Ham Radio

[Nick1911]

Communications are good. Maybe even more so in longish bad situations. Well, maybe not zombie invasions , but for real life SHTF - when basic infrastructure is knocked down by natural disasters (hurricane, blizzard/ ice storm) for instance.

I've been thinking about getting an amateur radio license for a few years now (always being into electronics and computers); I'm considering that it may be an entertaining hobby (packet radio still around?) as well as a valuable tool to have at my disposal. Is anyone on here into radio, or has this slipped into obscurity with the ease of communication that the internet has provided us? In your opinion, is it worth investing time into?

Thanks.

Mods: Feel free to close or delete this thread if you feel it is too far off topic. Thanks.

 

[gtd]

It's worth the effort if you enjoy technical hobbies, anyway (and it seems that you do).

It's interesting as a hobby, anyway, and it also is recognized as a service. You'll learn about that in studying for the exam. By the way, the exam is not difficult with self study using "Now You're Talking" published by the ARRL (www.arrl.org).

I always take my handheld radio on backpacking trips. Cell phones usually don't work, and your combination of additional transmit range, radio skill and knowledge, and the help of others to listen for one another can keep you connected in tough times.

If you're not interested in investing time and energy in a new hobby or service, let it go. It's no good unless you do it properly and practice, just like anything else.

Greg
KB3GDD

 

[RevDisk]

Is anyone on here into radio, or has this slipped into obscurity with the ease of communication that the internet has provided us

Some of us geeks can patch into the internet through amateur radio.

Buddy of mine drove from Ottawa to Las Vegas, and kept a feed going from his GPS unit to his website most of the way.


It can be an expensive hobby if you want good equipment.

 

[mete]

Every time there is an emergency ,flood, earthquake etc all the idiots decide to call their friends and chat about it ,completely tying up the phone system.The only reliable communication system is then ham radio.Another point here, the Brits shut down the cell phone system in the recent terrorist event to prevent terrorists from setting off bombs by cell phone. Some areas have very effecient ham emergency systems [ ARES, RACES etc]. In this area we've had two major floods in the last year and hams were very involved with this. Just doing our thing !

 

[ZenMasterJG]

Ham radio really is great fun. Packet radio is still around. Learning morse code was the hardest part for me, but that signal will go FAR. My set is absolutly useless, and i've talked as far as germany, and some mobile on a boat out in the pacific somewhere. I highly recommend getting into it, so long as you can afford ANOTHER hobby you can pour too much money into

 

[enfield]

I've invested the last 29 years into amateur radio and have no regrets.

 

[migoi]

The morse code part...

is the only difficult part and now the code requirements are very low. For the technician class there are no code requirements, just a test. As an aside note, when I went to do my testing for technician and general my wife went with me. She was cajoled by the test administrator into taking the technician level exam, she passed with zero prep. Of course her 27 years in navy communications probably helped.

The code requirements for general class are only 5 wpm. I severely dislike morse code, detested it when I learned it the first time in the navy and the experience didn't get any better when I tortured myself back to 5 words per minute for the general license, but it can be done in a relatively short period of time.

If you go to qrz.com you will find info on how to become a ham. The written tests are taken from published question pools and qrz.com has practice test that when taken repeatedly will eventually run you through the entire pool. You can also obtain books with the entire question pool in them along with explanations as to the right answer.

Not that hard, makes a good short term project.

migoi
NH7OF

 

[RevDisk]

Ah, many fond memories of working with radios. Once I was doing a satellite comm class and had a few dozen portable terminals with me. The point is to get people to set them up, use a compass to get the right az, and get the proper angle to actually hit the right satellite.

I was using another radio to communicate with my 'base station' back at HQ. Some idiot wandered onto our frequency (mind you, out of the thousands of empty frequencies and in a RESTRICTED part of the sprectrum.) Ok, he wants to play funny? Break out the directional locator...

"NEW COORDINATES! Azmith, 120. Angle, FIVE degrees. I say again, FIVE degrees."
"Maximum power, test loop, repeat repeat repeat, fire for effect!" (Any Arty guys will grin ear to ear when they hear those lovely words.)

Burned him straight off the airspace. Heck the HERF alone probably fried the guy's rig. One of my students with a proper sense of humor took it in stride. (In a really bad Scotty accent) "Cap't, I dunt know how much longer she can take it! She's a'comin apart at the seams!"

Of course, I properly stand in awe of the AEGIS platform. Couple MILLION watts of RF power. I bet properly applied, you could splash a fighter with the radar alone.


You probably don't even wanna know the time I lined the parameter of our camp with SCAMPS satellite terminals, and attached two empty tubes to each unit. I'd power cycle them occasionally to make them "scan" the parameter. (They move the dish around on their own.)

http://www.sed.monmouth.army.mil/comm/tsat/images/scamp1.jpg

 

[Andrew Rothman]

In Minnesota, A ham license also makes it legal (it's not otherwise) to carry a police scanner in your car. That's about reason enough for me!

 

[dpesec]

Yes it is

I've been a ham for over 20 years. While I haven't been active in a while, I still have all the equipment. Yes it can be expensive, but if you invest in good equipment up front it will last a long time.
As it has been mentioned morse code can go a long way in bad conditions, so I'd still suggest learning it. I had to learn the 5 and 13 WPM for my ticket. I actually passed the 20 WPM test but didn't pass the written. It was a pain in the butt.

Good luck

 

[WvaBill]

HAM is really fun. Even though Commo infrastructure is much better, it can be overloade(TWA 800 overloaded cell system). The only functional radio in my vehicle is the FM transceiver. It doubles as LE/EMS scanner

Don't have to worry about dropped calls, either.

HAM over internet

Modes

Exams

kc8cog

 

[Cesiumsponge]

What different license levels are there? I'm aware there are a few different types but I don't know if there is a beginner's FAQ resource out there. I know a few younger guys that are hammers but I never really got into it...got spoiled by the Internet and other electrical goodies.

RF can be scary. I've gotten an RF burn when grabbing for a screwdriver on a table whilst in the RF envelope of an operating a vaccum tube tesla coil before and that hurt plenty. Made a hell of an arc though

 

[RevDisk]

RF can be scary. I've gotten an RF burn when grabbing for a screwdriver on a table whilst in the RF envelope of an operating a vaccum tube tesla coil before and that hurt plenty. Made a hell of an arc though

That's why you make sure the power is off before you go touching tools.

Yea, I've seen nasty RF burns. A doc explained the concept to me in simple terms. Think of it as sunburn. But capable of going through your body. Ew.

 

[WvaBill]

What different license levels are there?

Three Classes, One with no code requirement.

The FCC's new licensing plan means someone will be able to become a ham by passing a single 35-question written examination. The plan also simplifies and shortens the upgrade path from the ground floor through Amateur Extra--especially since amateurs will only have to pass one Morse code test.

 

[Nick1911]

Awesome, thanks for the info. I've ordered a book to get me started. (I stick with books better then internet info...) The practice exam didn't look too bad, for the technical anyway. Seemed to be mostly basic electronics stuff

Is this the kind of thing that could be set up in an apartment? Seems some of these antennas are mighty big (I'm guessing to better accommodate different wavelengths?)

I highly recommend getting into it, so long as you can afford ANOTHER hobby you can pour too much money into

Yea... about that ; how much money am I looking at to get into this? Looks like the license fee and training materials will be pretty cheap, but what's a good to middle of the road transceiver cost? Is it something that is better to buy used?

"NEW COORDINATES! Azmith, 120. Angle, FIVE degrees. I say again, FIVE degrees."
"Maximum power, test loop, repeat repeat repeat, fire for effect!" (Any Arty guys will grin ear to ear when they hear those lovely words.)

The only functional radio in my vehicle is the FM transceiver.

Really stupid question: Does a normal transceiver do frequency modulation as well as amplitude modulation? Are there certain frequency ranges the hardware is limited to in that respect?

RF burns sound pretty harsh. Guess like anything (hmm... guns?) one has to be careful around this stuff

What is packet radio like to use? Any special hardware needed to go between the computer and the transceiver?

Thanks

 

[444]

I have been a ham since the late 1970s.
I hold an extra class license.
I totally lost interest in ham radio when they started down the path of doing away with morse code and giving out all the questions and answers to the test. I sold all my gear (approx. $20,000 was my take after selling my used gear) and have never been on again.

 

[Bufford t. Justice]

Same here. I ran an ICOM for years. Rangers in the truck etc....but it just got so noisey out there with all the "gimmies" and unlicensed yahoos with linears and a little cash to invest in equipment. The licensing is trivial anymore to many with large mobile rigs so they don't bother. Just loads the freqs with a bunch of noise from inconsiderate and unprofessional operators.

But hey, if the shtf I can build my own rig and know which freqs to find folks on.

 

[RevDisk]

RF burns sound pretty harsh. Guess like anything (hmm... guns?) one has to be careful around this stuff

Well, here's a general suggestion. Don't mess with the antenna while it's plugged in and transmitting. If you want to do anything, I recommend unplugging it first. But that's just me.

What is packet radio like to use? Any special hardware needed to go between the computer and the transceiver?

Depends on the equipment. Again, I'm more familiar with military stuff, so I might be wrong on the civvie side. For some pieces of equipment, you'd need a device to sit inbetween your PC and your radio to translate the signal from analog (ie, waves going through air) to digital (bits on your computer can understand). For other pieces of equipment, said device already build into the equipment.

 

[armedandsafe]

I got my amateur license (general class) when I was 8, which was just a little while ago. I've been out of radio since the late 70s, but had a lot of fun while I was in it.

One thing to think about is that there are about 100 million CB units sitting on back shelves in closets and garages, which run on car batteries. They will ALL be pulled out and plugged in if the grid goes down.

I have a couple of PRC 10s, and a base station which tune to the 11 meters. SSB, but very handy.

Pops

 

[Sheldon J]

You forgot to tell him that you can get some real neat and small radios that are light years ahead of anything the general consumer usually has, and you can have a legal police scanner (part of almost all HT's (handie talkies)) on you and in your vehicle. Here in Mi we have a law on the books specifically protecting us in this area. Also a ham call license plate will get you through most areas blocked by and emergency, but you are almost always there to help with communication. Fires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, when the cell phones and other forms of communacation break down the hams are there.
DE N8MVV

 

[AnthonyRSS]

I was involved in amateur radio for some time. I got my license (tech) when I was 14, I think.

If you want books, look at Gordon West's stuff.

And now that you mention it, I am going to get my HT out and maybe even hook up my mobile.

W4AKR

 

[yci]

Ham Radio is, in my opinion, still a very viable and enjoyable hobby (I have an Extra Class license). There are several very active clubs in my area, as well as extremely active emergency communications groups.

I really enjoy the hobby, but am starting to complain that my involvement in it has severely curtailed the amount of free time that could be spent at the range instead. I spend a lot of my time helping on the emergency communications side of things and it seems there's never a lack of events that we can use for training (large bicycle rides, various races up and down Pikes Peak, assisting in the National Disaster Medical System exercies, etc.). I also spend time as a Volunteer Examiner for one of the clubs.

Packet radio doesn't enjoy the popularity it did many years ago, however it is starting to make a come back. I'd actually say that's true for all of the digital modes, not just packet (PACTOR, RTTY, PSK31, AMTOR, etc). Some friends and I are currently looking into how we can utilize this digital capability in our emergency communications group, and have spent a lot of time experimenting with some of the newer aspects and capabilities. A Terminal Node Controller (TNC) is necessary to interface between the computer and radio. Though there are a few radios on the market with a packet only TNC built into them. There is some work going on with using a computer's sound card to act as an interface to a software TNC, though my experience with this is they have a long way to go to achive what the hardware TNCs can do.

I'll second Gordon West's books as study guides. I used his when I studied for my license. However I find he doesn't go into enough detail on a lot of things. I found it very effective to use Gordon's books to study the question pool (which is what his books mainly are) and then use publications from the ARRL to get a more in-depth explaination of the theories and such.

 

[WvaBill]

Does a normal transceiver do frequency modulation as well as amplitude modulation? Are there certain frequency ranges the hardware is limited to in that respect?

Mine does the FM in 2 Meter 70cm bands. AM, SSB, CW are available on some rigs.

how much money am I looking at to get into this?

Depends on how hard you jump. $200 will do it. Much more can be spent.
Find a club in your area to see what repeaters, activities are available and to see the different things that eadh mode and rig does that might interest you.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I've been thinking about getting my ham license for awhile, and finally ordered a copy of Now You're Talking this afternoon from Amazon. I figured between guns and computers, I didn't have enough expensive geeky hobbies.

 

[444]

"Does a normal transceiver do frequency modulation as well as amplitude modulation? Are there certain frequency ranges the hardware is limited to in that respect? "

Just as a broad guide: on the HF bands (aka the low bands 30 mhz - 1.6 khz) voice is usually transmitted on SSB. On the VHF and UHF bands MOST people use FM. Very little is done on AM. Morse Code is by far the most practical mode, but it's use has been in decline because it takes some work to learn. Let's face it, if you are given all the answers to the test, who wants to put real effort into learning the code ?
There are many exceptions to this, but this is what is being done by the VAST majority of hams on the air. The people that arn't are involved in more exotic aspects of the hobby. For example VHF and UHF are used for Satillite communication and this is mostly done on SSB. But, the whole time I was an active ham, I was the only one I knew personally that was active on satillites and I was using FM. So, my statement is not true for all hams, just the overwhelming majority.

The cost of ham radio can be whatever you want it to be. Back in the days when hams really knew and understood theory, they built their entire station from power supply to antenna using stuff they got for free. When I first got into ham radio, someone who just went out and bought everything was called an "appliance operator". Now, very few people build anything and even fewer know how: although this can still be done and it isn't hard. If you want to get into the hobby for some SHTF senario, this would be the way to go. Gear designed to transmit and receive morse code is simple and inexpensive to build yet can provide worldwide communication. All other modes require much more hardware/knowlege/component parts to build. Building your own gear isn't exotic or out of the question. Again, keep in mind that at one time EVERY ham built his or her own gear. As was mentioned, you can buy something like a VHF handheld radio for 2 meters used for $100 or less depending on how hard you look, and what you are willing to settle for. Hams have shows just like gun shows called Hamfests. In the summer I used to spend almost every weekend driving to one somewhere. There are also countless websites, newsletters, and magazines with used gear in them. At the opposite end of the specturm there are a large number of hams who spend staggering amounts on ham radio up to and including houses on exotic islands complete with mutiple 100+ feet towers and multiple operating positions.
The gear you buy today does more than at any other time in history. The radios are smaller and when you consider what these radios offer, they have never been cheaper.