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Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

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Re: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

#71

Post by gooseus »

makomk wrote: post #69
gooseus wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't made contact with ISS, or many contacts at yet, but getting a Technicians license and getting on the airwaves really pretty straightforward. I studied for maybe 2-3 weeks (a chapter a day) and paid $15 to take the test back in October, 2 weeks later I was in the FCC database and made my first check-in on the Alaska Morning NET[0] via a local repeater on a $60 triband handheld[1]. Now I'm looking to develop…

It's not so easy in some other countries unfortunately. Here in the UK, it'd cost me the equivalent of about $80 and require an effectively mandatory in-person training course that's rather inconvenient too, just for the most basic license. More advanced licenses are even more expensive and annoying to get.

Wow, now that I did not realize... do you know the reasoning behind making it so difficult?

Re: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

#72

Post by madengr »

radioo75555 wrote: post #67
madengr wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Though not as entertaining as 7.200 MHz. KD4HSO

What's on 7.2? I rarely listen to HF.

A couple of lids, trying there hardest to get fined by the FCC by trolling hams. I have an SDR here:

http://64.136.200.36:8073/

Re: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

#73

Post by vvanders »

BenjiWiebe wrote: post #19
mseebach wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then why don't you just use the internet in the first place, and skip the license and expensive equipment?

Ya I agree (as a ham). No point in using internet linked repeaters as a reason to get into ham radio. If you have a ham radio, sure, play around with it, but it is kinda pointless. It doesn't exactly teach you how to communicate when the internet doesn't work. -K0COW

Just because they're connected to the internet doesn't immediately invalidate their use. We've got the PNW DMR network up here[1] that gives you tons of coverage where cellphones don't[2] all through a linked repeater system.

We had an emergency a while back where someone got stranded up on the mountain due to a flat tire and they were diabetic so it was an urgent situation. In that case just hitting one repeater they were able to raise anyone in WA state that was listening vs just the local repeater.

Ham radio is a different thing to different people so just because you don't see value in it doesn't mean that others don't find it interesting and a reason to get into the hobby.

As a younger ham it's super frustrating to see this attitude whenever anything internet and/or packet related comes up that people dump on because it's not the thing that they enjoy.

[1] http://trbo.org/pnw/index.html

[2] http://trbo.org/pnw/images/heatmaps/WA-Combined.jpg

Re: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

#74

Post by huehehue »

shiplet wrote: post #48
kawfey wrote: post #13

Finally, the moment I've been waiting for, amateur radio on the top of hackernews. :) It's also worth mentioning we've got a lot of amateur radio satellites in orbit[0], and more coming, including a geosynchronous satellite launching sometime in March (Es'hail 2)[1]. Some are very easy to get into with just an HT (or two for full-duplex).[2] [0] http://www.amsat.org/status/ [1] https://amsat-uk.org/tag/eshail-2/ [2]…

Hey!! No kidding! One of my goals for this year is to finally get my call sign. I've been on the verge the past two years, but things with work kept coming up. This year however, this year it's gonna happen.

I was the exact same way! What worked for me was just picking an open exam day and committing. I used the Ham Test Prep (no affiliation) Android app, studied for two days, took the test the third day, aced it.

Just pick the next available exam, cram for a couple nights, and get it over with. The Technician exam is much much easier than you think. If you take my advice, fail the test, and prove me wrong, I'll pay the exam fee :P

Re: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

#75

Post by nickysielicki »

pdelbarba wrote: post #62
shiplet wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey!! No kidding! One of my goals for this year is to finally get my call sign. I've been on the verge the past two years, but things with work kept coming up. This year however, this year it's gonna happen.

There are plenty of really good apps on the android app store at least. They'll just feed you the questions and correct your answers. Took about 1 wk of semi serious use to pass technician and another week to get general and extra together (though I work in a related field, YMMV)

Skip the apps, just go to hamstudy.org and then add it to your homescreen instead of as a tab.

Re: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

#76

Post by th0ma5 »

olfactory wrote: post #59
th0ma5 wrote: post #58

FT8 is a popular low power digital modeling these days for HF. I highly recommend reading the specification!

> I highly recommend reading the specification I agree. It's amazing how well it works. I've played with FT8 and WSPR and communicated with Australia using 500mw (from the midwest USA).

My Rpi1 WSPR transmitter was heard once in New Zealand on 30M and it is just the Pi, a filter, a tuner, and a long wire over the roof. Here in central Ohio I routinely get Thunder Bay receiving me with the setup which is wild.

Re: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

#77

Post by kichuku »

kawfey wrote: post #13

Finally, the moment I've been waiting for, amateur radio on the top of hackernews. :) It's also worth mentioning we've got a lot of amateur radio satellites in orbit[0], and more coming, including a geosynchronous satellite launching sometime in March (Es'hail 2)[1]. Some are very easy to get into with just an HT (or two for full-duplex).[2] [0] http://www.amsat.org/status/ [1] https://amsat-uk.org/tag/eshail-2/ [2]…

Thanks for the links

Re: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

#78

Post by jventura »

olfactory wrote: post #14

I can't recommend amateur radio enough to fellow HN readers. There are so many things to do -- my favorite is HF CW.

What is so interesting about amateur radio, besides talking to other people? Could you expand a little bit on this? This is an honest question, as I used to be a licensed user of CB radios but the bad mood of truck drivers and mIRC (internet) led me to leave it eventually.

Re: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

#80

Post by godelski »

I just want to remind everyone that it only costs $10-$15 to get a license. You can generally take multiple tests in one day, so you could get a technician's and general in one day. Not too much use to get an extra.

The tests are pretty easy and I'd expect most people on this site can get the technician without studying. Test questions are from a pool and you can do practice tests here[1]

[1] http://aa9pw.com/radio/

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