2 meter help!

[w0fg]

If he's licensed, it should be a matter of pride to sign the posts with a callsign, particularly in response to a question. If a bootlegger there's no reason to for any of us to be an enabler. Stolen radios are not uncommon around here.

 

[johnnym6dam]

good on u james 73 m6dam

 

[eorange]

Nothing in their posts tells me that they are not a licensed operator. It doesn't say they are either, but with replies like some of these who whould want to give their call sign. This person may not have access to rr on a daily basis and before they could reply with their call sign people were already jumping all over them.

Exactly. Maybe the guy wants to keep his call, name, address, and zip private until he feels more comfortable around here, which probably isn't gonna happen now. Who could blame him?

If you hear actual harmful interference on the air, then report it. Otherwise, this armchair "pre-emptive policing" - coupled with no real facts - serves no purpose other than to alienate newcomers.

 

[K2QI]

Exactly. Maybe the guy wants to keep his call, name, address, and zip private until he feels more comfortable around here, which probably isn't gonna happen now. Who could blame him?

If you hear actual harmful interference on the air, then report it. Otherwise, this armchair "pre-emptive policing" - coupled with no real facts - serves no purpose other than to alienate newcomers.

This argument doesn't make sense. The minute you transmit, you're required by law to identify your station by your call sign. Anyone else with a radio or scanner tuned to that frequency may be able to pick it up. All one would have to do then is go to the FCC ULS and enter the call sign. All the licensee's relevant data is then provided. If you wanted to keep your personal info private, then amateur radio isn't the right hobby for you. At the very worst case, get a PO Box.

I don't see any legitimate reason not to provide a call sign if asked unless you don't have one, or are up to no good...

 

[eorange]

If you wanted to keep your personal info private, then amateur radio isn't the right hobby for you.

Throwing your call out on the air, in a relatively local V/UHF arena, is one thing.

Posting your call as a new visitor in an internet forum, where people you don't know have already judged you guilty and/or incompetent (e.g. posts 9, 13, 15) in response to asking a simple radio question, is another thing entirely.

If I was in the OP's shoes, I probably wouldn't post my call here either.

Let's encourage the hobby, and not belittle or test people who are just asking for help.

 

[Paulsan]

In Post #9, I simply asked if he was licensed. I didn't ask for his call sign. Yes or no will suffice. I will believe him. I don't fault anybody for not posting their call.

He hasn't answered.

 

[K2QI]

Throwing your call out on the air, in a relatively local V/UHF arena, is one thing.

Posting your call as a new visitor in an internet forum, where people you don't know have already judged you guilty and/or incompetent (e.g. posts 9, 13, 15) in response to asking a simple radio question, is another thing entirely.

If I was in the OP's shoes, I probably wouldn't post my call here either.

Let's encourage the hobby, and not belittle or test people who are just asking for help.

I would like nothing more than to help a fellow ham, or even provide information to someone interested in becoming a ham.

I don't belittle. If asking for a call sign is belittling, then there's really something wrong with this world. Some people really need to grow some thicker skin if that be the case. If the OP had a call sign, then he could also have sent to any one of us via private message. I didn't get anything from the OP; did you?

Anyway, back to the matter at hand; it really didn't seem like the OP knew what he was doing. Even most freshly-licensed technicians know a little something or two about how their radio works, and that information could be learned simply by reading the study books.

BTW Erik - just for the sake of discussion, you said "throwing your call out in a relatively local UHF/VHF area is one thing..."

Well, I'd be more worried about someone trying to do something malicious to me in my area that's close enough to pick up my transmissions via simplex, than posting a call sign on the internet. Just my opinion.

Anyway, this thread is slowly going around in circles so I'll end my participation here with this post.

 

[kb0nly]

I would like nothing more than to help a fellow ham, or even provide information to someone interested in becoming a ham.

I don't belittle. If asking for a call sign is belittling, then there's really something wrong with this world. Some people really need to grow some thicker skin if that be the case. If the OP had a call sign, then he could also have sent to any one of us via private message. I didn't get anything from the OP; did you?

Anyway, back to the matter at hand; it really didn't seem like the OP knew what he was doing. Even most freshly-licensed technicians know a little something or two about how their radio works, and that information could be learned simply by reading the study books.

BTW Erik - just for the sake of discussion, you said "throwing your call out in a relatively local UHF/VHF area is one thing..."

Well, I'd be more worried about someone trying to do something malicious to me in my area that's close enough to pick up my transmissions via simplex, than posting a call sign on the internet. Just my opinion.

Anyway, this thread is slowly going around in circles so I'll end my participation here with this post.

Amen...

I have my callsign for my username on numerous internet forums, have for many many years. My license plates are Amateur Radio plates. I wear a hat, that is when i do wear it, with my callsign, name and city on it. At ham radio related events i have VE Badge and Name Badge on, the list goes on and on.

If anyone wanted to track me down they could, and i'm not worried about it as i haven't given anyone a reason to.

Now back to the original post that started this...

I too read that and thought, "nope, not going to comment with that thin info".. And i probably wouldn't have posted if not to express my opinion once it started spiraling. I have seen stuff like this too many times on other radio related forums, someone jumps in with a sparse and newb question like that and the next thing you find out is he was using the radios illegally or they were stolen in the first place, etc.. I'm all for helping a fellow ham, but grow a pair and tell me who you are.

Also, if you went through the trouble and got a license in the first place show that your proud of that piece of paper, despite the argument of how easy it is to get, as a VE i have seen people fail the Tech exam, it still happens. I remember when i got my license, back in 1994, my callsign started going on everything because i was proud of my accomplishment! Show some pride in your hobby!