Amateur (ham) Radio

[Dave.TX]

Buncha NERDS!!! Ha! I got my Tech license back in 1999 as KF6ZCC (when I lived in San Diego, CA). Moved to TX and changed it to K5DRH. It expired last August (2011) but I renewed it in the nick of time. Still only a Tech. Talking in Austin, TX, isn't as fun as it was in San Diego, CA. Local repeaters, no HF.

I have an ICOM dual band rig in my pickup that I hardly ever turn on. A Yaesu dual band at home that I hardly ever turn on. A Kenwood TS-450SAT at home that hasn't been turned on in years. Several other radios and handhelds. Living in an HOA subdivision has been a partial influence on killing my interest but not all of it.

In the Austin, TX, area there's a lot of repeater pairs that are being held for ransom by the owners that no longer have repeaters on the air. In CA that would not have been tolerated. Most activity here is on 2M repeaters, very little activity on 70cm (which I prefer). There's EchoLink and other types of repeaters here that I hear from time to time, even the WIN System in SoCal can be heard here (I used to be a member of theirs).

Only thing I've thought about for the motorcycle is how to set up APRS if I start touring or doing Saddle Sore 1000's. A topcase modified with a ground plane inside and an NMO mounted antenna being used by a handheld, possibly.

 

[jcombs]

KF4MAX
Lexington, Ky

~jared

 

[Motogiro]

Buncha NERDS!!! Ha! I got my Tech license back in 1999 as KF6ZCC (when I lived in San Diego, CA). Moved to TX and changed it to K5DRH. It expired last August (2011) but I renewed it in the nick of time. Still only a Tech. Talking in Austin, TX, isn't as fun as it was in San Diego, CA. Local repeaters, no HF.

I have an ICOM dual band rig in my pickup that I hardly ever turn on. A Yaesu dual band at home that I hardly ever turn on. A Kenwood TS-450SAT at home that hasn't been turned on in years. Several other radios and handhelds. Living in an HOA subdivision has been a partial influence on killing my interest but not all of it.

In the Austin, TX, area there's a lot of repeater pairs that are being held for ransom by the owners that no longer have repeaters on the air. In CA that would not have been tolerated. Most activity here is on 2M repeaters, very little activity on 70cm (which I prefer). There's EchoLink and other types of repeaters here that I hear from time to time, even the WIN System in SoCal can be heard here (I used to be a member of theirs).

Only thing I've thought about for the motorcycle is how to set up APRS if I start touring or doing Saddle Sore 1000's. A topcase modified with a ground plane inside and an NMO mounted antenna being used by a handheld, possibly.

KF4MAX
Lexington, Ky

~jared

Di Di Di Dit Di Dit Di Di Di Dit Di Dit LOL!

Looks like someone else may have been into it! ^^^^^^

 

[Dave.TX]

I tried for about a week to learn CW but lost interest.

 

[Motogiro]

I tried for about a week to learn CW but lost interest.

It's a language like so many other languages and has it's humps but after you do it a while you don't just hear letters to make words but you'll recognize whole words. I read somewhere that 50wpm is more like 150wpm shorthand.

My grandpappy was a CW man and I grew up liking it even though we were never close geographically. I got my license and called him one day to ask him if he still got on the air. He was! We were so psyched!

He'd push me to my limits. He was fast with that old mechanical Bug he used and I had a Bug and and electronic set of paddles. :rockon: