Excited to be a part of your hobby

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WhiskeyChuck

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Hello everybody, I had a few questions for the forum but thought I should check in here first.

My interest in radio started in SWL'ing several years ago and I quickly became interested in DX with homemade antennas. Later I installed a CB rig, but found the channels either filled with people trying to key over each other with illegally powered rigs, or empty. Next I got a scanner which I still use quite a bit. My favorite scanner receive was a DEA drug bust in progress while vacationing in Las Vegas, with freqs I got from this site.

I am currently abroad for work, and in my down time I finished online self study for my technician license. When I get home I plan to monitor the local 2 meter repeaters with my scanner until I pass the next exam and am in the database. Hopefully that will familiarize me with the local HAM operation a bit.

I have a HT in the mail as we speak, once that arrives and I am legal I will start working the local repeaters and make some contacts, maybe find an elmer if I am lucky. Once proficient with the repeaters I plan to build a Yagi and see if I can work a few satellites, followed by NA1SS if possible, with more antenna builds along the way. Depending on how it goes with the HT I may be quickly adding a mobile radio as a base station. That's about as far out as I have planned it. I also started practicing decoding morse code audio files... that one's going to take a while.

So there's a little about me and my plans joining in your hobby, any advice or recommendations are greatly appreciated. 73!
 
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Welcome "Whiskey Chuck"...

You will find much informative information here. Good stuff to read about and put into use.

73 to Ya...

BaoFeng Blogger KN4OTS
 

bharvey2

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Welcome! Your story sounds familiar and many folks here likely evolved into ham radio just as you did. Spend some time in the forums here. There are plenty of topics from which to choose. You might find that you have an interest in many of the digital modes like DMR, DStar or Fusion. Or, you may find you want to step up you game, get your General or Advanced and get in to HF. Depending upon where you live, you may find that there is a local ham club in the area.
 

Rt169Radio

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Amateur Radio is a great and exciting hobby! For example I listening to someone talk to New Zealand on a 2 meter repeater! So there's something for everyone with Amateur Radio, or also known as Ham Radio :p
 

K4EET

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Welcome WhiskeyChuck to the wonderful world of radio communications. It is great to see folks with as much enthusiasm as you have. One thing is for sure, you'll never run out of new things to try in this hobby. You like I came up through the SWL and scanner aspects of radio communications and even today, I still do a fair amount of SWLing and monitoring the airwaves with the scanner. As for you finding an Elmer, that should not be hard when you return to the States. Visit a few Amateur Radio clubs in your area and pick one (or more) that piques your interest. With your enthusiasm and plans, you should have no trouble "fitting in" with other hams. From what I see, you are already a "ham" at heart! Keep us posted on your progress with getting licensed.

Cheers! Dave
 

WhiskeyChuck

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Oct 7, 2018
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CN88
Thanks for the pm's and links, I definitely have enough to keep me occupied for a while. I passed my technician exam and now I'm just playing the waiting game. The folks that administered my test gave me some freq's to monitor and invited me to the weekly club coffee meeting. They told me to bring my radio and they would program it for me with all the channels they use so they can say "go to channel 2" and everyone in the club has the same frequency programmed in the channel. What a friendly bunch of people!
 

K4EET

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<snip> I passed my technician exam and now I'm just playing the waiting game. <snip>

Congratulations on earning the Technician license! It should not be too long, as in days, that you should have your callsign and you can become radioACTIVE! LOL! :lol:

73, Dave K4EET
 
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Rt169Radio

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Thanks for the pm's and links, I definitely have enough to keep me occupied for a while. I passed my technician exam and now I'm just playing the waiting game. The folks that administered my test gave me some freq's to monitor and invited me to the weekly club coffee meeting. They told me to bring my radio and they would program it for me with all the channels they use so they can say "go to channel 2" and everyone in the club has the same frequency programmed in the channel. What a friendly bunch of people!

Congrats!
 
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