CQ Hams » Radio

Amateur Radio is Alive and Well, and That is Good News For You

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:57:57 +0000

"The reports of my death," Mark Twain once famously quipped, "are greatly exaggerated."

If you listen and read the comments offered in recent years, you'd swear that amateur radio is on life support, or worse. Kids just aren't interested anymore, so the story goes, and why should they be? With the internet, cell phones, and computer games, young people have too many other "fun" things to do and can communicate with just about anyone in the world instantaneously. Where in the world does amateur radio fit anymore?

Good question. True, the hobby has gone through great changes in recent years. The advent of sophisticated equipment has eliminated the need for building one's own station. Plug and play is the norm today. (Although many amateur radio operators-"hams" to us-still build their own mini radios, antennas, and other equipment.)

No, the days when a young boy-and it often was a boy back then-built his simple Morse code radio, tossed a wire in the nearby tree, and sent his dits and dashes all over the country are pretty much over. But amazingly many young people, boys and girls alike, are getting into the hobby. Sure, they still tinker at home, but these spirited young people also contribute to their communities, and in the process derive as much or more satisfaction as before. As a result, there has been a slight uptick in licenses issued in recent months. There are more than 660,000 ham radio operators in the United States today.

Public service is extremely important to amateur radio operators, who regularly volunteer to help their fellow citizens. They provide much-needed communications support for charity walks and runs. But where hams really shine is during crises; those catastrophic events that so devastate a community or region as to tax its every resource. Amateur radio operators stand ready to respond any time of day, seven days a week. Among the more recent disasters, hams have provided additional communication support during:

• Hurricane Katrina

• Hurricanes that hit Texas in 2008

Most recently they assisted in and around Fargo, N.D., as that area struggled to deal with horrific flooding caused by the Red River.

How do they fit in? Recall that ham radio operators have their own equipment and the necessary frequency bands. A disaster, natural or manmade, requires a great influx of manpower and material. Amateur radio operators offer both. They bring their radios and other equipment, and by teaming with officials from the Red Cross, Salvation Army, or other relief agencies, are able to offer a tremendous amount of assistance to those running emergency operations.

While most of the radio communications is devoted to local needs, during larger events like Katrina some hams will forward messages to family members outside the affected zone. This helps bring relief to loved ones living in other parts of the country.

The next time you're riding your bike to raise money for cancer research or some other noble cause, tip your helmet to the many ham radio operators who selflessly give of their time to help make your event a successful one. Look around: You may even spot a young person at the rest stop or finish line. They represent the future-yes, the future-of amateur radio.

By: Tom Fuszard

About the Author:

Tom Fuszard, KF9PU, has been a ham radio operator for more than 15 years. He regularly participates in charity rides in the greater Milwaukee area. Tom blogs frequently at Squidoo.com; this column is based upon a lens, http://www.squidoo.com/amateur-radio-and-you, he wrote recently.

Getting Licensed in Amateur Radio is Easier Than You Think

admin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:44:55 +0000

Now that you've decided to try your hand at amateur radio, you may wonder: what's the next step? What's involved, and what does it cost? As a member of a ham radio club, I get those questions all the time. I'm always eager to talk about amateur radio, but I find occasionally that a little explanation is in order.

Some people confuse ham radio with the Family Radio Service or Citizens Band. Those are designed for folks who just want to chat over short distances--really short, in the case of FRS--using inexpensive equipment that doesn't require a license. Amateur radio is more involved, but it also offers the hobbyist more choices and opportunities. It is designed to be the experimenter's service, so the FCC permits a wide range of activity. A deeper discussion of the hobby will be saved for a later column. For now, we want to talk about how you can jump into the wonderful world of amateur radio.

First, a little primer about licensing. There are three classes of license in the Amateur Radio Service: Technician, General, and Amateur Extra. Each offers a certain amount of privileges, which increase as you progress to a higher class or level. The wonderful thing is, though, that you decide how far you want to go. Many folks attain Extra Class, but others are quite content with a lower class of license. All three levels offer great opportunities to operate across the radio spectrum using a wide variety of equipment. So you're not likely to get bored. You proceed at a pace that's comfortable for you, and upgrade when and if you wish.

The Technician and General Class exams have 35 multiple-choice questions; the Extra Class exam has 50 questions. A passing score of 70% is required for all exams. That equates to 26 correct answers on the Technician and General Class exams, and 37 correct on the Extra Class exam.

You will start with the Technician Class exam. Study guides are available from a number of sources, including, the American Radio Relay League (arrl.org), the W5YI Group (w5yi.org), and Amateur Electronic Supply (aesham.com), among others. At least one Web site, QRZ.com, offers online practice tests. You can "test" yourself to see how well your studying is going. (Official tests are taken in person.)

However, before even doing that, I suggest you track down a ham radio operator to act as a mentor (known as an Elmer). You will probably have some questions as you study the material. Plus, your Elmer can help you find an exam session. Once licensed, your Elmer will help you choose the right equipment, and will review with you the on-air procedures and etiquette.

Do you have a ham radio operator for a neighbor or a co-worker? If not, the Web site for the American Radio Relay League can help. Click on the "Clubs" link found near the top of the home page, and follow the instructions from there. Feel free to visit a couple clubs. Find one that you're comfortable with, and mention that you're interested in finding an Elmer.

Once you're "ticketed" (as we call it) and have your equipment, it's time to start taking advantage of the wonderful opportunities available to you. Among these are charity rides and walks. Public service is very important to ham radio operators, who provide basic communications for the larger walks and rides in your area. Sign up, and join your fellow hams as they provide an important service to a very worthwhile cause.

Sound exciting? What are you waiting for? Take that first step toward earning your amateur radio license, and you'll be well on your way to a very rewarding "career."

By: Tom Fuszard

About the Author:

Tom Fuszard, KF9PU, has been a ham radio operator for more than 15 years. He can occasionally be found on Milwaukee-area 2m repeaters as well as on certain HF bands. Tom blogs frequently at Squidoo.com; this column is based upon a lens, http://www.squidoo.com/amateur-radio-and-you, he has there.

Amateur Radio Licensing – Background on the VEC Program

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:05:39 +0000

Since spring 1984, candidates for a ham radio exam have been able to take advantage of a very convenient testing program. Instead of visiting an FCC field office, sometimes a great distance away offering tests only infrequently, candidates avail themselves of test sessions closer to home held various times throughout the month. Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, or VECs, now oversee the testing process, and it is through their efforts that amateur radio exams are available in communities all across the country.

With the stroke of a pen, Pres. Ronald Reagan in September 1982 signed into law legislation that created the VEC program. Subsequent FCC rule making made the act official, and the VEC program went live in December 1983.

Soon afterward individuals from around the country applied to be certified as VECs. At its peak there were more than three dozen VECs in the United States. That number has since dwindled to 14, but that hasn't affected amateur radio testing. Each VEC is authorized to sponsor volunteer examiner teams anywhere in the country. These VE teams administer and grade the written exams, then forward the materials to their sponsoring VEC for review and filing. (Until Feb. 23, 2007, the VE teams also administered a Morse code exam when required.)

VEs are ordinary ham radio operators who graciously donate their time to help others get into the hobby or upgrade their licenses. Exam dates vary; Saturday mornings are quite popular, but some teams offer evening sessions during the week as well. The law provides for a test fee to help cover costs incurred in preparing and administering the exams. Each VEC sets its own fee; the average is around $10.

By 1985 the VECs realized a need to coordinate their efforts across the country. They formed an organization, the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, and agreed to meet in person or by phone on an annual basis. Through its Question Pool Committee, the NCVEC also maintains the question pools that are used to create the amateur radio exams.

Since inception of the VEC program, hundreds of thousands of US citizens have become amateur radio operators. By successfully administering thousands of exams each month, volunteer examiners have proven that amateur radio operators can be entrusted with this important function. The result is a program that has helped enrich the amateur radio service and provide an opportunity for many people to participate in this wonderful hobby.

By: Tom Fuszard

About the Author:

Tom Fuszard, KF9PU, has been a ham radio operator for more than 15 years. He can occasionally be found on Milwaukee-area 2m repeaters as well as on certain HF bands. He blogs frequently on Squidoo, and reviews his ham radio gear in one column. You may reach him via tom@supremecom.biz

Experimenting With Remote Control of Amateur Radio Equipment and Software

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:29:52 +0000

This past weekend I was experimenting with a free product called Log Me In from logmein.com. Log Me In is simple to set up and the only requirement for a download of the free software is to create a general user account. No specific information is required except a user name, password and email address. Specific information is of course required to purchase the rather pricey "PRO" version. One caveat, be sure to download and install the free version, otherwise you will see that you will be running the "free 90 day PRO trial". If this happens to you, log into their site and change the account type back to the free version.

The premise behind Log Me In is that you "link" your home or other Windows desktop with Log Me In. Once your home system is linked, you will have remote control of your desktop as well as file transfer and printing capabilities. When accessing these features, your desktop user name and password are required as an additional level of security. Response time while manipulating the desktop was more than acceptable. During my first "test" my bandwidth was over cable but, based on my second experiment which will be in PART TWO, I suspect the bandwidth of DSL is more than sufficient.

The free version offers remote desktop, printing and file transfers. As you may already suspect, the PRO version offers many more options. One of those missing components of the free version is transferring sound over to the remote computer. Once again it's free software to the rescue! You may have heard of or already use Skype. Again, Skype is simple to set up and there are only two "tricks" to using it in a remote scenario like this. First, create one user account for your home desktop and a different account for your remote computer. Second, set up the home desktop Skype to "Auto Answer" incoming calls. This setting is found under tools/options/call settings/advanced section. That way you can simply call yourself.

My first test was to use Log me In conjunction with Skype to run Echolink from my remote location (work). Of course this could also be used to run your BIG RIG with CAT software, etc. To accomplish this:

Assuming that Log Me In and Skype are properly installed on both systems: Call your home desktop via Skype. Access Log me In and log in via the Remote Desktop option. When your home desktop is displayed, run Echolink as you normally would. You may have to use the lightning bolt of the Echolink menu bar to switch between transmit and receive since the remote space bar doesn't cut it! You may have better luck than I did...

Stay tuned for PART TWO - Using my handheld RX4240 with Skype and Log me In.

By: Gary Utz

About the Author:

Gary Utz - ke2yk
Island Systems Engineering
the eHam Store
http://ehamstore.com

Can ham radio operators broadcast on FM frequencies (87.5-108.0MHz)?

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:42:45 +0000

I'm planning to get a technical class license so I can broadcast some music in my area, but after reading the Wikipedia article on ham radios and some stuff on the ARRL site, I'm still not sure if hams can broadcast on public FM frequencies.

By: hellothere.

About the Author:

IC-2340H Ham Radio Transceiver Question?

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:40:47 +0000

natman3400 said:

I am getting a IC-2340H from my grandfather, and I was wandering if i could hook it up to my computer for RTTY, PSK31, and other control.

I need a power supply for my Icom ic-718 ham radio transceiver?

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:19:18 +0000

18 said:

I need to get a power supply for my Icom ic-718.. I think it has to be 20 amps... any suggestions on a site to go too or a specific power supply
thanks

What is a good ham radio for me?

admin — Sat, 23 May 2009 16:57:42 +0000

Takeo T said:

hey im looking for a ham radio that can reach..well..Japan. i live in Central united states and i also want to use morse code so it is a must for the radio to handle a paddle...with wide bandwith. oh it also teed to be a transceiver and i will get my license. so what are some good radios under $450 that meets my discription.

what is an extra use for a spare satellite radio antenna?

admin — Sat, 23 May 2009 02:20:30 +0000

Jordan said:

I have the antenna, just no radio, and no thought to buy one. are there some interesting uses for this device? like could i use it as a more powerful ham radio antenna?
or somehow plug it into my computer for something?
it has a weird special plug on the end of the cord, but i could cut that plug off if need be, and expose the wire. i dont know much about these things

how much does a Amateur radio license cost first answer is best?

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:41:30 +0000

iggymydog1 said:

How much is a Amateur radio license? first answer is best!!?
where do i get one and what is the cost of one and when does it expire Amateur radio license for a ham radio
1 hour ago - 1 week left to answer.
Additional Details
1 minute ago

first real answer is best
1 second ago

answer