes when I 'm traveling. My grandkids like to see where "Granpa n Granma" are.
  d) I carry a backup FT817 and portable fiber glass extension for a mono antenna when parked.

  I like to participate in CW contesting when I can

At my stick house;
a) Have an older FT101 I am rebuilding for the 'fun' of it.
b) Have an older icom745 I use for contesting
c) Can move the icom746 or FT817 into the house if necessary
c) Have an FT890 I use for contesting.

There are many places in this country where a 'cell-phone' doesn't work, but my radios do all the time.
I participate in ARES(Amateur Radio Emergency Service) occassionally, but not full time.
I like to make contacts with hams in foreign countries. Many times they are better hams then we are.

No  I don't like CB's.

cheers
 
Good thread. I've also been interested in amateur radio since I was a kid. Next winter, my wife and I are going to start our RV adventures without benefit of house. I've heard that ham radio can provide emergency communications when other means aren't working, and also that it can be fun to chew the rag from time to time. I have a lot of the same questions as O.P. -- not to hijack his thread.

I am presently taking bare-bones classes for the technician class license. The test is later this week (no code; maybe later). If I pass, I want to buy a transceiver and work on being a basically qualified, confident ham by January, 2009. Suggestions on accomplishing those goals will be much appreciated. Are there internet sites that lay out operating procedures and customs? For RVing?

I'll be looking for a small, inexpensive rig. I've heard handhelds are the way to go. I'd love to get advice from experienced hams, not only how to further my education but what rig to buy. I don't know if inexpensive handhelds would be useful in an emergency, on the road or in the boondocks. For example, I've heard about Yaesu VX170, Kenwood THK2AT, IICOM ICV82 and Alinco DJV17T. Some appear more weatherproof that others, some have digital capability, PC programming, etc. But my basic need is reliable communications in out of the way places. All comments appreciated. Thanks!
 
To fully explain all about ham radio would require I write not a book, but a small library.

The primary use of ham radio is chat.  I mean, Hi Joe, how's your wife and my kids kid of chat.  Since by law we basically can not be paid, it can not (normally) be used for business of any kind (My business was emergency services (police dispatcher) and that is one exception)

However there is so much more.. Marconi had to be a ham radio operator, you see, there were no professionals back then.

Hams also expierment with new tech, They try new things, they strive to get the most out of old thigs. they constantly work to improve both their skills and the hardware they use.  Along the way they form friendships, tell each other about things of interest (Example a closed road might get discussed on VHF) they often provide public service in the form of communications for storms (and storm watches) disasters, parades, races (Not to be confused with RACES) and other events.

I myself have done most of that on occasion, both professionally and as a ham.  I've baby sat a crashed plane, and dispatched troopers to baby sit a crashed plane,  I've provided communications for a fleet of transport vehicles ferrying governor's and their staffs around during the 1980 Republician national convention.. And I've sent Troopers to escort Ronald Regan and Gerald Ford at that same convention.

I've also radioed for the fire department when an off duty deputy sheriff had his personal car go up in flames.

And telephoned for the FD when my troopers radioed a car-b-que to me.

In short, Ham radio provides communications where and when needed.  When Disaster strikes the Red Cross is fond of saying they are the first to arrive,,, and so they are... You see.. The ham radio operator who talks them in did not arrive. he was already there.

But mostly.. We chat


We may chat by voice

We may chat by morse code

By Baudot or ASCII teletype

By assorted digital modes such as PSK MFSK and more

We may even send video (Both slow and "Fast" (normal) scan)

Fax

And more

IF it can be done by radio... We do it.. Likely first
 
Well, for someone looking for an exact usage that will be good for him, it probably isn't any good.  What good is a movie?  A sunset?  A kids smile?  Won't get you groceries or cheap fuel, but are they something that will do you a bnefit of feeling better?  Yes.  Ham radio will make you better at figuring things out.  Participate in something like Field Day and learn, have fun.  We can get comms going in the most bai of conditions, we can be elegant in setting up a nicely planned station, with goals, and priorities.

Will it let us call a cell phone in china? No, but we have a cel that will.  Will it let us learn of new places, expand our goegraphy knowledge, make friends on other continents randomly?  Sure will! 

There are so many facets of ham radio that it could keep you busy thru a couple lifetimes trying them all out, and getting proficient. 

Will it be good for you?  Might be.

As to radios, handhelds are OK for walking around a flea market, but if you want to get the total effect of the hobby, get a real radio.  The Icom 706 is a great one, under 1000 new, find a good used one for from about 500.  Make sure you get the Mk 2 G though, many improvements over the original.    Small, but good power, and all bands you can possibly use.  Couple with a screwdriver antenna and it is a great RV setup. 

Get help with antenna install so you have the right grounding system.

 
Well said John and Bill! That's why we're hams. 

Steve
N4UJP
 
Sounds like my original impression was correct.  Ham radio would be a great hobby and I really ought to learn code, flea powered rigs sound like fun, but unless I'm willing to dedicate much more time to it it wont be of much use or value to me at the present time. 

Oh boy, another hobby to add my list of hobbies I'll have time for after I retire  ::)

I think what I should do is do some background learning of code to get my tech license so I can play around with the hardware end of the hobby when I get to my, cough cough, golden years in a couple of decades ;D

I guess I'll stick to putting a CB in the rig, not that I'm all that interested in CBing but since the majority of the truckers out there seem to be running CB rigs yet I figure it will be good source of info while on the road.  I just bought a CB with built in NOAA capibility so I'll even get weather info out of it.

Bill
 
I run a Kenwood TS-2000 with a KAT-1 auto tuner and random long wires, have chatted with several overseas hams using PSK (digital) modes. and a good part of the US on SSB (And Canada)

In addition for the low power VHF/UHF hand held crowd... here is now something called IRLP (and Echolink which is not the same thing) IRLP is the Internet Radio Linking Project (or Plan or Program, not sure of the "P")

I have sat in Las Vegas Thousand Trails and chatted with hams in Australia and North Ireland (Among other places) using a low power hand held  (Las Vegas is a central node, called a "Refelector" so there is a lot of traffic on Kent's machine)
 
Pierat said:
If I pass, I want to buy a transceiver and work on being a basically qualified, confident ham by January, 2009. Suggestions on accomplishing those goals will be much appreciated. Are there internet sites that lay out operating procedures and customs?

Pierat,

You're taking a class and then you will be taking a test administered by at least three Volunteer Examiners.  Who's teaching the class?  Those folks are a good, perhaps your best starting source of info.

Ask three Hams what the best radio is and you'll get 4 answers.

One of the clubs I belong to (NFARL) has a Yahoo Group.  There was a recent message thread Help for the New Guy? that might be interesting and helpful. 

You might have to join the Yahoo Group to access the messages.  It's expensive.  Almost twice as much as the RVForum.

If you're serious, you should join ARRL.  When I joined, they gave me an  Operating Manual. It would answer a lot of your questions about operating procedures and customs.

Joel
W4JNM
 
Thanks to each of you. I'm up for it!

Bill - Morse code is not required for any license anymore. Lots of changes since I was a kid such as no requirement for station logs, not to mention all the new technology! They even do satellites!

IRLP = Internet Radio Linking Project, according to our study guide. Really cool to send via radio to a computer gateway, it sends the signal to another computer anywhere on the planet, which transfers the signal to another radio to complete the communication. Even from a five watt handheld transceiver costing less than $100. And I thought repeaters were cool. Next, there's a digital internet linking project in process, including surfing and sending/receiving graphics by radio. Etc.

There's also Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) which automatically adds your position to your transmission if you hook up a GPS to a properly equipped transmitter. Definitely not my grandfather's crystal set.

I'll check out the local ham club and probably visit a couple of ARES and RACES meetings to see what they're like. And join ARRL. Thanks again, all. - John
 
I am a VE (volunteer examiner) and we give tests once a month here in the Sacramento, CA area.
There is no longer any Morse Code requirements for any class of Ham Radio License.  There are now only three classes of license (Technician, General, and Extra) The old Advanced license is still active if you had it before the current changes and can be renewed.  I have been an active Ham for over 45 years and still find new things to try.  Our friends track us on the Internet when we are on the road. The secret to enjoying Ham Radio is to get past the entry level Technician license. It has become more of a "learner's permit" and one can lose interest very fast. 
Good luck to anyone studing for the test. 
Gordy WB6OVH
 
Regarding Mr. Morse's Code

Back in, as I recall, the 1960's the Military stopped requiring Radio Operators to know the code. The reason that the FCC required Hams to know it was so, in time of need, the Military could call upon us for a cadre of trained operators who knew the code.

Finally the FCC, amongst much "noise" from the ham community (Many of us wanted at least 5wpm code requirement and for good reason at least for Extra Class)  Dropped all requirements for Morse Code.

They do, however, require you know Rocket Science to pass the Extra Class test :)

I got my Extra 2 months before they dropped the code. (Tested 3 months before)
 
The hams that really enjoy this hobby for the long term have an advantage... it's in their GENES.

  If you have a passion for all the things that electricity, RF and associated circuitry can accomplish, you will be a good candidate for a very rewarding hobby. If not, don't waste your time and money. Chatting ala CB is a minor part for most of us.

carson FL
 
Someday, over a campfire, ask me to tell you about ham radio in the 1950's when it took more than a credit card to get on the air.  Also about the beginnings of Amateur Electronics Supply, when it was just a small storefront in Milwaukee where I hung out on Saturdays.

KD5DRA formerly K9OQL
 
Ned said:
Someday, over a campfire, ask me to tell you about ham radio in the 1950's when it took more than a credit card to get on the air.  Also about the beginnings of Amateur Electronics Supply, when it was just a small storefront in Milwaukee where I hung out on Saturdays.

Way back when Terry was King with that funny looking crown.  :)

Phil
 
Terry wasn't around much during the day as he was going to MSOE at the time, but I did know Steve quite well.  Many of the local hams hung around the store on weekends.  We even spent money there sometimes :)
 
Anyone have experience with ARES or RACES? Sounds like those activities might help one develop skills that might make one a fairly portable, useful volunteer.
 
I have done both ARES (I mentioned assisting with communications for parades and Marathons) and RACES (used to be card carrying 30 years ago) but am not currently involved due to Homeland Security rules for RACES members and the fact that I'm trying to be "Mobile" so don't wish to put my county to the expense of certifying me.
 
What good is a ham radio?  Ham radio has been a GOOD hobby for me since 1962, when I was first licensed as a novice at the age of 13.  Took all of my exams in the Tampa FCC office, including code up to 20 wpm for the extra class in 1981.  I've worked cw, am, fm, ssb, rtty, QRP, field day, DX contests, and what a thrill it still is.  Built receivers, transmitters, synthesizers, amplifiers, antennas, and fixed em all too.  Worked several hundred countries, heard the shuttle Columbia in the early days, the ISS, and worked the satellites. 

What good is it?  Well, the thrill must come from within, I suppose.  Just the other day we pushed the envelope on 40m on my regular morning sked.  Another ham is located about 100 miles away here in FL, so we usually can't hear each other at 8:30am local time.  So we utilized a remote SSB HF station using Echolink near Washington, DC and what a thrill that was.  Nashville, Clearwater, and Palmdale (in the swamp, FL) finding innovative ways to communicate.

So don't be square, get on the air!
Deen, W4ANR (ex KC4ZD, WA4JMJ, WN4JMJ)
 
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