121–130 of 153 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes your experience is heavily location dependent.
OK, I'll have to accept that expansion. Was it mostly on VHF (would seem more likely)?
As the internet gets more balkanized, censored, and controlled by a few giant companies, it makes me think that it's time for a different hobby. Something that can be used to subvert censorship (remember the whole "interprets it as damage and routes around it" conceit?) and is more hobbyists and less corporate sounds appealing. Is Ham that hobby? I am genuinely asking. A few days ago a thread here had lots of people…
Now, do you want a hobby that lets you explore the physics of antennas, how our atmosphere actually works, build your own experimental low power QRP rig just to see how far you can throw a CW(Morse) signal with a tiny bit of juice, or maybe help set up comms for local events or emergencies? Yes, ham radio is that hobby.
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I agree that understanding the restrictions on HAM usage - including the ban on encryption, and strict rules on what kind of material can be broadcast (since anyone can hear it) - is really important. You don't have to pay ongoing fees: the initial outlay in the USA is $35 for the license (you have to pass the exam) plus the cost for your equipment (~$70 for the cheaper HAM radios on Amazon), but after that there are…
There is a renewal fee for the license, every 10 years. But it's negligible.
In most other EU countries it's once off but the Dutch government wants money for everything.
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Does one have to take a test for renewal? Or is it a one and done type thing?
You don't have to take the test again. I believe you only have to take the test if your license expires at the end of the ten years AND you wait more than two years before renewing it again.
As the internet gets more balkanized, censored, and controlled by a few giant companies, it makes me think that it's time for a different hobby. Something that can be used to subvert censorship (remember the whole "interprets it as damage and routes around it" conceit?) and is more hobbyists and less corporate sounds appealing. Is Ham that hobby? I am genuinely asking. A few days ago a thread here had lots of people…
Ham radio is not that hobby. For example, broadcasting is not allowed, one person-to-person comms. Subverting censorship? Not really. There's no cussing on the air, English only, make your contact to deliver info and move on. Maybe you get a rag chew on a local repeater, but that conversation will be about housework or health problems. Nobody is subverting anything in ham radio, though some of the tacticoolies might…
Callsigns are generally spelled using the nato Alphabet though.
As the internet gets more balkanized, censored, and controlled by a few giant companies, it makes me think that it's time for a different hobby. Something that can be used to subvert censorship (remember the whole "interprets it as damage and routes around it" conceit?) and is more hobbyists and less corporate sounds appealing. Is Ham that hobby? I am genuinely asking. A few days ago a thread here had lots of people…
Doesn’t help that the HAM community will more than happily snitch on you if you goof around too much, and licences mean your full dox are publicly searchable (at least in America).
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I got my HAM license in the USA a while ago. I'm in it mainly for the emergency communications side of things: I live in a coastal community in California with three roads in and out, all three of which can be affected by affected by storms, earthquakes etc. I've joined ARES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_Radio_Emergency_Servic... - which coordinates to provide HAM support for emergency communications. If a b…
Jus curious, respectfully, is ARES still relevant? These days it seems like a few portable cell towers should outstrip what a motley group of HAMs can humanly do. About 30 years ago, the people I met who were into ARES seemed a bit weird — sorta a radio version of “preppers”. Maybe I was just in an area not prone to earthquakes…
I don't care about being "important". I'm more into the hobby for the technical side.
I had a great time on ham (not HAM) radio today, talking to people participating in a "Summit on the Air" event from Mount Umunhum. Then I spent some time building a "Class D" PWM AM radio transmitter using a circuit a guy from Bulgaria posted to a forum a few months ago. I take a little portable "truSDX" with me in my travels, and enjoy making contacts on FT8 and CW with it using a wire I hang out of my hotel window…
> and enjoy making contacts on FT8 and CW with it using a wire I hang out of my hotel window. In the past year, I've done this from Tokyo to Tel Aviv. Ever worry about being of interest to foreign intelligence I ask only half joking! Ever done it in Moscow?!
https://www.arrl.org/bilateral-reciprocal-agreements
(It's also not a good idea for U.S. Citizens to go there right now.)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ham radio is not that hobby. For example, broadcasting is not allowed, one person-to-person comms. Subverting censorship? Not really. There's no cussing on the air, English only, make your contact to deliver info and move on. Maybe you get a rag chew on a local repeater, but that conversation will be about housework or health problems. Nobody is subverting anything in ham radio, though some of the tacticoolies might…
English only? Not in Europe, everyone speaks their local language. Callsigns are generally spelled using the nato Alphabet though.
I got my Technicians license about a year ago but have struggled to find much to do with it. I check into my local nets every once and a while, but the repeaters are nearly silent otherwise. The CW privileges are ok but hard to use. Seems you need a General to do all the cool stuff. Any other technicians here who have found a great use for the license?
But the heydays are over. During the 80s/early 90s it was really hard to break into the chat when I was driving to work. So busy. Back then there were no legal issues with speaking into a microphone while driving either. So it made the morning traffic much more fun.
But then the internet came and the whole "speak to people all over the world for free!" thing really lost its shine. The home computer before that did a lot already too (until they came on the scene pretty much all geeks were hams)