Ham operators-? For you

[rjohns94]

Looking to get into this. Recommendations on equipment, setups, antenna etc? I have been listening to sw for years and I'm really ready to start in this hobby. Plays well into my preparedness trend I'm on. Thanks for your help. Also, source of those components?

[Old Ironsights]

Looking to get into this. Recommendations on equipment, setups, antenna etc? I have been listening to sw for years and I'm really ready to start in this hobby. Plays well into my preparedness trend I'm on. Thanks for your help. Also, source of hose components?

Can't say much except to recommend a Handheld unit.

I'm VERY pleased with the Puxing 777 Plus.

It's a 5w programmable handheld that will hold over 200 channels for less than $100.

[Rusty]

Mike, go to the ARRL, American Radio Relay League website and find a Ham club near you. You might also find one through your local American Red Cross office.
Most likely your first purchase will be a 2meter and or a 44o mhz handi talkie. That will allow you to talk locally with other hams.
Don't delay on the contacting and you might be able to get in with the local club in time for the annual Field Day. Field day is when clubs set up out in the field to simulate emergency conditions and try to make as many contacts as possible during a given time. Field Day is in June, I forget which weekend.
Anyway a local club will allow you to see what everyone else is using and how it works, first hand.

[bsaride]

Field Day June 23-24.

I recommend a dual band hand held for your first radio.
Then get on the air and don't be afraid to start a conversation.
Get in with the local club or at very least drive around on Field Day and look for antennas.
Work the airwaves on Field Day from as many stations as possible do get an idea of what
you want to do with the hobby.

Jay
KI6WZU
volunteers as radio operator at Ultra-Marathon and Mountain bike events.

[JReed]

Rusty said it best place to start is your local club. Getting ready to retest myself. Still have the same Alinco dual band HT that i started with in 93. VHF/UHF will teach you alot before you make the jump to HF. Dont get wrapped up over lots of power and expensive high dollar antennas a well built homemade antenna and a half way decent 5 watt handheld will do great things.

[Rusty]

These days with all the micro everything and chips in the radios the best do it yourself area is in antennas. I used one here called a G5RV that I made myself. Just wire cut to the proper length.

[tomtex]

Looking to get into this. Recommendations on equipment, setups, antenna etc? I have been listening to sw for years and I'm really ready to start in this hobby. Plays well into my preparedness trend I'm on. Thanks for your help. Also, source of those components?

For info , you should go tohttp://www.eham.net

[rjohns94]

Thanks guys. Ordered a HT tonight.

[Grizz]

which one?

[rjohns94]

Yeasu vx-6R with a diamond antenna, extra battery pack, hand held mike, barometer sensor , charger. Signed up to take my tech test also.

[JReed]

Yeasu makes good stuff. Should last you a long time. Now look up some plans to make your self a 5/8 wave length J-pole and a 3 element 2M Yagi for those hard to reach repeaters and have fun.

[adirondakjack]

Never owned a HT, more the higher watt kinda guy. I sold off my HF stuff years ago during yet another money crunch, but did enjoy the heck out of working the globe on HF.

For 2m, a 7 or 11 element yagi (aka beam) antenna and a tv rotor on top the tallest mast you can rig, backed by a 50W TX and yer simplex into some fair distance (will mimic what police can cover with a repeated for example) and can function AS a repeater if the local stuff is down during a crisis. I ran my rig for days as a makeshift repeater off car batteries (and a car to charge same) to keep 2M up during an ice storm and the aftermath once, allowing local hams to coordinate relief work in the years before cell service.....

Once ya learn a bit, Ebay is your friend. My buddy collects rigs, and has bought hundreds of em at ten cents on the dollar, nearly all serviceable out of the box. My old Yeasu 146 RF 2M is all I keep around any more, with a magnet mount car top antenna, "just in case".

[Rusty]

Mike, there are several site on the net where you can practice taking the test. You can practice over and over until you feel confident taking it for real. The questions on the practice test are the exact question you'll see on your test. All the questions come from a pool of something like 200 questions. From that pool you'll get something like 40 or 50 questions. Some of the questions are used over again, just worded different.

[Grizz]

Yeasu vx-6R with a diamond antenna, extra battery pack, hand held mike, barometer sensor , charger. Signed up to take my tech test also.

Thanks. I have a VX-7R. I got it instead of the Kenwood I wanted more because the Yaesu is waterproof. I dropped an Icom in the skiff bilge. Phffzzt.

Grizz

[Rusty]

Yep, I drowned a Standard 158a once upon a time. I wish it had been waterproof.

[bsaride]

There is a Ham Study app if you have a smart phone

[rjohns94]

Got it. 20% done