Don't believe everything you hear on ham radio

[nd5y]

I was listening to one of the ham radio VoIP systems today.
One of the net participants was in the Houston TX area.
He said he worked in law enforcement and mentioned some interesting (also incorrect) things:

• The radio system in the Houston area (probably referring to TXWARN but he didn't actually name it) is fully encrypted.
• Texas DPS and all other law enforcement in Texas is encrypted, except for some small towns that didn't get grants.
• Icom sells a unit that costs about $9000 or more and they will put keys in it to allow you to monitor anything.

Never automatically believe everything you hear on ham radio.

 

[GlobalNorth]

True, but how many times does the media get stories wrong and they are paid professionals?

 

[trentbob]

True, but how many times does the media get stories wrong and they are paid professionals?

Well they are paid anyway. They don't get the story wrong, they deliberately print what they would like to think the story should be even though it's very very wrong LOL. That's coming from a retired old school newspaper man.

Congratulations on passing the test! I let my license expire beyond the two-year Graceperiod, Many many many years ago, father, uncle and older brother were all ham operators in the sixties when I was a kid. I was a experienced Public Service monitor and swl when I was 11 because of them and got my ticket pretty early.

I have decided that I would retake the exam, and get back into it now. I take my test next Monday. I'm studying but I find it pretty familiar except for things like LOL...VolP.

The world of Professional monitors of scanners and public service and the world of ham operators are very separate in a lot of cases, not here on radio reference but in general. I hear things all the time on amateur radio as I monitor the repeaters I will be using on 2m and I don't think it's intentional, they just don't keep up with it or know it. Again they do here on radio reference for the most part.

 

[GlobalNorth]

Good luck on that exam and I recall tubes pretty well, but EchoLink?? EchoLink sounds like a brand name to those old 10 foot diameter C-band dishes that got 99 satellite channels back in the 1980s.

What has happened to news reporting since the 1970s is a professional tragedy.

 

[w2xq]

I hear things all the time on amateur radio as I monitor the repeaters I will be using on 2m and I don't think it's intentional, they just don't keep up with it or know it. Again they do here on radio reference for the most part.

Good luck on the test Monday. In the bag. As far as 2m repeaters' content is concerned, I'd suggest you look to 70cm for something more. W3SBE-442.550, N2KDV-442.15, W3QV-444.800 may be of interest, but I would avoid N3KZ. Various flavors of digital mobile radio are around. IMHO DMR may be the easiest to get going on with a hotspot (adding a Jetpack for the car).

 

[trentbob]

Good luck on the test Monday. In the bag. As far as 2m repeaters' content is concerned, I'd suggest you look to 70cm for something more. W3SBE-442.550, N2KDV-442.15, W3QV-444.800 may be of interest, but I would avoid N3KZ. Various flavors of digital mobile radio are around. IMHO DMR may be the easiest to get going on with a hotspot (adding a Jetpack for the car).

Oh yes of course, I hear you and I'm way ahead of you. I'm going to try to avoid the bottomless Money Pit LOL. I'm single, so I don't need the approval of the overseeing committee, I just stick to a budget as I am retired on Social Security and a couple of decent pensions. Thank you for the well wishes. I'm feeling confident. Thank you!

 

[trentbob]

Good luck on that exam and I recall tubes pretty well, but EchoLink?? EchoLink sounds like a brand name to those old 10 foot diameter C-band dishes that got 99 satellite channels back in the 1980s.

What has happened to news reporting since the 1970s is a professional tragedy.

Thank you for the well wishes, yes I worked for a newspaper that was on the street all the time and we were known as gumshoes. I was not a political campaign worker or a social justice Warrior. We just wanted to get the story and as accurate as we could so we didn't end up with egg on our face when the truth came out. Unfortunately today. The truth is the furthest thing that will ever be exposed.

I have to say in studying for the exam it is the new stuff that I'm working on the most. I'm not worried about schematics, Ohm's law or frequency designations. I'll never get involved with most of this new stuff but I want to pass the test. As long as I keep getting 90 to 100% on the dozens and dozens of practice tests that I take, I'm thinking I'll be okay. Now that the virus is out of the news I will enjoy the most, the camaraderie and relationships with club members and area participants.

 

[Dog]

"worked in law enforcement" They know about as much about the radios they use as they practice with the firearms they carry. (Not all law enforcement don't get your panties in a bunch but for the most part it is true.)

(For the record I carry a firearm in a different capacity daily. I also use to work for a Motorola radio dealer and installed radios in a lot of the local and fed agencies in my area,)

 

[900mhz]

Watt for watt, there is nothing like 6 meters and 6 meter repeaters in the mobile environment.

 

[radio3353]

Why spend time on studying for the exam? Just buy a CB. Pretty much the same as 2m today. Actually, CB is probably a lot busier. Anytime I tune up 2m or 70cm it is dead quiet (except for the as yet to be understood club 'nets' with endless checks-ins with nothing to say.)

 

[900mhz]

Why spend time on studying for the exam? Just buy a CB. Pretty much the same as 2m today. Actually, CB is probably a lot busier. Anytime I tune up 2m or 70cm it is dead quiet (except for the as yet to be understood club 'nets' with endless checks-ins with nothing to say.)

100 watts on low band will kick proverbal butt on CB every day. In fact, it kicks 2 meter butt as well, even mobile, if proper installation practices are followed and noise blanker is set up correctly. There is nothing like it...nothing.

 

[radio3353]

100 watts on low band will kick proverbal butt on CB every day. In fact, it kicks 2 meter butt as well, even mobile, if proper installation practices are followed and noise blanker is set up correctly. There is nothing like it...nothing.

Um, I think you missed my point But, thanks for the check-in.

 

[900mhz]

Um, I think you missed my point But, thanks for the check-in.

Your point solidifies my previous post. 27 Mhz at 4 watts does not get me feeling confident.

 

[trentbob]

I find that in my area 2m and 70cm to be pretty decent conversation, knowledgeable, and mature, maybe it's just the repeaters I'm listening to including my club which is very professional and well-run.

Just like here on radio reference you are going to hear stuff that just is not accurate. In the case of the first post of this thread you could say don't believe everything you hear on the Internet lol.

As far as CB goes, I was into CB starting around 1965 when my dad had to get the license because I was only 12. There is no comparing it to ham radio.

 

[prcguy]

Oh, this is terrible news. I get all my info to live my life from listening to amateur radio. All my questions for financial success, marriage, what car to buy, what vitamins to take, how to wire up my DirecTV, all come from amateur radio and especially from those wicked smart amateur Extra class guys. Now what am I supposed to do???

 

[Dog]

Oh, this is terrible news. I get all my info to live my life from listening to amateur radio. All my questions for financial success, marriage, what car to buy, what vitamins to take, how to wire up my DirecTV, all come from amateur radio and especially from those wicked smart amateur Extra class guys. Now what am I supposed to do???

Facebook has all the answers you seek and all the answers you don't seek.

 

[ladn]

I take my test next Monday. I'm studying but I find it pretty familiar except for things like LOL...VolP.

Good luck, Bob!

 

[bill4long]

I would avoid N3KZ.

Why?

 

[trentbob]

Good luck, Bob!

Thank you Rodger!

 

[w2xq]

Why?

You have to live in the area to understand why. The wide-area linked system has attracted a large population of undesirable behaviours by mostly unidentified and/or unlicensed individuals. You've been around long enough to know of similar problems found in other urban centers.