[ARCHIVED THREAD] - any local hams? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 9/28/2012 9:33:28 AM EDT
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anyone here a member of yellow thunder ARC? there out of baraboo
I emailed the pres and haven't heard back in a week iv been tiring to get some info about the club since its in my area |
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iv checked there web site my question was do i have to have a call sign before i send in a membership app or not. and was looking for someone local to help me study in person.
also they have a breakfast coming up soon i was looking to see if it was members only or open to everyone.. i figgered it would be a good time to make some contacts face to face, i didnt copy all the details wile i was listening in to there net because i dont have my ticket yet so i couldnt ask them to repeat it 
also i should probley ask in the ham fourm but im having a bitch of a time rembering the math and formulas for the test and the bandwith questions iv seen some cheat sheet types of stuff on the net but its not sinking in my head...other then that im avg about 70-80% on parctice test |
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Usually, breakfasts like that are open to everyone. You'll find most hams to be a friendly open bunch; very open to shooting the breeze, and helping others get into the hobby. If you were closer, or still in the Portage area, i could help you out.
As for the material, www.aa9pw.com has great tests. I took a class for the technician test many years ago. I failed the test, and was discouraged. Few years later, I tried the online practice tests, and passed with flying colors. don't expect to know everything right away... many are discouraged by that, and there's no reason for it. I've been in ham for ~10 years, and still learn new stuff every day. Do you have a radio, or scanner that you can listen to the local club on? it'll give you a feeling of how things go. If the answer is no, let me know. I've got an old portable scanner you can have. I haven't used it in years, and it's getting in my way. 
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Usually, breakfasts like that are open to everyone. You'll find most hams to be a friendly open bunch; very open to shooting the breeze, and helping others get into the hobby. If you were closer, or still in the Portage area, i could help you out. As for the material, www.aa9pw.com has great tests. I took a class for the technician test many years ago. I failed the test, and was discouraged. Few years later, I tried the online practice tests, and passed with flying colors. don't expect to know everything right away... many are discouraged by that, and there's no reason for it. I've been in ham for ~10 years, and still learn new stuff every day. Do you have a radio, or scanner that you can listen to the local club on? it'll give you a feeling of how things go. If the answer is no, let me know. I've got an old portable scanner you can have. I haven't used it in years, and it's getting in my way. very cool i was hoping it was open i think its tomorro they said something about a resturant near devils lake i think i know the one i might have to swing by. i did move back to portage live on cook st. i thought you moved a bit more morth of here? i did pick up a baofang uv-5r nice little cheep radio. been useing it as a scanner because i cant seam to pick up many hams |
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Always wondered about getting a license for a portable radio. I don't ever see having the huge antenna and a room full of radio equipment, but having legal access to something more powerful than CB could he helpful. Mike well the tests are not to hard i just have brain problems with rembering some of the math and numbers. if you want to get in to it on the cheep the baofang uv-5rr are cheep my mother got me 2 of them one for my dad one for me for just under $100 shipped from hongkong if you were to get them pick up a programing cable about $10 doesnt matter if you get the softwere with it or not it can be downloaded for free but you cant enter channel names with out it. makes it a hell of a lot easyer to program. or you could always borrow my cable 
edit to add after i get my lic il be upgrading to a good mobile unit with more then 2meter and 70cm bands but the baofangs are a good way to get in and use to it ebay |
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i did move back to portage live on cook st. i thought you moved a bit more morth of here? i did pick up a baofang uv-5r nice little cheep radio. been useing it as a scanner because i cant seam to pick up many hams My old man lives/lived (long story) on Cook St near the Sherriff's dept. I get down there every few weeks to check on him.
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Always wondered about getting a license for a portable radio. I don't ever see having the huge antenna and a room full of radio equipment, but having legal access to something more powerful than CB could he helpful. Mike I have a handheld radio (A Yaesu VX-6r HT) and thats all I can see myself purchasing for some time. I can see these radios coming in pretty handy if the stuff hits the fan and thats the main reason I decided to get my feet wet into amateur radio. As far as the test goes, I was able to pretty much memorize all the questions for the Tech and General ticket. I would recommend that if you really plan on getting into amateur radio you do not just memorize answers, it kinda defeats the purpose. But if you do not have time to spend learning everything it can help you get your ticket fast. I dont plan on doing 95% of the things discussed on the test anyways, mostly I just use my radio on the 2 meter band. |
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I would recommend that if you really plan on getting into amateur radio you do not just memorize answers, it kinda defeats the purpose. But if you do not have time to spend learning everything it can help you get your ticket fast. I dont plan on doing 95% of the things discussed on the test anyways, mostly I just use my radio on the 2 meter band. I really don't have a major issue with memorizing the test pool, provided you operate within your limitations. If you're just running a portable, it's hard to mess up. But if you're not sure about something, do some listening before you do some talking. I was scared shitless when i first got my amp. I was afraid the tubes would pop, i'd fry something, i'd splatter, etc. I took it very slow, did lots of homework, and started slow. The license gave me the ability to learn how to operate that sort of equipment, but it is not by any means an all inclusive course on ham radio. Many things require hands on work and experimentation...most of which can't be done without the license. A good repeater for the central WI area is 146.88. It has a very wide coverage, and lots of traffic. Once you do get your license, you can run software called Echolink. It's basically voice chat, but interfaces with many repeaters. You can connect to repeaters in different states, or even countries, via software. You talk into your computer mic, and a repeater retransmits it elsewhere. Great for talking to other folks without having a radio. Also a great way to go long range if you don't have an HF rig. Comes in handy too for local stuff, if you want to test your signal, or just ask a few questions, etc. |
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Okay, after reading reports out of the NE, I think it's time to approach this.more seriously. The goal is a solid handheld unit, nit some massive desktop or anything needing a huge outdoor antenna.
I understand that, unlike CB, you're not just supposed to buy a radio and use it. What's my first step? Also, what type of money am I looking at to make this happen? Thanks, Mike Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Okay, after reading reports out of the NE, I think it's time to approach this.more seriously. The goal is a solid handheld unit, nit some massive desktop or anything needing a huge outdoor antenna. I understand that, unlike CB, you're not just supposed to buy a radio and use it. What's my first step? Also, what type of money am I looking at to make this happen? Thanks, Mike Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Hey Mike, I should be able to help you a bit. I am pretty new to radio but I went through the process for similar reasons. I wanted a radio for emergencies and to keep in touch with friends. To be able to operate on any of the amateur radio bands you need to have a license. There are three licenses, technician, general, and extra. The difference between licenses is you get to operate on more bands the further up you go. A technician license can operate on a ton of bands and is what I would suggest you try to achieve. To get your license, you simply need to pass a test. technician is the easiest and extra is the hardest. Local ham radio groups administer the test, send your results to the FCC, and than the FCC will mail you your license and call sign. The tests are pretty hard. Without any studying you will probably fail. However, the answers to all the tests are posted online. As I mentioned earlier in this thread I spent 3-4 hours and familiarized myself with all of the technician and general class test questions. I ended up getting 100% on my technician exam and like a 90 something on my general. After you take the exam and pass one of them, start looking at radios. With a technician license you can operate on one of the most popular bands, the 2M band. Its what most hams use for local communication and can be good up to about 50 miles with the strongest radios. My little Yaesu VX-6R puts out 5 watts and can reach about 6 miles on average and 10 miles on a good day. The general and extra licenses allow you more privileges, such as high frequency communication (think global communication here). HF requires much larger radios and bigger antennas and in general much more knowledge. I would suggest that you get your tech license, or general if you have time to study for the test, and get a small radio similar to the Yaesu VX-6R. There are many cheaper options that work well too. The VX-6R costs about 250.00. You could go with a cheap (but still well made) Chinese radio and spend around 100-150 dollars and be good to go. Here is a link to the question pools for the exams: http://www.arrl.org/question-pools Some survival radio information: http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=189610 Cheap Chinese radio that got good reviews: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/654935_Baofeng_UV_5R___new_HT.html Check out the ARFCOM Ham Radio forum in the Outdoors section. If you need help please pm me and I would be glad to answer any questions you have. Take care and good luck! 
-HB65 Ryan |
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Thank you, honeybadger65! I'll start reading through those to see what I need to do.
Yeah, it's just something that it's time to add to my skill set. Word is that 25% of the towers in Sandy's path are dead and that communication can be problematic. I'd like to have something to get around that entirely should the issue ever arise here. Mike |
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Quoted: Quoted: I love ham. Mmm......Ham http://thehungariangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/glazedham.jpg I'm having thoughts of a Dang! based ham glaze????????????????????????????????????  |
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Quoted: It's something I have been meaning to do for thirty years though....maybe this winter This. Was just thinking of starting REALLY cheap with the Chinese special: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/654935_Baofeng_UV_5R___new_HT.html |
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It's something I have been meaning to do for thirty years though....maybe this winter This. Was just thinking of starting REALLY cheap with the Chinese special: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/654935_Baofeng_UV_5R___new_HT.html It seems like a good radio for the price. I heard its a little difficult to program but that is pretty much the only negative. I think that these radios are PERFECT to give out to family members and friends in a true emergency situation. Obviously, operating in normal times without a license is forbidden. However, one interesting thing I learned is that you do NOT need to be licensed to own radios that operate in the ham bands. Its not against the rules to turn the radio on and listen on the ham frequencies either. Its only forbidden to transmit on those frequencies. So you could give one out to the wife and you could let her know that the zombies in the backyard are all cleared out and its safe to come outside. If she was being attacked by zombies, it would be perfectly acceptable for her to call you on the radio, even if she was not licensed, because it was an emergency. 
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THe tech test really isn't difficult. Read the material, or take the practice tests online. Better yet, go straight for general so you can get HF.
Extra takes a bit of work, and is much more into theory. With a general license, and a computer, you can make international contacts pretty easily. Digital modes (where you hook your computer to your radio, kind of like chat rooms via radio) get through when voice won't cut it. And on low power too. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions as well, although i'm a bit out of your neck of the woods Mike, so hands on would be difficult. |
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It's something I have been meaning to do for thirty years though....maybe this winter This. Was just thinking of starting REALLY cheap with the Chinese special: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/654935_Baofeng_UV_5R___new_HT.html And this may not be a bad place to start. But if cell towers are going down, odds are the ham towers will as well. Some clubs are better suited than others, but not all. VHF/UHF is pretty much line of site. So, if the repeaters are down, your ability is severely hampered with an HT. |
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I think that these radios are PERFECT to give out to family members and friends in a true emergency situation. Obviously, operating in normal times without a license is forbidden. However, one interesting thing I learned is that you do NOT need to be licensed to own radios that operate in the ham bands. Its not against the rules to turn the radio on and listen on the ham frequencies either. Its only forbidden to transmit on those frequencies. So you could give one out to the wife and you could let her know that the zombies in the backyard are all cleared out and its safe to come outside. If she was being attacked by zombies, it would be perfectly acceptable for her to call you on the radio, even if she was not licensed, because it was an emergency.
While you are correct, this is legal, i recommend against doing so. This is akin to to the folks that purchase a firearm, and never use it once. They simply have it there, and assume they will instantly master it the second they need to use it. Knowing how to operate it in receive only isn't the same. without being able to transmit, you won't know the limitations, etc. It's really not that hard to get the tech license, so if you plan to pick up the radios, i'd highly recommend having all radio holders at least get a tech. |
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NAM, on the mobile, so please excuse my writing.
You may be a little far, but that's what email and phones are for. Plus I put on about 15-30k miles per year; a few more don't bother me! I'm grateful for any help that you're willing to provide. My main experience with electronics involves getting zapped by bad wiring and once urinating on an electric fence while intoxicated, so I'll be asking a lot (probably) stupid questions. Mike Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
| I passed my tec test Saturday and studing for the gen and extra now. If anyone wants to buy the baofang 5ur I do have the cable if dlownload the programing softwere and stop by my house in portage or my work in madison and it takes 3 seconds to programe it if you already have the info in your computer |
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I passed my tec test Saturday and studing for the gen and extra now. If anyone wants to buy the baofang 5ur I do have the cable if dlownload the programing softwere and stop by my house in portage or my work in madison and it takes 3 seconds to programe it if you already have the info in your computer Congrats! Usually takes a few days to a week for your call sign to show up. General isn't much more work, but extra is pretty intense. I pick up the material from time to time, then drop it for other more important stuff. One of these days, i'll work on Extra again. |
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Since VHF on a handheld is 6-10 miles or line-of-sight, is there a vehicle-mounted radio that will get ~75 miles without use of a repeater? Bounce something off the stratosphere or something? What about a 10m AM radio like the HTX100?
It's probably obvious I know lonly a very ittle about radios...push the button and start talking is my speed. Cars are even worse...right pedal makes it go faster, left pedal makes it slow down.
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Since VHF on a handheld is 6-10 miles or line-of-sight, is there a vehicle-mounted radio that will get ~75 miles without use of a repeater? Bounce something off the stratosphere or something? What about a 10m AM radio like the HTX100? It's probably obvious I know lonly a very ittle about radios...push the button and start talking is my speed. Cars are even worse...right pedal makes it go faster, left pedal makes it slow down. It really depends. I have an all mode HF/VHF/UHF in the truck. VHF, I can get around 30-50 miles, depending on the repeater. 146.88 in baraboo has very wide coverage. I can reach it up in Point, in Portage, in Madison, down in Horicon. A repeater really helps, as you can place it high up, and at a very ideal location. Naturally, the biggest concern is antenna, next is power. About the highest power you'll see in a mobile VHF is around 75 watts. Sure, legally you can get amps, but at those frequencies, you run into other concerns. Now, that same radio of mine, on HF, I can regularly talk to Texas, Canada, east coast....no problem at all. 100 watts SSB. During the day, you can try what is called NVIS. Basically, it is what you mention, bouncing directly off the sky above you. Near Vertical Incidence Skywave. For this to work, it needs to be HF. Higher frequencies will punch right through the atmosphere, not bounce back down. Your best bet during the day would be 75/80 meter (3.5-4.0 mhz). There are several WI HF nets during the day, that run in that area. While mobiles are better than handhelds, they are still a compromise. If you really want to know the ins and outs of mobile operating, this guy knows his shit inside and out: www.k0bg.com |
| ...as always, if you guy want to meet up for some radio playing, are looking for help setting up a station, or are interested in learning about HF digital modes or whatnot, let me know. I travel regularly to Madison, Portage, Horicon/Mayville, fox valley, and on occasion, the milwaukee area. |
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Since VHF on a handheld is 6-10 miles or line-of-sight, is there a vehicle-mounted radio that will get ~75 miles without use of a repeater? Bounce something off the stratosphere or something? What about a 10m AM radio like the HTX100? It's probably obvious I know lonly a very ittle about radios...push the button and start talking is my speed. Cars are even worse...right pedal makes it go faster, left pedal makes it slow down. There is no plug and play entry level HAM solution for 75 mile range on VHF. It is possible but the "base" station would need a quality antenna at considerable height while the mobile station would need directional antenna(s) and more than likely a different operating mode than FM voice. A directional antenna in a mobile application is hard to use while moving for obvious reasons. 10 meter would work, the problem is that it would not be reliable at all. 10 meter is not super popular for this very reason. You could spend days waiting for a contact on 10 meter, then in a flash you could be talking thousands of miles and in another flash its over. -in general reply to the thread- As to the idea that HAM may be a suitable in the event of an emergency, it is, under very specific and planned circumstances. If the storm were strong enough to knock out cell towers, VHF/UHF traffic that relies on repeaters would most likely be down as well. Many repeater systems are designed to have backup power and such, but if the antenna is gone or the tower supporting it, no dice. Most people get into HAM with a hand held radio which will not do you much good in the world post storm. You need power, quality antennas, and height to communicate without the help of a repeater. A powerful dual band mobile radio (50watt 2 meter min.) and quality antenna on your car is the minimum for no repeater communications. I would expect to spend $400 at least for this, and you may only get 20 mile range depending on terrain, height, and millions of other factors. Getting a Tech license and buying a hand held then sitting it on a shelf until you need to use it is akin to buying a gun and getting a carry license and leaving your gun in the safe, when you need it, it ain't gonna give the results you need. If you have the time and interest, amateur radio is a fun hobby. Using amateur radio in an emergency is not a hobby, it is a skill set that requires training and knowledge that must be continually practiced. |
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...as always, if you guy want to meet up for some radio playing, are looking for help setting up a station, or are interested in learning about HF digital modes or whatnot, let me know. I travel regularly to Madison, Portage, Horicon/Mayville, fox valley, and on occasion, the milwaukee area. NAM is a very good source for HAM knowledge. I e-stalk him in the HAM subforum here. |
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I e-stalk him in the HAM subforum here. Another good source.... there is an Arfcom HAM subforum, along with weekly digital and SSB nets. We used to do an echolink net, but it fell apart. Echolink requires a ham license, but is basically a voice chat client for your computer. It is primarily run across the internet, but you can use it to connect to distant repeaters around the world. Not the same as an old fashioned HF contact, but can be useful if you're a tech and want to talk to someone outside CONUS, or just want someone to listen and see if they can hear you. I haven't checked into any of the ARF nets recently, but used to pretty religiously. If some of you guys want to try to set up a WI Arf net of some sort, I'd be game. As for the e-stalking and experience, i'm one of those people that likes to learn hands on, not from reading something in a book. Because of it, i've learned a lot of things the hard way. lol... I've also make some things work that the books tell you won't work. The bottom line with HAM is.....try it. You might be suprised at what will work. HF lends itself to experimentation moreso than VHF/UHF, but doesn't completely rule it out. |
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(snip) It's probably obvious I know lonly a very ittle about radios...push the button and start talking is my speed. Cars are even worse...right pedal makes it go faster, left pedal makes it slow down. 
It's those dang cars with the third pedal that scare me. Right still makes it go faster, but now the middle one makes it slow down while the left one won't slow it OR let me go faster!
Mike |
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Now, that same radio of mine, on HF, I can regularly talk to Texas, Canada, east coast....no problem at all. 100 watts SSB. During the day, you can try what is called NVIS. Basically, it is what you mention, bouncing directly off the sky above you. Near Vertical Incidence Skywave. For this to work, it needs to be HF. Higher frequencies will punch right through the atmosphere, not bounce back down. Your best bet during the day would be 75/80 meter (3.5-4.0 mhz). There are several WI HF nets during the day, that run in that area. Talk to me more about this. My purpose would be communications to home, post-severe storm when repeaters and cell service are down. Trying to stay independent of repeaters, because if I rely on them, I'm relying on someone else's maintenance and systems. What would be a basic HF vehicle-mounted radio? |
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Talk to me more about this. My purpose would be communications to home, post-severe storm when repeaters and cell service are down. Trying to stay independent of repeaters, because if I rely on them, I'm relying on someone else's maintenance and systems. What would be a basic HF vehicle-mounted radio? Basic? Well... there's nothing much basic about an all mode, all band HF mobile rig.
My mobile setup consists of a Yaesu FT-857D. It'll cover all modes, pretty much 1.8mhz-470mhz. http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=102&encProdID=8CBB7C4BDBAF40129AD4253A4987523C The FT-857 has two antenna jacks, like most HF/VHF/UHF radios: one for HF, one for VHF/UHF. My VHF/UHF antenna is a mag mount SBB-7 http://www.cometantenna.com/products.php?CatID=1&famID=4&childID=4 For HF, I have a bumper mounted quick disconnect mount. HF is such a wide swath...you have two options: antennas for each band, or one adjustable antenna for all. Adjustable antennas can be very expensive. I use a set of hamsticks. I need to change antennas each time i change bands, but for the price savings, it's worth it. They aren't the greatest in the world, but they work. Usually. I have sticks for 80, 40, 20, and a standard 102" CB antenna for 10m. http://ronald.ipower.com/hfmobile.html The last thing you'll need is an antenna tuner. For VHF/UHF, you can usually tune the antenna for the whole band. For HF, it's such a large frequency range, that you usually need to be able to tune the antenna to be resonant on whatever frequency you are using. Untuned antenna = shitty signal, possible spurious emissions (bleed over, etc), and quite possibly destroying your radio. I use an automatic tuner for moble ops, as a manual tuner is way too complex while mobile. If the SWR gets over a certain point, it'll automatically tune. You can also tune at the push of a button. I recommend any of the LDG tuners. I use a Z-11 pro, but they are no longer made. http://www.ldgelectronics.com/ |
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OK, disregard. $850 per radio, plus antennas and accessories, is out of the budget. I guess we'll stick with pre-arranged protocols for now. I appreciate the help and the very detailed response! Your knowledge saved me a lot of time.  Yeah.... it's not something you pick up with couch cushion change. I paid around $600 for my radio with the tuner, but there's still the antennas. You can make it work with less, but not all that great. They do sell "10 meter" radios, in addition to some that are 12 meters. But it's somewhat rare to see an HF radio that is just one band. They do have some QRP units (low power), but that's not gonna do what you want. Usually there are linked and/or overlapping repeater systems. So if one goes down, there are others in the area that cover you. SHTF, I doubt they'll all go down instantly. You'll have some that go down fairly soon, and some that linger. hopefully, by the time all the repeaters and cell towers are down, you're back at home, or the F out of dodge. Stationary/base HF units can be cheaper, primarily because size and complication is not a factor. Old "boat anchor" radios are an absolute no-go for mobile use, but are sworn by some to be the best units for base/fixed use. ETA: you might be able to do this through VHF packet and/or APRS. It's kind of like text messaging, in that you can store and forward short messages in text format. Usually requires a computer, or a packet/APRS ready radio. They do have some HTs that are packet/APRS ready, but again, not cheap. I do lots of HF digital work, but haven't played with vhf/uhf digital all that much. Naturally, like the firearms hobby, ham is not something that you go "all in" to overnight.
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You can make it work with less, but not all that great. They do sell "10 meter" radios, in addition to some that are 12 meters. But it's somewhat rare to see an HF radio that is just one band. Radio Shack HTX-100, 10m radio with SSB, 5 watts or 25 watts. Going for ~$100 on eBay. What range could I expect with one of those? |
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You can make it work with less, but not all that great. They do sell "10 meter" radios, in addition to some that are 12 meters. But it's somewhat rare to see an HF radio that is just one band. Radio Shack HTX-100, 10m radio with SSB, 5 watts or 25 watts. Going for ~$100 on eBay. What range could I expect with one of those? On SSB, about the same as a CB on SSB. Slightly longer than normal AM, but not by much. With occasional long distance skips. Mobile to mobile? Few miles, maybe if you're lucky, 10. Mobile to base? Extent that a little more. Base to base? extend that even more. |
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So in other words, not better than a mobile VHF, just cheaper but with less commonality. Thanks again, I'm done. Sadly, yes. And not necessarily any cheaper than VHF. Your best bet for you given situation would probably be GMRS, IMHO. It requires a license, but you pay, you don't have to demonstrate any skill. You can run your own repeater, and thus, make sure it stays online. |