New Operator, Mentor Wanted

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KC9CVF

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Wow, that's some s--t right there. Luckily mine's cheap so if I misplace it or someone cuffs it, at least it won't be as big a loss and I'll have learned a lesson.
 

TailGator911

Silent Key/KF4ANC
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I am surprised they (the police) gave the radio back to you. I have always thought that modifications to any radio to make it able to transmit on public safety frequencies was illegal? Maybe I have always thought wrong? lol
 

WB9YBM

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lol that's why I said "irrational fear". It'll happen eventually. I hear a couple guys interacting daily, quite comfortable with each other; that kinda stuff eases the anxiety, as did the general temperament of the ARES net I listened in on last night.

on the topic of being "quite comfortable" in interacting, a trick I read about in a magazine once said a newcomer took the time to monitor a repeater awhile to get familiar with the people using a repeater and when he got his license was able to join conversations by asking about familiar topics and the author of this article said that method was a great ice-breaker.
 

TailGator911

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I used to have insufferable stage fright when I first started playing guitar in public. After a while it diminishes and dissipates. Then you get this attitude (after a couple hundred shows) that they either like you or they don't, and you stop caring what they think and how they critique you. It's that same attitude that carried over when I was just starting out in amateur radio and a bit mic shy. You can't care what they think, just do your thing and be done with it and on to the next town. lol That might sound harsh, but everyone deals with that apprehension in their own way. I often wonder how many shows I played where I didn't even look up from staring at my fingers. Someone once said self-doubt was the surest route to failure and I believe that. When in doubt, always remember that they won't remember :)

JD
kf4anc
 

kb6hlm

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I am surprised they (the police) gave the radio back to you. I have always thought that modifications to any radio to make it able to transmit on public safety frequencies was illegal? Maybe I have always thought wrong? lol

The detective didn't want to give it back however the FCC supercedes the police department witch left them no choice but to give it back because #1 Had the receipt to the radio #2 Had my FCC license in hand
Its funny I have had other problems with the police with scanner radios in my car I remember one time in LA CA I got pulled over by a cop and in downtown LA its illegal to have a scanner in the car WOW that cop wanted to rip my head off!! for having that thing however he could not do a thing about it ! I told him "officer please just look at my license plate it has my call sign on it KB6HLM" WOW he got even more :mad::mad::mad:
at me !!! he didn't even give me a ticket and to this day I don't know why he pulled me over in the first place LOL

I also remember another time I almost got in a fist fight with a satellite dealer next door to me because I had a small microwave dish on my roof top that was able to pick up his signals from the mountain top without paying for it said he was going to call the police I told him sure go head and do that LOL sure enough the police came out I just showed them my Ham License then they told the guy its out of the police department hands and walked away So yep you guess it he filed a complaint and I got a letter from the FCC just saying something about the complaint and a long code about FCC ruling regarding equipment and I was in my right and the matter was closed .

Anyway I can go on and on about trouble I have gotten myself into including dealing with HOAs / TVI problems (my neighbor hatted my guts) and such But I always have come out on top !

Thank you Federal Communications Commission for always backing me up !:)
 
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TailGator911

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It's always good to see a federal agency stand behind a citizen when they are right. Don't see that too often these days, and it's a shame.
 

AK9R

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on the topic of being "quite comfortable" in interacting, a trick I read about in a magazine once said a newcomer took the time to monitor a repeater awhile to get familiar with the people using a repeater and when he got his license was able to join conversations by asking about familiar topics and the author of this article said that method was a great ice-breaker.
This!

I listened to a couple of local repeaters for about 6 months before I got my license. By the time I got on the air, I knew the regulars' names, callsigns, kinda what they did for a living, what they were into, etc. The biggest compliment I got was when I was talking to them one night and another older ham came on the air. Introductions were made and the new guy to the conversation was surprised to hear that I had just gotten my license. "You sound like you've been around ham radio for years," he said.
 

kb6hlm

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I listened to a couple of local repeaters for about 6 months before I got my license. By the time I got on the air, I knew the regulars' names, callsigns, kinda what they did for a living, what they were into, etc. The biggest compliment I got was when I was talking to them one night and another older ham came on the air. Introductions were made and the new guy to the conversation was surprised to hear that I had just gotten my license. "You sound like you've been around ham radio for years," he said.

Very nice !
I still remember my first contact on 2 meters I was very nervous and didn't know what to say LOL it was weird because I spent years on 10 meters but on VHF I just didn't know what to say and its been about 25 years since I have keyed the mic on a repeater

My first contact in my life I still remember it was when I was a novice using CW I called CQ and someone came right back to me I was so nervous I just froze and turned off the radio I just could not believe someone would come back to me

I was using a old transmitter that had only had 1 crystal puting out 10 watts and receiving on another old timer I believe it was a Gonset with a long wire that I had no clue what the SWRs was since I had no SWR meter LOL


Good times :)
 
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ka9wrz

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Wonder if you ever resolved your dilemma? I know programming via computer/CHIRP is a great way to go. Nice thing about it, if you find someone local (probably several hundred hams withing "earshot" of Madison), they can email you the file for local frequencies.

Field day is coming up and there are a few sites around Madison. We were on vacation there a few years back on field day and my wife and I dropped in on one of the locations. I kind of got a cold shoulder and evil eye reception when I did. Maybe, being local or if you select a different club, you'll get a better welcome. I know the local radio club that I associate with, the Starved Rock Radio Club (W9MKS) welcomes visitors with open arms. My suggestion since you have a week left before FD, do a search and send out a few emails. See who says, "Come on down and bring that HT with you and we'll program it on the spot". Plus, you may get some hands on HF experience as well. When there, roll up your sleeves and be helpful. Lend a hand during set up, meal prep, logging, etc. You won't be "the new guy", you'll be the fellow that was willing to pitch in and help out and likely be included in future events. You'll come away with a whole new perspective of the hobby and a dozen+ new friends. I remember my first field day, probably 1987. There was actually bonus points issued for having a "Novice Station" as 10m had just opened up to novices on phone. First thing I did when the gun sounded was ask, "Is the frequency in use?" My Elmer said, "this is Field Day. Nobody cares if the frequency is in use. Just jump in with both feet." And, away we went!

Let us know how things are working out!
 

KC9CVF

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Interesting name / town Starved Rock's hosted in. lol

Yeah I was planning on checking out the Field Day location hosted out in Verona, though I wouldn't mind driving an hour to one of two others if I knew the experience would be better at one v. another.

We'll see. I'm probably on the younger end of hams anyway, but I'd love to see more people into it, but creating a socially awkward situation isn't the way to do it, so we'll just have to see how it goes next weekend.

I've been listening in on the local MARA group's repeater pretty consistently though, so I've been noting the calls of a couple of the regular users and the topics they talk about. Definitely sounds like they could use someone with my computer skills though. Could see if any of them show up and help them optimize their SDR rigs performance.
 

KC9CVF

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I totally made it to Field Day, and it was awesome. While my anxiety partially got in the way of sitting down at a station and trying to make some contacts (the chaos of it almost made it easier, ironically), I did make a bunch of new in-person contacts and the ones I interacted with seemed quite sincere and very passionate about the craft. Bloody ICOM festival basically, but N9JZ (club call we were operating as) managed to make contacts in nearly every sector. I also made it onto a local news station's B-roll, but hey, at least they covered the event:

Local Amateur Radio club practices emergency response

After all that I also made (attempted to make) a 10m dipole out of some solid 12 gauge THHN I happened to have meters of and stripped off. I'm indoors so it probably won't work for jack, and my tuner is one of those RTL-SDR sticks, so, also won't work for jack, but I'll try listening to see if I can hear anyone on HF... though I think that belongs in a different section of the forum, so maybe I'll hatch a topic on that later.
 

ka9wrz

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Good for you! Now, to get some more hands on experience, check with your new friends about any possible public service events taking place. Marathon, bike rides, etc. Instead of being stationary and making contacts you can actually get out and about, possibly even mobile, and work communications for an organized event. Think that there are several things that take place in the Madison area over the course of the next few months. Then, there's always the Chicago Marathon. Always on the lookout for volunteers to work at the various aid stations in October. Great event and very well organized. And, as a benefit, you get to see the fastest runners in the world from about 25' away!
 

KC9CVF

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Yeah that's actually one of the things I was discussing with someone was volunteering at an upcoming athletic event. There's plenty of places out of town these happen in where literally no cell companies have any coverage and hams are the only way to communicate out there in the sticks.

I mean, yeah, my main interest is making station-to-station contacts, but early on while I'm building up gear and figuring out how it all works in a practical sense, any level of practice and networking can be beneficial.


Side note: found out my current electronics just aren't capable of receiving HF anyway (RTL-SDR sticks, old ones).
 
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