Got my license but never use it

[C Red]

I got my license about a year ago+ but never really got much chance to use it. I want to get back into it but don't really know where to start. I thought about finding a club but haven't as of yet. I only have a hand held for the times when i hit the trails with my buddies. I was thinking about getting something like a basic setup to use. Any suggestions

 

[C Red]

Forgot to put down its my HAM license...

 

[pugslyyy]

Figure out what the local repeater is in your area and see who is on it.

 

[tanglefoot]

Are you familiar with Echolink and IRLP? They are two networks that combine ham radio repeaters and the internet to allow you to link repeaters anywhere in the world and talk through them using only a hand-held. Just find a repeater (or node or reflector) near you to use as an entryway and then look up repeaters you might like to connect to.

IRLP:

http://www.irlp.net/

Echolink:

http://www.echolink.org/

Another fun thing you can do with a hand-held is listen for and work through amateur satellites. If your HT is a single-bander, you can still track and listen to them.
Check out this article:

http://www.k6ria.net/PDF/satbr5.pdf

The world of APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) is also open to you with a hand-held radio. It's similar to the Spot trackers expedition-folk use, except it transmits location and other data over the radio (and then into the internet).

Here's an interactive map for APRS. If you input your location, you can see the activity near you. You can even use this interface to "get on the air".

http://aprs.fi

You can also put your own location beacon on the system. You can make some cables to connect the radio to your computer sound card or build or buy a tracker. They also have APRS smart phone apps. I put together the Fox-Trak kit ($20) from Fox-Delta (it appears the are currently out of stock) but there are other options. With the tracker, a hand-held radio and the GPS of your choice, you have a roving position tracker.

Do you like community service? Hams with radios are always sought-after for help with special events and emergencies. Your local radio club (or the internet search engine of your choice) can help you connect with the right individuals/organizations. If you're interested in emergency communications, search for your local ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) chapter or start here:

http://www.arrl.org/ares

Mountain-topping is a fun activity and is possible with a hand-held radio. Organized, mountain-top events are held in some areas, or you can just go up on a weekend (when there are more people on the air) and set up your own station. Call out on the 146.52 simplex frequency and if others are listening, most like to make contact with special events/mountain top stations.

One of my favorite parts of ham radio is field operation. You can certainly field-operate with a 2-meter hand held but the lower frequency, HF bands open up a lot more possibilities. Any HF radio can theoretically be used in the field but the smaller, lighter 12-volt ones are better-suited. QRP (low output power) is perfect as the radios are small, simple and light and the power supply requirement is meager (less battery to lug).

Radios designed for field use include:

Yaesu FT-817
http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cm...2B25B12AB4DC9C0D27&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0

TenTec Argonaut
http://www.tentec.com/products/Argonaut-VI-QRP-1%2d10-Watt-Transceiver.html

Elecraft
http://www.elecraft.com/

...and others. You can even build your own QRP radio in an Altoids tin!

http://www.al7fs.us/AL7FS2.html

I mostly use a Yaesu FT-840 for HF. It's a value-oriented rig that does everything well: portable, base station, QRP, and conventional 100W output. They're not made any more but can be found used.

Hope that helps. It's a great, multi-faceted hobby. There's something for everyone.

Eric

 

[tanglefoot]

Oh--don't forget Field Day is coming up...the weekend of June 22-23. It's sort of the holy grail of radio contests in the US. Its official purpose is an emergency exercise for setting up and using radio stations on alternative power supplies but for most, it's just an excuse to camp and play on the radio. Most of the Field Day activity is on the HF bands but there is also some on VHF and UHF, including 2M. Try the popular 146.52 and 146.49 simplex frequencies.

If you have a radio club near you, nearly every radio club sets up a Field Day station. They usually welcome visitors. Many are very competitive, logging contacts all through the night at a feverish pace but many set up a separate GOTA (get on the air) station so that visitors can see what it's like without getting in the way of the die-hards.

I like to get away from the generators and the noise of the club stations though. I just pack the '840 and a pieced-together music stand vertical antenna in the pop-up camper and run off the camper battery. I don't send in my logs or anything...just make some contacts here and there between eating, biking and sleeping.

http://www.arrl.org/field-day

 

[rambrush]

I am assuming you are @ Tech level? A buddy who is a tech made his own cw keyer and has taken off with cw around the world on hf. Like posted find the local repeaters get them programmed in. Lurk for awhile listen and learn. Our system here in Kingman is networked to a series of repeaters in Phoenix so every morning during the week we are on rag chewing our way to work and always welcome others to jump on board. As for clubs the local clubs can be to political for most of us. I belong to a dx and a contest club which don't get to bad on politics. I mostly work HF and have HF in the truck plus a few radios for repeater work. Also some repeaters now have digital tones and some older rigs don't support them.

Another up and coming network is the AllStar Link network. I can be out of town any where there is internet and connect into the local repeater, works great. The echo link is what I use on my Android phone to connect in while on the road and away from the repeater.

Amateur radio can take over your life and pocket book, so keep that in mind. Amazon and others have the Baofeng handhelds that work great and are a great bang for the buck. A handheld and a external antenna can reach most mountain top repeaters so keep that in mind.

ok back in my hole..

 

[dorton]

I passed the Technician exam on Thursday, and got my Call sign posted yesterday, I'm looking forward to enjoying this hobby.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[rambrush]

Congrats! I would suggest taking the General while things are fresh in your head. you may never use the extra privileges but you never know once you get hooked.

I passed the Technician exam on Thursday, and got my Call sign posted yesterday, I'm looking forward to enjoying this hobby.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[C Red]

Thanks for all the information! I will get back into it, asap!

 

[dorton]

Congrats! I would suggest taking the General while things are fresh in your head. you may never use the extra privileges but you never know once you get hooked.

I bought the ARRL General book to study. My wife took the exam with me, and is going to go for general also.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[rambrush]

keep in mind there used to be some great pod casts for studying online as well.

 

[wheelerdh]

I have to second the getting your, at least, General license. I was in the same boat too. Had my tech and general but never got on HF. Ham radio became rather boring as there was not a lot of repeater usage in my area. Once I was exposed to HF and got a rig I was hooked. There are so many different things you can do with ham radio at that point, even if you don't like using a mic to talk to someone. I tell you one thing I like to do is PSK31. Can do it late at night and not wake up your significant other. Everyone is limited to 50w out (though you can use less) and you can talk to the world using your keyboard (puts even those guys with the big amps on an even playing field). I even have a setup in my 4Runner for mobile STATIONARY use.

Another thing you need to try and do is find a club that is pretty active. You'll find an "elmer" that is experienced and can show you things with the hobby you may have never seen before. Even if there's not an active club in your area there is an seasoned ham that is willing to show you the ropes. That helps immensely. I had to go that way because my license was getting quite stagnant and it wasn't a hobby to me. I linked up with the OffroadHam group on HF 7.225 MHz and have been on trip with them, assist with nets we have on Wed night at 8pm, and Sun 11am.

So what happens is that you end up finding a group that you can relate to and start to recognize voices/callsigns, and even meet up with each other. I makes a big difference, and holds your interest if you don't feel like you're alone in the hobby. I will say, I don't use my ham radios all that much for anything overland/offroad. But it is there in case the need arises, I use them more on an daily basis to talk to those that I've met over the last while and I feel like the radios have paid for themselves.

If you ever get to VA I will def meet up with you and get you on the air. I can almost guarantee that I can text one of the OffroadHam guys and they'll get on the air for a chat. Let me know if I can help.

 

[Jr_Explorer]

C_Red, where are you located? I agree with what Tanglefoot said. Find some local groups setting up for Field Day (Use this locator: http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator) and get out there and meet some people.

 

[theksmith]

http://4x4ham.com is a great place to meet other people that enjoy outdoors and HAM. it's based out of Arizona but has members nationwide.

also i would encourage people to get a hand-held as their first radio... i purchased a Kenwood mobile unit for my Jeep when i first got my license, but then i never "got into" the HAM thing because i only used it for trail communications occasionally, when other HAMs were on the run. however, i recently got one of the cheap Baofeng UV-5r+ handhelds and leave it on sometimes while at my desk, tuned into a local repeater. i've actually enjoyed listening to some of the "nets" and even found myself joining in on random conversations once in a while.

 

[DaveInDenver]

theksmith, interesting reasoning. My advice has been to get a mobile first because the tangle of wires you end up when using an HT in a vehicle but I'd never considered that it could end up limiting exposure of the hobby to a new ham. I guess the solution is to get both!