Antenna Rigging for the Lonely Ham

[GAD]

Another tale of me doing smart things in possibly un-smart and humorous ways. You know, until I learn better.

http://www.gad.net/Blog/2015/10/28/antenna-rigging-for-the-lonely-ham/

Me trying to figure out why there are no fish in the trees:

 

[Bikerdoc]

Don't know a thing but I've always been intrigued. Let's say I want to get into the underworld of communications and be a Ham; where do I start? Wait!!! Before you tell me let's wait for Al to chime in. LOL

 

[GAD]

Don't know a thing but I've always been intrigued. Let's say I want to get into the underworld of communications and be a Ham; where do I start? Wait!!! Before you tell me let's wait for Al to chime in. LOL

Hey there!

The way to get your license is to take one or more tests at a local volunteer examiner session. You can find those here: http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-exam-session They're often run by local clubs, so that should be the easy part.

The tests are derived from an openly published question pool. You can see them all here: http://www.arrl.org/question-pools

There are three levels of license today: Technician, General, and Extra. Tech gets you onto VHF/UHF which are commonly used in cars and with HTs (Handi-talkies). General and above gets you on HF (think shortwave).

There are many ways to study. Here's what I do:

1) Buy this book and read it: http://www.amazon.com/ARRL-Ham-Radi...id=1446073393&sr=8-1&keywords=arrl+technician

Consider this book as well: http://www.amazon.com/Technician-20...id=1446073393&sr=8-6&keywords=arrl+technician

The first book is the "textbook" of what you need to know. The second book is the question pool with each question and answer along with a brief explanation of why that's the answer. I like them both as I feel they work well together. If buying only one, get the first IMO and use the Internet to get answers if you need them. If you decide to do this, I'd be more than happy to help you out at any time.

2) Sign up here: https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com This is a great site that will help you to master the exam. I used if for both my General and Extra. The Internet didn't exist when I took my Tech (then Tech+ which was actually two tests).

There are also free apps on smartphones that I've used, but the website uses adaptive learning to reinforce your weak subjects.

3) Take the test and pass!

4) Spend piles of money on gear. Just like guitar!

 

[Aristocrater]

You should have done what my dad (last call sign was K3AA) did, had me as a kid and made me climb trees, on roofs, etc to run his antennas.

 

[Bill Ashton]

My father was a Technician Class, K1JVH...we had an old tube 6 meter rig around the house, though he didn't use it much...suppose it was the arrival of us kids!

I toyed with getting my ticket about 20 years ago, there were a lot of train buffs that were on UHF and that interested me...until I listened to some of it and frankly it harkened back to CB radio in the 70's...cruel I know, but thats how I took it at the time.

There was an appeal to me about building a "flea-watt" transmitter and maybe talking to Europe when the skip opened up, but that seems to have gone by the boards. Is the Novice Class no longer available. Is code still a requirement or has that gone the way of the albatross?

 

[Bikerdoc]

Great info. Thanks a bunch.

 

[GAD]

You should have done what my dad (last call sign was K3AA) did, had me as a kid and made me climb trees, on roofs, etc to run his antennas.

Heh - I have two teenage girls who would rather be on the Internet than climb trees. I remember as a kid running the wire on the porch for my shortwave receiver. My dad yelled the instructions and I did the climbing.

My father was a Technician Class, K1JVH...we had an old tube 6 meter rig around the house, though he didn't use it much...suppose it was the arrival of us kids!

I toyed with getting my ticket about 20 years ago, there were a lot of train buffs that were on UHF and that interested me...until I listened to some of it and frankly it harkened back to CB radio in the 70's...cruel I know, but thats how I took it at the time.

There was an appeal to me about building a "flea-watt" transmitter and maybe talking to Europe when the skip opened up, but that seems to have gone by the boards. Is the Novice Class no longer available. Is code still a requirement or has that gone the way of the albatross?

Novice is no longer a thing. When I took my first tests you could take Novice and Tech together which would get you Tech+ which was good for VHF and higher. They did away with Novice entirely some years later so now it's just Technician, General, and Extra.

Code is no longer a requirement for any class of license. I think that's a shame, but I get why they did it.

Great info. Thanks a bunch.

Glad you liked it!

 

[chazmo]

CQ DX... WA2MAL here. Novice in 1970s. Never pursued it further. I was really good at code back then. I presume most of us with a musical ear enjoyed code. Had one of those old brass pounder keys, but never really had any gear of my own. I was really intrigued with the paddle keys that the experts were using.

Amusingly, "code" became synonymous with software, which is what I've spent my entire adult life working with. I probably would've come back to ham if it hadn't been for the internet and its predecessors, which gave me access to the globe. People today have trouble remembering a world without instantaneous, long-distance communication. In the '70s you needed a big-*** antenna and a whole lot of power to communicate.

Strange world.

 

[Brad Little]

Been there, we used the fishing rod technique for Field Day when I was active in a club. I agree about music and code, I got up to 30 WPM when I was active, now only on 2 meters a couple times a year. The space where my HF rig was is now occupied by a computer. Probably still could copy at 15 WPM, should check out W1AW, assuming they still do code practice sessions.
Brad, nw1k

 

[adorshki]

Don't know a thing but I've always been intrigued. Let's say I want to get into the underworld of communications and be a Ham; where do I start? Wait!!! Before you tell me let's wait for Al to chime in. LOL

I woulda told ya to buy a HeathKit but they've been out of business a lo-o-o-n-g time.
And I think Morse code should still be mandatory.
Ya just never know.

 

[GAD]

Check this out. It had me howling.

Warning - metal.