HAM radio/amateur radio FAQ
- Thread starter mr r2fj
- Start date
Pacific Northwest yetti
Expedition Medic
Any one have recommendations for updated study apps? Android, TIA
prerunner1982
Adventurer
I used the Hamstudy.org website with good results so I would imagine their app would be just as good. Has high reviews.
Hopeless Diamond
Explorer
QRZ.com has practice tests based on teh current question pool. They keep track for you so you can see areas that you may need to hone up on. I just kept taking the tests and would learn based on the ones I got wrong
www.qrz.com
Practice Amateur Radio Exams by QRZ Ham Radio
World's leading amateur radio web site with news, technical articles, discussions, practice exams and more.
www.qrz.com
Pacific Northwest yetti
Expedition Medic
Thanks guys! I am thinking i only "need" the technician level, some of the me contracts i work they all use HAM for the remote stuff, with mobile repeaters set up. I worked a dog sled race, and those guys were dialed. I was amazed by all they could do with them.
They were sending emails with them, and even had remote motion sensors set up that would transmit " Motion 1" " Motion two".
They were sending emails with them, and even had remote motion sensors set up that would transmit " Motion 1" " Motion two".
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prerunner1982
Adventurer
Just be careful not to let ham radio become a hobby. You will end up with antennas at home, antennas on your vehicle, antennas at camp, you will look at things and wonder if you could make an antenna out of it... it's all real disturbing really.
prerunner1982
Adventurer
There is a lot you can do with ham radio, it's not just voice comms. I use it to track my Jeep, track others, I can send a SMS text message to my wife's phone from the radio in my Jeep, or send a short email, I have even done all 3 through a digital repeater on the International Space Station. I can hook up my tablet to my HF radio and send digital signals around the world, I can send pictures, video, all sorts of stuff. It's a slippery slope.
Pacific Northwest yetti
Expedition Medic
I dont want to get the tread too off track, but.....this was the check point i worked, ( with the wall tent) the repeater trailed was a few hundred yard away from our camp. They had one of the coms channels hooked up to a FM transmitter, and even had the IP cameras, everything was run off a generator charging the massive battery packs.
I got back into it in the 1990s after a long absence and got my General in one night. Passed the Novice, Technician, General, 5 WPM, and 13 WPM morse code tests in one night. Then a year later got my Extra. Had to pass 20 WPM as well for that. Now there's only 3 license classes and no more morse code. Couldn't be easier these days.
And the original post didn't mention the capabilities of HF (shortwave) communications - with good antennas it's reliable worldwide almost any time, and during peaks in the solar cycle a "wet noodle" for an antenna will work.
Another important capability that may interest people here is the use of the Winlink network to send and receive emails, either on HF or VHF/UHF - no internet connection or cell signal required. Can be done from anywhere. There are also weak signal worldwide digital modes emerging that don't require much in the way of power or good antennas, such as FT8 and others. These modes get through even the worst conditions.
AA5ET
And the original post didn't mention the capabilities of HF (shortwave) communications - with good antennas it's reliable worldwide almost any time, and during peaks in the solar cycle a "wet noodle" for an antenna will work.
Another important capability that may interest people here is the use of the Winlink network to send and receive emails, either on HF or VHF/UHF - no internet connection or cell signal required. Can be done from anywhere. There are also weak signal worldwide digital modes emerging that don't require much in the way of power or good antennas, such as FT8 and others. These modes get through even the worst conditions.
AA5ET
axlesandantennas
Approved Vendor
I wish I could agree with you on winlink. And actually, up until a few years ago, I would have. Heck, I even wrote a short blog about it:
Winlink Weekend
Winlink is a worldwide radio email service that uses radio pathways where the internet is not present, and is capable of operating completely without the internet--automatically--using smart-network radio relays.
axlesandantennas.com
But it had gotten so bad with the LIDS causing malicious interference, I finally gave up and got a sat comm device to send and receive. It seems that there is so much hate and free time with some grumpy old hams, that they are bound and determined to conduct illegal activity to counter what they think is illegal.
Winlink is an excellent resource in theory, but in my experience, it because a almost unusable service.
To be truthful I haven't used it on HF in about a year, but has worked very well for me in the past. I still use it on VHF though, which hasn't been a problem, and a bit faster using packet vs. Pactor or one of the sound card modes on HF. Of course packet on VHF isn't as seamless, gotta be in sight of a digipeater and/or gateway.I wish I could agree with you on winlink. And actually, up until a few years ago, I would have. Heck, I even wrote a short blog about it:
Winlink Weekend
Winlink is a worldwide radio email service that uses radio pathways where the internet is not present, and is capable of operating completely without the internet--automatically--using smart-network radio relays.axlesandantennas.com
But it had gotten so bad with the LIDS causing malicious interference, I finally gave up and got a sat comm device to send and receive. It seems that there is so much hate and free time with some grumpy old hams, that they are bound and determined to conduct illegal activity to counter what they think is illegal.
Winlink is an excellent resource in theory, but in my experience, it because a almost unusable service.
I'm sorry to hear about the LIDS causing harmful interference. It's probably just a few dumbasses doing the damage. There needs to be some enforcement taken to set an example. A lot of live aboard sailers have historically depended on Winlink. Listening around on 40 and 75/80 I've been hearing a lot of stupid stuff - seems to be getting worse; a reflection of people in our country these days. It's why I don't spend much time with SSB. I would if there were more sensible people on the SSB portions of the bands. CW and digital still seem to be a haven from the dumbassery.
QRZ.com has practice tests based on teh current question pool. They keep track for you so you can see areas that you may need to hone up on. I just kept taking the tests and would learn based on the ones I got wrong
Practice Amateur Radio Exams by QRZ Ham Radio
World's leading amateur radio web site with news, technical articles, discussions, practice exams and more.
That's what I did. I can't remember what website I used but it had all the questions on the technician test and would go through them. I kept taking the test over and over until I consistently got a passing grade.
I've had the technician license for about 20 years. I only use the radio for local stuff so I haven't really found the need to go higher. One thing I like for overlanding is APRS. My radio will broadcast my location (in my location I get good coverage) so people can see where I am. I can also use it to send text messages. SMSGate works good for that as well.
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk...tilityor-both-a-battle-over-spectrum-heats-up
It's not just Winlink they don't like, it's anything they can't tune up and listen to with a boat anchor. It seems to me to boil down to not liking people experimenting or simply enjoying themselves. I take the opposite tack I suppose and try to practice the radio arts by taking every "opportunity to self-train, intercommunicate, and investigate technical matters."
Amateur radio wasn't just sitting around chatting about the weather and your health, although conversation is certainly one aspect. It's about advancing radio and being a practiced auxiliary communication system for whatever might come up and needs it - space, military, weather or civil emergencies or just supporting marathon organizers.
What K0IDT is claiming about Winlink and sailors is no different conceptually than how most OHV users use ham radio now, as an alternative to going with GMRS in effect. Or what about APRS or any digital voice mode?
But who cares as long as it's valid and useful application of the spectrum? The part that disappoints me is K0IDT's position comes from indifference or laziness. He calls Winlink "encryption" because it can't be understood listening with a plain AM/SSB receiver. Of course it sounds like digital noise to the ear and requires a modem and software (almost always open source and usually free) to make sensible, but it's certainly not encrypted. I might find agreement with him over PACTOR for amateur Winlink, but ARDOP exists to fill that void legally and financially.
A simple Google search will tell a listener what mode to use to decode it. The same argument could be made for SSB or FM, which sound like interference to an AM receiver. Technology changes and being unwilling to tolerate some spectrum being used for it doesn't mean the whole service has to be held static.
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axlesandantennas
Approved Vendor
Dude, good summery. One of the things that really drives me nuts is the assertion that Winlink being uses by Terrorist! Get a grip. Anything someone wants to ban something, they either scream "think of the children!" or prattle on about terrorists. It's so boring.
In this day and age of endless ways to send and receive messages, I cannot fathom some commie terrorist powering up a ham radio to get comms. Not when you have end to end encryption available on iphones.