To be a HAM or not to be a Ham????

[rambrush]

Plus some times like when we traveled to Tanzania we discovered that even the Maasai had cell phones, now how they charged them is a mystery but along the journey there were shops selling phones and minute cards. We traveled along from Kilimanjaro to the Ngorogor crate then on over to the Serengenti and it seemed like everyone along the way had cell phones and coverage. So there are places where you don't need the radio coverage or sat phones. Now again I never saw a cell tower so that was a question in the back of my head.

 

[Jr_Explorer]

Plus some times like when we traveled to Tanzania we discovered that even the Maasai had cell phones, now how they charged them is a mystery but along the journey there were shops selling phones and minute cards. We traveled along from Kilimanjaro to the Ngorogor crate then on over to the Serengenti and it seemed like everyone along the way had cell phones and coverage. So there are places where you don't need the radio coverage or sat phones. Now again I never saw a cell tower so that was a question in the back of my head.

A lot of third world countries have great cell coverage because basically installing cell infrastructure is easier than installing a land-line infrastructure. Isn't modern technology wonderful! LOL!

 

[Sabre]

A lot of third world countries have great cell coverage because basically installing cell infrastructure is easier than installing a land-line infrastructure. Isn't modern technology wonderful! LOL!

Yup. Traveling across southern China in 2001, we noted that EVERYONE had a cell phone. Stringing copper across such an enormous country would be ridiculously expensive, so they just leapt ahead to wireless technology.

 

[dstn2bdoa]

I thought cell phone transmissions were wireless to the tower, but once it reached the tower it traveled via cable to the tower nearest the receiving phone and then went airborn again. Would'nt lines still be necessary in these under developed countries?

 

[DaveInDenver]

I thought cell phone transmissions were wireless to the tower, but once it reached the tower it traveled via cable to the tower nearest the receiving phone and then went airborn again. Would'nt lines still be necessary in these under developed countries?

It's not necessary to have wire to Node B and BTS in the cell system, the backhaul can be done via microwave and WiMax. In the United States they use a lot of leased TDM lines (T1/E1, STM1/OC3), but there are others ways, xDSL, ATM networks. You can also use an optical solution in a pinch but there's an obvious issue with weather, fog and such. In Africa (actually most of the EMEA: Europe, Middle East, Africa) the backhaul will be done with microwave and worldwide about half of all final miles to the towers are linked with microwave.

 

[Crom]

I thought cell phone transmissions were wireless to the tower, but once it reached the tower it traveled via cable to the tower nearest the receiving phone and then went airborn again. Would'nt lines still be necessary in these under developed countries?

Dave gave a great answer. The carriers or tower operators, sometimes use point-to-point microwave links using either a licensed or unlicensed microwave band. They're the drum looking things attached to towers, and face a particular direction. Here is a nice link which explains things a bit.

 

[freedomrider]

Looking for ham but only got baloney

Ham operators are generally a mature, resourceful, and helpful minded group of people.

Hmmm...... I just passed my tech exam on Saturday and happened to have my first radio charged up and ready to go when I got home. My plan was to listen in on some communications to get more familiar with appropriate Ham etiquette. I looked at a local repeater list and punched in the frequency for a repeater on a peak not far from my house. The education I got was completely unexpected as the transmissions I listened to pretty much covered the gamut of the Ham no-nos I'd learned when preparing for the exam.

There was some knucklehead transmitting the same goofy song over and over again and the dialogue would make Beavis and Butthead seem like erudite communicators. It was pretty much a constant stream of cuss words and racial/ethnic/childish epithets. I didn't find anything said particularly offensive since it's just words but I was completely baffled as to the point of it all. It almost seemed like people were attempting to filibuster the frequency just by babbling on and on.

 

[Crom]

Hmmm...... I just passed my tech exam on Saturday and happened to have my first radio charged up and ready to go when I got home. My plan was to listen in on some communications to get more familiar with appropriate Ham etiquette. I looked at a local repeater list and punched in the frequency for a repeater on a peak not far from my house. The education I got was completely unexpected as the transmissions I listened to pretty much covered the gamut of the Ham no-nos I'd learned when preparing for the exam.

There was some knucklehead transmitting the same goofy song over and over again and the dialogue would make Beavis and Butthead seem like erudite communicators. It was pretty much a constant stream of cuss words and racial/ethnic/childish epithets. I didn't find anything said particularly offensive since it's just words but I was completely baffled as to the point of it all. It almost seemed like people were attempting to filibuster the frequency just by babbling on and on.

Seeing that you're in Orange County, it sounds like you tuned your VFO to the Animal House repeater 147.450. Horrible-atrocious behavior and totally unacceptable for amateur radio. I think they still simulcast their trash talk in San Diego from Palomar mountain on a 440 repeater.

 

[DaveInDenver]

There's always the exception. I'm not familiar with the repeater in southern CA but there are some LIDs that like to cuss and squat on HF frequencies. Don't let the few ruin it for you, we try to be helpful and considerate. Some of them are stuck-in-the-mud old timers ticked at all the fancy modes and new operators but mostly the jerks you hear are actually not amateurs but non-licensed users (some even go so far as to use other people's call signs).

 

[freedomrider]

Seeing that you're in Orange County, it sounds like you tuned your VFO to the Animal House repeater 147.450. Horrible-atrocious behavior and totally unacceptable for amateur radio. I think they still simulcast their trash talk in San Diego from Palomar mountain on a 440 repeater.

Close; it was 147.435. I was later told that the community has collectively decided to let them 'have' that frequency since, when chased away, they just end up polluting a lot of other frequencies.

There's always the exception. I'm not familiar with the repeater in southern CA but there are some LIDs that like to cuss and squat on HF frequencies. Don't let the few ruin it for you, we try to be helpful and considerate. Some of them are stuck-in-the-mud old timers ticked at all the fancy modes and new operators but mostly the jerks you hear are actually not amateurs but non-licensed users (some even go so far as to use other people's call signs).

Yeah, I know that these clowns are the exception. I just found it funny that I'd studied all of the Ham rules and had some naive idea of what the airwaves would resemble. Instead I found every one of those rules broken on my first foray into amateur frequencies. But I'm not deterred from the hobby, just more aware of one of the caveats.

p.s., I didn't at all mean my earlier post to imply anything negative about Hams in general so apologies in advance if it came off reading that way.

 

[craig333]

Heard of that stuff but fortunately in my community and in my travels I haven't been subject to it.

 

[dstn2bdoa]

Dave, thanks for such a great explanation. Now I know.

Freedomrider, bad first day. While there are freq that tolerate the Neanderthals, most don't. For instants, Keller peak repeater that serves most the IE and high desert is as clean cut old school as it gets. Then there's a bunch in between.

 

[Crom]

Close; it was 147.435. I was later told that the community has collectively decided to let them 'have' that frequency since, when chased away, they just end up polluting a lot of other frequencies.

Yes, the history of the .435 repeater spans 35 years AFAIK.

 

[freedomrider]

Dave, thanks for such a great explanation.

Ditto here. This type of community relies on knowledgeable contributors who generously (and patiently) share that knowledge. Dave and several others here fit that to a tee so thanks to all of you.

Yes, the history of the .435 repeater spans 35 years AFAIK.

Interesting. I had a listen again last night and concluded that I was listening to a radio space version of a turf war; complete with carpet bombing and suicide bombers. Interestingly, it spurred me to contemplate some of the technology/physics aspects of radio communications which I'll take as a learning opportunity.

 

[brentbba]

Live in south OC and have or thought I had all the repeaters in the area programmed in. I've never run accross a trash talking repeater here behind the orange curtain. There is one up in the San Fernando valley I ran accross a few years ago. Description of that one would be exactly the same as the one described above - nasty, horrible, bigoted, racist, foul language, you name it, they did it for what little I listened in on.

I'd have to say that repeaters and talk like that are very few and far between and not representative of the majority of hams. As usual...leave it to a few idiots to spoil the whole thing so to speak!

Sorry your first foray into ham was not pleasant! I'll have to check my programmed repeaters and make sure I DON'T have that one, or if I do, to remove it.

I like listening to CLARA (don't have the frequency handy-Claremont Repeater Association). They are a very nice bunch to listen to and very respectfull of FCC rules and regs. I think a lady by the name of Shelly owns/operates it from the listening I've done and she's on air frequently during my morning commute. Kudos! It's listed as a private repeater on TASMA, but they've broadcast their PL code on nets in the past and encourage guests so long as courtesy is followed. I think motto is service first, courtesy always or something along those lines - nice.