20 year licensee, complete newb

[chucklane2]

About 20 years ago I got my tech no-code license, and have had several units over the years but have never actually used one.

I recently relocated back to the Indianapolis area, and at this point the only radio I have is the handheld Baofeng UV-5R.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've done nothing but listen for the last 20+ years, but that's pretty much the truth.

My question is, is there an active 2m repeater in the Indianapolis area that someone like me could use to 'learn the ropes'.

I have looked at the newbie stickies, and I've downloaded the Radio 101 to watch, but I'd love to dust off this old license and actually use my handheld to talk to someone (through the repeater system if possible).

Can anyone tell me what frequencies are actually regularly used in the Indianapolis area and perhaps be willing to help me make my first legitimate radio contact after 20 years and pop my cherry.

I mostly got the license because I enjoyed listening with a scanner back before all of this was streamed online constantly and because I liked going to the hamvention in Dayton every year -- I saw it as a rummage sale for all things tech.

Suggestions are welcome, so long as it's not "get off my lawn"

Warm Regards,
KB9WJC

 

[N4GIX]

Welcome Chuck! I live in NW Indiana (Hammond, Lake County) so am not at all familiar with 2m or 70cm repeaters around Indianapolis, so cannot recommend which if any of them is truly active.

What I can say is that the most "bang for the buck" here in Indiana is 70cm DMR. Where your typical 2m or 70cm repeater can only communicate with other hams that are within that one repeater's footprint, DMR through the Hoosier DMR Network will allow you to reach not just the users of any one DMR repeater, but indeed reach out to every ham on the system in Indiana (currently >32 repeaters)...

...or the Midwest Region (9 states), or North America (US and Canada), or even the entire World (>1,300 repeaters)!

Feel like chatting with someone? Toss out your call on your repeater's "Local" talk group. Don't get an answer? Switch to Statewide and cast your line a bit further! It is guaranteed that you will get a reply from someone twenty-four hours a day on one of the talk groups!

Entry price for ham DMR is ~$100 using a UHF MD-380 from TYT. My very first contact was with a bicycle mobile in Durban, South Africa. My second contact was with a gentleman in Wales, and the third was with an Austrian fellow who was on an HT in the Austrian Alps on one of the peaks...

For more information see here: Hoosier DMR About Us

Here is a propagation map for the Hoosier DMR Network as of last summer (it is considerably better now):

 

[microx]

You might also want to check to make sure you renewed your license when it came due.. If memory serves me, they expire in 10-12 years if you don't actively renew it.

 

[ecps92]

KB9WJC (Lane II, Charles M) Amateur Radio Callsign

You might also want to check to make sure you renewed your license when it came due.. If memory serves me, they expire in 10-12 years if you don't actively renew it.

 

[cmdrwill]

Ham License is good for ten years. He did and his is valid thru 2024....

Welcome back, see if you can find a Ham Club near you.

Google: ham radio bloomington indiana

 

[usswood]

About 20 years ago I got my tech no-code license, and have had several units over the years but have never actually used one.

I recently relocated back to the Indianapolis area, and at this point the only radio I have is the handheld Baofeng UV-5R.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've done nothing but listen for the last 20+ years, but that's pretty much the truth.

My question is, is there an active 2m repeater in the Indianapolis area that someone like me could use to 'learn the ropes'.

I have looked at the newbie stickies, and I've downloaded the Radio 101 to watch, but I'd love to dust off this old license and actually use my handheld to talk to someone (through the repeater system if possible).

Can anyone tell me what frequencies are actually regularly used in the Indianapolis area and perhaps be willing to help me make my first legitimate radio contact after 20 years and pop my cherry.

I mostly got the license because I enjoyed listening with a scanner back before all of this was streamed online constantly and because I liked going to the hamvention in Dayton every year -- I saw it as a rummage sale for all things tech.

Suggestions are welcome, so long as it's not "get off my lawn"

Warm Regards,
KB9WJC

Check out this link... http://www.w9win.net/ it's almost statewide and its VHF UHF analog! The Win system (as it's called) has a lot of users on this ham system!!!