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  #31  
Old 05-25-2010, 09:29 AM
BT1000 BT1000 is offline
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Yes, the terrain of ham radio is changing, but so does everything else. I still enjoy it after all these years. I was first licensed in 1977 and work primarily HF DXing. I could go on and on, but I feel that ham radio is far from dead. There are a great many new people coming in and the old timers need to loosen up and let them have at it. We have some youths, 10-12 years old, who get on one of our local repeaters, and though they can be real knuckle heads at times, we just let them go. No harm done. Were we not 12 years old at some point in our lives? There is so much about ham radio that I have not gotten into but would like to such as EME, earth-moon-earth. The new digital modes are a lot of fun as well.

K1XT
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  #32  
Old 05-27-2010, 01:06 AM
ctc17 ctc17 is offline
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I went down to take the technician test and ended up passing all 3 and getting the extra license. have had it a little over a year now and rarely use it. im from the age of cell phones texting and internet and have a hard time making random conversation with strangers.
I do like dx and 10m is my favorite because I grew up with cbs and always wanted to mod the cb to work on 10. the rag chewing prostate conversations are not for me.

Last edited by ctc17; 05-27-2010 at 09:36 AM.
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  #33  
Old 05-28-2010, 02:58 PM
BT1000 BT1000 is offline
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ctc17

I've always been a DXer. I have all the entities confirmed along with many deleted countries. I think my total is around 345 confirmed. Ten meters is certainly fun when it's open. It doesn't take much to talk around the world on ten. I once worked 75 countries during a CQWW contest from my car using an 8 foot whip and 90 watts. As for the chit chat, I like to talk on 2/440 with people that I personally know. I also like talking with the Europeans. I have to agree with some of the "rag chewing prostate conversations" you mention.

Great on you having the Extra. You might look at some of the digital modes if you haven't already. They can be rather fascinating. PSK, Olivia, MFSK, etc.
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  #34  
Old 06-13-2010, 04:57 AM
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Cruiseomatic Cruiseomatic is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Houston,TX
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Whats a good set up for someone who is just getting started and getting a tech lic.? I have some radio experience but it is limited. CB and SSB is fun but it does get boring. I've been doing it for years and want to move up. Althought it is fun to have the neighbors television set turn completely black when I key up on SSB, Aparently "Antron" or "Solarcon" 99's are real bad for bleed over. I've heard other people licensed and repairmen say that digtal television is less prone to TVI, Its not. I found out myself the hardway. Somewhere it is analog or the signal just finds its way in. Like the older sets with converter boxes or/and ground breaks in the new sets.

BTW: My Hoffman set is in pieces right now waiting for restoration. Going to college for electronics so that will help with the resto. But not the fact I've moved since then and EXTREAMLY tight on space for it. Still watch my '52 Packard Bell set though. It works great with a new ant. cable and a digital cable box.
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  #35  
Old 06-14-2010, 02:26 PM
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electroking electroking is offline
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Location: Montreal (QC), Canada
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The best setup for someone who is getting started in ham radio is one that lets
you listen a lot and (eventually) transmit a little. In other words, listening to
actual ham radio practice will let you learn a lot about the do's and dont's of
transmitting. Possibly the best place to listen is on a local 2-meter or UHF
repeater, especially if you don't have space to set up big HF antennas.
73 de VE2GTP.
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  #36  
Old 06-14-2010, 02:55 PM
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Sandy G Sandy G is offline
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Location: Rogersville, Tennessee
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...I've got a T-195 that I keep threatenin' to do a little "Piratin'" on...(grin) I DID turn it on once, just no power to the transmittin' tubes...Thing has a Shop-Vac inside of it to keep 'em cool...
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  #37  
Old 08-09-2010, 12:36 AM
Boston Ernie Boston Ernie is offline
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Hey just checking in for the first time here... I'm N6MHW. Got my generals back in 1982 and have kept my license active, but haven't had a station in quite some time. Used to have an HF rig with a 40 meter/ 80 meter inverted V (with traps) and quad beam for 20-15 and 10 meters. Briefly toyed with an old Icom 02AT, very nice 2 meter rig. I might just check out that computer hamnet mentioned above... just looking for some encouragement from other hams. My code speed back in the day was 20wpm. I was going for my advanced when I had to move and sell my station.
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  #38  
Old 08-09-2010, 12:20 PM
Schnitzer Schnitzer is offline
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Ernie,

20wpm is pretty good speed. You should definitely get back into CW.

I have been considering learning to use the code. Attaining a good transmit speed seems daunting enough, but, on top of that, learning all the CW shorthand that is used in DXing makes CW all the more difficult to become proficient. If I were a lot younger, it might be easier to learn.

Ralph
KD8LWF
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  #39  
Old 09-04-2011, 10:56 PM
Dawg Dawg is offline
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I just received my tech license here in July after getting fed up with the lack of activity/hash 11 meter band. Call sign is KD0PEZ. Been enjoying making contacts in the immediate area any given day unlike 11 meters where all there is to talk to is truck drivers, and some of them don't want to talk to you. Of course there are those times when skip is rolling but trying to make contacts on 38 LSB was hit or miss.
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  #40  
Old 09-14-2011, 06:49 PM
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CoogarXR CoogarXR is offline
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I have never used any ham equipment. My friends were all Hammies, and they got me going to hamfests. I got into being a vendor at hamfests. I did that for years, selling electronics and computers. There's not much money to be made doing that anymore. Now I go to hamfests as a shopper. I have found many'a prize at hamfests.
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  #41  
Old 09-14-2011, 09:01 PM
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Jeffhs Jeffhs is offline
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Location: Fairport Harbor, Ohio (near Lake Erie)
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I've been in ham radio 39 years. Call sign is WB8NHV. I worked CW and packet for over 10 years, then lost my 70-foot all-band dipole and had to move shortly after that, so my amateur career was cut short until just recently. I'm still on 2 meters with an Icom IC-T22a 1.5 watt handheld, and am a member of the Lake County (Ohio) Amateur Radio Association, being moderately active on their local repeater, N8BC/R, 147.81-21. I am back on HF as of about a year ago, using Echolink software on my Windows XP computer. Cannot use my standard HF gear (Icom IC-725) because I live in an apartment building; of course, in most cases, including mine, that means no outside antennas. I do have a portable 10-40-meter antenna, but it doesn't work well inside the apartment; however, since getting the Echolink software going on my computer I am back on HF (if only on voice modes) and honestly don't miss my OTA station at all. My Echolink node number is 331660.

73,
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Last edited by Jeffhs; 09-14-2011 at 09:09 PM.
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  #42  
Old 09-14-2011, 10:11 PM
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AUdubon5425 AUdubon5425 is offline
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I recently acquired a Collins TCS setup from WWII. In anticipation of bringing it back to life I've (just) begun studying CW. I've passed practice exams in the past and will study up when the time comes. I was always interested in ham radio but never had an Elmer or any equipment to get on the air until now.
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  #43  
Old 09-15-2011, 11:23 AM
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Jeffhs Jeffhs is offline
<----Zenith C845
 
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Location: Fairport Harbor, Ohio (near Lake Erie)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AUdubon5425 View Post
I recently acquired a Collins TCS setup from WWII. In anticipation of bringing it back to life I've (just) begun studying CW. I've passed practice exams in the past and will study up when the time comes. I was always interested in ham radio but never had an Elmer or any equipment to get on the air until now.

Under the new regulations, you don't need to know CW to get an amateur license; the FCC abolished the code requirement several years ago. The written test is only 55 questions. If you get a score of 74 percent or better on that test, you're in.

Collins was a very good make of amateur gear in its day. I'm not familiar with their military equipment, but I bet it was just as good as their civilian gear. Perhaps other hams with more knowledge of Collins gear than I will chime in and tell you more about the history of this great make of amateur gear.

Good luck when you go for your ham license. I've been licensed 39 years and, despite living in an apartment and being unable to erect outdoor antennas, still enjoy the hobby immensely. I'm currently using Echolink (r) voice-over-IP (VoIP) software on my computer to communicate by voice with hams across the US and around the world, so if you are in a situation where you cannot for any reason erect an antenna or have any other problems getting an RF-based amateur station on the air, Echolink is the way to go, IMHO.

73 (best of regards in ham talk),
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Zenith. Gone, but not forgotten.

Last edited by Jeffhs; 09-17-2011 at 01:48 AM.
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  #44  
Old 09-15-2011, 11:50 AM
bob91343 bob91343 is offline
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I just thought I'd put in a comment or two.

I have had my ham license for 62 years and the hobby keeps getting better. I have a very nice setup, legal limit of power, nice antennas, and so on. I operate CW, SSB, AM, PSK, packet, RTTY, SSTV, and anything else that comes by. I was in MARS for years and am now joining again - Army before, Navy this time. I was a volunteer examiner for a while.

I have a nice lab where I do repairs and building. I do have an EE degree but there are things you can't learn in school. Last night on 20 meters I had a nice conversation with a guy in Israel. Last weekend I attended a party and met some cool guys and saw some cool stuff and even took home some gear.

I admit having disdain for CB. Back in the day, I was on 11 meters but at that time it was a ham band. I have an impressive list of gear I have used over the years, nearly every brand, tube and solid state. I still remember the pin connections on many tubes and many of the hams I have worked over the years.

Right now I'm looking for a small auxiliary tower to support the WARC beam I designed and built. I like the WARC bands because they give me a break from the contests that mess up my hobby on most weekends. I hate contests so much that I won't even do Field Day.

If anyone has any questions I might be able to answer, shoot! 73 from California.
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  #45  
Old 09-15-2011, 10:04 PM
jbivy jbivy is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Louisvile Kentucky
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Well im not a ham yet. But i did sign up for a course on them, learning the basics and studying for the test. Ive recently been looking at tube era rigs. This just looks like fun to me, something new to learn about.
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