I'm still a tech also. Great job passing the test for your upgraded license.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:

Access to more frequency bands and lesser Hams call me “sir!”

Most women 40-and-under have been calling me "sir" for a few years now. It's highly overrated.

Congratulations!

Congratulations on the General test. The same thing happened to me when I tried to take both exams on the same day. Got the General about two weeks later and now working on the Extra.

Again, congrats and 73's

Just gotta say it, and I'm guilty as hell. How many would be passing the General or Extra if code was still a requirement. I tried like hell before they dropped the Morse requirement but the most I could copy was 5 wpm, just enough to get the old Tech Plus. Then a few years later they dropped the requirement and General was so dummed down by having you study a list of questions so that even I passed the test.

quote:

Originally posted by nosticks:
Just gotta say it, and I'm guilty as hell. How many would be passing the General or Extra if code was still a requirement.

True. But, do we really need code to function as Generals or Extras? Not IMO. It was a good change to eliminate it. I'm sure that there are some old-timers who'd disagree with me but I'll stand by it.

It would be nice to know and to be good at if I had the time and motivation to do so, but it isn't really necessary unless the entire world goes black and we're back to telegraph comms.

If you want to know it, learn it and communicate that way with others who know it. I think it's great that you can. But, excluding others from operating at the General or Extra levels because they can't or don't want to is silly.

quote:

Originally posted by nosticks:
Just gotta say it, and I'm guilty as hell. How many would be passing the General or Extra if code was still a requirement.

I went from Tech to Extra in 6 months, with code (early 1990's).
 
Congrats on your General, 911Boss!
 

They already had no code licenses on 11 meters.

I suppose it was inevitable. When I was licensed in 1959, it was possible to buy equipment and get set up and in the air with somewhat less knowledge and experience than before, not as simple as now. Before, it was considerably more complicated.

The justification was having the pool of trained technicians and operators, which had proven handy in WWII. Building one’s own gear was admired. They also felt a need to keep closer tabs on radio communications, who was doing so, where, and with who. One had to operate from the licensed location, notify the FCC of portable ops, keep detailed logs, and when I enlisted as a Radioman in 1963, they were fascinated to know about contacts with Ruskies and other Iron Curtain countries, if I had any.

Now most of those considerations have gone by the wayside. Maybe they should have a tear out form in the back cover of the radio’s owners manual to fill out and mail in, or maybe just go online, acknowledge a few regulations and get your callsign. What’s the point of requiring people to do things they don't want to do?

I just call random people on my cell phone and try and start conversations with them, it's cheaper and my signal goes all the way up to outer space and back clear as a bell.

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
Now most of those considerations have gone by the wayside. Maybe they should have a tear out form in the back cover of the radio’s owners manual to fill out and mail in, or maybe just go online, acknowledge a few regulations and get your callsign. What’s the point of requiring people to do things they don't want to do?

It's not a question of want, it's a question of need. What, exactly, is the point of having to be fluent in code?

A plus? Sure, I'll give you that. But a necessity? No.

IMO it's more of an "I had to do it so so should you" kind of thing.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
Now most of those considerations have gone by the wayside. Maybe they should have a tear out form in the back cover of the radio’s owners manual to fill out and mail in, or maybe just go online, acknowledge a few regulations and get your callsign. What’s the point of requiring people to do things they don't want to do?

It's not a question of want, it's a question of need. What, exactly, is the point of having to be fluent in code?

A plus? Sure, I'll give you that. But a necessity? No.

IMO it's more of an "I had to do it so so should you" kind of thing.

Many OTs feel that way. I don’t.

I don’t think it is necessarily a necessity to require proficiency in skills thought to be desirable. For that matter why struggle to learn all the solid state stuff, emitters, bases, MOSFET, etc? Many hams have never seen one, and will happily operate for decades without ever peeking into those boxes.

I thought code proficiency was something that distinguished me from the CBers, and anyway I got to where I enjoyed it. I’m not a CW whiz, never was, but have 20 wpm certificate around here somewhere, and with the onset of advanced decrepitude and no longer on the air, I might have trouble with 12-15. My brother is a CW whiz, can copy just about anything.

Congrats, I’ve dragged my butt on gettin my General if for no other reason than life and a new baby. Goal is by the end of the year. 73’s N4IOI

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
Now most of those considerations have gone by the wayside. Maybe they should have a tear out form in the back cover of the radio’s owners manual to fill out and mail in, or maybe just go online, acknowledge a few regulations and get your callsign. What’s the point of requiring people to do things they don't want to do?

It's not a question of want, it's a question of need. What, exactly, is the point of having to be fluent in code?

A plus? Sure, I'll give you that. But a necessity? No.

IMO it's more of an "I had to do it so so should you" kind of thing.

Many OTs feel that way. I don’t.

I don’t think it is necessarily a necessity to require proficiency in skills thought to be desirable. For that matter why struggle to learn all the solid state stuff, emitters, bases, MOSFET, etc? Many hams have never seen one, and will happily operate for decades without ever peeking into those boxes.

I thought code proficiency was something that distinguished me from the CBers, and anyway I got to where I enjoyed it. I’m not a CW whiz, never was, but have 20 wpm certificate around here somewhere, and with the onset of advanced decrepitude and no longer on the air, I might have trouble with 12-15. My brother is a CW whiz, can copy just about anything.

To be fair, I do think that it should be more difficult to gain any level of licensure.

All it takes nowadays is a few hours of memorizing questions readily available online and going to take the "test".

Perhaps including code would weed out those who simply memorize the answers. But, that would eliminate those of us who give a damn and really try to be good hams, so...I don't know.

Not trying to hijack this thread but I have been thinking of starting down this road and my question is are all your setups based in your homes or do any of you have Mobil setup i.e. in your car or trucks?

The reason I'm asking is this recent Hurricane that hit NC. I was wondering if I would be able to reach someone if I had a setup in my truck and was down on the OBX and cell service was out etc.

Thanks.

YouTube is your friend with mobile setups. Some run off of the yeti solar batteries, some off of an inverter. Just do not expect to blast your signal out 1000 miles.

I am a no code General.

I feel the testing should be more based on etiquette and how to operate the equipment as opposed to general principles of electronics. Not many people build their setups from scratch, and most equipment purchased has a warranty, which is voided if you open or take the case off.

Good job on the promotion.

Regards. KE0FRL

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
Not trying to hijack this thread but I have been thinking of starting down this road and my question is are all your setups based in your homes or do any of you have Mobil setup i.e. in your car or trucks?

The reason I'm asking is this recent Hurricane that hit NC. I was wondering if I would be able to reach someone if I had a setup in my truck and was down on the OBX and cell service was out etc.

Almost all mobile communication is carried out over repeaters, typically located on a high spot in your area. As long as your local repeater is up, you can reach out quite a ways, and some repeaters offer mobile->phone service. Most HAM repeater operators take great pride in being able to keep it running during loss of power. Since the equipment runs on 12V, banks of backup batteries can keep a repeater running for quite some time with no grid power. There are many listings of repeaters throughout North America, such as repeaterbook.com. Their listing for North Carolina repeaters is here.
 

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
Not trying to hijack this thread but I have been thinking of starting down this road and my question is are all your setups based in your homes or do any of you have Mobil setup i.e. in your car or trucks?

The reason I'm asking is this recent Hurricane that hit NC. I was wondering if I would be able to reach someone if I had a setup in my truck and was down on the OBX and cell service was out etc.

Almost all mobile communication is carried out over repeaters, typically located on a high spot in your area. As long as your local repeater is up, you can reach out quite a ways, and some repeaters offer mobile->phone service. Most HAM repeater operators take great pride in being able to keep it running during loss of power. Since the equipment runs on 12V, banks of backup batteries can keep a repeater running for quite some time with no grid power. There are many listings of repeaters throughout North America, such as repeaterbook.com. Their listing for North Carolina repeaters is here.
 

It is true that very many mobile radios at VHF/UHF fm which mostly use repeaters. There also quite a few HF mobile installations, of all kinds of complexity.

I had a contact with a K3 mobile in the early ‘60’s in Washington, DC on 40 meters, IIRC. When I got the QSL card, I was astonished to learn that the operator was US Senator Barry Goldwater in what I was told was his Corvette. W6AM, Don Wallace, was a wealthy eccentric who had a massive antenna farm on the Rancho Palas Verde peninsula overlooking the Pacific and LA. He had a Cadillac with a 1 KW mobile rig from which he operated CW while careening down the freeways of LA.

Even now, there are many HF mobiles, with elaborate antenna tuners, tiny transceivers. One ham I knew in Coronado regularly worked all over Europe from his Jeep, and most of Asia too.

Outstanding work and 73 to you. KW5SAM

Regarding the code/no code and technical aspects of Ham licensing...

I flat out do not have the time or inclination to use CW, let alone learn it. If it was still required I would never have bothered getting a license. While lots of folks do still use CW (so I am told) I have no desire or interest.

Radio technology has moved from CW to voice to digital, it seems silly to me to require someone who would like never use CW to demonstrate it as some means of artificially keeping them out of the Country Club so to speak.


As for electronics and radio theory, I see more applicability on this. Basic understanding helps you realize what you can and can't do and if something isn't working have an idea on why that might be the case.

Not really sure the electronic questions really reflect that, but I don't make the test. If I did, I would focus as JSB3 noted and have more questions related to etiquette, procedure, band restrictions, and how atmospheric conditions effect propagation.


While I do listen to a local VHF net a few times a week, My real interest is in HF and talking to folks over great distances. I have yet to give that a go at this point, still trying to decide on antenna options and waiting for more free time to be available.

smlsig - to answer your question, yes mobile rigs are possible and numerous. while VHF/UHF are probably the most common and mostly on good for local use (say 30 miles or so). In my car/truck I use both a 5W handheld connected to an external antenna or my 50W mobile VHF/UHF radio.

There are also mobile/portable HF rigs that allow direct communications 100's or even 1000's miles away without using a repeater.

Battery powered radio with relatively low power compared to base insallations, communications distance is limited by antenna more than the radio. I hear of folks making contacts 2000 miles away or more with just 5-10 watts of transmitter power.

That is where I would like to get to in the hobby. To do it though, you need to use the bands that only become available after moving up from "technician".

The big advantage to cw its narrow bandwidth. All you have to do is short the transmitter for small periods of time to communicate. And mobile vhf/uhf communication is fun and handy but it's usually through repeaters and you're still reliant on technology maintained and operated by someone else, much like your cellphone (only a party line).

Ah, congrats and thanks for the reminder! Had to check... My 10 yr renewal is in less than a year. General class, WITH 13 WPM code. KA4PWT. (or KA4-Poor White Trash as my friends call it) Currently not active.

Dang ten year renewals... too easy to forget. My wife and Daughter both expired for non renewal. Neither were still active anyway but still... They used it quite a bit before cell phones.