I've had mine for a week now and haven't even transmitted yet. I didn't get it for a hobby though. Just for communication and probably emergency communication at that. When I install my mobile 2meter/70cm radio, I really only seeing myself programming it for the area the wife and I will be traveling to and just leaving it off unless I need it.
HAM Operators- Post up here
- Thread starter shane4x4
- Start date
AFSOC
Explorer
Is there any reason not to fool around with it a little bit, even in a very passive manner? I'm in the same boat as you, not having amateur radio as a hobby, but I do occasionally check in to nightly nets and passively monitor traffic on local repeaters. I find that It really boosts my skill and confidence using the equipment just by jumping in and doing it. I am by no means a power user but I do maintain enough competence to program a toned and offset repeater into my radios and follow basic on-air protocols in the event I someday need amateur radio for emergency communication. It doesn't take much time to gain proficiency and when stressed by necessity, confidence using your HAM rig and understanding expectations of capability may pay dividends for you.
Got the license to be legal when I need to use the radio. Did a bit of listening to the local repeaters for a few days after I got the radio installed in the truck... that won't happen again. Now I keep a list of important freq's, and my call sign, where we will be traveling in the glove box just in case something goes south.
Honestly, I would have never got the license had I known there was no way to; a. sequester my personal information on the FCC's website, b. have that info echoed on every HAM forum out there, c. not end up on the mailing list of a pile of junk-mail from various HAM retailers, and d. not receive a PILE of propaganda from AARL show up at my house from time to time.
All true, but its there now, and as far as I know, its there forever (I see licenses on the FCC database that expired 10-15 years ago.) So the sacrifice has been made. Might as well get some benefit from it.
Generally speaking people think that transparency and open access in a good thing in government, but it does have its downsides. A number of years back I put our county clerk's documents online. They are all open records and anyone for the last 150 years could walk in and request copies of any document recorded by the clerk. (with a couple small exceptions like death certificates and military discharge forms)
But people were surprised that certain mortgage documents were filed, names, address, etc. We redacted phone numbers, SSNs and some other stuff, but it caught people by surprise how much information about them was part of a public record that by law had to be accessible to anyone that requested it
Geof
vicali
Adventurer
Pretty much the nature of HAM, operators need your info for their QSL cards..
Can you not have your contact info hidden on the FCC page?
Up here in the great white north you used to have to send an email to the RAC asking to have addresses removed, now it's just a check box when you apply for your callsign. Although you get funny looks from the older operators.
I got my ticket and callsign back in August, finally decided on a radio and now just need to install in my rig.. no tx for me yet..
Robert Bills
Explorer
Actually, its as simple as listing a P.O. Box rather than a physical address.
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
No, you can't request a hidden listing and you're supposed to maintain your current address.
But people who are concerned about privacy do as Robert Bills suggests and use a P.O. box as their mailing address with the FCC, which is fine.
The main reason for this is so the FCC or another citizen knows where to go if you cause interference or operate beyond your privileges. All users in all services are required to have publicly known contact information for someone who is responsible for the station. TV and radio stations keep a public file that contains a whole bunch of stuff. We are similarly supposed to keep a copy of our license and a log for inspection if an FCC agent ever asks, although all of this is more relaxed now than years ago.
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diesel toyota
Observer
Welcome
Congrats and welcome to HAM!
Congrats and welcome to HAM!
Capt. Tyler
Member
Forum Name: Capt. Tyler
First Name: Tyler
Callsign : KK4WTF
Radio : Yaesu FT-7900, Yaesu FT-8800, Baofeng uv5r, Yaesu FT-2800
Freq usually on: 2m, 70cm
Location: South Carolina
First Name: Tyler
Callsign : KK4WTF
Radio : Yaesu FT-7900, Yaesu FT-8800, Baofeng uv5r, Yaesu FT-2800
Freq usually on: 2m, 70cm
Location: South Carolina
You got ****** without a vanity request?