HAM Radios and the FCC License

[MsGoGoMoto]

I just picked up this little handheld Boafeng Ham radio to tinker around with.
Got it off Amazon a 2-pack for $40.
Comes with a charging stand and little rubber ducky antenna that sucked, so I threw on a telescopic antenna

I been pondering getting my Ham operator's license..
Now that I've been on the frequencies, I'm thinking of going for it.
May even eventually get a base station and install an external antenna.
Seems fun poking around the frequencies, love getting my husband when he's on patrol nearby the house as I can raise him on the public walkie-talkie frequencies about 8ish miles away on high ground (we live on a low mountain foothill).


Anyone else hamming?

[cmyx6go]

The sewing machine just made me smile. Makes me think of my grandmother. Thank you.

[Maynard]

Going seriously old school here, between the Singer and the HAM. HAM operators were the original internet. Guy at the end of my street would be talking to ppl from around the world in his basement, back when the phone company wouldn't let you actually own your own phones.

[chassis]

Yes old school for sure. Today I just gave away some large format film wet darkroom gear.

My wife wants a sewing room. I'm happy to oblige if we ever decide where we want to live for more than 18 months at a stretch...

[vreihen16]

Get the license...and drag your husband along to get his as well! The Technician Class test is 35 questions out of a pool of 350, and the entire question pool is publicly available online in free practice exam web sites to learn like old-school flash cards.

The Technician license will cover you for all VHF/UHF stuff, including using any ham repeaters in the area (see repeaterbook.com) to extend your range on those portables. The exam itself has many questions that are basic common sense, and it is possible to pass without answering a single math question correctly. Heck, 12-year-olds pass the Technician, General, and Amateur Extra exams all the time.

Once you and your husband have the licenses, download CHIRP (free) and program those Baofeng UV5-R's for the ham repeaters in your area.

I have a General license, and use it primarily for sending weather station data via APRS packet radio. I also occasionally tinker with DMR digital radio, which will let you talk to the world through linked repeaters or home hotspots.

Thanks for reminding me that I need to install my AnyTone 578 DMR mobile radio into my i3 while the weather is bearable.....

[MsGoGoMoto]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

Get the license...and drag your husband along to get his as well! The Technician Class test is 35 questions out of a pool of 350, and the entire question pool is publicly available online in free practice exam web sites to learn like old-school flash cards.

The Technician license will cover you for all VHF/UHF stuff, including using any ham repeaters in the area (see repeaterbook.com) to extend your range on those portables. The exam itself has many questions that are basic common sense, and it is possible to pass without answering a single math question correctly. Heck, 12-year-olds pass the Technician, General, and Amateur Extra exams all the time.

Once you and your husband have the licenses, download CHIRP (free) and program those Baofeng UV5-R's for the ham repeaters in your area.

I have a General license, and use it primarily for sending weather station data via APRS packet radio. I also occasionally tinker with DMR digital radio, which will let you talk to the world through linked repeaters or home hotspots.

Thanks for reminding me that I need to install my AnyTone 578 DMR mobile radio into my i3 while the weather is bearable.....

Great to hear! And, I bought the programming cable for my radio and tinkered around with chirp already.
Downloaded repeater book app. And got the 5 local repeaters programmed in. Chirp is sweet as I can set my radio up to avoid accidentally PTT. I don't want to step on law enforcement.

I think I will follow your advice and drag my husband on in for us to get our license.
Thanks again for the knowledge!
I'll post an update once I get my license.
Would it be weird to get the vehicle tag with radio ID?

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by MsGoGoMoto

Would it be weird to get the vehicle tag with radio ID?

Almost every state issues them. New York's are much nicer than Georgia's though, IMHO:

https://mvd.dor.ga.gov/motor/plates/....aspx?pcode=AR





I thought about putting them on The Mighty Dodge a few years ago when NY State was issuing those hideous orange/gold eyesores, but they went back to white plates last year and I found a vanity plate number that I liked so I went that route instead.....

[dtox9]

I've OFTEN thought about getting involved in HAM, if for nothing else to have available during storm situations or the like.... Just never pulled the trigger on it.

From a novice point of view / it looks like it could get overwhelming pretty easily.

[spazzyfry123]

I know many many people that utilize HAM.

But we are typically in areas without cell reception for miles. CB works okay for some close groups, but HAM and GMRS are the way to go depending on your use case.

[charlie fairmont]

I really wish I had absorbed what my grandpa was teaching me and followed through with getting licensed. I'll rectify that in the near future. At the time though, I was just a dumb kid and thought "why the hell do I want to learn Morse code and sit in the basement with my Grandpa "talking" (Morse coding) to a bunch of other old WW2 guys." I really regret it now that he's gone. OP, I say go for it!

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by dtox9

I've OFTEN thought about getting involved in HAM, if for nothing else to have available during storm situations or the like.... Just never pulled the trigger on it.

From a novice point of view / it looks like it could get overwhelming pretty easily.

It really is as simple as 35 questions on a multiple-guess test to get the Technician license, and all questions are available online for free in multiple practice exam web sites. Many small clubs administer the test for $15.00 at every monthly meeting, and will also offer novice classes at least once per year.

Odds are that you will find an "Elmer" (senior ham helper) to get you started. The local club here mobilizes troops to help whenever anyone says they need assistance stringing a dipole HF antenna in the trees, and they bring slingshots to shoot wires over branches and everything else necessary to make an antenna.

If you want to do your civic duty, most counties have ARES, RACES, and/or SkyWarn programs for hams to help out in emergency situations. Our local club has been contacted by a large airshow, to provide traffic control and emergency crowd communications. Free entry and worker credentials for your help.

Originally Posted by charlie fairmont

At the time though, I was just a dumb kid and thought "why the hell do I want to learn Morse code and sit in the basement with my Grandpa "talking" (Morse coding) to a bunch of other old WW2 guys." I really regret it now that he's gone.

Morse code is no longer part of the ham test, and I'd be lucky to tap a passable "SOS" on a straight key on my best day. It has never been easier/cheaper to get on the air as it is today.....

[vreihen16]

Current sample tests for all three license grades.....

https://www.eham.net/exams/

[MsGoGoMoto]

Got damn. I'm really going for it now.
Soooo, don't laugh…… please, spare me when I say this. (I'm about to laugh…. AM LAUGHING) as I type ….. sooooo


















You think my i3 would look good with a 6 ft ham radio antenna mast mounted on the rear bumper?




…..

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by MsGoGoMoto

You think my i3 would look good with a 6 ft ham radio antenna mast mounted on the rear bumper?

The interesting thing about the i3 is that the lack of a metal Faraday cage around the car because of the composite panels/tub makes it remarkably invisible to radio waves. I had a 1/2 wave UHF antenna sitting inside the rear hatch during the winter, and was able to put a full-quieting analog signal into a repeater almost 20 miles away...on 10 watts of transmit power.

The *bad* thing about the i3 is that the lack of a metal roof/chassis means that you can't get a decent antenna ground plane. It means that you are limited to 1/2 wave antennas, which for 2 meter VHF is something over 3 feet tall like the Diamond NR770HB. I don't think that you will be able to find an antenna to run HF frequencies (10m - 80m), due to the needed antenna length for 1/2 wave. I suspect that the i3's inverter noise on the 12V accessory circuit would also create annoying whines on HF.

I cobbled together an ugly hack of a suction cup roof mount last summer for the above Diamond antenna, using a window carrying suction cup handle. Ugly, but it proved my concept.

I have since purchased one of these adhesive mounts, but have not decided whether I am going to stick it to the rear hatch glass or to the roof near the passenger rear corner:

www.amazon.com/Diamond-Original-HRKS-Adhesive-Backed/dp/B00AR09FJU/

Going with a 6-foot whip on the rear bumper sounds like fun, but is really overkill for VHF/UHF stuff.....