Do we have any Ametaur Radio Operaters on Crappie.com?

My wife and I recently got our technician class tickets for Ham radio. I was just wondering if there are any other radio guys or gals in the group. I finally got my callsign from the FCC last Monday and plan on studying for the general test when I can. Anyway, if you are a Ham please post up and if you like either tell us what you use or post a picture of your radio/radios.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g...ps1985d8js.jpg


I am looking forward to see other folks gear and comments.

Bobo KG5HSJ

Bobo .... I know of one hammy, my friend Gerald Cromer (member ID - gcromer) http://www.crappie.com/crappie/member.php?u=54

He probably won't see this, as he rarely posts outside of the SC forum, so you might want to PM him.

... cp :kewl

WD4ODS "inactive"

I was a "Bootlegger" in the 80's using modified 11 meter stuff and talking everywhere I could hear. I had a lot of fun, just never went for the ticket. Haven't done anything with radio for many years. It was always fun.

I've had a license for nearly 35 years and currently have a General class ticket. I haven't been active for the last 10 years but now that I've retired I have found myself thinking about it now and then. Who knows.... I might start playing with it again sometime. :dono

Joe N9DBI

WB5YYM Extra class since the 70's. Haven't been active in years and all my HF gear is still stored since I took a big lightning strike back in the early 1990's. I may would drag it back out if we could get a 40 meter crappie net started :biggrin. I have been active on vhf/uhf as of late since you can buy those boefeng ht's for a dime a dozen. Back in the day, I was big into CW dxing and built lots of big HF antennas and a few amps. Congratulations on the ticket. It's a great hobby and of great use in emergencies.

Joe, I am sure you know this and I am positive that you know more than me about the subject, but they have the No code now. If you wanted to get back into it. I am really wanting to go after my general just so I can get the voice HF stuff. I will either go after it in the next month or so or wait till this time next year. I help with the Oklahoma BikeMS event every year and after about Aug. 1, I will be to busy with that to even think about studying for the test. Then when that is over at the end of September, my pouring business starts to take off again. LOL

Thank you to all that have responded,

Bobo KG5HSJ

ps,

for you guys that have gotten out of it, if you have gotten rid of your equipment. Check out the Baofeng UV-5R series of Handi Talkies on Amazon. They are a dual band commercial radio that also has FM, GMRS, UHF, VHF, Commercial and the free channels on them. I think we have about 40 bucks in ours including a "shoulder Mic", Covert mic, programming cable, charger, clip, rubber duck antenna, and radio. Kind of tough to beat for the price. If it was not for these radios being so cheap, I never would of been able to play ball.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

Bobo .... I know of one hammy, my friend Gerald Cromer (member ID - gcromer) http://www.crappie.com/crappie/member.php?u=54

He probably won't see this, as he rarely posts outside of the SC forum, so you might want to PM him.

... cp :kewl

---

X2 on Gerald Cromer, a fishing buddy of mine and a fine fellow to boot. I talk with him fairly regularly so I will mention to him, but PM him would be best.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SeaRay

X2 on Gerald Cromer, a fishing buddy of mine and a fine fellow to boot. I talk with him fairly regularly so I will mention to him, but PM him would be best.

---

I sent him a PM with a link to this thread in the link.

Thanks guys,

Bobo KG5HSJ

I ended up picking up a little kit to make a 40 meter CW transmitter off of Ebay. I bought two of them for about 11.00 to the house. I was thinking of keeping on it the tackle box or truck and one in my bug out pack. This is a picture of the circuit board inside of an Altoids can.

Attachment 206079


I have not put it together yet as you can see. I am not sure if it includes a keyer or if I have to add one to it. If I have to add one to it, I found another kit for one of Ebay for about 11.00 dollars.

I was just shocked at how small the whole board is.


Bobo

Hi OM
I had a couple here that know me to send me this thread...

CP, it's been a while since we chatted and hope all is well with you.

Guys, I've had my ticket since 1960 or was it 1961, at my age memory isn't what it use to be. I'm pushing 79 real soon. I'm not active like I use to be, mostly because I'm a caregiver now and that takes up my time. I still have all of my gear and a couple of antennas up though. In my later years I was more into UHF and above and was real heavy into ATV for a number of years. I was Manager of Transmitter Operations for a number of years for South Carolina Educational TV Network. I had 11 TV stations, 8 FM stations and all of the Weather transmitters to worry about. So operating ATV was real easy for me. Of course being in the TV world for over 30 years I also had to have my 1st Class ticket. I use to make all of the Ham Fest and I was a real tinker from the word go, building was the only way.. I was working 2 meters when people said that you couldn't work across town. I was working 60 and 70 miles with a Heath Twoer. I had the first 2 meter mobile when the locals were trying to work 6 meters. I was working 432 SSB with 300 watts when the local said that you couldn't do that either. And you'll never see anyone in town on live ATV, we were working 100 to 125 miles with 160 watts Peak of sync out and with the antenna gain we were running about 3500 watts ERP. You know ham's, don't tell them that it can't be done... In 1992 I was awarded the Technical Excellence Award at the Dayton Hamvention in 1992 for the antenna I developed for ATV repeaters. So I've had my 15 minutes of fame and now it's all gone, in my ole age I think of all of the fun that I've had as a ham. Enjoy it while you can, hamming will bring you a lot of enjoyment and good DX to all of you.

73’s
Gerald K4NHN
Cayce, SC

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gcromer

Hi OM
I had a couple here that know me to send me this thread...

CP, it's been a while since we chatted and hope all is well with you.

Guys, I've had my ticket since 1960 or was it 1961, at my age memory isn't what it use to be. I'm pushing 79 real soon. I'm not active like I use to be, mostly because I'm a caregiver now and that takes up my time. I still have all of my gear and a couple of antennas up though. In my later years I was more into UHF and above and was real heavy into ATV for a number of years. I was Manager of Transmitter Operations for a number of years for South Carolina Educational TV Network. I had 11 TV stations, 8 FM stations and all of the Weather transmitters to worry about. So operating ATV was real easy for me. Of course being in the TV world for over 30 years I also had to have my 1st Class ticket. I use to make all of the Ham Fest and I was a real tinker from the word go, building was the only way.. I was working 2 meters when people said that you couldn't work across town. I was working 60 and 70 miles with a Heath Twoer. I had the first 2 meter mobile when the locals were trying to work 6 meters. I was working 432 SSB with 300 watts when the local said that you couldn't do that either. And you'll never see anyone in town on live ATV, we were working 100 to 125 miles with 160 watts Peak of sync out and with the antenna gain we were running about 3500 watts ERP. You know ham's, don't tell them that it can't be done... In 1992 I was awarded the Technical Excellence Award at the Dayton Hamvention in 1992 for the antenna I developed for ATV repeaters. So I've had my 15 minutes of fame and now it's all gone, in my ole age I think of all of the fun that I've had as a ham. Enjoy it while you can, hamming will bring you a lot of enjoyment and good DX to all of you.

73’s
Gerald K4NHN
Cayce, SC

---

Awesome post. Thank you for sharing. We are still at the beginner stages, but I think I may have another addiction. LOL This weekend I am suppose to help out with communications at one of the largest Bicycle races in the Country. Tulsa Tough is celebrating its 10th year and I was asked to help.

Bobo KG5HSJ

Hey Bobo, I am aware of the no code license but I'm not sure what all frequencies you're allowed to operate on with it. Even though I've been inactive since about 2005 I have kept my ticket current. When I got involved in it around 1980 I started with a novice license that only allowed CW operation on portions of the 10 thru 80 MHz bands. After a while I took the test for General and passed the written portion but failed the 13wpm code test by one question. :bash

At least that gave me the Technician license and could operate voice on VHF and UHF bands. I done a lot on 2 meters, 220 and 440 MHz in those days. I finally upgraded to general awhile later and that's as far as I went.

Ham radio licensing has change a lot since I started but if it hadn't I think it would have died with the birth of the Internet. Like I said I've been thinking about checking it out again but the only radio I have is an old Radio Shack 2meter HT so if I got back into it I'd be starting from scratch.

Here is a chart that shows who can say or do what on what frequencies.

Attachment 206157

If you want to go Dual Band voice on the cheap, check out the Baofeng UV-5Ra. I had to order one for a friend and we got the radio with some accessories such as a collar mic for less than 40.00. It is a nice little handi talkie. It is what I have been using for both 2 meter and 70 centimeter.

Bobo

Catherine and I spent Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon running cables and getting this little antenna up. I also have a small 2meter / 70 centimeter on the mounting pole now.

Attachment 206906


I have been told that I may need to raise it up about another 5 feet to clear the obstructions caused by the house. I guess as soon as I get a power supply for this radio, I will find out. LOL

Bobo

Bobo, yea, the higher the better. Trees do suck up RF on 70cm, but be sure and use a good low loss coax. You can loose all of your RF just in the cable.. On 70cm I always used N connectors too..

I used steel water pipe for my stick, one inside the other about a foot and a bolt to hold it. That gave me a little over 30' to the bottom of the antenna and it survived Florida hurricanes. Had the tower for the PDL-II and later the Moonraker. I miss all that stuff, maybe I'll get back to it if I can find someone to work with in a few months.