Enjoying HAM but…

[Zipper]

I am not a HAM operator. I am a long time SW and MW DXer. I catch a lot of HAM xmissions. I listen to a few but find it boring, mostly about equipment. I do run onto some guys who talk on AM. They are a very interesting group. Don't recall the frequency right now. I do some CB on SSB this is not the 10-4 good buddy stuff. Pretty good operations and most just drop you like a rock if you start the junk talk. I use a Cobra bare foot no heater and make some good contacts. It is a vast radio world and something for everyone if you look around. Anyone that is into scanners especially public safety stuff need to check out the new Uniden Homepatrol scanner. www.HomePatrol.com. This unit is a slick deal. Not being a HAM I guess I am out of my element here so I will vamoose

[CitizenZ]

I am not a HAM operator. I am a long time SW and MW DXer.

How do you dx on sw and mw if you're not ham?

[crypto]

With a SW receiver?

I love my DX-398. 12 years old and still kicking strong.

[American_Infidel]

I am not a HAM operator. I am a long time SW and MW DXer.

How do you dx on sw and mw if you're not ham?

He just listens for DX. I did that in the begining before I had a license that allowed me to TX on HF. I sent a homemade QSL card to the station in France describing the contact I heard that he had with another station.

[Zipper]

I DX World Band with an AOR AR3030 General coverage receiver and a 100 ft wire. I also use a DX398 and an ATS909 for SW. For MW I use a Sangean PR-D5 and a Select A Tenna. I have about 25 or 30 World Band QSLs. I also monitor the UTE frequencies, and picked up the Challenger once. It is very interesting to hear the HAMs during a disaster like Katrina. They do good stuff.

[Doctor Jest]

I once got a QSL card from a shortwave listener in Europe. They are out there listening. It doesn't take much to be able to hear a lot.

[rhi]

I used to QSL "Pirate Radio" SW stations back in the 90s. I have a collection of really cool cards I've got to get around to scanning one of these days (before they fall apart from age ).

[Citizen711]

IMHO, ham radio isn't a means to socialize with other people. It's primarily a means to experiment with radio.

That's kind of the way I look at it. The strangers on the other end are more or less a means of confirming successful operations. If you happen across some interesting people, that's just a bonus.

[Redemption]

NYKh, you might not be the youngest anymore... I passed my Tech today (missed 2) and took my General as well but missed a passing grade by two.
I also applied for ARES and spent the day with the local club/ARES guys at the county EOC testing everything and playing too. I'm hooked and I don't even know my call sign yet.
"See you on the Radio", Redemption.

[NYKh]

Congrats on the tech ticket!!!

I'm in the middle of studying for a certification and I should be finished by the end of September, then I'm going to do my general and enter the world of HF

[Redemption]

Congrats on the tech ticket!!!

I'm in the middle of studying for a certification and I should be finished by the end of September, then I'm going to do my general and enter the world of HF

Sweet, I'm going to try again this weekend for the General ticket.
I have found a 2m dual band portable that is very well loved by almost all who own it and is very affordable, and I think I may be ordering a few of them (now that the wife and brother are showing interest).
It's the $900 or $1200 dollar price tag on the mobile multi banders that's got me wetting myself, I can do it but add $300 ish for a good antenna and bam I could have bought a used car. Oh well you gotta pay to play.

[NYKh]

Congrats on the tech ticket!!!

I'm in the middle of studying for a certification and I should be finished by the end of September, then I'm going to do my general and enter the world of HF

Sweet, I'm going to try again this weekend for the General ticket.
I have found a 2m dual band portable that is very well loved by almost all who own it and is very affordable, and I think I may be ordering a few of them (now that the wife and brother are showing interest).
It's the $900 or $1200 dollar price tag on the mobile multi banders that's got me wetting myself, I can do it but add $300 ish for a good antenna and bam I could have bought a used car. Oh well you gotta pay to play.

Had the HT out at the deathmarch, I think stimpy, bigbossman and surge are getting close to taking the tech plunge.

[AdrenalineWerks]

NYKh, you might not be the youngest anymore... I passed my Tech today (missed 2) and took my General as well but missed a passing grade by two.
I also applied for ARES and spent the day with the local club/ARES guys at the county EOC testing everything and playing too. I'm hooked and I don't even know my call sign yet.
"See you on the Radio", Redemption.

Congrats!

I got my ticket last month and have been talking with some of the folks from Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN).

[Redemption]

Congrats on the tech ticket!!!

I'm in the middle of studying for a certification and I should be finished by the end of September, then I'm going to do my general and enter the world of HF

Sweet, I'm going to try again this weekend for the General ticket.
I have found a 2m dual band portable that is very well loved by almost all who own it and is very affordable, and I think I may be ordering a few of them (now that the wife and brother are showing interest).
It's the $900 or $1200 dollar price tag on the mobile multi banders that's got me wetting myself, I can do it but add $300 ish for a good antenna and bam I could have bought a used car. Oh well you gotta pay to play.

Had the HT out at the deathmarch, I think stimpy, bigbossman and surge are getting close to taking the tech plunge.

Oh yeah! I can't wait to hit everyone up on HF.
It's only a matter of time before everyone realizes they want the general and we can all have a net. I'll have to call and bug those guys a lil.

[Redemption]

NYKh, you might not be the youngest anymore... I passed my Tech today (missed 2) and took my General as well but missed a passing grade by two.
I also applied for ARES and spent the day with the local club/ARES guys at the county EOC testing everything and playing too. I'm hooked and I don't even know my call sign yet.
"See you on the Radio", Redemption.

Congrats!

I got my ticket last month and have been talking with some of the folks from Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN).

Thanks man, it seems we have a few things in common already like,
ZS, a tech ticket, mountains, earthquakes... Lol.
Well let me know when you reach HF or we can all start looking into echolink now.
I'm certain I'll be on HF within the next year if not sooner.

[WoG]

I'd suggest checking out some nets centered around things that interest you: message traffic, old radios, county hunting, etc. Once you meet like minded people there is more to talk about, but I guess that is obvious.

Wow - great idea, I'm going to 2M to see if I can score some hunting permission in my county. Thanks KYZHunters!

[Redemption]

Just wondering if you watched or listened to any of the Indy car race today.
I know lots of guys that aren't into racing but they always listen to the chatter around them.

[LBB]

HAM is a great idea for a search operation.

We had a mixed operation a while back ago. 50% were HAM's the other 50% were CERT that had there old shit radios on a GMRS frequency, range about two miles.
The area we had to cover was 6 by 6 miles, with the base in town. Besides that HAM's don't talk on frequencies, they don't have a repeater that could do this.

So the HAM's were very efficient in the search, because you knew where everybody was, while the CERT guys called in by cell phone. Never saw a mess like this.


So yes HAM is very good for this kind of stuff.
Also when you are on a tower (130 feet), it's great to have a radio instead of a cell phone.

[mattltm]

lets start our own psk31 and or voice net. pick a time and freq and then we can talk about zombie colonoscopys, get proficient in long range comm. Look at winmor, global e-mail when the Internet fails.

Winmor is a great system.

Maybe we could start a winmor email BB or something? That way everyone could join in so long as they are in range of a winmor gateway?