My new License is in the DB now

[325xia]

Hello,

Passed the exam over the weekend. Got all 35 correct. Something I’ve always wanted to accomplish. Going to study for the General. Got my transceiver pretty much set-up for some Repeaters in my area. Working on getting DMR set later.

A little nervous about making my first contact. Want to be sure I follow protocol. I know to listen, listen, listen before transmitting my first radio test. Start with my Call Sign and ask for a radio test. And say that I’m monitoring. Any other suggestions? I have been listening to 2 Meter for decades. So, I know a lot of these people I hear in the Morning and into the Evening. They all know each other. Not sure what to expect when they hear my Novice Call Sign.

Can you remember your first Ham Contact back in the day on 2M 70cm? I’m sure it’s as memorable as passing the Test .

I was going to try tonight. But, I’ll wait to hear some advice.

Thanks in advance,

Michael

 

[KC5AKB]

Congratulations,
You know what to do .
Go for it !!!!
Welcome to the fun.

 

[BaoFeng_Blogger]

Congratulations 325XIA...

Well... you did it.

Pat yourself on the back, sit down... and have a cold one.

BaoFeng Blogger KN4OTS

 

[K4EET]

325xia,

Congratulations on passing the Technician exam with 100% right. Awesome!

As has already been said, you know what to do on your first QSO. Don't be concerned if nobody replies to your radio check request. Around here, those types of calls go unanswered. I have no idea why but I speak from first-hand experience. If you say your callsign and then say "looking to make my first contact on the ham bands" will probably get you an immediate response.

If one of your local repeaters is connected to EchoLink, I would even be able to chat with you from Maryland. If you give me the local repeater(s) information, I can check to see if any have EchoLink connectivity. It would be fun to chat with you, especially as your first QSO.

So enjoy your new hobby. Once you get on HF, say 20 Meters daytime or 40 Meters nighttime, perhaps we could also have a QSO. Hope to work you one day. In any event, enjoy your new hobby!

73, Dave K4EET

 

[K4EET]

325xia,

Here is a listing of repeaters in your area:

https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/location_search.php?type=county&state_id=06&loc=San%20Diego

If you would like, let me/us know what repeaters you have programmed and I'll check to see if they have EchoLink connectivity so that I/we could chat with you.

73, Dave K4EET

 

[K4EET]

California EchoLink Enabled Repeaters

325xia,

This was easy. The Repeater Book already has a section for EchoLink enabled repeaters. Here is the listing for California:

https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/feature_search.php?state_id=06&loc=%&call=%&type=EchoLink

Are you able to "hit" any of these repeaters? If you are and you let us know which one(s), those with EchoLink installed could "work" you from anywhere.

73, Dave K4EET

 

[K4EET]

EchoLink Enabled Repeaters in San Diego County

Here is a list of EchoLink enabled repeaters in San Diego County:

146.6700___-0.6 MHz___156.7___Vista_____________San Diego___KI6AZQ___506065___OPEN
146.8800___-0.6 MHz___107.2___Escondido_________San Diego___N6WB_____2846_____OPEN
445.5600___-5 MHz_____156.7___Palomar Mtn_______San Diego___KI6AZQ___506065___OPEN
445.6200___-5 MHz_____________Dictionary Hill___San Diego___WA6NVL___284940___OPEN
445.7600___-5 MHz_____88.5____Ramona____________San Diego___KD6RSQ___202529___OPEN
446.8000___-5 MHz_____127.3___Fallbrook_________San Diego___KG6HSQ___65043____OPEN
447.0400___-5 MHz_____123.0___Otay Mtn__________San Diego___KK6BAD___698193___OPEN
447.5200___-5 MHz_____127.3___El Cajon__________San Diego___W6HDC____3501_____OPEN
449.9000___-5 MHz_____151.4___La Mesa___________San Diego___KF6YB____345957___OPEN

325xia, if you can come up on one of these repeaters, they all have EchoLink connectivity. The EchoLink node number is the four or five or six numerics just before "Open". Would you like to have a QSO with one or more of your Radio Reference (RR) fellow hams?

73, Dave K4EET

 

[K5MPH]

Congrats on passing the test yeah go for the General but dont forget you do have a lot to do at the Technician class level good luck.....

 

[62Truck]

TYFYS

 

[325xia]

Thanks for the feedback here. I was listening again tonight. And they had kind of a visitors forum on one of the repeaters. It”s a bit discouraging. People talk so fast and everyth8ng is about brevity. I felt like I was listening to an Auction.Can”t get a word in if I tried. It has made me feel like this whole thing is not for me. I am pleased that I passed the Test and will continue to go for Advanced. As, I feel it’s a good personal goal. I will use the radio for Emergency and Simplex use. Which is great for me.

Thanks again

 

[K4EET]

<snip> It”s a bit discouraging. People talk so fast and everyth8ng is about brevity. I felt like I was listening to an Auction.Can”t get a word in if I tried. It has made me feel like this whole thing is not for me. <snip>

Michael,

If the conversations that you were listening to was a net, the Net Control Station (NCS) should call for additional check-ins every 15 or 30 minutes. If it were a bunch of local hams just "chewing the fat" with one another and you really want to join the QSO, try to get your callsign out after one person releases the PTT. You might "double" with another station but at least they'll know somebody was out there with something to say.

The best thing that you can do is visit all of the local clubs and see which one you would like to join. Usually a club will be associated with one or more repeaters. Once your callsign becomes recognized as a club member, that will go a long way in "breaking in" on a QSO. The clubs will also have a "net" every week or two on the repeater, in most cases. Participate in those again to make yourself known. When I was first licensed, I felt like an outsider too. But I found a great club and before long, I was part of the gang that hangs out on a particular repeater.

Give your new hobby some time and work on getting your callsign recognized as stated above. You've found a great hobby; something that you should enjoy for life. Achieving higher license classes will get you more operating privileges and a local club probably has classes for each license grade. There is a lot to know and do in ham radio so give it some time.

My offer still stands if you want to meet up on an EchoLink enabled repeater above. Just PM me with your callsign and when and where you want to have a QSO and I'll be there.

Michael, have fun! If you have any questions or comments, by all means reach out to the community here. I for one enjoy "elmering" and helping a new ham to come up to speed quickly so that they will feel more comfortable in the ham radio world.

73, Dave K4EET

 

[KC5AKB]

Just give K4EET or I a shout or a pm and we can try to talk to you on the radio .

 

[K4EET]

Just give K4EET or I a shout or a pm and we can try to talk to you on the radio .

325xia,

Just like KC5AKB said, give us a shout. I would be glad to meet you on the radio via one of the EchoLink enabled repeaters. It would be fun to talk with you in California from Maryland.

73, Dave K4EET

 

[KC5AKB]

325xia,

Just like KC5AKB said, give us a shout. I would be glad to meet you on the radio via one of the EchoLink enabled repeaters. It would be fun to talk with you in California from Maryland.

73, Dave K4EET

Add Texas to the Qso I am in for a qso.

 

[Golay]

First contact

I remember my first contact.

I was bootleg on a crystal controlled Heathkit 2 meter mobile I built myself (and it actually worked). I had a girlfriend who's brother was a ham in Ohio. I lived near Detroit. I was only about 18. I used his call for about two months. Then someone I knew from the 11 meter band that got their ticket legally recognized my voice and told a repeater owner.

The repeater owner reached out to a mutual friend and conveyed the following message to me:
"Cease and desist, no harm no foul. Keep it up and I'm calling the FCC".

That was the end of my clandestine ham radio. Legally got my ticket about 6 months later.

 

[K5MPH]

Just give K4EET or I a shout or a pm and we can try to talk to you on the radio .

Just like K4EET says let us know what repeater you have in your radio memory and they can connect via Echolink and give you a call for Qso.......