Any Ham Radio Guys Here?

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geez i had no idea ham radio was still alive and welll,, i never made it that far,,,but uncle charlie( FCC) wished i would have back in the day,,,lol

only have a 10 meter rig converted to 11 meter in my pick up these days sold off all my CB BASE equipment,seems the internet replaced that hobby,,,

i know there are a lot of NO CODE class now,,, so heres my question,,,,

what would be a good non code freq, other then 2 meter ?? not hard on the wallet and a smaller then CB base antenna size??? maybe a small dipole or long wire??
 
fstfish66 said:
what would be a good non code freq, other then 2 meter ?? not hard on the wallet and a smaller then CB base antenna size??? maybe a small dipole or long wire??
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Depends on what you want to DO

First let's be clear. You can VOLUNTARILY use CW if you want, but NO LICENSE CLASS currently has a code test!!!

The problem with the technician class is that you have no HF priveledges, except CW (80, 40, 15M). What you have "on voice", is a very small limited power section of 10 M on SSB ONLY. THEN you have "full privledges" on pretty much all bands starting with 6M and up

Band chart:

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Band Chart Color May 2008.pdf

I may be assuming too much, but if you just want to jabber with your local friends, probably the cheapest --easiest way is to either get some 10M rigs, or dual band 2M/ 440 radios, and if 2 is "too crowded" in your area, then use 440 Also, "used to be" the 220mhz band (now 222) is seeing more and more handheld and mobile rigs available ('bout time.) Reason for this is that the US is or was the only country with 222 as a band, so the import manufacturers didn't have incentive to build 'em.

Another way would be to look around for some used HF rigs that are 10 or even 6/2 capable (The Icom 706MK II is a popular choice) and now as a tech you can operate 10/ 6/ 2/ and 440 from one radio

I have to confess I'm against "dedicated" such as 10M only radios. They're a self-defeating prophecy. You are stuck on 10, you have a tech license, so it's hard to get out of the hole and lean toward your General class. If you buy an old HF rig like a Kenwood 430/440, or Icom 735, you can operate 10 while listening around and getting interested in HF. And once again, with a little more money, an Icom 706 is a LOT of stuff in the little box. (Mine is a MKI, does not have 440mhz)

The 737 is getting a little old, but there are still lots of 'em around in good working condition, and they have a pretty darn good receiver:

ic735.jpg
 
Passed! lol! Sorry it took me so long to reply. I also had to pass a Cisco cert class on the same Saturday then my district manager decided to drop in town on Sunday.... He's still here in town too.

While I was there, the guys asked if I wanted to try for the General class and I bombed it. I never did study for it but it got me so dam mad I stopped and picked up a general class book. :-D I hate getting beaten, even by a test. :read2:

I passed on the Technician class book to a friend of mine here in town so he can get his license. :) Anyway, I should get my call sign in about 12-13 days or so, then I'll kick out that general class test.

Thanks for the all the info everyone and for the old school hams out there, don't worry, no CB language for me. I've heard of those FCC tests you guys had to take and they were brutal. My brother whose now passed away had a ham license and I remember him poring over ARRL books from the library late into the night.

Any ideas on HF antennas I can use without using a tower or trees? I rent, so a tower is out of the question and a chimney mount is all I really have to work with. Oh yeah, no trees in the yard either....
 
ramcharger said:
............Passed! try for the General class and I bombed it..............picked up a general class book.
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CONGRATS. Good on studyin' for your General. Hope you stick with it. There are several places on the www that you can take "practice tests" online

When you punch the "start test" button, there will be the selection for class of test:

http://www.qrz.com/exams

http://aa9pw.com/radio/

http://www.eham.net/exams/

ramcharger said:
Any ideas on HF antennas I can use without using a tower or trees? I rent, so a tower is out of the question and a chimney mount is all I really have to work with. Oh yeah, no trees in the yard either....
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How much land area do you have to string "down to" IE a fence, another tree, etc? You want a 10M antenna, or simple "all band" deal you can listen on?

When you want to get on more and more bands, the problems you run into is that "multiband wire antennas ain't easy." UNLESS you have a good tuner. One or two alltime classics is a so called dipole cut for the lowest band you plan to operate and have room for, but instead of feeding it with coax, feed it with twinlead/ ladder line to a tuner. This will allow you to tune it just about ANYWHERE and the twinlead/ ladder line will minimize feedline loss at high (mismatched) swr

You should be able to extend some sort of mast on your chimney, maybe stick a 2/440 dual band vertical up there, as well as use it for a support for a simple wire antenna.

Another good way to get on the higher HF bands (20 or maybe 40 and above) is one of the so called "half wave design" verticals which do not require radials. Cushcraft R series verticals are in this class.
 
Concrats on passing and great idea to move on to at least general right away.You can mount a multiband verticial in the yard and stick a 6/440/2 triband vertical on a 10 foot mast on the chimney with a single feed line and a triplexer in the house. The hf vertical is basically a cloud warmer but you can have fun on it and listen all over HF with it. Have fun and if you think cars are crazy radio can really be nuts.Keep us posted on your progress and the new call. '73 Bruce
 
congrats on passing the test,,,
and thanks for all the info,,,,, so if not at the FCC, where did you take the test ??? there is an FCC field offce less then 3 miles from my house,,and still a hand full of over powered CB bases,,all with potty mouths,,,

i think ide like to pick up a reciever if they still exsist, to see how i lioke the ham bands,before investing in a tranmitter and trying to find time to study for a test,,,any suggestions on a reciever if such a thing with mulity bands??,,not a scanner i have a great scanner pre scrambled police fregs
 
Congratulations Joe!!:cheers:

Do you have to keep your antenna's stealth or can they be seen? If they can be seen you can hang a inverted V dipole off the side of the mast your putting on the chimney. For the end mounts you can drive a length of PVC in the ground and attach the ends to them. You'll have to fabricate standoff's if you use ladder line and I suggest you do cause like 67Dart said coax is real lossy when used on a wire antenna that isn't resonant. That's my basic HF antenna setup design and I've worked almost all over the states, most of the European countries, the naval station at the south pole, Australia, and Israel all on the 100 watts my radio puts out. Oh yeah you will need a good tuner also. I picked up an old Dentron Super tuner at a electronics shop for $30 and it works great on everything down to 80 meters. My antenna isn't long enough to do much talking on 160 but I can listen with it.

If your antenna needs to be stealth you might look into a flag pole antenna. Looks just like a flagpole but it's a HF antenna.

Another route is one of the Cushcraft verticals that works on hf (don't remember how low it goes but I think 40 meters) through 440. Their kinda pricey but they do work fair on hf and real good on VHF/UHF and it minimizes how much aluminum and wire you have in the air and the installation is pretty simple.
 
fstfish66 said:
congrats on passing the test,,,
and thanks for all the info,,,,, so if not at the FCC, where did you take the test ??? there is an FCC field offce less then 3 miles from my house,,and still a hand full of over powered CB bases,,all with potty mouths,,,
Unfortunately the FCC does very little with offending CB'ers anymore
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i think ide like to pick up a reciever if they still exsist, to see how i lioke the ham bands,before investing in a tranmitter and trying to find time to study for a test,,,any suggestions on a reciever if such a thing with mulity bands??,,not a scanner i have a great scanner pre scrambled police fregs
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Receivers are still popular and an older model can be picked up cheap. I've seen decent old receivers sell for $25-50. Look on www.qrz.com or www.qth.com and you'll find some. Remember though you need a pretty fair sized antenna to receive decent on the lower HF. A simple long wire works fine as long as it's 120' or more.
 
As far as a HF antenna goes, I use an A99. I know its a CB antenna but it works VERY well on 10,15,17 and 20 meters. Some bands you may have to use a tunner. I use the auto tunner in my IC 746. You can pick one up on the internet for abt $60.00. Good job on your exam. Keep going till you get the EXTRA. By the way do you know what "HAM" stands for?.........................High And Mighty! de KF8ZF
 
I haven't read entire thread yet but would like to subscribe.

Joe I listen to HAM radio just about every morning going to work and sometimes in the evening. I have a police scanner in which I have their frequencies programed. They talk on there way to work, out and about, and at the house. I never understood what they used (what type radio) to communicate but looking quickly through this thread I will find out. The other night we had some tornadoes coming through the area and the HAM was lit up! I'll be around checking this thread later bud.
 
fstfish66 said:
so if not at the FCC, where did you take the test ???

i think ide like to pick up a reciever
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Amateur tests have not been administered by the FCC for years and years. They are instead given by groups of amateurs themselves.

So far as a receiver, "vintage" --or for that matter some fairly modern ones--can be found occasionally on Craigslist if you live in a large city, or on ebay. Icom and some others still make HF receivers, and as usual, you can spend a little or a heck of a lot.

Even Radio Sh** "used" to (don't know if they still do) sell some HF receivers. Some of them were OK, some were pretty bad. Grundig is one outfit who still makes them, I guess

Frankly, if you are at all serious about studying up for your ticket, I'd think about buying an amateur transceiver with a "general coverage" receiver capability. Once again, I mention the venerable old Icom IC0-735--and other Icoms, one older Kenwood that's "general coverage" that would not be hard to find is a Kenwood TS-440. I would think you could pick either up for 350 or so.
 
74/6 Please do not tell people it means High and Mighty it does not and enough cb;ers and swl'ers already think we look down our noses at them with out saying stuff like that. It is taken from back at the beginning of the hobby and the professional radio announcers made fun of the amateur radio guys "hamming" it up on their home made radio's. We will never be high and mighty just hams, but we have fun and waste as much money on that as on this.....Maybe I'll see you on 160m but it will have to be on the low end on non ssb contest weekends. '73
 
I saw a guy in Fla that sank a flagpole in a PVC insulating tube, drove in a couple of 10 ft groundrods and fed it with a tuner. It was about 33 ft if I remember right. It loaded on 40 meters pretty well and no one knew he had the antenna. Get a good antenna handbook and build a trapped wire sloper off the peak of your house. For vhf and uhf a simple dual band verticle off the peak will amaze you at the coverage. Congratulations on passing, next is General class, go for it!
 
thanks for the info ill keep up on this topic,, i hope its keeps going,,,

the FCC does crack down on CB,ERS around here they are only 3 miles away,,,,lol
 
fstfish66 said:
thanks for the info ill keep up on this topic,, i hope its keeps going,,,

the FCC does crack down on CB,ERS around here they are only 3 miles away,,,,lol
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I though the FCC gave up regulating CB bands 20 years ago.
 
MVRCorp said:
I though the FCC gave up regulating CB bands 20 years ago.
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WELLL if you lived in my area and heard the crap,,i know when they are floating around cause its queit,,, i turn my radio on every morning on my way home from work,,,why ??? heck if i know,, i hardly ever grab the mic,,these days,,i use to have a giant set up years ago,,

i guess because there field office is so close, and verizion complains because they dont filter there lines these days,,,they have to do some thing being so close,, 40 ft beems,,,highly modified radios,,,all running power to talk in a 3 mile radius,,,only a few but the same few all the time potty mouth over modulated,,,over powered bases
 
Thanks everyone for your input! The antennas can be seen since I'm not in a covenant controlled area. I saw the ARRL antenna book at the local ham radio outlet and I'll keep studying up for my general.

This week I was able to locate the house ground rod buried about 8" underground. I figure this was the first step before mounting an antenna. The NEC states that the antenna mast has to be grounded to the house ground with no less than #6 AWG wire. Saftey first!

Like was suggested earlier, I will most likely get a tri-band vertical (cloud warmer, lmao!) and play around with that until I gain more knowledge. I've got a friend here who made his own J-pole and dipole for different bands. Cool stuff!

Ax, you could get a really nice dual band (2m/70cm) mobile unit for about 300 bucks, make a quick release mount (I'm making one this weekend) and move it from car to home. A good Samlex 13.8V, 23 amp power supply runs about another hundred. Good coax for the base station is not cheap, but it's a neccesity. I'll be running LMR 400 with connectors and a antenna switch. I'll probably end getting an antenna tuner once I get my general licence.

Here's a nice 2m/70cm mobile unit that has a wideband scanner built in:

http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/mobile/208h/default.aspx
 
Kilo-Delta-Zero-November-Tango-Sierra :cheers::cheers::cheers:

It took less than a week. Can't wait to get on the air!
 
You might want to check into the vanity calls as a tech you might be able to request unused 1x3 call and there are lots of those maybe even your intials (lots of people like that for some reason) I always liked easy quick cw calls KD0NTS is a good start. I hope you have fun and work on those upgrades you can never have to much band width.
'73 Bruce K9RO
 
ramcharger said:
Kilo-Delta-Zero-November-Tango-Sierra :cheers::cheers::cheers:

It took less than a week. Can't wait to get on the air!
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Congrats


A year or two ago there was an "out of towner" on the local repeater joking with someone about "fake phonetics"

His call was something like KN1O and he joked that "I've been known to use the very helpful phonetics "Know No 1 One".
 
ramcharger said:
Ax, you could get a really nice dual band (2m/70cm) mobile unit for about 300 bucks, make a quick release mount (I'm making one this weekend) and move it from car to home. A good Samlex 13.8V, 23 amp power supply runs about another hundred. Good coax for the base station is not cheap, but it's a neccesity. I'll be running LMR 400 with connectors and a antenna switch. I'll probably end getting an antenna tuner once I get my general licence.

Here's a nice 2m/70cm mobile unit that has a wideband scanner built in:

http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/mobile/208h/default.aspx
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I've been a tad busy Joe.... but I see where congrats is in order!

I have LMR 400 hooked to my external 800 Mhz antenna. It is really good cable but its also stiff. I used a 8ft ground rod to ground my antenna. I didn't see in the instructions that it had to be grounded to the same ground rod to the house. ??? It came with a picture diagram and it just shows one rod in the ground. Fill me in if I'm missing something Joe.

Im worried now!

Oh.... I talked to fishy68.

I will keep the Icom in mind. They make some nice radios from my understanding.

My scanner was quite this morning for some reason. No one was on there radios.
 
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