Amateur Radio

[NativeSon]

I take it you like disco?

More than ham radio.

[InbetweenDreams]

More than ham radio.

I'm shattered. I mean I can't believe you dislike ham radio. Perhaps you're thinking of CB operators? Good buddy...

[NativeSon]

I'm shattered. I mean I can't believe you dislike ham radio. Perhaps you're thinking of CB operators? Good buddy...

I'd say I'm indifferent.

What's the difference? Short vs. long distance?

[InbetweenDreams]

I'd say I'm indifferent.

What's the difference? Short vs. long distance?

Most of the time CB doesn't go far. CB used to require a license, it doesn't now. What you're left with these days are basically idiots on it, using profanity and so on. This is the kind of shit I heard "splattering over" on the 10 meter band (CB operators fall on the 11 meter band).




Ham radio is different... This is a conversation (QSO) with a station in South America. Stations ID with their callsigns, exchange information, no one is over-modulating like hell with their microphones like with CB. The phonetics "Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc" are used to help distinguish callsigns, words, etc.




There are other things you can do with ham radio besides talk. There are digital modes, facsimile (image), etc...

Occasionally, if you're lucky you can talk to someone on the International Space Station...

*turn down your volume*









Might not be disco, or your cup of tea but it is a useful hobby. There's a few folks here who are retired electrical engineers, one who also worked for NASA (I've actually know several people who worked for NASA, although not all are ham radio operators).

[InbetweenDreams]

Finally, after having issues with our well and so on I finally got the SDR and the mini whip antenna... Had to get an 8 ft ground rod and got it pounded into the ground...connected it to the shielding of the coax line and got it all working...

Works reasonably well...probably need to run it through a bandpass filter or something to further reduce the noise floor...

Was able to pickup a lot of the AM stations and shortwave, pictured below is the 80-meter amateur band with a lot of SSB (single side band) activity.

[Elijoan]

Anyone into amateur radio, also called ham radio.

It is one of my hobbies that here recently I have got a little more serious about. Right now I only have a technician license so I don't have full privileges on the HF bands (160 meter, 80 meter, etc) but I do have full privileges on anything 30 MHz and up.

I'm an Extra (and a VE), but I haven't actually spent much time on the radio. I'm just good at taking tests. The material on the General exam isn't much different from the Technician, so you really ought to upgrade. I almost passed the General by only studying for the Tech. (As you might know, they usually offer the next test for free when you pass one.) My partner is a long-time ham, so I had some help with studying. The material for the Extra is much harder, especially if you aren't experienced in the technical bits.

Anyway, I'm not into it as a hobby, but it seemed like a good set of skills to have. I'm teaching myself CW now. The ringtones on my phone spell out the names for my frequent contacts.

[InbetweenDreams]

I'm an Extra (and a VE), but I haven't actually spent much time on the radio. I'm just good at taking tests. The material on the General exam isn't much different from the Technician, so you really ought to upgrade. I almost passed the General by only studying for the Tech. (As you might know, they usually offer the next test for free when you pass one.) My partner is a long-time ham, so I had some help with studying. The material for the Extra is much harder, especially if you aren't experienced in the technical bits.

Anyway, I'm not into it as a hobby, but it seemed like a good set of skills to have. I'm teaching myself CW now. The ringtones on my phone spell out the names for my frequent contacts.

I think I recall taking the test for the general and missed it by two questions. Perhaps when I renew my license or move to a more "ham-friendly" place, which ever comes first I'll look at upgrading.

I've started looking at CW, but haven't really spent enough time on...been a couple crazy weeks and just started a few weeks ago with that.

I like the science behind a lot of it. I do call our ARES net here often and that's it for the most part, kind of a sleepy town and hard to get a lot of the people to want to do anything besides lunch... If that can even be agreed on.