Amateur, 'HAM" Radio

[RVTECH]

I have been interested in the aforementioned for a long time (years actually) and recently started taking a class sponsored the local amateur radio group in LaPine.

Pretty interesting and I am learning a lot! A background in electronics, along with having dabbled with CB, & shortwave radios all my life, along with other things as well is really helping out however but there is a lot of new stuff to learn!

Anyway learning a lot and meeting some nice people.

There seems to be a few 'HAMS' on the forum and if any of you have any quick tips, shortcuts or other basic info that might help an newbee I would appreciate it.

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[parallax]

Hurry and at least get your tech..I believe theres a repeater near lapine that hooks to most of Oregon as many repeaters are linked together.

Repeater Listings | Peak Radio Association

www.w7pra.com

 

[Tinman357]

I'd like some info as well. Just getting into ham. Total newbie.

 

[joshkk]

There is a 25 page thread here: https://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/ham-radio-starter-kit-information-for-beginners.159771/

 

[RVTECH]

Yea I am currently listening in on 146.640 which is near Sunriver and used locally.

Been tuning in on several others locally but not hearing anything.

 

[parallax]

ill call ya...lol

 

[RVTECH]

Update - I passed my 'Technician' test this morning !

I gave the General a shot (as it was free) but did NOT pass - as no one else did either who took the Tech and tried it as well.

I was hoping my 'background' in electronics would help - and it did - but there was a lot of stuff I did NOT know and had to answer on 'deductive reasoning' !

Passing tech was the important part however!

 

[RVTECH]

Started on my first ham radio antenna this morning.

I am making a simple 2 meter dipole with an adjustable vertical 'beam'.

Below is the adapter I machined this morning which will have a set screw to allow a bit of adjustment for a 20" peice of 1/4 aluminum roundstock that will function as the vertical beam.

This will be mounted on an approx. 4" square piece of aluminum plate and with the corners bent at about 45 degree angles and each will have an approx. 20" 'dipole' off each corner. Simple but very effective for the 2 meter band.

 

[Mike_M57]

I made a contact to Slovenia on HF last night.

 

[Frank RW]

Haven't been active in amateur radio much the past five years. About the time I took up air-gun shooting.

Anyway, decided to fire up the radio and monitor for the weekend. These are the hams I picked up in the last 24 hours of doing so.



SOURCE: PSKReporter

 

[RVTECH]

Well my license was activated yesterday so last night I was chatting with the locals on 2 meter and tweaking my Baofeng !

KJ7ZNH

 

[Mike_M57]

I've got a dual-band radio I'm thinking of setting up next to the 7300. That would give me an excuse to build another antenna.

Maybe I'll re-create the 2-meter 10-element cubical quad I built years ago, and ad a second set of elements for 70cm. I'd just need to find a cheap TV antenna rotator.

Time to start scrounging for materials...

 

[RVTECH]

I was recently given two older ICOM 2 meter radios - basically the same units but one is a little older and is only 25 watts and the other is 100!

The 25 watter works great but the 100 has some problems in that it was stored/came from a humid area and has a lot of rust on the metal parts inside and several of the DIP switches do not work consistently but I have been trying to clean them and am having some success. I had to modify a couple microphones to work with them (as they were missing the originals) and now have them working fairly well!

 

[redmond]

Go to hamstudy.org and keep taking the General test until you are passing at 90% or better and then retake it at the VE group and you will pass it. Might as well take Extra at the same time. Not much harder, just more questions.

 

[Jason999]

It's nice to see others getting into amateur radio. I haven't had my cb base station hooked up in the last 3 years. Though I do enjoy some shortwave dx-ing on my 01A regen.

 

[Hal OPeridol]

I was an 05H and a 98G(GM) when I was in the Army from 1983 to 1993. Radio Intercept Operator (Morse) and (German). Fun times.

At my best I could copy 44 gpm mixed traffic in morse, had my general class ticket back around 1996. Passed the morse portion of the exam first time at 20 wpm.

My rig is not set up right now, but I have 3 R-390 series receivers, an Icom 2 meter rig and another HF transciver, Sadly let my license lapse several years ago, but a project I am working on this summer is setting up my ham shack in my garage before fall sets in.