No more excuses, get your amateur radio license

[Matt Pascoe]

I just recieved this email:

FCC drops all Morse code testing!



The FCC announced on Friday, December 15, 2006, that it has adopted a Report and Order eliminating the Morse code exam requirement for all ham radio licenses. They have not yet specified an effective date for this change, but it will likely be sometime in February, 2007.



If you haven?t upgraded to General or Extra yet, "I can't learn Morse code," is no longer a valid excuse. So, start studying now! You?re going to love HF, talking all around the world, chasing rare DX stations.

[Jerry Bransford]

Definitely. The benefits of the General Class license are so huge compared to the very limited Technician license that it makes ham radio actually fun as opposed to just the cellphone-like 2m communications done via a Tech license.

That's great news, I expected that to happen but didn't know it wasn't happening so soon... though some of us like Stu and I will be able to brag we had our General tickets before the no-coders came along.

And I didn't know you had a General or better ham ticket!

Jerry
N6TAY

[Tim]

thats funny. i just pulled my dusty tech plus book out last week to read up on it again. i really want to do this.

[Rockjeep]

It kind of sucks for us old timers who had to sit there and learn 20 words a min, but is good so we can get new blood to our hobby and keep the freqs open.
Kory
K6ORY

[Matt Pascoe]

Jerry, I only have my tech license (which hasnt required a code test for some time now).

the cellphone-like 2m communications done via a Tech license

That is exactly why I wish more of our group would get their tech license. It's frustrating trying to communicate on the AM HF CB frequencies when I know how clear the 2meter freqs are.

2 meter radios are cheap (under $100) and the test is simple.

Come on guys/gals, give yourselves a radio and license for a Christmas present!!!



Matt
W6JPN

[NAILER341]

Originally posted by Matt Pascoe
Jerry, I only have my tech license (which hasnt required a code test for some time now).

That is exactly why I wish more of our group would get their tech license. It's frustrating trying to communicate on the AM HF CB frequencies when I know how clear the 2meter freqs are.

2 meter radios are cheap (under $100) and the test is simple.

Come on guys/gals, give yourselves a radio and license for a Christmas present!!!



Matt
W6JPN

so, fill me in. what is involved with this test?
you say "easy", what exactly does that mean for those of us that know nothing about it?
what makes having this type of radio so great, and worth the hassle?

[Tim]

seems like there was an online practice test a few years ago. i need to find this again and if i do i will post a link for it. i started reading the book again and i need to practice.

[TJeeper]

Way back when I would have said WTF? Today it seems like the best move for the hobby. The less people with licenses, the greater the chance the FCC will pull the assigned frequencies.

BTW I am guilty too. I haven't even turned on the 2M rig in my TJ in probably 5 years.

Patrick
KA0ONR

[Kiwi]

Originally posted by NAILER341
so, fill me in. what is involved with this test?
you say "easy", what exactly does that mean for those of us that know nothing about it?
what makes having this type of radio so great, and worth the hassle?

yeah I'd like to know a bit more too. Matt, are you using a handheld or do you have a 2m radio in your rig?

[Tim]

test

[Jerry Bransford]

Erik, the test for a Technician license is pretty easy and with a study book, you could pass the test after a night or two's study. Very little electronic theory with probably a bit more emphasis on what frequencies you can legally transmit on. You could easily be ready for the test on Saturday (most areas have ham tests available on Saturdays) after buying the study guide Thursday.

What makes it so great? A 2 meter radio is a more sophisticated radio than a CB is with much greater clarity because it transmits with FM instead of AM like a CB uses. It can also use "repeaters" which are located on mountain tops to spread your signal over a wider area so you can communicate over the tops of mountains when you need to. I don't use the 2m radio in my Jeep as much as I do my CB but when I need more range or better communications abilities, my CB is no match for my 2m radio.

[Matt Pascoe]

Originally posted by NAILER341
so, fill me in. what is involved with this test?
you say "easy", what exactly does that mean for those of us that know nothing about it?
what makes having this type of radio so great, and worth the hassle?

Tim posted a link to a practice exam. I used http://www.hamtestonline.com/ to study for the test. If you have an interest in electronic circuits and antenna design you will enjoy the study. If not, just commit the info to your short-term memory so you can pass (I went through the sample tests a few times per day for a week or so and had no problems with the test). I'm fairly certain though, that I have forgotten 90% of what was on the test.

I did not get my Ham license with the intention of it becoming a new hobby (don't need another ). I got it primarily so I could improve my chances of getting a distress call out in case of emergency.

After playing with my radio for a bit I was amazed at the transmit/receive quality. It literally is cell phone like quality. My CB on the other hand picks up so much interference (engine noise, trucker chatter etc) that I have to turn my squelch up so high that I can?t receive the transmission that I want.

Heres the rub though...

Unless the group that you routinely wheel with all has ham radios, you wind up back on CB freqs.

Some groups (Tinbenders for example) make having a 2 meter radio mandatory. Someday I imagine we will get there, and I will be ready

[Matt Pascoe]

Originally posted by Kiwi
yeah I'd like to know a bit more too. Matt, are you using a handheld or do you have a 2m radio in your rig?

I have a Icom 706 in my Jeep

Way more radio than I needed. It transmits and recieves on almost all of the amateur frequencies (HF, VHF, UHF).

A single band VHF radio is really all that's needed for Jeep communication (2meter). Not only are they inexpensive, most are built to mil spec so they are quite rugged.

I'm looking into getting a small handheld for motorcycle/hiking trips. This ones about the size of a deck of cards:

[Jerry Bransford]

Do know that some amateur 2m radios are harder than others to use and program for use with repeaters. I used to have a Yaseu 2m radio that I could never master enough to program it without referring to the manual. Others have come up with more reasonable interfaces that are far easier to learn and remember.

Even my ICOM 2m V8000 radio is easier to use than most but... and maybe this is just because I've gotten so old... I still have to think about how to set it up for a new repeater half the time. I recently had to print out a copy of its manual to do a few operations after having misplaced the original manual.

I hope I didn't make using a 2m radio sound harder than it really is. There are really just a few things you need to learn about them to make them work well.

[chef]

Alright, you got me. I studied for the test as a kid and just never took it, and since I've had my Jeep I've thought of studying again, I've even got a pdf of HR for Dummies somewhere. Casey's dad has some radios he's offered me, though I think they're all in house stuff. I'll have to leave room for one when I design the dash.

[Stu Olson]

About a dozen years ago, my wife, who is NOT electronically inclined, decided she was going to get her license so that she could talk to me on the radio (I usually had it on at home while I was out driving around in the TJ).

She went to a two day class. Prior to the class, she read the book, as instructed to do. She spent Saturday all day and Sunday AM cramming for the test. She passed her exam Sunday afternoon. My oldest son got his tech license while he was still in junior high. Did the practice tests for a couple of weeks and then passed his exam.

[Kiwi]

Well I went to sit my Tech License on Saturday, in the snow, uphill both ways in 2wd and the examiner decided to cancel because the "roads were too bad". Of course he didn't tell anyone, not even his other 2 examiners. So now I have to wait until another session somewhere else on the 10th.

In the meantime I'm learning Morse code. My favorite letter is "e"
One day I might get trapped in an upturned boat and so will be able to communicate with my rescuers.

[Jerry Bransford]

Heh, your favorite Morse code letter is 'e'. (which is a single "dit" for you non Morse-types). I'm surprised you still want to learn Morse code since the FCC announced it was no longer requiring it to get the General or Extra class licenses but heck, it's fun to know!

[Kiwi]

Originally posted by Jerry Bransford
Heh, your favorite Morse code letter is 'e'. (which is a single "dit" for you non Morse-types). I'm surprised you still want to learn Morse code since the FCC announced it was no longer requiring it to get the General or Extra class licenses but heck, it's fun to know!

It's fun to learn something new, even though it might not be that much use My wife and kids think I'm totally nuts!

[Jeff McRae]

Originally posted by Jerry Bransford
Do know that some amateur 2m radios are harder than others to use and program for use with repeaters. I used to have a Yaseu 2m radio that I could never master enough to program it without referring to the manual. Others have come up with more reasonable interfaces that are far easier to learn and remember.

Even my ICOM 2m V8000 radio is easier to use than most but... and maybe this is just because I've gotten so old... I still have to think about how to set it up for a new repeater half the time. I recently had to print out a copy of its manual to do a few operations after having misplaced the original manual.

I hope I didn't make using a 2m radio sound harder than it really is. There are really just a few things you need to learn about them to make them work well.

One of the reasons all of my current radios are programmible from the PC - I can barely see the little keys anymore (plus they all have 4 or 5 functions)

[Matt Pascoe]

Originally posted by Kiwi
It's fun to learn something new, even though it might not be that much use My wife and kids think I'm totally nuts!

Now thats funny

I don't even know how I'd go about explaining that one to my wife...

Good luck on the test (when the weather clears).

[Jerry Bransford]

Originally posted by Jeff McRae
I can barely see the little keys anymore (plus they all have 4 or 5 functions)

Heh, tell me about it. I finally started carrying a set of reading glasses permanently in the Jeep just so I can read the buttons on my 2m radio mounted on the overhead a little too close to my old eyes. The seat no longer moves back far enough so I can read that tiny key lettering any more.

[LOC4ROC]

I have a Kenwood 2-meter TM271A in the rig, great unit. I also have 2-handhelds, 1-Kenwood 2-meter and 1-Yaesu VX7R multi band.

Most of our wheeling group have 2-meters on the trail and rarely use CB anymore.

The handhelds are also great for communications while on a caravan trip for use in the tow rig's and trail rigs.

Also from a safety standpoint for emergency communications.

Here is a good link for HAM stuff and practice tests.

http://www.qrz.com/

Roger
KG6ZRU

[Croaker]

Yeah, that's all we need, a bunch of Jeep fools cluttering up the bands!




I've been telling my dad for a few years it was coming and he should get ready to study.

[Jerry Bransford]

Ya know what I'm running into now since I've started using my 2m radio more lately? Because we all still use the CB, I can't tell which radio to answer someone back on. I'm driving and concentrating when someone talks to me on the radio. I seldom know which microphone to answer back on and most of the time, it's the wrong one.

[Jeff McRae]

Jerry, I cured that by placing the remote speakers for CB and Ham in completely different places. CB comes from the speaker on the bar behind my left ear, Ham from the speaker(s) between the spreaders (in front of my right ear)

Works _most_ of the time

[Jerry Bransford]

Originally posted by Jeff McRae
Jerry, I cured that by placing the remote speakers for CB and Ham in completely different places. CB comes from the speaker on the bar behind my left ear, Ham from the speaker(s) between the spreaders (in front of my right ear)

Works _most_ of the time

Thanks Jeff, that's a good idea and I'll do that!

[Jerry Bransford]

Originally posted by Jeff McRae
Jerry, I cured that by placing the remote speakers for CB and Ham in completely different places. CB comes from the speaker on the bar behind my left ear, Ham from the speaker(s) between the spreaders (in front of my right ear)

Works _most_ of the time

Thanks Jeff, that's a good idea and I'll do that!