HAM Forum

[kmonroe99]

Any recommendations for a forum similar to this for HAM Technician level?  I'm planning to add the Technician license shortly.

[tweiss3]

What are you looking for? Study materials? General discussion?

Radio Reference has a pretty solid Amateur Radio section, and the one on this site at the bottom isn't too bad either.

[MichaelLAX]

Where are you located geographically?

[kmonroe99]

17 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

Where are you located geographically?

SE Florida (Vero Beach)

[Edmo01]

A well done (and free!) site for test prep is hamstudy.org.  I’m currently studying for my general license using their site.

 

Edmo

[Trad77]

On 9/24/2021 at 8:07 AM, kmonroe99 said:

Any recommendations for a forum similar to this for HAM Technician level?  I'm planning to add the Technician license shortly.

The ARRL has excellent resources for ham study.  www.arrl.org  

[phottomatt]

On 9/25/2021 at 9:10 AM, Edmo01 said:

A well done (and free!) site for test prep is hamstudy.org.  I’m currently studying for my general license using their site.

 

Edmo

Just started with hamstudy.org, it's great. 

[MacJack]

One ham to another soon to be Technician and General... I was a study buddy with my 12 yo grand daughter at age 74... So get a study buddy to show to lead them to he a Ham...  My 12 yo grand daughter is so good on Sunday Net as she has several coaches and has a great radio present...  She have been the Fox twice and won several Fox Hunts.  Sorry I'm so proud of her and she knows she is special having a Ham ticket.  Her radio of choice is a RFinder B1. and is into DMR which I like as well.

MacJack 

[Lscott]

57 minutes ago, MacJack said:

One ham to another soon to be Technician and General... I was a study buddy with my 12 yo grand daughter at age 74... So get a study buddy to show to lead them to he a Ham...  My 12 yo grand daughter is so good on Sunday Net as she has several coaches and has a great radio present...  She have been the Fox twice and won several Fox Hunts.  Sorry I'm so proud of her and she knows she is special having a Ham ticket.  Her radio of choice is a RFinder B1. and is into DMR which I like as well.

MacJack 

That’s great. I’m encouraged when I see young people at Ham swaps and hear them on the air. It’s NOT just an old farts hobby. We need young people with new ideas.

[MichaelLAX]

2 hours ago, MacJack said:

Her radio of choice is a RFinder B1. and is into DMR which I like as well.

What Talkgrouos do you use on DMR?

[mbrun]

One ham to another soon to be Technician and General... I was a study buddy with my 12 yo grand daughter at age 74... So get a study buddy to show to lead them to he a Ham...  My 12 yo grand daughter is so good on Sunday Net as she has several coaches and has a great radio present...  She have been the Fox twice and won several Fox Hunts.  Sorry I'm so proud of her and she knows she is special having a Ham ticket.  Her radio of choice is a RFinder B1. and is into DMR which I like as well.
MacJack 

Here in Cincinnati there have been two new young people that I know of that have joined the ham ranks recently. Ages 10 and 11. Both appear to have been mentored by their grandfathers. On 2m they operate like pros. Listening and talking to them is a joy. I can imagine the joy you feel watching and listening to your GD on the radio.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[MacJack]

On 11/25/2021 at 6:48 AM, mbrun said:

Here in Cincinnati there have been two new young people that I know of that have joined the ham ranks recently. Ages 10 and 11. Both appear to have been mentored by their grandfathers. On 2m they operate like pros. Listening and talking to them is a joy. I can imagine the joy you feel watching and listening to your GD on the radio.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

Yes Michael, what a joy... Thanks for reading into my joy... hope other get it as well.  I connected with Kaylee 12 yo and on Sunday Net she has a following like everyone comes to talk to her...  She has done another Fox Hunt http://www.jbewing.com/FoxHunt.pdf and got two more girls to study with their EXTRA dad...   Kaylee is the girl on the right by the Jeep.  In the last photo Kaylee in middle and I'm the old guy with gray hair... NOT BULD.  

So Michael, good look for your kids to mentor/coach/study buddy... Know your kids will be able to take advantage of the fund a person to get more kids and parent into getting Ham ticket.t http://www.jbewing.com/FoxHunt.pdf 

Thanks for the encouragement...

MacJack...  

P.S. we been doing DMR as we have the best regional DMR repeater linked.  

 

[MacJack]

On 11/24/2021 at 10:15 PM, Lscott said:

That’s great. I’m encouraged when I see young people at Ham swaps and hear them on the air. It’s NOT just an old farts hobby. We need young people with new ideas.

Well Lscott, go get two or third study buddies from the Middle School and have one of the parents come as well and see that they can get a radio when they get their Ham Ticket..  Read details here t http://www.jbewing.com/FoxHunt.pdf 

Anyone who reads this and is a GMRS wanting to get Ham Ticket... go get a kid study buddy with the kids parent.

MacJack

[PACNWComms]

Always nice to see the younger generation join in. Radio is not going away, as many in my profession have said numerous times over the years. There is actually an ebb and flow of shortages, with another one coming in the next 5 years or so as the current generation retires. When possible, I always recommend amateur, and General Radio-telephone Operator Licenses as that opens more doors to employment. Great job and good luck in your club.

[MacJack]

On 11/24/2021 at 11:32 PM, MichaelLAX said:

What Talkgrouos do you use on DMR?

MichaelLAX, The local/regional DMR repeaters uses 27500 for Local Jackson... BUT know that each DMR repeater owner/operator does their own thing AND they do not tell you that the color code or TimeSlot or TalkGroup.  So I just made friends with the owner/operator via email/text then on the DMR...

Hope that helps.

MacJack 

[MacJack]

7 minutes ago, PACNWComms said:

Always nice to see the younger generation join in. Radio is not going away, as many in my profession have said numerous times over the years. There is actually an ebb and flow of shortages, with another one coming in the next 5 years or so as the current generation retires. When possible, I always recommend amateur, and General Radio-telephone Operator Licenses as that opens more doors to employment. Great job and good luck in your club.

Thanks PACNWComms.  I wrote the attached story of how my now 35 and 37 kids got into cell phone before having emails and browser and texts... great days for teens back then...  nightmare for todays kids.

Enjoy the read attacked.

MacJack

How we got into being a Ham.pdf

[MichaelLAX]

1 hour ago, MacJack said:

MichaelLAX, The local/regional DMR repeaters uses 27500 for Local Jackson... BUT know that each DMR repeater owner/operator does their own thing AND they do not tell you that the color code or TimeSlot or TalkGroup.  So I just made friends with the owner/operator via email/text then on the DMR...

Hope that helps.

MacJack 

I never really understood the difference between MARC DMR and Brandmeister DMR (which I use) and if they are interoperational.

I'll just try 27500 and see if I can find you!

UPDATE: Maybe not: 

Quote

Local talkgroups are generally a non linked TG solely on that repeater.  In the Metro Richmond area, TG 27500 is linked on Richmond, Petersburg, Beaverdam, South Hill and Powhatan sites.  In the Shenandoah Valley area, Charlottesville, Lexington, Harrisonburg, Linden and Fredericksburg locals are linked full time. This may change periodically without notice.

 

 

[PACNWComms]

38 minutes ago, MacJack said:

Thanks PACNWComms.  I wrote the attached story of how my now 35 and 37 kids got into cell phone before having emails and browser and texts... great days for teens back then...  nightmare for todays kids.

Enjoy the read attacked.

MacJack

How we got into being a Ham.pdf 40.03 kB · 0 downloads

Very nice. Was an Army brat myself, but was also the only person in my family to retire from the Air Force.....in Air Force Space Command before the whole Space Force part. Worked in nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, then satellite control, then ground stations and last Land Mobile radio and radio networks. Starting young helps and it will be a constant growth area for employment for a very long time. Radio and wireless technology is ever present in command and control, to include utilities, critical infrastructure and other areas of our technological society. Thank you for sharing the PDF.

[MacJack]

10 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

I never really understood the difference between MARC DMR and Brandmeister DMR (which I use) and if they are interoperational.

I'll just try 27500 and see if I can find you!

UPDATE: Maybe not: 

 

DMR is using a radio BM is VOIP.  I was not on 27500 via BM.  Plus our DMR regional repeaters are only tied to 4 repeaters and ops have to flip the switch to connect on the NPR network.  

[MacJack]

10 hours ago, PACNWComms said:

Very nice. Was an Army brat myself, but was also the only person in my family to retire from the Air Force.....in Air Force Space Command before the whole Space Force part. Worked in nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, then satellite control, then ground stations and last Land Mobile radio and radio networks. Starting young helps and it will be a constant growth area for employment for a very long time. Radio and wireless technology is ever present in command and control, to include utilities, critical infrastructure and other areas of our technological society. Thank you for sharing the PDF.

Thanks for sharing your path, that what I'm looking for with Kaylee.

[Lscott]

15 hours ago, MacJack said:

Well Lscott, go get two or third study buddies from the Middle School and have one of the parents come as well and see that they can get a radio when they get their Ham Ticket..  Read details here t http://www.jbewing.com/FoxHunt.pdf 

Anyone who reads this and is a GMRS wanting to get Ham Ticket... go get a kid study buddy with the kids parent.

MacJack

I’m trying to get a buddy at work to just try for his Tech Class license, he already has his GMRS license. Was also into scanning. He’s interested but seems to get hung up with other commitments to go for a VE test session. I did get him to switch from the CCR he had, UV-5R, to a better radio, a used Kenwood TK-3170. That’s just about all he uses now.

My boss said something a while ago about “maybe” getting a couple of radios to stay in contact with his 12 yo son at school. Hasn’t brought up the topic in a while however. I emailed him some info and radio brochures. At the time he said he was looking at a couple of the CCR’s you see on Amazon. He said if his kid wrecks the radio or looses it he’s not out of a lot of money. I guess that’s one point in favor of CCR’s. I think the best option for him is GMRS at the moment.

I have another buddy who I got interested in Ham Radio, he was already into scanners and CB. He got his Tech Class license and now is really getting into digital radio. He also just for fun got his GMRS license recently too. He still uses 11m CB with his “export” radio.

I’m trying to do my part. All of the people above are younger than I am.

[SUPERG900]

10 hours ago, MacJack said:

DMR is using a radio BM is VOIP.  I was not on 27500 via BM.  Plus our DMR regional repeaters are only tied to 4 repeaters and ops have to flip the switch to connect on the NPR network.  

DMR-MARC and BrandMeister are two completely separate DMR networks.  DMR-MARC is the older of the two and is generally based on MOTOTRBO equipment. BrandMeister is a newer and a bit more open network.

In general, DMR-MARC repeaters are more locked down and don't permit private calls. BrandMeister repeaters don't usually restrict private calls, they allow SMS messages and also support digital APRS.

Their are only a few talkgroups that are shared between these networks. Most folks program their codeplugs for one network or the other - BrandMeister being the most popular. 

TGIF is an interesting network. There's not a lot of repeaters on that network - but many program TGIF into their personal hotspots.

[MichaelLAX]

TGIF?

[MichaelLAX]

21 hours ago, MacJack said:

DMR is using a radio BM is VOIP.  I was not on 27500 via BM.  Plus our DMR regional repeaters are only tied to 4 repeaters and ops have to flip the switch to connect on the NPR network.  

I don't understand using Digital with such limitations; why not just use analog for those situations?

Using DMR with BM, I have instant access to Hams all over the world with varying interests in various Talkgroups on my HT and for less than $70!

(And the same HT that can communicate with GMRS, MURS, and 2 meter and 70 cm Hams if I choose to stretch things!)

[Citizen]

5 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

TGIF?

Thank Goodness It's Friday.

(JK; really it's: Toes Go In First)

: )

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