Any HAM operators?

[ftwildernessguy]

I am studying for my Technician Class license, and I was wondering if anybody on the board has an amateur radio license?

 

[njcamper95]

I have thought about it but never went for it do you know of other people who have ham radio's i only have a cb but it's not stock it has been setup for a little higher power

 

[des1954]

I have thought about it but never went for it do you know of other people who have ham radio's i only have a cb but it's not stock it has been setup for a little higher power

I had a licence years ago (late 70's early 80's) but I let it expire. It was a lot of fun because you never knew who the "skip" would bring to you or where it would take you.

Back then the class was easy and so was the test. We had a 40 ft tower next to the house. The furthest two places we got were the NWT & for a very brief span of about 2 hours for 2 weeks, we picked up Australia. We picked up what we believed to be Mexico or South America, but due to the language difficulty, those conversations went no where. I couldn't even say "I pavor mantenganse allejado de las puertas" back then!! (LOL) I can barely say it now! We got into ham because of the CB craze. Ham is definitely more fun! I don't have a clue how many ham operators are left in the world due to cell phones, satellite phones & internet.

 

[AuburnJen92]

They really came in handy during the two hurricanes we had in '04. It was the only way people could communicate with the emergency shelters during the second storm. I find them fascinating.

 

[the5coops]

My Dad has been a Ham since he was 10 or 12. K8DNE is his call. He is an examiner here in Texas. He is also a liason for Department of Transportation and our City. My Grandfather was a Ham too.

Good luck on your test. Ham's do a lot of fun and helpful things.

Shelley

 

[ntsammy5]

I had one back in the 60s - the hard part then was learning morse code. Do they still make you do that?

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Morse code is only needed for the amateur extra license, technician and general class licenses don't have a code section anymore.

 

[homebrew2]

I had one back in the 60s - the hard part then was learning morse code. Do they still make you do that?

I had a "Novice" ticket back in the late fifties but like you the code requirement
was more than I could master....I could send it but not copy it. Back then you
had to have a "General" to use the 10 meter band...Technician was restricted to
6 meter.

 

[the5coops]

While homeschooling we studied Morse Code a couple of years ago. The kids learned their name and my Dad set up his examining stuff so they could hear real Morse Code.

Sorry pics are so big. I am not sure how to make them smaller.

Shelley

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I learned Morse code as a boy scout in the 60's, but sure am glad it's no longer required. A couple years ago they streamlined the licensing, reducing the number of licenses to 3 and expanding what the Technician class can operate on. Now the test is written and consisits of 35 questions, multiple guess, and the entire question pool is available from the ARRL, but still a cumbersome task to study for, and a lot of the theory, while familiar, was done by me some 30 years ago in college. Watt is the unit of power?? Yes!!

 

[ntsammy5]

Watt?

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Watt?

Yes!

 

[homebrew2]

Watt?

He's on second

 

[kc5grw]

Morse code is only needed for the amateur extra license, technician and general class licenses don't have a code section anymore.

Morse code is no longer required for any license class.

My username is my callsign.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Morse code is no longer required for any license class.

My username is my callsign.

I had my suspicions about you.

 

[ConstableMickey]

I got involved with it through a professor I had back in college. In fact I remember taking by novice test the morning of my graduation. I’m a tech now but haven’t been active for the past 10+ years. With the recent hurricanes, I drug my box-O-equipment out and dug out a few of my old radios (did you know that a NiCad battery pack won’t hold a charge if it has been stored away for 10 – 12 years?).
Packet radio in my area is all but non-existent, all though 2 meters is alive and well. All my 10 meter stuff is still boxed up and my antenna is in storage…but who knows…maybe one day. I even started rebuilding one of my HT’s battery packs so the next storm that comes along won’t catch me unprepared on the communications front.

Good luck in getting your ticket….with cell phones and the internet, ham radio isn’t the superstar it once was, but when the power goes out and phone lines go down, it is the still the best boat afloat.

Constable Mickey aka KC4RKQ

 

[hamoperator]

Hi all , Just wanted to introduce myself. Name here is AL and the call is ka3fad. Been a ham for 30 years , pretty much all bands all the time including the Satellites.
My family and I are Disney vets but just joined the vacation club recently !
exciting stuff to say the least. Our home will be kidani Village opening in may of 09. We will be staying at wilderness lodge january 4 thru the 12 ( 09 ) and then in the tree houses ( we hope ) in october 09.
My question is; will any hams out there be also be visiting in jan.4 to the 12 th. maybe we could make a sced. on 52 simplex or local repeater ? Our son is a cast member at Epcot . hope to see you all soon . Good luck and God bless
73 de ka3fad

 

[hamoperator]

this is how an antenna farm starts ,

and here is how it grows !

 

[hamoperator]

Hi All,

just thought I would post a few pics of the shack ...

the console is on wheels to allow access to the back of the equipment

 

[ftwildernessguy]

That's a pretty impressive setup, Al. I can only dream.......