Posted: 11/16/2014 2:40:43 PM EDT
| I just took the test for my Tech License yesterday and passed. I already have a radio so I have been punching in repeaters and listening. A close family friend is also a ham and he offered to let me borrow one of his HT's so I could listen and transmit once I got my call sign. He brought me the radio one evening with the manuals, everything packed in the original box. He told me that he had programmed a few repeaters and had transmitted enough to hit the repeaters and check his coverage. Said the battery had been charged twice. Then he said that he had other gear and never used this radio, told me I could have it. It is a Yeasu FT-60R. To say that I was beyond blown away was an understatement! Was not expecting that. So I am just sitting here trying to figure out how to operate this thing and where to go from here. Any suggestions? |
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Let me suggest that for a while you do NOT operate while driving. Install a 2m/440 rig at home.
Get on the repeaters, participate in local nets, learn how to operate (what to say, when to say, how to say) and how to operate the RADIO, so that you can operate the radio fluently. Fiddling with the radio while driving is probably more dangerous than texting with your phone. Later, install the same make/model rig in your vehicle. Program it to the same frequencies in the same order. At home you may use minimal power, having a higher antenna, and being located closer to some repeaters than others. For mobile I program all repeaters to use high power, and reduce power manually when driving close to the repeater. Further, do NOT stop now, keep studying. Go for the General, and eventually Extra. General brings you greatly expanded on air privileges. More band, use of HP via phone, you will be able to transmit far beyond just your country. You are then worldwide. The General is only a little more difficult than Tech. If you can pass Tech, with a little more study you can pass General. And congratulations! Welcome to ham radio! |
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Further, do NOT stop now, keep studying. Go for the General, and eventually Extra. General brings you greatly expanded on air privileges. +1...What Jup7200 said! Also join us on the Friday IRLP/Echolink net. It was created for new Hams to get their feet wet in a friendly, no-pressure environment! Welcome to the hobby, NoTread! 
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how to operate this thing and where to go from here. Any suggestions? -Read the most excellent stickies: Ham Radio 101 Everything you wanted to know about Ham Radio The EMCOMM Box -Join a local club/every local club. Learn when they hold nets and check in. -Join your local ARES and RACES group, and start taking the ICS classes online. Even if you don't intend to help out in a disaster, it's good to know how they operate and what frequencies they're on. -Find a NTS net, send your friend a thank-you radiogram from the radio he gave you. -Get on board with AmRRON -Keep the knowledge fresh and start studying for your General. The expanded spectrum opens an order of magnitude more possibilities. Welcome aboard, and ask away! |
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Further, do NOT stop now... And there you have it. YOU NEED to upgrade, and upgrade again, because WE NEED to help you spend MORE MONEY! 
Serious congrats to BOTH posters on the new tickets, and that FT-60 is a great HT, you have a kind and generous benefactor there!
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Many gratz to NoTread and GMZ!
Start hitting the practice test for General to see just how similar it is, then study for it and nail it. As a relatively new ham myself, get the same brand HT and mobile. I would hope this will reduce your learning curve since the radios should have similar philosophies of design and menu layout. I got a Kenwood mobile followed by an Icom HT. Wish I'd gotten the Kenwood instead for the above reason. Both are top notch radios, and you really can't go wrong with any of the Big Three. |
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Quoted: Any suggestions? Get your general. But, forget about HF gear for a bit. Learn the basics with UHF VHF first. Theres a LOT to do out here. I'm an extra, and have several HF radios and most of my transmitting is UHF VHF. Theres DSTAR, VOIP radio linking, APRS; all kinds of fun stuff to do. The local repeaters will quickly give you an idea of the caliber of local hams there in SC. Find a good strong repeater ( hard for an HT sometimes ) throw your call out on there, and see what kind of reception you get from the locals. Most of all, ENJOY. |
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Congrats, just got my callsign last thursday
KG5ETI Took me about three days to get mine through W5YI - VEC. test admin took our 605's, scanned them, emailed them to W5YI and they had them processed monday. and had them thursday (vets day delay) Who was your wec? |
Thanks guys! I tested Saturday and they said to check the website for call signs sometime this afternoon. Have not seen it yet.
I plan on taking the general also. Gonna study up on it and knock it also. I went ahead and saved some of the local repeaters to my radio and have been scanning them. Listened in on a net last on the SC Heart repeaters. They are ARES affiliated so there were people from all over checking in. It was good to listen in on. I do have a question. I need to get educated on antennas. My HT is gonna have to pull double duty as a base radio at home and HT on the go. I would like to have an antenna at the house to improve my reception and transmission much like a mag mount on a vehicle does. Where do I turn to start learning about antennas? Getting my license was something I had been thinking about. Then the Special Operations Chief at my dept ( i am a fire fighter) sent out an email and said look, there is a class to get your Tech license for Ham radio, do any of you SCRRT5 members wanna go? ( South Carolina Regional Rescue Team 5) SCRRT5 is just like all the big state level US&R teams but smaller and we don't leave the state. We can mobilize faster and get on scene faster than say South Carolina Task Force 1 since there members come from all over the state and ours drive about an hour at the farthest. So I took the class and here I am. Thanks guys! |
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Congrats, just got my callsign last thursday KG5ETI Took me about three days to get mine through W5YI - VEC. test admin took our 605's, scanned them, emailed them to W5YI and they had them processed monday. and had them thursday (vets day delay) Who was your wec? Congrats to you also! Western Carolina Amateur Radio Society is who provided all the VE's. I can wait to get my call sign. I am at the station today and can probably get some air time this evening if I had it. It will be tough at home right now with a 3yo and a 2mo 
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Congratulations! Now, while you're still in study mode, go for your General.
Hang around here long and you'll find most hams love to build things. A good place to start would be an antenna for your rig, perhaps a simple quarter-wave ground plane vertical. It'll greatly increase your range over the "rubber ducky" that comes with the rig. There are plenty of plans available online. Bookmark this link: it's more than you ever wanted to know about antennas. |
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I do have a question. I need to get educated on antennas. My HT is gonna have to pull double duty as a base radio at home and HT on the go. I would like to have an antenna at the house to improve my reception and transmission much like a mag mount on a vehicle does. Where do I turn to start learning about antennas? You want to buy or build antennas? I have an Ed Fong J-pole at my house, it does very well for a $30 antenna. I've also made several dipoles and moxons for various bands. Everything I have built (and tuned) has outperformed thing I bought (and didn't). Be aware the coax quality becomes a much bigger deal at VHF/UHF frequencies...don't cheap out. |
| Yes I am finding out that hams are very generous. Everyone I have talked to so far has offered to help. I will be 45 when I can retire. But a 3 year old and a 2 month old at age 30 means I will probably continue working at the FD passed 45, if it is still fun. |