Hola folks,
Thanks to @LongDuck I have been getting more and more into HAM and all the cool things you can do with it. Figured I would start a thread to compile some of the useful bits I've come across that might help get you going and get you enjoying the hobby. There is a ton of info out there and most of it isn't tailored to the offroad crowd... hopefully this will avoid doubling some effort and help everyone get out and play with comms.
Some great existing info that @LongDuck put together Here
What this thread will be running through:
Feel free to ask questions, I will do my best to help! And if I am wrong somewhere, let me know, we can all learn together. I'm always willing to help install. My motivation is really just to get more friends on the radio so we can chat about land cruisers I'm talking to you @CruiseLanderAZ @knewstance @Roosevelt T @geanes (added Gary because last year at HIH you wanted radio info!)
Getting Licensed
First off, get licensed. Unfortunately this is one of those hobbies that requires the fed's get involved. To broadcast, other than in a personal emergency (ei, YOU are calling for help), you must have a callsign. The HAM community is pretty tight knit and if you start popping on a repeater regularly without a callsign, I kid you not, they will try and pinpoint your location and send the FCC (if you are curious, look up "fox hunts" to get an idea on how they do this with directional antenna).
You are always allowed to listen without a license, so picking up a radio and tuning into any HAM frequency or repeater just to listen is always allowed. A lot of folks do this as it's a nice way to emphasize some of the topics while you are studying for the test.
Test resources:
@LongDuck has been coordinating testing for us with one of the local HAM radio clubs. That's how I got my license and it was nice to go take the test with fellow club members. You can typically take the exam as many times as you want for one fee (basically until the test admins decide to go home) and there are various levels of licenses. For what I'll be covering in this thread, you really only need your Technicians license, and that's all I have for now.
Everyone is different, so experiment with the different resources out there for studying. The ARRL Books is great but it was a little too wordy for me, this PDF from KB6NU really helped me (you want the free PDF, it's on the page linked below)
There are also some good HAM radio test apps that help with practice exams, IMO those are a great tool that helped me.
Thanks to @LongDuck I have been getting more and more into HAM and all the cool things you can do with it. Figured I would start a thread to compile some of the useful bits I've come across that might help get you going and get you enjoying the hobby. There is a ton of info out there and most of it isn't tailored to the offroad crowd... hopefully this will avoid doubling some effort and help everyone get out and play with comms.
Some great existing info that @LongDuck put together Here
What this thread will be running through:
- Getting Licensed
- What I run - Radio, Ant, etc
- APRS (sending beacons with GPS/heading/speed/message)
- SMSGate (sending text messages to cell phones)
- Repeaters (how to talk real far away)
- UV-5R Info
- Interference - The Dark Magic
Feel free to ask questions, I will do my best to help! And if I am wrong somewhere, let me know, we can all learn together. I'm always willing to help install. My motivation is really just to get more friends on the radio so we can chat about land cruisers I'm talking to you @CruiseLanderAZ @knewstance @Roosevelt T @geanes (added Gary because last year at HIH you wanted radio info!)
Getting Licensed
First off, get licensed. Unfortunately this is one of those hobbies that requires the fed's get involved. To broadcast, other than in a personal emergency (ei, YOU are calling for help), you must have a callsign. The HAM community is pretty tight knit and if you start popping on a repeater regularly without a callsign, I kid you not, they will try and pinpoint your location and send the FCC (if you are curious, look up "fox hunts" to get an idea on how they do this with directional antenna).
You are always allowed to listen without a license, so picking up a radio and tuning into any HAM frequency or repeater just to listen is always allowed. A lot of folks do this as it's a nice way to emphasize some of the topics while you are studying for the test.
Test resources:
@LongDuck has been coordinating testing for us with one of the local HAM radio clubs. That's how I got my license and it was nice to go take the test with fellow club members. You can typically take the exam as many times as you want for one fee (basically until the test admins decide to go home) and there are various levels of licenses. For what I'll be covering in this thread, you really only need your Technicians license, and that's all I have for now.
Everyone is different, so experiment with the different resources out there for studying. The ARRL Books is great but it was a little too wordy for me, this PDF from KB6NU really helped me (you want the free PDF, it's on the page linked below)
No-Nonsense Study Guides
www.kb6nu.com
There are also some good HAM radio test apps that help with practice exams, IMO those are a great tool that helped me.
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