[hackpgh-ham] Re: General learning resources
- From: Matt Stultz <matt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: hackpgh-ham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:17:05 -0400
Wow so Ed covered a lot of what I was just about to type but I will add a
few things.
As far as show off your radio goes, I have been carrying all of mine around
since last week and I'm sure it won't be hard to get other people to bring
theirs in again. I know Matt you said you would be in on Wednesday so if
anyone can bring in your radios we can have another show and tell then. If
you wanted a quick which radio I would suggest I would say the VX-6R or
VX-7R. If you look at the specs and have questions feel free to ask.
I also suggest if you have a radio to just listen to the repeaters a bit.
You will hear and start to get a feel for people who have good practices and
those that are questionably even legal. Like Ed said though it's a very
forgiving community for newbies.
In the past we have done some group get on the air events for people who had
recently received their licenses and wanted to transmit for the first time
but have some one help them out on what to do. For anyone who is around the
shop on Wednesday I would be more than happy (as I'm sure Ed and Doug would)
to show you guys the ropes and get you on the repeaters. If you can't make
it don't fret we can do it anytime anyone is in the shop.
Ed, Doug do you guys want to work with me and see if we can come up with a
more formal Talk for either this month or next on "I got my ticket now
what"? Maybe cover some of the fun things you can do with ham, some
etiquette, and why you should study for your general/extra now.
Matt
On Tue, Oct 12, 2010 at 2:04 PM, Ed Paradis <legomaniac@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> When I first got my license, I had the same concerns. A lot it can be
> learned by what hams call an "Elmer". He (or she) is the ham that you
> learn stuff from: a mentor.
>
> But I didn't know any other hams when I started out, and I found a
> book by the ARRL to be very helpful:
> http://www.arrl.org/shop/The-ARRL-Operating-Manual/
> "The ARRL Operating Manual"
>
> It has stuff like "Which sideband should I be using?" and "What do all
> the Q codes mean?" and "How do I use a repeater?". It also has a
> good list of "Things to do with your license".
>
> I have a copy of an older addition I can try and dig up. It might be
> in a different state.
>
> Also, don't be too afraid of being a newbie. All hams were at some
> point and as a community they're pretty friendly. I've found that
> repeaters operated by college clubs are especially forgiving. Say
> something like "I'm new to ham radio" or "I just got my license" and
> people will cut you a lot of slack if you have trouble.
>
> Also, feel free to ask any questions on this list; there are several
> experienced hams that can help.
>
> If you're looking to buy a radio, the Yaesu line of handhelds are
> popular in the club, so there will be someone around to help you get
> to know your radio. I have a VX-3R which is small and cheap (but
> probably underpowered for this geography). I have had good
> experiences with friends VX-5R and VX-7R. Doug has experience with
> every handheld (aka "HT") since the Nixon era as far as I can tell. :)
>
> If you have your Tech ticket (another term for "license") and are
> looking to upgrade to general, there are several radios that aren't
> hand held but can do VHF/UHF and HF. That way you can use the radio
> now for doing fun stuff like talking on repeaters and bouncing signals
> off of satellites (like we did last night at the shop). Then when
> you get more privileges, you can get on the HF bands and talk around
> the world.
>
> Examples include the Yaesu FT-817 and FT-857. I own a FT-817 and it
> is a bit underpowered for HF work, but is very small. The FT-857 has
> more power.
>
> You can also build all your own gear from scratch or from kits. I
> enjoy it but it depends on your interest level.
>
> Ed
>
>
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