HAM Radio

[ajw22]

Also it looked like the GMRS license is separate so I added that too. I guess you need both to be able to use HAM radios and GMRS radios. I used the same FRN number.

Now get GMRS for family members who you may want to talk with.

 

[PoolGate]

Now get GMRS for family members who you may want to talk with.

Yeah I just ordered this. Full-blown RX/TX GMRS but also with RX only for many other bands.

Amazon.com

 

[JamesW]

Why is it called HAM radio?

Do you talk about ham?

Do the people "Ham it up"?

 

[ajw22]

Why is it called HAM radio?

Do you talk about ham?

Do the people "Ham it up"?

Because you can eat a sandwich while communicating with others.

The word Ham was used to refer to an incompetent or poorly-skilled person back in the late 19th century.

What is Ham Radio

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.

www.arrl.org

The first wireless operators were landline telegraphers who left their offices to go to sea or to man the coastal stations. They brought with them their language and much of the tradition of their older profession. In those early days, every station occupied the whole spectrum with its broad spark signal. Government stations, ships, coastal stations and the increasingly numerous amateur operators all competed for time and signal supremacy in each other's receivers. Many of the amateur stations were very powerful. Two amateurs, working each other across town, could effectively jam all the other operations in the area. Frustrated commercial operators would refer to the ham radio interference by calling them "hams." Amateurs, possibly unfamiliar with the real meaning of the term, picked it up and applied it to themselves. As the years advanced, the original meaning has completely disappeared.

It also likely referred to many amateur radio operators proficiency using the Morse code key.

 

[PoolGate]

You get a TECH?

Where do you plan to operate?

If you live in a metro area biggest problem with operating HF is the RFI you can cause the neighbors. Modern electronics equipment is not well shielded and RFI resistant.

As Technician I don't think there is much I'm allowed to transmit on HF band. I'll mostly be on the 70cm and 2 meter band.

 

[ajw22]

As Technician I don't think there is much I'm allowed to transmit on HF band. I'll mostly be on the 70cm and 2 meter band.

I was more implying that General Class may not get you that much.

With Tech you can only operate voice on a small piece of the 10M band. Basically a band adjacent to CB radio band.

HAM radio Technician class privileges || Easy Guide USA (Updated 2025) - HAM RADIO HUB

Technician class privileges with pdf download

hamradiohub.com

 

[gkw4815]

Congratulations on passing your exam!

I got licensed a few years back, but haven't been especially active in the ham community. I listen in on the local repeaters every now and then. The one time I was VERY grateful for my ham radio was during the 2021 Texas freeze - we lost power, water, internet, and cell service (related to power outages), but my ham radio still worked and allowed me to listen and talk to a local disaster net.

One gadget you may to pick up is an SDR (Software Defined Radio) - basically a USB adapter that connects your computer to a ham antenna (anything from a little dual-band unit to a big HF antenna), and works in conjunction with programs like SDR# to allow you to listen (not transmit) to anything your antenna can pick up.

It's a fun alternative to getting a full HF setup (I have my General license, but am unlikely to go down the $$$ HF rabbit hole).

 

[PoolGate]

Congratulations on passing your exam!

I got licensed a few years back, but haven't been especially active in the ham community. I listen in on the local repeaters every now and then. The one time I was VERY grateful for my ham radio was during the 2021 Texas freeze - we lost power, water, internet, and cell service (related to power outages), but my ham radio still worked and allowed me to listen and talk to a local disaster net.

One gadget you may to pick up is an SDR (Software Defined Radio) - basically a USB adapter that connects your computer to a ham antenna (anything from a little dual-band unit to a big HF antenna), and works in conjunction with programs like SDR# to allow you to listen (not transmit) to anything your antenna can pick up.

It's a fun alternative to getting a full HF setup (I have my General license, but am unlikely to go down the $$$ HF rabbit hole).

We'll see how far I go. I can see spending a ton on a fancy base station and then rarely using it. I'll get my General as well and maybe my Amateur Extra. I would have gotten it yesterday had I known how easy the test was. The course I took has a dual course which I thought about. As far as transmitting I'll most likely stick to the 70cm and 2 meter bands which I am fine using under the Technician license.

 

[PoolGate]

I was more implying that General Class may not get you that much.

With Tech you can only operate voice on a small piece of the 10M band. Basically a band adjacent to CB radio band.

HAM radio Technician class privileges || Easy Guide USA (Updated 2025) - HAM RADIO HUB

Technician class privileges with pdf download

hamradiohub.com

I think you are thinking of the old "Novice" class, which I believe has been retired. I can use almost any band in UHF and VHF with Technician class.

 

[ajw22]

I think you are thinking of the old "Novice" class, which I believe has been retired. I can use almost any band in UHF and VHF with Technician class.

Yup, I meant voice in HF bands.

 

[JamesW]

Because you can eat a sandwich while communicating with others.

What if the sandwich is tuna fish, chicken, turkey or roast beef?

What if each person is having a different type of sandwich?

Is there some sort of lunchmeat hierarchy?

Is it because you can tune a radio, but you can't tuna fish?

 

[PoolGate]

What if the sandwich is tuna fish, chicken, turkey or roast beef?

What if each person is having a different type of sandwich?

Is there some sort of lunchmeat hierarchy?

Is it because you can tune a radio, but you can't tuna fish?

Ham-fisted is Ham-fisted!

I decided to start studying for the "General" class. I can't really use the HF bands without it. Also going to get a base station (my wife will get it for me for Christmas ).

This one seems like a good value. I really want one that does UHF/VHF though. This one stops at 6 meters.

Icom IC-7300 100W HF/50MHz SDR Transceiver with High Performance Spectrum Scope

Icom's latest SDR Transceiver, the IC-7300 100W Touchscreen HF/50MHz SDR Amateur Radio!

www.gigaparts.com

 

[JoyfulNoise]

$1000 … expensive hobby … and you don’t even get the fancy microphone with that …

For some reason I envision giant aerial antennae and satellite dishes in your backyard’s future …

 

[ajw22]

The 50 foot antenna tower with stacked rotating antennas comes next.

I like ICOM and that rig is great for SWL. To actually work much DX the antenna system makes or breaks who can hear you. With a good antenna system you can talk to the world using 5 watts of power.

 

[PoolGate]

The 50 foot antenna tower with stacked rotating antennas comes next.

I like ICOM and that rig is great for SWL. To actually work much DX the antenna system makes or breaks who can hear you. With a good antenna system you can talk to the world using 5 watts of power.

What do you think of this one? It does 160m-70cm (HF/VHF/UHF)

Yaesu FT-991A 100W All-Band Multimode Portable Transceiver

FT-991A HF/50/140/430MHz All-Mode Field Gear

www.gigaparts.com

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

I have been a ham since late 1986. My call is W0FMS (vanity, ex-KA9VAW). I am an Extra class. I worked for what is now Collins Aerospace (mostly as Rockwell Collins) in several roles for almost 20 years before coming to Raytheon in Tucson and building a pool, but radio is what convinced me to go and become a Electrical Engineer instead of a Chemical Engineer.

I still enjoy it, and spend too much on it, but it's still cheaper than a pool is!

Go for the Extra if you are shooting for General. Since they are only written tests an you are obviously competent... really... Just do it.

HF is where most of the life in the hobby is though I used to do satellite and even VHF through microwave contesting and DX ing.

If you are lookimg at IC-7300 class equipment, I would have you look at the FT-710 or even the FT-DX10 from Yaesu as bring same price range but a more modern design. If you want to try HF and not spend that sort of money, look at the Xiegu rigs, especially the G90, and especially from Aliexpress. Those are fairly capable and less than $400. Plus you'd then would have a portable HF rig when you get a big station set up. They run for quite sometime on a LiFePO4 battery 6AH or more.

Its a fun hobby. I plan on doing a lot of it in retirement. Right now my newest toy is a Chinese web-888 "webradio" Software Defined Radio. I might come back with the public URL later once I get some of the start up issues resolved.. Mainly I am moving that from the pool house HOA heck to the eventual retirement house and running it there. However I have had this broadband device listening to all of the FT8 mode channels from 80 meters to 10 meters simultaneously. This is a recent screenshot of what it has heard in about 4.5 days. Yesterday some time. You can look yourself for current at pskreporter.info. 127 countries and growing last time I checked this morning, and this is at a noisy location with a small active receive loop antenna. It'll get a lot better in the rural location.

These web-888 radios and the non clone KiwiSDRs are available worldwide and you can play ham receiver with any of the publicly accessible ones. Yes, even you non hams!

Congratulations and hope to eventually see you on the bands.

73 de W0FMS/7 AZ

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The 50 foot antenna tower with stacked rotating antennas comes next.

I like ICOM and that rig is great for SWL. To actually work much DX the antenna system makes or breaks who can hear you. With a good antenna system you can talk to the world using 5 watts of power.

This one is only 59ft tall … I could totally see this setup in @PoolGate ’s backyard … as long as it is 5ft away from all water bodies …

DX Commander SIGNATURE-18 DX Commander Signature 18 Nebula eXtreme HF Multi-Band Vertical Antennas | DX Engineering

Free Shipping - DX Commander Signature 18 Nebula eXtreme HF Multi-Band Vertical Antennas with qualifying orders of $99. Shop HF Vertical Antennas and Packages at DX Engineering.

www.dxengineering.com

 

[PoolGate]

This one is only 59ft tall … I could totally see this setup in @PoolGate ’s backyard … as long as it is 5ft away from all water bodies …

DX Commander SIGNATURE-18 DX Commander Signature 18 Nebula eXtreme HF Multi-Band Vertical Antennas | DX Engineering

Free Shipping - DX Commander Signature 18 Nebula eXtreme HF Multi-Band Vertical Antennas with qualifying orders of $99. Shop HF Vertical Antennas and Packages at DX Engineering.

www.dxengineering.com

Doh! Free shipping too!

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

The FT-991 is a more traditional design, less "SDR" but is a fine rig too if you want 2m and 70 cm SSB. (I typically use an older Yaesu FT-847 for that). I used to have a blast on 2m SSB. 6m when it is open is often referred as "the magic band". It depends where you are at but since it looks like DC area for you there should be plenty to do even up at VHF+.

Unfortunately, the price of metals has become very expensive. More so than food even with the recejt run of inflation. DX Engineering stuff is among the priciest of the bunch but is of very high quality. They have another business that you may have heard of--Summit Racing. So that gives you an idea of their type of business.

You are on the East coast with those types of trees that we only dream of here down on the desert floor. Pitch a wire up in one as a first antenna.

Fred W0FMS/7

 

[ajw22]

What do you think of this one? It does 160m-70cm (HF/VHF/UHF)

Yaesu FT-991A 100W All-Band Multimode Portable Transceiver

FT-991A HF/50/140/430MHz All-Mode Field Gear

www.gigaparts.com

I don't have a good sense of the latest equipment. It has been a few years since I shopped for any equipment. I have an ICOM IC-765 sitting on the shelf and once in a while I think about powering it up. Getting an antenna setup is holding me back.

I will observe that all band rigs are a bunch of compromises and don't excel on any band. It is a good way for you to sample what bands and operating modes interest you and then getting a better rig for those areas.

There is a vibrant market for used HAM equipment. Starting off you don't need the latest gadgets. Join the ARRL, find your local radio clubs, find the local HAMFESTS and swap meets, use your VHF radio and get on your local 2 meter repeater and talk to folks and see what people want to sell locally. You can find good deals as people want to move up, down, or sideways in different areas of the hobby.