If you weren't a ham already, would you get into it today?

[bgodlen84]

I have been interested in getting into ham radio but have no idea where to start. I live in the mountains of western north Carolina and I have always been interested in radio and things of the sort.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[RodStrong]

Are these one-to-one or one-to-many communications modes, or one-to-one, like Nextel Direct Connect?

The one-to-many function, as well as off-network function - the latter being something the cellular industry and 3GPP opposes, as it circumvents revenue production - is one of the holdups for public safety use.

Not sure if I understand what you are asking, but I was just commenting that there are apps out there where you can talk semi-live (slight delay) to anyone around the world (within internet or cell range). In a sense, these are like CBs on a worldwide scale, or trying to make amateur contacts worldwide. And most of the apps are free.

The CB app is an example of this. https://www.facebook.com/TheCBApp . Push a button and seconds later a guy in Scotland is chatting away with you, and then a guy in Israel joins in, and so on, etc. In this particular app, you can pick your own channel to talk on, or can talk in an open chat room of sorts, kind of like CB channel 19 or a calling channel. The app pinpoints their location on a world map in live time, which is kinda cool tool

 

[vagrant]

I have been an SWL for almost 39 years. I enjoyed using various walkie talkies, CB etc., but mostly listened using scanners, or short wave radios.

In July 2012, at 45 years of age, I was licensed for Tech then General and jumped right into HF. I have made contacts using phone, PSK31, SSTV and my first amateur QSO was via the SO-50 satellite using an HT.

I never really wanted/planned on getting a license, nor spending the amount of money I have over the last year for the various gear. It started with a $50 Baofeng I purchased. It offered licensed frequencies, so I thought I might as well get my Technician if I ever needed to use it for just safety reasons on a repeater when I'm out in the middle of nowhere.

I guess for myself it was a "why not" versus a want. There's an Extra exam in a week here, so I'll study and get that over with too. I might as well be able to get the full functionality out of my radio.

 

[Boombox]

I hate to say it, but my answer would have to be no. Because if I didn't already know about ham radio, I wouldn't care -- I would probably be like everybody else I know who don't care about it.

I myself am not a ham. I'm a MW and SW DXer and listener. But I'm well acquainted with ham radio, as I've been listening to the HF ham bands for most of my life. When I was younger, there was more interest in the general community about ham radio, and even radio DXing. But I think a lot of the interest in ham radio died out when people stopped listening to the AM band for music, and the CB craze died out. Their minds became closed to how cool it can be to use the ionosphere for entertainment and communication. Who needs that when you've got the internet.

I think it's similar to astronomy -- you can get better pictures of Saturn over the internet than what you'll see through the telescope lens. There are still people interested in telescopes and astronomy. But not at the level as it was in the 1950's or even the 1980's.

Personally, I don't feel the urge to get a ham license. I just can't justify the extra expense of purchasing an HF rig and putting up an antenna to hear what I already hear: half the HF bands plastered by the two neighbors' plasma TV RFI transmitters and another neighbor's washing machine / RFI transmitter wiping out gazillions of frequencies from 5000 khz to above 13 mhz.

 

[KG5ODW]

This is my first post and my answer is no. I was heavy into CBs back in the 1970s. I became an avid SWL and then in 2006 I got the bug to get on the air again but I wanted more. So I got my Tech and just a couple of months ago I got my general to see if I could rekindle that fire. So far no real luck and I am considering selling all my equipment. Then put the money into a good shortwave receiver and a scanner.

73, John KF5WCK

 

[t0xPro-197]

ive been interested in being a ham oper for awhile like 2 others here.I listen too around 50 diffrent hamm station on my scanner and i learn new things everyday.To me if its worth it and you love it you do it.I use too be acber in all 3 states i lived inMichigan,kentucky and here in georgia.To me thought hams are the best.1 cause of what they do.2cause of ther e knowladge and time they take building tuneing there radios and ant.3 cause they on the front line when bad weather hits.But most of all the ones i hear are reaily friendly and take time too teach newbies.Im gonna find out info on ham tests and go for it.Yall dont get the respect you desrve well as alongtime listners thank you for all you do and teach.God Bless

 

[Spankymedic7]

Ditto

"Absolutely. I love all things RADIO.
If it generates, receives, uses or runs on RF, I am there.
RF is just plain MAGIC"


What he said, lol.

 

[t0xPro-197]

"Absolutely. I love all things RADIO.
If it generates, receives, uses or runs on RF, I am there.
RF is just plain MAGIC"


What he said, lol.

I agree there most like talking on there ipads or ims i love talking and listening on the radios.I 2nd your quote hehe

 

[LtDoc]

I honestly don't know. Back in the dark ages when I first got interested/exposed to radio it was as publicized as the internet is today. If things are working as they should, the internet has much more capability than ham radio does. Even if you factor in radio as being 'part' of the internet, wi-fi, etc. I want to think that I would still be interested in radio, but how can I be sure?
- 'Doc

 

[KD0TAZ]

Not sure if I understand what you are asking, but I was just commenting that there are apps out there where you can talk semi-live (slight delay) to anyone around the world (within internet or cell range). In a sense, these are like CBs on a worldwide scale, or trying to make amateur contacts worldwide. And most of the apps are free.

The CB app is an example of this. https://www.facebook.com/TheCBApp . Push a button and seconds later a guy in Scotland is chatting away with you, and then a guy in Israel joins in, and so on, etc. In this particular app, you can pick your own channel to talk on, or can talk in an open chat room of sorts, kind of like CB channel 19 or a calling channel. The app pinpoints their location on a world map in live time, which is kinda cool tool

So it's basically like Echolink but anyone can use it.

 

[KD0TAZ]

Oh, and to answer the OP, I had me a scanner when I was growing up, and I found the ragchew that went on through one of the local repeaters fascinating. While I never got motivated enough to get my license then, once I moved to Kansas and got involved with NWS and CERT I felt it was something I needed to have. So I got my Tech 3 years ago. If I had it to do again I'd have gotten it 20 years ago!

 

[WB4CS]

So it's basically like Echolink but anyone can use it.

No, it's like an internet chat room with voice. Really not "radio" unless you want to technically call the RF link from cell phone towers as "radio."

Back when Echolink/IRLP came out there was huge debate in the amateur radio community if that was "real radio" as well. I think it has it's place in the hobby, but it bugs me to no end when someone says they had a DX contact on 2-meters via Echolink. :roll:

 

[N8OHU]

Would I become a ham now, with the Internet as prevelent as it is? Probably, as it is helping me expand on the knowledge that I started collecting when I was a child interested in electronics, which is one reason I got my Technician Class license in 1991.

 

[FullAuto]

Having just passed the Tech exam at 58 years old (with real no prior interest in ham radio), I suppose I'm somewhat of an oddity. But maybe not. I've been writing software for nearly 40 years. Still do for a living. I learned enough electronics in high school to design and etch a simple circuit board and use an oscilloscope. In 4th grade I found a book that guided me in making an AM receiver with a razor blade, a piece of pencil lead and a toilet paper roll tube wrapped in 26 gauge wire. After that, I mostly stuck to math, a little physics and other engineering and mechanical errata. I simply like to tinker and learn new things. All things geeky appeal to me.

In my 40s, I started studying economics. Again, just for fun. Particularly the Austrian School. That led me to come to certain conclusions about long term economic and political trends. That knowledge led me to thinking about being a bit more prepared for harder times.

During all those years, I raised a family, and stayed busy with the usual middle class stuff. But I also slowly started to let my thoughts about those future trends guide my tinkering and learning propensities. So, I learned about guns. I learned to ride a motorcycle. Solar power, nutrition, first aid, etc. etc. All of these things were both interesting to me and served the secondary purpose of maybe, just maybe, making me a bit more prepared for whatever might come.

In the news recently have been reports of authorities deliberately disabling cell phone service depending on the crises du jour. Of course, by now we have all heard about three letter agencies and various governments clamping down on the internet. Internet blackouts and "brownouts" are not just conceivable, but likely in the future. So, the need for a communications alternative seemed like a natural next step for my skill set. This was all mostly subconscious. One web site led to another, and eventually I ran into pages selling HF radios. Cool, I thought. Then forgot about it for a while.

A few months ago, something (not sure what) once again sparked my interest. And almost before I knew what happened, I took and passed my Tech Exam. So, here I am. Ticket in hand. Deciding what to do next (General next month, I hope). I think ham radio is a useful skill to have. Like knowing how to use guns (and having a few), or any of a hundred other skills. I'm not a gun nut. Guns are just tools. I don't expect to be a ham nut. But, I will enjoy the learning curve, and when I reach whatever plateau I finally hit, I will have the satisfaction of knowing my way around the airwaves should the need arise.

I'm not a prepper. I'm just an old geek who likes to learn new things and maybe likes to be prepared just a little bit more than the average person.

Maybe that's a possible model for potential new hams: the love of learning and being prepared.

 

[AgentCOPP1]

By the context of your OP, I'm assuming that you're referring to many of the middle-age/older hams on here. Seeing that I'm only a senior in high school, I guess my answer would have to only be "yes." I got into ham radio January of this year and have since upgraded to general and have been surfing the HF waves ever since. In case you were dying to know how I got into it, I was not exposed to ham radio at all. I had never met anyone who was ever a ham radio operator. Even though I had known about it, I never really gave it any serious consideration. I already kind of had an interest in radios before. I had been into GMRS radios, but seeing as it's such a limited service, I wanted more. I did some Googling and eventually figured out that ham radio wasn't as expensive as I thought, and here I am now.

I guess my story is living proof that an individual doesn't need to be exposed to the hobby to gain an initial interest in it. Nobody had ever shown me a ham radio before, but I was still able to find my way into the hobby.

 

[washburn830]

I'm not sure. I got into radio back in the 70's on the CB. I really enjoyed the CB even though it didn't have much range. I ran a base radio with a 5/8 wave and was able to talk to all my friends in our small town. There was a social aspect to it back then that I really enjoyed. Years later I got onto a search and rescue team and we used VHF. My interest was peaked and in 1991 I got my ham ticket. But since then I've seen the growth of the internet and the proliferation of cell phones. Ham radio really kind of turned me off when I would get chewed out by some old guy for "rag chewing." They would tell me that they frequency needed to be kept clear for "emergency" communications. Really?

Today I mostly use a set of VHF radios I have on a MURS channel for talking to the wife when we caravan or go on vacation.

 

[W5KVV]

Interesting. Many of the younger hams say yes, while the older code hams say no.

I'm very interested in radio, & that's the main reason I got my ticket. The internet is neat & all, but I like a little bit of simplicity in my life. I've said it many times & I'll say it again: If it wasn't for the APRS app & the radar app on my cell phone, I'd have it turned off. I hate carrying it everywhere I go.

My dad was a dispatcher for OHP, he retired after 30 years in 2006. When I was a kid, I he would let me "camp out" at headquarters when he worked a hoot owl or a graveyard. I was always fascinated by the old silver faced 60's era, 6 foot long GE radio that they used in the radio room up until 2004 or so. So many knobs & buttons for a young kid to play with. However, you never touched the red button labeled "TRANSMIT". That was a no no. It was lit up like a runway at night. The dim glow of GE NE51 bulbs, all the meters lay dormant until a unit radioed in. Then everything came to life. Meters started jumping, buttons lit up & others started flashing. It was pure magic in the eyes of a kid.

I've learned more about electronics in the last couple of years than I ever knew before & it's come in handy a couple of times outside of the hobby. I've met & conversed with people from lands I'll more than likely never step foot on in my lifetime. So far everything about this hobby has been a blast. I've yet to meet someone on the radio that wasn't pleasant to talk with. My local club welcomed me with open arms & I'm now the club Sec/Treas. I've been helping the trustee with repeater repair & he's teaching me everything else as we go.

What more could you ask for out of this hobby?

 

[902]

Not sure if I understand what you are asking, but I was just commenting that there are apps out there where you can talk semi-live (slight delay) to anyone around the world (within internet or cell range). In a sense, these are like CBs on a worldwide scale, or trying to make amateur contacts worldwide. And most of the apps are free.

The CB app is an example of this. https://www.facebook.com/TheCBApp . Push a button and seconds later a guy in Scotland is chatting away with you, and then a guy in Israel joins in, and so on, etc. In this particular app, you can pick your own channel to talk on, or can talk in an open chat room of sorts, kind of like CB channel 19 or a calling channel. The app pinpoints their location on a world map in live time, which is kinda cool tool

My apologies for not staying on top of the thread a little better. I've been doing a lot of traveling this month and things finally settled down a bit.

A "one-to-many" application emulates radio, whereas a "one-to-one" emulates a semi-duplex telephone conversation between two parties where only one can't talk and listen at the same time. The reason I brought that up is because this sort of thing is what the visionaries have in mind for radio emulation over broadband. The major vendors in the land mobile arena are all working on apps of this sort and seem to believe that in fifteen years' time, public safety voice traffic will occur over this medium. How that plays out is anyone's guess. Those delays would need to be worked out while maintaining an assured connection.

Now, in terms of ham radio, I don't get the same horsepower from an IP contact that I do from actually being on the air and making the contact with my station. In reality, I have very little in common with most of the people around the world and I tend to gravitate toward taboo topics, like global politics. I'd probably start an international incident with the Emperor of Franistan who sounds like Andy Kaufman telling me, "No, you are stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" LOL.

To me, an old guy whose idea of a computer is a DEC PDP-11 with a Teletype ASR-33 terminal, there's no sport in radio if the contact is too easy to get.

I do like the map interface that lets you see where the person you are speaking with is. That's nifty to me. I also like being able to remotely control equipment. Maybe a station control app could be interesting. Who knows, maybe I could get into that kind of thing.

 

[902]

Interesting. Many of the younger hams say yes, while the older code hams say no.

That's very surprising to me right there. It's not really what I expected, but it points to the reins of the hobby being passed to the next generation. What is encouraging is that there is a next generation of ham.

BTW, when I was a kid, I used to fire up my Hallicrafters HT-32B transmitter with a Heathkit HR-10 receiver and make all kinds of contacts. The room my shack was moved to was the coldest part of the house. After an hour or so of hamming, it was nice and toasty in there. There will always be something charming and romantic about the warm glow of tubes.

 

[N4JKD]

Yes I would, without a doubt.

Jason, N4JKD