July 14, 2013
Competition, radio-style.
Well, my first official ham radio contest is under my belt, and although my total score is extremely low, I’m happy that I was able to participate and get my feet wet.
Without going into detail as to why, let’s stipulate that running only the 10-meter band isn’t setting you up to win any accolades during the 24-hour IARU HF World Championship*. My 406 points are a mere blip on the radar compared to the other contestants, most of whom are running big radios with big antennas across all bands. In the 2012 contest, the top operators in my category ranged anywhere from 31,000 to 1,490,000 points. But, those 406 points are MY points and I earned them!
Some background is in order: I am currently using a borrowed 10-meter mobile radio (28.0-29.7 MHz). Its 25-watt output power puts me at a disadvantage out of the gate as most operators run 100+ watts (up to 1,500 W, legally). I have set it up in the house and it is connected to my old CB base station antenna that had been gathering dust in storage for the past 10 years. Not a rig expected to instill fear in my fellow contestants, but it works and I am happy to be using it!
In fact, the setup just described is QUITE usable! Of the 16 two-way contacts I made, one station was in Mexico City, two were in Argentina, two were in Chile, and six were in Brazil! That’s an average contact range of around 5,000 miles! SWEET! South America was “open” most of the day. Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama and Connecticut rounded out my log. (Although I’m quite sure I heard someone with an Aussie accent late in the afternoon, but they couldn’t hear me…pity.)
[To those of you with Technician licenses who think a 10-meter radio would be a waste of money, almost ALL of the 10-m action was in the bandwidth available to you: 28.0-28.5 MHz...I only heard one contact outside that range!]
Anyway, just felt like passing that along. Ham operators have many activities they can engage in; contesting (radiosport) is just one. But I think I’ve caught the bug.
Take care and thanks for your time.
* IARU = International Amateur Radio Union
HF = High Frequency (1.3 to 30 MHz)
June 16, 2013
A new interest to add to the old
OK, I'm not doing very well keeping this thing current. Pity. Maybe now that I have a new topic of interest to mix in with the rest, I'll find more inspiration to write. Of course, if I didn't spend so much time and energy on Facebook, things might be different. Anyway, time to let you know about a new hobby/interest I'm now involved with: amateur radio. Or "ham radio," both are acceptable.
Finding the resources on-line and at the local library, I started studying for the entry-level license: Technician Class. As I went through the material, I realized my electronics background -- one semester in an Electronics Engineering course and four years working on aircraft intercept radar and missile launch circuitry -- was going to help me immensely.
As I studied for Technician, I realized I might have enough under my belt to tackle the next level as well. After getting comfortable with Tech, I started studying the General Class materials. My target was to test in June in Lubbock, TX.
Steadily progressing, I began to wonder if the top-level license -- Amateur Extra -- might be a possible target as well. You see, when you test for your amateur license, you pay a session fee of $15. As long as you pass the tests, you can continue to the next level, all for one fee.
The night before I was to travel to Lubbock for the test session, I took the on-line practice tests one last time: Technician Class - 100%; General Class - 100%. Looking at the link for the Extra test, I thought, "Why not?"...I missed passing the Extra practice exam by one question.
Next morning at the test session (one year ago today!), I took the Technician test (35 questions). When the examiner told me I'd passed, he asked me it I wanted to test for General. I said, "Yes, please."
After scoring my General test (also 35 questions), the examiner said, "Congratulations! All we need to do is fill out the rest of the paperwork and..."
"May I take the Amateur Extra test?"
He hesitated for a second, ripped up the form in his hands and said, "Absolutely!"
By the time I finished the 50-question Amateur Extra exam, I was the only applicant left in the room. The first two tests had been relatively easy, but I wasn't so sure about Extra. I sat waiting as the examiners (six at this particular session) hovered around my score sheet to see how I had done. Suddenly I realized they were ALL looking at me. They all then grinned and held a thumb up to let me know I'd done it -- walked into a test session with no license to my name and ended up with the top level license! Sweet!
Less than two weeks later, I had my freshly printed FCC license in my hands and a call sign I will keep for the duration: AF5FJ.
- - - - - - - - - -
Last spring (May 2012), I suddenly realized that the FCC no longer required Morse code proficiency when testing for amateur radio licenses. The requirement had been dropped in 2007. Why it took me that long to discover the fact is irrelevant; I now had the opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream and get a license without having to learn a foreign language! (I have enough trouble with English.)Finding the resources on-line and at the local library, I started studying for the entry-level license: Technician Class. As I went through the material, I realized my electronics background -- one semester in an Electronics Engineering course and four years working on aircraft intercept radar and missile launch circuitry -- was going to help me immensely.
As I studied for Technician, I realized I might have enough under my belt to tackle the next level as well. After getting comfortable with Tech, I started studying the General Class materials. My target was to test in June in Lubbock, TX.
Steadily progressing, I began to wonder if the top-level license -- Amateur Extra -- might be a possible target as well. You see, when you test for your amateur license, you pay a session fee of $15. As long as you pass the tests, you can continue to the next level, all for one fee.
The night before I was to travel to Lubbock for the test session, I took the on-line practice tests one last time: Technician Class - 100%; General Class - 100%. Looking at the link for the Extra test, I thought, "Why not?"...I missed passing the Extra practice exam by one question.
Next morning at the test session (one year ago today!), I took the Technician test (35 questions). When the examiner told me I'd passed, he asked me it I wanted to test for General. I said, "Yes, please."
After scoring my General test (also 35 questions), the examiner said, "Congratulations! All we need to do is fill out the rest of the paperwork and..."
"May I take the Amateur Extra test?"
He hesitated for a second, ripped up the form in his hands and said, "Absolutely!"
By the time I finished the 50-question Amateur Extra exam, I was the only applicant left in the room. The first two tests had been relatively easy, but I wasn't so sure about Extra. I sat waiting as the examiners (six at this particular session) hovered around my score sheet to see how I had done. Suddenly I realized they were ALL looking at me. They all then grinned and held a thumb up to let me know I'd done it -- walked into a test session with no license to my name and ended up with the top level license! Sweet!
Less than two weeks later, I had my freshly printed FCC license in my hands and a call sign I will keep for the duration: AF5FJ.
- - - - - - - - - -
More to come later. Cheers.
February 16, 2013
“Legitimate” guns…what a crock!
[Yeah...big time gap between posts...we'll get into that later....]
Ya know, it just drives me nuts whenever I hear some gun-control Nazi say they are not going after guns with "legitimate hunting and sporting purposes." WHO ARE THEY TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN'T HUNT OR PLAY WITH!?!?!?!
AR-15s and semi-auto AKs are used all the time for hunting and target shooting and busting milk jugs full of water and disposing of watermelons and cantaloupes too nasty to eat...and they make some of the BEST self-defense weapons on the market. [Never forget: a handgun is there to buy you time until you can get to your long-gun!]
It's all smokescreen, people! They want to numb you to the fact they are trying to take away legitimate guns used for legitimate purposes so that they can say they "did something" and feel better about themselves...and severely restrict our ability to defend ourselves against out-right tyranny. [Don't fool yourselves...another argument for another time.]
Where do they think "legitimate" hunting rifles and their AMMUNITION came from? They are based on military weapon designs!!!! Most bolt-action hunting rifles used in the first half of the 20th century were rifles the hunters had brought home after using them in World War I! Why should they be surprised when military veterans today feel more comfortable with the style of weapon they used while serving?
The whole "hunting and sporting" nonsense is meant to appease hunters and target shooters into not speaking up..."Hey, they’re not after MY guns...what do I care?" But if they succeed with "ugly" guns, YOURS ARE NEXT; you and I both know that hunting rifles are just as deadly and (usually) MORE ACCURATE than the "assault weapons" being targeted.
It's just a matter of time before they come for your "sniper rifle."
Take care and thanks for your time.
Ya know, it just drives me nuts whenever I hear some gun-control Nazi say they are not going after guns with "legitimate hunting and sporting purposes." WHO ARE THEY TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN'T HUNT OR PLAY WITH!?!?!?!
AR-15s and semi-auto AKs are used all the time for hunting and target shooting and busting milk jugs full of water and disposing of watermelons and cantaloupes too nasty to eat...and they make some of the BEST self-defense weapons on the market. [Never forget: a handgun is there to buy you time until you can get to your long-gun!]
It's all smokescreen, people! They want to numb you to the fact they are trying to take away legitimate guns used for legitimate purposes so that they can say they "did something" and feel better about themselves...and severely restrict our ability to defend ourselves against out-right tyranny. [Don't fool yourselves...another argument for another time.]
Where do they think "legitimate" hunting rifles and their AMMUNITION came from? They are based on military weapon designs!!!! Most bolt-action hunting rifles used in the first half of the 20th century were rifles the hunters had brought home after using them in World War I! Why should they be surprised when military veterans today feel more comfortable with the style of weapon they used while serving?
The whole "hunting and sporting" nonsense is meant to appease hunters and target shooters into not speaking up..."Hey, they’re not after MY guns...what do I care?" But if they succeed with "ugly" guns, YOURS ARE NEXT; you and I both know that hunting rifles are just as deadly and (usually) MORE ACCURATE than the "assault weapons" being targeted.
It's just a matter of time before they come for your "sniper rifle."
Take care and thanks for your time.
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