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Huh????Just checking in to make sure everyone who wants to get a license is getting the needed support.
Christine.
An Elmer is a ham radio operator that helps interested non hams and newbies get started in the hobby. I just wanted to make sure any newbies were getting the help they needed.Huh????
Yes, we have some knowledgeable people around here. Elmer is a ham term, but think mentor. It doesn't just have to be someone helping you study for your exam, it could be someone helping setup your station, teaching you how to tune a dipole, practicing CW with you, helping you get over mic fright and make that first contact, etc.An Elmer is a ham radio operator that helps interested non hams and newbies get started in the hobby. I just wanted to make sure any newbies were getting the help they needed.
You know you can call me any time you have a questionThanks for the offer/concern.
Got my Technician last Friday.
Might need some help whenever I decide to do "General". Probably over the winter.
Yes, all of that, and all of you here on NES, at CMARA, at QVARC, and a few from my town and sportsman's club.Yes, we have some knowledgeable people around here. Elmer is a ham term, but think mentor. It doesn't just have to be someone helping you study for your exam, it could be someone helping setup your station, teaching you how to tune a dipole, practicing CW with you, helping you get over mic fright and make that first contact, etc.
I like to think a few of us Elmered @Coyote33 but I think most of it was peer pressure and nagging. But he did get help with general and detailed questions about amateur radio, setting up a radio, building an antenna, choosing coax, setting up repeaters on the beloved 'feng, and so on. The donated 2m radio from the club is another example.
Elmer is also the husband of Elsie the cow in advertising geneology.An Elmer is a ham radio operator that helps interested non hams and newbies get started in the hobby. I just wanted to make sure any newbies were getting the help they needed.
I guess my first question is:
I seem to remember something about a computer driven digital mode that exchanges were brief and basically completely electronic. Something like a packet goes out, you recieve, ship similar packet out and that's your contact.
Though it sounds boring for some, I think while I don't know what I'm talking about it might be the first foray into ham and some long contacts, but I forget what the term is to look it up.
Sounds like what I'm looking for. ThanksMost likely you're thinking of the currently popular FT8 which operates with a 15 second transmit/receive cycle exchanging callsign, location and a signal report. The software can be downloaded here and you'll need a usb cable and suitable HF radio.
Some consider it boring but a lot depends on what you are looking to get out of it. It's easy enough to make contacts somewhere any time of day. My FT8 interest is DX hunting, watching for and pouncing on foreign stations calling CQ.
Elmer is also the husband of Elsie the cow in advertising geneology.
So I was trying to decipher the aarl band plan, from what I understand ft8 is USB phone. Looks like it's no Bueno on basically all technician channels?Most likely you're thinking of the currently popular FT8 which operates with a 15 second transmit/receive cycle exchanging callsign, location and a signal report. The software can be downloaded here and you'll need a usb cable and suitable HF radio.
Some consider it boring but a lot depends on what you are looking to get out of it. It's easy enough to make contacts somewhere any time of day. My FT8 interest is DX hunting, watching for and pouncing on foreign stations calling CQ.
It's in the RTTY/DATA portion typically (always?). But Tech only has non-CW privileges on 10m and up. "They" do monitor FT8 and it's common for techs to be where they shouldn't be.So I was trying to decipher the aarl band plan, from what I understand ft8 is USB phone. Looks like it's no Bueno on basically all technician channels?
Looks like I'm going to want at least my general anyway, but wanted to confirm.
Thanks for the offer/concern.
Got my Technician last Friday.
Might need some help whenever I decide to do "General". Probably over the winter.
Definitely get the general. I was a tech for years, and got my general last year. Its been awesome. I have been spending most of my time exploring digital modes, and antennas. I do some voice (phone), but mostly working on antennas and trying to capture beacons, HF Radio fax, and HF packet with a family member.
We've been using the summer to setup remote stations and try to contact the other person via packet, then voice.
totally worth it.
^ That's some good practice there. If you follow The Tech Prepper on the youstubes, he does a lot of stuff like that. It's a really good way to figure out what works, what doesn't, what gear you need/don't need, etc. He does a nice job, and is pretty honest when he fails.
And yeah, General is no small step up in what you can do.
Yaesu FT-891 is real popular right now. 100w, 160-6m all modes, mobile. You'll need an interface device to do digital stuff with it, but I think that's the case with most mobile radios. There's probably 1,000 videos on how to set that up, and I'm pretty sure it's pretty simple to do.Yeah, once some projects at work settle down, and I get some house stuff ready for us and the father in law; I'll try to carve out some time to practice for the next test. Need to keep my eyes open for another course.
What are some good radios to consider? Thinking Yaesu or Icom, right? I don't need all the doodads, but would want to do the above mentioned packets, beacons, (FT8?), satellite?, EME?
Yeah, once some projects at work settle down, and I get some house stuff ready for us and the father in law; I'll try to carve out some time to practice for the next test. Need to keep my eyes open for another course.
What are some good radios to consider? Thinking Yaesu or Icom, right? I don't need all the doodads, but would want to do the above mentioned packets, beacons, (FT8?), satellite?, EME?
I have an HTX-10 that've had for 15+ years. Still works well. I hook it up every few months to my station and make a few contacts. It's not as easy to use as my regular HF rigs but it holds it's own when I throw it in my truck as a mobile radio.Was thinking I could maybe get onto 10 Meters with Technician license and one of these. Are they worth looking at? I've never done ebay, and don't really want to start now, but at least it shows that there are options available, right?
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Not sure what you mean here. Do you mean programming stations? Is there a better alternative at those sort of prices? This was ebay, which I don't use. Are there other decent places to look?I have an HTX-10 that've had for 15+ years. Still works well. I hook it up every few months to my station and make a few contacts. It's not as easy to use as my regular HF rigs but it holds it's own when I throw it in my truck as a mobile radio.
one of the problems for me is how small the vfo/tuning dial is...plus you get the station almost dialed in and then you need to use the clarifier to bring in the station dead nuts on and that clarifier is really touchy.Not sure what you mean here. Do you mean programming stations? Is there a better alternative at those sort of prices? This was ebay, which I don't use. Are there other decent places to look?
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Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the clarification.one of the problems for me is how small the vfo/tuning dial is...plus you get the station almost dialed in and then you need to use the clarifier to bring in the station dead nuts on and that clarifier is really touchy.