HAM radio

[sean128]

Hello all.
I want to get my HAM licence. I to know how many firefighters are HAMs.
Do you bring them to work with you?

[KenNFD1219]

I usually have a 2 meter HT or mobile in the car. When I worked on shift, I would use the HT as a scanner for the local and area public safety frequencies.

Years ago, I brought my low power HF radios (kits) to work and put a dipole in the attic. Worked a few stations at night. I only did that a few times.

PM me if you need information on getting a license. I've been active on amateur radio since 1977.

[sean128]

Hey Ken give me an email at northcoastline@comcast.net

[sean128]

I usually have a 2 meter HT or mobile in the car. When I worked on shift, I would use the HT as a scanner for the local and area public safety frequencies.

Years ago, I brought my low power HF radios (kits) to work and put a dipole in the attic. Worked a few stations at night. I only did that a few times.

PM me if you need information on getting a license. I've been active on amateur radio since 1977.

Ken i have seemed to have messed up my profile. Email me at northcoastline@comcast.net

[ffemtbland]

go for your tech class! its a great first step to becoming an "all out" hf ham. i'm a volunteer ff/emt in wisconsin - my interest in amateur radio came with all of the severe weather we had here in so. wisc in the summer of 05. listening to the ham bands gave us a really good idea of where a lot of the damage was after the big tornado that year. i always throw my ht in my gear bag when i go on call ... its another GREAT communication tool - communication in the emergency services field is really important ...
Lars
Madison, WI

[cellblock]

When I worked for the local FD I installed a 2meter on the radio desk and ran the antenna to the roof. It was used once a couple of times to check in during Simulated Emergency Tests. The rest of the time it was a good way to spend spare time. I'd check in to nets or talk to out of state hams via repeaters equipted with IRLP or ECHOLINK.

Steve,
Ham Call- KC5SAS

edit- Just to clarify, I ws not working as a dispatcher for our FD but as a FF/EMT. Our dispatching was done by a 911 operator in another city. Our radio desk held our base radios and a backup paging system.

[gatoremt]

I would say check http://www.w5yi.org/ They can help. Good luck I have been a HAM since 1999. I have heard they are dropping the code for General and Extra here soon. Good lUck email if yo uhave any questions.

[KenNFD1219]

The Morse code requirement for HF access going away, most likely in February. Here is an article from the ARRL http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/12/19/101/?nc=1

No reason not to take the test for a license. Personally, I like using code, it gets through when conditions are rough and is really the international language of amateur radio.

[gatoremt]

I passed the code but have never used it.

[KenNFD1219]

I passed the code but have never used it.

Nothing wrong with that. Unlike most pro-coders, I don't care if someone uses it or not. It is more important to be on the air, regardless of mode. CW is a lot of fun, so is PSK-31, RTTY, SSB, FM, etc, etc.

[gatoremt]

You are right. I am tone deaf. I am surprised I passed it. I stay on UHF most of the time or on echo link. I used HF for awhile but moved and have not put my wire back up.
I use to bring my HT to work all the time but not able to bring it anymore. When I work with EMS, I brought my HT ALL THE TIME. That way I had a back up radio if needed.

[RitzvilleFD]

I'm starting classes for a General rating tomorrow night. It's going to run once a week for about 10 weeks, 2 hours per night. I don't have a local radio club near me, so I'm looking at about 3 hours drive time for a 2 hour class each week. I've been taking Technician Class tests online and consistantly getting in the mid to high 90's. I was going to get a Technician Class rating and talked to the instructor about it. He suggested I take the General Class. I'll have to take the Technician test and pass it before I can take the General test, but he said with practice scores like I've been getting it won't be a problem. I'm kind of bummed about the CW requirement going away, I was looking forward to learning it. I plan on learning it on my own.

Now to decide on a rig and shack setup...

[HVFD65LRS372]

Ham operator here! I took the techician class back in Feb. and studied a little for the general by taking the tests on QRZ. I took my technician test and passed it and went ahead and took my general test that night and passed it too. KI4TSN in SW Virginia. I work mostly out of 146.985 which is Big Walker Mtn. repeater linked into a few others in the area. It's also hooked up to the Echolink. I worked a guy from Texas on that repeater. He was on Echolink and I was mobile on a HT.

Any other hams here?

[KC8CBS]

I'm in Northeast Ohio (KC8CBS) I've been a Ham since 1991.

[sean128]

Well Figured ill update you guys.

Went to Ham Radio Outlet in Salem,NH and got the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual. Great book. About 25 Dollars. Has the entire Tech Question Pool in the back. Gotta love that. Planning on taking the test some time this summer.

Here's the Question pool:
http://www.ncvec.org/downloads/2006tech.pdf

PS also looking for any Classes In the Boston,Mass Area.

[ShredddinCali]

Well Figured ill update you guys.

Went to Ham Radio Outlet in Salem,NH and got the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual. Great book. About 25 Dollars. Has the entire Tech Question Pool in the back. Gotta love that. Planning on taking the test some time this summer.

Here's the Question pool:
http://www.ncvec.org/downloads/2006tech.pdf

PS also looking for any Classes In the Boston,Mass Area.

You can take practice test online which are the same questions used for the exam. Here are some locations: http://www.eham.net/exams/ and http://www.qrz.com/testing.html

good luck!