Any fellow Hams on the forum

dannybgoode · 02-20-16, 11:08 AM

A question I always ask when I join a forum - any fellow Hams kicking about?

I got my foundation call in 2013 (think the equivalent of Tech in the US) and now have my full license (General or Extra in the US?) - passed the exam for that in December and was about the hardest test I have ever taken.

73

Danny M0SDB

Herpo · 02-20-16, 01:41 PM

My dad has had his license for about 20 years I think.

dannybgoode · 02-20-16, 01:51 PM

Nice - In Oz? He'd be a VK in that case. Not worked Australia yet. On my target list this year together with Japan and much of South America and then maybe some of the rarer calls activated when people go on specific expeditions.

People will spend a surprising amount of money to go on some of these trips $100k+ for a really tricky place to get to - say a remote island in the pacific.

Herpo · 02-20-16, 02:11 PM

Yeah, he got a new one recently. I cannot for the life of me understand what is so interesting, but I'm guessing people feel that way about my own hobbies, so I stay open minded. The word I associate most with Ham radio is Yaesu. Or the endless referencing to woman as "YL" and men as, well, I forgot that one. Might just be in French though.

dannybgoode · 02-20-16, 02:26 PM

Yeah, I can see why people don't get it. For me its magic though. The fact I can bounce my voice off the very edge of space and someone with a bit of wire the other side of the world can hear me and talk to me.

No need for the internet or mobile phones. Just a radio and the laws of physics - fascinating stuff. I was sat on a cliff-top on the North East coast of England chatting to people in the States using just a small battery powered radio and a 10ft antenna for example.

There's some pretty advanced stuff going on as well. Instant messaging, amateur communications satellites, data modes, the ability to call up a repeater anywhere in the world via clever stuff I don't fully understand! One of the reasons just about every government in the world bar North Korea tolerates hams is because of the cutting edge research into radio communications they carry out. Much of the advancement in this field has been led by amateurs in the first instance.

Plus you get to spend lots of money on big boxes with loads of knobs, buttons and dials on them!

travesty · 02-20-16, 03:54 PM

I just got my tech license last year. I only have a vhf/uhf handheld but its pretty fun to hit the repeaters and talk to people far away. It feels kind of empowering in a weird way. I'm in the process of building a 1/2 wave dipole to put on my roof to extend my range.

dannybgoode · 02-20-16, 08:47 PM

nice- you going to try and upgrade? The licensing in the UK works completely differently to you guys.

Even with the basic license you can work just about any frequency including most of the hf ones but only at 10W. I can now work everything at 400W. No 1kw limits here unfortunately!

Definitely worth going for your general and pl playing on hf. I remember working my first US call, my first proper dx I think- was very excited! Still get a buzz when I here a station thousands of miles away repeat my call.

travesty · 02-20-16, 09:18 PM

Yeah i'd like to upgrade but I'm gonna wait until I have an hf radio to play with. That's where the real magic is though.

dannybgoode · 02-21-16, 01:30 AM

It sure is - just do it and then get your hands on a radio!

I currently have a Kenwood TS480SAT, and Elad FDM Duo (wonderful little SDR transceiver) and a Kenwood 830M which is just gorgeous. 1980's radio that is still well up there with the best of the modern radios. But it is a bit like a Sunday driver - for day to day work I use the Duo TS480 combo.

I had a Yaesu FTDX 3000 which was just brilliant and would be tempted by another - only sold it as I needed the money at the time.

That said I am very very tempted by an Icom 7851 but we'll see about that one.

If you ever need any help or advice on radios or HF operation hit me up by PM or on here and I'd be happy to help.